To all you people who say get a rescue dog ...

[RudePepper]

Time and time again on here I read 'get a rescue dog', 'don't encourage breeding', but it is really hard to find one.

I have been looking for a while now and would quite happily travel a hundred or so miles to see the right dog, but just can't fine one. We have children, so I want something with a known non-aggressive history - just a normal family dog.

Can anyone give me any tips please? I am all googled out.

Which rescues have you tried?

What requirements (if any) do you want from a dog? Age, size, exercise requirements etc? What are your circumstances i.e how old are the children? Have you previous dog ownership experience? Do you have a garden? Do you work?

Have your tried the breed specific rescues?

Have you actually spoken to any rescues and what have they said?

Www.rescuereview.co.uk might give you some ideas

What need said. We can probably help :)

I have tried lab, labradoodle, greyhound and lurcher rescues. Nothing suitable though I have only recently completed the lab forms as were not originally considering them.

Requirements in order of importance are:

Good with children. This is really important. Children 8, 11, 13.
Aged 18 months - 5 years
Any size, but no bigger than a lab
Will walk for an hour a day - bit more some days
Will groom properly once a week or briefly daily
I grew up with many dogs - rest of family haven't
I work from home
I need to be able to go out without dog sometimes for up to four hours
Household is very busy and sometimes noisy
Yes, have enclosed, fairly large garden
Not a 'yappy' dog
Not a toy dog

Thank you

Actually, that wasn't in order of importance, though children friendly comes top of list - must be able to leave sometimes and can't afford time to walk for 2-3 hours a day.

PS: Yes, have tried lots and lots of rescues, looked at cat and dog homes, Dog's Trust, Blue Cross etc. Do not want staffie type dog.

Where are you (roughly)?

Have you tried Dogs Trust? We rescued a lurcher puppy from dogs trust and she could not be more perfect, great with kids, easy to train, no issues at all.

Oops sorry just seen you have tried Dogs Trust. Do keep checking back, as they get new dogs in all the time.

How long have you been looking?

Have any of the rescues given you any feedback about why they have not been able to place a dog with you?

I am actively sitting on my hands to currently not adopt a dog, but there's dogs around that would suit us (my younger kids are younger than yours, work outside the house etc)

Try these people - black retriever X rescue - they have a v active Facebook page - but remember the job of the rescue is to find the perfect home for the dog, not the perfect dog for you

Yes, was going to ditto asking roughly where you are?

And what feedback that you have had, as your circumstances look favourable to having a dog.

Have you looked at Hounds First , Benny and Meggy both sound suitable

We haven't had any homechecks yet. What I mean is that when I look at the websites and in the local cat and dog homes, there don't seem to be suitable dogs. Maybe my expectations are too high, but the child friendly dogs we saw yesterday have both been returned before so are on their third or more homes. I don't think I am being unrealistic in thinking that is not a good indicator?

loiner surely the perfect home for a dog is the perfect dog for us - in that we are not going to be a good home if the dog isn't what we are looking for.

Bubble that link was helpful, thanks.

floral no, not looked at houndsfirst.

vanitas - what worries me about lurchers is that we are in a reasonably built up area and families around have cats. I have read that lurchers can be good escape artists.

floral They say eight is too young for Benny. Meggy is a possibility, thanks.

I urge you to reconsider a staffy
100% tick everything in your list.

Lurchers aren't all escape artists any more than the Scots are all tight - you'll have more success in finding the right dog if you try to avoid making sweeping assumptions. I don't mean that in a snarky way, really I don't!

Dogs being returned is a red flag, but in many cases that's because the owners have had unrealistic expectations. Ideally a good rescue will minimise this bounce effect, but it's impossible to prevent people saying all the right things but taking on dogs when they are actually unprepared.

No dog is easy through and through, they are individuals with foibles and idiosyncrasies. Those become easier and easier to face and manage once you're committed to the dog, like a good friend's annoying habits are forgiven because you love them. Except with work you can change the way dogs behave, and people harder to modify

I think people who take on rescue dogs are wonderful.

Lots of folks telling other people to take on a rescue dog, but personally I think it can be risky.

We have a "reject" but we were lucky that we knew her full history, and reason for rejection suited us (a non hunting soppy "useless" lurcher).

I think you are right to be wary of dogs that have been returned many times.

But there are always quite a few lurchers out there in rescues, and they are mostly gentle and kind and non barking.

But maybe look at pups too, some rescues have pups.

There will be lots of young dogs in rescues after Christmas, that is why we got our girl in Jan. Good time to look I think.

My lurchers aren't escape artists at all. And as lurchers are all cross breeds of different things, it is especially important to look at each one individually.

Rosie (look on the EGLR FB page) has just come in, and is small and good with children. They also have a litter of pups atm

Yy to looking at individual dogs' characteristics and not 'breed' ones alone.

Would you consider a greyhound?
Some information in the link about some misconceptions of them as a breed.

OP - I think that you might need to look at the dog as an individual, rather than a breed iyswim? Yes, there are characteristics inherent in some, but it's not always that way.

My two spaniels are similar, but very individual too if you understand? One is bold and slightly aloof, the other gentle and timid.

Both have had a lot of work put in re training, but they are worth it.

You'll have to actually get in touch with rescues...as a rule they tend not to put the easy to rehome dogs on the website.

So you contact them, fill in the paperwork, get your home check done and then wait for them to get in touch when they get a dog that would suit you in.

how about Marley?

www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/dog/filters/le~~~~~n~/1080538/marley

Also, it might be worth speaking to some of the rescues, explaining your circumstances, then staying in touch regularly. I know Dogs Trust have dogs that are in and out of the centre before even being posted onto the website, as they have families who are in regular contact and match their credentials. So they telephone them initially when they have a dog coming in that might suit.

Cross post with tab but same thoughts posted!

Was going to say Rosie at EGLR :)