Your opinion please.

Yesterday while surfing the web with the intention of taking in another old greyhound I came upon the Oldies Website. There in the section advertising old dog's soon to become available was a 12year old greyhound named Joe.

I immediately E-Mailed and said I would take him, unfortunately I'm afraid its not that easy, there are rules.

I will post one of their stipulations before you can take one of their dog's. I'd be interested in other peoples opinions regarding this procedure. Whether they think its the right way, or the wrong way to introduce a new dog into your home.

From the Oldies Club.

Adoption visit
If your home visit is successful we will then arrange a time when you can go to the dog’s foster home and meet the dog. All family members and other dogs will need to go along; it’s important that everybody in the household is sure the dog is right for them and that introductions with other dogs go well.

You will be given plenty of time at this meeting to get to know the dog, talk to the fosterer about him/her and make a final decision about whether the dog is the right one for you. If the meeting all goes well then you can take your new friend home!

This is How I have always done it over forty years of rehoming greyhounds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Da16mMMZM The Re-homing of Stevie

its all correct and proper, and standard practice for any reputable rescue

what is the complaint?

It is the standard procedure as Krusewalker says.
You have to remember that rescues deal with people with all levels of experience of dog ownership.
OK, you have re-homed rescues before but they could equally be putting a dog with a family who have never had a dog before. They have to apply overall rules and procedures.

You are missing the point I'm afraid.

What is the point?

The point is, the only way to get a true reflection of a dog and its sociability with the dog's you intend it to live with, is to bring that dog to your home.
If I was to take my dog's to the foster home they would immediately be on the back foot going into other canines territory and it would be a pointless introduction.

However when I'm introducing a new dog into my house, that is exactly how I want the new dog to be. I want him to feel apprehensive until the realisation hits him all is well. Then the new dog relaxes, shows its real self and lives quite happily with its new muckers. Though saying that it will many months before the dog shows its true personality as its confidence and happiness grows.

This works for me because I know my dog's would never attack any dog, no matter how small entering my house. This may not apply to other owners and their dog's, and you have a problem that can be dealt with at source and the new dog can be quickly taken back to its foster home. Bryan

i must admit, the point wasn't made available by yourself in your OP, hence my question

I can see your point now, however, from a dog behavioural point of view, i don't think you are entirely correct.

Re your paragraph section i have highlighted, this is true, but also applies the same way, in reverse.
If introducing the new dog into your home with your existing dogs, you will encounter the same problem..

....you dont want any of the dog's first meetings and impressions to be on the back foot or designed so that you create an atmosphere of anxiety or apprehension.
You want all new experiences for the new rescue dog AND your dogs to be positive and relaxed ones.
This gives you a head start before taking the dog into the home, as like you say, its hard enough for all dogs to deal with that anxiety as it is.
When you are arranging meetings ad procedures for rescue dogs, you also need to factor in emotional trauma related to insecurity and rejection, plus kennel related stress.

Slightly different for a foster rescue dog, i know, but you have to also consider that it isn't just your dogs that are being assessed, it is also yourself and your family, quite rightly so.
The oldies club dont actually know your dogs are dog friendly.

Also, rescue procedures are not designed along a trial and error/sale or return basis, all pre homing procedures are designed so that the home is permanent, to reduce, as best they can, the option of the dog being bounced.
Bounce back does the dog no favours, and if homings were planned along the lines of a "return option", it would be quite hard for rescues to plan spacings for new dogs.
Unfortunately, rescue space demand far outstrips supply.

However, have you discussed this issue with the oldies club?
They may be happy to arrange a compromise whereby the dogs meet on neutral territory or meet in both homes?.

I'd want to meet the prospective adopters in my house and the dogs to meet on neutral territory.Don't see it as a huge problem the way they do it though. Obviously works for them.

rune

It all seems pretty normal to me too, although I only ever privately rehome. I would still expect to meet the dog and owner on it's own turf. I did once take 2 of the Dobermanns with me but usually not. I'm the best judge of who comes to live with us, the dogs get no say in it at all tbh.