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Original poster

Mad to rescue a 5 month old pup from Romania?

147 replies

Almostalwayshappy · 05/08/2025 12:09

Has anyone rescued a not-very-young puppy - she's just turned five months? She's in a private shelter in Romania, due to travel later in August. The rescue is reputable and offers back-up with many success stories. We have done our research and been weighing up the decision for two years. We adopted our last rescue, a lab collie x at about the same age and had him PTS just before his 16th birthday. He was a joy, but we feel we got lucky with him. We have a five-year-old rescue cat who is very bonded to me and I know she won't be happy initially. She hadn't lived with a dog before. We'll be crating (not as a punishment) and will have a puppy run and use Feliway for the cat. Both my husband and I mainly work from home and we have good back-up. My main concern is that the puppy will have ingrained behaviours already and that we will have missed vital windows in terms of behaviour and training. Is that the case or am I just scaring myself? So this thread doesn't get derailed...we have done lots of research about rescuing from abroad and also on crate training (which wasn't successful with our last rescue!). Many thanks in advice for any advice you can give me or your experiences, positive and negative about welcoming a dog of this age into your home...

OP posts:
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OnlyHerefortheBiscuits · 05/08/2025 19:22

Also Lacey a spaniel lurcher cross

ok to live with cats also like the others

OnlyHerefortheBiscuits · 05/08/2025 19:29

Ong now I want to adopt all those spaniels 😭😭❤️

Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 05/08/2025 19:50

I wasn’t going to post again, but wanted to say thanks again for so many honest and constructive responses. To the owners who have persevered with dogs in difficult circumstances -hats off to you. I’ve been there and it can be tough. To the posters who ask why anyone would consider a dog from abroad when the UK rescues are ‘overflowing’ with dogs with no behavioural issues…that isn’t my experience (nor that of some other posters here). Finding a healthy rescue who is ok with children, cats, other dogs, doesn’t have SA and travels well is incredibly difficult. Many rescues ask for a resident dog or rehome only in specific areas. I admire anyone who has the confidence, experience and desire to take on an animal with issues, but that is not what I want/am able to do. I’ll keep looking (I am signed up to websites, stay in contact with rescues and our vet and look at websites almost daily) and hopefully come back to post some good news soon.

OP posts:
Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 05/08/2025 19:53

OnlyHerefortheBiscuits · 05/08/2025 19:20

Edited

Thank you for these…two have SA and the other needs a resident dog…

OP posts:
Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 05/08/2025 19:57

OnlyHerefortheBiscuits · 05/08/2025 19:22

Also Lacey a spaniel lurcher cross

ok to live with cats also like the others

This one also needs a resident dog. Not being negative amd I’m grateful you took the time respond, but it does rather demonstrate the point I made in my last point…it’s not as easy as some people think to find a suitable dog…

OP posts:
Original poster
Almostalwayshappy · 05/08/2025 20:42

Also to respond about getting a puppy from a breeder. That’s what most of my friends have done and I am fully supportive, but I grew up with rescues and have always had rescues myself - dogs, cats, small furries. It’s a personal choice to try and give a rescue animal a home.

OP posts:
Thecatspjymas · 05/08/2025 20:48

We rescued our dog from overseas 2 years ago, he was 4 months old. He is absolutely fantastic. He is calm, cautious and protective of our family. The vets have commented that his temperament is possibly due to not being ‘hyped up’ by new owners in his early months and becoming hyperactive.

I think everyone on this thread would agree that ‘reputable breeders’ are few are far between anyway

Blanketenvy · 05/08/2025 21:27

hereismydog · 05/08/2025 15:59

I got my dog at 5 months in similar circumstances.

He’s now six years old and we are still working through behavioural issues. He is fearful and suspicious of so many things that it is quite difficult to manage his triggers and maintain some kind of normal life. I openly admit that life would often be easier without him, but I chose to adopt him (and admittedly probably didn’t do enough research beforehand) and I owe it to him to stick to my commitment because he really is a lovely l, affectionate boy when you break through his fear barrier.

I do love him despite his flaws and will keep him with me for the rest of his life, but never again would I adopt a ex-street dog from abroad.

Same. Mine was around a year old and I've had him for a year now, I absolutely love him and am totally committed for life but I 100% wouldn't do it again or recommend it.

VanGoSunflowers · 06/08/2025 09:18

I see you’ve decided against this OP and I think that’s wise.
Just wanted to add another story for anyone else who made read this thread.

I know someone who adopted a Romanian rescue. She was incredibly hard work for years. Very reactive to people she didn’t know - although loved other dogs mostly. She was extremely vocal, would bark at nearly everyone and she was absolutely terrified of the car. I mean shaking, vomiting, foaming at the mouth. There was nothing that could be done to settle her. With people she knew, she was a lovely little dog but the issues she came with were very restrictive.

StopitnTidyup · 06/08/2025 09:26

God no. These dogs have no back up if it goes wrong. Nobody will want it. You will be stuck with a dog that might be vicious, can't be left alone due to trauma. Just happened to me. The vet said the dogs are generally happy living in packs and get carted off to UK to be 'saved' and often have behavioural issues. Was an utter nightmare. Never again. This is a huge terrible problem with these people sending dogs over. Go to the dogs trust who assess and match the dogs appropriately

Sadcafe · 06/08/2025 09:28

Why, there are numerous dogs in UK rescue centres which don’t carry the potential health risks to themselves and other animals, get one of them

StarDolphins · 06/08/2025 09:29

There’s 3 Romanian rescue dogs near me and 1 from Bosnia & without exception, they’re all absolutely lovely, happy laid back dogs! I would definitely do this.

