Rescue dog - Is it a good idea?

[Kindnessdosnthurt]

We are thinking of getting a rescue dog, something small / medium size like for example pug.
However after reading posts on here I'm not sure it's putting me off as people saying thier rescue dogs have started off well and then are now biting and becoming aggressive.
I know any dog could potentially bite but I'm wondering if it's more so in rescues because of their troubled past?
We have three children (youngest is 4 years, but some rescues I looked at doesn't have a minimum age in policy) so of course I need to think about them.
I'm assuming a rescue really wouldn't place a dog with you if they thought it wouldn't be okay but they could get it wrong? I would never leave a child with a dog in any situation but perhaps I'm looking for positive stories? People with experiences. It's a big commitment so want to get sure we have no regrets later on.
We would be doing to training lessons even if they dog was trained, I don't know if that would help.

I wouldn't get a rescue dog with a 4 year old because I don't think it is fair on either of them. Whilst the rescue will tell you if a dog has bitten or is unfriendly to children they can only see what has happened at the rescue and in a lot of case don't know what happened before and can have no idea what might trigger the dog.

A lot of dog rescue centres won't re-home a dog with a young child in any case.

We've had a few rescues and none of them have been aggressive. They have all been lovely dogs.

Thanks for the replies, I have asked the rescues and they have said they can place a dog with a 4+ if the right dog does come along. They said it's rare but does happen.

Or do I wait untill he is in primary school in September?

To be fair, if you got a rescue dog and lived happily ever after, you are much less likely to need to post on here.

You want a good news story? My friend just took on a youngish cocker who had been used for breeding, before finding herself with the charity. That dog is an absolute dream of a dog. Funny, curious, clever, affectionate, calm, gentle - only been with them a few months and they take her all over the country. Never any trouble at all.

Some small issues with looking unhappy ("whale eye") if you try to take her toys off her. So they don't and are working on swapsies instead with lower value items. All going well.

Further good news? Hands down, the very best temperamented (and healthiest) dog I ever had was a little Heinz 57 rehomed to me as a puppy. That dog was 100% bomb proof - and I've never met another dog I would say quite the same about. Even my current dog who I adore, but he has his limits.

If it's a rescue how can a reputable place assure you a 4 yo is safe?. A 4 yo isn't far from an excitable toddler... Is that fair on a ddog that hasn't had a great start?
Imo rescue ddogs are for secondary school age dc and adults...

@Kindnessdosnthurt , the dogs are available for a reason. They'll be lockdown puppies that haven't been trained.

Do your research on breeds, and you'll find that french bulldogs and pugs probably mean lots of trips to the vet.

Yes I did some quotes on a french bulldog, very expensive

That's a fair comment

I have always had rescue dogs (one at a time) over the last 20 odd years - none of them have ever shown aggression .

They have their quirks and weaknesses so taking one on is a learning curve but they are often the 'best dogs' as they appreciate the love and attention they get (which they may not have previously experienced. )

Many of them are in rescue not because they are prone to aggression etc but their owner may have died or become unable to care for them.

I would not home a rescue dog however with a small child as others have said. The rule that rescues apply re under 12 children are there for a reason.

Go on Borrow my doggy first.

I would not advise a rescue with a young child.

Some rescue places lie about suitability.

I've met another badly placed dog earlier today. A big, young and boisterous Border Collie with and elderly couple. Both have hunched backs and go out for a walk every day but the dog is far too much for them. As a result they won't let him off the lead and he is going insane from lack of exercise.

I can't have him as I have a lot of dogs already and he is going to need a lot of time and effort spent on him.

They wanted an elderly Bichon or similar but were manipulated in taking the Border Collie 'otherwise it would be PTS'! 😡

It depends on the rescue! I adopted my dog just before Christmas and she is the most amazing creature - she's 18 months old, chipped early on, clearly been loved, house trained, lead trained, has excellent recall, is lovely with all humans however big or small and I couldn't have been more lucky. I have no history and can only assume that either her energy (lab x lurcher) or sudden illness/other catastrophy meant her original owners could no longer look after her properly.

