Questions About Adopting

[Guest LittleMissOdie]

Hi all,

I hope I am posting this in the right section. DH and I have recently bought a new home and we are soon going to start the quest for another dog to add to our little family. We currently have no kids, but we have a little French Bulldog whom we love dearly, she is just under a year old. We would love to find a companion for her. My husband is set on another Frenchie since we both love the breed so much, however, I have always wanted to adopt a rescue dog and I feel as if we could provide a loving home for one. I'm hoping to convince my husband to consider this idea since I think he has the general preconceptions that come with rescuing a dog.

Since I have never adopted a rescue before, I had some questions that I was hoping someone could provide some insight on:

1) How do we go about finding a dog that matches our lifestyle and energy level? We are a low to moderately active couple, our Frenchie gets a 15 to 20 minute walk a day and the rest of the day is spent romping around or snoozing - some of you who are familiar with bulldog breeds probably know that they have unique exercise needs and expel their energy in short bursts (as opposed to breeds like labs etc who need a good hour or so of exercise). Ideally we would love to find another dog around the same energy level as her with the same exercise needs. We would also ideally like the other dog to be around the same age group as our other dog.

2) What precautions do we need to take, if any, to prevent behavioral problems in rescue dogs once we bring them home? Additionally, how easy is it to train an older rescue dog (eg housebreaking, setting boundaries)

3) Do rescue organizations assess the compatibility of the family and other dog before adopting out? Our Frenchie absolutely loves other dogs but, being a bulldog, can be quite boisterous and playful. This can be too much to handle for some dogs (mostly terrier type dogs like my MIL's who do not like to rough and tumble!) so ideally we would love to find a dog who is up for some serious play time!

I have been looking on www.petrescue.com.au as a starting point but I would love to hear from someone who has rescue experience about what it's like adding a rescue dog to the family. Apologies if the questions above seem a bit obvious, I would just love to research some more about it before we take the plunge!

Thanks

[Aphra]

The real answer to your question is that you need to find a reputable rescue group, because making sure the dog and their new family are compatible is the whole point for a good rescue group.

The point I'd really like to address is the idea that there is something wrong with rescue dogs and that you're going to face lots of issues with one. Rescue is only a description of the current situation of a dog who is in the care of a rescue group, it's a temporary designation for a particular moment in that dog's life.

The thing is, if you choose well and go through a good rescue group, you won't have any major issues with dog you adopt from them. In fact if you choose well, you shouldn't have any issues at all. Dog come into rescue for all sorts of reasons; but lots of times it's just because they got unlucky. The pound is full of good dogs who just need another home, they are not broken or badly behaved, just unfortunate in their circumstances. Sometimes dogs do come in with issues (mostly due to being young, energetic and untrained in my experience), but rescue groups put in the work with those dogs before they go home.

If your husband is resistant to taking on a rescue dog because he thinks of it as a project, I can imagine he'd be unhappy with the idea. But if you think of it as a fun way to find a really nice dog and give it another chance, then its a much more enticing proposition. Don't adopt a rescue dog because you feel sorry for it, but because you see a really good dog who would make a great match for you and your current dog.

If, with the help of a good rescue group, you choose a dog which is suitable for you in temperament, activity level and personality, you won't face any issues greater than you would with any other dog, purebred included.

I've been doing rescue for several years and to my mind the really challenging, difficult dogs with serious issues are in the minority of the pound population.

Older dogs are generally easier to house-train than puppies because they have stronger bladders and a longer attention span. And as long as you pick a dog which is within your ambit of experience (so no super active untrained working breeds unless that's your level of experience), you shouldn't have any extraordinary training issues. You will have some training to do, as you would with any dog at all

I'd totally encourage you to not think about taking on something broken and hoping you can fix it, but looking for a fabulous dog who will complement your family.

Choose an ethical, reputable group, look for a dog who has been in foster care and expect real honesty from the people you are dealing with. Listen to what they say about the dogs and expect that they will listen carefully to what you want.

