# So hard to find the right rescue dog



## OffGrid9 (9 mo ago)

My wife and I have had dogs for 49 years, since I left the US Navy. Sometimes as many as four at once, mostly two, and recently just one. Some were good, some better, some great. Most of them "fell out of the sky" -- neighbors' dogs' litters, pets our children couldn't care for, or a friend had a stroke. Two I bought from BYBs, good farm families who had great Labrador retriever bitches and bred them to continue good lines. My last black lab, Hannah, was one of those. She died on Feb 4th. For the first time in 50 years, we have no dog. My wife had discouraged me from getting a new dog, she wanted to travel without a dog. But now she misses Hannah, almost as much as I do. She wants us to get another dog. I finally convinced her that we could and should adopt a rescue dog...there are so many of them, and so many reasons to welcome one of them into our family. I also pointed out that many mixed breed dogs are as healthy or healthier than purebred dogs, and may live a long and productive life. She has agreed.

Now here's the rub -- while she wants a dog, she has very specific ground-rules: It must be a puppy (up to one year old); it must be a female; she must be short-hair, low shed; she must be small to medium (say, between 25 and 45 pounds), and she can't be overly "super-high-strung-nutso" requiring constant attention and walks.

_[sigh...] _ I can't think of any single breed that meets those requirements. I think Staffordshire Bull Terriers come closest, but they are high-energy dynamos. Maybe a lab/staff mix would be more settled.

Anyone have a better idea? And how do I locate this perfect dog? Most rescue sites are pretty hazy about breeds, and most of the descriptions are so good...they seem too good to be true.


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## 3GSD4IPO (Jun 8, 2016)

Buy from a breeder and get another Labrador Retriever. Make sure the breeder does hips/elbows xrays and certifications on the parents and any other tests for genetic disease on the parents. Discuss the temperament you are looking for. Expect to pay a good price for a good puppy from a reputable breeder. Dogs from reputable breeders run $2000 and up but are so worth it.

Good luck!


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

A Labrador is far from low shed!

You could look into whippets. Sighthounds do need exercise, but if you have a place to let them run hard and chase a toy daily, they can be really good at settling indoors. They can be sensitive and high strung, so look for a breeder who has really confident, stable dogs and breeds for companions primarily (as opposed to sports prospects).

A smooth coated standard dachshund from a companion breeder may be a good fit as well. They can be feisty dogs, but don't tend to be endlessly energetic the way some breeds are, and can be great companions. 

If you're willing to consider different low-shed coat types and/or smaller dogs, you open up more options. Schnauzers, poodles, Chinese crested (the powderpuffs are fluffy if you're not into the naked look), can all be lovely family dogs for people who are okay with regular grooming (which may just mean letting a professional shave them down if you want to keep things really low maintenance).

Mixes, especially baby mixes, are going to be unpredictable. They won't have their adult personality, adult size, or adult coat, and both those can be harder to predict in a mix with unknown history than a purebred from a known line. For example, a lab x staffy could get the Labrador coat and shed like the dickens! It's not a bad idea to keep your eyes out for a potential match in shelters, but you may want to focus on those pups who are closer to 1 year so you can be more confident they suit your requirements.


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## Lillith (Feb 16, 2016)

Yes, unfortunately dogs from rescues can be unpredictable. Great if you don't need anything too specific, but not so great if you have a lot of requirements. And, what your wife is looking for is mighty popular, so they won't last long in shelters.

You can look into breed specific rescues if you can decide on a breed. You might have to travel a bit farther and wait longer, though.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Previous owner of two labs here. The good news is they are puppies for about four years, so there are "adult" lab puppies available. The bad news is they shed like it is their life's work.


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## Toedtoes (Sep 25, 2021)

I would sit with your wife and discuss priorities on her requirements. 

_1. It must be a puppy (up to one year old); 
2. it must be a female; 
3. she must be short-hair, low shed; 
4. she must be small to medium (say, between 25 and 45 pounds), 
5. and she can't be overly "super-high-strung-nutso" requiring constant attention and walks._

If you can get 1, 2, 3, and 5, would she give way on the size - maybe go smaller or up to 60lbs? Or if you can get 1, 3, 4, and 5, would she give way on it being a female? And so on. Or maybe a low shed but longer haired dog? Or maybe a 2 or 3 year old dog who has had time to settle.

A poodle mix could hit all her requirements except "short hair".

