16) FOR * ALL * RESCUE DOGS: Honest Self Assessments Prior to Adoption - Part 6 of 9: Beyond Managing Expectations...

In the Best Interests of the Dog...

🐕 VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE NOTE: the following blog articles are dedicated to ALL RESCUE DOGS... whether they be a U.K, Romanian, or overseas rescue dog...

If you have been reading our "ROMANIAN / OVERSEAS RESCUE DOGS" section, then ALL forthcoming blogs, including this one, serve as a continuation... 🐕

🐕 Please note: FOR ALL RESCUE DOGS: this blog article, part 6, assumes that you have read parts 1 - 5. 🐕 If you haven’t already done so, we would recommend that you read parts 1 - 5 first. 🐕

Following on from our last article about managing your own expectations of a new rescue dog & how to choose your new dog, I've had a few people ask, once the new dog arrives & has had the time to decompress, acclimatise & settle in, is it ever in the best interests of the dog to consider rehoming them or returning them to the rescue? Note, the question mentions 'in the best interests of THE DOG'. We think this is a very good question, albeit rather complex.

The overarching aim of Patchwork Paws U.K. is to help people make the best informed decisions surrounding the entire process of adopting a rescue dog, to see these special dogs go to the right forever homes & (hopefully) stay there. We believe that preparation is key. In an ideal world, this is what we hope for all dogs, but we don't live in a perfect world & no dog, rescue or otherwise is perfect, either!

There are so many factors involved here & it's not hard to see how they might collide. Our dogs are unique individuals with their own characters & life experiences, as are we. If we think about humans, socially & culturally we are all so different when we compare ourselves to people in other countries, particularly less fortunate countries. Even within our own countries & communities people are very different. These differences can sometimes be quite big. We've all heard of, 'men are from mars & women are from venus'. We could even conclude that men & women are vastly different. 😆 A slight digression, but we believe it cements the point well. 

A dog is a different species to us entirely. This is the first bridge to gap, particularly as we speak completely different languages & our cognitive functions, amongst many other things, are so far removed. But, just like us, a dog is a living & breathing sentient being with a heart & soul.

We have talked extensively in our other blog articles about the potential differences between a Romanian or overseas rescue dog & their UK counterparts. We've even gone on to state that we believe Romanian dogs are a whole unique & different breed in themselves. Without repeating ourselves too much, these dogs have lived an entirely different life, when compared to most of their UK counterparts. These dogs have often lived as strays & free roamed the streets. They have had to learn very quickly in order to adapt & survive under the harshest of circumstances & living conditions, often subjected to cruelty & abuse at the hands of humans. They are often a product of free street breeding & thus there is often a unique set of mixed genetics in play. These dogs are often very intelligent & 'street smart', a product of their life & all of their struggles for survival. This is why we offer a special section for these dogs on our website because, like men & women & like people from different countries & cultures, Romanian & overseas rescue dogs couldn't be any different from their UK counterparts. These dogs thus often require a bit more from us in the way of commitment, dedication, & work. Having had 10 of these gorgeous souls ourselves, 9 Romanian rescue dogs & 1 Thai ex-meat trade rescue dog, plus several UK rescue dogs, we can certainly appreciate the differences involved. 

Our Romanian boy Rodney (aka Hot Rod 🔥) is an amazing case in point here. He was rescued from a public shelter in Romania with just days left to live, as he was on the kill list. One of his many special 'talents' is his amazing ability to open our garden gate. Our garden gate closes very stiffly & needs a real jolt to push it open. Hot Rod 🔥 very quickly developed the ability to open it completely unaided & he's so small. Luckily for us, the gate simply divides two parts of our garden. The bigger part of the garden is beyond the gate & the dogs are always so enthusiastic about going out there, which is why Hot Rod 🔥 felt the need to use his obvious life experience to 'break' his way in. 😆 We've since added a bolt, but this little story demonstrates the point well.

So, there's obvious differences between us & our dogs & even amongst dogs. Every dog is as unique as us humans & they are a product of their life up to rescue.

We could hardly begin to answer the question, "is it ever in the best interests of the dog to consider rehoming them or returning them to rescue?" without first placing this statement within some sort of context.

When we take on a new rescue dog, we just don't know how that individual dog is going to interact with their new environment (our home) nor how they will interact with the new people &/or animals already part of that home, as well as guests & our unique lifestyles, etc. This is all the more complicated by the fact that the rescue may or may not know much about your new dog's past life. Most rescues will assess their dogs on a basic level or with the help of a behaviourist (we would suggest that this is always worth checking before you choose to adopt a dog from a specific rescue). These assessments can be a good guide, but we can never anticipate how a dog might react to our unique environment. After all, not all people, families or homes are the same, right?! Having the opportunity to meet a dog first, with other family members, particularly children & other dogs, numerous times, can be quite beneficial. However, the dog actually living in the new environment may prove to be a bigger hurdle still.

