F.a.o. Pasta.

[Tilly2]

About four months ago, my cousin and her partner adopted a fifteen month old GSD from their local rescue centre.
They were besotted with the dog, spent a fortune on 'everything it needed' and sent me lots of photographs and videos of the dog, playing, sleeping, watching the world go by. She knows I love dogs, particularly GSD's and Staffies.
I was so happy for them and the dog. He seemed easy to train and was a joy to have, 90% of the time.
Unfortunately, it all went horribly wrong and they ended up being firstly, wary and then, afraid of the dog as it seemed to be taking control of them.
With much sorrow, they asked the rescue centre to take him back. They were both devastated but they couldn't live with a dog that they felt they couldn't trust. Finally, after many tears, they decided to buy a puppy and will be picking it up from the breeders next weekend.
Not everyone has a happy ending

We have had three dogs from rescue and we have been lucky enough to find dogs that haven't been totally screwed up by circumstances.
I wish you luck in finding a new best friend, when you're ready to look for him/her.

[pixie374]

Me too... xx rescues can be more unpredictable, in that you can't always know their history. I love anyone willing to give them a fair chance, but I also understand why people sometimes prefer a breeder. As long as a dog has a happy, healthy, permanent home... xx

[jourdain2]

So sorry, our current rescue dog is tricky in many ways, but manageable and very affectionate. He's our 4th rescue. My sister was devastated a few weeks ago because she had to have her rescue Lab/Doberman put to sleep. (Had dogs all her life, like me.) He had adapted to family life, but attacked one dog (not too badly) and unfortunately did it again, causing some damage. She's still in bits and is looking for a puppy.

[Tilly2]

Some stories do have happy endings...

[Tilly2]

I do hope that Pasta sees this. It might make her feel a bit better.

[pastafreak]

Here I am...with damn wet eyes again. xx
I'm so sorry that both your cousin Tilly, and your sister jourdain have had similar experiences. You just want to give rescues the life they deserve.
As I come to terms with what happened, I just feel so much anger at a money making industry that breeds dogs with fantastic pedigrees( Sammi's went back to 1810!), often but not always treating them like Olympic athletes. But then not giving them the basics of love and socialization that comes from living with humans and other dogs.
jourdain...I wonder if poor Sammi might have eventually done that. He lunged at a couple of dogs...while on lead and muzzled.
Thing is, I was just so used to gentle Sally who would run rather than confront any other dog. The dog my ex and I had was the same.

[david small]

Had and known several rescue dogs. Everyone of them had problems. Our black lab turned rogue, ran away often even after ridiculously long hikes. Then he started snapping at the kids. He went to a farmer. Other dogs my sisters had all have had emotional problems.

[pixie374]

Dogs that are bred for racing or money, aren't always socialised the same. I understand your frustration. The best thing one vet ever said to me after doing the second and final lot of vaccinations- was, now take him out to meet as many dogs as possible. I did exactly that and he is the most sociable dog I have ever known.
It does depend partly on breeds, some are for working, some are companions, etc, but I suspect it takes an awful lot of work, to "undo" an older dog's conditioning xx

[pastafreak]

It's doubly hard when a breed with a reputation for being gentle and placid goes wrong. xx

[calmck]

Over the past 12 years I have fostered approximately 75 captured strayed puppies and their moms. Being street dogs all but 2 of the mums were speyed and released back to where they came from. Feeding stations and careers were in place for them. Two mums and their litters we had to euthanise. 1 mum developed canine hepatitis as did all the pups and were infectious to my dogs and I would have been unable to foster for 6 months. The other mum and pups were so feral that they were a danger to the grandkids, cats etc. All the others were rehomed either here in Portugal or abroad. I was lucky in that my own,who was a foster, was a great dad and taught the pups their canine manners and where they stood re the grandkids and the cats. My daughter got a Shitzu and soon found out why all his toys were kids ones. We tried for 6 weeks but he was food and toy aggressive and would try to bite if you walked past him. He is now with a childless couple in the country with a huge fenced garden and doing well. He was only a year old
Pasta you did your best and gave Sammi a chance why not try Battersea or Dogs Trust when you are ready.
Not all rescues have unhappy endings but it does depend on their circumstance. Good luck, keep well

[pastafreak]

That's amazing work that you are doing calmck...I really admire you.
There are several rescues here that do good work, and I will check their websites periodically. Friends will know...and maybe the right dog will come to me.

[Tashi]

Dave and Kate have been so lucky with their rescues, first was Kim a Dobie ***, got her when she was 2-2+half, lost her just short of 10, I Secondmet her a few times when I first started coming down for weekends, she was lovely.
Second was Roger, a totally unknown Staffie stray, no name, no pack drill, nothing known at all, still got him but he's aging.
Number 3 is Bruno, a Rottie Staffie cross, got him after the local Vets rang them to see if they wanted another dog, he's gorgeous almost 6 now and great.
I've never lived with dogs before, but I love these two to bits.

[DTCwordfan]

I didn't know that Dave and Kate had rescued you, Tasha - the things you learn on AB......

[Tashi]

:o)

[pixie374]

I remember all those, tashi x although I thought Roger was a second dog? I remember suggesting the name Pirate, as he had a patch over his eye, which seemed to become Jolly Roger... :-). Glad they are all doing well x

[Tilly2]

It's lovely to read all these rescue dog stories. Some work out and some don't.

I'm happy for those that do.

[bednobs]

it's certainly made me think. We have had 2 rescue dogs and 1 puppy. the first rescue was my first dog, marmite and he was a collie/gsd mix. He was an absolute joy, and I still remember our last cuddle before he went to the vets for the last time. Our second rescue, Bovril, looked exactly the same as marmite, but a smaller version. He had a little dog syndrome and started becoming aggressive as time went on. He bit the postman, hated people in fluorescent clothes and attacked a swan on the towpath. In general he was manageable, but had a fight with our puppy once while my leg was in the way and I had to go to hospital. When I had a baby we realised that it was too much of a risk, so re-homed him with a friend of ours.
We are sans dogs at the moment, and now my daughter is older, and with what unfortunately happened in January with my youngest daughter we are feeling the time might be right for a dog (or two) If I could guarantee they'd be like marmite (as if you ever could!) i'd go for a rescue (or two!) but reading these stories makes me think we might be better off with puppies

[pastafreak]

I think if you go to a reputable rescue, they will have done a thorough assessment of any dog. I've looked at one of our local rescues, and issues mentioned include guarding, separation anxiety, medical problems, intolerance of other dogs, lunging on leash, the need to be muzzled, anti social behaviour etc. Yet others have no obvious problems. A good rescue will also work with potential adoptors with retraining.

[bednobs]

but yours was reputable pasta

[pastafreak]

Yes...20+ years rescuing greyhounds and other sighthounds. A wealth of experience. But nothing is guaranteed. They have to go by how the dog responds while in their care...whether that's foster or kennels. Sammi showed some issues with sleep startle...very common in dogs like greys that have spent 4 years in kennels. I knew about that. If Sammi had been in foster for 2 months maybe his other issues would have been apparent. But there aren't enough places...so kennels it was.

[pixie374]

This is the problem... it is so individual. Certain breeds are obviously bred through for companionship etc, but even then, you can't tell 100%. If you have small children around, especially, I think you have to be extra careful with breeds.