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We are looking to get a dog and right now our preferred option is to get a dog from a rescue centre or other 'unwanted' source rather than get a puppy.
We have seen one that looks perfect on the 'Preloved' website but before we rush into it and part with our cash, what sort of things should we be asking, what should we be looking out for etc.
Cheers.
checks in..
We have seen one that looks perfect on 'Preloved' website but before we rush into it and part with our cash
Get one from the SSPCA etc rather than a probable puppy farm on Preloved...
I think he means a person who is selling one rather than a puppy farm.
For better or worse sometimes peoples circumstances change and that's where people offer them to be rehomed. Not always sinister motives.
Doesn't matter what you ask, if they are trying to get rid of a wrong'un, they will lie.
Get one from a rescue centre. It will have been assessed, vaccinated etc.
What sort of dog is it?
We got our Border Terrier from Preloved. She was used as a breeding bitch and had served her purpose. That was 8 years ago. She is a fantastic dog but we asked for - details of injections and we asked for the vets details so we could get an idea of the dogs health. The seller provided all of this without problem. We also spent a 10 minutes out with the dog on a walk to get an idea of her behaviour on the lead.
Ensure you get a reciept and the sellers details , if the dog is microchipped you will need to get the details changed to yours. This cost £25.00 (for the details to be changed)
Vet records. you don't want flees ticks and a whole other 'OMG' in your home. Give it the damp paper taste if you see it in person.
(Flee dropings will disolve on the paper showing little specks of blood)
It's up to you how much you wish to invest.
PS
If they show you paper work that says it's a pedigree, tell em to do one (you can buy those kind of forms off the net)
Just re read my post- the breeder was a registered breeder and we visited their home address, so we were also able to see the living conditions. 🙂
preloved
Second Hand? ....No it's four legged.
This is George. He came from preloved. He was 3, so not from a puppy farm. He was just too playful and too needy for an elderly couple and their autistic daughter to cope with. They looked after him, but only walked him 200 yards a day. He needs about 4 hours exercise and play a day really.
Make sure the dogs been chipped, and had its jabs. Buy the seller - see the dog in it's current environment and see how it behaves, look for evidence of destructive behaviour (unless you're prepared to accept this and work with this) make sure it's house trained. Ask to take it for a walk with them, see if it's good off the lead and comes back. If you've got kids, take the kids with you, see how it reacts to them. If you've already got a dog, take it with you, see if they're likely to get on.
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I can see why someone would want to rehome a dog. But selling it??
Get one from the SSPCA etc rather than a probable puppy farm on Preloved...
We don't *WANT* a puppy - we are looking at 18 months+ and yes we are already looking at RSPCA, Dog's Trust and various other charity sites - however (I suspect due to their wanting to place somewhere where there is almost no risk of a return) we are finding it difficult to find anything (we have two 6 year olds and no other dog present and a great deal of the sites are asking for another dog (for socialising) and no under 8s, no under 12s or even no teenagers for some).
Generally people charge a fee to put off those that just want a free dog. If you really want the dog, the fee won't matter.
@johndoh: I had mentioned a friend's chocolate lab on here last week that turns out to have hip dysplasia and is therefore proving difficult to home.
Any chance you would be interested? I believe he is about 18 months.
The current owners are willing to take responsibility for easing any transition, but they can unfortunately no longer look after him.
If interested, email me at the address in my profile.
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Our dog was being sold by a couple who frankly didn't look like they could look after themselves, he was a puppy and I'm pretty sure he was mistreated in some way as he was always afraid of men and hates any kind of noise, flinches at almost any new noise in the house.
He has been an excellent dog though, no health issues in the 4 years we have had him.
Ours was bought from a website - previous owners rescued her from a puppy farm, she didn't fit in with their home environment (small-holding with a few dogs already). She was a pedigree, so yes they were "selling", as they are quite valuable.
We bought her. This was 8 years ago.
As said, not always sinister.
@johndoh: I had mentioned a friend's chocolate lab on here last week that turns out to have hip dysplasia and is therefore proving difficult to home.
Yes we spoke directly about that dog thanks - unfortunately we didn't think he'd fit with our lifestyle (ie, long weekends camping etc) because of his inability to walk very far and at much pace.
🙁
Ah, right. Sorry about that. Didn't connect your real name with your screen name.
Best of luck with your search!
by buying the dog you are supporting the trade. the dog did not start life with a reputable breeder, if it did, it would/should be returned to the breeder.
if you think that dog breeding should be controlled, if you think that dog ownership should be controlled or if you wish to google the number of perfectly healthy dogs that will be killed in this country this year through no fault of their own..... dont support the trade.
a legit rescue will screen you and your home and the dog and explain where your money is going.
soobalais - who is that comment pointed at?
Individuals selling their dogs that they can't keep, rather than sending them to a rescue centre... is that the "Trade" you're talking about?
by buying the dog you are supporting the trade. the dog did not start life with a reputable breeder, if it did, it would/should be returned to the breeder.
