Rescue Dog Questions

[MotherOfGirls]

Having had a wonderful collie X for 13 years (from a puppy), we have been without a dog for 2 years and we're now thinking of a rescue dog, probably from Dogs Trust.

Any advice at all would be gratefully received but I'm particularly interested in the use of crates and training to 'toilet' on demand, neither of which we used / succeeded in with our first dog but both sound helpful.

Also, we don't know the pros and cons of male v female.

Is there a book I should read to be better prepared?

Looking forward to some words of wisdom!

hiya, i've got a 17 month old patterdale. I can't help you with the male v female thing, luckily we were the first to see the litter Johnson came from and he was the cutest and the one that seemed more attatched to us. He chose us rather than us chosing him!

As for books I read Puppies for Dummies (i've never had a dog before let alone a puppy!) and whilst it was good for preparation no amount of reading would have made me any more prepared than just hvin the little thing there and just learning as each day came.

Crate training is something I did do though and thank god! Not only did he have a little place to call his own (although he wouldn't sleep in it when i was at home) he seemed alot more settled when I had to go out, was less stressed when i returned and didn't put up any fuss when I asked him to go in it. Mainly because he knew he'd get a peanut buttre covered Kong to keep him occupied. It also helped speed up the toilet training as there was no way he was wanting to dirty up his bedroom and would hang on till i got home and go outside! Although there was the odd accident.

We adopted a 2-3 year old Parson Russell Terrier from the Dogs Trust just before Christmas. His crate was here when he arrived and he took to it straight away. He chooses to go in there when he wants peace and quiet. It is good to know that he's feeling secure and can't cause any damage when he's left alone in the house. We bought a bigger one than the manufacturers suggested to give him a bit extra room to move around and allow space for food and water bowls.

Toilet training was not too difficult as he clearly already knew about it and I think the accidents he had in the first few weeks were about marking and anxiety. They stopped pretty soon and we have no problems now.

I would say that six months down the line we probably know each other quite well now but I can still see evidence of his confidence improving and him settling in. The dog you meet at the rehoming centre will not be the dog you end up with once he's at home in your home.

Having said that ours has turned out to have a wonderful nature and he really wants to please us all. He's very well behaved, doesn't bark and only chews things to let us know when he's bored. Ours is a very positive story but I remain aware that I don't know his history and I will always be wary of him being around children.

The Dogs Trust neuter, vaccinate, worm and chip them before you are allowed to take them home.

one of my dogs is from the Dogs Trust. i would really be guided by them what dog is suitable for you. i really dont think the sex matters.

i havent used a crate. i dont see the point but thats just personal preference. there are threads on here with good tips if you decide to use one

toileting on command - decide on what you want to say eg get busy and say that every time dog goes to loo. one of my dogs picked this up really quickly but the other was do you think you will need to use this? i actually have to remember to use it with one of my dogs so he doesnt forget it. usually i find before they get in car they will automatically have a wee and when we are out on a walk they just wee and poo as and when

It is good to hear about success stories with Dogs Trust dogs. I'm undecided about the crate but lots of people seem to say their dogs like the security and of course it would be nice to know a dog can be left for a while without creating too much damage!

You're probably right about the sex of the dog not mattering - I will take advice on suitability from our local centre.

Thank you!