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Considering The Aftermath- Rehoming Dogs With Behavioural Problems


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I used to many years ago do foster & retraining mainly of large breeds for a Sydney rescue but after twice coming to blows with the owner over me suggesting a dog was unfixable & a danger to anyone you placed her with so need pts i had to quit as i could not live with myself knowing how potentally dangerous some of the dogs could be. The bitch that brought it all to a head was the type who was so fetr aggressive she would set off a whole stable pack with just her presence, bite my sister over nothing & when I said i was having her pts she was removed from my care & kileld a small breed dog. this bitch wasd still rehome in a 1 dog household but it only laster 3w3ks when she had 1 of her manic aggressive attacks 7 attacked thier brother who was visiting & they had her pts FINALLY once I got in contact & asured them it was not them but the dog. As the rescue even tried blaming them.

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I used to many years ago do foster & retraining mainly of large breeds for a Sydney rescue but after twice coming to blows with the owner over me suggesting a dog was unfixable & a danger to anyone you placed her with so need pts i had to quit as i could not live with myself knowing how potentally dangerous some of the dogs could be. The bitch that brought it all to a head was the type who was so fetr aggressive she would set off a whole stable pack with just her presence, bite my sister over nothing & when I said i was having her pts she was removed from my care & kileld a small breed dog. this bitch wasd still rehome in a 1 dog household but it only laster 3w3ks when she had 1 of her manic aggressive attacks 7 attacked thier brother who was visiting & they had her pts FINALLY once I got in contact & asured them it was not them but the dog. As the rescue even tried blaming them.

Well I'd like to know who that shonky rescue was. :mad

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I used to many years ago do foster & retraining mainly of large breeds for a Sydney rescue but after twice coming to blows with the owner over me suggesting a dog was unfixable & a danger to anyone you placed her with so need pts i had to quit as i could not live with myself knowing how potentally dangerous some of the dogs could be. The bitch that brought it all to a head was the type who was so fetr aggressive she would set off a whole stable pack with just her presence, bite my sister over nothing & when I said i was having her pts she was removed from my care & kileld a small breed dog. this bitch wasd still rehome in a 1 dog household but it only laster 3w3ks when she had 1 of her manic aggressive attacks 7 attacked thier brother who was visiting & they had her pts FINALLY once I got in contact & asured them it was not them but the dog. As the rescue even tried blaming them.

Well I'd like to know who that shonky rescue was. :mad

Ditto...

PM would be fine...

T.

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I am not sure what teh name is now but Monica's Rescue's or Doggy Rescue, she lived out northern Sydney way before having so many issues she had to get out of the area due to noise etc compliants. She just thought everything was saveable & maybe these days if she is still in rescue she has learnt from her time in the game, but back then no dog could be pts as she would say over & oevr again I am a no kill shelter. This Rotti bitch was a lovely bitch but she was so reactive & with fear aggression on top she was atime bomb & could have the most stable group of dogs in a frenzy over the straniest unavoidable & unreasdable sitituations. And if that wasn't scary enough in sitituations of high stimulation or fear she had a habit of snapping out at the closest person or animals she wasn't picky that way.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't agree that timid dogs shouldn't be able to be rehomed, to the right home - timidity doesn't always equate to fear biting etc, i think it's really important for anyone assessing dogs to have a good understanding of breeds and how they may behave in a shelter environment.

I so Agree with this statement. Sight hound breeds do very poorly in pound/unfamilar kennel environments. I can't board any of my sight hounds for this reason in a regular boarding kennel. I get home care or they go back to the breeders I got them from for a little holiday. I think they also mistake the aloofness of these breeds for timidness. My big boy hates strangers and will walk away from them if apporached. Yet with us he is a giant clown and a big baby with my kids. I think most sight hounds fit into this catergory, Unless your "their human" they wont have a bar of you. Also in rehoming these breeds people need to be aware the dog may ignore you for weeks before making friends.

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Wobbly:

The irony of this thread though is that it's directed at people who likely won't ever see it. On the whole DoL rescuers will probably be aware of all this anyway, because they read the forums and have seen the new dog owners who sign up to make "HELP" posts. You post, compare notes, give eachother reality checks and share the heartbreaking stories when it goes wrong. It's the rescuers that don't post or read here and inform themselves of the aftermath, that are probably the ones who need to read this thread but never will.

