🐕 Very important: this blog article assumes that you have read ALL of our previous blogs up to this point, particularly the previous three parts in this part-work series. 🐕 If you haven’t already done so, we would recommend that you read ALL of our blogs, starting with our very first blog in this series, titled "1) ROMANIAN / ROMMIE RESCUE DOGS: Understanding the Root Cause of Romania’s Stray Dog Challenges". 🐕 These blog articles apply to Romanian & overseas originating rescue dogs.
In parts 1 & 2 of this series of blogs, we focused on choosing a 'rescue' BEFORE choosing an actual dog (here we define 'rescue' as an UK based charity or non-profit, for the purpose of this blog).
In part 3, we also looked at what tests, treatments & vaccinations are necessary (& when) BEFORE your new dog leaves Romania or their country of origin in the EU. This should also form part of your choice when it comes to choosing a good rescue to adopt from.
In this part, part 4, we're going to look at how you should go about choosing your new dog. Choosing a dog may seem simple, but as you might have gathered from parts 1, 2 & 3 in this part-work, there's a lot more to it than there seems.
In upcoming blogs, we're going to help you assess your own suitability for one of these special dogs, & also the suitability of your family, home & garden environment. But today's blog is all about the dogs...
Let's imagine now that you have read those upcoming blogs already & that you feel you & your situation, your family situation, & your home & garden environment are indeed suitable. Let's also imagine that you have already chosen a rescue or have a shortlist of a few, based upon reading parts 1, 2 & 3 of this part-work series.
So, what's next...
The first thing to consider is that taking in any rescue dog from Romania or overseas, no matter what their estimated age, may be just like adopting a puppy!
What do we mean by this? 🤔
Well, you might literally need to start from scratch with them, as many of these dogs may have never lived in a home before. The only exceptions might be where a dog has been lucky enough to have lived in a home before, in their originating country, or if they are already in UK foster & have already received some home assimilation & training etc.
With this in mind, have a think about what you're looking for in a dog & what is important to you.
Write a list...
You might for instance have a certain size, age, breed type or mix, colour, or personality/character/temperament in mind. You might be looking for a new companion for your current dog, who recently lost their best K9 buddy. Or you may have no expectations at all & just want to help one of these precious souls - happy to put the time, effort & training in, come what may!
Some of these things may well be addressed in the individual dog's description, or you might have to ask the rescue for more information.
But, before you actually start flicking through all those cute photos & videos of dogs online, there are some very important things to note here first.
Let's take some examples to work through together...
🐶 Well behaved, house trained, toilet trained, lead trained & generally home ready dogs 🐶
Unless a dog has been in UK foster first, the rescue is unlikely to be able to confirm whether a particular dog is definitely trained in these ways or not.
Remember, most of these dogs have lived as strays & most have never actually lived inside a home before, even if they were ever previously owned. Plus the rescue is unlikely to know anything about their past lives. Think back to our very first blog called, "1) ROMANIAN / ROMMIE RESCUE DOGS: Understanding the Root Cause of Romania’s Stray Dog Challenges".
Most Romanian based 'fosters' or shelters keep the dogs in pens, generally outside, & have lots of dogs in their care at any one time, maybe hundreds; so they are unlikely to be able to assess what training an individual dog has had, provide training, or indeed evaluate their actual training needs. The same might also apply to behavioural assessments. Every Romanian based 'foster' or shelter is different. Some are more hands on than others. This is why it's so important to evaluate, compare & choose a UK rescue (together with their Romanian 'foster' partner/s) before choosing a rescue dog - as we have already discussed in parts 1, 2 & 3 of this part-work.
If house & toilet training is a make or break to you, then we wouldn't recommend that you take a dog 'cold' off the bus, so as to speak, straight from Romania. In this case, talk to the rescue first, to see what dogs are currently in UK foster who have already received some training or are fully house trained & toilet trained.
As we have previously discussed in blog number 2 of this part-work, "Doing Your Own Research". These dogs should not be viewed as an easy option, just because they often appear to be easier to adopt than their UK counterparts.
🐶 Children or visiting children, other dogs, cats, livestock, or other small furry pets 🐶
In these cases, we would suggest that you speak to the rescue first to establish if there are any dogs who might do well with such variables. Most likely, again, they will probably suggest a dog already in UK foster. The advantage of this is that you & the whole family can go & meet the dog first.
