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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

been thinking a lot recently about my decision to get a dog from a breeder and...

91 replies

AllergicToNutters · 20/04/2012 09:11

and am now seriously considering a rescue dog instead. Your thoughts?

OP posts:
GinPalace · 20/04/2012 14:41

I would never have taken anything with collie due to the reputation for being very hard work and needing lots of stimulation but we ended up with one (long story) and he has been perfect and no bother.

however , we did take him for a week trial, which became a fortnight, then 3 then a month - then we kept him!!! Grin

You can do that with a rescue so you know what you are getting when they live with you forever. Yay!

TwoIfBySea · 20/04/2012 14:41

You can be breed specific and get a rescue dog too - there are (sadly) many breed rescues around.

I'd also say, I was a Guide Dog puppy walker. The ones who don't make it are rehomed, you can get them from puppyhood too. These aren't damaged dogs but well-loved, well-trained labradors/goldies/gsd/flat coat retrievers and mixes of! My last puppy didn't make it because he decided he wasn't for this working lark, many of them do and it is never forced upon them, he now lives with us as our boy. There are usually waiting lists though as they ensure the right dog goes to the right family.

sooperdooper · 20/04/2012 14:48

My parents have 2 resuce dogs, a lab and a collie x springer, they're both lovely (collie x springer slightly mental!!!) - go for a resuce dog, there are so many looking for a home :)

We're fostering a greyhound at the minute and he's got such a lovely chilled out temprement, I've never really known much about the breed before but he's fab :)

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 20/04/2012 14:49

I would recommend the Dogs Trust to anyone wanting to get a rescue dog. We have a brown lab (who we had from a puppy) and decided we wanted another dog, so went to the Dogs Trust in Glasgow, where we found ddog2. The Dogs Trust people were really skilled and careful about making sure that she was the right dog for us, and we were the right home for her. We took our other dog up and spent the best part of an hour with the two dogs together, and one of the Dogs Trust staff observing them and talking to us about what to do and what not to do when introducing the new dog to the old one.

Plus we had a one two one talk with the same chap on the day we went to collect her, going over what sorts of things we should be expecting in terms of behaviour, and why, in psychological terms, these would happen, plus how best to cope with them. And the Dogs Trust were there if we had any questions or problems - not that we did. Ddog2 has slipped into our lives and our home as if she's always been here, or as if there was a ddog2 shaped hole in our lives just waiting for her.

Oh - and she's a lab cross - we are not sure what the rest of her is, though we suspect wiemeraner or pointer, going on her looks. But even though she is not pure lab, she has the loving, people-centred personality of a lab - she loves being with her people, enjoys human contact and companionship, and is very bright - so don't rule out lab crosses.

And there are pictures of both ddogs on my profile, if you want to see them.

EasyToEatTiger · 20/04/2012 16:22

When we were considering getting a dog, I thought we would end up with a familiar kind of gun doggy dog. It was not to be, and we spent the day in Battersea Dog's home and came home with a border collie. Now we have 3. Grin They are fabGrin

GinPalace · 20/04/2012 16:31

Just looked at the Dogs trust website... shouldn't have

lots of lab crosses though and sounds like they give good support for rehome. Grin

Original poster
AllergicToNutters · 20/04/2012 16:36

am getting very excited now about my new search. Have looked at Allsorts Rescue nd they have some new ones in but now info about them. Might have to cance our holiday GrinGrin

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 20/04/2012 16:50

Harley came from NAWT. There are several branches around the UK. They are a no-kill rescue and were brilliant with us.

Original poster
AllergicToNutters · 20/04/2012 16:59

what is NAWT?

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 20/04/2012 17:03

Sorry. national animal welfare trust. here

Original poster
AllergicToNutters · 20/04/2012 17:07

OrmIrian thankyou Smile . so many staffies and bulldog breeds on there Sad I hope they find a nice home

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 20/04/2012 17:09

Indeed. Our dog is part-staffy .. but most of him seems to be lab and collie. I would recommend him to anyone.

mistlethrush · 20/04/2012 17:09

Ours is a Dogs Trust rescuse. She chose us to be fair - we took her for a walk as she seemed to tick most of the boxes and she told us in no uncertain terms that she wanted to be part of our 'pack'. We could not have had a better dog, particularly with getting a baby when she was 4 and having to put up with all that entails. She was meant to be a whippet cross - but looks more like greyhound than whippet and very little of the greyhound to be fair. Probably some lab or retriever. Quite possibly alsatian and or ridgeback (colouring and hackles in particular) but not enough of anything in particular to be able to say that she's a certain breed x. She's getting a bit old and arthritic now, but we're hoping to keep her comfortable for a good while yet.

GinPalace · 20/04/2012 17:11

OrmIrian are you trying to give him away? Shock

GinPalace · 20/04/2012 17:11

Arf!

