Considering rehoming a dog from a rescue... any tips? Advice?

[Fairylea]

Both dh and I grew up with dogs but have never had one of our own.

We have two dc - dd aged 15 and ds aged 6 and we live semi rurally. I am a stay at home parent and dh works- so apart from an odd hour or so at the gym or doing shopping / chores I am at home all day. We never go out in the evening. Once a year we have a uk based holiday - we could take the dog with us.

So that’s our set up. We are considering all options really but I think I’d like to rehome a slightly older dog rather than a puppy... I’m guessing this might mean we skip through the toilet training stage? Well, apart from maybe a settling in period? (If accidents happen that’s absolutely fine, but if we could shorten some of it that would be great...)

Are there any breeds I should be looking to avoid for health / child reasons? (Sorry if that’s a totally stupid question)!

Is there one sort of pet insurance that’s better than another? What should we be looking for with that?

We are completely open minded about types and size of dog. The main thing is just being child friendly really - which I know is like gold dust from a rescue (!) but we are in no rush whatsoever.

Any tips / thoughts appreciated! Thank you.

Firstly, it sounds like you have a great set up. However, prepare to go on a major learning curve - like you, I grew up with dogs and learned more in the first 6 months of having my own rescue than I did in 17 years of merely living with them!

Not every older dog will be housetrained - it depends on their background as much as anything, but many will be. You are, however, right to expect that there may be some accidents.

With regards to breeds, you haven't really given us enough information in many ways - for instance, how much exercise do you realistically have the energy and inclination for, including in the depths of winter? There are some breeds I know I wouldn't want because I couldn't cope with them and their intellectual stimulation / physical exercise needs (border collies, huskies, for instance) but of course for some people they're great dogs. Don't think that there's any relation between size and exercise needs - Jack Russells are tiny but notorious for needing lots of exercise to stop them losing their minds! Similarly I can't be arsed with a lot of grooming, so I'm thankful for having a short haired dog; you may consider it an enjoyable activity.

Health wise with breeds, you're going to get a much better idea of the health of the individual with a rescue than a puppy. However, the bracycephalic (flat nosed) breeds such as pugs and bulldogs do tend to have more health problems - I've heard unconfirmed reports that French bulldogs are now almost uninsurable. Very large breeds tend to have shorter lifespans than little ones e.g. Great Danes 8-10 years, whereas little breeds commonly get to 14-16 years. As for temperament - it's going to be a very individual thing with each dog. Don't be surprised if you find an unexpected dog breed - for instance, staffies are often great with kids - or a mutt of unidentifiable parentage!

My suggestion would be to have a bit more of a think about how much exercise, grooming and training you can commit to. Then go to a local rescue organisation(s) and see what they might have. The more flexible you are with things like breed and size, the quicker you'll find a suitable dog.

Pet insurance is frequently discussed here, and PetPlan Lifetime is widely considered to be an excellent option. Quality of pet insurance does vary - some of the cheaper ones are almost useless.

I wouldn’t stress about breeds tbh... if you go in knowing what’s important (ie child friendly) and an idea of things like how much walking and grooming you want to do and then wait for an individual dog that’ll fit in with you.

Thank you so much for your replies, lots to think about. And you’re right, I shouldn’t assume that a rescue dog will be housetrained. Now I think about it properly, of course there are a million reasons they might not be...!

I am very active (gym 3 times a week, long walks everyday etc etc) and dd and dh are also more than willing to take any dog on a walk as well... so I think we would be wanting a fairly/ very active dog.

We don’t really have any preference about long or short hair etc. I only ask about breed because when we’ve talked to people about it they’ve said don’t get a springer spaniel (too lively apparently...!??), and don’t get a jack Russell as they’re snappy... but I fully appreciate these are just peoples views and experiences and not necessarily true!

I think we will contact our local dog rescues and go on their lists and hope the perfect dog for us comes up! Thanks.

A rescue that uses foster homes rather than kennels can normally give you a dog which has been chlid/cat/pony/car tested and will know if they are reliably housetrained. The dog will have been assessed in the home and in other settings.

Many dogs will come into rescue after a relationship breakdown or change in working hours so they already are nice family dogs.

If possible introduce your six year old to few dogs( if he doesn't already know any) to check that he will be comfortable around one and will be sensible enough to give a dog space. While many dogs love children they do also need to have boundaries.

