Getting a dog from local dogs home

Katiehound

Don't know where you are in the country or which breeds you like but I am just going to suggest you might like a hound!

I have 2 lovely trailhounds. They come in for rehoming at the end of their racing career and are either homed directly from Cumbria or else go into rescues across the country (Yes, the big yellow one but also smaller organisations.)
With a hound the garden must be secure with high fencing as these dogs can jump, that's what they did racing after all.

They are big cuddle monsters and although they love racing around they also like to curl up and can squash themselves into quite small shapes!!
Have a look here:
http://www.trailhoundwelfare.org.uk/category/hounds/

pathtofreedom

If you make friends with some local rescues, a lot in my area at least look for dog walking volunteers. So you could go down once a week or something to help walk the dogs. This might help you pick one as you can to know each other better then and get to know it's true temperament better once you've gained the dogs trust.

I have a rescue and they can come with problems like separation anxiety, this can get better over time, but if one of you will always be with the dog anyway to start with that makes it easier to deal with.

elsien

One small rescue run by a woman with very strong views wouldn't let you see the dogs at all. She told my SIL that she would choose which dog was most suitable for them, then it was take it or leave it. SIL went elsewhere. I do occasionally wonder if the rescue ever rehomed any, with that attitude.

teddysmum

elsien wrote: »

One small rescue run by a woman with very strong views wouldn't let you see the dogs at all. She told my SIL that she would choose which dog was most suitable for them, then it was take it or leave it. SIL went elsewhere. I do occasionally wonder if the rescue ever rehomed any, with that attitude.

Being a small rescue , the lady would only have a few dogs, whose character she would know.


Not seeing the dogs prevents people choosing an unsuitable dog, just on looks and the chosen dog would not have to be taken. If it fitted the clients requirements, but they didn't like the looks or 'connect' with it, they would be free to reject and ask if there was anything else suitable or go elsewhere.


One of the larger rescues, for whom I did a home visit today, has just started a scheme where, instead of looking at photos of many dogs needing homes (which can be upsetting for some people) , you tell them what you require (age, sex, size, breed, energy level ) of a dog, then they contact you when what appears to be a suitable match turns up.

bouicca21

My most recent dogs were rescues, lovely dogs, can't believe someone chucked them out. All the nicest dogs that we met when out walking were rescues too.

Battersea charges £135 for an adult dog. They (and other rescue centres) have enormous numbers of staffies.

I'm still debating whether it is sensible for me to get another dog, but if I do, I'll be heading for a rescue centre.