Now, think back to how many friends & relationships you've had in your lifetime. Some friendships have worked out & are proving to be lifelong, whilst other friendships haven't proved to be long term. Lots of factors may have been involved. Maybe you simply lost touch when you changed jobs or moved house. Maybe they turned out to be different to what you imagined. We mention this because compatibility is just as important in a dog-human relationship.

Our Sophie from Thailand, for instance, picks up on nervousness & particularly doesn't seem to like nervous men. We, in fact, adopted her because her previous home didn't work out. She lived with a nervous man. This theory has been cemented since by her reaction to a few more men with "nervous" characters whom we have introduced her to over the years. So, clashes of character/personality can occur even in dog-human relationships. This is why good & strong character & behavioural assessments can really help to guide your choice in a dog. These assessments aren't foolproof by any means, but can be very helpful.

Although we have spoken about this already & at great length in previous articles, we must mention the 3, 3, 3 rule here again (the 3 days, 3 weeks & 3 months rule). To summarise, this rule provides a basic guideline as to how long it can take for a new dog to decompress, acclimatise, unpack their baggage & settle in - all in THEIR own time & at THEIR own pace. The 3, 3, 3 rule can in fact become the 4, 4, 4 rule, the 5, 5, 5 rule & so forth. But the point is that a new dog should be given the time THEY need to settle in first & any judgment should be reserved until they have had this time to settle in.

We have found from personal experience that a dog can seem very different during their settling in phase, particularly one who has never lived in a home with humans before. Everything is new to them, just like when we start a new job or move house, it takes time to learn the ropes & settle in. We are not for one minute suggesting that the settling in phase is easy, it's usually quite the opposite, to be honest. But we have found that a dog transforms quite significantly with time, love, patience & understanding. So, the dog you see in the first few days, weeks & months is not likely to be the same dog who's going to spend the rest of their life with you. 

In order to attempt to answer this question, we also need to point out again that your choice of rescue charity or non-profit, as well as your choice of dog, might very well have a crucial bearing on the answer to this question. Again, we have discussed this before & at great length, particularly during our "ROMANIAN / OVERSEAS RESCUE DOGS" section, but not all rescue charities & non-profits are the same. We have already touched on this above, but to be clear, you might find that some rescues will fully assess all dogs before advertising them for adoption, most likely with a behaviourist. Others may not have such robust procedures & processes in place. Some rescues might also prefer to match you to a dog & are often very experienced at doing this - this is definitely a good thing.

Please do your homework before you select a charity or non-profit to adopt from. If the breed or breed mix of a prospective dog is known, it is always a good idea to read up on their breed characteristics. It's also worth asking the rescue if anything is known about their past & what their unique character, personality & temperament appear to be like. So these factors should definitely be considered when selecting a good rescue charity or non-profit & also in your selection of the actual dog. Your selection is crucial & very important! It might actually influence the successfulness of your adoption, so this very much ties in with the question.

With regards to some UK based Romanian & overseas rescues for instance, they might not actually visit their dogs often or even at all in their originating country. Instead they might rely on their 'foster' (the individual or shelter in Romania who are caring for the dog) to make such assessments of the dog, & there might not be any formal training involved. Plus, the 'foster' might be very pressed for time, having maybe thirty odd dogs or hundreds of dogs in their care at one time. Some UK based Romanian or overseas rescues might regularly visit their dogs to assess them & spend time with them, &/or choose to place their dogs into experienced UK foster homes before rehoming them in the UK so they can attempt to clarify what sort of home situation would best suit an individual dog. As you can see, this is why choosing a rescue charity or non-profit carefully is so important & your choice may in fact influence the successfulness of your adoption.

Again, we must point out here that we actively encourage prospective adopters to do their own research & homework & make careful & informed decisions throughout the entire adoption process, even from the very early consideration stages where you are just thinking about adopting a dog. Consider carefully if you, your family, your home, your garden, your work commitments, your leisure commitments, & finances etc. are up for this commitment which could last for up to 20 years (depending on the breed, the age of the dog, & the health of the dog - known or as yet undiscovered).

Then, consider your choice of rescue charity or non-profit carefully. Find out as much as you can about them, look for references, & assess their processes & procedures carefully before choosing to adopt a dog from them. Make sure they offer a decent rescue back up package (R.B.U.), just in case it should ever be needed. Find out as much about the dog as you can before considering adoption. Consider their breed or breed mix (if known) & also ask if they have been assessed (particularly behaviourally assessed) & how they have been assessed, i.e: has a qualified behaviourist been involved? Careful consideration over all of these factors, as well as careful consideration of all of our blog articles might very well help to set you up for a successful adoption.

