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Original poster

I am thinking of getting a dog but all the re homing sites I have looked at seem to not want to rehome to a house with young children .

31 replies

travellingwilbury · 22/03/2010 14:43

Is this the same across the board ? I have got a nearly 4 yr old and a 6 yr old .

We liked the idea of getting a dog from a rescue centre rather than from a breeder but it looks like we might not be able .

Or am I looking in the wrong places ?

Any help really appreciated . TIA .

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 22/03/2010 14:45

Have you tried the Dogs' Trust - I think they assess whether dogs are suitable for households with kids/other pets. I dn't know if they put a lower limit on childrens ages though.

ditavonteesed · 22/03/2010 14:48

I must confess I got nowhere trying to find A DOG suitable and am now getting a puppy. The only dog rescue thAT SEEemed ok with kids was the retired greyhound trust, worth a look, they are lovely, we have cats and chickens though so no good for us.

Original poster
travellingwilbury · 22/03/2010 14:54

Thanks , I will have a look at the Dogs trust (no idea if I have already looked , my eyes have blurred now)

A friend of mine always had retired grey hounds . Very sweet but a lot lazier than I would have thought .

OP posts:
Original poster
travellingwilbury · 22/03/2010 14:57

I have just looked on the dogs trust site and remembered I have looked already . I had to fill out an on line form and then they will e mail me any suitable dogs . Fingers crossed that they come up with something .

I just really don't want to pay £500 for a dog that may well have been bred to within an inch of its life . I just want a mutt really .

OP posts:
sowhatis · 22/03/2010 16:22

i had a 4 and 5 yo when i rescued a v v big breed dog and they were fine with it as the dog was in a home with children. keep looking!

Original poster
travellingwilbury · 22/03/2010 16:27

Thank you , that gives me some hope . I have only just decided tbh so I have am in no hurry . Will keep looking .

Haven't even broke the good news to dh yet

He will be very pleased btw , he has wanted a dog for years but I kept putting it off until the boys were a wee bit older .

OP posts:
catinthehat2 · 22/03/2010 16:47

Wood Green Animal Shelter does child proofing tests on dogs for rehoming (or did about 7 years ago to my knowledge!). MIL has a wonderful dog from there.

fruitshootsandheaves · 22/03/2010 16:53

Wood Green usually has very few adult dogs suitable for children under 8. I think this is similar in most rescue centres.
You might be more successful looking for a puppy. Mongrel puppies won't be expensive, we got our first dog as a puppy from a rescue centre, you may just have to wait a while.

Original poster
travellingwilbury · 22/03/2010 16:59

Thanks catinthehat I have just had a look on there , they have got some gorgeous dogs . I have wasted much of a day today staring at dogs and falling in love with a lot of them .

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midori1999 · 22/03/2010 17:21

You are more likey to find a 'mutt' from a bitch who has been bred 'to within an inch of her life' than a pedigree dog, if you know where to look. Responsible breeders so just that, breed responsibly, whereas a very high proportion of people breeding 'mutts' either do so by accident, and certainly do so with no thought to health or temprement, breed for money, or other ridiculous reasons. Some breeders also won't rehome to families with young children though, athough a lot will.

You can get puppies from rescue centres, and as I mentioned on thread the other day, also from your local pound, where they will not care less if you have children or anything else, you just rock up, choose a dog and pay the money (about £50 usually). Pounds aren't a place I usually suggest to anyone but very experienced owners, but a puppy is a puppy, and better to go to the pound than line the pockets of an idiot breeding for the wrong reasons with no care for the dogs.

Original poster
travellingwilbury · 22/03/2010 17:27

Thanks all

midori , I have never even thought about the "mutts" actually being bred on purpose . I figured they were mostly just frisky family dogs who got carried away when out and about .

I don't think I would go down the pound route . This will be our first family dog and I would rather know what I was dealing with (as much as you ever can anyway)

OP posts:
Ripeberry · 22/03/2010 17:33

I want to have a dog one day, but I've NEVER had one even as a child. I'm looking for a whippet or border terrier as they are supposed to be good for first time owners and are supposed to be 'cat like' in that they don't need too much attention and like to curl up with you

ditavonteesed · 22/03/2010 17:35

I'm getting a border terrier , theyt need an awful lkot of excercise though.

bunnylicious · 22/03/2010 17:35

Try www.manytears.co.uk too.

Some of their dogs are suitable for rehoming with children.

midori1999 · 22/03/2010 17:59

If you want to have an idea what you're dealing with, then why not get a responsibly bred pedigree puppy? If you get a purebred you have a good idea what to expect. If you get a cossbreed you could be taking on a dog with characteristics of one or both parents or maybe a mixture of unknown breeds. That said, I can personally see no diference between paying for a crossbreed puppy or picking one up at the local pound. Both puppies, both likely to be crossbreeds, other than that,one is supporting an irrepsonsible idiot, the other is taking on a dog that would otherwise be put to sleep and wouldn't be there if it wasn't for said irresponsible breeder anyway.