If you already have a dog, the rescue might be able to suggest a dog-friendly dog still in Romania. However, if you would prefer to meet a dog first with your current dog, to see if they like each other, you should consider asking the rescue if there is a suitable dog to meet already in UK foster or UK kennels. Again, this is a definite advantage to considering dogs already in the UK. The rescue should be able to help you find a good match.
Similarly, some rescues can also cat-test dogs in Romania, or there might be some dogs in UK foster who are currently living with cats. Again, the rescue should be able to help match you to a suitable dog upon request, or you might like to go & meet them first, if already in UK foster.
However, you must always bear in mind that a dog might react differently in your unique home environment, & will almost certainly need at least 3 months (or more) to decompress, acclimatise & settle in - without expectation & all in THEIR own time - even if they come from UK foster. We have previously covered this in blog number 2, "Things To Consider & What To Expect".
🐶 Specific breeds & breed mixes 🐶
Unless you're looking for a traditional European working breed, you are unlikely to find full breed dogs in Romania. You will however find such breeds as Collies, German Shepherds & Mioritic Shepherds (similar to Old English Sheep dogs) in Romania.
Most dogs are cross breeds in Romanian rescue, purely because of the free street breeding that goes on there, i.e, accidental pregnancies & cross breeding.
As we talked about in our very first blog, most dogs in Romania either live on the streets as strays or live in gardens/yards (generally on a chain). Most dogs are not spayed or neutered, hence why you'll find all manner of unique breed mixes in Romanian rescue.
If you are looking for a particular breed or breed mix, ask the rescue if they have any such dogs available, or similar sorts. It is however best to stay open minded given the nature of these dogs.
We always think that personality, character & temperament are more important than breed or breed mix.
🐶 Age 🐶
Please bear in mind that it's extremely difficult to age a dog, which is usually done by examining the teeth. This method is however quite effective at aging puppies.
So, if you opt to adopt a dog, unless the rescue knows some of their history, their age will most likely be a conservative estimate.
Whatever their estimated age, every dog deserves a chance. We have ourselves adopted several dogs estimated to be between 6 - 11 years old. The advantage of an older dog is that they are often much calmer & wiser; plus we've always found that they've picked up their training much quicker than their younger counterparts.
In our opinion, giving a dog the chance to have a really lovely life, no matter how long or short that is, means the world to that dog. After all they've been through, don't they deserve their chance at happiness - finally?! The older dogs have, after all, most likely been subjected to the worst that life can offer in Romania & have been forced to survive in the hardest of circumstances.
Again, we think that a dog's unique personality, character & temperament are more important than any other factor.
🐶 Size 🐶
As we have already discussed, there are some very unique breed mixes in Romania. This means it can be difficult to determine actual size from photos, videos & descriptions. If you are looking for a terrier-sized dog for example, you should ask the rescue what dogs they have of that size before looking through their dogs available to adopt. In our experience, photos & videos can make a dog look bigger or smaller than they actually are.
So, if size is a make or break, make sure you ask the rescue for size dimensions, weight & comparisons with dog breeds that you know.
🐶 Past Illness, injury, or disability 🐶
You will find dogs in Romanian rescue who have been subject to severe illness, physical abuse or disfigurement, & injury or disability following an accident.
Sadly for these dogs, prior to rescue, many have never been vaccinated against disease, or flea, tick & worm treated, & most haven't been spayed or neutered - all which leaves them open to a wide variety of related diseases & illnesses. In addition, street life has left them open to accidents & physical abuse. Where a dog has been previously owned, they may also have received some disfigurements.
Therefore, some of these dogs may not appear perfect in looks, they may have varying degrees of disability, or may have a chronic illness.
If a dog has recovered from an illness or injury, you might like to ask if a vet has been involved in their treatment & rehabilitation programme. Also, you might like to ask what the vet's prognosis is going forward; is there any likelihood of relapse or any other repercussions, for example. Will the dog require any ongoing care or support in their new UK home? (With particular reference to dogs left with any level of disability or chronic illness.)
Don't be scared to ask the rescue lots of questions about a dog - a dog is afterall a long term commitment, for the life of that dog. You should absolutely consider that you could have your new dog for up to 20 years - depending on current age, breed or breed mix & health, etc.