Except that all rescuers DON'T share. Some have their halos so tightly bolted to their skulls that they sweep their problems under the rug, refusing to accept responsibility for bad placements or blaming owners when dogs display issues in their new homes. And those rescuers have been here, in this forum over the years and have adopted a stance of plausible deniability when anything goes wrong.

Sometimes, they'll take a dog back from a home, and rehome it again despite very serious behavioural issues, like biting. In a small community, trainers and dog folk get to know where the bodies are buried, even if the rescuers are less than open about their 'mistakes'. And some very high profile rescues genuinely don't seem give a toss and refuse to listen to anyone who doesn't agree with their take on the process. You get smashed by the pro-rescue brigade for even suggesting that some dogs aren't going to be suitable for rehoming to most folk. Bouncing through homes, breaking family hearts does neither the dog nor the reputation of rescue any good at all.

The sooner all rescuers focus as much on finding good dogs for families willing to take on a rescue as much as they do on getting dogs out of pounds, the better rescue will work for everyone involved. Lovely dogs die for lack of homes every day. Why warehouse 'troublesome' dogs and let the good dogs die???

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what an fantastic thread..

We have been wanting to get a dog for a LONNGGGGGG time... and now am considering to adopting one from a rescue group.

What i wanted to ask, is what should prospective new owners of rescue dogs do as part of due diligence process (couldnt think of another suitable word) prior to actually adopting the dog?

So far we are asking the rescue group alot of questions and have arranged to do an initial meet with the dog. However the rescue group have even commented there is always going to be a risk with some of these things because its a rescue dog (fair enough)..

thanks in advance.

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what an fantastic thread..

We have been wanting to get a dog for a LONNGGGGGG time... and now am considering to adopting one from a rescue group.

What i wanted to ask, is what should prospective new owners of rescue dogs do as part of due diligence process (couldnt think of another suitable word) prior to actually adopting the dog?

So far we are asking the rescue group alot of questions and have arranged to do an initial meet with the dog. However the rescue group have even commented there is always going to be a risk with some of these things because its a rescue dog (fair enough)..

We started fostering recently and have recently rehomed two gorgeous doggies - Ollie (9 month old Kelpie x husky) and Nova, a 2.5 year old Kelpie. Both families are absolutely gorgeous and are soooo in love with their dogs and send us lots of updates.

I kept a very detailed blog about both dogs, Ollie's tag is here and Nova's tag is here. In both cases, the families read the posts very closely and asked a lot of questions. A lot of foster carers might not have such detailed information for you to read but you can ask lots of questions.

When we took Ollie out to meet his prospective family, we were cautious about the fact that the family already had a 9 year old ACD female who could be quite possessive and also had two young children (five and one). We spent quite a few hours there, meeting on neutral ground, going for a walk (swapping dogs and handlers), letting the dogs have controlled play. Then we watched them in the backyard, then in the house. I wrote up a 'user guide' about settling Ollie into the new house, including the commands/tricks he knew, his quirks and areas for improvement. We also loaned them a crate to help him settle in faster so that the transition was easier for him.

With Nova, we had a long chat with the prospective adopters about the sorts of things they were looking for in a dog. He wasn't quite ready for them because they were not experienced dog owners so we kept him with us for another two weeks for training in the areas that would make him settle in more easily at their home (they both worked full time etc). One weekend, we took him to their house and walked him around, introduced him around the house and yard and when they all seemed settled - we let him sleep over their place for the weekend - again with a borrowed crate and they had our contact numbers in case of an emergency. When he came back, we could tell that they were already crazy about him. :) We took him back for another week of training and then dropped him back for his trial adoption - again loaning them a crate. We had much more detailed notes for Nova because the family was not dog-experienced. Also, there were a few things we hadn't exposed Nova to yet like fireworks, thunderstorm, lawn mower, kids' razor scooters so told them to be on the look out for that sort of thing.

In both cases, only 6 days into the trial adoption, both families decided to adopt. We let them know that we were fully contactable at any time - even after the trial period was over and that we'd take the dog back if there was an issue. Both families went and bought their own soft crates because it was such a great way to settle the dog in. So for us, we worked at making sure the families felt comfortable with the dog so it wasn't such a big shock when the dog came into their homes.

So ask lots of questions, pick a group that has a trial period, try to see if you will get a degree of support/assistance if you need it etc.

Good luck with adopting a dog and good on you for giving a dog a second chance :)

Edited by koalathebear
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what an fantastic thread..

We have been wanting to get a dog for a LONNGGGGGG time... and now am considering to adopting one from a rescue group.

