Choosing a Rescue Dog

by E-NewsCast Team
November 6th, 2009

Choosing a rescue dog can be a difficult choice -all of ourSpanish strays are so grateful and lovable, and make suchwonderful pets, I wonder why anybody would ever want to buy froma breeder.If you have made up your mind to take one of our strays, orindeed, any other rescued dog, do think very carefully aboutwhich kind of dog would suit your particular lifestyle. The lastthing an unwanted dog needs is to find a loving home only todiscover that after a short while he is unloved again andconsidered a nuisance.If you are at home a good deal of the time and are active, thereis no reason not to enjoy long walks with a larger active dogproviding you have the space to accommodate him. Many large dogs such as greyhounds or big heavy dogs do not needas much exercise as smaller highly strung dogs- and greyhoundsin particular usually make docile pets.If you work part-time (you really should not consider taking adog if there is nobody at home all day) a smaller less activedog would not require such lengthy walks although many smalldogs are highly active. You should ask advice to the dog’sparticular needs from the refuge where the dog has been lookedafter.Don’t expect miracles when your dog first arrives. He will bevery confused especially if he is one of our Spanish dogs whomay well have spent years in the refuge or tied up somewhere.With quiet love and understanding he will settle. Just give himhis own time and space to adjust. So many people want to make abig fuss of the dog when he arrives, inviting friends and familyto meet him – but there will be plenty of time in the future forthis. Leave him be, just speaking in a friendly tone to him asyou go about the house. The less fuss you make- so will he.Another consideration when deciding which rescue dog to chooseis whether you have time to spend grooming a long coat. If notstick to a dog with short hair as long coats need regularattention to keep them healthy. Dog or Bitch? I personally really don’t have a preference.All our dogs are neutered before arriving in England forrehoming, and they all have distinct personalities.If you already have one dog it is usually best to choose asecond one of the opposite sex, to avoid competion as to who isgoing to be “top dog”.If your reason for taking on a rescued dog is to provide yourexisting dog with a friend, please be sure that you have thepatience and ability to persevere in the event that the firstdog does not like or accept his new friend.A couple of dogs have been returned to me for this reason, notthrough any fault of their own, just because the owners had notthought it through first, and all it achieve was to make aninsecure little dog even more insecure. Young or Old? Lastly do consider an “oldie” if you can. They areusually wonderful pets and great characters. It is so sad thatthey are forgotten especially when if like our Spanish strays they have been confined to a refugefor years. Some say they are institutionalised and will notsettle but this simply is not true. I have rehomed several (whomwere thought to be quite ancient) but am pleased to say they arestill going strong after five or six years! Whichever dog you decide on make sure you have given the mattersome careful thought. Think carefully before taking him Do not expect too much fromhim at first Give him lots of love and you will receive lots inreturn!

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