Advice appreciated - puppy or rescue dog......

[El Sid]

We have decided after many years of being cat owners to bring a dog into the household. (Cat gone).
Not sure whether to look at puppies or go down the route of taking on a rescue dog from Dogs Trust or similar.

At the moment I am leaning towards the rescue option but I am worried that the dog will come with baggage and with a six year old as well as two teenagers in the house it may be too much for the dog to cope with.

Any one had any experience with rescue dogs?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

PS - anyone know of a small/medium size dog that needs a home?

 

[Papa Lazarou]

We got a retired greyhound from here:

http://www.retiredgreyhounds.info/

They are great dogs, friendly, good with kids, and they sleep a lot.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

They have there dogs currently available.

http://www.retiredgreyhounds.info/gallery/available.html

 

[Mackenzie]

Christmas is a great time to buy a dog. Or something like that.

 

[theboybilly]

A few Staffie pups at the RSPCA in Patcham a couple of weeks ago. The thing is they seemed to come in pairs and I wouldn't want to split them up. None were over 8 months old. Fantastic pets, loyal and funny as fook

 

[janee]

Any sight hound will be a great dog for a family try lurchersos

 

[Billy the Fish]

Christmas is a great time to buy a dog. Or something like that.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I can recommend Dogs Trust in Shoreham. I used to live there.

Obviously it depends on the dog, as to what baggage it may have.

 

[Nibble]

I can recommend Dogs Trust in Shoreham. I used to live there.

Obviously it depends on the dog, as to what baggage it may have.

Glad to see you got re-homed okay.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Glad to see you got re-homed okay.

Yup, previous owner did not mistreat me, so was easy to re-home. Still wet the floor occasionally, obviously, but doesn't everyone ??

 

[pasty]

We got a rescue dog from Raystede about 4 years ago, when she was about a year old. She is a jack russell cross, but we're not sure (nor were were Raystede) what she is crossed with! She was originally in Battersea, but was moved down here as Battersea was getting too full. She was given up apparently because she used to fight with her sister, but we have not had a single problem with her at all behaviour wise. She is the most georgeous loving dog - but then all owners say that!



http://www.raystede.org/

 

[Nibble]

Yup, previous owner did not mistreat me, so was easy to re-home. Still wet the floor occasionally, obviously, but doesn't everyone ??

Haha! Constantly.

 

[Brovion]

I don't think either the Dogs' Trust or the RSPCA let them get re-homed unless they're pretty confident that there is no nasty 'baggage'. Certainly EVERY person I know who as had a rescue dog the dog as been fantastic; although I'm sure someone will come on here and say they've had a different experience.

Also they do grade them (and they'll inspect you) and let you know which ones are suitable. For example they'll say that dogs A, B and C don't like sharing a home with cats or kids; or dogs X, Y and Z don't like sharing a home with other dogs, etc. That's not necessarily breed-specific btw, it all depends on the individual dog. Not all Staffies want to fight all the time and I've known Cocker Spaniels that can be a bit snappy.

 

[Billy the Fish]

We got a rescue dog from Raystede about 4 years ago, when she was about a year old. She is a jack russell cross, but we're not sure (nor were were Raystede) what she is crossed with! She was originally in Battersea, but was moved down here as Battersea was getting too full. She was given up apparently because she used to fight with her sister, but we have not had a single problem with her at all behaviour wise. She is the most georgeous loving dog - but then all owners say that!

View attachment 47966

http://www.raystede.org/

I think he wanted a dog, not a Meercat!

 

[pasty]

I think he wanted a dog, not a Meercat!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr...............

 

[countryman]

We have decided after many years of being cat owners to bring a dog into the household. (Cat gone).
Not sure whether to look at puppies or go down the route of taking on a rescue dog from Dogs Trust or similar.

At the moment I am leaning towards the rescue option but I am worried that the dog will come with baggage and with a six year old as well as two teenagers in the house it may be too much for the dog to cope with.

Any one had any experience with rescue dogs?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

PS - anyone know of a small/medium size dog that needs a home?

As said by someone else, greyhounds make great pets. I've got 4 retired greyhounds and a lab that we had from a puppy. The puppy took a lot longer then the greyhounds to train. The biggest benefit of getting a retired greyhound over a puppy is that they are a lot easier to house train. If you do decide to get a retired greyhound, feed it outside. They tend to go to the toilet straight after their dinner because of the routine they have when in kennels.

Greyhounds are also very good with children. My niece (she's 4) had great fun when playing with the dogs last weekend.

When picking the breed, think about what different needs they have. For example, a spaniel will need hours of exercise but a greyhound only needs about an hour before they will sleep for ages. There is a breed to suit everyone.

Enjoy owning a dog, you've made the right decision to move over from cats.

 

[glasfryn]

rescue every time
my daughter has had many over the years and all have turned out ok
I also know people who have had rescue greyhounds and they are adorable and really do not need as much exercise as you might think

 

[BarnhamBlue]

I was offered Cocker Spaniel last weekend, desperate need of a home. Female / 3 years old / Spaded. I could find out if still available if you're interested.

I couldn't take as my Springer Spaniel is not that friendly with other dogs.

 

[KZNSeagull]

The only advice I can give is:

Any breed of dog can have issues.

If you go down the route of a rescue dog, you must ensure that the organisation you get one from knows it's history, especially as you have a young child. Depending on the age of the dog you get, they can be difficult to train.

With Puppies, you must go and see the breeder and see the pups with it's mother and siblings if you can. Do NOT buy one from a puppy "shop" or similar and do not buy one younger than 12 weeks old.

Either puppy or rescue, make sure they are vaccinated. Rescue dogs should be neutered, so check.

I have had and still have both - we rescued one dog (German Shepherd) and she had issues. She was fine with us but would not let strangers in the house and got aggressive with our other dog. She had to go, sadly, as we could not trust her. We currently have 4 dogs, 3 rescues and 1 from a puppy - no issues with any, other than general naughtiness and gluttony.

If you have never had a dog before, you may find it easier getting a puppy and training it, but up to you.

Good luck - dogs are great!

 

[drew]

We're looking at getting a dog just after xmas. Have been to Patcham and the Dogs Trust. On Sunday, all the signs at the Dogs trust were saying dog suitable for kids over 12. Not sure if that is always the case but they might just be covering the back. Think we will check again after xmas to see if they have an influx of puppies otherwise we'll probably go for puppy from a breeder. Bit more expensive but you'll have a better idea of what you are getting. Looking for a beagle or similar size or even a cross breed.