Hi all,

I hope I am posting this in the right section. DH and I have recently bought a new home and we are soon going to start the quest for another dog to add to our little family. We currently have no kids, but we have a little French Bulldog whom we love dearly, she is just under a year old. We would love to find a companion for her. My husband is set on another Frenchie since we both love the breed so much, however, I have always wanted to adopt a rescue dog and I feel as if we could provide a loving home for one. I'm hoping to convince my husband to consider this idea since I think he has the general preconceptions that come with rescuing a dog.

Since I have never adopted a rescue before, I had some questions that I was hoping someone could provide some insight on:

1) How do we go about finding a dog that matches our lifestyle and energy level? We are a low to moderately active couple, our Frenchie gets a 15 to 20 minute walk a day and the rest of the day is spent romping around or snoozing - some of you who are familiar with bulldog breeds probably know that they have unique exercise needs and expel their energy in short bursts (as opposed to breeds like labs etc who need a good hour or so of exercise). Ideally we would love to find another dog around the same energy level as her with the same exercise needs. We would also ideally like the other dog to be around the same age group as our other dog.

2) What precautions do we need to take, if any, to prevent behavioral problems in rescue dogs once we bring them home? Additionally, how easy is it to train an older rescue dog (eg housebreaking, setting boundaries)

3) Do rescue organizations assess the compatibility of the family and other dog before adopting out? Our Frenchie absolutely loves other dogs but, being a bulldog, can be quite boisterous and playful. This can be too much to handle for some dogs (mostly terrier type dogs like my MIL's who do not like to rough and tumble!) so ideally we would love to find a dog who is up for some serious play time!

I have been looking on www.petrescue.com.au as a starting point but I would love to hear from someone who has rescue experience about what it's like adding a rescue dog to the family. Apologies if the questions above seem a bit obvious, I would just love to research some more about it before we take the plunge!

Thanks

[juice]

Alot of people wrongly assume rescue dogs must have something wrong with them, truth is, a few do, mostly its owners who bought the wrong breed for their lifestyle, or expected to the dog to train itself, it doesn't ,so they chuck it out and get another.

Matching dogs to people's needs is a sign of a good rescue, there are a few out there who will give the dog to the first caller, so back away if they don't make you jump through hoops :laugh:

Perhaps start looking at dogs on petrescue you like, contact the rescue, see what their policy is, good ones will homecheck you, give you a trial period etc.

The advantage of a rescue who is in foster care is you can tell what they are like, exercise needs ,housetraining etc.the foster carer will know all about the dog and if it suits you.

If you want a small dog you can't get better than a "Paws' dog, although a greyhound would suit you too, very low exercise needs, sleeps alot, doesn't smell doggy :)

Edited October 28, 2012 by juice

[Alkhe]

I agree with the others - there's no reason to assume that a rescue dog will have behavioural problems at all. Some might, sure, but clearly you've demonstrated the foresight to start thinking about the right questions to ask to find out that will fit in with your situation. The other thing to remember is that rescue dogs aren't always older, either. I created a shortlist of dogs to check out for a family friend last night, and it included dogs from 3 months up to 10 years; unfortunately all too often prenant bitches end up in pounds, and pups are born into a pound situation. I'm sure that's unheard of for Frenchies, but it definiteliy happens with dogs of all sizes.

Regarding training and housebreaking an adult dog, I personally don't think it's any harder than a puppy! I got my dog at 3 years and while she had been toilet trained at her previous home, I made sure to treat her as if we were toilet training her from scratch when we brought her home, just to make sure that she learned where to go. So taking her outside regularly, overzealous rewarding when she went outside, etc etc. She'd never had any obedience training in any of her previous homes but she's a great dog now. We go to dog school each week and she's really a dream to train - I actually find her much easier than a pup, because she has a much longer attention span and isn't as distracted by everything,. Though obviously that's about personality and the individual dog as much as age. My point is though, that age is no barrier to training at all. Older dogs might not be sponges like young pups, but they're just as lovely to train!

