Something never brought up

[Bowguy]

Talking to a friend of mine just a bit ago. This person is a dog trainer who is very accomplished.
This person does well in many formats.
Now as a trainer people often come to them w issues, especially food, other animal, etc aggression.
Truth is anyone who truly understands breeding knows certain strains of bloodlines carry negative traits and they cannot be "loved" away.  For this reason alone id never recommend rescuing.
I'm sure there must be someone  somewhere that has a good rescue and can present a good story. Maybe like what's the best thing they do kinda story?
My favorite thing they do is bite liberals in the face near the food bowl. Any one else?

[GlockGirl]

I agree, when bringing home a new dog the best choice is to go to a breeder. Rescues have a habit of handing out dogs that are sick and/or are not the correct match for the family.

There was a time when Pet Shops were the enemy because they were putting dogs in the wrong homes. Now the rescues do it on a regular basis and people feel it is OK because they "saved" the dog. They will place an aggressive dog in a home with children. They will send a dog to a home with health issues and never mention them to the new family until after the dog is placed if at all.

If rescues were any other business they would be responsible for the injuries caused by the product they sell and would be responsible for defective (sick) products but since emotions are involved people lose their minds and rescues get away with their lack of ethical practices.

If you are looking for a hunting dog make sure to go to a breeder that is producing good hunting dogs with instinct. Ask to meet the parents of the puppies. Ask if the dogs have any documented accomplishments. Ask if the health testing for the particular breed has been done.

Dogs are amazing and there is nothing like having one as your best friend. Choose carefully

[Bowguy]

 

I agree, when bringing home a new dog the best choice is to go to a breeder. Rescues have a habit of handing out dogs that are sick and/or are not the correct match for the family.

There was a time when Pet Shops were the enemy because they were putting dogs in the wrong homes. Now the rescues do it on a regular basis and people feel it is OK because they "saved" the dog. They will place an aggressive dog in a home with children. They will send a dog to a home with health issues and never mention them to the new family until after the dog is placed if at all.

If rescues were any other business they would be responsible for the injuries caused by the product they sell and would be responsible for defective (sick) products but since emotions are involved people lose their minds and rescues get away with their lack of ethical practices.

If you are looking for a hunting dog make sure to go to a breeder that is producing good hunting dogs with instinct. Ask to meet the parents of the puppies. Ask if the dogs have any documented accomplishments. Ask if the health testing for the particular breed has been done.

Dogs are amazing and there is nothing like having one as your best friend. Choose carefully

There are some very good points there. Rescues are a business n people think they aren't though I'm referring to the northeast. A friend of mine rescued a dog who has one eye n some other medical issues that's cost tons of money to fix n she's still expected by the vets a short life. This girl paid $400 bucks for that dog. In my old place I had neighbors. One day some guy would be walking his rescued dog that he paid for n the next the town took it for biting a child severely.
It is unethical n not fair to the child that got bit or the person who has many medical bills trying to help a, in my friends case, decent dog.
When people get a dog n don't know where it came from through n through they are playing a bad game.
I don't condone this but many many years ago I knew of a guy who was fighting pit bulls. Pit bulls are in this area one of the most "rescued" dogs and they're the biggest prob.
See when they fight pits, at least w that guy I knew they'd take a dog that was losing n stop the fight in order to keep the game blood.
They'd breed it to a stronger dog, most likely closely related to line/inbreed dog. In his words every animal has a fight/fright instinct n they need to breed the flight out.,
Breeding close can bring out nothing already not present in genes so that isn't the problem. It makes the genes your looking for stack n become dominant over a period of time.
This is how turkey dogs evolved, pointing labs, etc. The right breeding did it.
Now to a crazy dog fighter the right breeding is to keep the "game" in a strong dog. The guy gets busted n some of the dogs get placed with the desire to fight. Let's say they're pups. The genes are still there and the dog will snap eventually. It's unsafe n rescued dogs have no history we can be sure of.
It's a well intentioned bad idea to rescue from that end. Again the lack of background history disallows us equally from knowing any health issues.
To be clear this is not a dis on line bred or inbred dogs, I wouldn't feed one that wasn't. Through proper breeding the percentages of what we want rise dramatically, but they gotta be traits we want. Aggressive behavior as a pet or gun dog isn't it

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

First off Merry Christmas.  Interesting topic. Devil's advocate here....I believe in rescuing anything and everything you can within your personal limits.  The choice and the consequences of that choice belong to you and you have to accept them.  Too many people think of animals, dogs, cats, as people.  They are not and never will be.  Sometimes you get a good one and sometimes you get a bad one.  The good thing is that mixed breeds are known to have less medical concerns/issues and longer life spans.  I understand that a dog's tempermant has already developed by the time it is rescued by a new owner.  That's a tough thing to cultivate out of them.  You have to put yourself on their level and attempt to understand how they have been conditioned and why they respond a specific way.  Or just give them lots of treats and love them! 

