Rescue dogs - why so many similar breeds?

[QueenBean]

I'm not in a position as yet to have a dog, even though I'd love to have one! But am doing research now for when my circumstances change.

My initial instinct was to go for a small, hypoallergenic, easy type dog but I'd also love to give a rescue dog a home. On looking on forums etc, many people give advice against "designer dogs" and one of the reasons is the possible health problems and behavioural problems which people seem to suggest might lead a lot of those dogs to be rehomed / given up.

I've had a look on rescue sites though and they all seem to be very similar types, ie staffies, boxer crosses, husky cross etc. Why do people give these up, because they are much less easier to train than they'd think? And any small dogs seem to be jack russells and chihuauas that are available, I'd be concerned that they would be yappy and snappy. I guess I'm just wondering why people give up dogs to homes? Should I be more wary of rescue dogs overall?

And when do you think we'll start seeing these designer dogs hitting homes?

Just to be clear, I'm not set on one particular breed over another but i'm just doing research at the moment.

They end up in rescues because there are lots of them, they're easy to get hold of and people get them as puppies and don't train them or exercise them and then are surprised when they don't act like stuffed toys.

Rescues more or less reflect what the breeds are with the largest population...except for ones that cost a lot to buy in the first place (designer crosses tend to) they seem to be sold on rather than given up.

If you want a particular cross, there are rescues that specialise in them. Cockapoos and labradoodles have rescues, I assume other popular ones do.

There isn't any wrong with the breeds but they are trendy so there are lots of them and many were bought by owners who were more interested in fashion than real life dog ownership.

My parents had a lovely rescue lurcher, another breed common in rescues from illegal coursing. She was pretty untrained on arrival but you could not have found a better dog.

But on MN particularly people really suggest staffies as being an appropriate family pet. How can that be if people have given them up to rescue homes because presumably they were difficult to train / behave?

I'm sure that some rescue dogs are amazing, but how do you know that you'd be able to train them correctly if they've started life being trained poorly?

As others have said, it's simply because there are so many of them. Their numbers in rescues reflect their numbers in the general dog population.

They are also popular with a certain "type" of person, sadly this type of person is the least likely to have a clue about training or canine behaviour or breed traits.

They want a status dog, something to look tough. When they realise they essentially have a 4 stone lap dog (staffies) or a dog who won't do anything on demand much less attack (huskies), they give up and it's off to the pound with Fido, if he's lucky.

I wouldn't get a husky as a first time dog owner. They need specialist care and a hell of a lot of time. Staffies are lovely, particularly the older ones. Ditto greyhounds, lurchers, whippets and bull breeds.

I adopted a cute, fluffy terrier cross from a pound, not a rescue. He looks like a typical family dog. The kind of dog they base stuffed animals on. He's bitten or snapped at almost everyone I know. He's cost me hundreds of £££ in behaviourists.

My Dad adopted a bull lurcher from a rescue. He looks like Cujo. His head is bigger than most toddlers. He's the sweetest dog we've ever known. There's not a bad bone in him. My dad hasn't trained him, he doesn't need to, he never does anything wrong. I have a picture of my baby nephew asleep on top of him.

You cannot judge a dog on looks alone. If you're going to go a reputable rescue, let them do their job and match you with a suitable dog, which may well be a staffy, they are generally laid back, friendly and happy to cope with boisterous children in a way a more highly strung breed or delicate breed like a spaniel or poodle might not.

They're not difficult to train...but they do still need training and walking. It's not about the breed but about the type of owner.

My last dog was put in rescue because he grew, they had him until he was 6 months old and decided he was too big. He wasn't housetrained or trained to walk on a lead and he still mouthed a bit and chewed occasionally...that's the sort of training that hasn't been done. The basics...and he was still a puppy.

He was housetrained in weeks (quicker than my current dog who I've had since 8 weeks old, lol) and by the time he was 18 months old he was a lovely, well trained dog with great manners.

You're making the mistake of assuming that people give dogs to rescues for big reasons, some do yes, but some do it because they grew bigger than they looked as tiny puppies, they don't come housetrained or because they shed hair that doesn't match their couch (honestly, people do that).

