Frustrations with adopting....

[Cowgirl]

I have been looking to get a new puppy, and have spent the last weekend on the internet searching every agency/shelter in the state and surrounding states. I haven't been able to find exactly what I'm looking for, though I have found lots of cute dogs. I've noticed things while searching...lots of adoption agencies/rescue groups incorrectly identify the breeds of dogs. Some, I'm sure, is mistaken, but there are OBVIOUS mistakes that I think they do on purpose. Would it be easier to adopt a "shepherd mix" or a "rottweiler mix?" This is rediculous. I think it would be better to be completely honest about the breeds...what if a family adopts a "lab mix" thinking it would be a great family dog and the dogs happens to be a rotty mix or another aggressive-type dog and something happens? I love it when you see a mutt and they call it a "norwegian elkhound" mix. Yeah...how often do you see elk hounds running around st. mary's co? Haha....It's getting to the point that's it's comical reading the dog descriptions.

The adoption fees sometimes are outrageous too...I found 3 female standard poodles, 8 mo., and their adoption fee was $500. What is the benefit of adopting instead of getting a puppy from a breeder? I also saw a draft horse gelding...his adoption fee was $2300. I bet they wouldn't even be able to get that if they were selling him.

Don't get me wrong, I understand it's important to adopt dogs because there are so many deserving dogs that have been dissapointed by their owners....but some of these agencies go way overboard when looking for homes. I mean, is it more important to be so nit-picky and find the absolute perfect home, or to save more dogs and make sure they go to loving homes? I also understand the need for them to recover money with the adoption fee, but it's got to be appropriate for an adopted dog.
My parents ran a purebred adoption agency for several years, so I understand the agencies' goals and needs too...but I think some need to step back and re-evaluate their programs.

 

[angel_lex21]

a dog is only aggresive if that is how he/she is raised..... it is not the breed of dog rather the stupid people who own them!

 

[kwillia]

a dog is only aggresive if that is how he/she is raised..... it is not the breed of dog rather the stupid people who own them!

Not necessarily true. Dogs are born with certain personality traits as are other species. Some are born shy, mean, friendly, inquisitive, etc. just as humans, cats, horses, etc. are born with different personalities.

 

[RoseRed]

Not necessarily true. Dogs are born with certain personality traits as are other species. Some are born shy, mean, friendly, inquisitive, etc. just as humans, cats, horses, etc. are born with different personalities.

What's your excuse?











:lymi:

 

[kwillia]

What's your excuse?











:lymi:

I was, in fact, dropped on my head as a youngin'...

 

[RoseRed]

I was, in fact, dropped on my head as a youngin'...

You're alright in my book.

 

[MMDad]

a dog is only aggresive if that is how he/she is raised..... it is not the breed of dog rather the stupid people who own them!

That is mostly true. A poorly raised, aggressive Boston Terrier doesn't make headlines. A poorly raised Pit Bull does. Stupid people raising dogs is like stupid people owning guns. Unfortunately, their kids pay for it too often.

I have seen many examples of "gentle" breeds gone bad, and "agressive" breeds being gentle. The bottom line is that humans bred dogs to have certain traits. If you are not willing to live with those traits, don't get a dog.

I realize that mixed breeds pose a special challenge, but unless the dog is a "pure" mutt, you can find some common ground. For example, I had a Malmute/Lab mix. The Malmute part made him a great dog in the woods, and his Lab part made him love the water. If you understand the breeds that go into your dog, you can start to understand their behaviour.

The last dog I adopted was a Sheltie from the Sheltie rescue in Mechanicsville. The fee was $150, which was reasonable to me. He had been seriously abused, and was about 20 lb. underweight. It was obvious that the money couldn't have covered the veterinary care he received. It turned out that he was the best trained, most obedient dog I have ever owned.

Your desire to adopt is noble, and you can find a good dog if you try. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[RoseRed]

I have seen many examples of "gentle" breeds gone bad, and "agressive" breeds being gentle. The bottom line is that humans bred dogs to have certain traits. If you are not willing to live with those traits, don't get a dog.

My purebred GS was as gentle as could be. Unless, she felt that I or daughter was threatened. Then she could break bad, but never did, although she came quite close a couple of times.

