been thinking a lot recently about my decision to get a dog from a breeder and...

[AllergicToNutters]

and am now seriously considering a rescue dog instead. Your thoughts?

[redrubyshoes]

Rescue. Why pay hundreds of pounds for a puppy when there are wonderful dogs waiting for a home?

Be prepared for some pretty stringent homechecks etc.

[Follyfoot]

Mmm rescue dogs only in our house too. Well done.

[NorksAreMessy]

Rescue those dogs! You will be saving a life

[AllergicToNutters]

i do go on rescue sites to have a peep (bit of a hobby ;-)), and I saw this thing on TV last night which featured an Australian rescue. I've never seen inside a rescue before. IT was really heartbreaking. These poor dogs. What have they done to deserve being turfed out of their homes I know that some families simplly cannot cope with a dog for whatever reason (change of circumstances, finances etc.) but I don't think I can justify bringing a puppy home whilst there are so many in rescues wanting a new family to belong to.

[Kladdkaka]

Rescues have puppies too. I get my westies from Many Tears Rescue. We have to be quite selective of breed because of severe allergies. They sometimes have pups. Wish I could take them all home :(

[D0oinMeCleanin]

In our family dogs we have two rescues, one private rescue (who we have had since a puppy), one ex poundie, one pup my sister bought and one stray picked up off of the local beach who was never claimed.

The stray is the best of the lot. He is truely grateful just be loved, fed and safe. He will barely leave your side when you let him off for fear that he will be left again . He allows my four year old to walk him.

Rescue dogs are ace. The puppy my sister bought is lufferly. But he is a destructive, stubborn pain in the arse. Despite on going training and every no-chew spray known to man he still insists that door frames are food.

Go for a rescue dog and then you know what you are getting and any problems or quirks the dog might have.

Staffies and Greyhounds are lovely. Get one of each

[Kladdkaka]

Staffies are great. How can anyone not love a dog that looks like it's laughing it's head off all the time. Unfortunately they trigger my husband's asthma :(

[AllergicToNutters]

i have cats

[D0oinMeCleanin]

You can get cat friendly Greyhounds and staffies. You might have to wait a while if you go down the hound route, but they exist. Strange creatures like my teeny hound who is terrified of anything small and furry (including cats and rabbits) also exist. You can't have her though, she is mine.

My dad has two cats and three hounds. Two lurchers and a whippet.

[AllergicToNutters]

never really considered a hound before. Quite like staffies though. but their over exuberance may be a bit daunting for my visiting newphews (esp the 2 year old). Hmm - much to consider. I still love labs though.

[LtEveDallas]

We've got a Mutt - most likely Collie / Springer Cross, but possibly some pointer and maybe even whippy in her. Rescue pup, came to us as about 8 weeks and is the most wonderful, amazing, soft, intelligent, stupid, crazy and obedient dog in the world!

Remember 'Deed not Breed' if you get a pup you can turn it into pretty much whatever you want. If you get an older dog you need to make sure the Rescue assesses it according to your needs - in your case you should take the cats with you when you meet your dog for the first time. Some dogs hate cats, some dogs are bullied by cats and other dogs share beds with them!!

(and yes, I would tell the breeders to take you off their list - too many dogs are being killed to justify yet another litter being bought into the world)

[AllergicToNutters]

LtEfeDallas - crikey - what amixture! sounds lovely though. I do see what you are saying about the dog being what you make it, but there are certain breed traits that I would like to avoid. For example, I wouldnt want a Beable for love nor money, or a Collie. I just don;t have the emotional energy (from what I understand of the breeds). That said, I have to rethink everything as I had my heart set on a lab retreiver so I need to broaden my horizons considerably if i am going the rescue route. Maybe I will get lucky and find a beautiful young lab wating for me. Still cannot do anything until after our Summer holidays anyway so plenty of time to look into things I'm feeling quite sanctimonious today!

[AllergicToNutters]

Beagle

[Move2012]

Please be very careful what type of dog you get... Some are very energetic ... And need a big garden to run around also have to walk them at least twice a day... We have a schnauzer and jack Russell cross... OMG, he is full of energy likes barking a lot as well... So much work to get a dog! Please think about that!!

[Move2012]

Beagle is one of the full on energetic dogs who needs lots of attention... Likes chewing furniture etc if left alone...

[Follyfoot]

Where in the country are you Allergic? There are some great Lab rescues out there.

[daisydotandgertie]

There are an awful lot of Labradors who are in rescue. From young pups onwards.

I could link you to at least a dozen in seconds.

[LtEveDallas]

Allergic, there is a picture of her on my profile. Whatever she is, she's bloody lovely

I had a Collie / Lab Cross some years ago, she was a beautiful dog and looked like a skinny Retriever. She needed a lot of running/walking and she moulted like billy-o, but of my word she was pretty. I can see the attraction.

We also had a JRT / Corgi cross, again a lovely placid friendly dog, but needed running at least twice a day otherwise she just didn't settle.

My sis had a rescue beagle - she was lovely, could be left on her own, wasn't much of a chewer but OMG the howling! She'd do it just for attention, for no real reason. Definately put me off the breed.

[AllergicToNutters]

move2012 _ I said I wouldn't get a Beagle, or anything too manic for our household. I'd be a bit shy of a Springer or a Collie too. Way too much for me I think.
Folly - I am South coast - there are lots of rescues around this way - sadly bursting at the seams with dogs it would appear.
Daisy - sucha shame, why would pups be in rescue? Probably being a bit dense here [bllush]
LtEveDallas - the howling?! I don;t need putting off Beagles. My friend has one and he is totally nuts. I mean really totally nuts!
Another friend has a tibetan Terrier who is boisterous but absolutely gorgeous. Someone else I know has a Springer but he is NEVER EVER still! Would drive me bonkers I think and scare the puss cats. Another friend has a Black Lab. he is the most gorgeous dog in the world and if she would let me I would have him for my own! But the horrid woman says NO!
I can see this search is going to be a long and arduous affair!

[minsmum]

Get a rescue my dog was a rescue she was found locked in a kids playground in the snow. The vet said she was about 5 months old and thought she would have been an unwanted christmas present. She's a collie x hound, loves my children and is scared of all cats except mine. We think she had been mistreated she was so scared of my oh when she met him she wet herself.
She is the best dog in the world, kind and gentle and never goes more than 5 feet away from us as she is more scared of losing us than anything else.

Get a rescue , change some poor dogs life.

[OrmIrian]

Glad to hear it.

The Harlster was a rescue and he is the best dog in the world! HTH

[Scuttlebutter]

Delighted you are getting a rescue, and it should be no barrier to you having a wonderful friend for life, or having a preference as to breed. As Daisy says, plenty of gorgeous Labs in rescues, through no fault of their own. Common reasons for rehoming are:- divorce, emigration, redundancy and the arrival of a first or second baby, so out goes the dog. Absolutely no reflection on the dog's behaviour or temperament.

Rescue homechecks are no different from the sorts of questions asked by reputable breeders.

Pups often end up in rescues as pregnant bitches are often homeless or abandoned.

[bronze]

We've had a collie x lab who I still miss daily
We now have a gsdx who though I love if I had known I would never have got her as bad as that makes me feel.

[ElephantsAreMadeOfElements]

My parents had a lab/collie cross and she was a soppy thing, but she did look mostly lab with collie colouring.

[SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud]

I think also Andrex play a big part in why so many labs are in rescue. People see the cutie wutie Andrex puppy adverts and think "Oh wow! So cute! Let's get one." and they do, without researching and not knowing what they've let themselves in for when puppykins reaches adolescence.