Rescue or breeder?

Further to my comment about Guide Dogs. I spoke to someone on the tube this week who has a guide dog that was under retirement age (ten) but whose owner died suddenly and it wasn't considered appropriate to place with another blind person as it would have been a relatively short working relationship. She says it's the best thing she ever did, doggily speaking.

BlueSky

Let us know what you get.

I know you said now you are retired you want a dog.

We are both 70 and have just adopted a rescue dog. I've posted a photo of Mya before.

I have just rescued two CATS..aged 7 from a sanctuary. At 60...nearly! I couldn't cope with kittens! These 2 are a joy. I feel sorry for previous owners who had to give them up for whatever reason. They are happy. Wish l could let previous owners know. Please rescue. Thankyou x

We've had about 10 rescue dogs over the years. They've all been brilliant.

I must agree about the greyhounds. Fabulous, loving dogs which don't need a lot of exercise.

Just be prepared for a mad 5 minutes a day when they get the zoomies and then that's that. All they want to do is lie down, preferably next to you and go to sleep.

Have you considered a retired Guide Dog? Many blind people can't look after a retired and a working dog at the same time, especially if they're working. Get in touch with the GDBA. If you'd rather have a younger dog, consider a dog that didn't make the grade (good dogs but not good enough to be guides) also need good homes.

www.guidedogs.org.uk

I recommend looking on the Oldies site or going for an older rescue dog. These dogs often have had a good life and are only in kennels because the owner can no longer care for them. Our dog was 7 when we got her and she was still lively enough to play and go for walks. These dogs are much easier to settle.

Having said that, my son recently bought a Working Cocker Spaniel pup. He is the most delightful dog and has been very easy to train. They are first time owners too.

My little rescue Poodle (from the Blue Cross) curled up by my side, is 13 & I've had her for a year after her owner died. Obviously had a very spoilt life but even so, she's settled in remarkably quickly. The Blue Cross don't like to keep their dogs for long, neither do they check up on the dog after it leaves them, whereas every other charity I've come across ( many) insist on a home check, which of course they should. I've had 4 rescued Rough Collies over the years, the most fantastic dogs, but my previous little Poodle was from Blind Dog UK, a great charity. I saw him on their website, unrecognisable with hair down to his feet, sitting in the middle of the road in Romania, having completely given up. It was the night before it became legal there for the dog snatchers to capture any dog they saw, by foul means, throw them into trucks & of course a brutal end. Blind Dogs brought him to London for me with their next coach load of dogs & I had the most wonderful 3 years,& utter devotion from him before he had to be put to sleep. He is in my garden, along with the Collies, all with a special plant or bush to mark their final resting place. Never buy from a breeder, totally unnecessary, & even worse, never on line, where many dogs have to be put to sleep shortly after they are bought.

Oh, this is touching every nerve in my body.

Two weeks ago today I was in Albania, on a group (singles) trip. Weather (late September) was 28 - 29 degrees. Many roaming dogs in the Capital, Tirana - there's a busy river running through the centre of the city and I saw an obviously thirsty dog trying to figure how to get down the steep concrete bank to drink (we were on a minibus or I'd have been off like a shot). They aren't referred to as homeless, they are street dogs. Most seemed pretty chilled out and didn't seem to be hungry.
Then we travelled out to Durras on the Adriatic coast and my heart was stolen by a beautiful youngster with humour brimming from her eyes. There was a rope of small buoys from the beach into the sea to separate the beach for swimmers and the for hire powerboats, and the silly cow was trying to drag one in. Running around with a huge stick. And another, clearly had several litters of pups with a wary eye but a huge waggy tail. I saw her one afternoon trying to fuss a couple of small children walking with their parents; the Dad tried to shoo her off, the Mum bent down to pick something up as if to throw at her, and she ran off with her tail between her legs. She had a tiny (healed) scar under her eye .....
Neither seemed mistreated, both very happy to be fussed and petted, and I saw them several times following people walking along the beach. Of course (!) both enjoyed a bit of the buffet breakfasts and dinners. They live next to the sea, the weather was wonderful. It's just not the life "I" would want for a dog. If I won the lottery today I'd be back for them in a heartbeat.

But again, a few years ago I came across a Greyhound rescue stall at a village fete. What I know about Greyhounds is mostly from the Actress Annette Crosbie who owns and campaigns for greyhounds. And from someone I met in a park once walking his spaniel who - and I don't know why - shared that he'd had racing greyhounds once and one was so bad his friend made him shoot it after a race. How I didn't punch him in the face I don't know, but I avoided him afterwards.

(Long post, but little Bambi ((short for bambino) and Mia ((after Mama Mia)) in Albania still hold my heart - I knew it was the wrong thing to name them).

Rehoming a dog is a wonderful experience. Just take your time and get the one that suits you and your lifestyle.

Our rescue is an ex-stud from a reputedly ‘reputable’ breeder. He didn’t have a life before we took him. He had no idea how to be a dog. It has been our honour to help him learn and a humbling experience.

Don’t go to a breeder.

Iam64 I agree with you re bringing in dogs from other countries. The cost of transporting them here must be quite substantial, not to mention all the quarantine requirements. That money would be much better spent in giving to overseas charities and/or rescuing one of the many dogs that are waiting for homes in this country. There are, for instance, many, many greyhounds that need re-homing. I've met several people in my area who have rescued a greyhound.

I too understand why people who befriend a stray dog while they're on holiday feel they cannot leave it to an unknown, and probably unpleasant, future. I expect, if I had a lot of spare capital, I would do the same. However, I don't understand why anyone would search far and wide for dogs when there are so many in this country.

