Rescue Dog tips

I was shocked to read yesterday that 100,000 pets a year are abandonned in France - I wonder what the figure is in the UK?
I've seen a few lost-looking dogs running along the side of the road several times, mostly in summer when people are going on holiday. The SPA (french RSPCA) are overwhelmed.

No bad dogs, only bad owners - yes, there is much truth in that. However, as with children, some dogs are more difficult to bring up/train than others.

Totally agree Wilma , as the saying goes ' no bad dogs only bad owners' . We have three dogs, one is a JR and has never bitten or snapped at anyone in his life. He is 12 now and had a difficult time with bladder problems when we had to catheterise him up to three times a day for several months. He never had to be muzzled and never snapped although it must have been painful at times. Love and consistency are important for all dogs especially rescue ones. Good luck.

My rescue dog tip is do not leave any of the following within reach (a greyhound up on her back legs is between 5’ and 6’ tall)
Cups of coffee
Pot plants
Bowls of mixed nuts in their shell bought on Friday for when the boys are here tomorrow.
No further comment

Wilma - I hadn't heard of the clothes line training device but years ago I bought a 30 ft fabric training lead for one of my young dogs. Most dogs love to chase but this one had a high prey urge and recall which had been good went when she hit 13 months or so (her teenage years). I used it in open spaces where she was off lead - just as you describe, stood on it, then called her, high value treat when she came.

Thank you Wilma that is really helpful.

We've only ever had rescue dogs and wouldn't buy a dog with so many dogs in shelters.

The first thing I would say is be aware that most pet insurance companies have an age limit on policies and some are as low as 8 years old. This doesn't mean that you can't get pet insurance if the dog is older than the limit, just that you need to take out the policy before they are over the limit. Don't be without insurance unless you have deep pockets because vets are not cheap. So much can be treated these days and the last thing you want is to have your dog put to sleep because you can't afford the treatment.

The second thing is a tip the Dogs Trust gave us years ago. A new dog can feel threatened by someone reaching for its collar when you want to stop it from doing something or move it away. You don't want the dog to snap at you (or worse) because it feels threatened. Get a thin plastic clothes line and cut a 10 foot length. Tie one end around the dog's collar and use it to bring the dog to you instead of reaching for it. Stop the dog from getting away from you by just putting your foot on the line. The line fits under doors, so the dog potters around the house wearing it with no bother at all. Once the dog's settled down you can take it off, but the look on the dog's face before then when you can stop it from several feet away is priceless!

We decided we didn't want a little dog when we first decided to get one. Of course, we came home with a Jack Russell cross and chose terrier crosses from then on. None of them were barkers, yappy or snappy. I honestly believe it's the owners to blame for how a dog behaves. I would definitely look at going to dog training if you've never had a dog before.

Best of luck!

Hello, I adopted a dog one month ago. Now I ask myself why didn't I take the plunge earlier! She and the rest of her litter were abandoned and rescued. She is a 9 month old Shih Tzu mix. Shih Tzus were bred as companion dogs and she's an ideal companion. A black and white bundle of soft fur. She's very affectionate, friendly with everyone, great with my grandchildren, an absolute delight and no trouble at all, loves to play with her toys and ball. She rarely barks, weighs 10 lbs so is easy for me to lift up
( doesn't hurt my poor old back) and is happy with 2 half hour walks a day although I actually take her out for more.

Bichons are great little dogs. Very friendly and playful. Just a matter of finding s good groomer and keeping on top of that fluffy coat.

Wishing you both a long and happy relationship ???

How lovely Mary59 I hope it all goes well for both of you. He sounds like he’ll be much loved.

Can't wait until I'm no longer working full-time and can hopefully get a rescue dog - good luck to all

Can't wait until I'm no longer working full-time and can hopefully get a rescue dog - good luck to all

I live alone and was missing having company so I thought for a long time about a dog.
I done my homework on breeds and made sure my garden was safe.
Last Thursday I picked up from my local rescue centre a beautiful white Bischion such a calm little boy and only 2 years old and today Iv just come back from our morning walk
Something I never did before
He’s going to be my saviour and I love him so much

Very good list there mawbroon. May I add that these deprived puppies also require much tickling of the ears and tummy ?

On a more serious note, all of my dogs have been adopted and one, in particular, was 15 when I got her. Her owner had died and she was at the rescue centre for over 5 months due to her age. She was an absolute joy (and a diva) and I was honoured to have her in my life for 18 months. Good luck with your search

I'm reading this thread avidly, as I had to do one of the worst, most upsetting things in my life, and put my daughters beloved dog into a shelter for rehoming. I feel guilty every day, but I couldn't take her on.
I so hope she goes to someone who loves her as much as my daughter did.

