Dog from a rescue questions....

[Tap]

I am looking for a poodle or poodle-mix dog.  I work during the day, but with 4 people in and out of the house, there is someone home all but 3-5 hours each day.  I do not want a young puppy because of the above, but would would like it young enough to train/bond with.  Poodle/ poodle-mixes are so in-demand here, that it is hard to find one that isn't a young puppy (or elderly).

I have found a poodle about 2 hours from us at a rescue. They have a girl, now and will have a boy later next week. My  concern is that they were rescued from a backyard breeder. The rescue says they are 2 yo and were neglected.  I messaged the rescue and asked if they have any more information, and they haven't responded. (It is a volunteer run rescue, so not surprising they don't respond right away). I don't mind taking on a dog that will need extra training and time to trust/bond. But I don't really want to get in a situation with a genetic mess of recessive traits from inbreeding and aggression issues. The rescue just said "neglected" but I don't know if that means they were left outside in cold winter months, found dirty and hungry. Or if they were starved and close to death when they were found. 

What do I need to know, and what should I ask from the rescue? I don't live in the area so I have no idea if the rescue will be honest with me or not about the situation. I  know you can't predict the behavior based 100% on the situation, but I would as least like to have a general idea of what we are getting into.

We have a fenced, grassy backyard, with a bit of room to run. We will be able to take it on a walk almost every day, and dh will be able to run a couple miles with it a couple times a week. It won't be housebound. My youngest is 13, mildly autistic, and she really enjoys animals. She has behavior issues, but never towards animals. We want a full size animal due to her behaviors. We don't want something skiddish trying to run between her feet when she is upset. The dog will have run of the house except for one room with a door on it, so if dd is struggling, there will plenty of areas to go to escape the drama.  A rescue will have current shots and already be neutered. I have $1000 set aside for the first year of training and medical care (on top of price of dog, normal expenses like food, toys etc). Do you think this is reasonable $$ expectation for a rescued dog? 

What do I need to know? 

Edited February 7, 2020 by Tap

[Pen]

I suggest getting in touch with poodle breeders and looking for someone with a lead on a mature adult poodle who needs a good home—well bred and well raised, but some unfortunate thing happened so that the dog needs to be placed. 

 

2 hours is a long way.  Once going that far you may not feel able to walk / drive away if dog is not right and 2yo neglected dog could be ready to bond and love and be grateful for new home, or could be a mess of problems beyond what you can handle. 

If considering those dogs tell them you need them to be upfront about dogs’ health, emotional state, temperament, etc.

I don’t know if $1000 is good or not.  Maybe check with vets and trainers in your area. If the dogs don’t have significant problems it should be plenty.  But you don’t know what their problems are.  

I spend a lot on good food. Not so much on vet yearly withcurrent dog even with some allergy problems. And currently nothing on trainer.  

But I had one rescue dog who needed entropion surgery and lots of training soon after arrival and I am sure exceeded that. 

[Pen]

Aren’t you closer than 2 hours to Portland /Vancouver metro area where there’d likely be a lot of dogs needing homes?

 

[Pen]

How about a Skype or FaceTime visit with available dog?  You could get an idea of friendliness with current people, how fur looks, how skinny...   

Ask if they are housetrained.

not impossible to do that, especially if they are smart dogs as poodles often are, but 3-5 hours not home might make you not want to adopt unless the dog can be in backyard for those hours.   

2 yo is also often a time of difficult “teen age” behavior in dogs

[MercyA]

Questions:

Are these dogs being kept in a foster home or a shelter? (A foster "parent" will be able to give you much more accurate info regarding a dog's temperament. Dogs are often not their normal selves in a shelter.)

Have these dogs ever shown any sign of aggression? (*Any* sign would be a dealbreaker for me.)

Do the dogs enjoy attention from humans?

Are the dogs excessively timid or fearful?

How are the dogs coming along with their house training? (Some neglected dogs from backyard breeders have problems with this. If they've always had no choice but to eliminate where they live, it can be a hard habit to break. 😞)

In what condition were the dogs when they came to the rescue? Had they ever lived inside a house? Do they have any health problems?

I would not drive two hours until you get good answers to your questions. 

I applaud you for wanting to adopt from a rescue, but I second Pen's suggestion to also contact some poodle breeders to see if they know of any full-grown poodles who need homes.  

