# Things to Know about Rescues?



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

I may adopt a standard poodle puppy this weekend. He's a 12-13 week old brown male, currently named "Bailey." He was turned over by the breeder, who surrendered several young puppies and the breeding pair. Bailey's been in this shelter - not a foster home - for at least 10 days. Because he's coming out of a rescue situation, he's already been neutered, which is sad to me, but I completely understand why shelters have this policy.

I'm interested in hearing from folks about their experiences with rescued puppies. I am somewhat familiar with the issues rescues face: several of my neighbors foster, and Mia and I have spent countless hours dog-sitting and providing socialization for these rescues (Mia can charm almost any dog). Some of these rescues have been as young as five weeks old; some have lived their entire lives outdoors. But I realize it's different when you are the owner, not just a play-mate. What things should I look out for? What issues is he likely to face? What issues may Mia have with a new brother?


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Avery was from a rescue. He was left behind after owners moved away. He was picked up at 12 weeks and then sent on a transport from NC to NY. He was in his foster home for 4 months before he came to me. He is a really good boy, he has some fear issues mostly with men but also cars and sometimes loud noises. He has gotten a lot better since coming home with me.

Honestly its all going to depend on the dog itself, just like ppl some dogs will have a tramatic background and once in a good home have no issues. Whereas another dog with the same background will be scarred with what happened and will take time to recover or may never fully recover...

I am unsure why you are sad the dog was already neutered, there have been studies that haven't proven neutering early to adversely effect a dog in any way same goes for spay (actually I've heard more benefits then negatives)


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Honestly, I think your getting him fairly young with hopefully not too much mental or physical damage.
It really is the ones that go to bad homes and are abused that have the most issues that I have dealt with. Good for you, and Good Luck!


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

You might run into health issues because of unethical breeding, which sounds like the case. Notice I didn't say BYB ahahahaahahaha Also I think fixing before the animal fully developes does do harm, but there's nothing you can do about that. That's how rescue works. I would give minimal vaccinations, meds and a healthy diet. You know that already:wink: You should be fine:thumb:


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

lauren43 said:


> I am unsure why you are sad the dog was already neutered, there have been studies that haven't proven neutering early to adversely effect a dog in any way same goes for spay (actually I've heard more benefits then negatives)


I work hard to stay educated on this, and would love to read the studies you mention. Can you send me the links?

The studies I've read so far (here and here) suggest that the health consequences of early spay/neuter are mixed (increases some risks, decreases others).

You have to layer in the propensity in the breed for specific health concerns. Standard poodles are very healthy overall, but, like other large breed dogs, they are at above average risk for osteosarcoma. The risk for this cancer increases with early spay/neuter.

But like I said, I am always open to new information, even - and especially - when it contradicts what I've learned elsewhere. When you have a chance, please send me those links. I'd love to learn more.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Is there any chance you can find out if this "breeder" was not in fact a puppy mill just purging dogs? There are people who pose as breeders, taking the parents and puppies temporarily from a mill. These people are called agents and are very sneaky! While puppy mill puppies are deserving of love as well, they most often then not come with extensive behavioral issues....


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I have read quite a few articles especially after working at the local shelter here where they spay and or neuter at as young as 6 weeks. 

Here's one: (im on my phone so ive haven't read completely through it, and I am unable to find the inital one I read)

Early Spay/neuter


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Is there any chance you can find out if this "breeder" was not in fact a puppy mill just purging dogs?


I'll see what I can find out. One of the reasons why I say that I _may _be getting a puppy this weekend is because I want to check him out and give Mia a chance to meet him. He's pretty young, so there's a good chance that he'll turn out ok in terms of personality and socialization, but it won't help with any underlying health issues. Of course, there are no guarantees, even from a responsible breeder.



lauren43 said:


> Early Spay/neuter


Thanks for sending, Lauren! I'll read it now - I'd love to go ahead and Mia spayed if won't do any harm.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

My Boxer Emma was a rescue and she was spayed at very early age. I know that when I got her she were probably 4 to 6 months old and she were already spayed. She is having some issues with incontinence, but I decided to deal with it without giving her any medication. I just make sure I take her out more frequently than before. I ask her to go and pee. She looks at me like I don't want to, but if I insist  she goes.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

lauren43 said:


> I have read quite a few articles especially after working at the local shelter here where they spay and or neuter at as young as 6 weeks.
> 
> Here's one: (im on my phone so ive haven't read completely through it, and I am unable to find the inital one I read)
> 
> Early Spay/neuter


Thanks for sending that article, Lauren. I am very interested in reading the other articles that you have. This particular article was about the safety of the procedure (surgery and anesthesia), which I don't think anyone questions - although maybe they did in 1995, when this article was written. I'm interested in how early spay/neuter affects risks for diseases/disorders. I'd appreciate reading any articles you have on the subject. Thanks again!


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## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

Flip was a rescue, but he was older...5 months or so.
Aside from some abandonment issues (he used to freak out when we left, not destroy things, just cry and howl) his transition was flawless.

Congrats on the potential new Spoo!! You know we love pics.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yeah I agree, congratulations. I too think its awesome that you are adopting. I adopted a 6mo old beaten rescue some many years ago, she turned out to be the best dog I ever had. Had some issues for sure, but slowly overcame most of them and I would not have swopped her for all the tea in China. 
You are doing the right thing, good on you!


