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We are letting our son get a dog- where to look?


DawnM
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Our son is getting a dog.  We want it to be HIS dog, so we are allowing him to choose it.

We have always gotten just any dog, from the paper (before CL existed) or through CL, or friends, etc.....we have never paid for a dog.  Ever.

So, he has decided he wants a standard poodle or some variation of a poodle (Goldendoodle, labradoodle, etc....)

However, he wants one that would be an already housebroken, non-puppy stage, someone who needs to get rid of the dog due to a move or something.

We have combed CL, and the local animal rescue (90% if those seem to be pit bulls), and the poodle rescue site.  We are coming up with almost nothing.  You can either get puppies or the rescue dogs seem to all have something that prevents us from taking them (dog can't be around children, or other dogs, or whatever.....most surrendered due to aggression.)

I realize these are pretty popular dogs right now so we may have to just wait, get an actual puppy, or get a different dog.

But, any other suggestions of where to look? 

 

 

 

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there are breed specific rescues - but it will take longer.  you might want to consider a larger search area than just "local" to you.  My friend got one mixed breed (looks a lot like a golden - with a black coat.  pretty soft too.) from a rescue several states away, and the dog was shipped to her.  he was seven months when she got him, and had apparently had parvo but wasn't treated. so, he tired easily.

petfinder is one site that draws from all over.  we did look into rescues on it. some seem legit, some made the hair on the back of my neck stand up (listen to those hairs).  they'll tell you some sob story to get you to pay them their adoption fee.  you don't know if it's legit, or a scam. (scams are out there.).  one told her the pair of dogs given up by a woman going to assisted living, were "about five" - actually try more like 12.

so be patient, help your son to be patient, dont' "settle", and be on guard to not be pressured.  there are unscrupulous rescues that will pressure inexperienced people into adopting a pet they're not ready for.  (some rescues are legit rescues, some call themselves a rescue because they think they'll make a quick buck.)

but this is an issue, and why my dd ended up buying a puppy from a breeder.  (after doing her due diligence about different breeders.)

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We tried to go the route you are hoping to take.  I searched for months.  Nope.  Either the dogs had something hugely wrong that made them a terrible fit for our family or the sellers were flakey and probably scammers.  We ended up buying a puppy from a reputable breeder.  Dh knew several people who had bought puppies there who had only positive things to say about both the dogs and the breeder, so we went to meet them and meet the parent dogs.  We have been very happy with our choice.  

If you really want to try for an older dog that just needs a new owner, you could try visiting the humane society first thing every day.  A vet tech told me those dogs have such fast turnaround there that they never are listed online.  

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8 minutes ago, klmama said:

We tried to go the route you are hoping to take.  I searched for months.  Nope.  Either the dogs had something hugely wrong that made them a terrible fit for our family or the sellers were flakey and probably scammers.  We ended up buying a puppy from a reputable breeder.  Dh knew several people who had bought puppies there who had only positive things to say about both the dogs and the breeder, so we went to meet them and meet the parent dogs.  We have been very happy with our choice.  

If you really want to try for an older dog that just needs a new owner, you could try visiting the humane society first thing every day.  A vet tech told me those dogs have such fast turnaround there that they never are listed online.  

 

Thanks.  Our humane society is 45 min. away, so that won't happen.

It's ok, I kind of figured this was the case.  We will give it a little more time and then just get a puppy.

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You might want to contact some reputable breeders and ask them.  Sometimes they will have kept a puppy and changed their mind about breeding it, or they may have adult animals they have decided to rehome for various reasons.    Even if they don't have a suitable dog, they may know someone who does. 

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I've seen various doodles at shelters here in the midwest, most of them transported up from southern states (that's where the majority of the dogs in our shelters come from). Any time a dog breed gets popular, some of them will end up in shelters. I would keep an eye out and let the shelter staff know what you're looking for. Ask if they could give you a heads up if a suitable dog becomes available.

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52 minutes ago, Kebo said:

You might want to contact some reputable breeders and ask them.  Sometimes they will have kept a puppy and changed their mind about breeding it, or they may have adult animals they have decided to rehome for various reasons.    Even if they don't have a suitable dog, they may know someone who does. 

 

Yes to this!

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Just curious about your ds's age and strength. We have a standard poodle that is only 50 lbs, and he is STRONG. He is smart, stubborn, and likes to do and go where HE wants. He can easily pull me where he likes to lunge and drag me, and I'm not a tiny woman. He is not an easy dog to walk and requires consistency, strictness, attentiveness, determination and patience. This may not be the best breed of dog for a young teen or child. Perhaps something smaller and a little less 'determined.'

