Vallhala, or any one else who might know..What are the procedures for adopting a dog?

[ShinyAndNew]

Dh has realised how unhappy I am without a dog and has agreed that we can adopt one.

We have contacted the local kennels and are going to look at the dogs on Saturday. They told me it is important that I take the dd's with me.

What happens next?

They will most likely organise a home visit just to check property/garden is suitable for a dog.

We have no garden, but we do have a very large yard and live directly opposite a park.

Would that be a problem? We don't want a large dog a terrier type or Bull terrier type would probably be best suited to us interms of house size.

When we got our first dog we had a tiny yard of a garden but like you were near parks. We got that one from wood green. It tends to be more a case of is it secure and is there anything toxic/sharp lying about etc.
My husband was a home checker for a local rescue charity for a bit.

I don't think our local kennel is a charity. It is a boarding kennel that doubles as a rehoming center. The yard is very secure. 8 foot walls and bolted back door. All sharp objects, paint etc are kept in a locked cuboard and the bins etc are kept around a corner that could be/is going to be fenced off from the main part of the yard.

Bump for anymore info. What happens after they visit if everything is fine with the house?

What do they look for when they visit?

Shiny, before you go ahead, please, please, please consider this.

Ta and good luck. Nothing better than a good dog on your feet come a cold winter's night

Hmm, that is interesting. I'm not sure if it is such a good idea for us though. I have two young dd's who would be devastated if we fostered a dog, they got attatched and then the owner wanted it back.

It is certainly something to think about though.

I have many years experience working in rescue centres. A good rehoming centre will only rehome with children dogs with a known history of being with children(not based on their own assessment/opinion), following home visit (as described, garden size doesn't matter) and they should want you to/you should ask to meet the dog at least two-three times for walks, visits home etc to make sure it is the one for you. Very best of luck, very exciting!

Oh gawd, now I have to think!

For a start, a yard as opposed to a garden is generally no big deal providing you aren't after a big dog/very active one and are able to walk him daily. That its secure IS important, so no problems there.

A good homechecker will want to know whether you all want a dog, who will be the main carer, how often/where he will be left, what you will do if you go away (and any forthcoming plans to do so), what you think of dogs on sofas/beds (to disagree is not an automatic failure but it will rule in or out some choices of dogs in their rescue), how old your DC are and how you feel about them interacting with the dog (ie will they be allowed to pull him about, cos yes, we do meet that type!), the size of your home (although they won't expect a tour of bedrooms, honest!).

Rest assured that the homechecker isn't there to judge because you've got the washing up or ironing on the side waiting to be done - this isn't about your home per se but your attitude towards one of their dogs in it and whether he will be safe and loved. They will also probably ask about any other pets and regular small human visitors and want proof that the house is yours or that your landlord, if you have one, allows pets.

You'll doubtless be told that the rescue will require written assurance that the dog will be neutered if this is for some reason not already done (eg if he is too young yet), and to confirm that you will return him to them if ever you can no longer keep him.

Depending on the rescue they may suggest/introduce you to selected dogs which they think might suit as the one I volunteer for does or they may just invite you to take a wander and see which appeals then advise if he/they might suit. I would expect them then to homecheck and to invite you back to spend time getting to know your chosen dog, taking him for walks etc until both you and the rescue are happy.

This doesn't always happen, some rescues will just homecheck and then say there you go - "my" rescue often has families visiting a couple of afternoons a week over the course of 3 or 4 weeks, to allow the family and dog to get to know each other and satisfy themselves that the two are compatible.

And a bit of advice?

Go with an open mind. When I lost to cancer my small collie cross girl, whom I'd adopted as an 8 year old, I went looking for a similar small girl but a bit younger. In time I found my ideal dog - a 9 year old, huge, long haired German Shepherd boy... and he was the best thing which has ever happened to me!

You too might have one idea but surprise yourself when you fall in love with someone completely different!

