Choosing to adopt a dog from a rescue organization is a great choice for some family’s. Much like choosing a specific breeder for a pure bred or purpose bred mix; some rescue organizations are more valuable than others.
Choosing to rescue a puppy or adult dog can feel like a noble and rewarding thing to do. For the most part, this is the case. Sometimes; however, those people with a large heart can view their practices a little backwards and be unaware of the heartache they may be setting you up to feel. There are many incredible rescues, some mediocre rescues and even a few rescue that really should be avoided. When searching for a rescue organization that you wish to work with, choosing organizations that align with current ideals can be just as important as the dog itself.
Below are a few things to look for while searching for a rescue organization to adopt your future canine family member from.
Honesty & Openness
One of the most important things a rescue can be with their potential adopter is open and honest. Having a rescue organization clear about any issues or concerns they may have with a particular dog can highly increase the odds of adopting said dog out to the perfect home.
While each dogs ad should really focus on putting the dogs ‘best foot forward’ so to speak. It should also be clear to the reader what type of home would be best suited for the dog themselves. For example – would the dog make a good hiking partner or would it prefer to be more of a home body? Talking to the rescue should not feel like you are pulling teeth. If you feel like they may be hiding something, or simply withholding the truth you may want to re evaluate the notion of adopting from this rescue.
Behavioural Assessment & Training
It is very important that the rescue you are looking at has a great team behind them for behavioural assessments & training help. Some rescues will have a team on staff or volunteer base just for this purpose. While others may rely on local trainers to contract these things to. Neither one is wrong, but either way, it is in your best interest to feel confident in the skills of the trainers who are assessing your potential new family member. An improper assessment can set up the family for a dog who does not fit into their lifestyle, or can be as severe as mean placing a dog whom is dangerous in the lifestyle the family lives. One way to help ensure you are doing your do diligence is ask the rescue facility for information about their assessment & training team. Look for credentials – including education and time/experience that match what the job entails. Check into their training philosophy and ensure it fits in with your ideals as well. Remember that an assessment is an important part of the process to a life full of adventures with your new canine friend. If there is any part you are questioning about training or the assessment itself – don’t be afraid to ask more questions.
Puppy Raising Protocol
Rescue organizations having a specific and thoughtful puppy raising protocol is arguably more important than a breeder with a good puppy raising protocol. Puppies born into a rescue organization or brought into a rescue shortly after being born usually means that the mother or the puppies themselves have gone through a pretty stressful situation at a very vital development time. The goal with any puppy raising protocol should be to increase the puppies ability to deal with stressful situations and give them good tools to communicate and navigate throughout their world throughout their hopefully long lives. Puppy raising protocols like ENS, Puppy Culture and Avidog are all geared at increasing your dogs behaviour overall throughout their lives. Even with limited funds and resources, having fosters or volunteers working through some of these programs can really benefit the dogs overall and increase the value of the rescue.
Health Checks
There tends to be a misconception that dogs of unknown heritage are genetically healthier overall than pure bred dogs. The truth is that isn’t really how genetics work. Some rescues may very well be healthier overall for their full lives. The only real thing that a mixed breed means health wise is that you have no pedigree or health history to look back onto when it comes to potential genetic issues. Each breed in the mix may have taken it’s own concoction of issues. Because of this, it is very important that the rescue you are looking into is thorough and up to date on the most vital health checks. Thorough health checks from a regular vet will not give you all the details, but can really help give you some good details you may wish to be more aware of.
Strict Adoption Protocols & Procedures
Adoption protocols can be a bit drawn out at times, and sometimes feel like they are set up to give you the ‘run around’. It’s important; however, that rescues are strict and very thorough during their adoption protocols. When looking at their procedures and protocols look for ones that are set up to really keep the best interest of the dog in mind. It’s harder to place puppies as they get older but on the flip side if you intake a puppy at 8 weeks old and it can take 7-10 days MINIMUM for a puppy to become comfortable and really show it’s true colours – is it really beneficial to adopt that puppy out within the same week? Look for home checks, Phone interviews, and a lot of breaks in between meeting your new companion for the first time and taking them home. This isn’t the most popular opinion I am sure, but, having a rescue that is very thorough in their adoption applications mean that they truly are looking for the best home possible for said puppy. Rescues that aim to get the dogs out asap with the premise of taking in more dogs really do not get a chance to meet and know the dogs they are placing. This increases the chance of a failed adoption, a dog leaving with unknown behavioural or health issues. All these things overall decreases the likelihood of happy life long companionship.
It is unlikely any rescue organization is going to be “perfect”; just like locating that perfect breeder for the pure bred of your choice. There is so many little pieces that need to be put together to properly rescue and adopt out dogs. Most rescue organizations also do the best they can on the funds and time available to them. When searching for your rescue it is best to be aware of these parameters and make educated decisions on what the best rescue organization for your family is.