Has anybody had a good experience with a rescue dog?

[AMockingbirdCalledScout]

We were planning to buy a Pomeranian from a breeder.
However, in our local rescue a pair of dogs have been giving me heart eyes and I'm falling in love. Their background is that apparently an old lady passed away leaving her Pomeranian and Westie x Lhasa Apso, 3 years old and 4 months respectively. No family members wanted the dogs, so they sent them to the local rescue . They would prefer them to be rehomed together but they can be rehomed separately. I've never rescued before because our Alaskan Klee Kai, Bear and Finnish Lapphund, Leo are fairly rare dogs and we had been on lists for years before we got our pups. DH thinks we should go for it and so do I but I just want some reassurance that people get rescue dogs and are better for it. My sister is horrified that we are planning on rehoming both (can't bear to pass them both up and we did want a puppy) but oh well, her pugs and basset hound annoy me anyway.
Pictures would be lovely!
Btw, they're called Phoebe and Millie.
The Pom's Phoebe and the cross is Millie.

So many lovely stories, been following this thread as we've been researching getting a dog for ages! We've been looking at rescuing from Many Tears centre in Wales. Does anyone have experience with them?

Love seeing everyone's rescue hounds

Here's mine - we adopted her 4 years ago and we couldn't have asked for a better dog. Not in a million years.

Good luck OP and I hope those two wee dogs get a good home (with you!)

Two is that a podenco you have?? (Guessing by your name it is!!).

Such beautiful dogs. I would really like to adopt a galgo or podenco, will have to wait till there's more space in my house though!!

I had a rescue dog a few year back, got her when she was 2 and she lived a further 16 years, such a sweet natured loving dog but would jump a mile and hide if anyone ever raised a voice or hand in her vicinity

Misty Many Tears is a difficult one. It's a rescue, yes, but they take dogs from breeders, rather than street dogs, strays, owners ill health etc, although they sometimes have a few rescues from abroad.

Dogs come in two categories: broken down ex-breeding dogs who've obviously been kept in fairly horrific conditions. Discarded by breeder when too old/sick to be used. So many health issues, little or no socialisation, haven't lived ever in a home. Have to live with another dog so they can copy that dog's behaviour as they've had so little human contact.

2nd category is puppies/young dogs who haven't sold, have health issues.

All above dogs would probably have been drowned/shot with Many Tears stepping in. It's great they help so many dogs and dogs end up regimes, BUT is it just perpetuating the breeding cycle. For every older dog rescued, a puppy or puppies have been kept by the breeder to churn out more puppies. That's why they're all the favoured breeds that are so popular, especially Inchon, poodle, that kind of thing.

Sorry for length but important to explain. Hope I've given a balanced view.

Rescued from the dogs trust. Best dog in the whole world. She's perfect (and was already house-trained - bonus!) I don't think I could cope with a puppy to be honest.

Thank you Bagel, that's very helpful.

All three of my dogs have been rescued and were ace!

All good with children, walked well on a lead, house trained, good travellers, good at the vets and two of them were good with other dogs (lab was not but mainly due to poor eyesight).

Go for it! (And we need pics. Purely to ensure you are caring for them properly... )

Found locked in a shed with broken legs.
Now curled up sleepy and warm in the middle of a family. Rescue!

Thanks so much for all of your stories and gorgeous pics. We're picking up our rescue girl today and I was feeling a bit wobbly as its our first family dog.

She was a stray, found with another dog, taken in with a few injuries and needing a small operation - all sorted now and the rescue centre gives us 3 wks free vet care to get started.

I'm excited now - can't wait for us to get to know each other.

Not sure what breed(s) she is - can anyone take a guess for me?

No idea re breed... But those ears! 😍

Staffy GSD cross?

She's lovely enjoy her!

My parents have had a collie cross from the dogs trust for 13 years. He is the best behaved dog I have ever met and incredibly Gentle and caring. I wouldn't let being a rescue dog put me off

sleep yes he's a Podenco brought over from Spain. He is fab.
I love all the galgo's and pods. I think he found the journey over quite stressful, and he is still nervous of people he doesn't know but he has made loads of progress. And they are true to form. Very cat like.
Your rescue is gorgeous. Any pitcher like im in love with!

ToeTouching, my heart just melted! 😍

both my lurchers were 'rescues' the first one was 6 and the last one (still with me 9 years later) was 4
both were/are incredibly loyal and seemed to appreciate being 'rescued' and given a safe home

What a lovely thread! So nice to see all these gorgeous Rescue dogs in happy homes.

Here are my three - choc was from a friend of a friend, so not actually in rescue, yellow was from lab rescue and on his fourth home at a year old, and fluffball was from Romania. All are fun, loving dogs, that settled in relatively easily with good handling and exercise.

OP please take these dogs, they sound ideal - not being rehomed for behavioural issues, but for bereavement. One so young too. They shouldn't be difficult at all. I can't believe your sister is so horrified! Go on, prove her wrong!

In the spirit of the thread, here are two of my beautiful rescues both have sadly passed away.

They were the beloved pets of an elderly lady who passed away and none of her family could take them. No one wanted to take them because they were elderly, big and had to stay together. I met them by chance when the Dogs' Trust attended an even locally and it was love a first sight.

Yes. Our girl is an older rescue and she's a wonderful dog.

We adopted a 6 year old Podenco and he has been an absolute delight. We have since discovered 3 more Podenco's in our little village so the locals are getting used to them. Ours looks like a fox! He has been so calm and placid. He only ever barks at 8am and 4pm when he wants to remind us that it is food time.....oh and when he sees a squirrel. I have no idea why it took us so long as he has been such a great addition to our family.

So many of the larger rescues won't place dogs with youngish children, for obvious reasons I suppose.

We have junior age kids and are looking to rescue a puppy or young dog so children can have a hand in training and grow up together really.

We though Many Tears may be the answer but reading Bagels post earlier now I'm not so sure!

Does anyone have recommendations for rescue places that might help us? We are in south east but don't mind travelling.

Yes they will. You just have to be patient for the right dog and be first in the queue when it comes in! Dogs trust routinely rehome to people with children, it's just under 8 friendly dogs are rare in rescue.

So many of the larger rescues won't place dogs with youngish children

Really? Meet Ddog1, 2 and 3. Ddog1 came from RSPCA. DS2 was 2 years old. Ddog2 came from Dogs Trust. DS2 was 3 years old. Ddog3 came from Just Whippets. DS2 was 8 years old. I'd say the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust come under the category of "larger rescues".

Helen McGarry does through Cyprus rescue, all dogs assessed, full back up, vaccinated and passports. Lots from British expats who dump them there before leaving.
If you are on FB, search her there or PM me.

Nobetter so much 'squeeeeeee' in one pic 😍😍😍