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Hattie advises
Since they have had a deprived childhood (puppyhood?) they must be allowed free and unlimited access to sofas.
And to sleep on beds
They may be picky eaters so only the best is good enough, roast chicken is good, also whatever you are eating.
They will need lots and lots of toys, including odd socks, pj trousers, hairbrushes, trainers but of course deafening squeaky toys are best
Treats are obligatory
A variety of coats, collars, bandannas, leads should be purchased

Oh and from me
Make sure they are up to date with flea treatment and worming.
With all these in place you should have a devoted companion for the rest of their life.

There are lots of cross bred dogs in rescue centres so maybe look more at your needs and what you can offer rather than a specific breed. Talk to the staff and see the dogs for yourself there will be one which will steal your heart.

We definitely could not have a heavy dog. I am very small. Looking a the centres it seems that certain breeds do dominate. I like lurchers but I am not sure I could cope with one and give it the life it needs.

I don’t have a breed in mind but need a dog that is easy to manage on a lead. Don’t mind a Mongrel. I don’t really like little dogs. A lot of breeds seem to need someone with experience of the breed. Also some dogs have to be housed with other dogs.

We walk a lot, but our house is very quiet, just the two of us. I guess a nervous dog would be happy here, but we don’t mind a dog that is a bit lively.

One problem we face is that we don’t have a car so cannot get to many centres. That is why we are going to try Battersea as it is close by.

If you've never owned a dog before, I'd do some reading and research about various breeds. My experience of all our local dog shelters is there are lots of staffie and staffie/bull breed crosses waiting for re=homing. Some will make lovely pets but I believe there are risks in adopting a bull dog/German shepherd/working dog etc that you have no background information on.
There are specific breed rescues, I volunteer for one that re-homes a particular breed, or any cross of the breed/ Our rescue is a registered charity. All relinquished dogs go into foster care with experienced dog owners. They are assessed then matched with a family who are right for them.
I have friends in their 70's who adopted sight hounds, that is greyhounds, lurchers and have found them lovely gentle creatures. They do chase though so need careful walking.

There is a lot of information around about various breeds and x breeds. I do think contacting a specific breed rescue is a good idea.

Do you have a specific breed in mind littleflo? I’m asking because there are rescue sites specialising in specific breeds and they are often very knowledgeable about the dogs they rehome. I’d say wait and look around and get a feel for the kind of dog you want - big, small, furriness, age, background, terrier, good with children and other dogs, house trained, etc. There are dozen of staffie-types out there but they can be a handful.

We had a less than positive experience with dogs trust who were trying to rush us into a particular dog. We came away at the point where they would not let us interact with our current dog and the new dog together. We did get a dog from the blue cross who were much more willing for us to see the dogs together and even do a short walk with them. He's a lovely boy but he took a lot of perseverance and the help of a local trainer to become the dog he is today.

We used the dogs trust and they are really good.We discussed with staff the kind of dog we were looking for, we needed a family pet as we had teenagers at home and the staff knew which dogs would be suitable,we walked the dog we chose,and visited a couple of times before taking the dog home.Someone came out to our house and checked that it was suitable,as you needed a garden.Have you any friends or relatives that could drive you to the kennels as they are usually out of town?You could offer them a little money for fuel. There is a dog out there for everyone and I am sure after talking with staff they will be able to guide you. It looks like the dog will have a lovely life with you and I hope you find one that you love. Oh I nearly forgot,some places will not rehome at Xmas time.it might be worth a phone call first,so as not to make an unnessasary journey. Good luck.

Until earlier this year I used to volunteer for Jerry Green Dog Rescue who have branches in the North. While its too far away for you, I just wanted to say we made sure prospective adopters came at least twice to visit the dog of their choice. Our Kennel maids made sure adopters where fully aware of any needs that the dog may have. ( Some dogs couldnt tolerate small children or other dogs in the home). Very few "adoptions" were not a success. The dogs all responded to love and patience in their new homes. Many of them went to homes where the couple were 60 plus. So good for you, It sounds like you could offer a lovely home and lifestyle to a lucky dog. Do let us know when you find your "match".

That is a good point, but we will have no visitors now until the mid January so there will be no stress. We don’t even hang decorations or have a tree.

However, we cannot take the dog just yet as we are away 2 days in December. I thought it would take us a few months to find a dog. It will get lots of walks as we spend a lot of time in the Country Park and we are both at home every day. Although these are seen as positives, I do think our lack of experience will stop us being suitable for some dogs.