What would encourage you to use a rescue?

Number 1; I much rather go to a shelter, then buy from a breeder due to shelter, pound and rescues ALWAY temperment test their dogs prior to being put up for adoption, if they don't they are euthanised regardless of age. Some people get confused between the typcially puppy chewing & nipping of puppy s and think the pup is aggressive when it is only playing because simple it has not been taught to walk on lead. Amazing how many people expect a puppy NOT to nip and chew or not have typcially puppy problems.

There are many misconceptions about the quality of animals found in rescue shelters. The stigma that shelter pets have been stuck with for many years is that they are "damaged goods".

Myth: Shelter pets are obviously not good pets, or else their original owners wouldn't have gotten rid of them

If the main reason why a pet gets brought to rescue shelters was because they were a *bad* pet, there would be thousands of empty shelters across the country. Animals are brought to shelters for a large variety of reasons, some of which are...

•Their owners have passed away

•An irresponsible owner didn't get their pets spayed or neutered so they found themselves with a litter of babies that they could not keep or did not want

•The animal's owners were abusive to the animal, so the authorities have removed the pet from the harmful environment

•An animal was purchased or adopted by someone who did not take into consideration all of the responsibility that caring for that pet would entail. A good example of this would be someone who adopts a pet in an apartment complex that does not allow animals and then is subsequently forced to get rid of the pet.

Myth: Animals from abusive homes will never be good pets because they have been mistreated for so long

Most animals coming from abusive homes will typically make a full emotional recovery - with proper care and attention. In fact, many of them are so grateful to be rescued from their previous situation, they end up being more devoted and loyal than animals coming from non-abusive homes.

Myth: You never know what you're getting with shelter pets

Although its true that the medical history and temperament of an animal adopted from a rescue shelter are not always able to be tracked down, its really no different than an animal you might get from a pet store, unless you are buying a pedigree.

Myth: All animals in rescue shelters are sickly or unhealthy

Once again, it certainly IS possible that a pet adopted from a rescue shelter may have medical problems, however the majority of the animals that are adopted from shelters are perfectly healthy, and just need a good home. If anything, you're more likely to get an honest answer about an animal's medical problems from a shelter volunteer - who is clearly there because they *care* about the animals - as opposed to a pet store owner or breeder that is only it in for the money. Additionally, animals in shelters are typically treated much better than animals in pet stores, which have often spent their short lives in cramped environments with little socializing and often, unsanitary conditions.

To illustrate the point a little more clearly, when you go to a pet store, the animals are kept on display in tiny cages, often with multiple animals in one cage. When you go to a shelter, you will usually find much bigger animal pens, where the animals have some room to move

I volunteer with a rescue, and have fostered for them, I have also helped with the training program. However I have yet to adopt from them specifically.

A lot of times people are too impatient to wait for their perfect dog to become available through a rescue. These are the same people who will go out to the first BYB they see and purchase a pup.

Also, rescues often have some strict interrogating questions and terms that some people either can not, or will not comply with.

The only dog that I got from a breeder under true intentions was my border collie.

One of the reasons being that border collies from rescues are usually in their due to neglect of the breed itself and the dog needs "more" work than would be needed with a pup.

Don't get me wrong, I love working with these dogs and I do hope they find a great home, but living where I do with the amount of small animals in the house.

On top of that I needed his papers in order to compete in Agility for some clubs.

In my opinion there is no issue with purchasing a dog from a breeder as long as the breeder is breeding for the right reasons and breeding correctly. Any reputable breeder would be fine in my books.

It's the ones that purchase from BYBs and Puppy Mills that really should be targeted to adopt more so.

Many rescues also contain many of these "designer mutts" that everyone seems to want these days.

I have a rescue dog and tbh he was a nightmare for the first 6 months and suffered from severe separation anxiety (of course because of what had happened to him poor thing). I worked really hard to get him balanced but he will never be 100% .But he is a very loving and gentle dog....he just needs stability and routine. I think the perception is that rescue dogs are trouble plus people don't like to jump through hoops if they are suitable to re home.

I think some rescues are far too strict about rehoming dogs but I understand the desire to be extra careful. No one wants a dog to end up as a yo-yo.