So, let's revisit the question, "Is it ever in the best interests of the dog to consider rehoming them or returning them to the rescue?" If you make well informed choices & decisions to begin with & if you're prepared to give a dog the time & space THEY need to settle in, & you are prepared to put the work in come what may, then hopefully, you might not ever need to know the answer to this question.

Obviously, there is more risk in taking a dog fresh off the bus from Romania or overseas, simply because they may or may not have been assessed in their originating country, or assessed in the same way as some UK rescues here would. Also, there isn't the opportunity to meet the dog first, unless the dog is already in the UK in kennels or at a UK foster home.

If, after the required period of settling in, over the course of a few to several months, your new dog appears to still be negatively interacting with your home environment &/or people in it, & is showing no signs of improvement & you have already consulted their originating rescue charity or non-profit for advice, you have enlisted the help of a good, reputable & qualified behaviourist &/or trainer with no joy, plus you have consulted your vet to check that your dog is not experiencing pain, illness or declining health associated with growing older, if applicable (as pain, illness & declining health can cause a change in a dog's behaviour).

If, after all of this, your new dog is just not adjusting to their new life & THEIR quality of life is being or will be potentially affected... Then, FOR THE DOG, in SOME cases, it might be worth considering a more suitable home for them & their needs.

Perhaps your home environment is proving too noisy, busy or fast paced for them... perhaps they aren't liking another family member (human or animal)... or perhaps they don't like children in particular & this is causing a potential health or safety risk. Perhaps the dog has a different character, personality or temperament to the one you were led to believe, or has previously undisclosed or unrealised post-traumatic stress or anxiety issues (which are causing challenges in your particular home environment). 

The dog must absolutely always come first, but we can mitigate the risks of possible 'return' as far as reasonably possible in the very beginning, through careful choices & decision making earlier on in the process, which we hope all of our blog articles will assist you to achieve.

The current rescue crisis here in the UK makes this question a little bit more complicated due to the increase in pets adopted during the Covid lockdowns, many of whom have since been placed in rescue, & the current cost of living crisis, where people have felt forced to give up their pets due to affordability issues. UK rescues are at crisis point & most are full. You should give this some strong consideration if you're thinking about adopting. Physically rehoming a dog or returning them to rescue (depending on the rescue charity or non-profit involved & their R.B.U.) might prove very difficult at the moment, particularly with the ban on XL bullies looming at the end of the year. 

Sadly, some dogs are being euthanised as a result of this crisis. This is why we implore our readers to carefully consider the entire process of adopting a dog, set against the context of their individual circumstances, very carefully before choosing to adopt any dog.

Please take the time to read all of our blog articles as they should prove very useful in helping you to make the best choices & to help you to prepare for the arrival of your new rescue dog. We want to see all rescue dogs go to their best FOREVER HOMES, that's our main aim!

We hope this article has helped.

In our upcoming blog articles, we will move on to help you assess your own home & garden environments, whether they are ready for the arrival of a new dog, & what you can do to make your home & garden environments more new-dog-ready. We will also look at how you can better manage your home & garden environments to ensure they are in the best shape possible for a new dog. So, please keep checking...

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🐶 We hope you are finding our website both informative & useful, & we hope you are enjoying reading 📚 our blog articles as much as we enjoy writing  ✍️  them. 

Our website is completely free for anyone to view & access. 🥰 However, it is not free for us to run, unfortunately.

Should you like to send us a little gift to express your gratitude, then we would gratefully receive it towards the costs associated with running our website. 🤩 

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📣 Another way to support us is via our affiliate link to the following online courses & webinars (which you can study anytime, at your own pace)...

Here is our unique link to 'The Dogs Point of View' website:

https://www.thedogspointofview.com/?affiliate=nqTHUx

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.

You can even join the training & support group where you will be able to access ALL online courses & webinars for FREE, 100's of step-by-step teaching guides, progressive training plans, optional weekly zoom calls, & get qualified trainer support & advice whenever you need it for as little as £27 per month! 😃

Some topics covered include: 

🐶 fearfulness & social shyness, 

🐶 prey drive, 

🐶 building calmness & confidence, 

🐶 techniques to rebalance & calm,

🐶 reactivity on walks, 

🐶 reactivity with visitors, 

🐶 the quirky nature of Romanian dogs, 

🐶 how to set yourself up for a successful adoption.

The course & webinar content has been carefully constructed by Meesh Masters, who is an Holistic Canine Behaviour Consultant specialising in working with Romanian & Overseas rescue dogs. 'The Dogs Point of View' is committed to following the latest scientifically proven fear free methods.

Thank you so much for being here & for supporting Patchwork Paws U.K. 🐶

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 is our beautiful Thai beauty, Sophie. She was rescued from the illegal meat trade in Thailand. Bless her, she suffers with some P.T.S.D. issues & separation anxiety as a result. 🙏💕