Staffie Cross Jackapoo or Chihuahua x Pug

[andweallsingalong]

Been looking for a dog for a couple of months now for our family (me, DH and dd age 7)

Originally looking for a small to medium mixed breed rescue with an easy going temperament and old enough to be left for a few hours during the day. Considering...

Staffie Cross, 10 yrs, rescue centre
Pros

Happy to be left
Lovely
Laid back
Snuggly
Friendly
Well trained
Met and liked

Cons:-
Difficult and very expensive to insure
Health problem (2 x lumps removed recently)
Not keen on other dogs - will ignore unless in her face
Strongly Dislikes some people - random who
Likes free running in private space and whilst we have a back garden it's not big enough for a good run. Couldnt free run in public space due to dislike of other dogs.

Doesn't seem keen on fetch type games that dd would like to play
Recall didn't seem great
On the large side of medium so dd wouldn't be able to walk her

Jackapoo 3 yrs private ad with v little info

Not met, from breed info seems a good match and much cheaper to insure.

Chihuahua x Pug 3 years private ad

Pros
Not met, breed info looks good.
Pics show good with kids and animals

None of the above.

Keep looking: we looked for a very long time before we found out perfect little mongrel rescue from a proper rescue organisation. They are few and far between but they do exist.

Neither. You don't quite have the right situation for the first dog & i would strongly advise against going private when you have young DC. People lie when they want to get rid of a dog, usually because they know that whatever reason the dog has to go, nobody would want!

Quite honestly none of those. I know it's tricky but keep on looking.

If you are in the North East I can point you in the direction of the rescue we got our mongrel from.

Not the private ad.

Not the Staffie cross. Love Staffies but this one sounds not good for your particular circumstances.

A 7 year old can’t walk any dog really - unless you mean just holding the lead sometimes when with you?

Thanks

Avoided private to start with for those reasons, but also feeling a bit wary of rescues now too as the very few that are older and good with kids don't seem to be in there long enough to be sure of their characters - the staffie cross was in there 6 months, friendly with all people she met, then took a major dislike to just 1 person both in a new home and out at foster. Another rescue also said the same about a couple of their dogs that they had assessed as ok with kids etc then were returned after worrying in home behaviour.

I guess with both the private ones I figured :-
Both ads are so badly written with none of the info you'd want to see it seems unlikely they're lying to show dogs in a good light.
DD has a sleep over at granny's for a few days in a couple of weeks so if we got the dog then we would know all was well before introducing her.
As little dogs there isn't the same risk of harm as with a big jawed staffie
If truthful we'd have much more info from owners

Starting to think even considering a dog was a bad idea...

Yeah, meant holding the lead with me and progressing to walking by herself in a couple of years when she's proved capable

It’s not for everyone, and can be frowned on on here, but we eventually rescued via a Balkans based rescue. We need a cat-friendly & child-friendly dog and we couldn’t find anything suitable via UK centres for whatever reason.

My girl is a Lab crossed with ... something? And she’s great. Everything they described her as, no surprises at all. The rescue sent us loads of videos of her, with both kids & cats, they keep their dogs for months so fully temperament assessed, and we were Home vetted by a UK assessor. They’re really invested in their dogs new homes working out so although I did feel nervous I needn’t have.

There are lots of reputable rescues but we used Help Pozega Dogs. They have a lot of smaller cross breeds - there’s a beautiful little spaniel mix called Willow that caught my eye looking just now! Look them up on Facebook.

“feeling a bit wary of rescues now too as the very few that are older and good with kids don't seem to be in there long enough to be sure of their characters”

Being in a rescue longer is not usually a positive thing, it usually means there’s a reason no-one is taking them on... and it can in itself cause issues, the staffie may well not have had those issues before spending all that time in rescue. They should have done an actual behaviour assessment rather than just given an opinion? That’s what they’ll be basing the behaviour on.

Also I’d say none of those as well.

