To want another dog, after a bad experience

[thewaterfromhere]

Preparing myself for a bit of a flaming here.

In the next couple of years, we’d love to be thinking about having a dog. However, we did have a bad experience with a rescue.

Reasonable to try again, with a puppy?

Puppies are very hard work!
Have you researched how to care for them - all the training, the amount of attention they need, that they can't be left alone etc etc?

And have you analysed what went wrong last time and what you'd do differently?

So I take it you got a rescue and sent it back and now want another one?

What was the bad experience?

I've had 2 rescues and they've been chalk and cheese.

I agree that puppies are extremely hard work. It's not something you can do unless you're fully prepared to put up with at least a year of wee, chewing up shoes, barking, crying etc. It really is like having a newborn...obviously not as full on but still somewhat comparable.

I LOVE dogs and my dog was so hard during his first year that I genuinely wanted to give up at some points. We got through it thank goodness and he's wonderful....but they're MASSIVELY draining.

What went wrong with the rescue?

What went wrong with the rescue? Hard to know without the background

I would go for a puppy. Just ensure that you are prepared. Have plenty of time and training lined up... it can take up to 18 months of regular training classes/ sessions to get a well trained dog.
The KC good citizens dog scheme is good and won't cost £100's if you go with local dog training club .

Not all puppies are equal. Not all rescues are equal. What went wrong the first time? As that massively impacts the response.

Puppies are lovely, but they are such a hard option. As an experienced dog lover, I support exactly what the poster above has said. Also if you do decide to proceed, going for a slightly older dog, say aged around 2 to 4. Past the chewing and the first rush of energy, but still full of fun and willing to be moulded and loved as part of your family.

I would suggest reading The Dog Whisperer by Jan Fennell, we found it so helpful when we started out. Good luck. 😊

It sounds like you have absolutely no clue how to care for a dog; you just want one because they’re cute. So yes, YABU.

Same here, OP. We are going to be buying a puppy in the new year.

Well, what happened the first time around?

Puppies are bloody hard work for the first couple of years. And raising a dog from puppyhood can still go horribly wrong. And remember, lots of classes and training sessions aren't going ahead at the moment and there are lots of puppies/teenage dogs with issues because they've not been socialised properly due to lockdown.

There have been plenty of threads in "The Doghouse" and all over social media about it all. It might be worth taking a look.

Depends what the issue was first time around.

Sorry, The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell! It worked for us.

Depends what the bad experience was?I got a slightly older (5 months) rescue pup at the same time my friend bought a designer crossbreed pup (8 weeks). I still have my dog but sadly they had to rehome their lad after several episodes of him biting others quite severely.
There are no guarantees with a puppy so you must research and be prepared to train, train and train some more.
Love my dog dearly but wouldn’t get a puppy again ever!!

Our puppy was dreadful hard work till about 4 months. She was fine after that. We’ve also had rescues who have been fine.

Please tell us what went wrong, what the problems were. You will get much better advice.

Thanks for the replies. It really wasn’t as simple as ‘sent it back’, it was a really upsetting experience for everyone, I think.

It was the prey drive that was the problem. There were other issues around toileting and barking but could probably have worked those out, but we really were concerned for everyone’s safety with the poor dog.

If you found an older rescue too difficult, then it's very likely that you would find a puppy too difficult. They are really hard work, and need careful training.

Can you give a bit more detail about the issues with the rescue? If it was just the prey drive, could you not have just walked the dog on the leash only?

No reason why you couldn’t end up with a puppy that had exactly the same issues though. Or worse.
And prey drive doesn’t normally put people at risk so I don’t know what you mean.

My rescue has a strong desire to chase and kill small things...we had to adjust. We made a new chicken run for example. When we go out, we avoid places where there will be rabbits. Toileting can be fixed...the problem is that ALL dogs come with issues. You won't find a perfect one.

Look v carefully into the breed. The Kennel Club has excellent descriptions of breeds & strengths & weaknesses. I generally think an older dog - rescue- is easier than a puppy. Be honest with yourself about what you can tolerate before you decide.
I am a very experienced dog owner, who has rehomed dogs, but I had a nightmare rescue the last time. It went back, & as a result, I will no longer have a dog. Kids are grown, I like dogs in family situation & I no longer want to be tied down by a pet.

With a puppy, we could choose the breed and size matters, where dogs are concerned. We didn’t want to be in a position where our cat was at risk.

Depends on the previous experience.

It may have simply been that particular dog wasn't the right fit for your family.

You could have exactly the same problem with a puppy. Make sure you buy from a reputable breeder that would take the puppy back if need be.

Or you could try a different rescue. Just because it didn't work out once, doesn't mean you should never rescue again. Some rescues are more thorough than others