should i rehome a rescue dog?

[kent scotty 0]

there is a dog on ll at the moment very like the one you were looking at! have you looked at the sight?

 

give a rescue a go you may most will still do a bit maybe not 400 rabbits a night every night but how many people really go out that much a a week?

you should get a fair idea of the dog once you meet it surely?

 

 

scotty

[Scallywag 78]

Good luck in your search hyperion. For what it's worth, for the first time (so far) I disagree with skycat's post. I think you have to look really deeply at rescue dogs. They're often stressed, exhausted, malnourished and may well have been badly treated. They often look like shit and are unresponsive. You need to look for potential and some gut reaction to the dog and trust your own judgement, plus establish just how much work you're willing to put in. I've got two rescue lurchers, both (I think!) fantastic dogs, both very good workers. They took about four months to get physically fit and several more to get ready for work - not just training but letting them settle and learn to trust and respect me. I learned more than I can say from the experience of bringing them on and now have two dogs I'm delighted with (even though one is a bit of a b*****d). No doubt some rescue dogs can hit the ground running but many more won't show just how good they are straight away and it can take a good eye to spot the potential

[Guest hyperion]

there is a dog on ll at the moment very like the one you were looking at! have you looked at the sight?

 

give a rescue a go you may most will still do a bit maybe not 400 rabbits a night every night but how many people really go out that much a a week?

you should get a fair idea of the dog once you meet it surely?

 

 

scotty

bloody hell id be happy with four!!

[Guest hyperion]

Good luck in your search hyperion. For what it's worth, for the first time (so far) I disagree with skycat's post. I think you have to look really deeply at rescue dogs. They're often stressed, exhausted, malnourished and may well have been badly treated. They often look like shit and are unresponsive. You need to look for potential and some gut reaction to the dog and trust your own judgement, plus establish just how much work you're willing to put in. I've got two rescue lurchers, both (I think!) fantastic dogs, both very good workers. They took about four months to get physically fit and several more to get ready for work - not just training but letting them settle and learn to trust and respect me. I learned more than I can say from the experience of bringing them on and now have two dogs I'm delighted with (even though one is a bit of a b*****d). No doubt some rescue dogs can hit the ground running but many more won't show just how good they are straight away and it can take a good eye to spot the potential

skycat may have come up with a cunning plan! wont say more as it may not pan out, but hes a nice looking dog youve got there skycat!

any way im going to phone LL today for a chat and to try and sort out a home check!

[skycat 6,174]

Scallywag: Yes, I agree with you, but I should have said that I was talking about dogs that were in foster homes, rather than actually being in a shelter. Many years ago I worked in such a place, and yes, the lurchers/sighthounds seem to suffer far more than some other breeds.

Having said that, GOOD rescue places do put the time into individual dogs, playing with them etc, and the really good ones, like The Dog Trust, don't even try and rehome the dogs until they have sorted out the problems that are visible in a kennel environment.

I have a friend who works there as a 'behaviourist', and they really do put a huge amount of work into the dogs before they even consider rehoming them.

 

Obviously not all kennels are the same, and whilst I've had some good rescue dogs from such situations, like you say, you never know quite what your'e getting until you've had the animal at home for a few months.

 

This is one of the things about Lurcherlink: their dogs are out in foster homes so when a prospective adopter comes along they really do know how the dogs are in a normal, non rescue centre environment.

[lurcherlass 5]

Ah! I wonder if this is the same cunning plan as I thought of last night

[Guest hyperion]

who knows?! i aint saying a word!

ps sorry should have called LL today but i didnt have much more than ten mins for lunch!

Edited August 26, 2008 by hyperion

[lurcherlass 5]

Best ringing me about tea time anyway as I'm out with the dogs late mornings - lunch

[Guest hyperion]

Best ringing me about tea time anyway as I'm out with the dogs late mornings - lunch

dont have your number lurcherlass! was going to call kelli but would it be better to speak to you? or no differance??

[Kay 3,709]

Best thing i ever did was take on this track greyhound, i am learning so much from her, she is gentle, beautifully behaved & best off all my friend, go for it i say

 

I have never looked back & wish i had done it sooner, i will look into taking another suitable bitch on in the next 12 months