kiwioz Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Well it has been a year and a half since my cairn Cal died, and with poor wee Finn all on his lonesome we are ready to look for another furry member of the family But where to look? I've just been reading through the 'Would you adopt from a shelter' thread with interest, however am posting a new topic because there is very little attention given to getting a dog through a private rehoming. Is it a good idea? Would you? There is a lot of discussion on here about whether or not you should ever rehome your own dog, but not a lot about whether you should get one from someone else! We want an older dog not a pup and due to Finn, our property and our lifestyle we do of course have certain criteria we want the dog to meet. I do keep my eye on the DOL listings for mature dogs but they are few and far between here. Over here in NZ, particularly Christchurch as a relatively small city, rescue is not nearly as prolific as it is in oz. There is the main, very reputable, rescue group who would be ideal to adopt from - they are responsible, foster their dogs out and have a trial period. However they are pretty small and they tend to have mainly larger dogs who are not suitable for us. I'm certainly watching them closely though. Otherwise there is another smaller rescue group, then that's about it. You can adopt directly from the pound, or you can adopt privately from one of the many ads on trademe. I have trawled these ads constantly for months :laugh: and dogs of all shapes and sizes come up all the time, including ones that would suit us. Some for genuine (heartbreaking ) reasons, some for far less genuine reasons. I figure it is a dog needing a home, same as from a pound/rescue, and you may get the added benefit of a lot more background info from the owner. However it is potentially much more 'risky' as you don't know the person from a bar of soap and once you take that dog that's it! I should mention (because someone always does :laugh:) that there is a GAP here and I have them in the back of my mind - I used to foster greys and would love one one day, but with our current property and fencing they are probably not the best choice right at the moment. So DOL, private rehome yes or no? :) Edited January 14, 2014 by kiwioz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poochmad Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) I'll go out on a limb and say yes...if you can get a dog that has detailed/full medical history, has been trained (or partially trained) and has details on the dog's temperament etc. Many, many years ago we were in the situation where we couldn't keep our 3 dogs; 1 dog went to a friend's place and two were rehomed privately. We provided everything, leads, collars, bedding, toys, medical history, likes/dislikes, photos as pups, and kept in contact until the dogs had settled in. The dogs had all been trained and this was also shown to the new owners. Before anyone has a go at me, this was a very difficult position and I cried for weeks, vowing never again to be in that situation again... Edited January 8, 2014 by poochmad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I think it's ok, just be careful that they aren't rehoming because the dog has issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Just a suggestion, don't wait for advertisements. Ethical registered breeders sometimes take back their adult dogs (of any age) because something has happened in the life of the owner. The breeder then looks for a new good home. Also some registered breeders retire a showdog to a good pet home, after that dog has done its bit for development of the breed. So, contacting breeders of your breed of choice & making enquiries, can be helpful. They may not have advertised a dog, but have one available if a good home lobs up. Even if nothing is immediately available, they may keep your name & contact when an occasion arises. They may even put you on to another breeder. Nothing like word-of-mouth. Also sometimes the breed club keeps a list of dogs that breeders or a breed rescue has available for rehoming. Again, they also might keep your name & contact if a dog becomes available. All of our dogs in recent years have come from doing these things. We're hugely grateful for the beautiful, lovely natured dogs that ethical registered breeders have entrusted us with. Edited January 8, 2014 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Why not? You're preventing those pets from entering the pound system in the first place. I say go for it if you find the right dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Poochmad a situation like yours - whilst awful for the owners concerned - would be perfect for us. It is hard to tell just from a written advert but there are certainly some that seem more responsible than others. Some even offer trial periods etc. So I guess a large part of it would be common sense and situation dependent. I'm sorry you had to go through that kelpiecuddles that's one of the things that concerns me, and at the end of the day you only have a stranger's word for it that it is not the reason. Mita thank you that is something I hadn't thought of and will look into :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Why not? You're preventing those pets from entering the pound system in the first place. I say go for it if you find the right dog Well yes this is my main thinking! Am just wary of the risks and wanting to 'do the right thing' for both us and the dog. But I guess in terms of risk it is pretty much on par with any rescue/shelter dog with an unknown background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Why not ? I have taken dogs from ads- checked them out thoroughly ..spoken with owners on more than one occasion - if people love their dog ,and HAVE to rehome ...there is much room for discussion and decision :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I think it would be ok My brother recently got a dog from a friend whose family couldn't handle it - its a tall bouncy golden retriever cross. The dog is much better behaved in my brother's home after only a few months. So the issues it came with are largely gone now. I think if someone needs to rehome their dog for whatever reason - if they can organise it themselves while looking after the dog until a new home is found - that's for the best. So we'd have to look at private rehomes if we want to reward that. I also tell these people they should put a token price on the dog - that would cover the cost of desex and microchipping, and maybe discourage people who do the wrong thing with dogs they get for free. It is up to the owner and the potential adopter to check each other out. You'd hope the owner/rehomer would ask the same sort of questions and do a property check - that a good rescue or breeder would. And you'd hope the new adopter would be just as vigilant. There are many good reasons to rehome a dog. I personally know of an old kelpie that really needs a new home - it's being kept in a small run all week and just fed - no walks and I've got no idea how often they clean the run out - I don't like thinking about it. All because the family split and the new girlfriend doesn't like dogs. So the only time the dog gets out or looked at is when the kids have their turn with dad in the shared custody. Personally the Dad scares the shit out of me and I do not feel safe around him, and I'm not ready to take on an old kelpie. Thinking of sending in the RSPCA though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I would look at an adult from a breeder if