There are no rescue dogs out there

[steppemum]

so, steppedog is ill (although he may have months yet) and yesterday dd asked if we would get another dog. Dh and I were stumped. We had never intended to get this one , and I really didn't know the answer (apart form the fact he is still here and I am not ready to say goodbye yet)

So in an idle moment yesterday, out of curiosity I started looked at local rescue dogs. I got dragged into a rabbit hole of all dogs available at the moment in UK, because I was so struck my what I was seeing.

We got steppedog from a local rescue. We were fostering for them, we fostered 3-4 lovely dogs, all suitable for families, albeit with their own needs (eg one was a 1 year old great dane with zero training. She was lovely, gentle, nice dog, but a bouncy great dane is a handful, so anyone taking her on need space and to be prepared to do lots of training) Steppedog was our next foster, and we kept him.

For all the rescue dogs out there now though, the profile looks a bit like this:

Doggie is lovely, he needs a home which is:

1. adult only
2. rural/semi rural as he is nervous of noise
3. only pet in the house
4. house with few visitors and no visiting children.
5. needs someone home all day

then there will be one or two of the following:
he cannot be walked near other dogs; needs to always be on lead; wears a muzzle; resource guards; has seperation anxiety; expensive medical needs.

Now, this is a slight exaggeration, but for every single rescue, if you filter for teenage kids (ie not adult only) and for can live with a cat, the results are zero.

I just think that they are looking for rainbows. How many rural houses with only adults and no other pets, and someone home all day actually exist? They must be very few and far between.

The only dogs who look vaguely possible, are in English run shelters in Bulgaria, you agree to adopt and then they ship them over. I wouldn't touch those with a barge pole.

Is this a result of lockdown?
I was under the impression that lots of lockdown puppies were being rehomed, but no evidence of them in the rescues.
Are they just unrealistic about rehoming these dogs?

be interested to know what others think

[quote Wrongkindofovercoat]Have you looked on Dogsblog ? I apologise in advance for the hour of your life you will spend looking at all the lovely dogs needing homes

What about the delightful Squid ?

www.dogsblog.com/squid-2/[/quote]
squid is indeed a LOVELY sounding dog.
But as a lurcher cross, I wonder if he is OK with cats?

But as I said, we are not in the market just yet, thankfully!

I'm so glad he's on the mend! Brilliant news

I'm so happy for you at SteppeDog! What brilliant news, and hopefully he will chug along happily for a long time yet

Brilliant news for you and Steppedog! May he have a good long time with you yet.

Awww, Squid though……”initially quite bewildered”. Tbf, I suspect that may be his default expression

@Saucery

Awww, Squid though……”initially quite bewildered”. Tbf, I suspect that may be his default expression

I was tempted to ask dh if we could have 2 dogs.....

Oh, that's fab news, @steppemum - let's hope he keeps well for the foreseeable.

That's great news about Steppedog

Fabulous news!

Great news.

OP, I do recognise that impossible list...

We are on our 5th fab dog from the Dogs Trust, so am grateful for that, but sometimes when I trawl their site it seems to me that they are putting excessive obstacles in the way of rehoming dogs.

I once saw an elderly dog which could not use stairs as it was old and frail, but required the standard 5ft fence.....

Many many dog which cannot have anyone visiting, can't live anywhere but rurally etc etc.

Where is the possibility for the dog and carer to grow together, to learn, to adapt? It's as if they have no hope that the dogs can change at all, and therefore doom them to staying at the Dogs Trust forever - you only have to look for example at the Glasgow pages to see the same dogs there for months on end - and this was pre-pandemic.

And at another extreme, I once went to inquire about a lovely old (ancient in fact) dog. The blurb said he had a few health issues. When I sat down with them to discuss, it turned out the dog was dying of kidney disease, only had a very short time left, and was living with foster carers. But they were trying to rehome him?? I was in floods of tears and they brought a manager out to say that the dog should not have been up for rehoming. So they don't get it right every time - of course not. That's life. But the person wanting a dog must meet strict criteria with absolutely no negotiation.

I don't know what we will do when we next want to adopt a dog.

Where is the possibility for the dog and carer to grow together, to learn, to adapt? It's as if they have no hope that the dogs can change at all

absolutely!
Someone I see dog walking has a rescue dog. She started off on an orange lead with NERVOUS on it. She was very scared of everything. We all gave them space and gradually the dog grew in confidence. Nowadays she is off lead and happy to interact with other dogs, and a totally different character.

Great news about Steppedog!

If anyone is willing to have a pair of small dogs, these two are good with sensible kids, dogs and cats but haven't had a single application! www.facebook.com/559096747498499/posts/6644277975646982/

We were rejected for lots of rescues

2 adults, 2 teens, one very friendly calm older rescue dog already in situ, large fenced garden, dogs never left for more than 3 hrs (I work pms only, and DH home by 3:30)

Ideal

Right?

But no, we were rejected from adopting lurchers (our preferred dog type, and many in rescue) over and over

So we got a pup instead

A lurcher pup, the type often found and unwanted in rescues