Bringing the dog home while DD isnt there for a few days is a bad idea. The dog needs to meet DD before coming into your home, preferably the dog should travel to your home in the car with DD in the car as well. DD ahould be involved as much as possible in its care but also understand when to leave the dog alone.

Have you had a look at foster based rescues OP? I could give you a few smaller foster based rescues that I have personally fostered for in the past - i have a now 6 year old & would never recommend anywhere that i felt would put kids at risk.
The beauty of a foster based rescue is that they are usually able to assess the dogs around things they will see & hear in every day life within a home. They can assess for cats or small furries, other dogs, children, noises etc in a more relaxed & less time constrained situation than some kennel based rescues can

Get a cat. They sleep a lot and generally don't care about anything other than food.

None of them. The staffy doesn't fit your circumstances at all and I wouldn't get a dog from a private home unless I knew it already.

Lots to think about...

I do think the Staffie cross had the issues from the start as we were told that she was left outside the centre and very scared (run away scared not aggressive scared) of people to start with then bonded and happy with all people. Also Dislikes dogs. So possibility of abuse just not seen by anyone at the centre just in the new home with "grandad" and at a trusted foster several weeks in when she first met "Granny". Also reminded me past rescues (cats) both came with LOTS more issues than advised by the rescue - no problem as single with no dc so happy to put the work in and ended up (eventually) with amazingly chilled out pets, took a couple of years though... But yeah take the point that being in kennels can cause issues

The overseas charity sounds fab, but not sure I could do it with so many UK in rescue

Thought I'd checked everywhere Inc fosters, but happy for a pm as foster does sound like they'd know the dogs better.

Had cats before but not looking for another..

I do understand where you are coming from regarding overseas rescues amd I wrestled with the same thing but the reality was the majority of rescues in this country were not suitable for us, either unsuitable breed, temperament or age (ive adopted senior dogs before and the kids said they really wanted this dog to have more than 2 or 3 years with us) We adopted a Romanian rescue who was already im foster in thia country so we had lots of information about his temperament etc and he wasnt bought over specifically for us which sometimes can be a bit of a scam.

I guess with both the private ones I figured :-
Both ads are so badly written with none of the info you'd want to see it seems unlikely they're lying to show dogs in a good light.

Or they were written in a rush after the dog had bitten a child/ the vet had said there was X medical problem that would cost a fortune and need lifelong treatment/ they really don't know a thing about dogs and it was bought on a whim (and now on perhaps it's 5th home) and never been properly trained.

The overseas charity sounds fab, but not sure I could do it with so many UK in rescue

Absolutely understand this - it’s where I started off myself. I was adamant I wanted to rescue not a pup, but cat- and child-friendly dogs of the right ‘sort’ (a very loose set of sorts really!) were so hard to find.

I justified it to myself by seeing that these dogs were all from kill stations - unlike UK rescues that rarely if ever euthanise healthy dogs, overseas the methods they use to kill are brutal and they don’t really have options. My girl is so gentle - she clearly had a home once who trained her, she’s not a “street dog”, and is the kind of dog I’d just never find here because of the demand and restrictions on rehoming. It felt like you’d need to be extremely lucky to find the right dog and meet all the criteria at the right time and not miss the opportunity.

I think if you’re fixed on a UK rescue then best to make friends with a couple of local places and keep in touch very regularly, reminding them of your criteria. Good luck!

Your point re UK rescue versus overseas rescue is valid & understandable. I felt the same until i was calles upon as an emergency placement for a rommie dog...that opened my eyes massively to the plight of dogs abroad. As pp said above too, its surprising to some how in depth foreign rescues go to ensure the temperament of their dog is understood before placing.