OrmIrian · 20/04/2012 17:14

Nope! Hands off.

He is MINE! Grin

BehindLockNumberNine · 20/04/2012 18:33

Rescue all the way...
Sam is a rescue. He was found as a stray, taken to the pound and when his seven days were up he was one of the lucky ones and taken by a Greyhound rescue. (Sam is a whippet cross)

He is the second dog I have owned as an adult. The first was a purebred cocker spaniel we had have from puppy hood. He was neurotic and naughty and not good with other dogs. Sadly he died a day before his fifth birthday after he fractured his spine in a fall. We miss him, but he was hard work!!

Sam is calm, placid, gently, funny, utterly loyal, great with other dogs and I cannot put into words just how fantastic he is. We were given plenty of time to visit the Greyhound rescue to walk him, play with him, sit with him. I think we visited twice a week over a period of three weeks. Then, once we had a good homecheck we were allowed to bring him home for the weekend to see how we got on. Needless to say he was fab and we signed all the paperwork the following Monday!!

Find a good rescue, one that will help you find the right dog for your family. And you will never look back Smile

RedwingWinter · 20/04/2012 18:45

Our dogs and cats are all rescues. The husky x was a stray, and he's the most beautiful, gentle, calm, wonderful dog you could imagine. Dog2 is a pedigree (I say this because a lot of people think you can't get pedigrees in rescue). We didn't actually set out to get a pedigree, he just happened to be the right dog for us. I wouldn't even have thought of his breed (he's nutty like border collies) - this is one of the things that a rescue can do, match you to the right dog which isn't necessarily the dog you think you want. Dog2 needed some work and wouldn't have been right for everyone, especially someone with kids, but he turned out right for us. (And he is now fine with kids). He complements the husky perfectly.

Original poster
AllergicToNutters · 20/04/2012 20:44

ok, so I'm getting confused. Having looked at some rescues it seems you have to apply for a dog you like the look/sound of. If you don;t get lucky wiht that dog, do they then keep your file on record and contact you if another more suitable dog comes along or do you ahve to keep trying differetn rescues for different dogs. A bit like a lucky dip!

OP posts:
Original poster
AllergicToNutters · 20/04/2012 21:08

i've jsut seen some absolutely gorgeous dogs on the Allsorts website. There are so many gorgeous ones including a lab puppy 14 weeks, a 1 year old black lab and a golden retriever! Must be a sign Smile.

OP posts:
SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud · 20/04/2012 21:44

Depends on the rescue I think Nutters, the greyhound rescue we got our grey from, you contact them, they come and homecheck you, you get back to them with a definite yes or no, you (usually) then visit the kennels to meet a dog they picked out for you to meet your specific requirements. In our case, a boy (DPs preference, he was the only male in our house till Sprocket arrived), good with babies and rabbits. Bizarrely enough, we went through the whole rehoming process without visiting the kennels once!

The first grey we wanted we met a few times at meet&greets, and they brought him to us but he was too into the baby, tried jumping over the sofa to get to her! He lasted 30 minutes. Happily he is now in a lovely home with a retired couple with no young children. The second one, we never even met before he came to live with us! They brought him straight to us from his old home and he's been here ever since :)

Original poster
AllergicToNutters · 20/04/2012 21:59

ok, thanks spaghetti. It seems they work differently if they are breed specific. I cannot imagine somewhere like battersea doing that. It's too big surely. This is going to be a full time job methinks! i love a challenge Smile

OP posts:
shockers · 20/04/2012 22:25

For anyone around the NW, can I recommend Wolfwood Rescue in Lancaster. I got my lovely dog from there. She is a barmpot pup, but the feeling of complete love is obviously mutual Smile.

Deedy · 21/04/2012 11:11

There are no rights or wrongs when deciding to get a dog from a breeder or a rescue, it is an individual choice that everyone has to make.

It is more important that people think carefully before getting a dog, think about how a dog will fit into their lifestyle, will they be able to give it daily exercise for years on end, will they commit to training it, paying for vets bills for neutering etc.

Some people think all they have to do is get a dog and it somehow will know where to wee, how to walk on a lead and not pull, how to play nicely with kids etc, and then get fed up with the dog when none of this happens.

There are lots of rescue centres out there with dogs looking for homes, and if you decide to take a dog from one of them then great. If you want to get a dog from a breeder that is also great.

Good luck on finding a lovely pet :)

higgle · 21/04/2012 12:15

So pleased to read this lovely thread! Whilst I'm sure there are a few breeds that you may want to rule out rmemeber that with rescue dogs what you eventually decide to adopt probably won't be what you set out to acquire. We had been hound people for 25 years before we suddenly fell for a Staffie.

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