If you have a rescue dog, and have kids

[FiveHoursCommute]

where did you get him/ her from?
We lost our old collie cross about a month ago, and our 3 year old lurcher is very lonely and would like a friend. We got her as a puppy from lurcher link but I don't think I could cop with another puppy right now and The Lurcher isn't sensible.
We need something older and tolerant-but not so old they will die in the next couple of years.
We have 4 kids 4, 6, 9 and 10, who will all be at school and I'm mostly at home. The dogs will get at last an hours walk a day.
Dh doesn't want another pointy dog, and I wouldn't mind something that will play with The Lurcher happily but will also be happy in a fairly chaotic household. We also have cats , rats and a hamster.
A lot of the dog rescues around here won't give us a dog because of the ages of our kids; who can we try that consider homes on a case by case basis, rather than just saying' No kids under 10/8/6?'

We got ours from cocker spaniel rescue - a 3 year old cocker, pretty good with the kids though does sometimes get a bit overwhelmed. Kids were 20m and 5 when we got him. Wouldnt be without him.

Dogs trust was also another possibility for us, we visited the local shelter and they said we would be discounted because of having very young kids.

Also try many tears Im not sure re kids ages btu they are nationwide

Many Tears Animal Rescue will allow dogs to be adopted to homes with children of all ages as long as the dog is suitable for that environment. We will discuss your circumstances and try to determine if the dog you're interested in will be suitable for your home/family/lifestyle/other pets.

Try having a look at dog advertisement's in local newspapers and websites there is someone who is usually selling an older dog of some sort due to changes in circumstances etc You will also be more aware of its history and temperament and may have even live in a home with children already

Many tears. My children were 3, 9 and 11 at the time. Dogs trust seemed happy with their ages too.

We adopted from Dogs Trust with a 7 year old DD.

Local rescue - after home checks and plenty of supervised visits. My dcs were 3 and 5.

Your local rescue/breed specialist/dogs trust haven't heard of many tears should assess you and see if they have a suitable dog for your circumstance.

We recently adopted a 2 year old springer spaniel from Many Tears. He has a fantastic nature and is very gentle with our DC (10 & 7).

I got my first from a pound - I would not recommend this route, especially to someone with children. I foster for a small sighthound charity and my dc are aged 8 and 5.

My parents who have small dc visit a lot got a dog from an independent local rescue, but were warned to watch her closely around children because while she adores them, she was (and still can be) extremely bouncy.

We have a whippet, who we adopted from the RSPCA when the ds's were aged 2.10 yo and 6 yo. Our second (a whippet x greyhound) was from dogs trust when the ds's were aged 4.1 yo and 7.4 yo. We were also home checked by Scruples whippet rescue, Greyhound Rescue West of England and the retired greyhound trust, none of whom turned us down due to the children, we just happened to find a dog who matched us better at DT.

Please do not do as ASAPRocky suggested and look in the local papers. This route has frequently led to disaster as people will lie in adverts, there is no assessment of the dog by experienced professionals and if it doesn't work out, you will not have the back-up of a reputable and established rescue organisation.

All our dogs are 2nd hand. The oldies are not especially child-friendly but it depends on what you expect from a dog. We didn't want to give up on a dog because of children, so we have had to find ways of keeping everyone happy. The Dogs Trust have been fantastic, although with any more dogs our house would not have room for us!

Avoid the papers. People lie, they even lie to rescues , which is why rescues spend time and money assessing the dogs and matching to families very carefully.

Looking for a rescue who works with foster families is probably safest because they can then give you a clearer picture on what to expect, both the good and the bad. It doesn't look good for the dog when it is returned to rescue, so they prefer for that not to happen and will tell you the whole truth about a dog and any problems it may have. People who sell in the paper will quite simply tell you it is not their problem once you discover their meaning of "loves children" means "to eat for breakfast"

Try Wiccaweys. Wiccaweys They have collies & collie crosses of all ages, don't have a set policy for re-homing with children - they match the dog to the home, and offer lifetime back-up and support.

Local sighthound rescue. DCs ranged from 9 to 18 mnths but we already have a retired racing greyhound so knew a bit about what to expect.

Our first greyhound (and first ever dog) came when DS1 was 4. She was completely baffled by life outside kennels at first and had some issues settling in but is absolutely wonderful and the dog all our friends with kids want to steal!

Find a local rescue you can build a good relationship with for a good fit for your family and ongoing advice and support.

All of us have got so much out of our dogs I thank our lucky stars every day that they were rescued and came to us.

Many's the time a DC has soothed away the stresses of the day with a weep into a furry neck and a mutter about life's injustices into a floppy ear. May even have found it quite helpful myself!

Best of luck OP. Take it at yours and the rescue's pace and you'll never regret it!

Our lovely springer came from many tears. We got her pre kids and DD1 was born about 18 mo later. She's fabulous.

Please do not buy off internet or local newspapers, lots of dodgy Back Yard Breeders try to get rid of ex breeders and/or unhealthy pups. Take a look at following links - copy and paste to your browser.

www.puppylovecampaigns.org/

www.facebook.com/pages/Puppy-Love-Campaigns/202945053081069

Try breed rescues, Dog Trust, Battersea, Many Tears, Last Chance they assess dogs and potential owners for perfect match. Good on you for deciding to adopt. My mate has a rescue lurcher and a rescue border terrier and they're great together.