Edited February 7, 2020 by MercyA

[Tap]

8 minutes ago, Pen said:

Aren’t you closer than 2 hours to Portland /Vancouver metro area where there’d likely be a lot of dogs needing homes?

 

Nothing in the target age group. The only one I have seen is a terrier mix. Every terrier I have met is yappy, jumps on visitors, poorly behaved, and is stressed out. I am sure there are some great ones out there, but I am seriously jaded against the breed as a whole. 

[Pen]

1 minute ago, Tap said:

Nothing in the target age group. The only one I have seen is a terrier mix. Every terrier I have met is yappy, jumps on visitors, poorly behaved, and is stressed out. I am sure there are some great ones out there, but I am seriously jaded against the breed as a whole. 

 

I agree that most terriers are difficult.  (Sorry terrier lovers!)   I have met some great terriers, but I think in your circumstances you need to stack your decks with a likely easier breed , and agree that poodle probably is. 

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by Pen

[MercyA]

1 minute ago, Tap said:

Nothing in the target age group. The only one I have seen is a terrier mix. Every terrier I have met is yappy, jumps on visitors, poorly behaved, and is stressed out. I am sure there are some great ones out there, but I am seriously jaded against the breed as a whole. 

Terriers and terrier mixes, IMHO, are not great dogs for kids.

[Pen]

Where is dog? Maybe it’s near someone on WTM who could do prelim visit. 

[Tap]

Just now, Pen said:

Where is dog? Maybe it’s near someone on WTM who could do prelim visit. 

Longbeach, Wa

[Pen]

7 minutes ago, Pen said:

How about a Skype or FaceTime visit with available dog?  You could get an idea of friendliness with current people, how fur looks, how skinny...   

Ask if they are housetrained.

not impossible to do that, especially if they are smart dogs as poodles often are, but 3-5 hours not home might make you not want to adopt unless the dog can be in backyard for those hours.   

 

Until housetrained I mean.  I prefer to adopt in spring or summer because house training and socialization is easier for me. 

Quote

2 yo is also often a time of difficult “teen age” behavior in dogs

 

[Frances]

37 minutes ago, Tap said:

Nothing in the target age group. The only one I have seen is a terrier mix. Every terrier I have met is yappy, jumps on visitors, poorly behaved, and is stressed out. I am sure there are some great ones out there, but I am seriously jaded against the breed as a whole. 

What is your target age range? We’ve adopted two dog at six years old and both were very easy to train and bonded very strongly. The second one is on my lap right now, and I honestly can’t imagine a stronger bond than the one she has with me.

If possible, I’d want to speak directly to the person fostering and also see a video. We are in the PNW and adopted from Texas after many phone conversations and an extensive application. We first saw a video online and went from there. We basically got exactly what we were expecting, as the foster woman was extremely experienced and knowledgeable. We were willing to deal with possible health issues and behaviors related to abuse or neglect. But we were absolutely not willing to take a dog who had any signs of aggression. I’d say if they are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them, they are likely being truthful and not just trying to get you to take the dog. I know some people don’t like it, but good rescues thoroughly vet potential owners.

[Tap]

4 minutes ago, Frances said:

What is your target age range? We’ve adopted two dog at six years old and both were very easy to train and bonded very strongly. The second one is on my lap right now, and I honestly can’t imagine a stronger bond than the one she has with me.

If possible, I’d want to speak directly to the person fostering and also see a video. We are in the PNW and adopted from Texas after many phone conversations and an extensive application. We first saw a video online and went from there. We basically got exactly what we were expecting, as the foster woman was extremely experienced and knowledgeable. We were willing to deal with possible health issues and behaviors related to abuse or neglect. But we were absolutely not willing to take a dog who had any signs of aggression. I’d say if they are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them, they are likely being truthful and not just trying to get you to take the dog. I know some people don’t like it, but good rescues thoroughly vet potential owners.

Target is under 3yo. Preferably under 2. Part of that is wanting a dog that will remain energetic through high school for dd13. I know  that health/vitality is hard to predict, but with larger dogs, I don't want to  go much over target age. 

I  would rather pay someone to come here to potty a dog, for a few months during the day, than to adopt an older dog. It would only be 2-3 days a week, when ds is in college classes. There is someone home other days. 

