Right. Taking on a rescue dog?

[ComeAlongPond]

Have been thinking about this (thank you Val, by the way, for your help on the other thread) and was wondering if anyone could give any advice.

First, I'm thinking about it for my parents. We have a labrador already who is generally friendly with other dogs, and the house and garden are big and secure, with a beach right over the road (literally). However, my dad works full time and my mum works part-time but unpredictable hours (as a teacher in a pupil referral unit); so never anything outlandish, but sometimes she's in mornings, sometimes she's not, often she won't know until the day. She usually comes home to check the labrador (let him out, give him some fuss, check his water etc) at lunchtime and walks him right after work - he is usually alone in the house from about 8.30 - 12.15/12.30 then 1ish - 3.30/4, usually 4 or 5 days a week. Would that be okay for any rescue dogs? (Obviously not every single one would be all right with that, but would any? Or is that not okay?)

Also, I don't think they'd be prepared to train up another dog completely. They wouldn't mind doing some work with one but I doubt they're up for another round of house training and basic things like not pullinng on the lead and coming back when called. Is that all right, or would the rescue just think they were just too lazy to have another dog? It's not that they're lazy, just that this isn't their idea, and I need all the help I can get to convince them it's a good idea and not just a lot of extra work for them!

Pond, I'm going to be a devil's advocate here. Your parents should be driving this, not you. It is a very bad idea for anyone to put pressure on someone else to have a dog/have another dog unless they are fully committed. Do you live with them?

You should also think carefully about the financial commitment - are you willing to make this on their behalf? Consider food, insurance, holidays, vaccinations, worming etc for a second dog. We had to change our car when we got a second (and now third ) dog. It's even things like some people find two dogs harder to walk than a single one.

Your parents sound like their lifestyle is not the best for a dog -yes, there are rescue dogs that could be homed to them, but I repeat, this has to be driven by them, after considering ALL the factors, otherwise it is simply unfair to them and the dog.

One option for them to test the water might be to do some fostering for a local resuce - the charity would pay for vets bills, food and so on. This would be a good opportunity for them to see how a second dog could fit with their lifestyle without a long term commitment. Another option is to do some volunteering for the Cinnamon Trust - they are always desperate for dog walkers, and emergency foster carers.

Don't want to sound too negative, but it is a big commitment and should be one they want to make, not are being nagged into!

I know what you mean Scuttle :) I do agree with you, it should be their choice and their decision. (I don't live with them btw.) It does sound rather as though I'm forcing them into it, reading it back, but it's honestly not like that - they do want another dog, but they've been talking about a puppy from a breeder and aren't sure.

What's putting them off (they've said as much, I'm not putting words into their mouths) is 1, they don't want to housetrain a puppy again, and 2, we used to have two dogs until the elder one passed away and the left-behind one was miserable without him for ages. They're worried about one ouliving another and being unhappy.

I promise I'm not nagging or forcing them into anything. The only nagging I'm doing is for them to go to a rescue instead of a breeder first, if they are going to get another one. Honestly, I agree that it's wrong to push them into something they don't want to do. I see how that came across in the OP but I think I was over-egging it a bit. If they genuinely didn't want another dog the worst thing I could do would be to force them and I would never dream of doing it; it would be completely driven by them if they did it. I'm just putting the idea of a rescue dog to them so they can think about it, our lab and the collie who died were puppies so rescue isn't something they've considered.

Do you really think their lifestyle is bad for a dog? Putting aside the idea of another one, I mean, thinking about the lab. The dog always seems happy, he gets lots of fuss and excercise... there are other people in the house too, two younger brothers and my sister is moving back home this month. Do you think he's in a bad situation? :( I would hate for him to be somewhere bad for him.

They're erring towards not getting one at all, because they'd rather not go through housetraining again. They've not decided either way on getting or not getting another dog yet, but the negatives are outweighing the positives for them at the moment because they have only considered a puppy from a breeder.

The point was, they haven't considered rescue and IF they decided they definitely do want another dog and IF there would be a rescue dog suitable for them instead of a breeder, then (A) A dog would be rehomed, (B) They may not have to deal with the puppy stage which they never particularly enjoyed, (C) They MAY be able to have a dog of a similar age to the current one, which might be preferable for the dogs with different energy levels and also would be more likely to avoid the situation of one dog pining for years after the passing of his companion (obviously not a guarantee, but more likely that they'd have similar lifespans).

I assure you I wouldn't force or nag them into anything, nor would they do anything they didn't feel was right for the family and the dogs involved.

