Also, the established rescue centres are acting out of the best interests of the animal with their onerous requirements. It seems a lot of their dogs these days are dogs with various problems, medical or behavioural. Dog homes here seem to be full of problem Staffies, or some old dog on the brink of death. Or Greyhounds, such as those rescued at Heathrow, on their way to China to be used for food (retired Greyhound scam; the dogs were meant to be put down).
I have a bit of a strong bias against Bull Terriers and their derivatives. Some might think that’s unreasonable, but its borne out of personal experience. Its a breed I wouldn’t be too fussed if it was neutered into extinction.
I also have strong views about puppy farms; these people selling dogs. Friends have adopted survivors of puppy farms, and these are pretty messed up dogs; messed up insides (too many littlers), frequently near blind, and mostly missing all their teeth (extensive infection, due to poorcare, leading to all the teeth having to be taken out). Dog breeding is a regulated activity, but I suspect a lot is illicit. I am deeply suspicious of people advertising full grown dogs like labs for next to nothing, usually with some hard luck story about it being a much loved family pet. I don’t buy these stories. Pets aren’t sold off; you find someone you trust, such as a friend or family, to look after it if you can no longer.
My dogs have always been of the Heinz 57 variety. Last described by the vet as a Lurcher, but he was best described as a small dog in a big dog’s body. He lived until approx 17 years, plus or minus 2 years (no idea how old he was when adopted). Requirements were different all those years ago.
Previous, “I” brought two dogs back from the Middle East. Annie was you typical Pariah dog, seen all over the Middle East and Asia, proper feral. Local Oil Police were going to shoot her on Christmas Eve. So she was taken in.
Ben was a European type dog, likely abandoned by an Expat family going home. He was thriving in the desert, hanging out with the local dog pack, untl local kids started lobbing breeze block at the dogs, out of fear. Took him in, but a vet discovered he had stitches in a pad, proof someone had spent money on him before throwing him out of a car window. Its really difficult to be judgemental of these owners; they probably shouldn’t have had a dog in the first place, but contract employment is uncertain, and, at first glance, the issues about repatriating a dog seems onerous (its not). Local dog “rescue centres” are miserable places, most dogs are not adopted, and most will be no longer than a month in the centre…
Both dogs were shipped to the UK, did their time, and ended up living for another 14 years. Since then, such dogs from that particular Middle Eastern country will no longer need t go through quarantine if they have the right papers. Both had a different characters; Annie was a typical street dog, with strong prey instincts, very clever, trust issues and could be very submissive. Ben, being at one time domesticated, was a bit stupid if he caught anything. They didn’t get on with other dogs, and had a strong aversion to anyone in a long dress.
Leading onto another point. Besides the traditional kennels to get a dog from, there are numerous international animal adoption charities, which while they also have home inspections, might have a different view on rehoming. Dogs are typically £400-500 each, bit more if they are from the Middle East on India/Thailand (lots of Alsatian tyes coming from India), to cover costs. Arguably they will get more of a health check before travel, than the fairly minimal checks a pup off Ebay will get here.
There are dogs from Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain. Romanian dogs often seem to have the so-called “funny legs”; big./medium dog bodies, but stubby legs like a Corgi. There are pups, young dogs, old dogs, some in the UK already, others you are having to get on trust. Street dogs will have their own set of behaviours (but they don’t care what you give them to eat), and some might have evidence of traumatic lives (mended legs, cut off ears, branded muzzles) or past skin infections.
