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Are you thinking of bringing a dog into your life? Be you single or married with kids, bringing a puppy or adult dog into your life is something you won’t regret. So, with the decision made are you willing to consider a rescue dog shelter as a place to find your new dog? Giving a homeless dog a new home is certain to make the dog you choose very happy, faithful, a loyal companion, and you will feel great for saving the life of your new dog.
Consider a rescue dog
A good place to begin when you consider a rescue dog shelter or organization is talk with local dog owners. They often already know about these shelters or know someone who does. Once a couple of rescue organizations have been located go for a visit and see what dogs they have meeting your criteria. All dog rescue shelters will want you to answer a few questions covering your background as a dog owner, if you feel you are equipped financially to provide for the dog, and how you feel concerning discipline for the dog. These questions are in no way meant to be intrusive but are for the safety of the dog. The shelter is just taking precautions the dog will be going to a safe and loving environment. Most dog rescue organizations will charge a small fee, or ask for a donation if you find a dog you like so be prepared for this when you visit.
When you consider a rescue dog organization as a source for your new dog keep in mind most of the dogs will not be puppies. Middle age dogs are the majority with a few adolescent and elderly dogs are the norm. It is also very important you understand these dogs would not be there if they had not been abandoned or mistreated A dog who has been subjected to these traumatic experiences is going to need patience and much love from you and your family before they begin to trust humans again. The dog is likely to have a few “rough edges” to them only time and plenty of love will cure. Please remember the dog is going crave this love and affection, but due to their previous experiences they will need time to begin to trust, and accept what they desperately desire.
We currently have a rescue dog that was apparently severely abused by a man and was abandoned. It took a long time for the dog to accept and trust me, and it is still “my wife’s dog”, and it still has some separation anxiety issues. But, the dog will jump up in the chair with me now and nuzzle, etc, so you can have a wonderful companion that was a rescue dog if you have a little patience.
Please consider a rescue dog organization for your dog as the need is so great for providing these canines with a good, safe, and loving environment where they will thrive.
Have you used a dog rescue shelter before? Please relate your experiences below.
Teresa
Feb 22, 2013 at 11:42 am
My last 3 dogs have been rescues and I will never have anything else! It just breaks my heart to see so many dogs put down because there are not enough homes for all of them.
Mirella Vercillo
Feb 1, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Apsolutly i would rescue a dog i did 4 years a go a Chinese Cresten my Halley.she is 12 years ould ……they are lovable dogs…..
nancy
Jan 17, 2013 at 5:54 pm
After I had my last collie put down I contacted a collie rescue and I got Maggie. I call her my challenge. This is the first dog I got that was not a puppy. My vet felt bad for us because she was such a handful. That was 7 years ago. Now my vets opinion is she is such a good dog. It took a lot of work untraining her and retraining her but she is so worth it. I would get another rescue.
old hippy
Jan 17, 2013 at 10:04 am
A great deal of rescue animals have flaws that made the previous owner give up. Perhaps not the first pee on the rug, but when the owner had tried everything (they knew) and the animal seemed to prefer the rug. Once this pattern is established, it is difficult to remedy.My roomate is trying desperately to correct this behavior in his adopted pet. No lack of trying, he walks the dog regularly, and the dog waits till he is back in the house to go. You cannot beat the animal into a behavior change,other than catching them in the act,negative enforcement only confuses them. Even then, I am not advocating more than a mild correction,smack their bottom and take them outside then praise the dog for going outside. I feel this animal has determined that eliminating is bad. He doesn’t understand the difference between inside and out. He may have to be an outside dog for this reason, and as this is not possible his current owner, he is at his wits end and trying to rehome the dog. If the dog cannot be house broken, or rehomed, he will end up in another shelter.
I do not blame this dog, or his current owner. His first owner failed him and apparently the shelter as well as this should have been disclosed. Not my dog, but it is my problem as it is my house and I am over the clean ups, and the smell.
The Crap stops here by correction or eviction, I must also keep the landlords considerations. I will repeat this again, there are no bad dogs, only bad owners.
Judy
Jan 16, 2013 at 2:32 pm
I have 5 shelter dogs and 1 stray I’ve adopted. I now work with a rescue organization, and we pull small dogs. I work with the ones with problems — since I’ve trained dogs for over 42 years. Before I got involved with the rescue community, I tried to volunteer at my local shelter for over a year, but they were too busy to bring on volunteers … go figure! I had trapped two dogs in my neighbor’s yard that I couldn’t catch — they had no training and were pretty wild. I was introduced to a small dog rescue organization that would take them both and find homes for them. That was how I got involved. I ended up adopting one of the dogs and have worked on her training and getting her socialized, which is still a work in progress. We have no clue where dogs ‘come from’ sometimes… other than we pull them from shelters and/or the street as strays. I thought that the ‘fee’ for adopting rescue dogs was kind of high, when you can go to a shelter (usually) and adopt for a lot less with shots, neutering, microchipping included. Adopting from a rescue group means that someone has some insight into the personality of the dog because it has been ‘fostered’. I train the difficult ones. My most recent: One we pulled from a shelter that obviously was a ‘carry-around’ tiny dog and spoiled rotten because when it wasn’t being held, it was barking insanely to be picked up again. After 5 days of working with this little adorable and horrible barking ball of fuzz, she is learning that barking won’t get her picked up. Another week, and she will be into a routine that will make her adoptable. Whoever had her before, created a monster; and they ‘got rid of her’ at the shelter to solve the barking problem. We advocate training your pets — for their own safety, too. As a foster home, all dogs learn basics because if a dog can’t SIT, COME, STAY, then that dog (if it gets out) can’t be ‘caught’ … and it gets tiring chasing down little dogs (and big ones) that run from humans! A simple COME! can save a dog’s life. So, my experience with rescue dogs that come from foster homes … I highly recommend it. The fee? It’s a bonus for the person who gets a dog that has some ‘new’ history to work with; plus, our adoption program allows for a trial period to be certain it’s a match. Sometimes, it isn’t. People want puppies, but when it pees on their rugs, they don’t want them anymore — and we can educate the person/family to adopting an older dog that might not have to potty every 2 hours. We also advocate training … although many people won’t do it. We love what we do, and I’m glad that I accidentally fell into the rescue organization so that we can help save a few little souls and give them an opportunity at a new life in a better environment. (Cody’s Friends Rescue on Facebook)
Mary DiBlasi
Jan 16, 2013 at 2:20 pm
My last six dogs came from a shelter or rescue. They have given me more love and joy than I ever could have imagined. Some were purebreds, some mixed breeds, all were beautiful to me and much loved. They somehow know you have rescued them and they appreciate you all the more.