The only thing I would say is don't take your children with you for a first visit. This is for two reasons, firstly they may find the dog section quite distressing (you may find this too) and they may fall for an unsuitable dog, and that can be difficult. I'd go on your own/with dh first, and then introduce your dds to the dog that you think is right (or if you unsure the dogs you think might be right).

Thanks Vallhala. I feel a bit more confident now.

It is our house, every one wants the dog, we have plans to go away but would board the dog at the same kennels, as my mum and dad do with their two dogs/or it would come with us if we were going camping, children are in no way allowed to 'pull at' animals and have already been taught that you treat animals with love and respect, obv dd2 who is only two has slip ups but would never be left unattended with the dog anyhow and would be stopped immediately.

I have an open mind. Dd1 will most likely do the 'choosing', with advice from me and the kennel owners. And she is very open minded and in last few hours has jumped from wanting another SBT to a greyhoud cross to a white GSD to a poodle. Depending upon which picture she is seeing 'looks most and needs a cuddle'

Nooka, the kennels told me I must take the children. They are not bothered if DH comes but the dds must come. They made that very clear. I presume it is so they can gauge how the children/dog act around each other?

Dd1 is aware that all the dogs are in 'cages like in prison' as she put it and she wishes we could adopt them all, but knows we can't. Apparently she has been watching an RSPCA programme with MIL. Dd2 is too young to notice the way the dogs are being housed and would just be over the moon to see so many dogs. She loves dogs.

Nooka, you have a fair comment but it would be wise in that case for Shiney to ring the rescue in advance and discuss this with them/ask their advice.

"My" rescue isn't open to the public as such but meets prospective new owners by appointment as its run by just the two owners without full-time or paid help. Therefore they only introduce the family to one or two selected dogs (sometimes more but generally a max of 4, due to suitability). These will be the dogs the rescue thinks would suit based on the answers to the rescues earlier-asked questions/questionnaire.

If Shiney's rescue works in this way she could be wasting her and the rescues time by not having the whole family there as the problem you describe would be unlikely to occur.

I've found that DC don't find the dog section distresing at all although I can see that adults might. I would as I know the type of things which cause dogs to end up in rescue. Daft thing for me of all people to say, but at "my" rescue I know I can help, if I visited another I couldn't help out at for whatever reason it would be much more hurtful for me, iyswim.

Shiney I like your DD! SBTs are SO undermined and SO many are in rescue and need lovely owners like you but.........

..... you can't beat a GSD, ESPECIALLY not a white one!

Its a shame that of the 2 whites in "my" rescue, one is definately not suited to a normal home and the other, apart from being an epi dog and so people are sadly reluctant to take him on, comes from a lone parent family and is shy of men so wouldn't be the best to rehome with a husband about.

We do have some lovely family friendly SBTs and Lurchers though!

Another point - do be wary as independent rescue is usually a far cry from the RSPCA with their £119 million in the bank and shiny white buildings. Most independents live on debt and a shoestring and although the dogs should (and god help 'em if this is not the case and I find out!) be well cared for the premises will generally VERY different than anything you see on the RSPCA television programmes.

We have experience of epiletic dogs and of dogs shy of men so things like that would not put me off.

I LOVE staffies and so does DH so I will most definately point her in the direction of the SBT's.

My other choice breed is a Siberian Husky. DH just tried to tempt me with one he found on the net. Where the owner is looking for a new family due to a relationship break up. However he sounds like a very caring owner and no doubt the dog will be snapped up. I want to rehome that may otherwsie not have a chance IYSWIM?

The kennels is Low Fallowfields. I gather from another thread that you have dealt with them and they have a policy of putting to sleep dogs they deem as being 'un-rehomable' healthy or not

Though they don't advertise this and are as boarding kennel are great.

I think I am too far away from yours to be able to go there. I don't drive and would be relying on my father to taxi me around. Low Fallowfields is only a short drive away from here.

Oh thats a beggar... my lot have just taken in from a family a 9 month old pretty much perfect Husky! Damn!