What i wanted to ask, is what should prospective new owners of rescue dogs do as part of due diligence process (couldnt think of another suitable word) prior to actually adopting the dog?

So far we are asking the rescue group alot of questions and have arranged to do an initial meet with the dog. However the rescue group have even commented there is always going to be a risk with some of these things because its a rescue dog (fair enough)..

thanks in advance.

I'd be interested to know what "risks" the rescue group have indicated to you with this particular dog... I'd be a little leery of any group that was indicating there may be something "risky" about a dog they are offering for rehoming (but that's just me) - contrary to popular belief, most rescue dogs aren't "broken" in any way, shape, or form, and any rescue that is offering up such for adoption should be extremely careful about placement.

What type of dog are you looking for, and in what age bracket? What sort of temperament are you looking for? Do you have young children, cats, chickens, etc?

T.

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what an fantastic thread..

We have been wanting to get a dog for a LONNGGGGGG time... and now am considering to adopting one from a rescue group.

What i wanted to ask, is what should prospective new owners of rescue dogs do as part of due diligence process (couldnt think of another suitable word) prior to actually adopting the dog?

So far we are asking the rescue group alot of questions and have arranged to do an initial meet with the dog. However the rescue group have even commented there is always going to be a risk with some of these things because its a rescue dog (fair enough)..

thanks in advance.

I hope you worked out why breed/type of dog was suited to your family and lifestyle first. That said by the sounds of it you have. If you have never had a rescue dog before try going for one with a known history. i.e being rehomed because owner died or is in a nursing home, family moving overseas etc. It's less of a surprise for you and its less likely to go wrong! I wouldn't recommend a dog with an unknown history and maybe a few little issues if your a first time dog owner or not experienced with the breed you want. Get invloved with a club of the breed your interested in (or dog training club if its a mutt) as it will help when you have questions of problems down the track. SOme rescues do provide help and advice later on some don't or do it for a limited time.

As for the risk of things going wrong because its a rescue dog I'd be worried there? Has the dog shown any agression towards other dogs people etc, or have anxiety problems? If so walk very fast the other way as these are really hard problems to solve and can make life awful if your not prepared or experienced enough to deal with it. Make sure the dog had had a proper temprement test and has been checked for all sorts of agression and anxiety problems. I've seen so many people think they can cope and solve these problems only to relunctantly hand the dog back (with a lot of tears and heart break) becasue NO ONE was happy. ALso make sure the people doing the temprement test understand the breed as some dogs have their breed traits such aloofness mistaken for timidness and fear (very common for certain breeds in a pound or strange environment).

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What type of dog are you looking for, and in what age bracket? What sort of temperament are you looking for? Do you have young children, cats, chickens, etc?

T.

no children or other pets - that said we frequently visit relatives with pets & young children so have explained this and emphasized the importance of the dog being social.

Right now we have spotted a particular dog and will do a meet and greet soon… the dog has only recently come under care of the rescue group so they haven’t had much time to do a full observation (fair enough)… but have relayed positive comments from the kennel/pound/wherever the dog was taken from..

The rescue group have also reassured me they do not attempt to rehome with any signs of aggression (human or dog) which is good to know..

We are aware the breed we are interested in (staffys) do not have the greatest track record with being social dogs if not socialised properly. In addition, we are mindful of “staffys” that are up for adoption are actually mixed breeds (ie the poor result of backyard breeding) which presents a risk because who knows what you are getting..

The option to get a puppy instead (or worse.. a different breed if my other half commands it lol) but our hearts really go out the dogs in pounds/rescue groups so we want to try this option first, but be sensible about it.

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I think as well as assesment of dogs while in foster care which helps us get a great idea of a dogs individual needs (and addressing those needs) there also needs to be a plan in place along with full disclosure of any issues prior to adoption.

I have met the most incredible people and families, they are such a joy. I do feel it is important for families to understand the dog also needs to fit into their home environment.

So many people who have adopted from me tend to initialy feel sorry for the dog as they are a "rescue" and have been dumped at some stage during their lives.

While it can be an emotional experience for some families, I find it takes some time to explain "Yes, she/he was abandoned at some stage, though they are doing really well now. Dogs also need to learn and understand resonable boundries in living with a family". Dogs need more than love.

Information on "to be expected behaviours" also needs to be given as a change in environment may result in a temporary (subtle) slide in their training or behaviour. Things like toilet training, allowing the dog time without pressure to bond with and "look to" new owners rather than their carer are most common for me.

