To not know what to do - dog related

[Dogconfused]

my partner and I want to get a dog but cannot decide between trying to get a rescue or a puppy. Pls can people offer advice/opinions?
we have thought long and hard about the pros and cons of each…
Rescue pros

• helping a dog in need
• helping a charity
• Dog may be less needy than a puppy
• can get clearer idea of dogs character
• cheaper

Rescue cons

• don’t know genetic/health/physical history of dog
• Potentially harder to train than a puppy
• Would be from abroad so (low) risk of parasitic disease (would be tested for these)

Puppy pros

• more choice over what we get and when we get it
• more knowledge of puppies past and parents health etc
• potentially easier to train as stating from young

Puppy cons

• not helping a rescue
• cost is higher
• potentially more needy at beginning

we have given it a lot of thought, but cannot decide what option is best for us (and the potential dog). We are definitely in favour of rescues but want to make sure we get the right dog for us.

for context, we are first time dog owners who have no children or other pets. We have a large garden and live in a town. We enjoy longer walks, paddle boarding, beer gardens etc. We would want a dog to come out and do things with us. We would want a small dog as our car is small.

if we got a rescue it would be from Romania but from a charity with a UK presence and support system. If we got a puppy it would be from a licensed breeder with lots of research into them etc.

Sorry that’s long but didn’t want to drip feed.
all opinions gladly received!!

I think based on our current set up I’d wait a while.

What’s the shared garden like? We’ve just had to have our grass area paved as dog wee really does mess up the grass.
also are you set up for constant garden visits (which ever option you go down) until toilet training is established?

are you allowed to have a dog with a shared garden? What if your neighbours get annoyed about the dog or something?

Rescue for me because of all your pros.
Having a puppy is like inviting a cute, furry terrorist into your home, imo 😁

You're nowhere near as well-educated as you think you are, evidently. Our latest is a rescue from Romania, I've seen the conditions in the rescue there, and they're not remotely what you're describing. He was not a street dog, he was an abuse case who escaped and was found suffering with mange, surviving on scraps. Brought over, treated, neutered, chipped and handed over with enough medication for the next year (which should be the end of the course). Without being rescued, he would have died alone and in pain.

The adoption fee doesn't even come close to covering all of that, and all of this particular rescue's dogs are the same.

From what I understand, following some dog charities, there are lots of puppies and young dogs in rescues right now because they were bred in lockdown/just after in the CoL crisis and people can't rehome them like they thought they would and the bottom is dropping out of the market. So, the choice is not Romanian rescue or puppy- you could get a few month old dog from a rescue in the UK, if you meet their criteria of course. I understand they are deluged with dogs and cannot find homes or fosters for them all.

Do a lot of research, not just posting here. I did and ended up with something I had never anticipated - a retired racer (greyhound). Amazingly easy. Also suitable for flats as they need very little exercise. An absolutely superb dog for “beginners”.

Economies of scale and cutting corners such as no pain relief or appropriate vet nursing support during surgery, falsifying vaccine and health check records, collecting large numbers of free ‘stray’ dogs to be sold at £300/each, or farming puppies in shitty situations for the ‘rescue’ trade.

it’s pretty easy to understand if you ‘educate yourself’ about the vast trade in dogs from Romania to the UK. And it really is a trade

At the moment the shelters in the UK are so full dogs are being PTS every day. If you adopt from the UK at least you can meet the dog before it is imported into the country (at significant cost) and given to you so much more likely to see whether you'll be able to get on with it, and see whether it has any obvious issues.

What does the other owner of the "shared" garden think?

I think a lot of people really judge those who bring rescue dogs over from abroad. It's a ridiculous thing to do IMO when there are so many rescue dogs here who will not find a home as a result.

My SIL has brought a husky over from abroad. Its quote shocking when the rescue centres here are full of huskies (well known for being very demanding domestic pets).

Those who have done it will obviously defend their decisions though.

I got my resccue from a small local rescue who fosters dogs with experienced owners before rehoming so that they know more about what the dog needs in a home and they can work on any difficulties beforehand. Our dog has turned out to be a dream dog, she was housetrained, she's non destructive, she walked well on her lead, there was no resource guarding, she's a friendly well balanced dog. She's also a pedigree with her papers with lifetime support from the rescue in case of problems all for £150 including spaying, microchipping and vaccinations. Why rescue from abroad when there are thousands of dogs here and available now? Find a local rescue, the more questions they ask the better as they are likely able to match you with the right dog for your circumstances.