[Bowguy]

First off Merry Christmas.  Interesting topic. Devil's advocate here....I believe in rescuing anything and everything you can within your personal limits.  The choice and the consequences of that choice belong to you and you have to accept them.  Too many people think of animals, dogs, cats, as people.  They are not and never will be.  Sometimes you get a good one and sometimes you get a bad one.  The good thing is that mixed breeds are known to have less medical concerns/issues and longer life spans.  I understand that a dog's tempermant has already developed by the time it is rescued by a new owner.  That's a tough thing to cultivate out of them.  You have to put yourself on their level and attempt to understand how they have been conditioned and why they respond a specific way.  Or just give them lots of treats and love them!

Merry Christmas brother. Here's my take on it. The often quoted mixed breeds live longer has at least from what I've seen zero studies to prove that. No disrespect to your post I've just never seen such studies done. Now if you line bred/inbred a dog that has a recessive gene towards say hip problems, bad heart, etc you could stack those genes too this is why a carefully bred dog deserves a higher than normal cost. If a prob arises the breeding is never again attempted n the dogs are fixed an expensive proposition cause now the breeder either puts the pups down, places them or feeds them til they die.
This is also a reason labradoodles a common designer breed that fetch 5 grand in some circles are worth nothing. The people who matched them are aiming for nothing cept ridding our pockets of loose change. 
As I said no disrespect to you by any means it's just a big prob in this area that's why I mentioned the northeast. I have no knowledge outside the area

[GlockGirl]

 As a response to KentuckyHeadhunter

First of all Merry Christmas!

The healthier mix thought is a myth. Not all health issues need to be doubled up to be passed on. For example Poodles Have epilepsy and Goldens and Labs have hip dysplasia. When crossing these breeds the resulting puppies are commonly ending up with both health issues. Some breeds are known to have short lifespans but others do not. If you buy a Great Dane you will be lucky to still have that dog long after it's 10th birthday so if you compare a mix to that maybe you will have a point. But on the flip side if you compare a Golden mix or a Lab mix to a purebred Border Collie with a typical life span of 15 plus years or a Toy Poodle with a lifespan well into their teens your point is no longer valid. It is the rescue marketing that has led people to believe the myth.

I have no problem with someone getting what they have paid for but when rescues mislead people. If you know a dog has health issues or aggression issues and you have the means and the experience to care for that dog and you take it on great. But on the other hand if a rescue misleads you that should be fraud. Not every family can handle a Ridgeback/ Pit cross or a Corso or even a Presa mix. Catahoulas do not make good pets for the person who lives in a condo and works full time. The rescues should be held to the same standards as any other business. They should be held responsible for the product they sell

[1iagobblergetter]

I think the rescues try to hard to save every dog brought to them in my area. Several years ago my wife wanted to get a house dog and even though I wanted to go to a breeder she  pulled into a shelter to see what they had. Numerous dogs were at the door of the kennels barking viciously at us. I've been around dogs enough to know I didn't want to mess with dogs like that. She also seen things my way and we ended up going to a reputable breeder instead. I think you can get a bad dog either way if you don't do your research. I just like my chances by picking a breeder and calling several references and asking alot of questions. My parents have had several shelter dogs. Some have worked out and some haven't. I also had competition Bluetick Coonhounds for years. Some breeders have a clue and some don't. I feel I can do better research on a dog from a breeder than a dog from a shelter. When I purchase a dog I purchase it with full intention of having it until the end so I owe it to the dog and my family to make good rational decisions when purchasing one.

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

I was really speaking of the Heinz 57 and ultra mixed mutts when I made that statement.  Not intentionally crossbred varieties intent on functionality.  My wife has been a vet tech for over 15 years and now is a surgical tech and this is only what she has witnessed here with various crossbreeds as far as health concerns.  Sorry I can't quote a scientific study on the matter.  I'm sure that geography and demography plays a huge role.  Wasn't meant to start some argument of facts just observations from here.  Sorry for my opinion.  I'm all for MUTTS.  But I still love all you mutts too!   

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

If you're not getting a dog for hunting purposes, I 100% support adopting an rescue  animals.  There's nothing more rewarding than watching a previously deprived pup respond to positivity and love.  Dogs have their own personalities and each animal presents its own unique challenges. 

The pound puppies I know and that we have adopted are genetic mutants but they're all exceptional animals with no health issues. 