Would you really want to give money to somene who either couldn't look after their dog properly and had no regard for it's welfare, so it got accidentally pregnant?
(not entirely sure if that is worse than doing it on purpose, tbh!)

As you can tell, this is something I feel extremely strongly about.

tulpe · 22/03/2010 18:08

How about Hula Animal Rescue in Bedfordshire? THey are a very well run organisation and do re-home their dogs to families. If you look at each dogs' profile, they state whether they are suited to singles, families etc.

Original poster
travellingwilbury · 22/03/2010 18:08

As you can probably tell I don't have the in depth knowledge about dogs that I know I will need when we look into this more seriously . I just think that the crossbreeds that I have met have always seemed more healthy , the pure breds that friends and family have had seem to have one thing after another .

I supposed I worry more about the pound thing as they have gone very quickly (I assume) from being found to being rehomed with no real assesment on their character or suitability for being with a young family .

Thankfully my dh does know a lot more about dogs than I do and his family have always had dogs . I just don't want to bring it up with him yet as I need to be 100% sure I am ready before he gets his hopes up .

OP posts:
midori1999 · 22/03/2010 18:23

Some breeds are more prone to illnesses than others, and in just the same way, crossbreeds that carry those breeds may also be more prone to illnesses. The difference is that those breeding pure bred dogs responsibly will do so with health in mind and be health testing the parents in order to prevent hereditary illnesses/diseases being passed on where possible.

I breed Golden Retrievers although we breed to reduce the incidence/likelehood of hip and elbow dysplacia and eye problems, I have never actually know a well bred retriever with any hip, elbow or eye problems.

You are right about dogs from the pound being there for only a short time and not having any sort of assessment done. Thatis the reason I would nto usually suggest anyone but the most experienced get an adult dog from there. But a puppy is different, and a puppy from the pound is no more likely to be a problem than a randomly bred crossbeed puppy from someone advertising in the free ads or wherever.

I do think the best bet for first time dog owners is a decent pedigree breeder. They will know the breed inside out and be able to offer advice both before and after you take your puppy home, and ongoing advice for the lifetime of the dog, should you need it. I also thik (although I am hugely biased!) that Goldens make one of the best first time dogs, as they are so biddable and easy in every single way.

gegs73 · 22/03/2010 18:36

This place has some dogs which are suitable for families with children. If you look under each dog it will tell you who they are good for Many Tears

gegs73 · 22/03/2010 18:38

bunnylicious - just realised I posted same link as you

Romanarama · 22/03/2010 19:03

I came to the same conclusion as Midori when looking. The rescue route just seemed too risky (my youngest just turned 4). We bought a golden retriever 4 months ago. Puppies are pretty hard work with little kids though. He's easy to train, but being a puppy and therefore very exuberant he still bites when excited.

I would suggest looking at the rescue organisation of a breed that you think suitable for your family set up, and seeing whether there's anyone looking to rehome a family dog of that breed. There was someone on here once who took on a 4yo golden retriever from a family that was emigrating and couldn't take the dog. That sounded like a great idea - we had looked for something similar but had not found a suitable dog.

chegirlWILLbeserene · 22/03/2010 20:19

I broke the habit of a lifetime and bought a dog last year.

I have always rehomed but knew from experience that I didnt stand a chance with a 1 year old and a 6 year old.

I only got my last dog because I was an ex vet nurse and the homechecker from Battersea fell in love with my exsiting dog. It was still a struggle to find a dog that they would home to a family with non teenaged children.

So I bought a beautiful little cross breed chi x pom after much research.

I still feel guilty about it though.

I have to say getting a puppy was much easier than homing an adult dog (for us). He gets on brilliantly with the younger kids.

I can understand why the homes put restrictions on kids/dogs but I think the rules are too blanket and should be reviewed according to each family.

Vallhala · 22/03/2010 23:40

TW my first suggestion would be to investigate smaller, independent rescues as many of them will judge on a case-by-case situation rather than have a blanket "we don't home to families with young DC" rule.

Said it before, so sorry for boring you all, but find a rescue which:

Vaccinates, neuters and chips.
Homechecks - this is for YOUR benefit as well as the dog, so you don't end up with something unsuitable.
Offers lifetime support and advice.
Will take the dog back if the homing doesn't work out.
Has a no-kill policy, so if they do have to take him back you know he'll be safe.

Am happy to put a call out to my contacts in rescue to see if any of them can help or advise on who to approach. I do know of some in your area but don't know what their rules are so will try to find out. If you'd like me to, please just ask.

Original poster
travellingwilbury · 23/03/2010 07:01

Thank you Vallhala it would be really helpful to know where to start . I do have people I could ask in rl but until I have spoken to dh about it I don't want anyone else to know for now .

I do think I am ready to have a dog in our life now just a bit nervous about it still .

OP posts:
DrNortherner · 23/03/2010 07:26

We got our lab from labrador welfare in Sheffield, they rehomed to us and my ds was 5 then. Some friends of ours rehomed from RSPCA and their 2 girls were 4 nd 7 at the time.