First time dog owner.....please advise

hethmar

Did you check out the links I put in post No. 2?

Homing policies differ from rescue to rescue but in most cases a home checker can be found in your area even if the dog is a long way away. I do checks for rescues over 100 miles away from where I live.

Do have a look at those links above though - some gorgeous dogs there.

the_cat

Haha Hethmar..... I've literally done nothing BUT look at those (and other) links all day!
Border terriers do look a good option and ive seen some other breeds which sound ok given their individual personalities.Thanks for the info on mileage, that's handy to know. Can't do anything for a week at least as OH has gone abroad on business, damn him. I've seen some lovely dogs although most ive seen on the many tears site seem to be ex breeding dogs which they want to go to a home with other dogs. Fair enough obv but no good for me!
Annoyingly none of the sites let you search according to dog needs etc so it's really hard to find the ones that are suited to my experience and home.......I would rather choose by personality and needs, not look at pretty pictures and then find the dog won't be suited. So it's a long process

Katiehound

Forgot to say that trailhounds are often nick named "Cuddle monsters!!" Like greyhounds they like to run free... but they are also couch potatoes.

I think your best bet would be to contact the rescues that interest you and tell them about your experience, or rather lack of it, and see which dogs they might suggest.

suki1964

When looking for a dog, get in touch with the breed club, even if you are looking a rescue

krlyr

the_cat wrote: »

Annoyingly none of the sites let you search according to dog needs etc so it's really hard to find the ones that are suited to my experience and home.......I would rather choose by personality and needs, not look at pretty pictures and then find the dog won't be suited. So it's a long process

I'm sure if they would, they could, but consider that Many Tears has probably about one of the most advanced search/filter functions I've seen on any rescue website! Their speciality is dogs, not web development, I'm sure someone could create an extensive system with key words containing snippets about their temperament, quirks, etc. but it's just not a rescue's priority to spend that time or money to achieve it.
They will probably be better to speak to in person, if you want to go down that route. Approach rescues who's attitude/morals you like the sound of - they'll have a good idea of the personalities of each of their dogs and can recommend which dogs they think would suit you.
Good luck in your search

codeshopper

This thread is really helpful for me. I plan to have my own dog in the future and since I haven't owned one before it would be a great adjustments for me.
Thanks to this thread I know now what I may expect in the future when I have my own dog.