UPDATE. So there’s no confusion about my idea of rescuing dogs in general, these are my personal criteria for bringing a rescue dog into my current home. Many of you are helping me find a rescue dog or two and that’s who this list was for. If you’re looking for a rescue to come and live with you, your criteria and situation is more than likely different than mine. Our rescues are full of dogs for all kinds of reasons. Rescue dogs can’t be boxed into a stereotype of “bad” dogs or dogs that went “wrong” for someone for whatever reason someone might have thought they were “bad” or “wrong”. Dogs, even great and stable dogs, are given up for so many reasons and often it has more to do with the people than the dogs. The dogs all need homes and I believe that there is a home for every dog in rescue if the rescue organization has done it’s part. As rescuers we must determine what our life is like, what dog characteristics will fit best into that life, what are our skills to help a dog who needs behavioral changes or new life skills. For example, if you live in a tiny apartment and you don’t get out much and don’t want to, a dog who needs a ton of exercise isn’t the dog for you. If you have very few skills in training and don’t want to learn, a dog who has guarding issues or wants to fight other dogs is not the dog for you. If you are older or have physical limitations, you more than likely won’t choose a dog who will pull your arm out of it’s socket at every chance to move about. If you have dogs in your home, you can’t bring a dog who does not like other dogs home with you. If you live where there are tremendous thunderstorms you more than likely would choose a dog who isn’t afraid of storms. (That doesn’t mean that the dog will never be afraid of storms and at that point you work with whatever happens.) What I’m trying to explain is that if we start out with the dog that best fits our life, there’s a greater chance that the dog and the household will move gently into a good rhythm. If we choose unwisely and take a dog who could never fit into our lifestyle because we think it’s cute or because we think we’ll work miracles even if we’re not prepared to do that, it more than likely won’t work. Those are the reasons why so many dogs are returned to rescue over and over again. If we don’t take the time to figure that out and choose the dog who best fits our life, it’s more than likely that the dog will go right back to the rescue when things don’t go well. Rescue personnel have a huge responsibility too. They must temperament test the dog. What is the list of problems, if there are any? What lifestyle of person should have this dog? Should the dog go into a home with dogs, cats, children, older people, town, country? Does the dog fight immediately over food? Guard toys or anything else? Does it nip? Does it soil the house? What is it’s energy level? Physical and medical needs? Is it crate trained? A good rescue group will test each dog individually and with other dogs if that’s safe, and understand which dog is a good fit for what person or family. When that gets done right, it’s a good rescue that lasts a lifetime. Again, this list below is my current criteria for a dog for the current life that I lead. I live a very public life with lots of stranger dogs, people and children about all the time. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a dog who isn’t stable into my environment.
There are some who think because I’m a trainer that I should accept any dog, no matter their problems, because I’ve been known to work dogs through some really tough stuff and if I, or someone like me, doesn’t take the dog, it won’t find a good home. I disagree that I must take a dog with problems that aren’t easily repaired to make the world of dog rescue a happy place. I’ve taken dogs before who I’ve had to work with diligently and those dogs lived happily with me their entire lives. My life has changed this past many years so my criteria for a rescue dog has changed. I work daily to help people successfully alter their dog’s behaviors and I’m a pretty good trainer too. I’m doing my part to help the dog world be a better and happier one. I won’t be forced by public or private appeal to take in a rescue dog who doesn’t fit my current life. I love you guys and with total respect for you I ask you to lay off of me and please trust that I know what I’m doing for my home and my dogs. I sure hope this clears things up. LOL.
Okay, back to my original post about my current criteria for a rescue dog:
When looking for a rescue dog for my current life, the first thing I want to know is….
