I can understand why a lot of people are reluctant to adopt a dog from an animal rescue centre. They might think the dog has ended up there due to behavioral issues or health problems. They might think that an older animal will be settled in its ways and difficult if not impossible to train, unlike a puppy which is effectively a clean slate. However more often than not this is just not the case. Apart from knowing several people with rescue dogs and seeing for myself how well they have settled in and adapted to their new lives, I have experienced this for myself as I adopted two of my rescues, Harry and Meghan, when they were adults. My first rescue dog Genghis was only a 4 or 5 month old puppy when we found him and I can honestly say there has been no difference in the way any of them integrated into the family or in how they have turned out in respect of their behaviour. There has also been no difference in how they have turned out when compared to other dogs I have had in the past, which I got as puppies from breeders. They are all obedient with good recall off lead and they walk very well on lead too. They are all very biddable around the house and well behaved when it comes to eating, to the point of me being able to take their food away, without any worry about them getting upset about it and engaging in resource guarding, this despite them all having been starving street dogs in the past. Best of all they are very loving. It is as if they are very grateful for their new lives and are saying thank you to me every day.
I would highly recommend getting a rescue dog. I have been told that it can be difficult to adopt a dog from a UK rescue centre. I can understand why they often set the adoption bar so high and if you work at all quite often they won’t consider you as a suitable candidate. They obviously want to make sure that the dog is not left at home on its own for hours on end as well as making sure you are able to cope with the dog and do not return it because you don’t have as much time as you thought to care for it. Unfortunately, this can mean that dogs who otherwise could go to loving homes are often left stuck in kennels for far longer. I can see both sides of the argument here and feel that as long as you are able to provide company for your dog daily during the day, so if you work part time and aren’t away for very long, or alternatively if you work full time but are able to get a daily dog walker or send your dog to daycare, then you shouldn’t be barred from being an adopter.
If you are unable to find a dog from a UK charity, then do not hesitate to get a dog from a rescue centre based abroad. My three dogs all came from Cyprus. There are many good reputable rescue centres abroad and many, many dogs who have had a very bad start in life and are desperate to find loving forever homes. All reputable rescue centres will vet dogs and make sure they have the right temperament for you. It is in no one’s interest to palm you off with a dog that is totally unsuitable and that you are going to want to return within a short period of time. Don’t be worried or put off by paperwork and red tape for importing rescue dogs either, as rescue centres will be able to deal with this for you as well as helping arrange transport back to another country.
Most important of all remember that when you rescue one animal you are actually rescuing two. The animal you rescue will free up a space at the centre for another to be saved from a life of misery and given the chance to find their loving forever home.