If I were you I would start by looking at petrescue.com.au, identifying soem dogs you might be interested in, and then calling the rescue group they are with to chat about what you are looking for. Having a particular dog in mind is good, but actually discussing what you would like, te kind of dog, your lifestyle etc (all the things you've outlined here) is a good first step. Groups that use foster carers are also great, becuase the foster carers will know lots about the dogs in their care, and what kind of situation they would thrive in. I wouldn't be as inclined to take a dog straight out of a pound, because finding one that has been in foster care will give a much more accurate idea of what the dog is like NORMALLY, rather than in a highly stressful pound situation, where it may be terrified, unhealthy, etc. A dog that's lived with people in a house, maybe with other dogs or animals, or kids etc, is going to show its 'true' or normal temperament and personality, giving a more accurate understanding of what kind of situation it needs.

[Guest LittleMissOdie]

I'd totally encourage you to not think about taking on something broken and hoping you can fix it, but looking for a fabulous dog who will complement your family.

Choose an ethical, reputable group, look for a dog who has been in foster care and expect real honesty from the people you are dealing with. Listen to what they say about the dogs and expect that they will listen carefully to what you want.

Thanks for your reply and apologies if I gave that impression! I don't take the responsibility of owning a dog lightly, which is why I would like to research as much as I can before making the decision, just as I would if I was searching for a breeder. I am primarily interested in a rescue dog because I see the benefits of adopting, one of them being that we can readily find a dog out there that has the suitable temperament/energy level we are looking for (which is a bit harder when you are searching for a puppy as these characteristics aren't very apparent until they are older).

Thank you again for your advice. Are there any resources (or perhaps a thread on here) which lists reputable rescue organizations?

[Guest LittleMissOdie]

Alot of people wrongly assume rescue dogs must have something wrong with them, truth is, a few do, mostly its owners who bought the wrong breed for their lifestyle, or expected to the dog to train itself, it doesn't ,so they chuck it out and get another.

Matching dogs to people's needs is a sign of a good rescue, there are a few out there who will give the dog to the first caller, so back away if they don't make you jump through hoops :laugh:

Perhaps start looking at dogs on petrescue you like, contact the rescue, see what their policy is, good ones will homecheck you, give you a trial period etc.

The advantage of a rescue who is in foster care is you can tell what they are like, exercise needs ,housetraining etc.the foster carer will know all about the dog and if it suits you.

If you want a small dog you can't get better than a "Paws' dog, although a greyhound would suit you too, very low exercise needs, sleeps alot, doesn't smell doggy :)

Thanks for the advice! I will definitely look out for groups that foster the dogs prior to re-homing them. I did not mean to imply that all rescues have behavioral problems - I know that there are lots of people that buy a dog on impulse without thinking and that's why our shelters are full of them. I was more asking about what problems may arise (if any) with adopting an older dog, as I have only raised my dogs from puppies my whole life.

We are not too fussed about size as long as the dog has a compatible energy level - for example we don't have to worry about our Frenchie digging under the fence and escaping when we're out running errands (she's too lazy! :laugh: ) or worry about her going too crazy if it's raining outside and we can't walk her - it's just things like that that I would like to keep in mind when we are searching for another dog.

Yes greyhounds are beautiful dogs, we run into a pair at our local dog park from time to time! Our Frenchie loves frolicking around with them, she's convinced herself that she's one of them I think :laugh:

[Salukifan]

Alot of people wrongly assume rescue dogs must have something wrong with them, truth is, a few do, mostly its owners who bought the wrong breed for their lifestyle, or expected to the dog to train itself, it doesn't ,so they chuck it out and get another.

