Advice on adopting dog from the pound

Schooldayz

We have visited the local pound any my 7 and 9 year old have fallen in love with a 1 year old husky who was rescued two weeks ago. She was a cruelty case and had been tied to a car outside for a prolonged period of time.
The manager at the pound reports her to be friendly and energetic. Really we have very little other information on her.
This would be our children's first dog. They are extremely keen, as I am sure most kids are at the prospect of welcoming a new dog to the family. We have been considering getting a dog for over a year and would really like to rescue a dog if possible.
All advice welcome!

tk123

I'd go to a rescue instead - there's more that one who specialise in Huskies... You have the benefit of the dog being assessed and being in a foster home and they'll have sussed it out. Eg is it ok with kids, being alone, house trained, is your home suitable or would another dog fit better etc etc You also have the support of the rescue if things don't work out.

Have you done your research on huskies. I personally wouldn't recommend them for a first time dog owner. They are more than energetic. They require a huge HUGE amount of exercise every day, come any kind of weather. You would need to be a very active family to be able to come close to meeting their exercise needs.

In my experience you would also need a very secure garden. They will dig, jump , climb and squeeze and get out of spaces you could never have imagined.

If you don't know too much about them, muddypaws on here is very knowledgeable.

As for a pound dog. I find you have to start from scratch with them. Sort of assume nothing's been done. So you may well have to vaccinate, neuter, treat for kennel cough (lots of pound dogs have it), flea and worm. They may not have much training (if this one was neglected than I doubt it has any really).

If you do as tk says and go the rescue route they'll have taken care of the vet needs (you'll have to donate towards those costs) and they'll have started training and as tk says will have a reasonable idea of the dogs personality and whether it would be suited to your family.

Personally I'm all for rescuing from pounds, if your willing to put the time and work in to rehabilitate and if you're confident that you won't turn your back on the dog if it's tougher than you thought. However, when kids are involved I'd recommend going through a reputable rescue.

cocker5

Personally I’d go to a rescue center (different from pounds) give them your criteria, home situation, exercise etc and they can match a dog to your family and what you can offers.

While huskies are amazing dogs they are NOT an easy first time dog ... and also for experienced dog owners huskies can be challenging.

I understand it’s easy to fall in love with the look of a dog bit you need to realistic in terms of what dog will fit into your family (and from your post you seem to be aware of this)

Huskies needs huge amounts of exercise, are notorious escape artistes even with 10 ft walls, they are very clever dogs that need stimulation etc.. with that said they are fabulous dogs.

Contact some of your local rescue centers and have a chat with them..

Schooldayz

Thanks everyone for your advice. It has been helpful already as we weren't aware that pounds and rescues were so different. We are talking all advice on board, hoping to do right by our future pooch!

junospider

I think bringing an adult dog into a house with kids is potentially very dangerous, you do not know what way that dog will react.
My advice would be to get a pup of a breed you like and raise it with your kids.

cocker5

junospider wrote: »

I think bringing an adult dog into a house with kids is potentially very dangerous, you do not know what way that dog will react.
My advice would be to get a pup of a breed you like and raise it with your kids.

I’m sorry but what a ridiculous post .. lots of adult dogs are amazing with kids and a decent rescue center will know full history.. and the dogs will be tested before entering any home for suitability etc.

This post and the posters opinions / thoughts are one of the main drivers for puppy farming / back yard breeding.

FurBabyMomma

If you get a dog from a rescue, you're still saving a pound dog. Except this one should have had all necessary medical treatment and if the rescue is reputable, then a behaviour assessment to tell you if the dog is suitable for your family.

A worker in a pound, where they only see the dog under caged conditions and not around children, other animals, traffic, etc, is absolutely not qualified to tell you anything about how the dog will behave in your home, and in particular around your children. A cruelty case may also come with more complex issues that aren't immediately obvious and might prove difficult for a first time owner.

I'd also agree with other posters who say that Huskys are a particularly high maintenance first time dog, due to their exercise and mental stimulation needs. But if you are determined, there are no shortage of them in rescues.

em_cat

Op there’s some really great advice to be had here bar the, don’t risk it, get a pup instead, if it where me I too would check a breed specific rescue or one of the larger rescues as there’s a better chance they’ll know the dogs and can match one to your familiy. Also it will mean that should there be issues you have the rescue to fall back on and to seek help from.

sillysmiles

OP - it's not permitted to link/name rescues but if you are happy to give your general area I'm sure loads of people will be able to DM you some of the rescues in your area

My only advice would be - Don't get a pup*.
Talk to rescues, have a think about how much time and how often you are legitimately going be able to commit to walking the dog (minimum imo every day, twice per day). Do you have cats/other animals that need to be considered? See what fits your family best.


*Pups require a lot of time to train and toilet train and socialise when they are young. They come with sharp teeth (where little people are concerned) and little or no bite inhibition.

Schooldayz

We live in Clare but willing to travel.

knipex

Deleted User wrote: »

Have you done your research on huskies. I personally wouldn't recommend them for a first time dog owner. They are more than energetic. They require a huge HUGE amount of exercise every day, come any kind of weather. You would need to be a very active family to be able to come close to meeting their exercise needs.

In my experience you would also need a very secure garden. They will dig, jump , climb and squeeze and get out of spaces you could never have imagined.

+++1.

As someone who has had dogs of multiple breeds ad none since I was a toddler I cannot stress this enough. Unless you have experience with the breed you have no comprehension of how much work a Husky is.

I took in one from a rescue many years ago and after 2 months and following a number of meetings with the center had no option but to hand him back.

He jumped 6' high fences. physically shattered gates, dug up everything, everything. Terrorised every singe cat, rabbit, bird etc in the neighborhood and was starting to show signs of aggression, purely from boredom..

I cannot highlight enough how much exercise they need, a 20 minute or 30 minute walk is no good, They need hours of walking a day.... Hours..... and constant stimulation.

We just could not give the time and energy that was required and completely underestimated the level of work involved.

That dog now lives on a working farm, follows quad bikes around hills and mountains. Pulls a cart and works for his food. He is happy, the new owner is happy everyone is happy but he has the exercise and stimulation he needs.

knipex

Schooldayz wrote: »

We live in Clare but willing to travel.

Loads of rescues in Limerick , Clare, Tipperary and Galway. Check them out but be aware that some are less reputable than others.

Visit a few and it wont take you long to spot the difference between the good and the bad..

Talk to the rescues, and take their advice..

muddypaws

I have broken huskies.

OP do you have 6 foot fences? No cats or small furries at home? Realise that you can probably never let a husky off lead except in a fully enclosed area? Don't mind having your house carpetted in fur at least twice a year?

A lot of huskies here now are coming from real pet breeding stock and seem to have lost some of the typical traits. As this dog has also been tied up for so long she may have become habituated to not much exercise etc. That's not to say that she won't change in a loving home but two good walks a day and mental stimulation at home and she'd probably be fine. You could also run or cycle with her in the cooler months.

The major issue with adopting from a pound, rather than a rescue, is the lack of back up if something goes wrong.