Utter balls. Sorry. If you buy a puppy from a puppy farm, then yes you are supporting the trade. If you buy a dog from someone who cannot/will not look after it you are saving the thing from a possible life of misery.
I'm not being funny saxonrider but trying to rehome an 18 month old dog with hip dysplasia is a bit rum. (I don't know the full story though) His condition will only get worse putting his new owners under an increasing financial burden in vets fees ending in a £4,500 hip replacement operation.
You also won't get insurance to cover this as it's a pre existing condition.
I do sympathise though it's not good for the dog or owner(s). Maybe they could do some fundraising for the operation themselves?
Buy it from a proper rescue centre like the RSPCA, otherwise you might end up with a 'cut-and-shut', where the front half might be a different bread to the back half.
Go to:
[url= https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/ ]Dogs trust [/url]
[url= https://www.bluecross.org.uk/rehome-pet ]Blue cross[/url]
RSPCA
They have loads of lovely dogs. I got mine form the dogs trust. Shes lovely.
Mooly - see above (we *WANT* to get a rescue!!!) but we are struggling finding a breed/age we want that anyone seems to have that are suitable for our circumstances.
You need to know why it is being re-homed, it's medical history and if it's been neutered.
Research the breed yourself, assuming it has one, and check if there are any common problems, behavioural issues or hereditary defects to look out for.
If all the above seem acceptable, make arrangements to visit the dog in it's home and spend some time there. Be prepared to leave without the dog if it does not seem to be suitable for you.
johndoh - where are you based? My wife helps rehome dogs for a local charity.
Nothing wrong with someone selling a dog. I've done it myself when we moved from Australia to the UK unexpectedly, and we didn't think it was fair to put our dogs into quarantine for months on end.
We had 2 beagles we loved to bits and didn't wan to trust anyone else to re-home them. We asked for a reasonable amount of money to make sure the new owners were well heeled enough to afford vet bills etc. We interviewed the prospective owners, met their families/kids, visited their homes and eventually found a lovely family who took them on. We still get pics of them on facebook and they've been really well loved.
I'd expect you'd get a really good grilling from the seller. If not you have to worry about how they've treated the dog and why they are selling.
If you know what type/breed of dog you want, there may be an existing group specialising in rehoming. For example, if you wanted a sprocker (aka best dog ever) then there is a group called Sprocker Assist & Rescue ( http://sprockerassist.org/) who help to put together people who have to give their dogs up and people who are looking to adopt. When we are able to get a second one we'll be talking to them.
As you have young children and a specific set of requirements I would be extremely wary about finding one on Preloved or Pets4Homes etc, where you are dealing direct with the owner. Obviously there are exceptions but be careful.
We got a 5 year old Cocker from a nice family on pets4homes. He had veterinary records and a microchipped and seemed well loved, unfortunately their circumstances had changed and they couldn't keep a dog any longer. He was advertised for £100 but as was said above, no money actually changed hands, they just wanted to put off people wanting free dogs for fighting.
It was a bit harder than we imagined, he obviously missed his previous owner and played up a bit for a few months. But with some good advice from a local walker/trainer it improved loads. We're about 2 years down the line now and he's great, totally used to us and seems content.
Charities and RSPCA are obviously the ideal way to do it, but it can work out well through other ways too. We were probably a bit lucky but we were sensible in our choice too (paperwork, chip etc).
johndoh - where are you based? My wife helps rehome dogs for a local charity.
We are in North Yorkshire.
front half might be a different bread to the back half
Wheaten terrier and Brottveiler?
Might win best in show at crusts?
We had similar issues to you with the mainstream rescues ruling us out (both of us work and our existing dog was an entire male, but we are home at lunch, have a great walker for emergencies, and the dogs spend 3-4hrs a day off-lead at the yard with our horses) - we found AA Dog Rescue in Essex and they were fantastic; they take every potential adoptee on their merits, and once they met us and our dog, they were happy to rehome to us.
As you can see, the two boys get on fine!
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Rescue is a Boxer X Staffie and he was 7 months old when we got him. Funnily enough, he came to the rescue via a Gumtree advert. I know they're a distance away, but give them a try. http://www.aadogrescue.org.uk/
Most breeds in the country have a welfare branch who do rehomes. We have a Dalmatian from the breed rescue arm. He's our fourth and has bundles of character. He came with a "has bitten" warning on delivery day and we could have backed out but that would have been his death sentence.
If you are looking for a variety of dogs, and also to give a dog a totally new start and amazing life, then the dogs from Romania are great. We have been fostering one (Sunja) and she was amazing and fitted in with us and our other dog within minutes of arriving at the house.
Quite often although they are street dogs they have come from homes and are well trained and enjoy having the home life again.
If you see what these animals go through it is horrendous!
http://www.ukromaniandogrescue.com/