Edited by wintermom
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 Many years ago, I took my Old English Sheepdog to an Obedience class taught by an Instructor who had a Standard Poodle.  That dog impressed me, with his intelligence and also his obedience.

Since your DS has a Specific interest in Poodles, I would look on the AKC web site (American Kennel Club) for the National breed club for Poodles. Contact them and then ask for their "Rescue" contact(s).  You may be able to get that information on the web site of the National Breed Club...

Good luck to your DS with his new dog!

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1 hour ago, wintermom said:

Just curious about your ds's age and strength. We have a standard poodle that is only 50 lbs, and he is STRONG. He is smart, stubborn, and likes to do and go where HE wants. He can easily pull me where he likes to lunge and drag me, and I'm not a tiny woman. He is not an easy dog to walk and requires consistency, strictness, attentiveness, determination and patience. This may not be the best breed of dog for a young teen or child. Perhaps something smaller and a little less 'determined.'

I think Dawn's DS is pretty much an adult. But the general rule of thumb is that it's difficult to physically control a dog who is more than 1/3 of the human's weight. So following that general rule, a 150 pound person couldn't easily control a dog who weighs more than 50 pounds, Now I'm sure there are lots of exceptions to that--some dogs are much more muscular than others, some adults of the same weight are stronger/weaker than others, etc. But . . . it's a general guideline and one well worth keeping in mind, IMO. Sure everybody thinks they're going to have a well behaved dog, and there are tools to help control boisterous ones. But I like stacking the deck in every way possible. 

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1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

I think Dawn's DS is pretty much an adult. But the general rule of thumb is that it's difficult to physically control a dog who is more than 1/3 of the human's weight. So following that general rule, a 150 pound person couldn't easily control a dog who weighs more than 50 pounds, Now I'm sure there are lots of exceptions to that--some dogs are much more muscular than others, some adults of the same weight are stronger/weaker than others, etc. But . . . it's a general guideline and one well worth keeping in mind, IMO. Sure everybody thinks they're going to have a well behaved dog, and there are tools to help control boisterous ones. But I like stacking the deck in every way possible. 

It's not simply weight, but height of the dog as well. A standard poodle has very long legs. It's a lot easier to manage a shorter dog with a lower centre of gravity pulling than a taller dog.

Aside from the weight, there is the strong desire for stimulation with poodles. It takes a lot of time on the owner's part to keep this dog satisfied. I've yet to see a teen who has the time and energy to sustain this level of dedication for years. So the parent generally is forced to take over the dog duties. 

Add in grooming every 6 weeks to the time, cost and maintenance of a poodle. Things to keep in mind. Lovely dogs, but they are high maintenance.

Edited by wintermom
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3 hours ago, Medicmom2.0 said:

We looked for about a year for a doodle mix.  I think due to the poodle guarding tendency a lot of the rescues had dogs that weren’t suitable for small children, which we have.  I think rescues are noble but I’ve also found some that just plainly lie.  We eventually researched breeders and found a good, quality breeder for our second and third dogs. We didn’t go with a mix but wound up with just purebred golden retrievers.  I won’t get a rescue dog now until I no longer have kids in the house.

My sister did get a goldendoodle from a rescue a few years ago. The story they gave her was that the dog was a Hurricane Sandy rescue who’s owners couldn’t keep her due to being homeless after flooding.  The rescue also blatantly lied about the dog’s age.  The dog is reactive with severe guarding behavior.  She is sweet and loving with my sister’s kids but can not tolerate other people, especially kids, in the house. My sister and BIL have poured thousands into dog training and dog behaviorist consults.  A few weeks ago a neighbor child burst into the house and the dog bit it.  The local animal shelter won’t take the dog because it’s “aggressive” and the rescue they got it from isn’t answering phone calls. It’s a bad situation all the way around and could have been avoided if the rescue had either (a) actually done the behavior testing they claimed or (b) just not out and out lied.

I've come to believe, the bigger yarn they spin (aka: trying to move me to tears - I had one that claimed they rescued the dog from asia so it wouldn't be part of their meat market), the more likely they're lying.

 

there are some good dog trainers (usually when they offer boarding) - that will do temperament assessments.  If you're going the rescue route, I would strongly suggest having your own temperament assessment done as soon as you have the dog in your possession - if not earlier.

dd drops her dogs off at a very reputable trainer facility for "play time" while she runs errands.  she also uses them for boarding when she's out of town and I'm not available -   before a dog can be  boarded OR playtime there, they must have a temperament assessment.   (it's more trustworthy than the dog park, as there have been dogs who aren't suitable for open play and their owners don't pay any attention to them.)  they'll refuse to board or playtime dogs who don't pass as they have a responsibility to all the dogs in their care.

