Rescue Pros/Cons

[calimomma]

Well, I already know the pros of rescuing a dog from a shelter...but what are the cons? Really. We're getting ready to get our third and I would REALLY like to go through rescue. My husband thinks that because we already have our "pack" established, with a pretty headstrong female, that it would be very difficult for the two we already have to adjust to another adult dog in the house. I'm not so convinced of that, but then again, I don't have as much dog experience as he does... I know that with ages comes health problems and we can deal with that. I guess I'm just looking for more ammunition to arm myself with when I go to him and say that rather than going thru a breeder, that I'd like to go thru a boxer rescue.... HELP, please!

 

[mini]

I have no doubt that there is a dog out there that would fit perfectly in your pack, you just have to be patient until you find the right one! The only cons to adopting is that you usually don't know the dogs history and they sometimes require as much training as a pup! I have one tremendously dominant female and we have 5 in our house now, just takes them awhile to work out their differences

 

[boxmom]

If you go through a good rescue organization they will help you find a dog that will mix in with your others. When we adopted Blake he was 5 years old and we had 2 younger females already. He fit in perfectly with the dominant females. When they are older you also will know of a lot of health problems up front, like allergies. You will be surprised at how many pefectly good boxers end up in the rescues. I know I was. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[LILYLARUE]

I have two rescues. Both with extreme emotional needs when I got them. The first is just a dream boat! He's my boy! Well, my man cause he's better than most men I met! LOL

My newest girl came with many, many issues. We are still trying to work them out. Even considering rehoming her due to her needs getting in the way of the other two's need for attention.

Rescues sometimes come with baggage. If you have the time and patience, those are the dogs that become the best dog you could ever dream of. And when you get them to a balanced and happy place, there is no feeling of completeness to compare.

If you go through a rescue, they will help you work with the introduction to your others. They can see issues that you may not. They want that boxer to go to a forever home, so they will do whatever possible not to give you one that won't fit into the pack. If you have a dominant one, the rescue won't give you another that will be constantly fighting for the lead role.

Rescues don't want the dogs to come back. And they certainly don't want one coming back with even more issues than they left with. So you can be almost certain, that working with them, explaining how your pack works now, they will find you the perfect fit. You just can't put a time stamp on when that special pup will me matched with you.

Good luck and a big thanks for considering rescueing!!!!

 

[EAO76]

What part of California are you in? We have some great rescues in this state. There are so many homeless boxers in CA that you can definitely find one that will fit with your pack. And considering all the boxers that need homes it really would be a shame to go with a breeder.

Many rescue dogs have no issues at all. I foster and my most recent foster was a great dog. He fit in with our difficult pack right off the bat and got along with every other dog he met. I placed him in his forever home and there has not been one issue. And he was a stray so we don’t even know his history. Also many dogs get surrendered due to home foreclosures or divorces. In those cases you know their history and more info about them.

 

[calimomma]

We're in the Sacramento area. I've taken a look at a rescue site for our state and there are actually a few dogs that I think we would be very interested in. But again, what we think we want, may not be the best thing.

Thank you all for the info and I will be contacting our rescue very soon!!

 

[calimomma]

What part of California are you in? We have some great rescues in this state. There are so many homeless boxers in CA that you can definitely find one that will fit with your pack. And considering all the boxers that need homes it really would be a shame to go with a breeder. QUOTE]

Can we name rescues on this forum???

 

[EAO76]

Not really...unless its an approved rescue (there is a list of approved rescues at the top of this forum).

 

[DiverDiva]

I think you would have a better idea of what the dog will be like in a home situation if you adopt a dog from a rescue group that has the dogs in foster homes rather than a shelter. Those types of groups seem to expend more effort in matching the adopter and dog, but it is more time consuming. That is really a small inconvenience for a pet you will have for years.

 

[EAO76]

I think you would have a better idea of what the dog will be like in a home situation if you adopt a dog from a rescue group that has the dogs in foster homes rather than a shelter. Those types of groups seem to expend more effort in matching the adopter and dog, but it is more time consuming. That is really a small inconvenience for a pet you will have for years.

I agree. The rescues who have dogs in foster care seem to "know" their dogs better. But that isnt the case 100% of the time. Some smaller shelters are very good at getting to know their dogs too.