 

[HorseLady]

I agree that breeding and natural traits have alot more to do with a dogs behavior than people give credit to. We wanted a "farm" dog when we finally got our place going and after having raised plenty of puppies and being experienced, we got a blue heeler. At 8 weeks of age he was heeling the AC repairman and nipping him in the heels! We socialized him and trained him just as we had with our other dogs but his instincts were so hard to try to undo. When we had visitors they were concerned about the GS's approaching from the front but had no idea there was a threat from the rear! Most GS are wary at first and once they realize there is no threat they are no aggressive. But that heeler would follow and lurk looking for an opening constantly. Blue started by nipping at heels and then moved up to nipping at hands. We tried many methods - even a shock collar - and could not break his habit for long. It was a constant vigil with him. We started to keep him in the house when people were outside but then when we had overnight guests he would go after them in the house. To me, a dog on a chain tied to a dog house is not living a life. For him to watch everyone go by and romp around without him participating is a constant cruelty. We decided, after much soul searching, to have him put down. He was already 4, had nipped lightly at first and progressivly harder, already killed some barn kittens, would bark and cry incesssantly on a chain, and was becoming a liability. If he bit someone in earnest he would do some serious damage and we could not take the chance of him harming anyone. I did not feel comfortable trying to adopt him as he was so ingrained that we were his family and outsiders were not to be trusted, ever. Now I know that there are plenty of wonderful blue heelers out there but they have an instinct that is inbred. Only Mother Nature knows how much each dog has. If our dog would have had a job out on the range to use his abilities properly on a tough old cow he would have been awesome. But here in our situation he was out of place and dangerous.
That is one reason why it is hard to judge the natural tendancies of a mixed breed dog - you don't know what is in there. We had a great lab/chow mix that was mostly laid back lab in temperment but once in a while the chow would show up. We bred GS's and pretty much knew what kind of dog we were going to produce.
If I were going to adopt from a shelter I would do it only locally where I could visit frequently with the dog and try to access its temperment and needs. It is hard to judge a dog from a cute picture! And I've had some animals that weren't photogenic and they are the sweetest in person.
I also agree the "adoption fees" charged by some are outrageous. I understand that they have costs and bills but they are also non-profit and can write off alot of expenses.
Good luck in your search and I hope you find a companion for life soon!!!!

 

[happyappygirl]

What EXACTLY are you looking for Cowgirl? BTW, you have some very serious pre-conceived notions that should be addressed as well the -ie "aggressive breeds" thing..which you guys have handled admirably!! It's OK not wo want a breed you consider aggressive, they aren't all for everyone, but don't shoot the breed for the deed sorry i had to say it....

 

[vraiblonde]

It was a constant vigil with him.

We had that exact same experience with Browser the Cyberdog, who we got from a shelter.

He was a Shepherd/Boxer mix and a trainer buddy of mine said he wished I'd have talked to him before I got the dog, because that's a bad combination. He had fear-aggression issues to the point that we couldn't have people over without locking him away. The kids had to be supervised any time they opened the front door because the dog would knock them down, blast past them and terrorize the neighborhood.

He started out as a great dog until he hit about 6 months, then he turned into this maniac. So I took him back to the shelter after about a year of this, and of course they couldn't adopt him out because he was a biter. It was awful and I would never get a dog again. My cats are a pure joy and I've never had a bad one.

 

[Hello6]

Don't assume a dog is in the pound or shelter just because it is troublesome. People will dump a pet for some very pathetic reasons. My favorite one was a cat turned in because it didn't match the new sofa, or the dog turned in for being too playful.

Lots of people would come to our rescue because they didn't want to get someone else's problem. 99% of the dogs and cats in our rescue came from the pound, and are wonderful dogs. Go to the pound, go to the rescue and meet the dogs you're viewing online and judge their temperment for yourself. Ask the staff there who'd they would take home if they could.

As for the adoption fees my rescue charges (Animal Rescue of Tidewater) it NEVER comes close to the amount of money we spend on vetting. You're never going to recoup the money by claiming it on taxes. I don't even want to think about how much I've spent on my very last rescue...who's going to shell out the 1K I've paid for this animal's care over the last 4 months? I don't see folks lining up outside of PetCo for a one eyed mini dachshund with questionable housebroken skills and a blood lust for cats.

Good luck with your search, and remember a tired dog is a well behaved dog. Some dogs need a job to keep them out of trouble. Keep them an active part of your household and treat them better than a family member and your chances of having an uncontrollable dog will diminish.

