Rehoming - can you get a trial period?

[Foreverhopeful22]

We are thinking of rehoming a mastiff Great Dane cross.

We had a mastiff a number of years ago and really like the breed. And where devastated when he passed.

Our situation has changed as we have a 2 1/2 year toddler now and although we are fine with dogs we need to check she is .

Is it possible to have a trial period with the dog in question or is this not the correct thing.

I would hate to adopt a dog and then find out toddler and dog don't go well together.

My Toddler seems to love dogs but other than friends dogs when we visit she has never had a dog in her house ...

Is it possible to have a trial period or is it not ?

Really?

That’s a very big powerful dog you’re wanting to put near a toddler.

I can’t imagine any reputable rehoming centre letting you have such a dog.

But in answer to your question. They don’t necessarily let you have them on trial but you always have the option to return the dog if it doesn’t work out.

So far several of the rehoming centres have mastiff cross dogs stating good with very young children - including dogs trust, mastiff rehoming org, pdsa and many more

Apart from their size they have one of the best temperaments and are ideally suited to families

I was merely asking about the trial period

I do know a few that allow a trial but i think it just makes it more acceptable if one dog turns out not to be a good fit to try another & not feel a failure.
Sometimes you can't tell how dog will get on in a particular home/people even using foster homes, but I would expect the rescue to want your children to meet the dog pre-adoption as they also vary in behavior along with way parents would handle any situations.

Even if they don't do a trial as such, decent rescues would contract adopters to return to them if things don't work out but possibly wouldn't get donation fee refunded.

They might let you foster one? My dsis fostered a dog last xmas. He never went back.

Rgt encouraged me to visit and walk the dog I was interested in a few times to build up a bond. Then she came for a days trial, mainly to see how she got on with the cats.

We fostered our lurcher before adopting him. We knew after a few days that he was the dog for us but we waited a month to be sure.

As a word of warning, it can take dogs several weeks, or even months, to settle properly. They can be on best behaviour at first as they want to please you, or they might be so nervous that they don't show themselves in their best light. Our lurcher badly bit ds3, then aged 7, after he'd been with us 4 months as ds overstepped the mark with him and dog reacted. There was a lot of soul searching but ds pleaded to keep him and so we did. Both boy and dog learned how to behave around each other but it was a drastic way to learn. Much better to learn before the dog arrives than after, and this has some great advice and a game tohelp:
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/training/safe-and-sound/

Pre DC I happily rescued many different dogs, all large breed.

Post DS I wouldn't consider it as the dogs I love are too big and too powerful to risk not knowing how they are going to react in a new environment. I got a well bred puppy from a pet line instead. I still have rescue dogs in the home but I knew them inside out by the time children came along.

I would ask but be prepared to be turned down as in most reputable rescue policy this would be too much of a risk just due to size alone.