* Is there any sign of thunderphobia? I’d rather not start out with problems that I can’t easily repair. This is a big one because I live with huge storms out here on the plains. Kate is not afraid of storms and I don’t want her to learn that they are scary from another dog. (Thunderphobia has been cured or lessened with Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap found at SitStay.com)
* Does the dog guard food? Can he take a treat happily with other dogs around? Food and sex are two of the biggest drives in all animals. My rescues will be spayed or neutered so that leaves food as a question. One of my tests is to bring out some cookies to see if everyone can take a cookie and be happy about it. Of course, I wouldn’t do that without first checking the dog with food while he or she is alone. Temperament testing 101 is what will the dog do when offered food and what will he do when it is taken away? If a dog will fight over food or offers to take another dog’s head off if food appears, not my best choice to come and live with me. The dogs in my house are to sit side by side and eat out of my hand in turn as I give them food. During training my dogs know who I’m working with and who has to wait. It’s always been that way. Peace in the house is essential to my peace. There are dogs who move toward that goal faster than others. The way I train, they move very quickly to that goal and we all smile and are happy. (I had one rescue a very long time ago who did have some trouble with food guarding, I worked with him for some time before he finally turned the corner and got it, after that he was so sweet, food and no food. I’m talking in my list of current criteria about the dog who turns into a biting monster when food or treats appear, the dog that will draw blood when food comes out. This is not the dog that I want to deal with in my current home.)
* Is the dog good on a leash? I don’t need total loose leash, I want to see some quietness in the dog on leash. I’m not getting any younger. I am getting stronger but still, I don’t want my arms separated from my body any time soon. (great big grin) (A dog who shows some quiet with the leash on can easily be taught to walk on a loose leash.)
* Does the rescue dog choose me? Does the dog choose my dog? In my experience, if the dog chooses me first, then my dog, we’re good to go. (This is the case in rescue and if you buy a dog. If the dog chooses you, you have a mush higher rate of success with the dog. It’s just the way it is.)
Kate and I are still looking for a brother or sister for her. Breed isn’t much of a big deal. I would like to have a dog or dogs who are close to our energy level….calmer more than nuts. Ready for a run but I don’t want to run all day long. And sweet. That would be very nice.
I’m saying my prayers and Kate is ready.
A last note: I’ve rescued a lot of dogs in my lifetime, some with huge problems that we overcame, some with little problems that were easily remedied. Those dogs lived their entire lives with me. My old dogs have passed on and now I have my lovely Kate. My new criteria stands. There will be a dog or two who come to us and will live with me until they pass of old age too. – Darcie
Good Morning Darcie , As far as thunder phobia goes ,what you said about the Thunder Shirt has proven to be true ,it does have a calming effect on Jessie ,and on Cappy my 8 year old male pointer who is not gunshy but has always been a very nervous high strung dog and I put it on him last night ,and with T-Touch he stopped shaking ,and started looking me dead in the eyes ,he was so relaxed he almost went to sleep . Jessie when she sees the bag come out ,she practially begs for me to put it on ,so it does work for me and mine . As far as guarding food that is another issue I have with Jessie around other dogs . I used to throw cookies out into the run in the morning ,but she considered all cookies and all the toys to be hers ,so to save wear and tear on Abraham 8 yrs our Alpha from getting into fights with her ,I just let him sleep in with me and his Mom Shadow 11yrs ,and share cookies and breakfast with me ,just to keep peace in this house . As far as leash training goes in my case most of my dogs have been trained trained to heel on lead and off ,but in Jessie’s case because of her being roaded with the trike ,she has become so strong I can barely hold her back ,as this skinny little 41lb girl pulls me and the bike,300lbs , at 12mph for 2 miles at the park ,and loves doing it . I will not stop her pulling for now because I want her to quarter in the field ,and sometimes if you teach heal too early on a sporting dog ,they get confused and will not cast off ,like my Cappy ,and we will see what effect the T/Shirt has on this problem to give him more confidence in himself . I have been very lucky when I picked out Jessie ,because she blended into our pack like she had been here for years ,vs 2 years ago I adopted a Kairns terrier that was so abused she wanted nothing to do with other dogs ,but sadly after taking Summer to the dog park for the first time she slipped out of the loop leash ,on the way back to my truck . We searched for 2 weeks for her ,it was 115f during the day ,but never found her ,so it was a blessing when Jessie blended in with our human and dog family.So other than Jessie still having alot of puppy in her there is peace in my family ,and I will not be looking for another dog untill Shadow and her 2 sons goto the rainbow bridge ,then I will be back where I started from with my Jessie ,a 4 legged Angel ,for another 16 year long love story,like my Jasmine ! John K. Legacy Kennels
Sounds like you are describing a Greyhound
. They are sprinters, so after a couple laps they are ready for a couch. Most walk well on a leash, and are calm and sweet. Any Greyhound rescues around your area? You could also foster for a group, a greyt way to “test drive” the breed (Reitired racing Greyhounds, not AKC).
