rescue dogs and small children

The problem I worry about is the dog itself could be healthy and non-aggressive, but if it has experienced anything traumatic in its life that you may not know about, and a small child grabs it or makes a sudden movement or noise that scares it, that's when there could be an accident. I'd not want to take a dog of unknown background until all the children are school age or above.

I agree about placing a rescue dog with young children. We had a rescue terrier cross when our 4 were 6-12. She had a lovely life.
I've been watching a very interesting series on BBC1 called 12 Puppies and Us.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000pbg3/12-puppies-and-us
Covers most potential problems. One is a rescue dog , but they were lucky , she has a nice nature.

We rescued two dogs from Battersea, one before our first child arrived and one when both children were 6 and 8, when the first dog died. They gave us such joy, the children loved them and the dogs were thoroughly checked for suitability, as were we!

Crates are a great tool for dogs. If introduced properly in short bursts they do indeed, as others have said, become a safe place.. Crate should never be used as a punishment or "Naughty step" I was a fosterer for a local dog rescue and I must admit we never placed dogs with families who had very young children.
This could have been because a lot of dogs that had been given up to the rescue were from families who were finding it hard to cope with dog and small children.

I would not home a rescued dog with small children. There is no way of knowing whether its past experiences, with children or indeed any situation at all, have been positive or negative ones, there is no way of knowing what, if anything, is its trigger point. I would only ever have a puppy, reared in a home and loved by a breeder I either know, or know of through other happy owners, where I can be absolutely certain that when that pup comes to me at 8 weeks old, all its experiences since birth have been wholly positive.

And I would not home any dog with a two year old child, who is far too young to respect the dog, and to understand the potential for a split-second reaction to be catastrophic. Let the child grow up and learn how it needs to behave around dogs, and maybe fewer dogs would end up being rehomed when their unacceptable behaviour was triggered by the unacceptable behaviour of the child it was expected to tolerate.

Im going to agree with you.
Unless she has an infinite amount of time to train this dog she should rethink.
My friend (with teenagers) has taken on a foreign rescue. It is very bitey. Unfortunately she hasn't had enough time to train it/take it to training. I would not have this dog around small children!
It seems very easy to get a foreign rescue, there is a reason uk rescue homes do such checks.

I’ve been checking out UK dog rescue sites since losing my boy couple of years ago. Battersea for example says they have very few there as lockdown prompted lots of adoptions. Which is good, as long as they work out.
Do hope it works out for your family. And the dog!

Caro57, your DH is a responsible breeder. The breeder our puppy came from was happy for us to bring the pup home last week because (sadly) our grandchildren won't be here over the exciting Christmas period. They would have kept our pup until January had the house been busy with lots of visitors and children. Good breeders.

The charity I volunteer for places large dogs, it will not place in families with children under 8, or where there is not a safe, enclosed garden. I'm a member of facebook groups for specific breeds. It isn't uncommon to see posts from people who say they will rescue from abroad because our own shelters won't place with people who have children under 5, or where the dog will be left all day because the adults work. These people seem to think the dog shelter staff know nothing about dogs.....

I can understand your concerns. I have a UK rescue dog who was badly treated for 2 years before I got him. His only issue is separation anxiety.

Two friends have taken on dogs from Romania and both have been wonderfully friendly and easy going. That's not to say all imported dogs will be like that, but it indicates that success is possible.

Some dogs actually love crates because that becomes their secure base.

A good, kind understanding trainer may be the answer. Someone who really knows dogs especially the rescue king.

DH breeds Spaniels, primarily focusing on getting excellent temperament - he will not entertain homing any pup to a house with children under 5 - because little children don’t understand canine behaviour and it’s not fair on either dog or child

Thank God there are those of us on here who are willing to rescue from abroad, yes we have dogs for re homing here but once you see the appalling cruelty with which many dogs are treated in some countries there is no question of not helping them.

My nephew has a rescue dog from Romania.She is lovely and gentle,but at first was scared of him.She is brilliant with their children.Before they had her she had every test imaginable had all the injections necessary and arrived with her pet passport,try not to worry too much.I know that's easily said and much harder to do

Dogs and kids - dangerous in my opinion, since the family’s placid and good natured springer suddenly attacked my grandson with no warning or provocation and ripped right through his cheek. My grandson would be dead now if the family hadn’t been with him. He has had numerous plastic surgeries.

As a puppy my dog was in a cage when I couldn't keep an eye on him because puppies often chew. It is too easy for puppies to swallow something that will block their intestines or chew through electrical wires. It meant I could have him in the bedroom next to my bed for the first couple of nights without him messing on the floor overnight. I could hear him if he moved about and could whip him outside to do his business. When he was first home and insecure, a blanket over the cage made him feel safe. During the day when he needed to sleep because he was getting over tired, he could go into his cage (willingly) so I could shut the door, pop the blanket over and he would have a nap. As soon as he woke, he could come out. He could have his raw food on a wipeable tray which meant he wasn't spreading it around the house. By the time he outgrew the first cage, he had grown up enough to no longer need it and now he as a lovely basket in the hall with his own sofa in the lounge.
Give a dog high value treats and they won't worry if it is a cage if it is used appropriately for short periods of time.

I suppose you have to trust your daughter and the rescue she's involved with janipans.
I rescued and fostered for 30 years. I still volunteer for a specific breed rescue charity (British). My current dogs were not rescues. One came as a ten month old having been loved and cared for. She's now two, the other is a puppy who arrived last week, from a reputable breeder recommended by a friend involved with the breed. I did not feel able to rescue as usual because we have grandchildren under age five who (pre lockdown) were here regularly. The children aren't growing up with dogs and it seemed unwise to bring in an adult dog with an unknown history. I crate train -used well, its a Boone. Used badly, its awful.