Some breeds have the misfortune of attracting fuckwits. Those fuckwits become BYBs and before you know it you have large numbers of unwanted dogs. Husky type is the latest fad.

I agree with previous posts that it's the type of people that make these breeds 'status' dogs, breed them indiscriminately and then get rid when it no longer suits them, that are the problem. That said, the husky and Malamute breeds that are currently popular are massively unsuitable as pets for all but the most experienced and hard-exercising homes and I have no idea how rescues will rehome even a fraction of the ones they have. Staffies in the main are lovely dogs and can make great family pets. Any reputable rescue will go to some lengths to match you with a suitable dog, they don't want them back in six months, they want them to find a forever home where they'll be happy. I think sadly many thousands of these dogs will be euthanased. We rescued a dog at the beginning of the year after we lost our old JRT and it was quite difficult to find one that met our requirements, we had to be very patient and wait for the right one to come along.

Yes huskies are a different kettle of fish... They're harder to train and need a lot of exercise and are unlikely to be able to go offlead due to disappearing after things they can chase.

So not just an hour or so of walking and playing games...you're talking hours of hiking, running or cycling or they get bored and destructive.

People get them because they look good and then try to walk them round the park once a day...then give them up because they eat their house out of frustration.

But the other breeds mentioned don't need the same sort of care.

My window cleaner has a husky. It goes to work with him. He's out most of the day. The husky has been trained to pull a little cart with the bucket etc in it.

After he's worked all day, he does Cani-X with the dog for an hour.

He tells me the dog would do more if he had the choice.

I also know a man who has 3 huskies. He has permission to use the same enclosed field we do to walk our dogs on. His walk involves an hour of walking and then a undetermined time waiting for the dogs to decide if they want to come back to him. Sometimes he's out for three hours.

My neighbour was very lucky to find a small shih tzu cross with an unknown breed at a local rescue and he is really cute and friendly to people and other dogs.

His history is unknown.

The small, cute and friendly dogs are found homes very quickly.

I work at a dog rescue part time and there are many staffs and staffie-crosses. Some have not been in a home before and are strays, some have been in a home and for example the owner lost their (owned) house and had to move into rental accomodation and not be able to take a pet, with some the owners have died and they were much loved pets, some are neglected, the majority that I have come across are not in there because they have behavioural issues, simply that there are lots of them and because some reckless owners have not had them spayed or neutered. There have also been dalmatians, labradors, beagles, westies, jack russells, german shepherds, other types of terrier as well as staffies and in many of the cases the owners have simply tired of the responsibility and expense of owning a well-behaved pet - there have been cases where single mum has a lovely dog and takes up with a bloke who doesn't like dogs so the dog has to go. Of course some dogs there do have issues, but in my experience that is more because they have had a bad life before they come to us and many become loving pets. A good rescue will help you choose the right dog for you family.They will answer your questions as to why the animal is in there.
Good luck

By the way I always had rescue greyhounds but now have a staffie-cross from the rescue I work at as his owner was going into rental accomodation and thought it better he be put down but the vet had other ideas. He is slightly disabled and so I imagine he would have been overlooked by many potential owners but he has proved the most adorable gentle dog and I am on the lookout for a female staffie to keep him company - I really have been won over by the breed.

If you decide you want a particular breed it's best to contact that breed's specific rescue i.e. lab rescue, or flat coat rescue. All breeds come into rescue though. If you contact a few some have waiting lists for specific breeds. Heinz 57 dogs though tend to be healthier I think. I also think it's better to get a dog who has been fostered rather than in kennels as they are assessed better.

My first dog had been in kennels for 6 months with one of the bigger rescues. I trusted their assessment but they couldn't of been more wrong about her. I don't think it was necessarily their fault, just the way things go with assessment outside a home. It's particularly important you do this with younger children in the house. My second came from a home, was just perfect in pretty much every way. My third came from a kennels but their assessment was a lot better. Much younger than my last two but needing a lot of training. Don't worry about age though, all ages can be trained.