For a novice dog owner, that "something wrong" could include a dog with ingrained bad habits like leash pulling. Lack of training is "something wrong" with the dog from that perspective and it can be a real headache unless folk are informed and prepared to work at it. God knows we see it often enough in training.

I would always recommend that people adopt only from a responsible foster care situation and that they have a VERY clear understanding, when they have other dogs, about the return process should the dogs not get on. Personally I cannot recommend dogs kept in kennel/run environments for adoptive owners who will keep the dog in their homes. Way too many unknowns from where I sit.

However, my strong personal belief is also that dogs in mulitple dog situations do best and get the most enjoyment out of being with dogs like themselves. That means matching breed or breed type and temperament for the best fit.

[mita]

If you want a small dog you can't get better than a "Paws' dog, although a greyhound would suit you too, very low exercise needs, sleeps alot, doesn't smell doggy :)

As examples. Go to the Paws website. First click on 'Rescued by Denise'... scroll down to 'Winston' (tho' others may catch your eye).

Then click on 'Rescued by Rhonda'... scroll down to 'Norris' (or whichever appeals to you).

Paws dogs, like many of the other rescues, have their dogs in fostercare, where the carers get to know them very well. Shows up in the descriptions.

http://www.paws.com.au/

[koalathebear]

First of all, good on you for considering a rescue dog and giving a dog a second chance at a better life :)

Secondly - sorry this is so long :)

Before I started fostering, I have to admit I also had the same perception that rescue dogs were more likely to have problems/behavioural issues than other dogs but now, several fosters later, I would be very happy to recommend the right rescue dog to the right family. I'm relatively new to fostering but I have been reading and observing for a long time and even now, I get to see a lot of what happens with other people's fosters, both within my group and other groups.

Choosing a Group. As everyone has mentioned, it's important to find a good group that has a good reputation for not turning its back on you after the adoption is finalised. The group I'm with allows trial adoptions for non-puppies i.e. you can return the dog and not have to pay the adoption fee if you decide no to take the dog after the trial is over.

Breed. If you have a preferred breed, then a breed specific rescue will often have the sort of experience you need to select the right dog. For us, fostering was a lot like applying to adopt as was very important to us that we only get given dogs to foster that were compatible with our existing two dogs and our lifestyle. We have a very good relationship with the coordinator and she makes sure that only suitable dogs are given to us to foster - she has a very good idea of what we handle. Usually smart, crazy, untrained Kelpie-ish dogs that have been dumped because their owners did not train them :) We are not equipped to deal with dogs with severe behavioural issues (fence jumping, resource guarding, aggression etc).

Reviewing applications. When adoption applications come in, the carer has a lot of say in whether they think that the family is suitable for the dog. With the applications I review where I have very strong reservations about the suitability of the dog for the family, my views have always been taken into account. With my group, they will tell applicants either in the description or in response to the application that a dog is not suitable for certain types of family. For instance, I do music videos for other people's foster dogs as well as my own. With Ellie May,

made it clear that she could not be in a home with chickens. With other dogs, I've made it clear that they can't be in a home with cats or other dogs etc.

Learning about the dog. After that, it is very much a dog by dog/foster carer by foster carer approach. For some carers, they choose to provide a loving home environment and feed and care for the dog and leave it at that. Other carers choose to do more training with the dogs - it's really a decision for the carer so you will need to talk to the carer of your chosen dog to find out that dog's 'status'. It should be a detailed discussion right down to what sort of food is the dog used to eating, where is the dog used to sleeping, has the foster carer let the dog on the furniture, has the dog been an outside or an inside dog etc.

For us, we like to do some training with the dogs and we have a checklist of all of the training requirements we want all of our foster dogs to leave with. This applies to older dogs as we do not have such high expectations of very young puppies :)

This is just our personal choice - my view is that a lot of people who want to adopt a rescue are either: (1) wanting to do it for altruistic purposes; and/or (2) not wanting to deal with training a brand new puppy and so have an expectation that the dog comes to them with a set of basic house manners and basic training.