NewsdeskJC · 06/08/2025 09:46

Well we tried for years for a dog adoption. If id known then what i know now, id just have got a puppy.

Kuretake · 06/08/2025 09:52

Sadcafe · 06/08/2025 09:28

Why, there are numerous dogs in UK rescue centres which don’t carry the potential health risks to themselves and other animals, get one of them

Have you ever tried to get one?

TheGoddessFrigg · 06/08/2025 09:54

Honestly I would have no issue with a rescue cat- but when it comes to dog I'd either buy a puppy or go on that site that sells ex breeding/ pedigree animals. And I could NEVER agree to an animal that I had never even met!

Sadcafe · 06/08/2025 09:56

Kuretake · 06/08/2025 09:52

Have you ever tried to get one?

Show quote history

Had three over the years, yes you have to jump through hoops but that benefits you and the dog in the long run, I’d rather that than a dog that’s easy to get but comes with something like rabies

Ginnygi · 06/08/2025 09:56

Figcherry · 05/08/2025 12:59

My dsis rescued a cat friendly dog from the Ukraine.
2 days later it killed her cat.

Oh my goodness..

Newpeep · 06/08/2025 09:59

If you can cope with a dog who can’t leave the house but also can’t be left alone, can’t go on walks or cope with human or canine interaction for many months if not ever and is really not a functional dog as we know it then go ahead. That is the reality of a lot I know even in experienced hands. Some are ok but most aren’t.

It depends a lot on breeds and early experience, whether they’re from generations of street dogs etc. Something you’ll never know.

Ginnygi · 06/08/2025 10:01

But to answer the question, I'd adopt locally.

Newpeep · 06/08/2025 10:01

OP we’d always rescued. No kids. One cat. I’m a dog trainer. We tried for two years before giving up and buying as responsibly as we could. I don’t regret it. I’d love to rescue again but I’d buy again too if I had to.

lonelyplanet13 · 06/08/2025 10:10

Our Dog is from Bosnia . We’ve had her for ten years . She was brought over as part of a litter that was picked up on the streets . Her rescuer kept mine but she didn’t mix well with her other dogs so she gave her to dogs trust . She was passed from pillar to post as she kept being returned. For the first 12-18 months she was scared of being returned I think so soiled daily in the house and ripped up various shoes and a good twenty tv remotes !
On the other hand she is an absolute joy , great with the children . But she missed all of her development phase so has no concept of how to play with toys etc , she plays well with other dogs . Her experiences have left her petrified of vets , loud noises , the wind 🙈 and men with accents , but I wouldn’t change her for the world . She’s quirky and bloody stubborn ! She spends her days just chilling on the sofa now xx

Kuretake · 06/08/2025 10:11

Sadcafe · 06/08/2025 09:56

Had three over the years, yes you have to jump through hoops but that benefits you and the dog in the long run, I’d rather that than a dog that’s easy to get but comes with something like rabies

Edited
Show quote history

Can you tell me what shelter you used? I can't even get a acknowledgement! Maybe I'm unlucky.

LandSharksAnonymous · 06/08/2025 10:16

@Kuretake lots of people have very narrow criteria and the dogs they do want are incredibly popular and therefore, even though they think they're a great fit, they're not the best fit for that dog.

I am very closely involved in my local Goldie breed club which, sadly, means I see a lot come up for rehoming and I do sometimes help with applications for adoptions, and being honest some of the applications are terrible and it's clear people have no idea what they're getting into (not saying this is the case for you).

But we also get lots of very good applications, all of which could give the dog a good home. One of our recent Goldies had no behavioural issues, could live with kids, cats, dogs, fantastic recall etc. She had 60 applications in a week. About 40 of them would have been a 'good home.' But we placed her with a newly retired couple, with young adult children, who would be with her all day. We had few frustrated emails afterwards tbh, and the fact is yes lots of those families could have offered her a good home. But she went to the best home.

DMum adopted from Spaniel Aid. She enquired and heard back the same week. But she was open to taking a dog that basically no one else would have.

Middlechild3 · 06/08/2025 10:21

Almostalwayshappy · 05/08/2025 12:09

Has anyone rescued a not-very-young puppy - she's just turned five months? She's in a private shelter in Romania, due to travel later in August. The rescue is reputable and offers back-up with many success stories. We have done our research and been weighing up the decision for two years. We adopted our last rescue, a lab collie x at about the same age and had him PTS just before his 16th birthday. He was a joy, but we feel we got lucky with him. We have a five-year-old rescue cat who is very bonded to me and I know she won't be happy initially. She hadn't lived with a dog before. We'll be crating (not as a punishment) and will have a puppy run and use Feliway for the cat. Both my husband and I mainly work from home and we have good back-up. My main concern is that the puppy will have ingrained behaviours already and that we will have missed vital windows in terms of behaviour and training. Is that the case or am I just scaring myself? So this thread doesn't get derailed...we have done lots of research about rescuing from abroad and also on crate training (which wasn't successful with our last rescue!). Many thanks in advice for any advice you can give me or your experiences, positive and negative about welcoming a dog of this age into your home...

There are many dogs in UK charities seeking homes, look there.