Where should we get our new dog?

[SumDay]

If you have a specific breed in mind, in our area there are breed specific "rescue" organizations. Someone in the group will foster the dog until they find their furever home.

Also, in our area, there's a hospice service that finds homes for dogs whose owners are in hospice care. Sometimes the owner wants to meet the new owner, sometimes it's not possible. I can't imagine anything more rewarding than letting that person pass peacefully, knowing their dog will be well cared for.

The last puppy we got will be the last puppy I ever manage. That getting up 3 times a night for potty training was exhausting. Next rescue will be at least one year old.

Good on you for giving some deserving pooch a loving home. I can't imagine not having one.

[skipro33]

Well, I don't agree with everyone here about just arbitrarily getting a shelter dog. I tried getting a shelter dog 3 times and all 3 times ended up taking the dog back. First dog was a small dog for my parents. The dog had so many social issues that didn't manifest themselves until a week or more after they had it. Turned out the dog bonded with my mom and the first time we knew this, it attacked my dad when he climbed into bed. It really went nuts and did some damage. The second time was for me, a hunting dog breed called a German Shorthair. I've raised them in the past and they are very loving but have a deep instinct to point birds. This one was afraid of the shot gun noise. My guess is the last owner ruined this dog with punishment that included the shotgun and it didn't like it. I worked with the dog for a week, could get it to tolerate the gun and noise, but it was miserable the whole time, so back to the pound. The third animal seemed o.k., a rescue yellow lab. Until one day my brother's grandson bent down to pet it. The dog snarled and bit him on the face. The boy has permanent nerve damage to his lower lip now from that attack. Who knows what past experience brought a yellow lab to attack a child, I don't. Other labs I've had, my own kids would ride like a pony and he loved it. But I got them a pups and they grew up together.

Perhaps a very young pup you can bring in and socialize that hasn't been damaged or abused from a past life, but just be warned; they are in the pound for a reason and they come with baggage.
****EDIT****
I forgot to mention; one of the two current dogs we have is a rescue dog. It's a pug mix. It eats it's own poo. All the time. I've tried everything I can think of including professional assistance. Evidently the dog was starved or something in the past and eating it's own feces was something it did to survive? I don't know. We've had this one 12 years now and decided early on it was something we would deal with. DW and I always accompany the dog outside on a leash and pick up it's droppings immediately, but it learned to poop behind the couch or other hidden place so she could eat in peace. We've learned her tricks and it doesn't happen often, but it is a lot of work on our part to be sure she doesn't. At some point in her past, someone beat her with a stick. Anything stick-like in my hand, she panics and hides. She's also very afraid of loud noises. I drop something in the kitchen, say, and she's gone into hiding again. Usually under the bed where I can't get her out.

[El Magnifico Loco]

We actually had both, a rescue golden retriever who was also a breeder, before the rescue organization got her. She passed away a couple of years ago, and we are now considering getting another rescue golden from the same place.

We just "dog sat" a golden puppy for a week. Lots of energy, lots of chewing. That was enough to convince us we need a "mature" rescue as our next family addition!

Another thought. Many/most rescue organizations accept volunteers. Ours did. After a couple of nights volunteering, we "knew" our golden was right for us (and us for her!).

[Mr._Graybeard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 Whatever you do, get a real dog....a Border Collie, a Kelpie or a German/Belgian Shepherd.

Nemo, I love the farm collie breeds (I've had half a dozen, mostly Australian shepherds) but a border collie isn't for everybody. They need (and demand) a lot of mental and physical stimulation. If you're looking for a lapwarmer, it's not the right breed.

I see hundreds off dogs up close every year. Among the small non-collie types I like, the border terrier stands out; not too barky and generally pretty good with other dogs. I also like rat terriers, but I've seen more than a couple reactive ones. Cavalier King Charles spaniel is about as sweet a dog as you can find, but they can have heart trouble. My sis has had three or four, loves them.

Midsize -- the vizsla is a spectacular dog. They're a little unusual but gaining popularity, and for good reason. They're very trainable, not too vocal and their appearance is stunning. They are an active breed, though.

Big dogs -- I've seen a lot of nice dobermans. Smart, sleek and not so inclined to jump on people in a social setting.

[Another Reader]

I think it depends on the rescue and the shelter. Shelters here temperament test as do the larger 501 (c) (3) rescue organizations. Rescues usually keep animals in foster homes. and that can be helpful. You do have to avoid some groups that think every animal should be rescued. Some of those folks might not disclose all the issues and blame you if there is a problem.