Toilet training an older dog. In my experience, the older dogs have been easier to train than the puppies because: (1) our two resident dogs are so good about showing the new dog the ropes; and (2) older dogs have more bladder/bowel control so it's so much easier to get them to hold on in the night etc. The house training principles are the same as with a puppy though - no unsupervised access to the house, be on hand to correct them and section off parts of the house you don't want them to go and gradually give them increased access - or keep them on a leash whenever they are inside.

Boundaries. Our dogs are allowed on the bed and day bed when invited and parts of the sofa (covered by a dog sheet). We 'discriminate' against our fosters and they do not have the same privileges that have been earned by our resident dogs. This isn't to be mean, it's simply because I have no idea what the new family is going to permit in the dog and while it's easy to teach a dog to get upon the furniture, it can be harder to train it to get down. Some people might be very angry if the new dog jumps up on the furniture. Thus, we train our fosters not to go up on the furniture and leave it to the new family to give whatever privileges they choose. Funnily, one family who applied for a dog initially wanted him as an outside dog but we convinced them to crate him inside at night - he was given nightly bed and sofa privileges from day one!!!

The Right Fit. I am very anxious to avoid bounce back dogs because I think that it's very unsettling for the dog so the dogs never get rehomed with a family until I feel that there's been full disclosure and consideration of requirements depending on how dog savvy the family was. For instance, one of our younger fosters was more cute but had more training to do so out of two applicants, I chose the family with the more dog savvy handler who was prepared to do formal obedience and already had a dog that was obedience-trained.

With the less experienced family, I placed a not-so cute dog with them (still lovable though! :) but much more trained, requiring less effort from them. With one family, in addition to the trial period, I let them have the dog for a weekend to see what sorts of things they liked/didn't like so that we could take him back for another week or so of training in the areas identified. With one dog, the family was patient enough to wait until we had finished addressing the dog's nuisance barking when left alone in the yard before taking him on and they also followed our instructions for the first week he was with them to make sure the extinguished behaviour was also extinguished in their yard.

Some people like/want a challenge so even the naughty dogs can have a perfect home as long as you find the owner who WANTS a project like that - as long as they know that they are getting into :)

Crate Training. We make sure our fosters are crate trained. They sleep in our bedroom but before we adopt them out, we move them to different rooms of the house so that they won't cry if the new family chooses to put them in a different room (eg kitchen/laundry/lounge/family room etc). We lend the new family a soft crate to help the dog settle in and to date the families have always then gone out and bought their own crate for the dog.

Resident Dog. If the family has a resident dog, this is very much taken into account. Ollie was going into a home with a 9 year old female cattle dog so we went to great pains to make sure that their first meeting went smoothly and we maximised their chances of getting along. If there had been any thing of concern, I would not have let them have Ollie on trial. We also let them know that if during the trial there were any issues, they could call us at ANY time of day and we would come and take Ollie away.

Being honest. We also make full disclosure. For instance, one of our dogs had a bad habit of nudging humans when he wanted pats :D We could have trained it out of him but the family felt that this was something that they could work on. We advise the families if the dogs have/have not experienced a thunder storm, fireworks, razor scooters, lawn mowers etc. We expose the dogs to noisy kitchen appliances, children, cats, other dogs (big, small, fluffy), strangers, car travel (crate and in a harness). We take them to a friendly dog park in controlled circumstances.

Don't just love them and leave them. I let the families know that they can always contact me if they have any issues about the dog and if I can't help, I can put them in touch with someone who does. My group has a right of first refusal to take dogs back after the expiration of the trial if the owner doesn't want them anymore but I also give adopters a promise that if at any time they do not want the dog anymore, I will take it back and refund their money. It's a personal promise from me rather than the group but I cannot bear the thought of any of my fosters being dumped at the pound.