Dear Darcie,
Thank you so much for the tips on what to look for in a rescued dog. I have a senior cit flat-coated retriever, as much as I hate to think of it, I know he won’t be with me forever… So I have filed your expert posting for future use. When my Bichon passed 2 years ago, I toyed with getting a rescue, but Sunny seemed perfectly fine to finally have my undivided attention! Such a good boy, and with his issues…so unique our dogs- we have to listen to them!
Good luck to you Darcie and Kate in your quest. Geez I wish I lived in Nebraska and close by to your wisdom!
God bless,
Carolyn
Another great training lesson! Thanks, Darcie.
Hugs!
Michael
Wow, that’s quite a list. Are you really, really sure you want another dog? Because I don’t know that you’d get all of those things even if you started with a blank-slate 8-week-old puppy.
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So, you want the perfect dog for you. Will you bring to that dog a perfect human for him/her? With no unreasonable fears, irrational dislikes, or knee-jerk reactions? Maybe you will. I’ve not personally met one yet. But if you don’t feel equipped at this point in your life to train, counter-condition, desensitize or manage whatever problems might crop up, I strongly urge you not to get another dog at this particular time in your life, because your instincts are correct – please, please do listen to them. Every dog I’ve ever brought home elicited an instant ‘meant-to-be’ feeling in me; and from my point of view it seems like if you don’t have that, you’re not going to put your heart into it. If you do have that, no matter what kinds of hell or high water is in your futures, you’re going to come through it together – and you’re going to be so much more than you’d ever have been without each other. But a laundry list of perfect qualities? In my opinion, not gonna happen
All the best to you and yours at this pivotal moment in your life. Kathy B
Dear Kathy, You’ve been around SitStay for a long time so you know that I’ve rescued a lot of dogs and they wind up being wonderful, well trained, and happy dogs. Perfection isn’t what I’m looking for, a semblance of stability is. It would not be fair to bring a dog into my very public life without knowing that they can stand the stress of new people and new dogs and all the things that can happen at work. Bringing a dog to that environment who wants to fight over food (SitStay is filled with treats and food) or who will fight a stranger dog on sight doesn’t make any sense to me at all. I’d be putting that dog, customer’s dogs, and Kate in danger. I won’t do that. Rescue isn’t only filled with dogs who have terrible behaviors, phobias, and great hurdles to climb. Dogs are given up for all kinds of reasons, often it has nothing to do with the dog. I don’t think I have to rescue a dog who needs excessive behavior training to make it a good rescue. Thank you for your comment, I have a great deal of respect for you. – Darcie
I wish you the very best, as you are an excellent dog parent. Some friends recently lost their 14-year-old four-legged family member, Barney. After being vetted by Labrador Retriever rescue, they now have Faith, a shy but sweet 18-month old spayed female. Faith likes my 7-year-old spayed Newfoundland, Maeve Dog, but she’s not sure about me alone yet. She’s polite, but her tail is between her legs, not wagging in the friendly way. It will take time. Faith, whose life may have been a bit rough, is doing OK now and has good people parents. Please pray for Faith that she may adjust quickly. Padre
Dear Padre, I love praying for good things. I’d suggest that you not try to be friends with Faith, let her choose. We we insist that our dogs say hi to people or things that they think are scary, we can set them back. I think the better thing is to encourage them to look at that scary thing from a distance, the instant the head or eyes go to the scary thing treat or pet or play with a toy, whatever turns the dog on, it’s best reward. This distance understanding that “that thing” is over there and no you don’t have to go there until you’re ready works wonders for shy or fearful dogs. You can carry treats and just drop one whenever you enter the same space with her, but I wouldn’t pay her much attention. She’ll realize fairly quickly that you are no threat and she may even start to seek you out. Clicker training speeds this process up by light-years! – Darcie
Darcie? How do you know Kate is ready? I mean I know she tells you stuff; but in general, how do you know when your dog wants you to add to the pack? Cindy