My dogs are all crate trained which most families call "cages' to begin with :laugh: It is quite a new concept for families, though sending the dog off into their new home with their crate gives families a chance to become familiar with the great benefits of crate training without the pressure and expense of buying a crate before the trail period.

So far every single family has taken to crate training with gusto, it works well for them and it works really well for the dogs :)

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Hey skuzy...

If your meet and greet with the other rescue group doesn't work out... how about considering my latest foster pup?

Check her out here... http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/241622-new-foster-girl-noni/

She's not a Staffy, but she IS a really nice dog that gets on well with others, and she loves children...

Then again, if Staffy cross is more your bag, check out the 2 litters that were born in rescue... latest puppy pics start here... http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/240968-2-new-arrivals-at-nswar/page__view__findpost__p__5959060 - feel free to go back to page 1 of that thread to see the mummas too - they will be up for adoption too once the babies are weaned.

T.

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Then again, if Staffy cross is more your bag, check out the 2 litters that were born in rescue... latest puppy pics start here... http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/240968-2-new-arrivals-at-nswar/page__view__findpost__p__5959060 - feel free to go back to page 1 of that thread to see the mummas too - they will be up for adoption too once the babies are weaned.

T.

Thats another great idea if you want a rescue dog without the baggage. The only problem that could occur here is bad temprement. Usually if mum is good pups will be good but its a bit of a gamble with dad. Sometimes it leaves us all guessing exactly what the Dad(s) was! Some behaviourists and trainers recommend DNA testing of mixed breeds if your unsure becasue it gives a better idea what sorts of training you puppy will respond to! I think Bayer or one of those companies sell one for a very reasonable price these days! Good luck with finding the right dog. Hope it works out for you.

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[quote name='dogmad' timestamp='1344462364' post='5924016'

There are rescue groups out there who happily rescue and rehome medium/large dogs with aggression - they know it and they still do it. This is not only putting people and other animals at risk which I believe is unacceptable but it an unprincipled "save everything with a pulse" attitude is going to eventually ruin rescue for the good people and wonderful dogs. Bad news spreads faster than good and with the massive fine of $32,000 for the owner of the dog that killed Ayen Chol, it is madness to keep rescuing dogs with dodgy temperatments. Not only that but once a child/person is disfigured or killed, you cannot make things right nor bring them back. I would never want to be responsible for that but those who are should be severely punished. $32,000 doesn't cut it.

I think this is such an important point here! It would be awful if this happened to someone who had adopted a Rescue dog and not know about the dogs problems! It could also open the rescue to being sued I think if the adoption was in its infancy and the people were not told about such things :/

"

I have to honestly say I found it really upsetting when I read posts in a forum for "HELP my foster dog is attacking my little fluffy etc or is going crackers when the school kids walk past my window...What should I do???? To me thats an accident waiting to happen :(

I'm glad this is being talked about becasue it seems taboo to PTS a dog thats been liberated from a pound only to be PTS a little further down the track becasue it's got dangerous problems :(

Edited by OutOfSightHound
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There is also a case for environmental security whilst in the formative stages of temperament OutOfSightHound... we are extremely careful with the pups that are born in our care, and make sure that they hit all the right milestones in their development with no traumatic experiences. Every one of our puppy adoptive families have been, and still are, extremely happy with the temperaments on the dogs they have adopted from us. That said, we are also pretty fussy about the homes the pups go to... *grin*

I'm not a big fan of the DNA tests available on the Australian market - they really aren't all that accurate, and people can be misled by the results.

T.

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How much observation time do rescuers need in order to make an assessment? Is this a case by case scenario or minimum 1 week for example?

I imagine that given the number of dogs they have dealt with they should be able to make a fairly accurate assessment fairly quickly.

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If a dog has come from an unknown source or a pound, 2 to 3 weeks would be a minimum quarantine period anyways, no?

I foster puppies, so a couple of weeks minimum is usually sufficient to sum up what they are like, and start rectifying some minor issues (if they have any) - but with older dogs that have been exposed to many more experiences and thusly capable of having varying reactions to various stimuli, I'd like to see them in care for a minimum of 4 weeks - if only to have time to expose said dogs to as many stimuli as possible.

Anyone who says they can be completely sure of a dog's temperament after knowing it for a week (or less) is kidding themselves.

I don't agree with listing/advertising a dog for adoption as soon as it comes into care either. But that's just me.

Rescues with a revolving door policy in order to "save" as many animals as possible may need a rethink IMHO.

T.

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