 

[Softballkid]

I have a Rott....and I will NEVER own ANY other breed of dog, he is a house dog also....unless one day I break down an by an ankle bitter for my wife...if I ever have one..haha....but, if you would be interested in a Rotti, I know someone who just had a litter not to long ago, and there Rotts arent as big as mine, there were running a lil under 100lbs, mine is 140ish, and growing still, and yes, he's a full house dog....but, if your interested, let me know, I can find there number tonight somewhere I think...

 

[Katie]

The adoption fees are to cover the vetting of the dog while in the rescue program. I have a Hurricane Katrina dog, and he had to get neutered, and some medical work done because of the conditions he was in. The foster parents of the animals don't get paid for the work they do with the dogs.

 

[kwillia]

The adoption fees are to cover the vetting of the dog while in the rescue program. I have a Hurricane Katrina dog, and he had to get neutered, and some medical work done because of the conditions he was in. The foster parents of the animals don't get paid for the work they do with the dogs.

So you get the adoption fees once the dog has been placed...

 

[cattitude]

The adoption fees are to cover the vetting of the dog while in the rescue program. I have a Hurricane Katrina dog, and he had to get neutered, and some medical work done because of the conditions he was in. The foster parents of the animals don't get paid for the work they do with the dogs.

I agree with that Katie. But there are plenty of breeders out there that pop out the puppies, several breeds at a time, register them with crap groups, say CKC, and charge $250 - $300 or so and ANYBODY can buy them. So when you have people who don't want the hassle and are basically ignorant to crappy bred dogs, it's much easier and makes more sense to them to just go pay $250 for cute puppy than deal with filling out an application for a rescue dog.

The rescues suffer and more ill-bred dogs are on the market.

 

[kwillia]

it's much easier and makes more sense to them to just go pay $250 for cute puppy than deal with filling out an application for a rescue dog.

I wanted to do a rescue when I decided upon a 2nd schnauzer. It wasn't a concern over the adoption fee that turned me off of rescue groups, it was the rudeness and as far as I'm concerned way too strict standards and required home inspections and extreme evaluations I disagreed with. Lucky for me I found the perfect schnauzer to adopt by watching the SOMD classifieds. I'll never deal with the rescue groups again.

 

[cattitude]

I wanted to do a rescue when I decided upon a 2nd schnauzer. It wasn't a concern over the adoption fee that turned me off of rescue groups, it was the rudeness and as far as I'm concerned way too strict standards and required home inspections and extreme evaluations I disagreed with. Lucky for me I found the perfect schnauzer to adopt by watching the SOMD classifieds. I'll never deal with the rescue groups again.

I think the one thing rescue groups do that is good is they try to educate the people to the breeds, match people with dogs so that you don't have dogs returned or more dogs going into rescue. A lot of dogs that end up in shelters, etc. are sent there for behavior issues resulting from people not understanding what they were getting into over the long term. They went out and many times, without thought, purchased a cute puppy -- never giving a thought to the expense of grooming, vet visits, breed traits, etc. When you have to fill out an application and actually talk to somebody about the dog and possibly reveal that you aren't really a good prospective owner for a certain type of dog, people are turned off to rescues.

I do think it's a catch-22. Many rescues spend ghastly amounts of money for dogs that are in horrendous shape -- thousands of dollars. They have to sustain themselves somehow. Most of the more expensive adoption fees come with the purebred rescues. But for $250 or so, you get a completely-vetted dog -- one that you are aware of it's shortcomings, if any, and know just what to expect. Seeing as how you can spend close to that for the first few vet visits of a new puppy, it's not a bad deal.

Take those darling little kittens I had for just 3-4 weeks. I shelled out about $250 to take care of less than 2 pounds of kitten.

 

[kwillia]

I hear ya, Catt... and if my experiences trying to deal with rescue folks had been as you described, I wouldn't have issue.... but alas, I am completely turned off from dealing with them. My family spent many a decade as foster home to many dogs in support of the humane society. I understand the need for hoping for a good, solid home for each and every one of them. However, I disagree with how the rescue groups I've had dealings with go about passing said judgement.

 

[cattitude]

I hate to tell you what we paid the breeder for Miss Abigail Lee, and I still filled out a three page application and had to supply references.