If you follow a few rescues on FB you will get a feel for how they operate the way they describe their dogs.

You setup sounds ideal btw!

It’s not so much that it’s just people’s views (though the jack Russell one is, lol) so much as - it’s not a puppy so you’re not having to be guided by breed traits, it’s a dog already and you can just go by what that dog is actually like.

So yes springers are pretty lively (though if you’re pretty active it’s not a breed I’d rule out anyway) but sometimes you get lazy ones because they’re all individuals - because it’s not a puppy you’re going for, there’s no need to rule it out because they’re usually pretty full on.

I would say don’t have too fixed an idea of what you want. The dog will choose you!

One springer and two JRTs here.

The springer is a show type and active, energetic without being nuts. He is brilliant but you won't find them in rescues, though. Even just a straight springer is likely to be snapped up quickly.

The JRTs are at two extremes.

The dog has something else crossed into him somewhere and is a perfect lap dog. Likes his fair weather walks so long as you don't go too far (under and hour) but mostly likes curling up on the sofa with a blanket. He is a very easy dog to live with but maybe not what you are looking for.

The bitch is at the extreme other end. She would walk 7 hours a day and still ask for more. She is on alert all day, every day. She barks at almost everything and if not exercised and entertained sufficiently will turn barking into a game for her. She can easily become hyper and over stimulated and is very hard to control when she is. She has good points as well (loyal, loving, very playful, very patient with children and the springer puppy without being a pushover) but I would think long and hard before I had another like her again. You never get any down time and have to be 'on her case' a bit all the time. She's 12 years old and shows no signs of slowing down...

In some ways, picking a breed is to pick your poison. Whilst all dogs are individuals breeds do have traits that you may find endearing or drive you round the bend.

e.g. the springer is a gun dog, he likes using his mouth and will steal socks and chew crocs. I don't mind that myself because I find him stealing socks to be a funny sight and so forgive having to buy new socks every month.

The JRT bitch is vocal, very vocal and (being a terrier) is tenacious in all she does. You may not mind the barking and find the tenacity a lovely trait. The barking drives me round the bend because I have little patience for it.

I got a rescue dog last December. At 8years old she was a bit older than we were planning, but we fell in love with her. She is actually a very good age for us. Full of energy on walks, loves being out with us, but likes a lazy life once home.

In your case, where you have masses to offer, I would go for a dog no older than 6. My dog’s owner died, she had been with the same family since a pup. She was fully housetrained and understood lots of commands. She has not been without problems though, so we had a trainer who helped enormously. She is a very nervous, reactionary dog who lacks confidence. The truth is that you do not know how any dog will react in your environment. The time spent waiting to be rehomed can affect their behaviour.

Thank you so much for all your advice and kind words. It’s so interesting to read your replies.

I did laugh about the differences in breeds!

My 6 year old is already very used to dogs. My mum has 3, admittedly they are older now (11 years old) and relatively small - King Charles spaniels- but my son has grown up always knowing and loving them and as my mum is getting older we actually go and walk them sometimes for her. So we have experience of the poop and scoop! (I have even made my teenager pick up the poo in preparation for us getting one...)!

Feeling very positive. Hopefully our new family member is just around the corner.

Staffie cross from Battersea lives with me. I thought I'd have a Staffie again (had one when I was a teenager) as they are lovely and also as the rescues get loads of them and struggle to get them rehomed as people think they might be aggressive (they wouldn't be up for rehoming if they were). I looked at several and ended up with a lovely happy(Staffie trait) very affectionate dog. She walks well on a lead (I looked at some male Staffies that were very strong and wouldn't be easy for me to walk) and is very eager to please. Very good at recall and good with most other dogs. Hugely recommend one and you'll be helping the large contingent of Staffies in rescues if you do. I was looking for an adult also - I think you need a dog not younger than 4 years old (3 at a pinch if you audition them and find them quiet and easy). Mine was thought to be 4 and a half but no-one really knows.

Get a crate.... our rescue pup was six months old when we got him and was super anxious and howled and whined at night or if we went out. He now has a crate in the kitchen he sleeps in and is in when we are out and hes much happier

Oh mine's a proper mutt. Lakeland terrier cross with a collie. He has a beard like an old man but imo cross breeds make the best pets . My famiky dog was also a cross and lived till he was 19/20 without any vets trips or issues

My suggestion would be to re-home a retired greyhound. We adopted Teddy in December from.tge Greyhound Trust and absolutely adore him! Greyhound in general are placid, gentle and very loving. They don't need loads of exercise either. I'm a childminder and he will trot along to say hello when the children arrive and then laze in his bed the rest of the time. Very low maintenance but so rewarding.