it were me but if you weren't specifically after a certain breed then I can't see why you couldn't private rehome and give a doggy a great new home. My friend (also in NZ) got a ftgh pedigree toy poodle then the owner asked for it back (after her 2 kids got to love the dog). She gave it back as she felt bad for the owners but this sort of thing would piss me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) What breed are you interested in Kiwioz, I may be able to refer you on to a suitable breeder with an older dog to rehome. I am also in NZ. most breeders don't use DOL to rehome older dogs, it is done via word of mouth usually and always on trial Edited January 8, 2014 by cowanbree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwioz Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Thanks for the thoughts, advice and experiences. Mrs RB I'd be thrilled if the previous owner wanted to do a property check/visit. I haven't enquired about any dogs yet but some ads imply a more rigorous screening process than others. I suppose at the end of the day you have to use your own judgement about the person and of course the dog itself. Don that's awful - to think you've adopted a new dog then be guilted into giving it back You'd like to think cases like that would be few and far between. Cowanbree thanks so much for that offer, and interesting to know that breeders don't tend to use dol. Because we've very much been aiming towards a rescue/rehome this time around we don't have our hearts set on one particular breed but would certainly be interested in an older dog from a breeder as an option (although I don't know if they prefer to rehome to people that really love their breed specifically?) I'm not sure what type of breeds you have contacts with but we're looking for a small/medium dog that is active enough for a big daily walk and exploring on the weekends but that is happy living inside and cruisy and relaxed left by themselves (with Finn of course). The only problem going through a breeder may be that their dogs are actually a bit too young...I was kind of hoping to give a poor rejected oldie a good home :) Plus, though of course you never know what's going to happen, I wanted them to be somewhat 'in line' with Finn in terms of age (he's 7). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) My first two bulldogs came as mature breeders who were retiring. I would definitely do that again, a reputable breeder would only have used good dogs and you can go check out the establishment and how the dogs have lived. Edited January 8, 2014 by hankdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle wrangler Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 My father got a beautiful, exCH boxer when I was a child from breeder, needing to move on some dogs. She was beautiful nature, walked at heel, soft mouth, lovely dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Our next dog is coming from a breeder who I met by coincidence. I work in a pet supply store and she came in to buy dog food and we got chatting and it turned out we both had bassets which is a fairly uncommon breed, she mentioned she had a 4 year old girl she was looking to rehome soon as she had to be desexed(pyometra before her first breeding) and was never able to breed as a result, she does very well as a show dog in neuter though. So we will be taking her this year some time once the breeder is ready(should be soon since it was dependant on her breeding a litter out of her other bitch and she now has eight week old pups!) and my son will show her as his show dog :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'smum Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 You sound like you're fairly clued in on the subject of dogs. Each circumstance will be different- there is no "right" or "wrong" in this case. Go on your gut feeling when you meet the dog and owners. Ask them direct questions about health and behaviour and monitor their body language and response. Its not common as such, but I have seen dogs re-homed because they had an expensive medical problem that the original owners dont feel like treating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Why not? You're preventing those pets from entering the pound system in the first place. I say go for it if you find the right dog Agree. What does it matter where the dog comes from providing he/she is the dog you want to join you and Finn :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Cowanbree thanks so much for that offer, and interesting to know that breeders don't tend to use dol. Because we've very much been aiming towards a rescue/rehome this time around we don't have our hearts set on one particular breed but would certainly be interested in an older dog from a breeder as an option (although I don't know if they prefer to rehome to people that really love their breed specifically?) I'm not sure what type of breeds you have contacts with but we're looking for a small/medium dog that is active enough for a big daily walk and exploring on the weekends but that is happy living inside and cruisy and relaxed left by themselves (with Finn of course). The only problem going through a breeder may be that their dogs are actually a bit too young...I was kind of hoping to give a poor rejected oldie a good home :) Plus, though of course you never know what's going to happen, I wanted them to be somewhat 'in line' with Finn in terms of age (he's 7). For all sorts of reasons, breeders can have older dogs available. Or know of one. I've adopted an 8 yr old dog from a registered breeder who had kindly taken in the dogs of another breeder who's became seriously ill. That lovely girl waltzed into our home as if she'd always lived there. She's nearly 14 yrs old now ... healthy & looks years younger. Only recently I had to hold on to the furniture to stop applying for a beautiful 11 yr old from another excellent breeder who was seriously injured in a house fire that killed his wife. Most of his gorgeous dogs had to be rehomed. None of those were advertised .... as Cowanbree said, word-of-mouth is so important. That's a great offer to help you make contact with breeders. I don't think it matters if you enquire about breeds that you haven't had before. So long as the needs of that breed fit well with what you have to offer. And you've described that very clearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Check out if there's any shelters/rescues in NZ who willingly take in older dogs when owners have died or gone into nursing homes. Just an example. AWL Qld (Ipswich & the Gold Coast) are brilliant at doing that. Like presently, they have 8 & 10 yr old Pup & Em, whose owner's died. Scroll down: https://www.facebook.com/AWLQLD In Sydney, Denise at PAWS does likewise & has had lovely mature-aged & senior dogs for adoption. Edited January 8, 2014 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Some rescues actually assist people to rehome rather than surrender their pets so really, for some dogs this is the step before true desperation sets in and a good dog needs to be surrendered, sent to the pound or pts. I truly believe there are genuine circumstances requiring well loved and cared for dogs to find new homes and if it ever happened to me I would love to have some control over finding the right new owner for my fur baby. As long as the potential dog is right for you and you for it, you have saved it the heartache of being surrendered or worse. Edited January 8, 2014 by Little Gifts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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