Patience required (Rescued Dogs)

Member Name: vam87814

Product:	Rescued Dogs
Date:	08/02/02 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You can find a great companion, Gives a dog a new chance of life, Pleasure of a happy home

Disadvantages: Need patience, No background info

Just over 4 months ago, my daughter and I headed for the local cat and dogs home. We had spent a fair bit of time weighing up the pros and cons of adopting a rescue dog, and had decided to go for it. There was certainly a lot to choose from. About 100 odd to be precise. All shapes and sizes with varying needs.

After a lot of walking, plenty of notes we headed back to reception. Ideally I had wanted a German Shepherd. I have always found this breed to be loyal and gentle. Fate however was not on our side. Once the staff discovered that I also have a baby, they were adamant I could not have one of the chosen dogs, as the dogs we liked had all come in as strays.

We were obviously disappointed, so they mentioned that some puppies had only just been brought in. In fact, they had not even been shown to the general public. They offered us the chance of taking a look. Although the puppies had come in as strays, they said that they felt confident that rehoming stray puppies was okay with young children. Namely as they will not have been strays for long. Thus enabling them to become social animals.

We were taken to some cages right out the back, where 3 puppies met us. 2 boys and 1 girl. One in particular caught our eye. He was black all over except for 3 white paws and a white nose. We decided on him. After completing the paperwork, we were sent home with the promise of a home visit to be arranged a.s,a,p (most homes do this now, to ensure that you have the correct surroundings for the dog you have chosen) 2 hours after arriving home, I received my surprise home visit. Needless to say it went well, and I was officially offered our new friend.

I was able to collect him 10 days later. He had grown a great deal in these few days, so did not look very puppyish. To me he was perfect. His home name was Xanier, but we renamed him Spike. Right from day one he had his own personality. He loved affection, and was certainly a faithful dog. He is extr
emely friendly, but is wary of men. Being a stray, we had no background information about him. I do feel however that a man had mistreated him. I feel this as whenever a man he meets for the first time tries to smooth him, he cowers down.

He has slowly improved, and although still wary of men, he doesn’t cower as much. I would advise anyone thinking of adopting a stray, to remember 2 important things. The first is to be very patient, the second is when telling a dog off, never raise your hand to them. They can be very afraid of you, which surely defeats the object of rehoming a stray.

Given time, stray dogs can be a joy to have. You will often wonder what your life was like before you got them. Treated well, they are not only your pet but also a member of your family.

I am pleased to say that Spike is a happy and healthy dog. A joy to know.

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