On the other hand, my parents adopted a GSD 6 months ago but discovered very quickly that the dog was terrified of cars and it hasn't left the farm in 6 months. Its totally unsocialised with either other dogs or non family humans and would be considered a nightmare rehoming if anyone other than two septuagenarians were in the house.

I didn’t ‘qualify’ for a rescue dog because I have a cat and young (all aged 5+) grandchildren who visit regularly. So, I went for a puppy and despite the hard work at the beginning she is delightful.
We had a rescue dog when my DS was 5, but unfortunately he was aggressive towards people and other dogs and bit DS, so had to be PTS on the advice of the vet. I think rescue centres are much more careful in rehoming these days which is all to the good.

Surely they would only match you with a puppy? In which case I wouldn't worry about trauma too much (but of course puppies will nip and bite!) My local rescue center has litters in quite frequently, but say 6+ for kids.

people saying thier rescue dogs have started off well and then are now biting and becoming aggressive.

Those people are then responsible for the aggression and are bad dog owners in need of training themselves. No dog suddenly reveals anxious behaviour long after being rehomed- the rehoming is a very anxious process itself.

PLEASE rescue, do not buy a dog. Hundreds of dogs are PTS because they're essentially unwanted. Breeding new dogs is madness.

A good rescue centre will know the dogs' temperament very well and whether they are suitable for homes with children. I've worked in several shelters and there are so many incredible dogs of all ages and breeds and personalities desperate for a warm and loving home. Both in the UK and overseas. Their incentive is to find a good, happy and permanent home; a breeders' incentive is just to sell. So you can generally trust a good rescue/shelter to match you with the right dog.

The main thing I'd be considering if I were you is if you're up for the commitment, which is huge, and what temperament/breed you want. Don't go for looks alone - frenchies for example can come with big vet bills. Breeds have different health and personality traits. Mutts and mixed breeds are often healthy dogs as not overbred. Lots to think about! But please adopt don't shop!

And yes, puppies can be very, very hard work. Novelty wears off for many people after a week or so. They often do "mouthing" and have sharp teeth which can be difficult with young children and babies (let alone adults!). Then the chewing everything, scratching, toilet training, etc... with young children I'd go for an adult rescue dog where the carers already know the temperament very well.

@m00ngirl - spot on!

I always advise people not to get a dog if they have a young child anywhere between toddler and about six-seven (dog ownership before a child is different).

Young children do not know how to handle dogs if they have not grown up with them. You will not be able to watch your child every single day to stop them winding the dog up and locking a dog in one room is not a solution to that. It takes 5 seconds for a friendly dog to snap because they’ve been pulled to hard, or been hurt. And this is any dog breed (my retriever has done it before after a child grabbed his ears in a cafe).

But a rescue dog? Terrible idea.

Half the people who hand their dogs over lie about the dogs history (bite/aggression) etc and it’s not unusual for rescues to withhold the truth either. Rescues require far more attention than most other dogs, they are often traumatised because kennels are shit.

I meant research on temperament and health issues.
A cross-breed (e.g. cockerpoo) will have 2 sets of potential issues, one for reach breed. A mongrel won't necessarily be healthier, it depends on the mix.

The 'squashed nose' type dogs carry a high risk of health issues. The lockdown puppy is likely to have been bought for it looks, probably on impulse, and may have been farmed from dogs that shouldn't have been bred from.

'Rescue' dogs often have not been socialised. 2 couples I know got a new dog at the same time. One bought a poodle-cross from a reputable breeder. The other got a fairly large 'rescue' dog. There is quite a difference - the puppy is bright and trained easily, the 'rescue' has needed a lot of help and still isn't fully socialised.

Not all dogs up for rehoming are going to be maltreated or neglected. Some will be delightful.

If you get a puppy, they will need training. They tend to chew everything and can be nippy.

