We have just collected our new dog from the rescue center!

[serin]

He is just lovely, very calm and surprisingly well trained.

He is not what we were thinking of at all, I have honestly never seen a scruffier dog! We were imagining ourselves with a cute puppy and this chappy is 6yrs old but he has the kindest eyes and was so very polite to the cat.

Could do with a bath though!

welcome to the Doghouse! Good luck, what is your new hairy baby called?

Sounds like a lovely dog. 6 is a good age I find, they are much calmer, dont need as much time as a puppy and are generally happy to be loved and fussed and walked.

hope it all works out for you and your new family member. pics please.

Lucky you! Surprised he needs a bath, though?

Oooh! Photos please!

I agree, 6 is a great age, the puppy/adolescent stage can be hard work!

I'm not surprised that he needs a bath and suspect that the rescue is kennels based. Kennelled dogs often have a "kennelly smell" and can get grubby surprisingly quickly. Bathing, unless a dog is EXCEPTIONALLY dirty/matted etc or unless he has a skin condition and needs special shampooing, both of which are most often seen when dogs come to rescue from the pound is one of things which sadly rescue doesn't have time to do. Most rescues are run largely with volunteer help so unfortunately bathing is something we just can't run to if we want to cater for all the dogs appropriately, assess and train and so on.

And this goes to prove what I so often say... that it's worth going to rescue with an open mind and to let staff guide you. What a family want is a dog who will fit in with their household and environment rather than one who matches their mental images but who may not suit them.

So, welcome to the Doghouse - I hope that you all have a wonderful time together and look forward to hearing more. :)

Thankyou all very much. Both I and DH were brought up with dogs but this is our first family dog.

We have called him Skip and I will upload pictures as soon as I can.

He is currently curled up asleep and I will crack on with booking him a vet check up tomorrow and a dog salon shampoo n set!

Congrats! What breed is he or should I ask, what is your best guess of all the breeds?! (I only ask to get an idea of what he looks like, I am most definitely NOT a pedigree snob!) Mutts rule in this house!

I regularly give baths at the rescue I'm associated with; it's amazing how well behaved dogs are in the bath! I truly think they enjoy getting clean!

Oh how lovely :) We had similar experiences - imagined maybe a cute puppy to start with, then I had a whole list of 'requirements' about breed, age, size, colour etc - ended up with completely the opposite on all counts, but also with the best dog we could have asked for!

Looking forward to seeing the pictures, maybe you can do a 'before and after' his salon appointment .

Aaahhhh! Deeply , and looking forward to photos. Love the sound of the kind eyes and good cat manners!

DBF, keep meaning to ask you - as Rescues seem to have adoption forms etc to fill out, which include naming a specific dog one wants to adopt, is it better d'you think to bypass that and just phone and ask them to recommend one? So many seem to be fostered out, its not just a case of turning up and seeing who fits, iyswim....which is pretty much what happened with my last dog, from Battersea. Am a tad

It really depends on the rescue, Elibean. The large ones like RSPCA will have a standard format and even little ones like my local fellas may want an application form filled in first in order to weed out the numpties identify what you are seeking and see how committed you are before knowing whether there's a suitable dog for you and whether it's worth everyone's time inviting you over. :o

I'd be inclined to fill in the form offered and put upon it/add a few lines to say that you're looking to be guided by them and are open-minded except for whatever exceptions (if, for example, you have a cat and need a cat-friendly dog etc).

And then give them a call too! :)

Ooooh! I can't wait to hear more of your search, I'm excited for you! Hasn't the opportunity come around quickly, time flies. Just 2 bits of advice - if one rescue can't help or says no, we don't rehome to those with children of Elibean's DCs ages, don't give up but try another and take your time... it'll be worth it for a companion who will, pray to goodness, be with you all his or her life. :)

Thanks - makes sense, will do

I'm excited too: fence repairing man (actually a tree surgeon who chopped bits off trees for us and is particularly good at doing useful things with bits of wood) came to check out our ancient fence, and is coming back in 2 weeks time to make it as dog-proof as possible.

There was a young fox 10 ft from the house this evening - hopefully the fence will be fox proof too though am hoping the smell of dog wee will put them off anyway??

I won't give up on a rescue dog, fear not. I can be quite stubborn when I get something into my head! Besides, dd2 is almost nearly 5 now, and even dh agrees we can travel a bit further afield if we need to, so.....if all else fails, Many Tears have lots of lovely dogs fostered within reachable distances. The hard part is going to be choosing where to start

Serin, so pleased to hear about your lovely rescue dog - hope you have many happy years together.

We took him to our local vet today to have him checked over and his best guess at breed is long haired Jack Russell with corgi, border terrier and possibly fox terrier! A right royal mix !

Sounds mega cute to me!

My last dog was a rescue dog,he was the scruffiest dog you ever saw

hope you have many happy years together