There are a lot of dogs out there who have been abandoned, abused and neglected. There's no reason not to provide those animals a second chance.  They sure aren't the second class citizens like this thread portrays them to be.

[Tail Feathers]

It would be a big roll of the dice to get a rescue animal and hope to make a hunter out of it.  Breeding usually matters in that field.
We have a pound rescue and a breed rescue and both are great pets, but nothing more.

[M Sharpe]

One of the most devoted dogs I ever owned was an old Heinz 57 mutt. A beautiful little dog, not quite knee high with long reddish hair. I live way out in the country. After ol" Melvin took up with us, there was never a more devoted pet. He would wait for me ever afternoon at the top of the hill and run along side me to the house. If I left headed West, he head by a neighbor's house where we used to visit all the time to help work with their horses. This was about 3 miles away. Melvin would show up there and after a few minutes, he'd head back home.
Puppy Farms are just as bad as rescue kennels. Most of them only care about the $400 you're fixing to pay for Fifi or Rocky.

You ever wonder how two of the finest folks you've ever met could have a defiant child that was into stealing, lying and drugs? Right to the point that they say, "I don't know what we're going to do with him/her"! Must have been one of those recessive genes rearing it's ugly head!!

[perrytrails]

If you're not getting a dog for hunting purposes, I 100% support adopting an rescue  animals.  There's nothing more rewarding than watching a previously deprived pup respond to positivity and love.  Dogs have their own personalities and each animal presents its own unique challenges. 

The pound puppies I know and that we have adopted are genetic mutants but they're all exceptional animals with no health issues. 

There are a lot of dogs out there who have been abandoned, abused and neglected. There's no reason not to provide those animals a second chance.  They sure aren't the second class citizens like this thread portrays them to be.

I understand your care and concern for rescued animals.

BUT there are concerns and Warnings

Here's my story. I raised and trained beagles and coonhounds, mountain curs and mountain fiests. Owned German Sheppard's too.

I've owned many dogs over the years, some Heinz 57's also. I've never been bit or attacked by any of them.

I will never own another...my choice but it is what it is.

My wife brought home a young chocolate lab many years ago. People were moving and had to part with her. I was against it but seen how my children wanted it, I gave in.

Josie was her name and she lived a wonderful life with us. 15 years old when I had to put her down.

My niece try's to find homes for abandoned dogs all the time. She found a black lab that was everything the owners said she was. Gentle, house broke, and beautiful. At least for a few days.

I tried to talk my wife out of it at first, but she was still heart broken over Josie our chocolate lab.

Several days after this new dog arrived, many friends and family had been around, no issues. Lots of children and young kids. Even my grand children. They all loved the dog and couldn't believe someone would let it go.

My step daughter stopped by to do laundry one evening, she had been around the new dog several times prior.

Carried in a basket of clothes, dog was laying on the floor. The dog jumped up ran across the living room, lunged and grabbed my step daughter by the face and took her to the floor. I separated the dog and got it outside. She was very lucky, gashed her eye brow open 3 inches and several punctures in her cheek.

This dog showed no warnings, what if I wasn't here? What about all those young children it was around?

This dog was not provoked in anyway, I seen it right before my eyes and I was in total shock. NO REASON WHAT SO EVER...

That's the end of the story

Think twice before you rescue a dog. Dogs are animals ... you have no idea how some were treated. A pup may be different.

Warning ... all the love in the world won't change some people or animals.

Your choice, good luck

[wvmntnhick]

I can say without any hesitation, I've "rescued" one dog and it'll be my last. Dog was 3 and I was the 5th owner. He's a mountain feist and in his prime he was a great hunting dog. He'd find squirrels when there weren't any. He's been my bud for the past 7 years and will be 10 this march. He's showing his age very fast now so I'm kind of passing the reigns on to the pup and retiring the old man. I've not had a moments trouble with him once he figured out he needed to come back on command. Furthermore, he's the most gentle dog I've ever raised. Having said that, neighbors on two sides of me have had "rescues" that have become quite aggressive. I'll not put myself in that situation. Both are pit bulls and both have bitten people already. I know there are others to choose from but I'll stick to a breeder for what I want in a hunting dog.


I should add that in "rescuing" my dog all I did was give him a stable home. He wasn't abused, mistreated or otherwise harmed. Just needed a place to permanently call home.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stinkpickle]

I will rescue about any kind of dog (my wife seems to be collecting geriatric Shih Tzu's now), but I steer clear of pit mixes.  There has been WAY TOO MUCH breeding for aggression and probably not enough generations built up to breed it out.  It's sad.  They are often sweet, loving dogs...but when they snap...it ain't like stopping a beagle.