"Captain's [b]log supplemental..." 🖖
Here at Patchwork Paws U.K. we've been hearing a lot of alarmist news coverage recently concerning Romanian & overseas originating rescue puppies & rescue dogs in particular.
We now feel it's important to address these issues to provide a broader context, background & understanding. Things aren't always as they seem or as they are portrayed by the media. Being aware is important, particularly in any decision making process regarding these dogs.
Here is a summary of the issues that we will be covering in this blog...
Brucella Canis (B.C.), bite incident accusations, escape risk, & the potential risk of euthanasia for new dogs entering the UK.
To begin with, let me redirect you back to our latest four part series of blogs where we help & guide you to choose a good & reputable rescue, where we also discuss the legalities involved in finding a good & reputable rescue, & where we focus on the tests, treatments & vaccinations that a rescue should give a dog (& when) before they travel to the UK. I have added the direct links at the bottom of this blog... 👇
Before reading this blog post any further, I would suggest that you go off & read that series of blogs first (if you haven’t already done so); as this blog will assume a certain amount of pre-knowledge that can be established from those blogs.
I won't be naming any names in this blog post. This isn't the purpose of this blog. I just hope to build some awareness that a prospective adopter will find useful in making their best informed decisions & choices.
So now, let's take each issue one at a time...
🐕 The risk of Brucella Canis (B.C.):
Canine Brucellosis has recently come into the media spotlight. In a nutshell, this disease is caused by a bacterium called Brucella Canis, & it affects reproduction outcomes for dogs as well as affecting other organs. It can be shed through contact with infected bodily fluids. It can cause symptoms in your dog or your dog might show no symptoms at all. This disease is potentially zoonotic, meaning it might infect humans, however this risk remains very low & rare.
We have previously covered this disease as a part of our four part blog, specifically the blog entitled "tests, treatments & vaccinations." We would encourage you to refer back to that blog whilst considering this post.
So... SOME UK vets are taking the risk seriously & are calling on their clients to retest their Romanian dogs three months after they've been resident in the UK, to allow for the incubation period of the disease, regardless of their test result in Romania.
We would, at this point, like to refer you to a very informative resource on Facebook that will help you to better understand this disease, & how to interpret test results & test reliability etc.
It is very important to be aware of the information contained on that Facebook page BEFORE any UK retesting consideration takes place.
Please see:
'Brucella Canis Former RVN Resigned Under Protest' - "I am a former vet nurse wanting to help overseas rescue dog owners in the UK to navigate Brucella Canis".
Please also see the following link for a very useful blog post on this subject by a UK Vet:
In addition, we recommend that you shop around carefully for a UK vet based on their general approach to Romanian & overseas dogs & their approach to B.C.
🐕 Bite incident accusations:
You might be wondering how potential dog bite incidents occur? Well, any rescue dog or any dog in fact can bite! It isn't exclusive to ex-stray dogs, overseas rescue dogs or Romanian rescue dogs. Absolutely any dog has the capability to bite if pushed!
A rescue dog from Romania might bite, or growl a warning, for a number reasons to include:
1) If the dog has just travelled from Romania they are likely to be absolutely exhausted & tired, after such a long trip of 3 - 4 days stuck on a van & in a small space. At this point they need rest & space in a safe place, out of the way. The dog needs time! We all know how grumpy we get when we're feeling tired or unwell. Remember what you feel like on a Friday afternoon - or on a Wednesday or Thursday even! Frazzled! Longing for the weekend break! Always make the same allowance for a newly travelled dog with empathy, understanding & patience.
Dogs can't talk to us on our terms to tell us how they're feeling. They can however, communicate through their body language, growls & bites. If we pay attention, we can learn to read a dog before a bite occurs.
2) If the dog is newly fostered or adopted (either freshly off the van from Romania or from a UK kennel or UK foster home) they will most likely be very scared, fearful, anxious & unsure of us, as strangers, & their new & strange environment. We all know what it's like to start a new job or do something new. It causes stress & anxiety. It's no different for a dog. Think about how you'd feel. The poor dog doesn't really understand what's going on. There are new sights, smells & noises, etc. They don't know you or your routines. How scared would you feel?!
Again, they just need space in a safe place, rest, empathy, patience, understanding & time. Give them space!
3) Your new dog might have some trauma from their old life & reacting on a trigger basis because they feel unsafe or unsure. For instance: they may be scared of other dogs after previous dog attacks, children might have teased the dog in the past, or they might dislike men after previous bad handling. These reactions can get better in time. Your new dog just needs to know they're safe & they need space.
Give them time, love, patience, support & understanding. Always move at THEIR pace! Each dog is uniquely different no matter where they come from - even if they are UK rescue dogs!
4) Another scenario could be that the dog has come to you under-socialised, under-interacted with, &/or without sufficient rehabilitation or human contact. This is where our latest four part blog advice comes in very handy. You must be cautious when choosing a UK based rescue to adopt from. All are not equal in their approach & processes!
