advice on dog

Knine

The major problem I have is an inexperienced person finding the right rescue though. I have seen & personally had dealing with some right horrors!

And the fabulous rescue stories these culprits have up on Facebook!

foreverme99

Introducing an adult or rescue dog is just as much time and work as a puppy. You can teach a dog new tricks but it's very hard to undo habits and behaviours.
No previous dog owner Is ever going to admit mistreating the dog so I would never take someone's word for the history of the dog. Also these rehoming places can also only guess or imagine the history of a dog, nobody can ever realy tell,therefore it would be best to have a pup and rear it with the child, and this way the owner knows the history of his own dog.
I'm not saying that rescuing or rehoming dogs Is a bad idea, I'm saying its better and safer to bring a pup into a home with a young child rather than an adult dog or rescue dog.

Pretzill

OP do your research and think long and hard a dog is a huge responsibility. A puppy and a baby can work but I only know of the time dedicated to puppy and can't imagine having a baby to care for at the same time! A puppy is the closest thing I have come to raring, not to denegrade parenthood but it's hard work!

The toilet training, the chewing and playful nipping from teething and constant shadowing in the first few weeks to make sure he's done no damage to himself or otherwise is pretty full on. I have a duo of nice purple bruises on my arm from a playful nip from injection like teeth which I'm sure would've been far worse on babies tender skin.

All that said; Rescues home pups as well as adult dogs and some have gotten a great start with fosterers who have children.

Choosing a dog as a gaurd dog well are you just looking for something that barks to alert you to strangers? That can be any breed and it doesn't rule out a robber being licked to death!

I would suggest getting a pup in Spring when the weather is more clement for the 15 times a day toilet dash! (okay maybe that's just my new fella who litterally pees water at the mo!)

And research the breed, the breeder,the rescue centre thoroughly before committing.

If you have your head and heart set in the right place your little one could have a loving friend well into their teens!

But be prepared for a big committment.

ShaShaBear

foreverme99 wrote: »

Introducing an adult or rescue dog is just as much time and work as a puppy. You can teach a dog new tricks but it's very hard to undo habits and behaviours.
No previous dog owner Is ever going to admit mistreating the dog so I would never take someone's word for the history of the dog. Also these rehoming places can also only guess or imagine the history of a dog, nobody can ever realy tell,therefore it would be best to have a pup and rear it with the child, and this way the owner knows the history of his own dog.
I'm not saying that rescuing or rehoming dogs Is a bad idea, I'm saying its better and safer to bring a pup into a home with a young child rather than an adult dog or rescue dog.

The problem here is a puppy reared in a family environment could just as easily snap at a child after years of being in the family home and never being mistreated. Because they were startled, or hurt, or are sick. Getting a puppy absolutely under no circumstances guarantees a safe dog. And a very large portion of dogs in rescues are not abused, but simply unwanted. Some have been there since they were puppies. If a fosterer cannot tell if a dog is going to ve good with a child after a 3 month placement with training and supervision, then a breeder cannot guarantee the temperament and patience of a 3 month old puppy with training and supervision.

There is also absolutely nothing wrong with adopting an adult dog because you are not in a position to train a puppy. They are as much hard work as a child and many people would rather give a chance to a fully vetted, health checked and trained adult dog that is unwanted rather than dedicate the next 4 to 6 months cleaning doggie mess off the floor and standing outside in the freezing cold at 3am waiting for a golden poop.

Pretzill

Shashabear I'm a month in he's just 12 weeks old and doesn't need to poop overnight - The pees are a wee different though - I'm seriously thinking of embarrassing myself with the vet because I've never had a pup who piddled as much! Some dogs are easier to house train than others - my 3 year old got the pooping outdoors quickly too and I trained her to jump on the door when she needed to go out - she still bangs on the door but mostly to pretend she needs to pee!

DBB

foreverme99 wrote: »

Introducing an adult or rescue dog is just as much time and work as a puppy. You can teach a dog new tricks but it's very hard to undo habits and behaviours.

I don't agree.. at least, I don't agree with your painting of all rescue/adult dogs with the one brush. There are plenty of lovely, soft, ready-to-go family dogs available for young families. Indeed, I consider it a job well done when the new home calls me within a day or two of getting their new, carefully considered, carefully selected adult rescue dog, with the immortal words, "It feels like he's always been here". I don't recall anyone ever saying that about a puppy!