Btw, there are no 'easy type dog'. Pups or rescue - all take a significant amount of time. Think permanent toddler. I can't live without them now, originally I got a dog because my children had campaigned for years and I decided they were old enough to HELP with a dog. Ultimately I knew the dog was my responsibility because children aren't mature enough to be a primary care giver obviously. And magically I turned from a cat person to a dog person

Bear in mind that in some cases, dogs are removed from owner's care because they are unable to look after them or they are mistreated. At the moment there is a high demand for staffies because they are easily trainable and fiercely loyal. Now, this could make them a beautiful friendly family pet, but they could also be trained for more unsavory antics. Some people choose a bull breed as protection or intimidation, unfortunately this means that everyone associates them with aggression. I've met some delightful staffies and it breaks my heart that they get such a bad rep.

There has actually been a 700% increase in the amount of huskies being abandoned over the last few years. The reasons for this could be media influence - kids who watch Game of Thrones or Twilight want their own wolves and parents just don't do the appropriate research in to the breed.

Dogs end up in rescue centres for many reasons.

It can often be because people haven't researched the breeds and don't really understand their needs. Also dogs like staffies are ten a penny and therefore cheap. They still, sadly, attract the wrong type of owner, just like huskies etc.

I love staffies, i wouldn't have one with a young child as they are really strong and heavy and quite frankly, mental :) An older child would make a great best friend for a staffie.

Husky - well, they aren't really designed (for want of a better word) to be pets unless the owner is prepared to meet their specialised needs but of course they are stunning looking dogs that sadly for them, look a lot like wolves and this attracts the wrong sort of owner.

Small yappy Jack russels, well i have one laying on my lap just now, quiet as a church mouse, it wont last! he will hear a pin drop somewhere and be off!! bark bark bark bark bark.

Jack russels (unless its a parsons) are not pedigree dogs so cheap and easy to come by. They are bought as family pets because of their size but this is decieving, they are high energy, stupid (or maybe too clever!) and difficult to train and have a high prey drive. My two are bastards (but i love them).

Chihuahuas, because they are sold as a fucking fashion accessory and they are dogs not toys, they can be nervy and snappy and people can't cope with that when all they want is to carry them around Harvey Nicks a la paris hilton. This boils my piss! Chihuahuas are great, feisty and all dog, they do not want to wear a fucking tutu and be carried around in a designer handbag!

You don't sound like you have that much dog experience but thats ok, you are doing your research which is good. I would recommend visiting some reputable dog rescues, a good rescue will be able to match you up to the right dog for you. Like you say, you could be taking on a whole bunch of trouble (i did with a rescue rottie, to be fair i was told he was a nutter, just not how much! and i have lots of experience) but not all dogs in rescues are there because their owners have been bad to them, they have been hard to train etc. Sadly more and more people are losing their homes and often have to give up their dogs, older people become sick and can no longer take care of them, people lose jobs etc. I actually think you have more chance with a rescue as an inexperienced owner than a puppy. I have two JRTs, one from a pup the other from a rescue, honestly, id never have another dog from a puppy again, can't be doing with toilet training etc, rescues often have other issues but the basics are there.

Good luck xx

You can definitely get anything from a chihuahua to a Newfoundland and many lovely mongrels in between from a rescue. As you are not in a hurry you are in a great position to register with rescues and tell them what you are looking for and with a bit of luck they will be able to match you with a suitable dog. Easy, first time dogs don't come up every day, but they do come up.
Have a look at Cavalier rescue also, can be very good and fairly undemanding family dogs.

Given the number of cockapoos, jugs, teacup chorkies et al on gumtree at the moment I would expect to see many, many of these in rescue by early next year. ( bit like the black cockers from last year :( )

I wanted to say that about huskies not actually being pets Lemming, but didn't want to sound rude to husky owners. Glad you said it first. They need a tremendous amount of exercise and have no recall. But then my mum's beagle has no recall, and I'd put him very much in the pet category. He even has his own heater in winter as he's a total wimp [hmmm]

The only person I know who has managed with huskies (has several) is someone who has made a carriage and runs them (with her in the cart) three times a day!
No thanks! :o

I just wanted to add, it's still possible to have a lovely well trained dog from a rescue, sometimes it's a bit harder work, sometimes it isn't it :) it took me 3 days to house train my current rescue dog and I am no dog God

Oh and no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog! Even doodles who people claim are, often aren't as they still she'd dander and that's what people are often allergic to not the actual hair. Many a doodle has come into rescue due to that myth!