The last time I went to find a rescue dog I had in my mind a youngish lab type bitch. I ended up with a male bearded collie who was 11 but who chose us and who we had 3 happy years with.

Just go to a rehoming centre and have a mooch about and you will find one...at least one... The centre we went to insisted on us doing two walks a day from the centre at first and to make sure everyone in the family met him at some point and they all liked each other. He had been in foster care so we had a fairly accurate view of his foibles (humps everything. Apart from that a darling). This was the Blue Cross - I couldn't recommend them more highly.

I'd def recommend deciding what your 'must' things are, and working from there rather than getting too specific about breeds. For instance, I couldn't cope with a dog who needed a lot of stimulation in the house, or who needed lots and lots of exercise - but that would go running with me. So we have lurchers who spend a lot of time horizontal, but love running when we mountain bike.
I foster for the rescue mine came from, and as a foster based rescue we are able to be a lot more flexible about children, other pets, and peoples general circumstances than others as we know the dogs so well.
If your local rescues are short on child friendly dogs, it's worth looking at others - we can homecheck just about anywhere and people who are travelling a long way can do a single visit.

Ive had 11 dogs, 5 rescue, 6 from pups. In your situation I think either would work - but with either be prepared to wait for the right dog. get your home visit done by your local Rspca (they last 6 months) find out if other local rescues accept them (the same Home visitors work for a few rescues near me) or be prepared to wait for the right pup. (I waited a year for my current pup to be born)

When my dc were smallish we had a rescue who was devoted to my youngest daughter (about 6 at the time) and one of our cats. He was best mates with one of our other dogs. He was a nightmare on walks - had to be muzzled and walked on lead as attacked other dogs. Don't expect the perfect dog in every situation - if you get that it's a bonus. I've had perfect dogs, they are amazing. But getting the less than perfect dog is normal.

Good luck! You might want to Check out Black Retriever X rescue on Facebook. They are a really responsible rescue, who will take back a dog if the home is not quite right for the dog.

Thank you so much everyone. Dh and I have been reading your replies. You’ve all been so lovely and given us a lot to think about.

I’m going to crack on with contacting our local rescues this week and getting us registered with them. We are in no rush as we want to find the right dog for us all.

I will also look into greyhounds. Something I hadn’t really considered!

I do love greyhounds!
Consider how much grooming and walking you are prepared to do! Would you consider a dog that needed to go to the groomers or would you be able to cope with a longer coated dog?
You don't need to look just at local rescues. Eg Black retriever x (not the only dogs they do!) home countrywide.
Good luck.

Thank you for deciding to rescue. I'm sure there are difficult dogs out there but I and several friends have all adopted rescue dogs all of which are child friendly and house trained. Not a big ask. In Fact the only dog I know who bit a child was a non rescue. Yup. Bought as a puppy from a breeder. Just thought I'd clear up a few myths. Good luck to you and your family you sound like deal dog owners xx

Ideal

Wolfiefan makes great points. I got a short haired jrt which I'm happy about as I love getting him out and about but I know I would be crap at grooming x

Thank you everyone. We talked about some of your points and we’ve realised we really want a short haired dog... we don’t mind doing a bit of grooming but nothing that requires tons of skill or effort!

We’ve registered with as many rescues as we can and are keeping an eye out online all the time. There is one dog that we are particularly interested in- it’s a young mongrel that is listed as being good with children, looks to be a total mixture of a lab/Springer/possible collie/ possible some sort of anything really...! Which would suit us fine. We are waiting to hear back to see if we could meet with him and see how we all get on. One step at a time!

Good luck OP.

Both rescued dogs, ddog and dgranddog

Please make sure this rescue is a registered charity and has a charity number with an address on their website.
Please do not take dogs from Facebook groups as these people cannot offer professional advice should you need It.
If you do rescue a dog from anywhere please ensure you know the full background, the videos they show are the dogs best bits. These dogs are not domesticated in any way and need lots of training. The people bringing them here cannot possibly know them either. There will be no refund should it go wrong either.