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Mazlin Mar 2017 11:07am, 29 Mar 2017 2,672 posts	0 Mazlin Advice please, dog-owning Fetchies; I'm in the early stages of possibly adopting a rescue dog. If it works out, we'll go to actual real-life classes when he gets here. In the meantime, because I'm the sort of swotty person who likes to Do Their Research, do you have any recommendations for books or websites? I've no experience of dog parenting or training (only borrowing them, getting them muddy, then handing them back )
halfpint Mar 2017 11:16am, 29 Mar 2017 22,826 posts	0 halfpint We started off with a book called the perfect puppy which meant we were ahead of the game where classes were concerned. Not so much now mind. Of course your dog is probably not a puppy so that might not be so helpful. It has sections on how to train them to do the basics though.
BaronessBL Mar 2017 12:18pm, 29 Mar 2017 6,395 posts	0 BaronessBL Do you know the actual dog you may get yet Mazlin? If you are getting a new puppy it will be a bit different to a dog that may have lived somewhere else before and that would be different again to a rescue street dog from Romania and the needs of all of those will be different. If you are rehoming an adult dog then Battersea has good advice (which I guess would be on their website although I haven't looked) about how to help your rescue settle into their new home. I think Blue Cross and Dogs Trust probably also would offer good reliable advice on their websites but again I haven't looked. This blog has some interesting posts brilliantfamilydog.com
Mazlin Mar 2017 12:27pm, 29 Mar 2017 2,673 posts	0 Mazlin Potential dog (well, he's a real dog, but only potentially my dog) is a rescue from Spain. He's apparently 2 (although I'm aware that's likely to be '2-ish'), and is with a foster family at the moment. He was found on the street, so we don't know much about his background, but he's likely to have been bread for hunting (Spaniel) and then dumped. So if he comes to me I want to make sure I can help him settle and feel secure. I'll check out the blog, thank you. Also the rescue websites (and probably the puppy book too, he's still young even though not actually a puppy).
BaronessBL Mar 2017 12:33pm, 29 Mar 2017 6,396 posts	0 BaronessBL Good luck. It probably won't be easy, especially if he is reactive or has any issues which may not have come to light yet - but it will be hugely rewarding. I very nearly walked away from Battersea after meeting Wanda for the first time because she was clearly a fairly troubled little soul. But as I listen to the contented Staffie snores from the corner of the room as I write this, I'm so glad I didn't......
Wobbling Mar 2017 12:45pm, 29 Mar 2017 4,745 posts	0 Wobbling My mother nearly gave back Pippa (who was also a rescue) as she too was a troubled little package. Now, they're never apart and my mum lavishes attention on her.
Helegant Mar 2017 1:16pm, 29 Mar 2017 4,454 posts	0 Helegant Rescue dogs are variable, but we have twice had good experiences. It's not as if we haven't made mistakes with the relatively clean slate of the current owned-from-puppyhood dog. I wish you well.
Mazlin Mar 2017 1:54pm, 29 Mar 2017 2,674 posts	0 Mazlin Thanks! I am sort of braced for him to have 'issues' but currently without a clue how to deal with them, hence trying to get in early and do some research!
LazyDaisy Mar 2017 3:42pm, 29 Mar 2017 17,960 posts	0 LazyDaisy A clubmate has a rescue dog from Spain. Penny (the dog) had lived on the streets for quite a while they think, and was very timid to start with. 18 months on, she seems happily adjusted to life here. I think it helped that the husband, a tree surgeon, was able to take her with him on a lot of his jobs so the bonding process was speeded up. Good luck!
Wobbling Mar 2017 4:16pm, 29 Mar 2017 4,746 posts	0 Wobbling One of the issues with Pips was she would steal food so nothing could be left out. She stopped after about 6 months, unless you count the couple of times she stolen Mum's supper (more if an intervention really, Mum could do with losing a few pounds). Pippa also had a bit of a messed up digestive system where she had been eating rubbish while on the street so the vet put her on a veggie diet for a while. She also briefly ate her own poo but that was only briefly.