Please always ask the rescue which dogs have been waiting the longest. So many lovely dogs often get overlooked just because of how they look. Dogs will often be overlooked if they are brown or black, older, bigger sized, if they have any genetic disfigurements or physical alterations, or if they are physically disabled or affected by a chronic health condition. Dogs with only three legs or three feet, often referred to as 'tripaw', are also often overlooked.
We've happily adopted elderly dogs, black & brown dogs, a tripaw dog (he gives his four legged counterparts a run for their money 😆) a dog with a very poorly healed bone in their back leg (from an old untreated break) dogs with substantial PTSD, dogs with torn & broken ears, dogs with missing teeth, & a heavily epileptic dog. But, as we've already said many times, we think a dog's unique personality, character & temperament are more important than any physical characteristics, disabilities they might have, age or size, etc. Try to look past these elements when you choose your new dog, be open minded & acknowledge the smashing dog underneath.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a perfect dog, you are unlikely to find them in Romanian or overseas rescue. This is the premise for 'Patchwork Paws' - where we encourage you to find the perfect in the imperfect! These dogs are 'Patchwork' - they are often the result of generations of free on-street breeding, mixed genetics & environmental exposures, they have often lived the most difficult lives - left to survive in the most hostile & inhospitable environments, & most have been forced to develop 'street smarts' & much much more besides as strays. Their basis is patchwork & they become patched up over time - with the love & kindness we give them. 🙏
Who is perfect anyway?! Aren't we all a little bit patchwork?!
Imperfectly perfect! 👍
So... after reading all of this, might you like to revisit your list now? Have another think about what you're looking for in a dog & what is important to you.
Revise your list or write a new one...
Just remember, when you adopt a Romanian or overseas rescue dog, you should consider that it might be like adopting a puppy, where you might literally need to start from scratch with them. They will require training & assimilation into your home, life & routines - after they have had time to decompress, acclimatise, & settle in (all in THEIR own time). They will no doubt require some work - with time, love, effort, patience & understanding - all with a kind approach.
🐶 Very important 🐶
Please remember to always choose no harm, fear free, force free & non-aversive training methods based on mutual respect, trust & positive reinforcement. Also, please treat these dogs with patience, understanding, empathy & kindness - even if they do have toileting accidents to begin with or if they chew your favourite slippers. 🙏
So... in summary, before choosing a dog to adopt...
🐕 Please read parts 1 & 2 of this part-work & carefully shortlist a few or several good UK rescues to adopt from.
🐕 Please also read part 3 of this part-work & make sure your dog will have all the necessary tests, treatments & vaccinations etc. BEFORE they arrive at your home. (This should be considered as a part of your selection process in shortlisting UK rescues to adopt from).
🐕 Next, please see our upcoming blogs on honestly assessing yourself, your family & your home & garden environments - to see if you're ready to adopt one of these special dogs.
🐕 Then, think about the sort of dog you would like, as discussed in this blog - referring to the list you have already created.
🐕 If you have very specific requirements, for example, preferring a dog who has already been housetrained, cat-tested, if you'd like to find out which dogs have been waiting for the longest, or you'd like to meet a dog first, etc. Rather than look at dogs online, contact the rescue directly to see what matches they can offer or to see what dogs they currently have in UK foster or UK kennels.
🐕 If you are quite open to any dog, then you can go right ahead & start looking through the available dogs online with your chosen rescues - asking the rescue for more information when a dog has caught your eye or after you have created a shortlist of dogs. The rescue will help you to check that you are both a good match (as much as they can do).
Our upcoming blogs are going to be designed to help you delve deeply into your suitability for one of these special dogs; which will in turn help you to decide whether or not one of these special dogs is right for you & your circumstances.
It is a big commitment & not one to be taken lightly, so we hope you will pop back to read our upcoming blogs before you make any firm decisions.
We anticipate that the content of our next blogs will require a bit more time to write. So please bear with us. You are most welcome to contact us in the meantime.
🐶 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 is the late & great Gem Gem, our gorgeous girl. 🥰🙏 Our first ever Romanian rescue dog - who had been overlooked. Gem Gem was rescued from a Romanian public shelter. 💕
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