Advice on adopting a rescue/fostered dog (Read 230 times)

I have been looking on that petfinder site. They ask a lot and I can understand why, but I don't think I would be allowed to adopt another dog. We rescued our first dog from a woman who was out of the rescue business but couldn't say no to a dog in need. I think she was a bit desperate. I had/have young kids, the youngest was four months old at the time. The dog, Lexi, had been mistreated. I think. She did not like her ears touched and she has the silkiest ears. She is a barker and having a big strange dog bark at you is a bit unnerving. It took some time for her to adjust and for the kids to adjust, too. Lexi wasn't our first dog, but my kids had missed our old dog in his prime. We took her to an obedience class to help her feel secure and brush up on some commands. i think that helped.

Here she is before we brought her home. She is a big baby.

We've adopted 4 GSD rescues over the last 25 years. All of them turned out to be great dogs. Every rescue org that we've dealt with fosters the animal for some significant length of time before adopting them out. They have always had a pretty accurate assessment of the dog's level of training, medical conditions, approximate age and most importantly, attitude, towards kids, cats, other dogs, etc. There are no garauntees, but our experience has been great.  At least you'll have some clue, with a pup from a breeder, it really is a crap shoot.

Not all rescues come from distressed pasts. Many have been well cared for, but the owner's situation has changed in some way that forces them to have to give them up. Quite a few adult rescues are dogs that have been abandoned by breeders once they've outlived their usefulness, then left at kill shelters, or worse. Not condemning all breeders, but there are plenty of bad ones out there.

Initially, we went through a fairly long process, had to provide vet references, meet at the foster's place to see the dog and see how we interact.  Sometimes these animals live with their foster family for a very long time and both develop a bond, but nothing is harder on a foster person than having a dog come back. They want make every effort to make sure the adoption is permanent. People getting a dog on a whim is how most of them wound up as rescues in the first place.

Not trying to sound harsh, but if you're not ready for a few hours of inconvience and scrutiny, you're not ready for dog. They get sick, they throw up, sometimes they pee or poop on the floor, they occasionally chew stuff, sometimes they bark or cry at night,  they shed, etc.  Get a goldfish instead. If you think you're up to it, I'd recommend getting an adult dog. Puppies require a lot of time and attention, and unless you're prepared to give near 24/7 attention for some fairly long period to time(6 months or more, depending on breed), don't, especially if this is your first dog. It's not fair to the dog.

YMMV, but our experiences have been very satisfying and rewarding. Our current dog is a rescue, 80 lb male GSD, gets along with my daugther's dog, our cats, has never, in the  8 years we've had him, had an accident in the house. He would kill or die to protect us, but is a pussycat with our family and pets.

Good luck, and I hope it works out.

I've adopted three dogs, two from breed-specific rescue groups and one from a non-specific rescue.  In my experience, the rescue folks very much want to make sure the dog stays I with the adoptive family ... hence the pickiness.  And maybe I'm picky too, but yes:

 

+ I drove as much as 75 minutes each way (once in a raging thunderstorm, too!) with my family and our current dog to meet the potential new family member;

+ I met several dogs that just didn't click;

+ the rescue and foster folks wouldn't offer their time if they weren't prepared to do the whole meet-n-greet and have you walk away.  In more than one instance, the rescue staff was first to suggest incompatibility.

 

Really helpful, thanks.  I have been concerned that the fosters, who so far have all been very eager to have us come meet the dogs as soon as possible, warning that others are interested in them as well, would be surprised/put out by us putting in a pretty big all-family time commitment and then walking away.   Reassuring to hear I shouldn't be concerned about that.

OP, I know you'd said your time is limited, but one option you could consider is volunteering at a nearby shelter.  You would have the opportunity to interact with a large volume of dogs as well as with knowledgeable staff and other volunteers eager to make a good match.

This is how we ended up with our third (and, to be honest, best!) dog...I had been volunteering at our county shelter for six months, with no intentions whatsoever of bringing another dog into the household, but had been working on leash manners and basic obedience with a stray pitbull (NOT at all the kind of dog I would have gone seeking and certainly not one that I immediately 'clicked' with; he is a mega drooler, and the first time I took him in the yard he about knocked me down running like a total maniac)...he ended up being put on the euth list through no fault of his own-they were low on space and his being a 4-year-old black pitbull were three strikes against him...I couldn't let it happen-I'd spent all kinds of time with him, walking, bathing, picking tapeworms off his butt, networking him on FB to no avail...we did a meet-n-greet with our two senior dogs, it went well, he was neutered and came home...he is a 65lb lovebug wigglebutt (he makes new friends, human and canine, everywhere he goes)...he passed basic obedience and we hope to do Canine Good Citizen with him once we're able to tone down the 'rooby, rooby, roo' vocalizing he does when he's excited Not a day goes by that we aren't happy he's part of our family!

Had I not been a volunteer, I would have passed right by his kennel  thinking he was too much of a nutjob

I haven't had any experiences adopting from private rescue groups but I am friends with a girl who runs one and know that the reason she is a stickler for applications, meet-n-greets, and home visits is only because she wants the match to be perfect from both sides.  Rescuers get very attached to the animals in their care and just want the best for everyone involved.

 

 

See, this is kind of what I’m worried about.  Say we all go see a dog, but we’re just not getting a good vibe, there’s no click.  Thanks for your time, we walk away.  A couple weeks later, that same rescue org lists another dog that could be perfect for us.  When we contact them, will they say to themselves:  “Anne?  Screw her, she didn’t like Rocky.  Doesn’t she understand that every dog will take some time and effort?  Bitch can go get a goldfish if she wants a pet.”   I want to be allowed to be picky about a dog without being branded as someone who doesn’t understand the effort involved.  Nothing to do but take my chances on that, I guess.

 

 

This has not been my experience. The foster homes we've dealt with really want the best for the dog and want the adoption to stick. They also understand dogs and owners and compatibilty. They know sometimes good people may not match up with a certain dog.  The last thing they want to do is place the wrong dog with the wrong family.  I don't think a qualified foster would hold not having a connection with a particular animal against you. I'd be wary of anyone that tried to pressure or fast track you into an adoption.

I am on my fourth rescue dog.  The first two were adopted from a shelter in NH (A Malamute/German Shepherd mix adopted as an adult and a Border Collie/lab mix adopted as a puppy).  Both were great dogs.  The Malamute was the first dog I ever had, and he was wonderfully sweet.  He had some food bowl aggression issues, as he was a stray that had been eluding town officials, they told me, for over a year.  So, he was super malnourished so it is understandable.  The shelter was great in terms of working with him prior to adoption and also working with me on how to continue to work.  Best dog ever, unfortunately he passed in 2008.  The BC/Lab was also a great dog.

My most recent two have been rescues from the dirty south.  The were bused up to NY state from Tenn.  A BC mix and a Lab mix.  Again, two great dogs, but we did get them as puppies so we have been able to work with them right from the beginning.

Sounds like a great start!

DD works at humane society in Asheville NC.  If you want a pit, or beagle there are always plenty to choose from.

They do get some pure breads but they go fast and cost more. The money is for the shelter so don't sweat it.

Lots of these dogs have been abused and are messed up but some have scares all over their body and are sweet as hell.

I wish you were closer so she could help. You can only tell so much with first impressions but when you care for them you can tell much more. I like the idea someone posted of working at a shelter  .   rt click open new tab