maybe will rescue a dane...need opinions

[vraiment]

i contacted the rescue organization here in saskatchewan. i asked for some info. She replied saying she was super busy and would get me more info but she may have a dane that is not good with kids to place. that is all i know.

I am a new dane owner as you all know. i have the wheaten cross that is a GROUCH some days as he is old. He is a fear biter, but we take appropriate pecautions with him always. just he causes chaos in the house when goliath wants to play say, and he doesn't. He will hide under a bed or something and bark like a savage attack dog until we get Goliath to stop bugging him.

I live with my husband who is rarely home with his work, and two sons (16 and 19) We do not get a lot of company except sons friends who are all older teens. and I do not work.

What should i be taking into consideration and is this even a sensible thing to CONSIDER?

input is greatly appreciated.

[stephaniet]

A good rescue will have you fill out an application and then do the reference checks and homecheck to get a good idea about your home. From there you will talk to them about your situation to help them match you with a dog in their program or if none match your situation now they will know what would work best in your home.

They should be temperment testing their fosters to get a better idea of the dogs in their care.

Priority to me would be your older dog. If he isn't comfortable with new dogs in the house or would be upset by 2 danes rough housing and being crazy I would wait on adoption for him to pass.

If you think he would be okay with another dog to keep Goliath company then you might want to consider it. Even though your kids are older I would want to know why the other dog is no kids if this is the dog you are considering. Adding another fearful dog to a house where you already have one can come with it's own complications.

So much depends on your individual situation and the dog you are considering.

[vraiment]

Exactly. i want to be sure it fits. Both for us...and the dog of course. so they do come out and meet us and all that? I hoped so. But what types of things should I ask THEM about this dog?

Why no kids...but what else? thanks guys and gals.

[Jazzandcompany]

Here is my thought. Your pup is young and very very impressionable right now. Any dog your bring in is going to a potential role model. I would wait on bringing any other dog in until your dog is as trained and set as you like. Jazz is a bit over 2 and I just brought in a rescue roughly her age and I can tell you they are teaching each other tricks of the trade at this age! I can't imagine what they would teach a small pup!

If that dog has problems with kids, he may have a sketchy temperment, is that something you want your pup to learn/pick up on?

Em

[vraiment]

If that dog has problems with kids, he may have a sketchy temperment, is that something you want your pup to learn/pick up on?

Em

Hmmm...valid for sure.

[intensgrl]

I second what Em said. You have not entered the teen phase yet with Goliath. You will have your hands FULL! Give him your all until he matures into a stable adult. Then he will impart good role modeling upon an impressionable pup, instead of the pup impacting Goliath's maturation.

I know when pups are young it is an exciting thought to add another. Having just been through that myself, and waiting until my dog was AT LEAST 18 months old, I highly recommend letting Goliath grow up as a singleton puppy.

JMO, good luck with your decision.

[stephaniet]

I am assuming the dog you were considering is not a pup but an adult.

Questions I would ask would be what history is known about the dog? What issues have they seen in rescue with the dog? There are always issues. Are these issues that are workable in your situation? Does the dog do well with vistors coming into the house? since you will have teenage boys in and out at times. What training does the dog have? Why was the dog turned into rescue?

Dogs do mimic each other so how is Goliath doing living with your older dog? If you think adding another dog is right for your situation at this point then I would ask questions that will lead to knowing if this dog would not show the same issues that your older dog has and does show positive traits that you would be comfortable with Goliath picking up on.

If you are working with a good rescue most of these questions will be answered for you in the conversation you have with them. It may be that they don't even talk to you about the dog you were calling on. Sometimes the dog that is right for you isn't the one you were considering but may be one you don't even know they have right now. By giving them as detailed a picture as you can of your situation they should be able to match you with the dog that is best suited to that situation.

Just be honest and direct about what you are looking for, what you don't want in a rescue dog and what the dog will need to be comfortable with. The more specifics you need the longer it may take to find the right one but that is what is most important and worth the wait is the right dog that will thrive in your home.

[Meatos]

I think since you already have a grouchy old wheaten and a raucous dane puppy, the right rescue dane for your family will be waiting for you in 2-3 years. Give your resident dogs time.

[Tamara]

I'd be curious if this dog is actually located in Saskatchewan. If it is then there is a breeder locally here that is breeding dogs with very questionable temperaments. A friend of mine had to re-home her boy as she just couldn't trust him around children. She had him since he was a small puppy and she and I both belong to a local obedience club with some of the best trainers/obedience teams in Canada. This dog was extensively trained and socialized. Thankfully she was able to re-home him into a home with no children and an experienced owner otherwise she may have had to put him down. I also know 100% for sure that another dog from this same breeder, different litter than my friend's dog was recently placed through rescue with the same types of issues. Even though your boys are older I would still be wary about this dog, if my suspicions are correct about where the dog comes from.

[vraiment]

I think since you already have a grouchy old wheaten and a raucous dane puppy, the right rescue dane for your family will be waiting for you in 2-3 years. Give your resident dogs time.

This is what I am starting to think.