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## SuriLove (Mar 28, 2010)

If Mia is great with dogs she will likely do fine. Also the pups young so you've got better chances of it being a smooth transition. I would just do a slow introduction and let them feel their way around each other. 

If the puppy came from a BYB (unethical breeder) or worse yet a mill there could be issues that are genetic. I would spend a good bit of time watching reactions of the dog or have someone go with you and do a temperament test you can google these) so you can get a deeper look.

Good luck!


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Seems like you're pretty prepared. We rescued all our sibes...did some temperament testing at the shelters and you can google those as a previous poster said. Then just in general be prepared to be patient and observant. With a pup this young I would hope for an easier transition, but the temperament issues if there were bad breeding practices may be an issue. Again I have always felt with patience, and understanding and observation we were able to get past most hurdles. Health issues another matter too, but you already know how to feed healthy and hopefully this will eliminate/reduce those problems. We never regretted any rescue decision we made. Maybe we were fortunate, but we did everything in our power to make sure the time was right and the potential problems and solutions were well thought out. That said you can only prepare so much and then you have to sit back and see what happens with a watchful eye. NILF has worked well with most of our rescues as well. I've never been rigid with NILF but dinner, treats and toys required an appropriate response and then the reward. Couple that with some good exercise and affection and we've been so lucky to pluck some great dogs from shelters. Hoping your new addition works out!!


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

I don't have much input, but I can say that all of my dogs are rescued, and whenever I go to meet a new possible addition, I take my other dog(s) with me and I always introduce them on a walk rather than face to face. I feel like it's less intimidating for both dogs. You might already be planning on that. Just my two cents. :wink:

ETA: Just remembered that you're going to meet a puppy. Then the walk may not be as important. Either way, good luck and I hope everything works out!


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

I am excited about getting a rescue. Because of my allergies (and my love of larger dogs), I'm restricted to Standard Poodles, Portuguese Water Dogs, and Spanish Water Dogs - three breeds that don't often turn up in rescues. I didn't expect to be in a position to rescue and am happy have the opportunity. That said, he is a puppy, and if he isn't the right fit for me, I'm confident that he'll go to a good home.



cast71 said:


> You might run into health issues because of unethical breeding, which sounds like the case.


This is my largest concern. Many people have raised the possibility that this is a puppy mill dumping a litter because the pups have a major health issue. Does anyone here have ideas about what questions to ask to delve deeper into why the dogs were surrendered and possible health concerns?

That said, I have heard of cases where an ethical breeder (maybe not the highest quality, but ethical nonetheless) needs to suddenly stop breeding and has to quickly rehome their dogs. My hope is that is what happened here. Regardless, at the end of the day, there's a puppy who needs a home and a home that needs a puppy ....


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

So, my application was denied because my current dog isn't spayed. I knew this would be an issue, but I hoped that since I have a good reason, it wouldn't kill my app. Oh well. He's a puppy and will find a home quickly, and I still have the best dog in the world


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Are you going to look elsewhere for a rescue puppy?


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Spoo, if you really want to rescue do not give up. We volunteered for years with a local sibe rescue and they were pretty tough on potential adopters. I found myself being pretty intolerant of some people too, and then I reminded myself that I barely knew squat about sibes before I sort of inherited one one day. Had we applied for a sibe through the folks we volunteered with I doubt they would have approved us at least initially. We had indoor/outdoor kennels and rotated 2 dogs at a time through the house at night when we were home. Then as time went on and they got to know us they were so desperate for fosters that they wanted us to take a foster and were willing for the dog to be crated 8/9 hours per day. We preferred not to do that, so we waited until our situation changed and hubby was home taking care of the seniors to do our fostering. Just trying to say some rescues have more stringent policies than others and if I wanted to rescue I would not give up.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Are you going to look elsewhere for a rescue puppy?





stajbs said:


> Just trying to say some rescues have more stringent policies than others and if I wanted to rescue I would not give up.


Going through this process helped me realize that we're ready and in a good place to have a second dog join the family. If I rescue, I'll use Carolina Poodle Rescue - they have a great reputation (see Lauren's post), very knowledgeable staff, and actually discuss issues with adopting families rather than rely on black line rules. Their goal is to successfully place their dogs, not just to check off boxes on a sheet.

That said, Standard Poodles aren't in the dire straits that other breeds face. Spoos rarely show up in shelters and usually find homes quickly. It's a different story for the smaller poodles (minis and toys) and the myriad doodles. Because demand for spoos exceeds supply, rescuing a spoo doesn't carry the same significance as it does for other dogs - there isn't the sense that you really _rescued_ a dog.

(Why a spoo? I have allergies - the only three breeds I can live with are Poodles, PWDs, and SWDs. I've tried many of the other less allergenic breeds without luck. The only selfish consideration is size - we are large dog people and wouldn't be happy with a toy or mini poodle. None of these breeds show up in shelters very often, so rescue situations are rare.)

Although it's not imperative that we rescue our next dog, I think we'd be a good home for a rescue. Mia is really good with other dogs - she adjusts her play easily and quickly to suit all dogs - from bull mastiffs to chihuahuas. The sweetest thing I have ever seen was when Mia played with a 7 week old puppy - after a minute of being really excited, Mia laid down and let the puppy climb all over her, nipping and play-fighting. Mia was so gentle, and I was really proud of how well she responded to the puppy.

So, we'll keep looking for rescues, but I'm also in contact with a few breeders. The good news is: we're ready.


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