Another "Captain's [b]log supplemental..." 🖖
Before we start, let's clarify a few terms used throughout this blog:
* "UK rescues" - here, we mean rescues that are based in the UK & operate solely in the UK for dogs surrendered in the UK, e.g. Dogs Trust.
* "UK based Romanian & overseas speciality rescues" - here, we mean rescues based in the UK who actively & directly rehome Romanian & overseas rescue dogs to the UK.
It's also necessary at this point to clarify the differences between the rescue dogs that we shall be discussing here.
We will refer to "UK rescue dogs" on a generic level to loosely mean any dog born in the UK & then living in a UK home as a pet. Obviously, we don't include ex-breeding related, ex-racing or ex-working dogs under this generic label because, like Romanian & overseas rescue dogs, their life experiences have been very different compared to most other UK rescue dogs.
We also refer to "Romanian & overseas rescue dogs" throughout this blog which it is important to differentiate between, as these dogs should be considered as an entirely different breed when compared to their UK rescue counterparts. We have already discussed the differences at some length in our previous blogs.
Before we go on to discuss your personal & family circumstances/suitability for one of these special dogs, or indeed for any dog, together with your home & garden suitability, it's very important at this point to address the obvious & unfortunate "elephant in the room"... 🐘 🤔
... The dogs already in UK rescue & the fullness of UK rescue centres, UK kennels & UK foster homes - all of which are currently at crisis point. 😔🙏
Many more dogs & pets than usual were adopted during the Covid lockdowns. It was a weird, scary, & isolating experience for a lot of people. Most people were staying at home &/or working from home & were looking for companionship, comfort, support & distraction. The windows of opportunity for daily walks made having a dog all the more attractive.
Supply & demand was high, so many of these dogs came from breeders. There was also an upsurge in stolen pets, where presumably they were stolen & sold on at a time of high demand.
However, when things started to go back to normal after the Covid lockdowns & people began to return to work, back to their usual leisure pursuits & generally finding that they had less free time & time at home to devote to their dogs, a lot of these unfortunate souls found themselves abandoned in UK rescue centres.
Age-based hormonal changes have likely also contributed to a marked change in some of these dogs' behaviour, as some of them were born during Covid.
So, all of a sudden, your lovely well adjusted dog started to act out & appear disobedient due to your severe & drastic changes in routine & possibly their hormones too. Reflecting upon all of this, it isn't hard to understand why a dog would find their new lifestyle so hard to adjust to.
However, there's even more to consider here, as on top of this, the subsequent cost of living crisis added more abandoned pets to already struggling UK rescue centres. People literally started to feel the pinch & sadly, felt that their pets had to go.
These factors have combined to create a perfect storm where most UK rescue centres are now full & struggling with unwanted & abandoned pets.
So, all of these beautiful dogs & other pets patiently await their second chance for a lovely home. 🙏
The other obvious side effect of this fullness in rescue is that dogs are being euthanised. We see it a lot on social media currently, "This dog needs rescue space by Friday or else they'll be put to sleep". (Also known as 'P.T.S.').
As we already touched on above, a lot of these dogs were born during Covid & as such, haven't experienced 'normality'. A similar scenario also goes for Romanian & overseas rescue dogs, where they arrived during Covid, as they settled into their new homelife, which they have probably never experienced before. They all adjusted to the 'Covid-normal' & then they were expected to adjust to our usual/old normal (their new normal) in a snap-of-a-finger, having never experienced it before. It's been so very hard on them! This adjustment has proved too difficult for some of these poor souls & behavioural & training issues have ensued as a result.
Due to these factors, some people have consequently decided to surrender their dog to rescue but, with the rescue centres already being full & at crisis point in the UK, the choices have been to wait for a space in rescue to become available, rehome privately or, failing that, euthanise. As we're seeing on social media, people are using a deadline for P.T.S as a way of quickly getting help, perhaps out of sheer desperation.
It's an absolute tragedy - no matter which way we look at it! 🙏
As we already touched on above, some of the dogs in UK rescue are indeed abandoned Romanian & overseas rescue dogs, as these dogs continued to arrive during the Covid years - apart from during the temporary ban that took place in 2022. Some of these dogs might not have had the necessary rescue back up in place (also known as 'R.B.U.') with their originating rescue, or their originating rescue was also found to be full & struggling upon surrender.
So you'll find a real mix of dogs in UK rescue centres or in their designated UK foster homes - UK rescue dogs, ex-breeding related, ex-racing, & ex-working dogs, & Romanian & overseas rescue dogs. Some of these dogs might have training needs &/or behavioural issues, & some have just been abandoned due to cost related reasons.