Edited by gardenmom5
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13 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I've come to believe, the bigger yarn they spin (aka: trying to move me to tears - I had one that claimed they rescued the dog from asia so it wouldn't be part of their meat market), the more likely they're lying.

There have been quite a few dogs brought over to the US that were rescued from South Korean meat farms. Our local shelter has gotten several of them - beautiful, white Samoyed-type dogs. They needed quite a bit of fostering and socialization work before they were put up for adoption, but they did all find homes.

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1 hour ago, Selkie said:

There have been quite a few dogs brought over to the US that were rescued from South Korean meat farms. Our local shelter has gotten several of them - beautiful, white Samoyed-type dogs. They needed quite a bit of fostering and socialization work before they were put up for adoption, but they did all find homes.

There is at least one rescue near me that I know for a fact is doing the same thing. It's absolutely not a made up story to pull on heartstrings.

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49 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

There is at least one rescue near me that I know for a fact is doing the same thing. It's absolutely not a made up story to pull on heartstrings.

I prefer matter of fact.  when someone starts trying to pull on my heartstrings - I feel manipulated and my answer will be a flat no.  their rescue isn't the only one looking for homes for dogs.

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I know that it's trendy to adopt dogs from shelters. But it does seem like finding a good family breed at the shelter is hard. At ours, most of them are pits or pit mixes. I have a bunch of kids, and I do worry about bringing a dog into our home with an unknown history. 

That said, we recently got a golden retriever mix puppy from someone who was living in an apartment who could no longer care for him. He was a very well loved dog who was already potty trained and knew some commands. We had been watching craigslist for a while before he came up. We also got an aussie puppy from a breeder about 6 months ago. The potty training months were rough but she is a fantastic dog. She's smart and eager to learn and I love her. 

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to get a dog. Just take your time because the right dog for your home might not come up right away. Definitely do not impulse purchase!

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12 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I prefer matter of fact.  when someone starts trying to pull on my heartstrings - I feel manipulated and my answer will be a flat no.  their rescue isn't the only one looking for homes for dogs.

I've fostered a ton of dogs and done a LOT of adoption counseling, and I've yet to meet an adopter who didn't want to know the story of any dog they were considering adopting. Shoot, I've got a new foster (just picked her up Saturday) snoozing on the couch beside me right now. I'm just her foster and I'd love to know her background. I know any adopter is going to want to know. And the truth is the truth, even if it does pull on the heartstrings.

Here's a hint for anyone looking for a dog -- Follow some of your local rescue groups on FB, or check their pages regularly. They often post there looking for fosters. Even if you don't want to foster, you'll get a heads-up on what dogs are coming into the rescue, and you can inquire about them right away. Some of the most desirable ones are adopted before they have a chance to be listed on Petfinder, Adoptapet, etc.

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29 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Here's a hint for anyone looking for a dog -- Follow some of your local rescue groups on FB, or check their pages regularly. They often post there looking for fosters. Even if you don't want to foster, you'll get a heads-up on what dogs are coming into the rescue, and you can inquire about them right away. Some of the most desirable ones are adopted before they have a chance to be listed on Petfinder, Adoptapet, etc.

This is true. I recently joined a couple local FB pages for our specific breeds. Just pages for people to ask questions or brag about their dogs. And every so often someone posts about found dogs or dogs that need to be rehomed for various reasons. The members are passionate about the breed and I think they get rehomed easily.

Edited by DesertBlossom
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33 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I've fostered a ton of dogs and done a LOT of adoption counseling, and I've yet to meet an adopter who didn't want to know the story of any dog they were considering adopting. Shoot, I've got a new foster (just picked her up Saturday) snoozing on the couch beside me right now. I'm just her foster and I'd love to know her background. I know any adopter is going to want to know. And the truth is the truth, even if it does pull on the heartstrings.

Here's a hint for anyone looking for a dog -- Follow some of your local rescue groups on FB, or check their pages regularly. They often post there looking for fosters. Even if you don't want to foster, you'll get a heads-up on what dogs are coming into the rescue, and you can inquire about them right away. Some of the most desirable ones are adopted before they have a chance to be listed on Petfinder, Adoptapet, etc.

I've heard the stories - I've also heard the stories that felt . . . embellished.  we've been lied to,  (e.g.the dogs weren't "young" - they were SRs.  when you're spending a lot on training a dog, you want one who will live longer.), some recuses are legit, some people should be leery.    do your due diligence wherever you get a dog.

 

depending upon where you live, some breeders will foster out their dogs to people who live nearby because they want them living in a family home - not a kennel.  (any breeder who is kenneling their dogs, - just move on.)