One thing to consider is that #1 and #5 are somewhat incompatible. A puppy is by default going to require constant attention. And often, young (6 - 18 month old) dogs who end up in shelters and rescues do so because they did not receive proper training as puppies and suddenly became "too much to handle" and were given up. They can be great pets, but they will often require a lot of effort in the beginning.

I know someone who just adopted a sweet beagle from the breeder. The dog was one of their breeding stock and had just had her last litter before retiring from the problem. She is a great little dog who would check off all your wife's requirements except age. But her age has allowed her to meet your wife's #5 requirement. 

Also, talk to your local shelters. Fill out an application - instead of identifying a specific dog in their system, write in what you would like to have. This puts you in their "tickle file". Often, they have a litter of puppies waiting to be weaned and by having your app on file gives you the advantage. Sometimes when a desireable dog (like what you're asking for) comes in, they have a ton of folks wanting it - the person who gets their app in first wins. Submitting your app BEFORE the dog comes in can put you first. And by submitting your app, you can start a conversation with the shelter that you wouldn't have otherwise. The shelter, after talking to you, may see a great fit with a dog in their system, that you wouldn't have otherwise considered (see above examples).

With three of my last four dogs, I had a preconceived dog I was looking for. In all three cases, when I spoke with the rescue/shelter, they directed me to a dog I hadn't originally considered. In all three cases, I ended up with a dog that I adored. The dog's "failure" to meet my initial requirements didn't matter in the end. With my latest dog, I submitted an application with a shelter for a puppy on their website. All the puppies on their website were already adopted. But, they had a litter that would become available in a couple weeks and they told me to schedule an adoption appointment for that litter that very day. I did. I got first choice of puppies from that litter.

Also, don't just look at your city and/or county shelter. Look further out. The breeds/breed mixes will often vary by municipality. Wealthier cities and counties often get more desireable dogs - simply because their residents have the money to buy purebred puppies in the first place. My hometown county shelter rarely gets a pit or bully mix and often have small and midsize dogs (and not just chihuahuas). My current city and county shelters pretty much get pi and bully mixes, shepherds, huskies and chihuahuas - if you want something else, you won't find it.


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## OffGrid9 (9 mo ago)

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts. I truly do appreciate them, and the time you've taken to communicate them to me. It is very clear that you all love dogs deeply, and you care enough about my family to try to guide us.

One thing I didn't make clear in my initial post - we don't have much discretionary money - we're on a fixed income that is rapidly losing its buying power. We feed our dogs high-quality food, which ain't cheap, but we do it, it's not negotiable. We've always done our own dog grooming, shots, worming, and other meds when possible. We also are lucky enough to have a sympathetic vet who gives us great service, and goes as easy on the billing as he can. But buying a good puppy, Lab or other, from any reputable breeder...no, that's a no-go.

As to the characteristics of Labs, I am well aware - I've owned three pure-bred Labs, two puppies from GOOD, honest BYBs who had great hunting Labs and bred them carefully to other AKC hunting Labs, wanting to continue a great, healthy, intelligent hunting line (and they both knew me, and didn't soak me too badly on the price). The other Lab (my first) was my own personal rescue, 16 months old, badly abused, poorly fed, and chained. She became the best dog I've ever owned, or ever known, and I miss her deeply to this day, 22 years after she left me. Two were black and one was yellow (the dark cinnamon type), and I am well aware of their shedding. So is my wife. If I get another Lab, the deal is that I will do the vacuuming, 3 times a week. 

My wife's druthers are...well...maybe not as firm as I described. If she finds a dog that clicks with her, most (or all?) of her "requirements" could shift or melt away. She DOES want a puppy or young dog. She DOES want a dog small enough to ride shotgun comfortably and be able to curl up in a bucket seat, so 50 pounds is pretty much the limit. She has loved our two male dogs as well as our females, but she hated that one of them peed on and killed several of her prized rhodies and azaleas, so she really would prefer a female. She doesn't really require short hair...she would just prefer lower shed. And as I said, any or all of these requirements are subject to a "love-at-first-sight" waiver.

One problem I have is that she refuses to go to a shelter, or to a rescue-dog meet-&-greet event. She can't choose just one and leave the rest in their misery - she tried it once, and cried. She won't do it again. Since she refuses to go, it's going to be up to me to choose a rescue dog, and pray that she will fall in love with it. If you think that sounds like a recipe for disaster...well, it is.