I have had bad experiences with Low Fallowfield but for all I know they may have changed hands since my last dealings. Regardless, if you adopt from them thats one who will have a happy life so thats great imho.

Wishing you all the luck and joy in the world in finding your perfect pal - please come back and tell us how it went.

Thanks I will do. Look for an update on Sat afternoon.

A bit about Low Fallowfields from my experience:

z10.invisionfree.com/PFK/index.php?showtopic=4979

Another point - Low Fallowfields are a pound (for, I believe, Hartlepool?) and NOT a rescue.

And now I recall when I also dealt with them and its made me cry again.

Last year, 3 weeks before Christmas I was warned that they had an old long haired white German Shepherd, very gentle, semi blind and suffering kennel cough who as a stray had been there for more than the legally required 7 days. Kennel cough is far too often a death sentence for pound dogs -its easily treatable but spreads like wildfire so some pounds prefer to put to sleep one dog than go to the expense of treating lots of dogs.

I couldn't find an email address for the pound in order to tell them that I would find a rescue place and ask them to hold the dog so I rang them.

It was a good job I did...

The staff told me I was probably a minute too late as he had just been taken into the vets to be killed. I begged them to try and stop the vet and they called back five minutes later having literally got him off of the vets table.

he came straight to me the next day (landlord was NOT impressed!) as I couldn't risk leaving such a vulnerable dog at such a particularly difficult time of year - we were working through the night to find rescue places for hundreds of dogs over Christmas and most rescues were full to the brim. He was the image in both looks and temperement of my own long haired white GSD, Shane, whom I'd lost to a degenerative disease less than 2 years earlier.

Shane the second, as I called him, stayed with me for a few weeks until I found him the perfect home - one which I would put my own dogs into if I had to, the couple are just angels. I'd begged my landlord to let me keep him but to no avail. Letting him go, albeit to a perfect home, broke my heart but I still get updates and he's spoilt rotten and very happy.

But for that stroke of lucky timing he would have been a victim of a council pound... yet if you read the council's website it will tell you that they only PTS if the dog is ill. What they don't tell you is that they will do so even if that illness is as harmles as a human's cold and as treatable as a human's sore throat.

My ds lasted about 2 minutes in the kennels section of our SPCA (Canadian equivalent of the RSPCA) and there were only about six dogs there. I have to say I wasn't that much better! I guess there is just something very upsetting about dogs in cages (especially as none of them would have worked for us, so it wasn't a very positive visit). We had to go and calm down by looking at the cats (they have a big group of cats who are all together in a big room, and generally seem to be pretty happy). So I won't take our children there again until we find a suitable dog (here they don't vet you until you are matched so there is a while between saying you are interested and taking the dog home) and we have our behavioural session (also required).

Yes they are a pound for Hartlepool and the surrounding area. Which I guess is why they cannot get too full. Unfortunately abandoning dogs, esp SBT seems to be acceptable to most people around here.

Almost every week you hear of people tying up their dogs and leaving them. Last week it was a beautifull white SBT. She was featured in the local papers 'Give a Dog a Home' campaign, so fortunatley was rehomed pretty much straight away.

The councils website shows that 'stray' dogs are found almost daily too. Probably after being kicked out and left to wander the streets. They are rarely ever claimed.

Shiny, you are sadly so very right. The pound staff's remark to my incredulous response to Shane, who is because of his coat quite unusual, not being claimed was a sigh and "I'd imagine that he was thrown out to make way for the new Christmas puppy rather than a genuine stray, which is why he wasn't claimed". I've no doubt they were correct.

I can honestly say that if I ever found them I would swing for the people who abandoned my perfect, gentle friend, and hang the consequences depite normally being very outspoken but not violent.

Makes my blood boil.

It does mine too Valhalla. I cannot understand how they are allowed to get away with it. There should be criminal investigations and when found the owners should be prosecuted for animal cruelty.

There are new 'strays' on there even today . Although they haven't taken off the dog that dd1 had fallen in love with, even though they claimed he had been rehomed