I would never buy from a breeder, having worked with shelter and rescue animals for close to 30 years. Really good companion animals are killed every day in this country. You can find what you want if you are patient and work with the right people.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr._Graybeard Nemo, I love the farm collie breeds (I've had half a dozen, mostly Australian shepherds) but a border collie isn't for everybody. They need (and demand) a lot of mental and physical stimulation..

Here's a shot of my best, and very much missed Border....(actually I tend to get along with pretty much all types of dog).......agree wholeheartedly about stimulation, (we'd tell people he could do our tax returns), I called the breeder shortly after we got him, (she was 90 years old at the time), about exercise...she said "A working Border Collie can do 100 miles a day...you don't have to worry about overdoing it".

[Souschef]

You might also want to contact Pilots n Paws. They fly rescue dogs to new forever homes. I have flown everything from a Malinois rescued from Tijuana to 2 little yorkies.

[Choices]

Rescue! We fostered many pairs of puppies and are proud foster failures. Both of our darlings were pups we fostered. They are both good sized dogs, 60 and 80 pounds and of mixed heritages.
I have two sets of friends who rescue senior dogs. One woman has 5! Yeah the vet bills are a bit much but neither couple has human children to spoil.

[Rianne]

Ahhhh! Go to Guide Dog schools and check out the retired GD or the ones that flunked! Our yellow lab flunked Guide Dog school after level 3. He just was not having the "work thing." Sound familiar, hahaha? He's the absolute best, lovable BFF. Cost, $1000 but health, pedigree all guaranteed.

They require an application filled with your love for dogs, how often you walk, have backyard with fence, on and on. He refuses to jump on the bed or couch which makes me sad sometimes.


Both in my avatar, but baby on the right passed...14 yrs. old.

[Brat]

The Oregon Humane Society does a great job and has accepted pets from other animal rescue organizations. If I were to adopt an animal that is where I would go. https://www.oregonhumane.org/

[Mr._Graybeard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 Here's a shot of my best, and very much missed Border....(actually I tend to get along with pretty much all types of dog).......agree wholeheartedly about stimulation, (we'd tell people he could do our tax returns), I called the breeder shortly after we got him, (she was 90 years old at the time), about exercise...she said "A working Border Collie can do 100 miles a day...you don't have to worry about overdoing it".

Oh yeah, they'll take all you can give them and look for more. That's why I became active in my dog training club, to provide an outlet and to socialize my dogs. We're on an isolated piece of farmland and don't see a lot of passing traffic, so they need to go somewhere to see other people and dogs.

One thing about my collies -- they are wary of visitors they don't know, sometimes to a fault. Our little Aussie bitch was sweet with people when we were away from home, but on the home turf she bit two people -- slipped around behind them and nipped them on the back of the leg when she decided they'd worn out their welcome. They weren't serious bites producing actual wounds, but one of the targets called the sheriff ... big hassle.

I should add that all my dogs have been rescues that may have some some learned reactivity issues. My current trial dog, an English shepherd, will assume a threatening posture if someone approaches him with a stick in their hand. We had a minor incident where a trial judge wanted to measure his height with a yardstick. He laid his ears back and showed his teeth.

Here's a pic of Lucy, "the biter" (on the right).

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr._Graybeard I should add that all my dogs have been rescues that may have some some learned reactivity issues. My current trial dog, an English shepherd, will assume a threatening posture if someone approaches him with a stick in their hand.

Not that, due to age, etc, I'll ever have another dog, but for me the risk of that'd be a major drawback if contemplating a pre-owned canine......dealing with a dog that has been traumatized.

My Border above was acquired at eight weeks; socialization is of primary importance, and I'd take him for walks and introduce him to every dog/person we encountered; at maturity, 70 lbs and un-neutered, he'd automatically expect every dog to be his friend.

[ivinsfan]

OP will the dog be around infants or young children? In that case I recommend a reputable breeder with a reputation for even tempered dogs...not a rescue.


Any NCIS fans here, apparently Abby left the show after Mark Harmon obtained a rescue dog that flat out terrorized people. Even after several incidents and a failed. retraining he refused to leave the dog home and brought it to set. This was widely reported in some media outlets.

My nephew and his wife had a shelter pup that was fine with them but unprovoked snapped at a child in the park, he was returned to the shelter.