Edited February 7, 2020 by Tap

[Pen]

Second-Hand Dog: How to Turn Yours into a First-Rate Pet (Howell Reference Books) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0876057350/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JlppEbXESA41P

 

[Pen]

4 minutes ago, Tap said:

Target is under 3yo. Preferably under 2. Part of that is wanting a dog that will remain energetic through high school for dd13. I know  that health/vitality is hard to predict, but with larger dogs, I don't want to  go much over target age. 

 

Could you consider age 3-4yo now and adding a second younger one toward her end of high school if that’s needed?   She’d be more experienced by then and maybe up to helping more with a more energetic newcomer.  Or if she’s gotten into other activities maybe an older dog would be okay

[Tap]

48 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

Could you consider age 3-4yo now and adding a second younger one toward her end of high school if that’s needed?   She’d be more experienced by then and maybe up to helping more with a more energetic newcomer.  Or if she’s gotten into other activities maybe an older dog would be okay

Maybe. I would have to think  about it. I don't plan to add one after this one. Once dd is past high school, I don't want to have a young pet to care for.  If dd is like my other  kids, once they graduate and have a car, they aren't around much.  She will likely get a modified diploma and can stay in a high school/life skills program until  20yo (I think). But she will hopefully drive and have a job at that time.  At that point, we will need a pet that can be home 9 hours and be content with that life style. We will hopefully still have lots of activity in the evening, I just don't want a high demand dog. This is part of wanting a young dog (vs puppy)as well. So, we can hopefully see some basic personality traits. We would prefer to avoid the more neurotic poodles if possible. LOL

We had large dogs growing up and my MIL rescues older large dogs (rots/pyrs/labs etc). I know there is a ton of variation in what I am looking for. These are just very general ideas, expectations, and hopes for the future.  

Edited February 7, 2020 by Tap

[Pawz4me]

In addition to what @MercyA and @kand said, I'd ask about how the dog is with grooming. With a poodle that's definitely a thing to know, and you'll earn points with the adoption person simply by asking. Assuming you don't want to do it yourself that's going to be a regular expense (at least every six weeks, typically) and if the dog doesn't behave reasonably well it might narrow your choice of groomers, which would possibly mean an even higher than normal cost. Also, you might want to call around and find out how much grooming costs in your area. It can vary a lot. Or you can do it yourself, although you'll of course have to buy the necessary tools. If the dog is cooperative and you're not hugely picky (at least to begin with) it's not hard.

I'd also poke around online and research the rescue group. See what you can find. Some are excellent at matching dogs with adoptive homes. Others just want to get them adopted to anybody. And some are way too picky. But I'd rather deal with a way too picky rescue than one who adopts out willy nilly.

[ktgrok]

My concern with it being a breeder dog is not genetic, but socialization. If the dog was in a pen in the backyard for years, it may be very skittish with strangers. Not what you want. 

I do think you need to stay patient, and keep in contact with rescue as well as contacting breeders. It took more than 6 months for Golden Retriever rescue to find us a dog in the age bracket we wanted, with the right personality, but it did happen. 

And if you can stand the shedding, that's another breed to consider as far as good with kids/people/etc. 

[Selkie]

4 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

My concern with it being a breeder dog is not genetic, but socialization. If the dog was in a pen in the backyard for years, it may be very skittish with strangers. Not what you want. 

I do think you need to stay patient, and keep in contact with rescue as well as contacting breeders. It took more than 6 months for Golden Retriever rescue to find us a dog in the age bracket we wanted, with the right personality, but it did happen. 

And if you can stand the shedding, that's another breed to consider as far as good with kids/people/etc. 

Agree with this 100%. Get a dog that is well-socialized.

I have worked with rescued dogs for many years and currently have two dogs that came to me unsocialized. One was removed from a hoarding situation along with 88 other animals. The other is a foxhound who spent the first year of her life in a hunt club kennel with little human contact. It has been a long, slow, drawn out process with each of them, just getting them used to being around people and living a normal, everyday life. They were so easily overwhelmed for months after we got them, and both of them will probably always have quirky behaviors that are scars from their rough start in life. Adopting an unsocialized animal is a project - it takes loads of time, patience, and experience. I have found it is also usually helpful to have a calm, well socialized dog to teach the new dog the ropes - they often learn better and are more comfortable with other dogs than with humans, especially at first.

So given that you are looking for a calm, non-skittish companion dog for your dd, I would pass on this one. Good luck, and I hope a better-suited dog comes along soon.