The dog training group I'm part of has had a number of young dogs who came into the UK via rescues from Romania, Spain, Eastern Europe. All the dogs had complex behavioural/emotional problems. A couple responded well to good care and training, sadly several ended up with the Dogs Trust.
Our small group raised money for our local dog shelter and the trainer went with that and other donations last week. They report having an increasing number of dogs who were placed by Eastern European charities. Also, that some unscrupulous people in those countries are actually breeding pups who can be 'rescued' here. The street dogs have never lived in homes, they have scavenged and hunted for food, often in packs. They are likely to find adjusting to living inside difficult. Our local shelter reports that some unscrupulous people in Eastern Europe are breeding puppies to be 'rescued' in Britain. It's a trade that needs stopping. We have so many dogs in rescue. Post lock down we will have many many more.

Dogs in this country need homes! I don’t understand it, there should be a law against rehoming a dog from abroad when there are hundreds of dogs here to choose from.

I think it can be more rewarding to rescue a dog from abroad

Not so rewarding for the dogs who are being killed in this country because homes can't be found for them.

I've had rescue dogs from this country & also abroad - they are usually more grateful than the UK dogs, perhaps because the levels of cruelty abroad wouldn't be tolerated in this country & most of them have suffered unimaginably. The last dog I adopted from Blind Dog Rescue UK was a little Poodle, found sitting in the middle of the road the night before the dog catchers could legally " rake up " a dog & chuck it in a lorry. He adapted to English commands very quickly, never left my side for the 3 years I had him, & I miss him dreadfully. I then got a poodle from the Blue Cross ( unlike most foreign charities they don't take much care in matching a dog to the most suitable home ). After 12 years being spoilt by an elderly couple she has only now, aged 14, accepted she can't have it all her way. I think it can be more rewarding to rescue a dog from abroad - well done to your daughter. It's just a question of educating the children alongside the dog then all will be well.

having had experiences and know others who have experiences too, i have known of dogs who have suddenly turned, its usually been, pit bulls, dobermen and others, the ones i have known have turned for no reason , i was also told by a vet that in no way should you leave a baby alone in a room with a dog as the dogs do not like a babys cry, its too high pitched, im sure that dog owners take lots of care with dogs and children and there are undoubtedly lots of very loving gentle dogs so please dont take one out without going into it very carefully and getting all the info you can

Lolo81

Depending on how your DD is going about getting this dog, she will probably have to jump through more hoops to get the dog home doing it this way than she would by just going and buying a puppy.
As far as I am aware most rehoming services match the dog with a forever home, which means that a home with young children would not be suitable for a dog with aggression issues. All that is to say she may actually be safer doing it this way than by buying an unknown quantity from a breeder. Adult dogs are generally less bouncy and less likely to mouth than a puppy, both of which are far less dangerous for children.
Above all else you have to trust your DD, is she a good mum, wife, daughter, employee, person? If yes to any or all of these questions then trust her: adding a dog to the family could be a wonderful experience for your GC. I was raised around dogs and loved all of them, was taught how to interact and had responsibilities towards helping keep them healthy. These are all good things.
Now this bit might be a wee bit stern; this isn’t your concern and you shouldn’t voice it - DD is an adult and just because she’s making choices that you wouldn’t doesn’t make her a careless parent.
Maybe do some research into the breeds she is looking at to try and reassure yourself, it’s natural to worry - but please don’t catastrophise - it’s a dog, not a bomb!!

Totally agree with every word.

janipans. I can understand your concerns, but why does your daughter have to go to Macedonia to adopt a dog? There are plenty in this country who need a good home>

Adult dogs from places in eastern Europe are mostly strays who have learned to be independent and have developed their intelligence to an inconvenient degree.This makes them very difficult to recall but they have been socialised in many situations involving humans.

As long as you research the breed. Pugs and French Bulldogs are perfect for kids. One thing you must realise is you NEVER leave a pet alone with children. An animal can hurt a child without meaning to! I had a cat that used to visit me, but it was a boisterous, exuberant cat that loved to play rough games that used to result in blood being drawn. He was a fun cat with a real propensity for affection but you could not have trusted him with a small child. He had no malice in him at all Everything to him was a game, but he could have hurt a child. Exercise caution.

Theoddbird

Whether a cat gets along with a dog depends on the animals involved. Our previous cat Biggie (Mr. Bigglesworth) tried to make friends with a dog once when our daughter's friend brought her puppy over for a couple of minutes once. (The dog appeared not to know what to make of him.) There's a Boston terrier breeder in my area who posted an adorable picture of one of her dogs snuggled up with a cat. Apparently the cat is a friend to all of the dogs they have.

As far as the little ones, again, it depends on the dog. My cousin and her husband have an 11-month-old son and two dogs and one or two cats. The pets were already there before the baby was born. They're very careful with their son around the pets. As far as I'm aware there has never been a problem.

Ten weeks ago I welcomed an approximately 18 month old dog into my home. It's not been easy but she's doing well now. I got her through small dog rescue Sussex and Scotland, who bring in from Romania, I must say that they were very thorough when I applied, and I had an online interview and check, lots of questions asked. After I got my dog, I had follow up emails and phone calls from a couple of their people checking that everything was going okay. Many of their dogs are puppies, which for young families are better suited. Hope all goes well and hopefully common sense is in good supply.