Most of these UK rescue centres will have assessment &/or training & development protocols in place to ensure the dog is ready for a new home & that a suitable home can be found to suit their individual personalities & needs.
You'll also find that some UK based Romanian & overseas speciality rescues will have dogs waiting in private UK kennels &/or UK foster homes for their forever homes.
Here at Patchwork Paws U.K., we are big believers in 'a dog is a dog' no matter where they come from in the world. 🙏
There are however certain adopters who will do well to seek dogs already resident in the UK - no matter where they've come from in the world, i.e, both UK rescue centres & UK based Romanian & overseas speciality rescues. These people might want to physically meet a dog first, perhaps with their current dog & perhaps a few times. They might be seeking a dog with a certain personality or with some already established training, where behavioural assessment is also very important to them, just to cite a few examples.
If you have such specific requirements in mind, then a dog already based in the UK would be an ideal choice for you. As already stated, you have a choice of established UK rescues or UK based rescues specialising in Romanian &/or overseas dogs.
However, we also understand that it can often be easier to adopt a Romanian or overseas rescue dog over a dog in UK rescue centres. UK rescues often have very specific requirements for prospective adopters to fulfill, i.e, they might only consider adoption to a home where the dog won't be left for more than 4 hours at a time &/or they might require 6ft fencing around the garden. Plus, there's often hundreds of applications for the same dog, so competition can be high even during these difficult times. Whereas Romanian & overseas rescues might take a very different approach &/or judge each dog &/or your personal circumstances individually.
We don't say this to put anyone off applying at a UK rescue. However, if you are struggling to adopt from a UK rescue, we hope that this information might go towards explaining why. We would also suggest that, should you be unsuccessful with a UK rescue, please ask the rescue for some feedback as to why. That way you can look at initiating improvements that may allow you to be successful next time you apply or if you apply to another rescue.
We would also suggest that you consider our forthcoming series of blogs on honestly assessing yourself, your family, & your home & garden environments. We think it's an important step in helping you to consider if any dog might be right for you & your circumstances generally, & that goes for UK, Romanian, or overseas originating rescue dogs. After that process of self-consideration & self-reflection, we hope you will feel more confident about your decision & your circumstances before approaching any rescue - particularly if you have been unsuccessful in the past.
If you have previously been turned down & you feel circumstances are right for a dog, you should certainly then consider applying for a dog again. Make sure you consider their feedback & areas of improvement, understanding why, & then look to make the necessary improvements - whether you opt to apply to a UK rescue or a UK based Romanian & overseas speciality rescue.
With regards to dogs waiting in Romania & other countries, of course they deserve a home & chance, too! But under the current circumstances, where rescues, foster homes, & kennels in the UK are already very full & struggling, you need to be very sure about your dedication & commitment to the dog - no matter what - BEFORE you even apply for them!
If you are in any way unsure about adopting a dog directly from another country, where the dog is not already in the UK, please think twice for the sake of the poor dog. It would be so awful for you, the rescue & the dog in question if they arrive at yours & then they are shortly surrendered back to an already full & struggling rescue situation here in the UK.
If you should choose to take a dog 'cold' directly off transport & from the originating country, remember to lower your expectations or have none at all. In all honesty, this applies to any rescue dog, but seems all the more pertinent with Romanian & overseas rescue dogs who have probably never experienced a home before & have likely suffered some very poor treatment in the past. You should expect that your new dog will most likely require training as a puppy would, no matter what age they are. They will most likely need toilet training, for example.
If your new dog has come off of direct transport from their originating country, they might initially appear tired, exhausted, grumpy &/or fearful, needing a kind, patient, & understanding approach. Again, any new dog might initially seem this way. However, dogs coming directly off transport from abroad have been cooped up for 3 - 4 days in a small area, so they will require lots of understanding. We all know how tired & grumpy travel can make us feel and it's no different for a dog.
In the case of all new rescue dogs, don't forget the 3, 3, 3 rule (3 days, 3 weeks & 3 months rule) where a dog might take up to three months to decompress, acclimatise, unpack their baggage & settle in, all in stages, & all in THEIR own time. They may even require more time than this - this is just a generic guideline. It could take several months to a year for some, it depends on the individual dog.
The dog that arrives at your home will most likely be a very different dog - days, weeks, or months down the line, so it's very important to give them a fair chance. You may also need to make some adjustments to your lifestyle whilst they settle in - just like having a new human baby.
Please refer back to our previous blogs to read more around this subject, as we have already talked about these issues at much length in our previous blogs.