I'll PM you a few rescues, can't hurt to look

Some of the cons listed about the staffy would concern me more than others

Difficult and very expensive to insure - what are your finances like?
Health problem (2 x lumps removed recently) - nothing out of the ordinary for a dog of that age, and assuming not cancer I wouldn't be overly concerned
Not keen on other dogs - will ignore unless in her face - what happens when they are in her face? Is she a bite risk? Be prepared that this may be a dog that always has to be muzzled - nothing inherently wrong with a basket style muzzle, but make sure you're happy with it first
Strongly Dislikes some people - random who - has she ever taken a dislike to someone who she has previously liked? Be prepared to keep her away from any visitors
Likes free running in private space and whilst we have a back garden it's not big enough for a good run. Couldnt free run in public space due to dislike of other dogs. - Are you plausibly near a secure dog walking field you could hire? www.dogwalkingfields.co.uk/ Are you in an urban (i.e. dog heavy) or rural environment? Would you be able to join the (jokingly named) Midnight Dog Walkers Club?
Doesn't seem keen on fetch type games that dd would like to play - No dog is perfect!
Recall didn't seem great - It can always be taught, but I would question how relevant it is for a dog that can't be off lead in a public place anyway
On the large side of medium so dd wouldn't be able to walk her - I would suggest that behaviour would be more of a barrier to this than size! No way could I let a child walk my 7kg mutt due to his issues and requirements for very careful management

I wouldn't touch the private ads either. I've looked through them before, out of curiosity, and none of them ever seem to include a full and frank account of the dog. If (heaven forbid) I had to rehome PestDog, I would be writing something approaching a dissertation on him, his likes and dislikes, quirks (many), management techniques (complicated), the sort of home that I thought would suit him etc. etc. and handing that over to the rescue centre - or, in an alternate universe where rescue centres don't exist and online ads were the only option - I'd be posting that online in a bid to find him the best home possible. I suspect that many of the ads are lying by omission.

Bear in mind the sort of people that use online adverts to rehome their dog - it's usually either because
a) they want a quick buck, and don't have the dog's best interests at heart
b) their dog has been turned down by rescue organisations for behavioural or health reasons
c) they are on a waiting list at a rescue centre but can't / won't wait (why is it suddenly so urgent? Has the dog bitten or been diagnosed with something nasty?)
d) they're completely clueless and don't understand the risks associated with online adverts

I've rehomed small furries from online adverts before (where the same risks around behaviour don't apply, and the same rehoming options don't exist). To give you an idea of the calibre of such owners, one handed over an animal (a different species to the one pictured in the advert) without asking even my name, let alone what I was going to do with her; it had clearly never been handled and screamed if I came within a metre of the cage. Another handed me one animal, and foisted a second animal on me, which was being kept in a bucket, and died in an expensive fashion 3 weeks later (to be fair, I don't think either of us foresaw the death). Tiny, bare cages and a total lack of knowledge about the species' needs are par for the course. I can only imagine that the calibre of people rehoming dogs via the small ads is similar.

Ethically, I don't think there's any difference adopting from the UK or abroad - both are dogs needing homes. Realistically there's a shortage of dogs in UK rescue that are small, cat-friendly, child-friendly etc. You should, however, go into it with eyes wide open. While I know some people who have got fantastic dogs from Romania etc., what seems like a disproportionate number have got dogs that have significant behavioural problems and are reactive - strangers being a common trigger (understandable for ex-street dogs). I would certainly only adopt a dog that has been fostered within the UK for several weeks and where there is the option to return the dog if it turns out to have issues you can't cope with.

Thanks Avocados

Difficult and very expensive to insure - what are your finances like?
Don't know if I've just been unlucky or not, but previous pets (cats) 3/4 have had serious health problems in their lives with bills of £1k plus - couldn't afford that without insurance.

Health problem (2 x lumps removed recently) - nothing out of the ordinary for a dog of that age, and assuming not cancer I wouldn't be overly concerned
1 x benign
1 x some cancerous cells, no sign of spreading and "vet says" low likelyhood of happening again.