Do people who bring dogs in have to pay administration/travel/vet costs? Isn't there a danger that this is a business? It is now so common to hear of people who have brought in dogs from all over the world.

Rescue every time, on our 6th and 7th, one from Battetsea, one found in the street and stayed til he died 6yrs later, and the rest from Spain via Greyhounds in Need. Never had a wrong- un , the love from them despite their starts in life is nothing short of humbling.

Great stories on here! We all know that we should get a rescue dog but please don't feel guilty if you bought one from a (responsible) breeder. We all do what we think best under our own circumstances, that's why I asked the question in the first place. You gave us a lot of ideas on a subject we don't know anything about!

We've had both. Four expensive pedigree puppies ,
2 dachshunds, one very highly strung and his younger brother from same parents very laid back.
One beagle, delightful but very much 'his own dog'.
One Irish red and white setter. The most loving dog you could ever find.
Our rescue black cocker spaniel, had been cruelly treated. He cowered the first time I bent down to stroke him, it nearly broke my heart. Words cannot say how much I loved him.

How do others feel about the number of dogs being brought into this country, rescues from abroad?
I do understand the emotional pull of having met a street dog in India or a the Med but, I give to charities that support those dogs and would never bring one back with me. I have friends in our local dog walking community, who have rescued from India, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Eastern Europe. It's rarely worked well, behaviourists have been needed.
I don't mean to hurt or offend anyone because I recognise people rescue these dogs with the best of intentions.
Our own dog re-homing charities and rescue shelters are full of dogs who need adoption.
Just a thought.

I was keen to have a rescue dog under a year old.
Molly was rescued by a charity who regularly fly dogs over here (Pacific West Coast) from euthanasia centres in California. On this occasion 80 dogs arrived and I was there to choose one!
All the dogs had been vetted, vaccinated, sprayed/neutered and micro chipped.
Molly had been abandoned. I held her and we looked at each other and I felt a real connection, if you know what I mean and I chose her immediately.
She was very subdued and fearful for a few days with not much of an appetite but soon got accustomed to her new life. I'm told she's a Havanese . She's affectionate, fun, loves children and a marvelous companion.

I always feel a bit guilty saying we bought our dog in a pet shop - it was a big pet shop and aquarium and we used to go in and have a look round before we went to the cinema. We saw our dog and just really liked him at first sight. But we reasoned that it would be a tie having a dog and it had never been our intention to get one. But both of us thought about him in the week and when we went back to the cinema the next weekend we agreed that if he was still there we would buy him. We actually didn't think he would still be there because he was such an attractive looking and lovely natured puppy. But he was - and we got him.

Most of the dog owners we meet when we're walking our dog have rescue dogs. It makes me feel a bit guilty that we bought our dog (but we really love him). Their dogs generally seem very settled and well behaved although with some people it has taken a little time and effort to reach that stage. Generally, it doesn't seem that any problems that had arisen had been insurmountable.

I really do think it's preferable to give a home to a rescue dog but I think you have to feel drawn to a particular dog and also find out if there are any issues relating to its history, temperament or breed which you would feel unable to deal with.

I really don't like the idea of people making money out of dog breeding, but I suppose we contributed to that - although our dog is a cross with a slight jaw defect, which is presumably why he was in a pet shop. The shop has gone now, although the aquarium kept going for a while. Someone who worked there said people no longer went to pet shops but bought dogs and other animals on line. There is, I believe, a campaign to stop shops selling pets but I can't see how buying pets via the internet is any better.

Sillyoldfool I agree, great care is needed.
Sentiment needs to be tempered with common sense as our friends found out.

PS - PM me if you want more details

Depending on the breed you think is best for you some KC Assured Breeders will look to home bitches who have had their quota of litters I.e. x4 and be around 7/8 years old. You then have an adult dog whose complete history is available to you

Rescue is always the ideal but I would be extremely careful if you have young children in the family. You cannot know what lurks in the past of these dogs and what may trigger sudden agression. I personally love German Shepherds but researched very carefully and bought a puppy from an experienced knowledgeable breeder who tested for hereditary diseases and chose her dogs for temperament. I could not risk an accident with my small grandchildren. My current boy is an absolute delight. The breeder only sells to approved homes and will take back any dog she has bred if ever needed.

Rizlet my DH has mentioned that but I actually want a dog to become a member of the family, empty nest syndrome I guess now that children and grandchildren have grown up!

Would you consider becoming a puppy walker for Guide Dogs OP? They are always looking for people to care for the pups until they are ready to go forward into training. Have a look on their website for more info if you feel it might be of interest.

I ve always had rescue dogs, started with a golden retriever who was one year old when I got her and the gentlest most loving dog ever, when she died I got a Heinz 57 who had COPD due to living with a smoker and he had a shocking cough, he was 7 when I got him and was totally loyal to me until his last breath. I now have two little rescue dogs who came as a pair, little Mollie who is 4 and Dot who is 7. They have some behavioural issues but nothing we can’t cope with. Dot loves rolling in fox poo, Mollie is very stubborn. They have wonderful temperaments and are both a delight in their own ways. I would always recommend giving a home to a rescue dog but take the time to get the right one for you. I ve had these two now for two and a half years and wouldn t change a thing

Rescue it is then from one of the organisations you have mentioned. Success!

Definitely a rescue. Once bought a dog from a breeder and had many problem s with him. Health and temprement issues.