Question about Rescue Dogs...

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Originally Posted by Rachel

One has only to read the bios of many of our Dogs of the Day to realize the blessings that come with adopted dogs. Some of the most amazing dogs have been adopted from shelters and it is my belief that they realize and appreciate the second chance at a loving home. At one point in his life, my Tucker was in a shelter and yes, he came with a bit of baggage but his loving ways gave us the patience to help him resolve what at first appeared to be a problem.

One needs to realize that buying a puppy from a breeder does not guarantee a good outcome. Many of the dogs who end up at shelters come from just such beginnings. People need to be aware of the time, effort, training involved in taking on the responsibility of a dog. They need to educate themselves the correct way to deal with problems as they come up. My first dog as an adult came from a reputable breeder. I was the one who was woefully ignorant about the breed and what constituted an appropriate level of exercise. It was not a good match.

With the resources now available due to the Internet and the library, and taking your time to chose the best type of dog for your family, you will certainly be able to find any number of possible choices at rescue organizations, shelters, etc.

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That was worded so beautifully :) And I completely agree with you.

Also wanted to add: Shelters exist to serve the community. Their last service is to knowingly adopt out an aggressive dog that cannot be worked with. If the dog has potential, the shelter will adopt the dog out to an experienced family. If not, the dog will most likely be PTS or given to an extremely experienced and dedicated family to fix its "problems".

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Originally Posted by Kfamr

Your mom sounds to be a very ignorant person on this subject.


Look at all of the rescue dogs on Pet Talk... do you think we are all mauled/bitten?

A majority of shelters will not adopt out an aggressive unpredictable dog.

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I agree with you, Kay. at the shelter where I volunteer we will not adopt an aggressive unpredictable dog. that being said, we have only came across a few, fortunately..and you never know what happened to them and they don't come there because it's their fault. I'd say it depends on the dog. You know, any dog can be unpredictable...your mom singling out rescue and shelter dogs and saying they are all unpredictable is pretty ignorant if you ask me.

Before ANY dog is put up for adoption they go through a series of test to make sure they are adoptable. Most are placed in a foster home where they are also monitored on things like behavior issues etc.

The shelter makes sure they aren't foos agressive, people agressive, animal agressive, child agressive, good manners, etc all to see how adoptable and what to say to people. They aren't just going to hand out a dog that they dont know how it's like. They couldnt be sending a dog home to a place that has children and the dog could have had a bad past with kids and be agressive towards them and if the dog bite the kid I'm sure there could be some financial issues with the shelter. That's why most shelters won't adopted out pit's they they have seized from fighting.

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Originally Posted by buttercup132

Before ANY dog is put up for adoption they go through a series of test to make sure they are adoptable. Most are placed in a foster home where they are also monitored on things like behavior issues etc.

The shelter makes sure they aren't foos agressive, people agressive, animal agressive, child agressive, good manners, etc all to see how adoptable and what to say to people. They aren't just going to hand out a dog that they dont know how it's like. They couldnt be sending a dog home to a place that has children and the dog could have had a bad past with kids and be agressive towards them and if the dog bite the kid I'm sure there could be some financial issues with the shelter. That's why most shelters won't adopted out pit's they they have seized from fighting.

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Not all shelters do this!!! You have to be very careful! our shelter did not do this when we adopted a dog, and my son has scars on his face now for the rest of his life from getting bit! as well as my nephew on him arm, from the same dog! You have to be very careful, and ask the shelter if they tempermant test teir dogs, before adopting them out!

critter crazy is right not all shelters go through that process. we do testing but unfortunately we don't have enough foster homes for dogs that need extra TLC...:( but we do work with them while we are there and that counts, too. :) we do everything we can for them. I can't wait for the day that I am able to foster. :)

*Clap* *Clap* Mz Logan unpacked her baggage less than a month after I rescued her from a shelter. Patience, retraining, observation and bundles of love. Best thing I ever did.

My SPCA is always full so they never test the dog's behavior. They have no time and not enough help. Dogs can suffer from neurological diseases, like humans, and that happened to a friends adopted Lab. The poor thing could not be helped or saved, but my unprofessional guess is that it's rare. Some poor souls may have been so traumatically abused too.

Excuse me for this comparison, but when a human baby is adopted, from unknown genetics, you have no idea how that child will turn out despite all the love in the world. It happened to a friend of mine.

I agree with Pam. I will never ever do anything but adopt from a shelter. I used to take Mz Klo to visit every month, but had to stop because I couldn't resist seeing the other poor sweethearts, and hearing them whine and bark broke my heart. Right now, I can't get a 2nd dog, but that may change. Logan and I are even. We saved each other and we both know it.

Even though our shelter does not guarrentee that the dogs adopted will not be aggressive- they do however keep them them for 5-7 days to determine if it is likely.
I have had several shelter dogs. The only thing I have seen in general with mine were lack of training, lack of love and understanding, and general socializing. I will say all 3 housebroken very fast- its like they really knew the difference from outside and inside. Also after training, love and a secure place to live, they became the most affectionate of any of the dogs.
I would suggest taking a trainer with you to the shelter if your mother is really concerned about it. Even that is a streach though. Shelters will even euthanize a dog suspected of aggression.

I think you should have your mom take you to a local shelter just to meet some of the dogs there to show her how sweet shelter/rescue dogs can be!

Not saying that all shelter dogs are angels, some have room for improvement {cough... cough...Buddy :o }
Both of mine are rescues and have their "issues" as ALL dogs have! You can buy a dog from a breeder and it may have "issues" that are the same!
My Sierra suffers from separation anxiety, that's easily handled by crating her if she's ever home alone, or in my case... just adopt another Dog to keep her company! :D Buddy is a shelter dog that many people would not have adopted and would have been put to sleep because he needed a lot of TLC when he was adopted. But they told me this and I knew what I was getting myself into. What I was getting myself into was getting the worlds greatest Body Guard that has a few quirks :o . But again...the shelter was up front and honest with me, and I knew his issues.
Please inform your mom about the wonderful homeless dogs that are living their lives in shelters and that are just waiting for a loving family to save them. It's the most rewarding thing in the world!

Like the saying goes.... Why buy when shelter dogs die. :(

It not only depends on the dog, but also, many dogs will be VERY different at the shelter than when you take them home. I remember Jenny was very timid at the pound, she didn't eat anything, she was pretty much a different dog.

Many wonderful dogs are rescues, actually, I think (JMO :p ) rescue dogs are actually better in personality than non-rescues.

Some will bite, but it would be irresponsible for the shelter not to tell you so before you adopt.

IMO, what you mom says is not true. ( :p I'm not making much sense, am I? ) some dogs will bite. Some rescue dogs will bite. But ALL dogs will bite if they are not pleased with their circumstances. You could get a dog from a breeder that would react to storms the same way a rescue would.