I actually love the guide dog idea and would eliminate some puppy raising hassles/

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plantman It's been almost two years since our last one passed away. We have gotten our international travel bucket finished. If there is any further travel it will be confined to the states. So, we are thinking about getting another dog! Our family and friends say we should get a rescue dog. We are leaning towards a young small breed from a rescue outfit. The thing we don't understand is that these same people enjoy working at these types of outfits, but when it comes to getting their own dogs they go to a breeder. Same thing with everyone at our veterinarian's office. So, do they all know something about rescues that we don't? What are your thoughts or experiences on this? Rescue or breeder?

I don't have a pet, and despite the fact that I utterly adore toy poodles, I don't plan to get one because realistically, I don't want the responsibility at this stage in my life. YMMV of course! That said, I attached a Google images photo of a toy poodle puppy that I think is eminently huggable.

Anyway, back to the question at hand. If I was going to purchase a toy poodle, I would buy it from a reputable breeder of toy poodles. I assume that would cost considerably more than getting a dog from a shelter... but consider the amount people may spend on veterinarians and surgery for their pets, for example! Buying a dog is not a low cost move overall if you consider the expenses over its lifetime. So to me, this is not a time to pinch pennies.

Whatever you decide, good luck and I hope you find just the right doggie for your household.

[timo2]

You could consider adopting an senior dog. They need homes also but younger people tend to go for puppies.

[RAE]

The yellow lab we have now came from an animal shelter, almost 12 years ago now. Best dog we have ever had. Great personality, super healthy his whole life, great with kids, wouldn't hurt a flea. I have no idea why someone took him to the shelter when he was about 1 year old, but he certainly has been a great dog for us. You can check out the dogs available at animal shelters in your area by browsing PetFinder.com. That's how we found ours. Our local shelter did not have any dogs that looked right for us, but we found the lab at a shelter just a short drive away.

I think my avatar has a photo of our lab..........Toby

[dixonge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plantman The thing we don't understand is that these same people enjoy working at these types of outfits, but when it comes to getting their own dogs they go to a breeder.

I'd be shocked if rescue workers went to actual breeders, as they should be all too aware of the oversupply of dogs in the world. They should be the *last* to do so. Perhaps they were just using breed-specific rescue services? That would make a lot more sense to me.


Our last dog, 25 years ago or so, was a left-over from a neighbor's litter. The neighbor was an old farm/ranch guy who loved Aussie cattle dogs. I got this big soft spot in my heart when I saw one puppy left in the cage and it was a cold Christmas Eve. And that's how we ended up owning a cattle dog (in the city) for 17 years.


Now that we're retired and overseas the wife gets her dog fix working at a local rescue place once a week. Some day we'll stop traveling and settle down and get one more dog. It'll definitely be a rescue.

[Lakedog]

+1 on considering a working dog that flunked out of their training program (guide dog, detection work, etc).

My last lab, Coal, was bred by Auburn University for detection work (explosives) but he did not quite perform to the standards of the federal agencies using the dogs. I adopted him at 5 yrs old, and he was my best friend for the next 10+ years. Although I have had several labs over the years, Coal was the only one that I did not acquire as a pup but he may have been my favorite. He had already been trained well (not to bark, knew all commands, very calm at all times). My vet always called him the perfect dog -- he really was a good fit for me.

When I am ready for another dog, I will definitely try to find another young adult lab from one of the service dog training programs.

[Jerry1]

So I was looking at some of the dogs on petfinder and most had a requirement for a fenced yard. I have an acre and it’s all bordered with vegetation. There’s no way I’m getting a fence. This is one of the things that upsets me about this rescue dog thing. I know they want the best for a dog, but given the choice between death and having to put up with or unfenced yard, I would think the dog would chose the latter. I just think they go a bit overboard. Home visits, applications, various requirements . . . And, financially, they’re not a whole lot cheaper. We kept our dog happy and healthy until she had to be put down after 15 years. Call my vet for a reference and let me take a dog off your hands. Geeze

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry1 So I was looking at some of the dogs on petfinder and most had a requirement for a fenced yard. I have an acre and it’s all bordered with vegetation. There’s no way I’m getting a fence. This is one of the things that upsets me about this rescue dog thing. I know they want the best for a dog, but given the choice between death and having to put up with or unfenced yard, I would think the dog would chose the latter. I just think they go a bit overboard. Home visits, applications, various requirements . . . And, financially, they’re not a whole lot cheaper. We kept our dog happy and healthy until she had to be put down after 15 years. Call my vet for a reference and let me take a dog off your hands. Geeze

You don't need a physical fence. You can get ones with a buried wire for the boundary or completely wireless! The wireless works great on fairly level areas.