Question Feedback plz ~ "RESCUE DOG" or buy the breed you want?

[Poultryprincess]

Our sweet 7 1/2 yr old Australian shepherd mix had to be put down New Years Eve.
She had a fast progressing cancer. ( bloodwork done 7 wks earlier was fine - it broke our hearts!)
A year ago we had to put our Rotti down after he attacked / mauled / ripped me to .
We had him @ 8 weeks, but the vet & dog trainer said something was wrong with him.

The house is scary quiet & eventually a dog (or two) needs to join us.
We rescued a dog yrs ago, & she was with us for 16 yrs in the big city.
I'm a bit terrified of the behavior of an unknown dog since the rotti attack.

Hubby really wants the pup experience again BUT it would be great to Save a Rescue!
Teaching pups that "chickens are Not toys" is a worry with an older rescue dog.
Vet told us the next dogs should be Different breed than the ones that are gone now.
It's a new start with a different color, different breed. I know I will luv any dog!
The rescue places said boxer or A. bulldog mixed pups rarely make it to the shelter.


Does ANYONE have experience with a young or adult Rescue dog?
With no background of their past, did you feel like you could fully trust them?
How about your chickens or live stock? Did the rescue dog learn Not to touch them?
Luv to hear of your Experience with Rescues or American Bulldog / Boxers please

[Flat Rock Farm]

Oh PP I am so sorry for you loss, so sad when we loose one of our "fur" babies :sad:

Hard decision, I just figure you look at all your options and if the right one comes up you will know.

I work at a Vet clinic that has a rescue program under it's umbrella so we get quite a few. There are pro's and con's to both, sometimes we don't get the adult rescue's background so they are assessed to the best of our ability but then we don't know if they have any "triggers" for some behavior. Puppies are usually more adaptable as they have a "clean slate" so to speak. My experience is I have had better luck with the mixed breeds than the pure breeds but that as I said is from my own experience.

Hope you find one!! :wink: :dog:

[kenya]

Boxers in my experience are hyper dogs, some are always bouncing off the walls. Labrador retriever's and golden retrievers are popular family dogs. There's a reason they are so popular, not aggressive, easy to train ,always want to please. If the rottie turned you off guard dogs or scared you try a more all round family dog. Rescue dogs come in all shapes and varieties, take the dog for a walk , ask the staffs opinion. There are lots of dogs on kijiji as well that if they don't sell quick end up as shelter dogs. So many options for you. Look around and make your choice, many dogs end up in the shelter through no fault of their own, family's split up or move. There's some great dogs in shelters, some are so good it's unbelievable they are even there. Others are there through lack of training or poor temperament, you can usually see the difference. The ones there through lack of training can be great dogs but you are really dealing with a full grown puppy and some people are not comfortable with that, the unpredictable nature of those dogs may scare some people. My vote is go to a shelter and check them out, there are some fabulous dogs there.

[kenya]

Also look at Ross he got his fabulous German Shepard there, our neighbours also got a shelter dog, yellow lab, best dog ever. He's one of the ones I can't understand why he ended up in a shelter.

[ross]

Yep 2 yr old German Shepherd from London Humane Society . People who had her gave her up cause moved to apartment when left alone apt noices caused her problems . Used muzzle so no accidents with our free range chickens while training . Now trained to whistle . Just a super sweet dog . Luck

[MommaChick]

We've done both. I know a few rescues that just cannot keep thier facilities full and have taken to shipping dogs in from overseas so in my opinion, there should be no shame in allowing yourself to buy a puppy if you want one. You could really investigate shelter dogs, going for indepth visits, asking a bazillion questions etc, perhaps become a foster home for a while, then if you don't find your dog, buy a pup. OR buy one of each. Good Luck.

[ross]

One other thing , in order to train any critter you have to know more than it , what makes it tick , be it breed or type . Decide what needs you have in your dog . Always exceptions . There are lots of good trainers out there just do your home work . Luck

[Bayvistafarm]

Our son and daughter in law got a medium sized mutt as a rescue. They figured he was about 3 or 4. When they first got him, he was just awful. I guess he had to work out his issues with being abused before hand. For instance, he was terrified of men. When they would leave him in the crate, he actually chewed out of it. Of a steel crate. He messed his face/mouth and paws up pretty bad. He did manage to get out of it. Then when left in a room, he would destroy it. Actually once when he was deemed abit better, took a tree out of its pot and dragged it onto their bed... chewed the comforter.