However, IF they decide they want a dog but they don't want a puppy, and IF they would be able to offer a rescue dog a home, I thought it would be worth considering. They haven't thought about rehoming, from what they've said in the past they would be wary as they assume the dog would have no history (as I did, until I learned a bit more on here). So I was wondering if it's feasible for them to rehome a dog, and if so, what sort of things would sell them on the notion - not of getting another dog, more on considering a rescue dog as a viable option and not 'just some random stray'. Apologies if that didn't come across in the post; it's not getting a dog I'm trying to persuade them into, it's considering a rescue dog if they do go forward with it.

I realise I've not explained myself very well or quite put the point across that I intended, which is probably giving the wrong impression of the situation and who wants what. Sorry about that; it's late and I'm distracted. I think I'll go to bed and try to express it more accurately tomorrow :)

(On the basis that the labrador has spent the evening peacefully munching on my mother's paperwork prep for an OFSTED inspection, I suspect there are soon to be no dogs in the household at all and we'll be stuffing the lab for dinner tomorrow anyway! )

I have three (was supposed to be one - long story) rescue dogs - one staffy, one staffy cross, one collie/rottie cross.

They were housetrained, they come back when called, they are insanely grateful to have someone who cares for them.

The two smaller dogs were abandoned in a field, the collie was an abused farm dog.

As long as you choose the rescue dog carefully, it will be fine. If they want a specific breed, often there are breed rescues to rehome dogs.

A rescue dog doesn't have to be an untrained dog, sometimes they just fall on hard times!

But it depends if your parents really want one, otherwise any small problem will seem huge if they aren't fully sold on the idea.

Pond, I think I'm slowly getting a better picture! As there are other family members around in the house, that sounds much better. A greyhound could be a good option for them - contrary to myth, they don't need miles of exercise and in fact are usually very calm, placid dogs who spend much of their time upside down on the sofa with legs in the air, asleep. Ex racers come off the track at around 2 years, but rescues often have dogs as young as 1 year/eighteen months, and will have oldies going right the way up. They usually have a long lifespan for a big dog - 15 is typical, and once they have got over any post racing problems, are adopted out as healthy, fit dogs who have very few health problems. They are usually semi-housetrained off the track, and ours picked up the full housetraining idea within a couple of days. Most greys walk beautifully on the lead, are good at travelling, and quickly pick up house stuff like washing machines, stairs, and hoovers. My only warning - they are completely addictive and will colonise your sofa/bed/comfy spot! They are also stunning lookers, and if it's important, you can trace their pedigree back to the early 19th century. You'd also have the satisfaction of knowing your parents were helping to rehome a dog that would otherwise be shot, dumped or worse.

She's right you know, that ScuttleButter. A Grey would be a super choice. :)

We have had our rescue dog for one month and it was the best thing we've ever done. He is about two or three years old and is housetrained and very eager to please. He is very affectionate which is lovely and quite nervous of sticks and feet which is a bit sad.

He was quite stressed by being in the kennels so we didn't see his true colours until he'd been here for a couple of weeks and last night he started pinching my daughter's socks off her bedroom for the first time.

We needed a small, young dog and they we're at a premium at the Dogs Trust. When we look round there were lots of older larger dogs who had been there for a while and really needed homes.

The staff were very careful to assess him in lots of situations and to be very honest about any potential problems. In fact they turned us down for one because they thought he might chase our guinea-pigs.

Perhaps you could get them to go and look round a local re-homing centre. I was a bit unsure about the idea of getting a dog until I went to visit the Dogs Trust. It might just tip the balance for them.

Oh good, seems as though I did start making sense eventually! Sorry about that.

Greyhounds sound lovely :) I spoke to my mother about it this morning and she is still worried that a rescue dog is 'dangerous' but my father is very keen! Much keener than he was about having a pup. And they have both agreed to visit a rescue centre and 'consider'. I think if they can find a dog with a known history they would be sold but it's up to them now. At least they're considering the option of a rescue, which is what I wanted :) Fingers crossed!

Pond, if your parents are interested in a grey, then a specialist rescue will be a better bet. Behaviourally, greys are used to being handled, accustomed to travelling, leads, and are nearly housetrained. Generally, there is far less to "do" and train for than with a rescue dog that may not have been handled much.

For many greys, there is a known history - quite often owners or trainers give them to rescues and you can look up the dog's racing history on the internet. Sometimes there are gaps but quite often the dog is very much a complete story.

There are a number of very good greyhound rescues depending on where you are in the UK. The Retired Greyhound Trust has a website with links to some regional rescues, plus if you click here you will see a list of local groups doing rehoming.
Most of these groups have websites so you/your parents can find out more about these dogs, adoption procedures, and so on.