Share information. Finally, I keep a very detailed blog about our fosters over here. It's very funny because all of the families in the lead-up to adoption follow the blog very religiously and will even email me to remind me if I haven't posted an update :) Before the dog even arrives, they are already very familiar with the dog's pluses and minuses, quirks and temperament. I find that because they have been involved in the dog's fostering/training 'journey' and are aware of the dog's shortcomings, they adopt with their eyes wide open and formulate strategies for addressing any issues before the dog even arrives.

At the end of the day, it's about you getting as much information as you need to feel comfortable about the dog. It's similar to finding the right breeder of the dog for you - so ask a lot of questions and don't take on a dog that someone is just trying to offload but adopt a dog that is truly the right fit for your home.

[Little Gifts]

I am a foster carer for a breed specific group in Qld. If a potential adopter is interested in the dog I foster they come for a visit and stay for as long as they want. They can interact with the dog however they want (I assist with treats and toys and supervise). We talk about the dog and the things that I know (good and the bad, the quirks and the potential). If they remain interested they complete an adoption application. It is a long document but matching families and dogs is very important! We all want the match to be a forever and positive one! Sometimes potential adopters come back for a second visit or they bring other family members. Sometimes they have to fix fences or get body corporate approval so they can visit again while that happens. If they had a dog already I'd probably arrange to meet at a park and introduce the two dogs. If that went well we could go back to my place or to their place and see how it was going there as well. They can call me with questions or email me at anytime also. I give honest feedback on any visits to the person who owns/runs the rescue. They give final approval on adopting that dog. They also provide lifetime back up support to the adopting family as needed so if any behavioural or health issues show up then you have an immediate support network in place. A lot of adopters then become part of our extended family and come to our get togethers where we get to see how the rescue dogs are doing in their new homes.

So this is what can happen to ensure a great match is made but of course it can all happen simply after one successful meeting and filling out an application! With our breed they often choose the people they like as much as the people choose them and at each meeting I see their behaviour change towards them and it is very heartwarming.

So the best advice I can offer you is to be honest about your circumstances and needs (and don't ever be apologetic about it!) because a good group is looking to make good matches and overcome any minor barriers rather than find bland reasons to say no. They will work with you. And if they can't be bothered answering your questions then they may not be the right group for you either. If you become keen on a particular breed then don't get disheartened if you don't find the right dog straight away because new dogs are coming through every day and a rescue group will also know if a potentially suitable dog is waiting behind the scenes to have vet or other work done before being available for adoption.

Good luck!!!! I fall in love with all my fosters but am still overjoyed when they find the perfect forever home!

[Aphra]

I'm bumping this discussion because the question about how to pick a rescue group and how to go about adopting seems to be be coming up more frequently , so I've written a blog post to see if I can cover some of the issues in one place.

I've also included some information about buying a purebred puppy and pet shops because I think the general public is a bit vague about how all of this stuff fits together.

It's a bit of a work in progress, so if anyone wants to have a read and offer suggestions for things that could be included, I'd love the feedback.

http://www.headingforhome.asn.au/an-agreeable-friend/

[Purdie]

Aphra thats fantastic.....

[tdierikx]

Well written, covers all of the basics - and doesn't force one option as "better" than any other... AWESOME!!!

T.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I got my dog from AWL - as a 10 week old puppy - so any issues she has are ones I gave her - or she was born with.

Gary Wilkes has some great advice on how to choose a rescue dog.

http://www.clickandtreat.com/html/getdog.html

I think the others are right about finding a good rescue group and getting to know each other - so they will be able to let you know when a dog that might suit you comes in. With the big shelters - it's going to be all up to you to keep up with what they have by actually showing up.

Maybe people in here could post their fav reputable rescues in NSW, so you have somewhere to start.

PS if you'd like another french bulldog but you want to do rescue too - maybe contact your breeder or the french bulldog club - and ask them about it.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Mrs Rusty Bucket