Also, you must exercise a cautious approach when considering the Romanian foster/shelter partners that a UK based rescue uses, & how the UK based rescue operates in conjunction with their Romanian fosters. For example: what sort of rehabilitative or behavioural work & assessment does the Romanian foster provide? Does the UK based rescue go out regularly to visit & work with their dogs? Do the dogs go into experienced UK kennels or UK foster homes before being adopted (where a dog can be given some experienced hands on training & behavioural assessment)? Some of these dogs have, after all, been strays or have been subjected to awful traumatic experiences.
Rehabilitation & effective assessments before rehoming is a very important consideration for any prospective adopter, particularly if you have specific requirements in mind (as covered in our aforementioned four part blog series).
This list is by no means exhaustive but is intended to give you some context & understanding as to why a new dog might bite or growl.
If the new dog growls at you or anyone in your family, which includes other pets, always consider this as a warning, take note of the context, & then give the dog some space. The dog is communicating that they feel uncomfortable about you or something you are doing. It doesn't necessarily mean the dog is too 'feral' for a home life, nor does it necessarily mean that they are aggressive. It isn't necessarily an indication of what the dog is likely to be like forever, either.
Remember the 3, 3, 3 rule that we have previously discussed (the 3 days, 3 weeks, & 3 months rule) - your new dog needs time to decompress, acclimatise, unpack their baggage & settle in, all in stages, & all at THEIR own pace & in THEIR own time. Notably, some dogs might take longer than three months to settle in - every dog is different. The individual dog takes as long as THEY need! They work on THEIR own timescale & not ours!
🐕 Escapes (sadly sometimes resulting in the poor dog being killed on a busy road):
Most of the escapes we hear about happen upon the dog's collection from a collection point or via human error in the new home.
Please be careful when you collect your dog from anywhere. Some rescues will want you to meet the van from Romania at a busy service station or on a quiet lay by. Your new dog will likely be very frightened & will pose a significant flight risk at this point. Always take a crate for collection & request that your dog is safely popped inside it, inside the van with the van doors closed, & check that the crate doors are secured before removal back to your car.
This also goes for dogs collected from a foster home or kennel.
Always have a slip lead, collar, lead &, if possible, a harness ready for use. If possible, keep your new dog securely crated until safely inside your home.
Sadly, some dogs do escape & flee upon collection & pass away after being hit by a vehicle on a busy motorway. This is a very sad end for a rescue dog that has come so far, & can be avoided with the right cautious approach & preparation.
Similarly, if a home is prepared well for the new dog's arrival & everyone exercises the same & consistent level of care & caution, a dog will not be allowed the opportunity to escape. We will be looking at this in near future blogs but to summarise, the risk can be reduced significantly through being mindful of open doors/gates & the correct garden supervision & handling. A momentary lapse in judgment is the only opportunity a scared, anxious or fearful dog needs to escape.
🐕 The potential risk of euthanasia for new dogs entering the UK:
Some dogs are quickly being surrendered back to rescue before they've even had a chance - within just days or weeks of adoption.
Consequently, some of these unfortunate poor souls are then at risk of euthanasia because they are being deemed aggressive or beyond any help. We have already covered why a dog might feel & act like this, in our discussion of bites & growling.
This situation is all the more complicated by the current crisis here in the UK, following the upsurge in adoptions experienced as a result of the Covid crisis & the current cost of living crisis. So many dogs are being surrendered back to rescue as a result. But rescue space is hard to find here in the UK currently & there are so many rescue dogs needing homes (UK, Romanian & overseas originating rescue dogs). This means that the dogs who are harder to work with, the dogs deemed as having behavioural issues, & the dogs deemed aggressive are often destined for euthanasia. This too is a very sad end for a dog.
This is where we again encourage you to choose the rescue you adopt from very carefully & cautiously. Please refer to our latest four part blog to assist you.
The rescue's rescue back up (R.B.U.) processes & procedures should almost certainly be a consideration in your choice of rescue. We don't like to think of an adoption potentially failing, but R.B.U. should absolutely be considered.
Of course, it isn't always the rescue's fault if an adoption fails, we just hope to lessen the chance of this happening by empowering the prospective adopter to make the best informed decisions.
Through carefully choosing, researching & vetting a UK based rescue & their chosen Romanian foster/shelter, you should be able to find yourself a good & reputable UK based rescue to adopt from. Again, please refer back to our latest four part series of blogs on how to do this.
Always conduct a search on the internet for individual rescues, & always search on social media posts as a part of your research & checks. Be very cautious if your research yields any negative results or feedback. Weigh it up with your research as a whole. If you have concerns over an individual rescue, move on to research another rescue on your shortlist until you find one that you feel happy with.
If a rescue seems involved with anything contentious such as defrauding another rescue or similar, consider if you're happy to deal with them & if they can be trusted to deal with. It is entirely up to you to make the best choice for you & your family.