I especially appreciate the advice of TOEDTOES, re the consideration of dogs that appear to be "outside the box". Also, the advice to fill out applications at various shelters and rescue groups, to get our names first on a waiting list, that's a great idea. We may find the dog of my wife's dreams, and it could be a dog that fulfills few of her initial druthers. We shall see.

Meanwhile, I think I have about all the advice I need. Thank you all again.

OffGrid9


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## storyist (Sep 19, 2019)

OffGrid9 said:


> One thing I didn't make clear in my initial post - we don't have much discretionary money - we're on a fixed income that is rapidly losing its buying power.


One thing to really consider in your circumstances is pet health insurance. I never bothered for most of my life, but vet costs are escalating like everything else, and I've changed my mind with my latest puppy. I signed up for AKC's free 30-day policy when I got him and actually had a claim (removal of seed from ear) that paid almost the cost of an additional year of a basic policy.

Like all insurance it's a gamble and a cost, but all in all.... When I did rescue we got in quite a few dogs who were turned in to shelters and otherwise given up by owners who couldn't pay the cost of saving a pavo puppy or surgery on a broken leg, one for necessary dental work for a bite so bad the canines were going into the roof of the mouth.

If you decide to do it, do it the day you get the dog so there are no preexisting conditions on the policy.


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## Toedtoes (Sep 25, 2021)

OffGrid9 said:


> One problem I have is that she refuses to go to a shelter, or to a rescue-dog meet-&-greet event. She can't choose just one and leave the rest in their misery - she tried it once, and cried. She won't do it again. Since she refuses to go, it's going to be up to me to choose a rescue dog, and pray that she will fall in love with it. If you think that sounds like a recipe for disaster...well, it is.


Rather than doing the meet and greets, check with the rescue or shelter to see if they do one on one meets. As a foster, I did that a lot with my dogs. I'd take the dog to the potential adopter and let them visit with the dog in a "normal" setting. I actually preferred adopting that way because it gave us all time to talk and get familiar with each other (foster, adopter, and dog).

Some shelters are set up to do one on ones too. When I adopted my Cat-dog (May 2020), the set her up in an outside "adoption kennel". It was basically a large fenced in grassy area with a shade canopy over it. I didn't need to go inside the shelter and like above, it gave me the chance to hang out with her with few distractions.

And when I adopted my Tornado-dog (Feb 2021), we never even met. We did it all remotely via zoom. They posted individual photos of the puppies on their website the night before the adoption appointments. Then you logged in to your virtual appointment and they asked which puppy you wanted to see. They pulled that puppy into the "video room" and interacted with it so you could watch. Then they asked if you wanted to see another puppy. I actually didn't meet Tornado-dog in person until I picked him up after his neutering - they brought him out to my car and off we went.

Covid has changed how a lot of shelters do things. So don't hesitate to ask if they can do a one on one with you and your wife away from the shelter. When I decided to get a puppy for Cat-dog, I had to deal with the issue that she is very afraid of dogs. I wasn't even sure if a puppy would work. I discussed it with a local shelter and they had one of their fosters come to my house with a puppy to see how Cat-dog responded. The puppy was too small a breed and we all knew I wouldn't adopt it, but they did it anyway because it would potentially get a dog a home at some point.

As for boys peeing on plants, etc, that isn't necessarily a "boy" thing. Neither my Moose-dog or Tornado-dog list their legs. They were raised with female dogs and neutered young as part of the adoption process and they squated their entire lives. And neither had the desire to mark things.

On the flipside, my female Bat-dog would mark things all the time. Being a girl, that meant she climbed right into the plant to get her pee in the right spot. She damaged far more plants than my boys combined. She also loved chewing on branches...

And for the record, from what I've read here, I think you are a great home for the right dog and I would put in the effort to find you that dog if you contacted the rescue I had fostered with.


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## storyist (Sep 19, 2019)

Toestoes is right about the procedures of at least some rescue groups. Ours always did a home check, and we mostly took the dog under consideration with us when we did it.

Something else to inquire about is foster to adopt. Many rescues do this. You take the dog under a foster agreement, and if you fall in love, you adopt. If not, the dog is kept as available for adoption to other. You do want to check references for rescues that offer this to make sure they actually take back or adopt out the dog if it's not for you and don't just leave it with you. I don't know of a rescue that does that and haven't met anyone who says it happened to them, but I've seen posts on line claiming it happened to them.


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## Toedtoes (Sep 25, 2021)

Foster to adopt is a great idea. If your wife doesn't fall for the dog, she doesn't have to feel guilty because you would be able to have input on who ends up adopting the dog.


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