I fear some people will actually feel intimidated by the adoption process and prefer to simply go and buy a pup.

I would say first off that I have absolutely nothing against a rescue dog and I might well have looked for one, had this been what I wanted in the dog I was looking for, at the time. However, I went to a really good breeder for the puppy I recently bought because I wanted a specific breed, I wanted a puppy and I wanted one who's background I knew about. For me, the problem with taking in a rescue dog is all rescue dogs come with 'baggage', and again for me, my circumstances, and at this point in my life, this just wasn't something I felt I wanted.

But this is a personal choice.

PS I'm a retired breeder, and was switching breeds for my last dog.

The use of a rescue really depends on the person who is planning on getting a dog needs. If they are in the market for a mix or a dog from a rescue that could potentially be damaged meaning they have the time, and patience to work through with the dog any of its needs, as well are able to take the risk of not knowing where the dog came from and its health history and its parents health history then I suggest shelters that I am experienced with and feel would be a good fit for them.

If the person has a specific set of needs for their life style then I am more likely to suggest a breeder or a breed specific rescue. If a person NEEDS as working dog, then they don't always want a mix that may not fill the needs.

I feel that where your dog comes from should be based on your wants, needs, and requirements. Shelter dogs are not for everyone.

We have one shelter dog, and while we love her and she is great! We have had a heck of a time building her confidence. I don't know what happened to her before she came to us. Also she is a large breed, so we have the risk of HD and that worries us, but we wouldn't trade her. Our other 2 dogs are from Great breeders who went above and beyond on testing and that gives a a bit of piece of mind.

Im not saying i wouldnt buy or rescue a dog from a shelter cause i have but people know what breed of dog they want can have it from a pup and train it exactly how they want it, they also get a health guarantee (from good breeder) which you do not get from shelters this eliminates genetic disorders in later life too which save personal heart ache. Although i would love to have a rescue centre of my own to do my bit for the homeless dogs i personally would only buy a very well bred dog from a breeder that knows alot about the history, temperament and health issues etc

I have now and have had in the past both many rescues and dogs bought from breeders. The dogs I have bought from breeders were chosen for their bloodlines, health and temperament certifications and proven working/show titled parents. These dogs were bought for the show, obed, Schutzhund and/or Personal Protection training or for being titled. I fostered almost exclusively the dogs the rescues couldn't handle and rehabbed them. I kept a few that were unlikely to be placed. My last rescue dog was a 4 yr old male Doberman who I had about 7 mos b4 I had to euthanize him for a terminal kidney disease 10 days ago. He got his TT title after owning him for about 2-3 mos along with my then 2 yr old male Dobe. His temperament was terrific and he fit in with my pack of 4 personal MinPins and foster MinPin plus another male Dobe perfectly. The 6 males and 1 female got along without any problems and BOTH Dobes would leave their food bowls if a MinPin stuck their heads in their bowls. Both Dobes were very social with people and other dogs and went many places. Since I am not showing as I was I am satisfied with only rescued dogs. I only put TT and CGC on my big guys now instead. I also obed trained ALL my fosters even putting CGC, CD or TT on a few.

The rescue should have more than just a home. You should be providing training and socialization. If someone adopts a dog from rescue, they should be able to expect some better behavior than a dog that just escaped a puppy mill. Fosters have that responsibility to provide training and socialization along with food and shelter.

i love rescue dogs !!!

i think what may put others off is the process of doing this, house checks ETC. also i think people associate rescue dogs has having behavioral problems which is the case in many badly treated dogs all because of the previous owners.

getting a puppy seems to be the easier option for some people, and its a shame that a lot of dog breeds have become more of a fashion item.

Thorough temperament testing. I was looking at breeders for well over a year and then decided to adopt. I ended up with a very cute puppy (7 months old) that was being fostered with a rescue. The dog ended up having serious aggression issues. When I called the rescue they told me they have never even taken him out on a leash. This has pretty much turned me off rescues since everyday is a struggle with my dog.

ADD: My dog is in fact aggressive. I have consulted trainers and behaviorists. Why the TD? This is only my experience.