We hope this special blog post has helped. Some take homes are:
1) Choose a UK based rescue carefully to adopt from, & also consider their chosen Romanian foster/shelter carefully. Consider the set up of the UK based rescue & how they operate, & also how much they physically interact with their dogs in Romania & their Romanian foster, as well as their UK dogs. Look at how the dogs are socialised, interacted with, rehabilitated, & behaviourally assessed; also find out how a dog is deemed home-ready. Do plenty of online research & checks to establish how reputable of an online presence the rescue seems to have.
2) Choose a new dog based on their character & temperament & not on their looks & estimated age, etc. Be open minded & seek a good match for your family & circumstances. Again, this is covered in our latest four part blog series.
3) Make your own preparations to ensure that the collection of the dog runs smoothly (if you are collecting) as well as observing the advice given by the rescue. Get your house dog-ready before their arrival & ensure everyone in the household is on the same page re: your approach to the new dog & potential health, safety & escape hazards. We will cover the latter more in our forthcoming blogs.
4) Adhere to the 3, 3, 3 rule - allow your new dog the time, patience & understanding to decompress, acclimatise & settle in - all in THEIR own time & at THEIR own pace. This could even take longer than three months! Your new dog will determine the pace they want or need to move at &, given their background, we should allow them all the time THEY need!
5) Remember that everything might seem new & scary to your new dog, at least initially. Make allowances for fear based behaviour & give your dog the time, space, patience & understanding they need to allow them to understand that they are in a safe environment &, indeed, to get used to everything new in their new environment. Put yourself in their shoes.
6) Learn to read dog body language on a generic level & also on an individual level. Take the time to get to know your new dog with empathy, patience & understanding. If anything is known about their past, take that into account. Please read our second blog entitled, "Things to Consider & What to Expect, if You Want to Adopt a Rommie." This will help you to prepare for one of these special dogs, where we also recommend some useful webinar resources which are specific to Romanian rescue dogs.
7) Give your new dog a chance! Any earlier undesirable behavioural issues might be the product of initial fear & the newness of everything around them. It isn't necessarily an indication of your new dog's true personality, nor how they are going to be for the rest of their life with you. Many perceived undesirable behavioural issues will fade or improve over time & with the right levels of commitment & training. Follow the 3, 3, 3 rule - allow them several months or so! Give them a fair chance! Rome wasn't built in a day after all! People aren't perfect either!
8) Make sure your new rescue dog has been tested for Brucella Canis (B.C.) shortly before their departure from Romania - with a negative test result. Furthermore, we would suggest that you check that the rescue has used test methods approved by APHA (Animal & Plant Health Agency) & that the test result will be clearly inputted (signed, stamped & dated by the vet) into the dog's passport or health paperwork that you will be given.
📣 UPDATE: Since writing this blog article, we have added further blogs on the subject of Brucella Canis (also known as B. Canis & B.C.) So, please see our later blog articles entitled, "Brucella Canis", for further details. 📣
9) Shop around for a good & reputable vet who will be sympathetic to your new dog's background & needs, maybe one that already treats & cares for overseas rescue dogs. Again, we suggest you do your research online & check reviews. Also ask the vet about their policies towards Romanian & overseas dogs, particularly their approach to Brucella Canis.
📣 UPDATE: Again, please see our newer articles concerning "Brucella Canis" for further information. 📣
10) Finally, we urge you to only adopt one of these special dogs if you are 100% committed to them, come what may, & if you are 100% sure about what you are taking on. This is the very goal of Patchwork Paws U.K. Please take the time to read our blog articles from the start & check back for our new blogs around this subject. You are also most welcome to contact us.
The world of Romanian rescue dogs might seem quite hard to navigate & a bit overwhelming to start with but, take it from us, after having 9 of these gorgeous souls, it is worth all of the effort & is a very richly rewarding experience. All of our dogs are, & have been, absolutely amazing & these dogs do have the capability to adjust & become beloved family pets after a bit of time. We wouldn't hesitate to take in another Rommie dog. 🥰
*** PLEASE NOTE: To our knowledge, all information provided here is current as of the publication date, which is 17th July 2023, & is provided strictly as a GUIDELINE.
Our primary focus here is on Romanian rescue dogs.
We have done our best to include as much relevant information as possible, but we cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies found here or via the website links provided, or indeed any accidentally missed information.
We always recommend that you conduct your own additional research.
This blog is purely provided for general guidance & we don't profess to be experts in this area. We apologise in advance for any errors or inaccuracies found here or any accidental missed information. *
Please feel free to post in the comments section below, should you feel we have missed off any important information that other new adopters might find useful. We welcome your comments & feedback.
🐶 Thank you for stopping by. 😊 Please remember to pop back for more or subscribe & we will notify you when new articles are published.
We endeavour to produce a new blog article every month. As you can tell, we like to be as thorough as possible. 😉
🐶 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. 🤩
You can send us £1, a few pounds, or however much you would like to give, to our PayPal account here:
If you see us as 'friends & family,' please do feel free to select this option.
📣 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:
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 above is our gorgeous girl, Junie, who enjoys nothing more than walking behind bushes & conifers. 😆 She seems to enjoy the sensation. Bless her. 🥰 She was found stray on the streets of Romania.
Comments