I was afraid this dog would harm the farm animals, and bark and chase the cattle/cats. They brought him out, and he was scared of his own shadow. He was chained most of his life outside a dungey dog house under a tree. Beaten when he would bark. Probably by a man, thus the fear of them.

Our daughter in law and son persevered with this dog, and she was in tears many times saying she was ready to give up. They didn't tho... and he turned out to be the best dog. They put up with his problem for almost 3 months, before he started turning the corner.

He came out to the farm, and was afraid of most things, so didn't try and harm/bark/chase. I think one of the barn cats lit into him first off... so he got taught to leave cats.

Good luck with whatever you do. Hopefully if you go the rescue route... they can tell you lots about the dog beforehand. Personally I would do the purebred puppy thing. We are hooked on Goldens... and are on our second one. Trained to perfection!

[Colleen Kinzie]

QR_BBPOST Yep 2 yr old German Shepherd from London Humane Society . People who had her gave her up cause moved to apartment when left alone apt noices caused her problems . Used muzzle so no accidents with our free range chickens while training . Now trained to whistle . Just a super sweet dog . Luck

And super spoiled??? Lol
She's a lucky girl that you chose her!!!

[Maximus]

I'm so sorry for your loss it is so hard to lose our fur members.

Such a fun but tough decision. So many ways to look for your next fur member addition. Puppies are fun, but man they are work. But like Paula said you get a clean slate to work with.

I fostered dogs and cats for a long time. Their true colours will alway show after a period of time when they are more settled. A good responsible rescue will allow a trial period, and that period should be 3-5 weeks although some only like the 2 week period.

Reputable breeders sometimes have their retired dogs looking for new homes. This will give you a dog that had the balanced temperament and characters that are most sought after in that breed and an adult dog. (Notice I said reputable breeder, not a backyard cash grab breeder. )

Shelters have dogs of varying ages and breeds and some shelters allow you to put your name on the list for a specific breed and / or age.

Then there are breed specific rescues, like the greyhound rescue, golden retriever rescue etc. But for some rescues you'd need a lawyer to navigate their policies for what you can and can't do and if you have kids under 14 most rescues won't let you adopt. STUPID. Because I fostered (their) dogs with kids. Also, most rescues want a fenced yard and aren't willing to negotiate that despite atthe quality of life a dog can have on a farm. Anyways, pros and cons on both sides of that fenced yard.

I would like to mention it is important to remember ALL dogs have the capability to attack. Always. It is in their DNA for thousands of years. Despite domestication and doing everything right these things still happen and the family pet will always have the potential. I don't care how loving and sweet you think your dog is, the potential is always there.

I have my left thumb with scars and loss of feeling at the end of my thumb because a little su at the local park latched onto my hand and ripped it to shreds almost tearing my thumb off. Attacks aren't always from the large breeds or a specific breed.

My friend had a golden retriever and she was a nasty, nasty girl. She bit kids, family, UPS guy and my friend who is a groomer when I took her there (no one could brush or bath her) but I will be honest, this dog needed an alpha, Exercise and discipline.

I fostered a little chihuahua. What an ! He bit everyone within 5 mins of being here. Once. But that dog is never to be trusted. Ever. Trigger happy.

So here's the thing. Finding a rescue that will tell the truth and having experienced what the 'truth' is, will be the challenge. Any dog we take in from rescues or shelters we must take assuming they are a kid from the block and assume worst case, but the chances are you'll end up with a fantastic dog. But there is also a chance you won't. The SPCA can't tell you what the dog is like in a family or home environment because they don't provide one. They go on what they are told if the dog is surrendered, if they are told anything. They can not adequately assess a dog in the SPCA institutional environment. I did dog assessment for the SPCA for many years and have always expressed concerns about institutional results of a potential adoptable dog.

With that said there are certain breeds I would not consider from a shelter or a general rescue group. But those breeds I would definitely consider from breed specific rescues.

And puppies ... Clean slate for sure, but DNA that is thousands of years old is always there. And as you know from your Rotti, even having them from puppyhood does not exempt them from what we consider uncharacteristic behaviour.

I have a German shepherd and a golden retriever. Complete opposites but they compliment each other and for my home it's the perfect combination. Both pure breeds and from puppies. I am also very aware that despite having from puppies that they are disendents from wolves and will always have the capabilities that we try to domesticate out of them.

It's an exciting journey with so many possibilities to choose from. Is there a breed you have always loved and wanted?