I see online or hear people say ‘adopt don’t shop’. It is a great sentiment, but is it really the best for everyone?
People have the best of intentions, they want to save a dog from a life that is terrible. A life that may seem sad and harsh. A life that is full of pain and fear.
But what is the reality of having a rescue dog?
Before I continue I would like to just say that there are two rescue dogs in my immediate family: Indie was from Bosnia and we rescued her from a puppy farm. And Cosmo was found wandering the streets, his fur was a terrible mess. Plus there have been other rescues in our past.
Bringing your dog into an environment that you see as better, does not mean it is a safe place for a rescue, especially one who has experienced trauma.
Without the correct understanding of the dog's past, their needs, the breed's needs, their behaviour and what it is trying to tell you, you are not giving the dog the better life you think you are.
There are many complex issues that come along with a rescue dog and if you are a person without experience of owning a dog, and without outside assistance, you are probably going to have a very difficult time.
Failed rescues happen a lot more than people realise. A well meaning family or single person wants a dog and opts for a rescue. They decided this partly because they consider a puppy will bring with it a number of issues which include no sleep, toilet training, and potential separation anxiety. So a rescue maybe a little easier.
It then surprises them that despite their rescue dog being 3/4/5 plus, it has all the attributes of a puppy. But unlike a puppy, many of these rescues are set in their ways and without proper help and understanding their behaviours might never get easier. Often resulting in the dog being returned to the rescue centre.
Sadly rescue centres don’t always give a back story (because they may not know it or choose not to relay it to the potential owner) which means we don’t know what the dog's life was like, how the dog was treated or what they had previously experienced.
Rescue dogs sometimes bite. People say ‘they did it without warning’. What’s more than likely happened here is this dog has tried to tell a human or another animal he doesn’t like something so he growls. But instead of respecting his request, he’s been told it’s naughty, maybe even punished. So after a while the dog stops warning and goes straight to bite. Now the new owners think they have an aggressive dog, and he goes back.
That is just one example.
They may also come with medical needs that have resulted from a lack of care or abuse.
So what about our rescues? One thing is for sure they are and were incredibly loved. We gave them a much better life. But it has been incredibly hard. Indie came to us at 18 months old (she’s 7 now) and she has been the most loving girl. But there are a number of issues we can’t stop or help her with. She has something wrong with her stomach and if she eats the tiniest of things that she shouldn’t, she’s incredibly sick. She has certain behaviours that are neurological that we cannot fix.
Cosmo lives at my parent's house, he stopped being able to cope with other dogs. He has severe issues with his eyes and despite him being 7 when he arrived he wasn’t toilet trained. He is however super clever!
I am not for one moment saying people should only buy puppies and should not get a rescue. What I am saying is to think very carefully. What will you need to do? Be honest with yourself, what are you able to give your dog and what experience do you have which will enable you to take care of the dog correctly?
Before making a decision on getting any dog, we must always stop and think ‘can I give this dog what it needs?’ This is especially important when considering a rescue.
Do you have a rescue dog? Tell me your stories below
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