Thread: thinking of adopting a rescue dog

Originally Posted by Eevo

so im thinking of adopting a rescue dog.
i've played with/looked after my former housemates dog for a few weeks at a time but i lack general dog experience as i didnt grow up around dogs. im trying to be realistic that the biggest learning curve will be for me

i have a large backyard with good fencing
can do walks everyday
i'm not after a small yapper
no kids or other animals at my house
i like playing fetch, former housemates dog doesnt like fetch

ive got 2 lines of thought,
1) an older less active dog as it would be an easier learning curve for me.
2) a dog about a year old thats medium activity


what else do i need to know?

When you say a rescue dog what do you mean ? How long is the adoption? is it time specific or its basically your animal to keep forever.?

The biggest thing with animal ownership is they are yours for a long time , they become family so its a full on commitment. That animal will rely on you and be there for you , its a 100% commitment , if you are not prepared for that then buy a goldfish..

I have a friend who is looking after an ex greyhound thru some sort of dog charity , but I am sure after 12 months or so it goes back to the shelter or wherever it came from.

Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

its basically your animal to keep forever.?

this, and i understand its a long commitment.

Originally Posted by Eevo

this, and i understand its a long commitment.

Guess it then comes down to dog breed ,any idea what sort of dog ?.

You will get back as much as you put in. If you have a good yard and as you said you looked after your former flatmates dog , so you know the basics.

What sort of dog did he / she have ?

Cheers Ean

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

Guess it then comes down to dog breed ,any idea what sort of dog ?.

You will get back as much as you put in. If you have a good yard and as you said you looked after your former flatmates dog , so you know the basics.

What sort of dog did he / she have ?

Cheers Ean

im not really sure what breed i should be looking for. i like kelpies but i probably sholdnt be getting a working dog.

housemates dog was a west highland terrier. he loves going to bunnings and riding in the trolley and getting pats from everyone.

I have a rescued malamute, he was 5 years old when I got him. I pulled up at the the house he was at and found him locked in a yard , wet ,50 meters from house, dog was retrieved , passed to me and basicly said there you go seeya later. The dog come from nsw by micro chip. At some point he had been bshed around the head for howling (naturally talk to you.)
Any he has turned out to be a buetiful very loyal dog that is calm, like put your hand in his food while eating, checking teeth ect, he talks a lot, chases small animals, and needs to be under lead control outside yard as he has a mind of his own. I have my mobile ph number on his collar. Full of life and now close to 8 years old. I would recommend not doing a private rescue as I did, I was lucky. Labs and lab crosses are good because they are very food orientated which makes for easier training (just gotta watch their weght). I don't have pure bred dogs as they seem more prone to illness. My last dog before the malli was a King Charles cavilier that lived to 17 years with only 4 vet trips
Can and will be the joy of your life but do look at if it is forever
cheers
blaze

Great idea Eevo, all of our dogs are rescues and they are all awesome.

As for the breed, you're right - don't get a working dog as a pet. It may be fine while you're around, but they become bored quickly and will dig, destroy everything they can get to and bark until your neighbours complain. Kelpies, Border Collies, etc.

If you like larger dogs Labradors are hard to go past IMO. If you don't like your favorite shoes being eaten, don't get one under 2 years old. I wouldn't recommend doing the puppy thing if you don't have experience with dogs either as you've suggested.

A mongrel from the local shelter could also be the perfect dog for you - go down there and see whatvthey have, they'll be all sorts and you'll get a much better idea of what you like and what you don't. Mongels also can be a lot healthier long term that a pure bred and cost you far less in Vet bills too.

If you pick a specific breed, do all the research you can on them, health issues, if they shed heaps of hair, temperature ranges they can tolerate, etc. Some dogs aren't ideally suited to Australian conditions (like my Pugs) so need full access to an air conditioned house on hot days, even when you aren't there.

In short, dogs are awesome, and if you choose carefully and do your homework (which you obviously are by starting a thread asking some questions) then you'll end up with a dog who'll be your best buddy no matter what and a partof your life you can't live without. 😊👍

And budget for vet bills they can be very expensive.

The above posts are good advice.

Good luck

Guiness was a RSPCA puppy, came with a 12month warranty, which was handy as he was sick once as a pup,
the trouble with going to rescue/adoption/pounds is they all need a home