Not deliberately goady but it probably is

[Yesinamechange]

I’ve read so many threads recently in which the op or posters justify getting a puppy or going to a rescue from abroad because they wouldn’t be allowed a domestic rescue. I’ve also read loads of threads about rescues having unreasonable/unrealistic expectations.
This isn’t an ask me anything but I don’t know if I’m being weird or was lucky or what? I went to one of the big rescues thinking that if they didn’t think I was an appropriate home then I shouldn’t have a dog. And I expected to be turned down- I work full time (with plans in place for the dog obv) and don’t have a secure garden. I live in a flat and rehomed a big bouncy young adolescent dog. It’s been hard!!
I’m not saying that rescues are for everyone, nor am I saying that puppies are bad etc but am I the only one that thinks the ‘well I want one so I’ll buy it because a rescue won’t allow it’ doesn’t address the why the rescue didn’t think that set up was a good idea?

I used to work for a rescue (closed down now) and their only policy regarding children, was, as long as the dog was friendly, and the mother wasn’t pregnant, they could potentially adopt the dog.

The pregnancy thing was because there were plenty of times the dog was returned because the woman and since given birth and the need to mother the dog had transferred naturally to the child and they didn’t want the dog anymore

Cat testing was another random

Walk dog through the yard, if a cat ran through and the dog didn’t react. Friendly. If it did, not

I have two dogs right now that live with the cat. One adores chasing her. Finds it her own personal thrill. Won’t hurt the cat but still

I got a rescue 6 month old springer puppy a few years ago that I definitely wouldn’t have been accepted for now.

At the time I was single, living rural, worked outdoors and could take the dog with me. Now I’m married with a child living in a city although I work from home. There is no way my application would have been successful in these circumstances when there were hundreds of applications. Most rescues will not take the risk of homing dogs with an unknown background with small children.

I was (mostly) joking about how rescues tested stuff but equally I don’t disbelieve that!
Mine would react out of frustration but I think would be like yours- it’s the chase that’s fun! But I don’t know how you’d categorically be able to say whether they’d eat them at the end without testing that absolutely and that’s not ethical/no-one would do that surely?!

Mine has tried to chase cats in the street through cat-flaps before

But at home he will set next to our feisty boy and share his water. He'll curl up in a ball and let our kitten sit on his head. He gives our girl cat a bath and lets her clean him in return :)

Please can you let us know the rescue, OP.
This will help other putative rescuers

@icedcoffees 😍
I think mine would be the same but not sure if I’m being naive!

@GetTaeFuck

I don’t get the virtue signalling of getting an overseas rescue dog? As if they’re someone more special than UK rescue?

how is it virtue signalling? Ive actually had shitty comments about getting one from overseas when there are british dogs in rescues. Comments that I very much doubt people who buy puppies from breeders get

@Yesinamechange

I was (mostly) joking about how rescues tested stuff but equally I don’t disbelieve that! Mine would react out of frustration but I think would be like yours- it’s the chase that’s fun! But I don’t know how you’d categorically be able to say whether they’d eat them at the end without testing that absolutely and that’s not ethical/no-one would do that surely?!

Tbh, you have to remember this is a living animal, so even if you get a dog from a puppy and know it’s every way, it’s still a creature prone to unexpected behaviour. Even the best laid plans of a rescue can be failed because the dog hasn’t done what they expect it to do

We have children and a cat.
Our local rescue had tons of pointy dogs (unsuitable to be homed with cats), and lots of dogs they consider are not suitable to be homed with children.
Dogs they will rehome with children under 12, and cats are like gold dust.
Our puppy (now 4 year old dog), is super trustworthy with cats, children (including visiting babies), chickens and sheep.
I don't believe we could have got a dog like her from a rescue, although we did try.

I think that’s exactly my point, just better made-
Just because you got a puppy doesn’t mean it will be perfect and a rescue will be a liability. They’re both dogs not machines so no-one can guarantee anything really!

I also don't understand picking a Romanian Rescue, which is probably unsuitable to be homed with other pets or children.
Also an escaped Romanian rescue savaged my lovely dog, giving her an infected bite last year.

[quote Yesinamechange]@icedcoffees 😍
I think mine would be the same but not sure if I’m being naive![/quote]
Here's a couple of photos as proof

I went To a rescue centre to get kittens. At the time I had no other pets.

Turned down because although we had a cat flap I might be out a couple of times a week any my daughter was five.

I have a dog also now.

My cats were adopted off the internet in the end - two brothers and they accept the dog. He rubs by with them. They are all happy and well adjusted.

I adopted my first dog from the rescue I worked out. He passed the cat check. Showed no interest whatsoever in the cat

Got him home and all of a sudden, cats where the favourite thing to chase. Luckily, he had no intent to hurt them and the cats would hide upstairs away from him. He was too stupid to work out how to get up the stairs. Would sit at the bottom and bark.

A friend of mine lost her dog a few months ago. She was looking for another. She has no children or other animals and was looking for a staffie. So surely, rescues would be biting her hand off yes? No. She works about 5-6 hours first thing the morning. Too long apparently.

