ADOPTING A RESCUE DOG

Taking on a rescue dog is not always easy, it requires a lot of time, patience, sympathy and understanding. When the dog, for whatever reason, is brought into rescue kennels he undergoes a health check and is assessed. The previous owner fills in a form with all the dogs history i.e. vaccinations, neutering, temperament - is he good with children, other dogs and pets, any behaviour problems, does he suffer from travel sickness etc. Unfortunately people are not always truthful and it is not until the dog goes to his new home that his true problems are realised. If he was a stray then you will have no details of his background the only information available to you will be the assessment made by the kennel staff whilst he has been in their care. But dogs do behave very differently whilst in kennels to how they do in a home environment, also people have different rules for the dog to abide by, for instance in his previous home he may have been allowed on the furniture but this is forbidden in your home. Therefore you must be prepared for a few mishaps at first until he has learnt to live by a new set of rules.

If the dog has suffered some form of abuse or neglect he will most probably be very frightened and will take a while to realise that you mean him no harm. This type of dog will stretch your patience and understanding to the limit but will also be the most rewarding when he learns to trust you. When taking on a dog that has been abused find out all you can about his background as this will help you to understand why he behaves as he does, a sudden movement or loud noise can often undo a month's hard work. There may be situations that you will always have to avoid because the dog's memory of them are just too painful for him to be able to cope.

But one thing is for sure that a rescue dog will repay you for your kindness and
patience with unlimited love and loyalty and he will be a pleasure to be around.