# Question you should ask b4 rescue



## shedeivl (Apr 7, 2011)

Hi I have never Rescued a dog b4 and I just want a list of questions I sould ask b4 I rescue one

the Questions I have thought of are:

How did the dog end up in the pound/shelter/Rescue/foster?
Dose the dog have any behaviour issiues?
How long has the dog been in the pound/shelter/Rescue/foster ?
How well dose dog get along with other dogs/cats and pocket pets at the pound/shelter/Rescue/foster?
What is the dog eating ? how many times is it feed a day ? how much is it feed?

Thats all i can think of please post any other questions u think I need to ask


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## Taryn (Feb 9, 2011)

A hint, you'll get more responses if you spell out your words. I'm in a good mood otherwise I would skipped right over this because people who don't spell out their words give me a headache and chances are they don't have the maturity(age wise, as in still a teenager living with parents) to actually own a dog to begin with. 

On the question you asked:

1) with shelters and pounds you are mostly going to be told they are a stray, which won't help you much.

2) they might not know of any or they might not be honest(reputable rescues will be honest, but not everyone is reputable and they honestly might not know) even if they know of any issues. Just be prepared to accept any issues that come up, if you can't accept issues don't get a dog. I will accept anything but outright aggression to humans or trying to kill my cat. Most shelter/rescue dogs are going to have baggage of some sort and some behavioral issues aren't going to crop up until the dog is at home.

3) Amount of time spent there doesn't really mean anything. I can end up with the world's meanest animal that they just got today or the world's sweetest animal that's been there for 2 years and just hasn't found the right owner yet. Still an important question to ask but don't let it taint you too much if it's been there for some time.

4) Chances are in a shelter or rescue center they don't know how well the dog will get along with any other animals unless it was an owner surrender and they were honest about what it does and doesn't get along with(if the owner even knows, I know what I would feel comfortable exposing Dexter to but it doesn't mean he will or won't be able to get along with a certain animal. I also wouldn't expose pocket pets to ANY dog, by the way too much risk of the pocket pet being killed. Small dogs are usually historically rodent hunters so instinct can rule that and large dogs sometimes don't know their own size and also might kill small animals out of pure instinct as well.) They didn't know how Dexter was with cats until they took him into the cat room at the rescue to make sure he was OK with cats. Dexter's problems with Nuts is he wants to play and Nuts would prefer to hiss and strike at him.

5) Most rescues feed crap food because it is all they can afford so you will most likely want to change their food once they get settled so the cost of food isn't that relevant. Most dogs are/should be fed twice a day but asking what times they are fed would be helpful. What the dog is fed and how much is very important. If it seems like a lot check the bag as a general guideline, unless it is excessive(double-triple the amount specified on the bag) feed the amount they say and not what the bag says. The rescue we got Dexter from accidentally doubled the amount we should be feeding him. Keep an eye on the dogs condition that will tell you how much to feed once out of the shelter, if it starts getting fat- feed less, starts getting skinny- feed more. 

I can't think of any other questions but thought I would let you know what you might hear regarding the questions you have.

Taryn


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## shedeivl (Apr 7, 2011)

I dont spell well i have a reading writing disabillty just so you know, so i use short hand as I find it easer and I am 23 and live in my own place not a teen and i try to not judge a book by it's cover but thanx for all your help any I think u give usefull advice


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## Lindbert (Dec 12, 2010)

When I volunteered for a shelter/rescue, I LOVED when the first question potential adopters asked me was to describe what I thought would be the perfect home for the particular dog they were interested in. That made me think the person had the dog's best interest in mind and really cared if they were a suitable home for them. 

If the dog is stray, ask where they found the dog. My dog was removed from the backyard of a frat house and college aged men make him very nervous. It can help you gain some insight if you find certain situations make him uneasy or nervous.


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## shedeivl (Apr 7, 2011)

thankyou I would not of thought of that


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