Much depends on you & what you are seeking in a dog, as well as what you're willing to do in order to welcome a new dog into your home.
As already stated, if your preference is to adopt a dog who you can meet &/or bond with first, then meeting a dog already in the UK would be better for you - whether it be a UK rescue dog or a Romanian or overseas rescue dog who is already in the UK. Similarly, if you're looking for a dog who has been more comprehensively behaviourally assessed & already has some degree of training, then a dog already in the UK might be better - particularly one already in UK foster.
If however, you are happy, committed & willing to work with a dog, no matter what, then you also have the choice of a dog currently residing outside of the UK. When we talk about the necessary 'commitment', we mean where you're willing to learn & do any relevant reading, courses &/or view programmes to better aid your approach & understanding, as well the willingness to consult a qualified behaviourist or trainer if required. 'Commitment' also means making allowances for your new dog with a patient, kind & understanding approach, & being willing to make any necessary lifestyle adjustments to put your new dog first.
This may seem extreme but, as we've discussed in previous blogs, these dogs are very special, simply by virtue of their backgrounds. Most of these dogs have never experienced a home, a kind hand, & the love of a human; instead they may have been left outside to live on a chain in all weathers, or left to free roam the streets uncared for as strays, forced to develop 'street smarts', hazard awareness, & having to learn to survive under the most extreme circumstances, whilst avoiding dog fights & rough encounters with the dog catchers & not very nice people. Some of these unfortunate souls have ended up in public shelters which is another matter entirely - most of these places are filthy & disease ridden & the dogs are often left in cramped conditions with little or no food.
None of us wants to imagine any of this, but it will aid your whole approach, your understanding & levels of patience if you're aware of what they've potentially been through.
Of course, every dog deserves this level of commitment, but Romanian & overseas rescue dogs will, in most cases, need much more 'commitment' than your average UK rescue dog (who has previously lived in a UK home).
We hope that you can appreciate the obvious differences between the average UK rescue dog (who has previously lived in a UK home) & dogs originating from Romania & other countries. By virtue of their backgrounds, which are entirely different, they are very different dogs. You could say that Romanian & overseas rescue dogs are a different breed entirely. That's not even taking into account their actual breeds or breed mixes, where known, which is altogether another separate discussion.
We hope you can also acknowledge the difference between Romanian & overseas rescue dogs already in the UK, in UK kennels or UK foster homes, & those still waiting at their originating country in Romanian foster/shelters.
Given the current rescue crisis situation here in the UK, it's very important to weigh up which rescue dog 'type' would be right for you before you commit to adopting. Without repeating ourselves, it largely depends on you, your circumstances, & what you're willing to do - as well as your levels of patience & understanding. Experience also goes a long way.
This is why we encourage you to read our forthcoming blog series first, before you consider adoption, regardless of the rescue dog type you choose, where we will help you to honestly assess yourself, your family, & your home & garden environments. This new series will work hand-in-hand with our previous blogs, so please do take the time to read them all. We aim to help prepare you for your entire rescue journey, & we hope that by doing so, rescue dogs will go to the right homes, the first time around, thus avoiding dogs being surrendered back to rescue or worse. 🙏 Preparation is everything!
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These reasonably priced courses & webinars start from just £25 (& some are even FREE, no catch 😱🥰) & are specifically tailored towards Romanian & Overseas rescue dogs, however some of these courses might also prove useful & relevant for U.K. rescue dogs too, so well worth a look.
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Some topics covered include:
🐶 fearfulness & social shyness,
🐶 prey drive,
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🐶 techniques to rebalance & calm,
🐶 reactivity on walks,
🐶 reactivity with visitors,
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We always welcome your feedback, so please feel free to leave us a comment or email us. 🥰
📣 Please remember to always choose no harm, fear free, force free & non-aversive training methods based on mutual respect, trust & positive reinforcement. Please always consider that a behaviour that YOU might find undesirable might be quite normal behaviour to your dog, the behaviour might be motivated by a past trauma/fear, or it might be motivated by your dog's emotional response to something. Always treat your dog with love, patience, empathy, understanding & kindness - even if they do have toileting accidents or if they chew your favourite slippers. 📣🙏
📍 The dog behaviour & training world is largely unregulated here in the U.K. & not all are equal. Please do your homework & always choose a behaviourist or trainer carefully. Look at the methods of training they use & the stance they choose to adopt. Always check their qualifications, accreditations & references/feedback carefully. 📍
Pictured above are our beautiful Romanian girls, Rubee (bottom left) with the late & great Gem Gem (top left) & the late & great Lily (top right). 🙏💕🥰
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