Some Surprising Truths About Rescue

A rescue dog will have trouble bonding to us, because it has already bonded to another family. Puppies have to learn to bond too - before you buy your puppy he has already bonded to his mother, his littermates and his breeder. ANY dog you bring into your life will go through a period of adjustment that can be challenging for everyone.
Rescue dogs aren't trained. It will be a lot of work to train a rescue dog. Puppies don't pop into this world fully trained. Any dog you bring home will need some basic obedience training at least - and an older dog may even learn more quickly, as he'll have a longer attention span than a puppy.
A rescue dog will have all sorts of behaviour problems learned from the previous owner. Many rescue dogs end up homeless because someone got a puppy without thinking it through. Most of the dogs have no major issues, they just need guidance. If you are confident you can raise a well behaved dog from puppyhood, then you are probably equally as capable of teaching a rescue dog a new set of rules and behaviors.
A breeder can tell me just what kind of puppy I am getting. They temperament test them and know each puppy very well. Breeders, as far as we know, cannot predict the future. Every puppy has the potential to develop into something surprising. An older rescue dog has developed a personality already, so there are less surprises - and rescue dogs in foster homes are thoroughly evaluated by their foster "parents" and can tell you a great deal.
Rescue dogs are too big an "unknown" - we want the security of a puppy. If turning a puppy into a 'perfect' adult were so easy, shelters would not be full of dogs that people found difficult. Puppies are just as big an unknown and any dog can be a challenge, develop strange behaviors or have problems ... even with the best trainers.
I don't want someone else's reject Almost all dogs in a rescue situation are there through circumstance, and nothing else. The fault is almost always the previous owner's, in that they were were ill prepared for dog ownership, or unable to keep the dog any longer. Sometimes the very best treasures come to you when someone else doesn't or can't recognize them for what they are. A dog that wasn't a good fit for someone else's family might be your dream dog.
I want the pick of the litter. Every dog is the pick of the litter when you're choosing a companion animal. Unless you are an experienced breeder selecting a dog for conformation and other qualities, you should only be concerned about whether or not the dog makes a good companion - and making him a good companion is largely up to you.
I might want to breed her some day, and rescue dogs are all neutered. Good breeders never start with their first dog - they develop an intense interest in a breed, and a sincere desire to produce the very best examples of that breed. They spend years researching & mentoring under another experienced breeder and eventually breed with a practiced eye, with the intention of producing quality puppies with proven working ability. Anything less and you are not an ethical or responsible breeder. All companion dogs should be sexually altered.

There are incredible benefits and bonuses in an adult rescue dog.

The majority of dogs in border collie rescues are between 6 and 20 months of age. Border collies are slow to mature, and cant be considered adults until at least 2 years of age. So a large percentage of the dogs in rescue are nothing more than overgrown puppies ... but puppies without the nipping, house soiling, night time whining qualities. No sharp puppy teeth that nip noses, no warm puddles of surprise pee on your carpet ... dogs in rescue situations are generally housetrained and have some basic obedience and/or manners training. Sometime they have extensive training, depending on what circumstances forced their owner to turn them over to rescue.

Puppies are the cutest things on earth, we won't deny it. But that cute puppy stage only lasts a few short months, and then you'll spend the next 10-15 years with a dog. Since this is the animal you are spending a decade or more with, with throw away the chance to meet your perfect dog just for the opportunity to cuddle a puppy for a couple of months? Do yourself - and the dogs - a favour - adopt a rescue, and volunteer at a local shelter. That way you get a great companion AND your puppy fix - as often as you like.

 

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