rescue dogs and small children

I would worry as well. Not only about the children but about their cat. I also di not agree with caging dogs over night. Has she had home visits from the agency? Also there are so many dogs in this country that need homes. She could go to one of those and get to know a dog first

Oh janipans a grandma worries so much about everyone. My children were raised with dogs, they always had dogs & now they too have dogs. One son has 2 rescued dogs & a young family ... it is important for children to understand that dogs are not toys but are also part of the family. This is a puppy who will need training & love. A cage is a safe area for a dog to retreat ... it must not be seen as a punishment zone rather an area where the dog is completely safe. I only ever used a cage for a puppy to fit in & find safely their place in the family... sometimes this takes a longer time than others. Each dog is unique & deserving & your daughter must lead her children by example. Gosh sorry if this has turned to an essay. This wee pup will need time as will your family ... you may even fall in love with this new family member. I am of course assuming that all vet checks & health aspects are managed. How lovely to give a home to an animal in need.

While I'd applaud anyone rescuing / adopting a pet, I would exercise caution.
A lot of rescue's in the UK are hesitant to rehome to people with young children for the safety of ALL involved, human and animal....so many children are not taught about how to behave around dog's and likewise the dog might not be used to children.
I was brought up in a house full of German Shepherds (and escaped totally intact!.
Some rescues don't check out how the dog is with children / cats etc.
The documentation also needs checking carefully...vaccinations / travel.

I have a dog rescued from Romania, coming up to our third anniversary!
I specifically wanted a dog from the local area (Yorkshire) and after much research went to a small rescue centre near Rotherham. (HYPS, if anyone's interested). They often have a lot of Staffies and Sighthounds, it seems they're often the ones abandoned and ill treated. My choice was a small mutt, who wasn't super - cute or squishy or anything exciting ~ but mine from the moment we set eyes on each other.

I've been very lucky. Apart from eating a chromebook cable on Day 1, he hasn't put a paw wrong, and is very gentle.

The charity takes enormous care with their adoptions, and very often specifies that they won't rehome to families with very young children - just in case.

So I'd hope the charity your daughter's looking at is just as meticulous about assessing prospective families.

As to cages, provided they're a decent size for the dog, have comfy bedding and water in, they can be perfect for a dog for time-out time, especially for a dog coming from a traumatic past; to a dog it's not a prison, it's a sanctuary.

My daughter is a vet nurse and she wouldn’t advise getting a dog from abroad, firstly if it’s done correctly then it’s incredibly hard to get a dog come in from another country, if it’s easy to do then it’s not coming from the correct place, secondly most of these rescue dogs that have come from other countries have never lived in a home environment where there is lots going on, especially with children around and living in a cage is very different to living in a home. Thirdly, bringing dogs from other countries can introduce diseases that we do not have in this country or have limited means of treating. I would always advise getting a dog from a UK based rescues centre as they have often been checked for suitability with children.

A relation of mine had a rescue dog from abroad when her children were small and everything worked out well.

I hope it does in your case but can understand why you would be concerned.

My family have always had rescued dogs: the only time there was a huge problem was when daughter and family rescued a dog from Greece. The poor dog had been passed from pillar to post on her route to the UK, had never been inside a house, and had obviously been ill-treated by people, especially men as she was cowed and terrified the whole time. She had supposedly been checked out by the charity, but was totally unsafe with the then eight and ten-year old - even growled at son-in-law whenever he tried to feed her. Family were devastated - they had so much love to give, but this dog had obviously been very ill-treated, and after a few weeks they very reluctantly had to give her back as she could not be left with the children in the same room.

I cannot understand why people rescue dogs from abroad, when there are already plenty in shelters in this country waiting for forever homes

A crate is probably the safest option until the dogs, children and cats get used to each other. However, no dog, no matter how trustworthy, should be left alone with children. They can become very jealous.

Frankly, I think anyone with small children who gets a dog of any age or background needs to get their head examined! You would not have a wolf in the house with your kids, so why would you think it was safe to have a wolf’s descendant there? Dogs who are normally friendly can easily turn vicious, acting on their wolfy instincts. Older kids and adults can read the signs and modify their behaviour, little kids can’t. In my mind it’s a recipe for disaster, especially if you are dealing with an animal that might have been badly treated in its previous life!

Talk to your local vet. The practice will have known dogs & their owners for along time and some dogs are being euthanased e.g. because an old person has died / gone into a home and there is no one to take care of the dog. These dogs are often loving and would be perfect - house trained, responsive to commands, etc.

Please give it a try. You will probably have more faith in a vet than the shelter, good as they are, and these dogs will come with a health record.