Not keen on other dogs - will ignore unless in her face - what happens when they are in her face? Is she a bite risk? Be prepared that this may be a dog that always has to be muzzled - nothing inherently wrong with a basket style muzzle, but make sure you're happy with it first
Had to really push to try and get an answer on this. If they're "polite" she'll ignore. If they're in her face she'll tell them to go away. If they still persist she's likely to. "Defend herself". So sounds like plenty of warning to get her out of the situation but yes, I think she could bite if growling and Barking hasn't worked. Pre kids me would have been confident I could get her out of there before the growl never mind a bite, but I've met some absolute donuts when out with DD who don't care that there friendly dog is in her face terrifying her and now realise how difficult it is to remove a small child / dog from a situation where an off lead dog is determined to make friends whilst their " owner" is half way down the street shouting "it's okay he / she's friendly"
She's not muzzle trained, but having watched some videos I'd have no problem doing it so long as she doesn't already have negative associations.

Strongly Dislikes some people - random who - has she ever taken a dislike to someone who she has previously liked? Be prepared to keep her away from any visitors
No, it's "just" random new people who I'm guessing remind her of people who mistreated her in the past and from what's been said as long as the person respects the growl and keeps their distance she'll just take herself off to her bed so wasn't initially worried, but then thought what if she dislikes one of dds friends that could be quite scary for them. One of the things we do know about her is she likes to have free range of the house so would be unhappy being kept in the kitchen for all visitors. A safety gate between living room and front door seems sensible though.
The other concern is that if she's capable of disliking people to the point where she could feel the need to defend herself what if she's disorientated and lashes out - could that happen. (Rescue cat no1 was a total softie who had bad experiences in the past and hated his carrier for the first couple of years - escape then when cornered fight - very occasionally it was if he woke from a dream disorientated would jolt awake and lash out with a full force claw before realising everything was okay and settling)

Likes free running in private space and whilst we have a back garden it's not big enough for a good run. Couldnt free run in public space due to dislike of other dogs. - Are you plausibly near a secure dog walking field you could hire? www.dogwalkingfields.co.uk/ Are you in an urban (i.e. dog heavy) or rural environment? Would you be able to join the (jokingly named) Midnight Dog Walkers Club?
We're semi rural but in a fairly dog heavy area. At least 6 just on our block of houses. Fine with walking at quieter times and avoiding heavy dog areas. Nearest field is about half hour drive. Her routine seems to be run around full speed a couple of times a day for a few minutes though.

Recall didn't seem great - It can always be taught, but I would question how relevant it is for a dog that can't be off lead in a public place anyway
We first discussed it in terms of the rescue saying she doesn't like other dogs, will ignore if they're polite, but if not she does have great recall so you can just call her away and she'll come.

On the large side of medium so dd wouldn't be able to walk her - I would suggest that behaviour would be more of a barrier to this than size! No way could I let a child walk my 7kg mutt due to his issues and requirements for very careful management
Yeah I guess that's what I mean, a dog her size if she decided to take off full speed it would take all my strength to hold her (not that it's a specific concern as such she walks well on a loose lead and seems pretty disinterested in anything that keeps its distance), but something I'd consider for any dog. Add in the issues and I can't ever see a time that DD could walk her.

Bear in mind the sort of people that use online adverts to rehome their dog - it's usually either because
a) they want a quick buck, and don't have the dog's best interests at heart
b) their dog has been turned down by rescue organisations for behavioural or health reasons
c) they are on a waiting list at a rescue centre but can't / won't wait (why is it suddenly so urgent? Has the dog bitten or been diagnosed with something nasty?)
d) they're completely clueless and don't understand the risks associated with online adverts

Really interesting hearing the experiences of private ads its a real eye-opener. I'd considered lying and glossing over behavior issues, but kind of expected them to be people like me who would always expect to keep a pet for life, but if I couldn't would want to meet the new owners and put the fees (same level as a rescue for the ones we're looking at) as sensible due to wanting to avoid their pet ending up in a bad place (fighting bait, sold on).

I would personally never have a staffie with an unknown background around children.

We waited months for our rescue dog. I’d suggest going along to your local rescue centre and giving them your details along with what you are looking for and then I emailed them everyday until our dog came in and he is our perfect family dog in every way. There’s no point making a snap decision.