No previous dog owner Is ever going to admit mistreating the dog so I would never take someone's word for the history of the dog. Also these rehoming places can also only guess or imagine the history of a dog, nobody can ever realy tell,

Again, too much painting everyone with the one brush. Of course you'll get liars and chancers, I said as much above, but by and large, most people who have gone to the trouble of sourcing a good rescue through which to rehome their dog will be honest, and want to give you the full story because they want their dog to end up in the right home. I can say now, without fear of contradiction, that of the 300+ surrendered (not stray) dogs I've rehomed, perhaps 10 of their owners were deliberately deceitful. And guess what? Any unreported faults with these same dogs were picked up at the fostering/assessment stage.
On the contrary, how many people go and buy pups which the breeder is deliberately deceitful about? I know quite a number of "reputable" IKC registered breeders who use their homes as a front for their puppy farm two counties away. I know a multi-prize winning breeder who sold a very expensive pup to friends of mine.. the pup hid under their kitchen table for months and needed extensive professional intervention... that's not to mention the fleas the pup had. Look at all the pics of puppies on the various websites, all cute 'n' cuddlesome on a cozy sofa... the staining of the coat and disposition of these pups belying the fact that this is their first time ever to be inside a house.
So, in short, getting a pup is no guarantee, by any stretch. I get quite a few dogs surrendered because they don't like the kids they live with... yet every one of these owners set out to get their dog as a pup because... wouldn't that be the best option for their young family? In this small rescue, somewhere in the region of 40% of the surrendered dogs says they were wrong to make such an assumption.

boomerang

foreverme99 wrote: »

its better and safer to bring a pup into a home with a young child rather than an adult dog or rescue dog.

Is this belief based on fear, or experience?

TBH it's a ridiculous generalisation.

ShaShaBear

Pretzill wrote: »

Shashabear I'm a month in he's just 12 weeks old and doesn't need to poop overnight - The pees are a wee different though - I'm seriously thinking of embarrassing myself with the vet because I've never had a pup who piddled as much! Some dogs are easier to house train than others - my 3 year old got the pooping outdoors quickly too and I trained her to jump on the door when she needed to go out - she still bangs on the door but mostly to pretend she needs to pee!

Oh I know some are easier to train than others, but what I mean is some are harder to train than others. And someone just getting used to sleeping through the night when their baby turns 1 might be reluctant to start doing it again!

foreverme99

boomerang wrote: »

Is this belief based on fear, or experience?

TBH it's a ridiculous generalisation.

A ridiculous generalisation? Now are you basing that on fear or experience?

Absolutely a ridiculous comment to make

bailey99

I would absolutely recommend a rescue dog. The work these rescues do is incredible and have only ever had one dog who was a purebred bought when he was 6 weeks old, I would only ever get rescue dogs going forward.

As the sign on my local rescue says: "Adopting a rescue dog won't change the world, but for that dog, it changes their world"

ShaShaBear

foreverme99 wrote: »

A ridiculous generalisation? Now are you basing that on fear or experience?

Absolutely a ridiculous comment to make

No it isn't

We'd all like to know if your steadfast opinion on puppies being safer than adult dogs is based on a fear of adult dogs/rescue dogs or if it's based on personal experience on attempting to integrate both puppies and adult dogs into families with small children.

As I've already said, dogs that have been in the family for years are just as prone to snapping when provoked by a child as an adult dog from a rescue.

Plenty of rescue dogs received nothing but love and adoration from previous owners and ended up in rescue through circumstances out of everyone's control eg an owner died, or owner(s) were forced to move or risk becoming homeless, or in some cases managed to escape or were stolen from their home and due to a lost collar or no registered chip were never re-united with their owner.

As well as this, plenty of puppies grow up with a child in the family, and when a second one comes along people assume the dog will be fine. They may get jealous of the lack of attention, they may find that the screams and pulls of a toddler are not nearly as fun as they were when they were puppies, and you might find that the dog would decide they are no longer patient with children.

So, in both cases a dog cannot be trusted alone with a child nomatter what ANYONE says or thinks, and it is entirely reasonable for us to wonder what makes you think that a puppy would be easier and safer than a pre-trained, pre-vetted and pre-socialised adult dog to integrate with a family.

foreverme99

bailey99 wrote: »

I would absolutely recommend a rescue dog. The work these rescues do is incredible and have only ever had one dog who was a purebred bought when he was 6 weeks old, I would only ever get rescue dogs going forward.