Finally found a rescue who allowed her to try out a staffie who had been looking for a home for a long time, and she’s been perfect. So perfect that not long after, my friend signed the adoption papers.

Want to know what this dog does whilst my friend works (she finishes at the latest 9.30am). The dog takes herself upstairs to bed and goes to sleep the lazy moo

When we first tried to get a dog, we rang round the rescues. We had lots of dog experience, our DC spent a lot of time with their GPs' dogs, we had a garden and someone was home most of the day.

I called a number of rescues and it was a demoralising experience. We have had four puppies since then.

It is very difficult to get a rescue that would be suitable to live with young children. Every dog is unpredictable, but I think you’re stacking the cards in your favour if you get a well bred puppy from an excellent breeder who socialises properly in the first 8 weeks. Then it’s up to you to carry on with training, socialisation, habituation etc - I’m very aware I could mess it up or she could have a bad experience and we could end up in difficulties! With a rescue, not only are you stuck with the result of whatever it’s previous owners have done, badly or not, surely in the majority of cases the dogs came from bad breeders/puppy farms as otherwise the dog would be returned to the breeder when problems arise.
Rescuing a dog is a good thing to do and perhaps something I’ll try in the future, but now, with children, my focus was on trying to stack the odds in favour of a dog who would live well with them and bring additional happiness to the family (when I read about reactive rescue dogs on here it seems so difficult). Perhaps that makes me selfish but many parents are!

I'm actually really surprised that rescue let you have that dog (or any dog), op! Most rescue centres wouldn't have, I don't think. I was turned down by rescues on the basis of my work, even though I worked flexi time and worked from home half the time. I had a garden and no kids at the time. I did get a rescue in the end via a smaller charity that fostered in homes, rather than a rescue centre.

We tried to get a rescue but ds was 7 at the time and we were struggling to get accepted. So we got a puppy - who has been the most amazing dog, no issues whatsoever - apart from normal schnauzer stubborness!

We would like another dog now as a companion for her but we will try for a rescue again, as ds is 12 now.

I'm at home most of time
My youngest child was 9 next one was 12
Secure large garden

Had back up dog walker /home boarder in case of emergencies
Was able to walk dog up to 90 mins walk at a time 2-3 times a day
Identified a good trainer
No other pets

Reason I was refused rescue all had issues around my ability to walk a dog there reasoning I'm in a powerchair and I was going be one responsible for walking etc .Despite me explaining that am active and out a lot and am independent ( no carers needed )
Powerchair means I have a free hand for lead etc .I also have off road scooter

So I went the puppy route

To be fair a few breeders was similar attitude had judged without meeting me

In end got my boy word of mouth the breeder met me could see that was able and listened to my plans

My boy is 7 coming up 8 years now

Should add is well trained as was aware I would be judged more harshly if misbehaving etc

I've heard of too many rescue dogs being returned to rescue after seriously injuring, even killing, neighbourhood cats :(

Rescues have every right to be cautious, they don't want their rescue dogs causing injury, or killing, other pets/dogs in the home, they don't want members of the family nipped or bitten, they really don't want the dog returned to the rescue a few weeks down the line because the new adoptees decided it wasn't for them. Then they have an even more confused dog to deal with, now with an even longer list of behavioural challenges and likely even more restrictions needed.

Over the last month a local Husky has done a runner out of their garden with a 6ft fence, I've handed her over to the dog warden twice, other neighbours several more times. She's nearly caused accidents on the nearby busy roads. Security is important for dogs, some are very athletic and even a 6ft fence could be cleared/clambered over or bushes can be pushed through in pursuit of cats/squirrels etc.

Rescues have restrictions because they have to. They do their very best to match dogs with new owners, but that's not easy, especially when so many apply, potentially over 100 applications for popular dogs. Some will be arsey and entitled thinking "I've applied, now give me a dog". That's not how it works. Rescue workers are shouted and abused on a daily basis. And then they think they find a nice sane family, who return the dog a week later because they lied about their living arrangements just to get a dog :(

I’ve got a rescue that’s originally from abroad because I’d spent 2 years applying for dogs that could live with a cat... I did get mine from a U.K. rescue though, so all the normal checks and conditions applied. So it’s not that I couldn’t get a U.K. rescue, just that cat friendly ones are like hens teeth and they get hundreds of applications for them and I kept missing out, he was the first one that I was offered, lol.

I actually found it much easier to adopt dogs when I had young children and was living in a flat than with pretty much perfect circumstances but have a cat...

“Most the of the puppy development happens before 8 weeks- fact . A poorly breed dog even with the most experiened owneer will have "issues"”

The worst behavioural issues I’ve ever dealt with were with a dog I had from 8 weeks...

I rescued Bella who could have been placed with children and cats but I have neither (my dc are adults) She would have been completely fine with children and cats but I suspect as she is getting older (she was almost 9 now almost 12) she is happier in a home without children. I feel incredibly fortunate to have rescued a dog with no real issues once we'd worked on her socialising with other dogs.