Nothing wrong with crates. We have used this method for many many years, no problem whatsoever, children have to be told they are not to pull the dog about. As long as you research the type of dog and have boundaries in place, I’ve found a majority of the time it’s the owners that need more training than the dogs themselves, good luck and don’t panic as long as everyone is sensible it should go well, and arrives into a calm and not over excitable household

Can I say that if it is coming from overseas, the dog will have been thoroughly checked out by whichever shelter has it in its care for various things such a temperament , behaviour etc
They should also be fully aware of your DD home situation and she may well have had to have a home visit either online video or personal home visit before she was okayed to adopt.
All of the vets checks should be done before the dog leaves Macedonia. These will also include a rabies check along with any vaccinations the dog may need to get the pets passport.
It should be all above board and no different from adopting an animal from the UK.
If you are still worried. why don't you contact the shelter she is adopting from yourself and ask a few questions? There will be a base in the UK .

I have adopted my beautiful greyhounds from Spain for years, 6 in total . They have been a delight with children and grandchildren alike. This poor dog may very well prove the same.

Dogs are often sent from overseas as sadly charities cannot find enough locals interested in adopting and are underfunded and overflowing with abandoned and rescued animals. In some of these countries dogs are homeless and often treated appallingly. Injured street dogs are left to die or starve to death. I would therefore certainly consider adopting from overseas.

Too many dogs especially staffies are put to sleep or if you prefer killed every day in this country because they are not rehomed, not enough people willing to take them on, yet we import dogs from anywhere and everywhere to rehome, I just don't get it. Yes all dogs deserve a decent home but let the country producing them find them homes.

Just re-read your original post janipans and yes there were times when I would have happily put my children in a cage

Well dogs in this country have a much higher chance of being adopted than those in a poorer country so nothing wrong with adopting from somewhere else, a dog speaks dog language it doesn’t mind what person looks after it or what ethnicity they are
I don’t like crates at all but I do think children need training to leave the dog alone I think it’s equally important to train the children to know when to leave it alone to never tease or be rough
When my ex son in law brought home a staffy/husky mix
( local not from overseas) I was horrified and a bit worried for the children, but you could not get a more gentle dog
She really is a softy so as long as your daughter has done her homework and trains both children and dog and -never- leaves them alone hopefully all will be well

Crates for dogs are no different to a playpen for kids if used properly. Personally I wouldn't adopt a dog from overseas but that's me, we have more than enough dogs in this country looking for homes without importing them. That said your daughter needs to educate her children how to behave around any dog and that way they wont get maimed, puppies are just as capable of inflicting injuries if not more so. It sounds as if you have no faith in your daughter which is hardly fair.

We have a rescue JRX. We've had her about 6 years. An absolute joy.

When we have visiting grandchildren, initially I was very careful keeping them apart.

Time went by, Minnie is now the children's best buddy. She helps them in the swimming pool . Takes part in games. Alway happy to run and play ball with them. Sits on their knees at the end of the day.

Of course, not all dogs are the same but with time care and 100% no leaving dog with young children, all will helpfully end up will end up with a happy family and a much loved dog!

One of my friends has just had a bad experience with rehoming a dog from Turkey. The agency was very good but when the dog arrived it was very large - much bigger than she was led to believe and she could barely control it on a lead. Also it could jump very high up and over the fence. She quickly had it fostered and hopefully someone with a big garden and strong arms has adopted it. The dog was not at all vicious just too big for her.
Another couple in my area had a rescue dog from Europe which ran away and despite lots of people on the local forum trying to catch her, she was terrified and got killed by a car. Not the driver's fault. As long as your daughter has researched it and keeps the dog quiet for some time before introducing it to the children, they should be ok.
I also thought cages were safe places for dogs but might be wrong as I have always had cats.

Thank you one and all. I feel much better now! It really helps to rationalise a situation when you can benefit from the experiences of others on Gransnet. Under normal circumstances I would have been meeting up with groups of friends and getting feedbak that way, so thank goodness for Gransnet!
Will relegate this to the bottom of my worry list ... and try and get some sleep tonight!! Thank you!

You have to trust your daughter to take care of her children janipans I don't like crates much but in this instance it will be a safe place for the dog to retreat to away from the children. I don't think any rules will have been circumvented. Like Pollydolly I did wonder why your daughter didn't get a UK rescue dog.
Don't worry I have two rescue dogs at present and they are kind and gentle.

My last two fogs were rescue dogs and the loveliest dogs ever. Gentle and well behaved. One of my neighbours has recently acquired a Romanian rescue dog and she is so friendly and happy to see you. I would trust your daughter on this. As others have said, cages are a good thing for the dog to have a safe space from wee hands! Try not to worry.

Cages can be the dog's own private space, and very useful when getting a dog used to a new home.