I would strongly recommend a uk rescue. Where you visit and spend time with the dog beforehand, to see if theyre a good fit. The bonus is you'll know their personality/history/background. I wanted to go this route, but was denied because I have children. I ended up buying a puppy. He started well but ended up with behavioural issues. We've managed him with trainers advice. However, we have to always watch him, as he wants to guard and anxiety makes him bite (yes he breaks the skin).

I adopted my wee boy from silver fox dog rescue, who were absolutely brilliant to deal with and ensured I was home checked and etc.
Their dogs stay in foster homes while they are assessed for compatibility with kids, other dogs, lifestyle, if they're toilet trained, what health they're in etc etc and all of this info is passed on honestly on every dogs adoption page.

Rescue all the way. Rescue in the UK. I have three rescues and only one has behavioral issues. That's because he was badly abused by a women not a man. We knew this though from the work the rescue die, we were assessed to see if suitable and also home checked, plus were told we still had work to do with him after. Two years later we have a grumpy jack russele who now doesn't shake when he walks on the tiled kitchen floor, loves his walks and has his quirks. The other two are females one is so tiny and loves cuddling up but can be very jealous. The other is a real lady sits when told, cross her paws so elegantly and is a pure dote. Every dog no matter if same breed is different. Few things trike me in your post, you have never owned dogs. Let me tell you a dog is like having a child that doesn't talk, they need walking they need access outside to go to the toilet they need vets ( can be very expensive - i note you said rehome is cheaper - by no means a dog is not cheap so if this is your thought no straight away) They need to be looked after if your away, again cost money. Food aswell ( dog and cat food has seen one of the highest price increases so far) You say you have been assessed as you live in an apartment? actually lurchers and greyhounds are great dogs for apartment living. As you are 1st time dog owners, it will be so worth your while volunteering at the rescues, or fostering then you see what its really like

As with most things in life there are good and bad organisations bringing Romania dogs into the UK. But often it's quite a lot more complicated than that.

I am sure there are some organisations that are out to make money out of the trade. And I'm sure puppy farms exist.

I am also sure there are others that do everything they can for the dogs in their care but they often provide inadequate care because they don't have the money to do anything else. These are well meaning people. They are doing their absolute best for the dogs, taking them out of the hellhole existence that passes for life in a public shelter and giving them a chance of a new life.
And if they are cutting corners, it's not because they want to save money but because they simply don't have the money not to.
I think if you don't understand this, you don't understand the scale of the problem in Romania.

@Dogsandchocolaterule oh my god don't, I look through their page every day and just want to take them all home

This is nonsense!
When DH and I wanted to get a second dog to keep our first company, we were turned down left and right. Reasons: flat too small, garden too small, they said we are too young and would probably not keep the dog long if we wanna travel all of a sudden or have kids, they wanted a bank statement, because apparently its not possible for two young people to be able to afford a dog etc.
We ended up adopting from spain and the dog lived with us until she passed at 15 years old.
The dog was already 3 when she came to us and we had lots of behaviour issues. But with training she became a completely different dog within 6 months. She was the perfect dog for the rest of her life.

We just recently adopted a dog again from Romania this time. Reason for not adopting a dog here was that we couldnt find a young, small dog without issues in any rescues near us.
We have kids and cats now, so we didnt want to adopt a dog with problems. She was only 4 months old when we got her and hasnt had any bad experiences yet. If you do adopt from abroad you can combine puppy and rescue. The puppy wont be as young of course, but still young enough to be shaped.

I never understand the puppies are hard work brigade. What is hard? Toilet training, fine, newspaper the kitchen, gradually decreasing paper until only.by the back door, take them out after meals and first thing in morning, last thing at night. Beaid back if occasional accident so you dont make them neurotic.
Socialising? Take them everywhere with you, keep them safe but let them see everything, cars, children. Building sites,,cities, sheep etc.
Chewing? Keep shoes and stuff you care about out of reach. Plenty of chew toys. Be laid back if they do get something you care about so you dont make them neurotic.
Lead training? Join a training class. Be consistent and gentle. Be patient.
Playing? Play gently. Dont let them do anything you dont want an adult dog to do eg. Nip/be on sofa etc. Dont shout or hit, just withdraw your attention.
Leaving alone? Do for short periods and build up trust. Leave the radio on. Be prepared to sometimes sleep downstairs eg. First couple of nights when theyre sad.
Anything else? Get a dog behaviour book. Google not so helpful as lots of mad advice. Hard to sort wheat from chaff.