As the sign on my local rescue says: "Adopting a rescue dog won't change the world, but for that dog, it changes their world"

Nobody said not to get a rescue dog. Read the first post. The question was about getting a dog for a family with a young child. I suggested a pup is better for the young child than an old dog or rescue dog.
Obviously there are alot of rescue dog owners here or ppl that work with them so no use in continuing here, as no one here is willing to admit what's right incase it's knocking the idea of rescues.
Yes there great dogs, but everyone missing the point, or ignoring the point. It's only common sense ppl. Unfollowing this thread as its gone so boring... Yawn.....

runawaybishop

Gmaximum wrote: »

Hi

Looking for some advice please. Myself and the Mrs are moving with our baby shortly to a house where we really should have a dog for security given its remote location.

We both love dogs and have had them as pets before. Our baby will be just over a year old when we move. ideally we would like to allow the dog into the house under supervision. The house has a large garden so dog will have plenty of room outdoors as well.

Any suggestions as to what breed would make a good addition to the family?

What sort of dog are you thinking of yourself and for what reason? Do you want a small dog or a big dog etc - given you mention security I assume you are looking at a medium to larger breed? A guard breed like the Alsation might be suitable (they are lovely animals) but be aware that you cant just leave them outside on their lonesome.

Vel

foreverme99 wrote: »

as no one here is willing to admit what's right incase it's knocking the idea of rescues.
Yes there great dogs, but everyone missing the point, or ignoring the point. It's only common sense ppl.

So I was wrong, when involved in rescue, when I rehomed a number of adult dogs to homes with children?

And I have been wrong, over the past 5 years when I have rehomed a number of adult rescue dogs to live alongside my 4.5, 3.5 and 1 year old children?

I know of numerous homes, my own included and others where I have directly rehomed adult rescue dogs to homes with children where all of the rehomings have worked out brilliantly.

I could put you in contact with a huge amount of people who have successfully introduced an adult rescue dog to a home with children.

What is your direct experience that has led you to the conclusion that people like me are 'wrong' and not using 'common sense' and people like you are 'right'?

Hopefully you haven't slunk off from the thread already before giving us some insight because I genuinely am dying to hear where I might have gone so wrong:D

DBB

foreverme99 wrote: »

Obviously there are alot of rescue dog owners here or ppl that work with them so no use in continuing here, as no one here is willing to admit what's right incase it's knocking the idea of rescues.

It think that this is one of the most insulting, ignorant comments I have ever read on this forum.
Clearly, you are not prepared to accept that those of us who are seriously experienced in placing unwanted dogs into new homes can actually do that pretty well, and take great pride in doing it really well.... Why, oh why, would I want to place an unsuitable dog into a home with kids, only for that dog to bounce back, making more work for me, and more expense for me? For me to risk the reputation of my small rescue with newspaper headlines about how one of my dogs bit a child and put it in hospital?

Based on your profound expertise, I'm going now to call the the many, many, many homes I've placed dogs in who have lived out, and continue to live long and happy lives with all of the family, so that I can take all of their apparently savage, child-eating rescue dogs back off them. Even though these dogs have never so much as looked sideways at a child, I think it'd be best to put all those dogs to sleep, just in case one day, they decide to kill a child... you know, because that never happens to people who buy their pups from a breeder!
Thanks foreverme99, you're a true inspiration!:D

fiounnalbe

foreverme99 wrote: »

I'm not saying that rescuing or rehoming dogs Is a bad idea, I'm saying its better and safer to bring a pup into a home with a young child rather than an adult dog or rescue dog.

Over the last 12 months, I have had a baby, got a new puppy and took in a adult rescue dog....the only planned addition to the family here being the baby :P

It's been manic at times but from my experiences over the last few months, the adult dog has been so so sooooooo much easier to handle coming into our home than the pup!

The pup is a bundle of energy, has his face in everything you're doing, the minute I'd get up to feed my baby in the middle of the night the puppy would start screaming from the kitchen, between changing nappies and cleaning up accidents from the puppy by the end of the day I'd be exhausted.

A few weeks later, in came the adult dog, and bar him being ill when he arrived and needing extra attention, since then there has been no problems and as DBB said "it's like he was always here"! Being an adult dog he's more relaxed, he doesn't need constant attention, he had one accident inside the house and thats it, he can hold his pee for so much longer that it was never necessary to get up to him in the middle of the night and he is also extremely gentle and quiet while in the same room as the baby, the puppy doesn't care if baby is asleep or not, it's all go and play with him!

I would definitely recommend and adult dog, if you go to a good rescue they will be able to match you up with the perfect addition