Dear Cindy, Kate loves playing with dogs. Loves it! She gets lots of play dates but I don’t think it’s enough of the kind of exercise and same species play that dogs get from each other. I play games with her but it’s not the same as playing with a species of your very own. She’d be happy with or without other dogs in our home, we’re pretty tight. I have the room and I like the goodness of rescue. I love a multiple dog household. She’s as ready as I am. – Darcie
I will never understand why people insist trainers should always take on the “hard to place” dogs. I used to work in a shelter and most of my friends are still involved with rescue. I fostered quite a few difficult dogs, mostly to assess their ability to be realistically and safely re-homed. I never had any desire to adopt any of my fosters for myself. It’s not that I didn’t love them, but if I keep a dog with major problems, it sort of puts a wrench in my ability to continue fostering. My friends all had “foster failures” and have since stopped fostering because of them. I have a 7 yr old rock solid female Aussie from a great breeder. She helps me with trainings all the time. I took on a 1yr old male Aussie (adopted) who initialy was great with her. No guarding, didn’t test her authority, just pulled a bit on leash. Two months later having spent significant time clicker training with him, he attacked my older dog. I was staring at him when it happened, and I couldn’t believe it since she was asleep! I watched him like a hawk after, he went at her 2 more times that week, she was becoming nervous around him, wouldn’t walk into the room if he was there. Then he charged and bit a friend. The same night he attacked my husband. I was in the vet the next morning to have him put down. It’s been over a year and some of my friends still won’t talk to me. They think I should have continued to work with him or find him a new home. I couldn’t see pawning him off on someone knowing what he was capable of. He’d be great all day, but at night his eyes were just evil, I could see him building up his aggression looking for an outlet. So I went back to my breeder, she knows me well enough that she set aside the perfect pup for me and my changing lifestyle (we have a new baby – 4mo daughter – in the house). I know him like the back of my hand just as I do my older dog, and that’s how I need it. I need stable dogs in my life! You’ll find your stable dog(s) and that will allow you to help even more people with their help and it will all be good!
Darcie , I know how you felt about Gibbs ,and itwas the same way with me when I tried to be a Xmas angel 8years ago ,when I adopted my first Lab from the county pound . I am a building engineer /HVAC and at the hotel I was working at the asst mgrs wife had terminal Cancer and I recieved a Xmas card with 3 Lab puppys on it .Ginger the dog had to have been a service dog ,as she knew how to open door knobs and get thru closed doggy doors .She was 70lbs and 5 years old and I like Gibbs she was replacing my Jasmine and I was losing the love of my life because of spending too much time with Ginger ,who was supposed to be for the managers wife ,but they got desparate for money and the manager embezeled $25000.00 from the hotel and up and skipped town not taking their dog with them ,but they would call me asking about their little girl . Their little girl got into a dog fight grabbing Jasmine by the throat ,and my ex wife Ginger got bloodyed pulling them apart . Remember that brings out the ALPHA in me ,and it is not allowed ! So Ginger was put into a kennel out in the run ,but she was would not stay there for long , because she used her shoulder to pry open the chain link on the door . I put plywood at the bottom of the door ,and she ate it ! Like you I must have peace of mind when you have more than one dog in your home ,so I took her to the Phoenix ASPCA ,to keep her from being put down ,and broke down in tears as I left ,feeling like I failed her ,but like a ships captain ,I had to sacrifice one to save rest of my kennel and protect Shadows pups from getting hurt by her . Good luck with the dog expo’s as we have been there and done that ,with the the Harvest Festival Craft shows that run all over the country .It is fun but you and I are not getting any younger ,and the travel gets old after awhile . Take care ,if the winds die down at Anthem {30/35mph } we may get to try out our new home made kick box pigeon launchers ,so Jessie can practice retrives and stop to flush without me having to stop and mess with a bush with my hands full ,and I this before to make my other bird launchers work by radio control ,using the steering servo out of 2 rc model cars , but it takes 2 people to do it ,so that is why I will test the kick boxes today to see if they work and adjust acordingly . Be happy in your work ! Life is to short to sit and cry ,as all things in Gods plan work out for the best ! John K. Legacy Kennels