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12 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I've heard the stories - I've also heard the stories that felt . . . embellished.  we've been lied to,  (e.g.the dogs weren't "young" - they were SRs.  when you're spending a lot on training a dog, you want one who will live longer.), some recuses are legit, some people should be leery.    do your due diligence wherever you get a dog.

 

depending upon where you live, some breeders will foster out their dogs to people who live nearby because they want them living in a family home - not a kennel.  (any breeder who is kenneling their dogs, - just move on.)

I totally agree that some rescues are less than upstanding. Often it's good intentions gone wrong. Unfortunately, too many soft hearted people get into rescue. To do it right you need compassion, but also a good dose of practicality. And certainly honesty. But even that can be tricky. I can be as honest as I can with a potential adopter about what I "see" in a dog. But if that home is substantially different from mine, if dog knowledge/permissiveness/activity level/whatever is a lot different--they very well may "see" an entirely different dog. That doesn't mean either of us is wrong.

As far as being lied to regarding age--it IS a guess. Any vet will tell you it's difficult to closely pinpoint the age of a dog beyond the young or the very old. A good rescue will be able to show you vet receipts that should contain that vet's best guess about age. That's all you can do.

Edited by Pawz4me
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8 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I totally agree that some rescues are less than upstanding. Often it's good intentions gone wrong. Unfortunately, too many soft hearted people get into rescue. To do it right you need compassion, but also a good dose of practicality. And certainly honesty. But even that can be tricky. I can be as honest as I can with a potential adopter about what I "see" in a dog. But if that home is substantially different from mine, if dog knowledge/permissiveness/activity level/whatever is a lot different--they very well may "see" an entirely different dog. That doesn't mean either of us is wrong.

As far as being lied to regarding age--it IS a guess. Any vet will tell you it's difficult to closely pinpoint the age of a dog beyond the young or the very old. A good rescue will be able to show you vet receipts that should contain that vet's best guess about age. That's all you can do.

not in that case.  she got the dogs from the owner who was going into assisted living.  possible it was misinformation but it wasn't correct.

even with a breeder - you need to be on your toes.

 the bottom line, dogs are an investment of time and money. a good dog can be a great addition, a not good one can be a disaster.  people need to go into pet adoption with their eyes wide open, and not get emotionally involved in the process because then you stop thinking clearly.

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1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

Here's a hint for anyone looking for a dog -- Follow some of your local rescue groups on FB, or check their pages regularly. They often post there looking for fosters. Even if you don't want to foster, you'll get a heads-up on what dogs are coming into the rescue, and you can inquire about them right away. Some of the most desirable ones are adopted before they have a chance to be listed on Petfinder, Adoptapet, etc.

We are currently looking at adding a dog to our family, who would be primarily our almost 18-year-old's responsibility (with full understanding that it's a FAMILY dog, so I'm ultimately responsible).   This ^^^^^ is exactly what we've been doing.   We are waiting to hear back from our local lab rescue group right now about a dog we may foster-to-adopt.    She needs to be spayed, and with the COVID19 situation, all "elective" pet surgeries are on hold, so she can't be officially adopted until she's spayed.   But she fits our criteria, so I'm hoping that it works out, and fostering her may be the only option to getting her in the next few months.   She has not been listed on the rescue group's website yet, and if we end up keeping her, she never will.   When the adoption counselor called to interview me, she mentioned this dog as a possibility.

I think the best course of action is to find a reputable rescue group, submit an application, and stay in frequent contact with them.   They can let you know when new dogs come in.   If you have a physical shelter anywhere nearby, the advice to go first thing in the morning is also wise - my DS's cross country team volunteers during school breaks to run their high-energy dogs, and the more desirable breeds typically get adopted VERY quickly, before they ever make it to the webpage of adoptable dogs.

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It’s been my observation that the person in the house who is most responsible for vacuuming, buying food, feeding others, and arranging for sitters will also be the person caring for the dog. A dog won’t change anyone’s personality past the first few months. The dog will very quickly learn who this person is and hypnotize this this person with canine cuteness until a bond is formed. Don’t do it if the prospect of this happening to you is unacceptable. 

Edited by KungFuPanda
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1 hour ago, DesertBlossom said:

This is true. I recently joined a couple local FB pages for our specific breeds. Just pages for people to ask questions or brag about their dogs. And every so often someone posts about found dogs or dogs that need to be rehomed for various reasons. The members are passionate about the breed and I think they get rehomed easily.

This is so true! Our breeder will take any of her dogs back for any reason. I also belong to a the breed specific page. Anytime a dog needs to be reformed, several people respond. By the next day, the administrator of the page, states a home has been found. 

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