Ive had dogs for the last thirty years. I think puppies are probably the best invention on the planet. And for a first time.owner - any of the dog's problems will be your doing whereas a rescue will have many that youre totally unaware of until they are triggered and you wont have a perfect idea of what is normal dog behaviour to see what youre aiming at or what the dog's body language or behaviour is saying. My rescue dog is my best boy ever but it took years of perseverance and understanding to get him from an unhousetrained adult with fear based aggression to my soppy colliedoo.

As somebody that specialises in working with overseas rescues, I would encourage you not to get one.

Puppies can also be equally as tricky as puppies. Most people don't realise how difficult it is raising a puppy up to adulthood (2 - 3 years).

I have had both rescues, and puppies. Personally I feel that getting the right rescues for you is easier than a puppy. It is also important to understand the needs of rescue dogs and give them a lot of time, most people overwhelm them in their first few weeks.

I read something recently regarding adopted rescues from abroad.being dumped in quite large numbers in uk rescues, causing more issues. Not sure why you feel a rescue has to come from abroad when we have so many in need of homes in this country.

Whatever you do it's going to be a coin toss. I've known awful rescue dogs, awful puppies and lovely rescue dogs and lovely puppies.

I have such a soft spot for greys!

Thanks.
everyones replies have been very helpful and have reinforced that there probably isn’t a right or wrong and realistically it boils down to what specific dog we end up getting.
for further context as people have questioned us even getting a dog at all

• I wasn’t super clear - this will be the first dog we have owned jointly, I grew up with a dog who we didn’t get until I was mid teens so I attended training, helped look after her etc. She was reactive due to an accident when she was young so also have some experience of that but conscious this can vary massively and am not underplaying this
• we regularly dog sit for 3 neighbours, one of these dogs has behavioural issues so we have recent experience of this
• the neighbours we share a garden with are dog lovers and also coincidentally look after a dog around one week per month so sharing the garden would not be problematic
• this mumsnet thread is not the only place we have done research - we have visited our would-be vet to ask for opinions, we have spent hours online, have spoken to UK and overseas rescues and have also spoken to breeders and people who have recently got puppies from breeders we are interested in.

Also to add to the above as it sounded snappier than intended! I am very grateful for everyone’s opinions and tips etc.
I really want to make sure we provide a good home to whatever dog we end up getting, and really appreciate everyone pointing out the goods and bads, and the challenges of dog ownership!

I think we probably have a similar issue as you.
We would be very open to a uk based rescue if we can find a suitable dog and are accepted by the rescue. And we will keep looking/applying but currently have been approved by a charity that mainly works with overseas rescues. However they have 2 centres in the UK and all dogs go there first, or to foster homes. Not directly to adopters.
if anyone has any recommendations of UK rescues they would be very welcome, we have tended to find that smaller more local rescues are easier to get in touch with but so far have mainly found these via word of mouth/random Facebook groups.
thanks again 😊

we have had 2 rescues.
Both we living in foster homes in the UK so we got a very thorough and accurate assessment of their needs, and both had a complete history. eg one belonged to a homeless guy who eventually had to give him up, he was really easy but a terrible food thief. The other was a big bouncy dog with an older couple who couldn't cope any more. Both rescued through local rescue charities.

You do have to have your eyes open, and listen propely to what you are told. Our current dog is lovely but I did slightly gloss over the fact that they said he was an escape artist, our garden has 6 foot walls, he'll never get over.... (suffice to say we now have an chicken wire fence on top of our 6 foot walls...)

I would NEVER rescue a dog from abroad. It is very risky, they are brought over, spend 2 weeks in a kennel or foster home and then out to new homes, or at worst you get them straight off the ferry. This is a trade, they are making money out for sending dogs to the UK. You have no idea what you are getting. Many are street dogs so never been in a house. You cannot meet them or assess for yourself their personality.