I've had 2 amiable rescues. Not without issues but good around children.
My first one I had before having a baby, so child grew up around the dog and it was fine.
However - rescues because of their background, are likely to have issues that will need your time and attention. Can you say you really would have time plus three children?
It does depend on the dog and the child but I would say 4 is a bit young too.

No, I wouldn't do it! I have owned dogs for 17 years and I now have young children. The problem with a rescue is that you won't know its full background. Has it been fully socialised or neglected? Has it ever bitten? Has it been through several owners? Any dog can become a dangerous animal in the blink of an eye. We had a rescue, an adorable dog that we thought was half-malamute but later realised was a Sarloos. She was hugely protective and territorial, very loving, but she could sometimes snap when she was uncomfortable. It wasn't always possible to predict when she was not in a good mood. When my son came along, I was forever on edge when they were both in the kitchen. She didn't ever bite, but I couldn't fully trust that she wouldn't, nor trust that my crawling baby wouldn't end up too close to her on a bad day. I put the baby in a child pen and was hyper vigilant, and the dogs were banned from everywhere except for our large kitchen from the moment he was born. I put up child gates to stop the dogs rather than the children! She died when my son was around 18 months, I was immensely sad to lose her but tbh it was a relief when it came to my child. Now I will only ever consider a dog from a breeder until the kids have left home. I can then research the parents, meet them, check their temperament, check they are being properly socialised by the breeder and then do all the puppy training myself. There is still no guarantee though and to their temperament. I still train my dogs regularly, and they are now mature dogs. I have very gentle giant breed dogs, but because of their size it's important that they listen to me! We have kept the gates in place, and the dogs are now only allowed through to the living room if my husband or I are present. The gates are also very useful if you have a child visitor who is afraid of dogs! If its your first dog, even buying from a breeder, look at what the dog was bred for. This will give you the best idea of its temperament and character.

look at what the dog was bred for
as in what it originally bred for e.g. retrieving birds that have been shot, rounding up sheep, hunting/sniffing out badgers or foxes, ratting etc.
That will give you the basic breed temperament.
e.g. a dalmatian was bred to run alongside a carriage do will need a lot of exercise

What the breed looks like will give an idea of any potential health issues - short legs and long body will probably mean potential spine issues, narrow, dropped hips mean potential hip issues, large eyes..., small snout..
Certain breeds are prone to deafness etc

Our family has always had rescue dogs mainly getting them as older pups . Our current dog is a 13 yr old patterdale x that came from Battersea at about 20 weeks and had obviously never been in a house . We couldn’t have asked for a better family pet , he loves everybody and is an absolute joy . What I would say is do not get a dog from an overseas rescue as there are sometimes problems getting help / giving them back if it goes tits up .

I'm a dog walker and none of the rescue dogs I walk have issues with children or aggression. Many have no issues whatsoever, some have minor issues like lead-pulling or counter-surfing, and one or two have some problematic behaviour towards other dogs.

Dogs end up in rescue for all sorts of reasons - not just because they've bitten or are dangerous or are unsuitable around small children.

If you go to a reputable rescue and are prepared to wait for the right dog, then I don't see any issue with a rescue dog in a family home. However, I would wait until your youngest is school age as a) it will give you more choice and b) it will make things much easier.

It's impossible for a rescue centre to give anything other than a broad assessment of any dog they have in their care. Some rescues are fostered and whilst the information the fosters give is hugely important, unless your home circumstances are identical, it's just an indication of the dog's character.

Any dog in kennels isn't going to show it's true personality and behaviour traits.

It can be incredibly rewarding giving a rescue dog a home but it can also be stressful and hard work. It can take several months for a dog to decompress and you may never discover all of its triggers. The younger the better generally but please trust that there are very good reasons why rescues are reluctant to rehome when there are young children in the house. The chance of a bite or attack might be low but the consequences can be life changing or life ending. Putting preventative measures in place might work but these need to be maintained consistently by every household member and that's just to much to put on a young child or stressed dog, in my opinion.