I've had just one dog from 'rescue'. Battersea Dogs Home. Almost 35 years ago now. Lovely old 'big shaggy dog'. Was told it would be fine with my boys (then 3 and 1).

First thing that occurred to me was that this dog had probably been used to 'running the streets' as it was nigh on impossible to keep it in. Had to raise gates and fences as it was an accomplished high jumper and scrambler. I lived in an end semi fenced all round.

Next thing it was GREAT with all the neighbourhood kids and also with my 3 yr old. But where my 18 month old toddler was concerned it was a TOTALLY DIFFERENT DOG. When my youngest son came toddling into the big kitchen the dog - even if snoozing on the couch - started snarling and growling at him. It was frightening. I had a real job to manhandle it out of the house and kept it in the back garden until I could take it back to Battersea the next day.

They told me it happens. It was probably brought to them by people who'd had a new baby and it didn't like the baby or they'd treated it different since they had the baby - but didn't want to say so as they'd feel guilty thinking it would be put down if they did.

As regards dogs in rescue coming from 'bad backgrounds' that's certainly true here in Cyprus because the only ones who 'end up in rescue' are those who have been injured, maimed or left to die. The rest of them stay on the streets.

In the UK however, a lot of dogs end up in rescue for the reason that their owners have separated or divorced. I see these dogs as belonging to people who wanted the perfect marriage, home and a perfect little dog to complete the picture. When it falls apart neither of them are willing to take on the responsibility of the dog on their own. But - I would still say that dog came from a 'bad background' because it certainly did not come from a background where it was 'owned' by 'REAL' dog lovers. It was an accessory.

Just like the dogs here in Cyprus who are left behind by Brits who give up and return to the UK are. They want a dog to complete the 'picture' of a perfect little 'home abroad' and they love to CROW how they 'rescued it'. But even if they had it for years - they can't go to the trouble of taking it to the UK with them. And if you challenge them about this (and I often do) they will use the fact that they 'rescued' it as some sort of defence to justify them not having to give it a lifetime support?

Any dog that comes from a former home where they were not people 'suitable to own a dog' comes from a 'bad background' IMHO.

I have had several rescues all came with baggage, but only two would have bitten humans, we had to take first one back to the rescue we would have PTS if they had allowed us but they wanted him back for some reason I always hoped they didn't send him to another home ! but difference with the second was we had no young children and he loved us, never so much as growled at us it was everyone else that he had a problem with. TBH I would never chance any rescue with young children when we needed a dog to help Mollie through her grief earlier this year we got a puppy from a breeder because we have tiny children coming in and out all the time and just can't take a chance with them.

In lieu e of any details I would ask the following :

What is wrong with homing some rescue dogs with some children

whats wrong with returning dog to rescue (this is often contractual )

What is wrong with a rescue investigating possibility of rehoming a dog that only "Would have bitten"?

Well oddly I have loved all my dogs to distraction but my human babies have to come first when it comes to safety, which is why I won't bring in rescues when they are small.
I never said it was wrong to take a dog back to a rescue but that I was afraid it would be sent to another home when it was clearly very dangerous.

I help a rescue we don't rehome biters they either stay as long termers or are PTS, there are so many dogs that don't bite looking for homes why give someone a dog that will bite them ?

I .did.and do understand your views and feelings but this reply is the same before and still leaves me with the same questions as to how and why all rescue dogs are unsafe for small children and why arescue shouldnt examine the possibility of rehoming adog that u have only said might bite . no offence intended , not personal , genuine questions only meaning what's literally written prompted by what you have written

If you cannot understand I am guessing you never will and perhaps you have to have my experiences to realise why I say what I do. I would add many rescues around the country will not rehome to families with small children so I am not alone.

Also a dog that bites can be rehomed but only to people who have no children and all the help they need to turn the dog around but with so many dogs that don't bite needing homes I think we should concentrate on them first.

And some dogs are just too dangerous to be in any home.

I know and agree with all that but wasn't my question.question. you said no rescues could be honed with small kids. ny rescue sometimes we have friendly dogs incl puppies ffine with kids its no more a risk than breeder puppy. hence my question.

and I don't understand your experiences as you haven't given any specific detajls hence my other questions . you said a dog that would bite not one that did bite therefore in such a scenario how is it not conceivable to ever consider honing again? Again not personal only questions re what you actually wrote

I wouldn't put a puppy with small children either not even one from a breeder who assured me it was safe. Safety of the puppy and the child is important.

A dog(GSD)I bred was put into rescue as the owner's sister-in-law had convinced him & his wife that the GSD would "turn"at 7 & kill their 2 children because she(the SIL)knew that as she told the owner"ALL Alsatians(sic)go nasty at 7 it is a breed thing !"

The owner took him to a GSD rescue & told them that the dog was vicious & had been threatening the children & that the breeder(ie me)had told him to F*** Off & have the dog PTS

Fortunately for me & the dog, the rescue knew the dog(& had in fact used him at stud on her own bitch)& knew me & that he had NOT contacted me.

I obviously took him back asap & kept him until he died aged 15 1/2. This dog had never ever growled at anyone or anything, he had defended his owner when he was attacked(by knocking the attacker down & chasing him-never touched him BTW) He loved children & the owners children had been told the dog had died, imagine their surprise to see "their"dog with me 6 months later in the local paper winning Res BIS at a local Open Dog Show !

Should this "vicious"dog have been rehomed ? Most rescues would not have taken him in with the"facts"the owner was giving people & he would have been PTS. Some folk on here would have had him PTS just on the word of his owner(which was a total pack of lies)

He was totally bombproof & acted as my stooge dog for many years when I was retraining other dogs with dog to dog aggression problems.

My Tommee loves children he is a rescue-presumably he should be muzzled around them just in case-WRONG it's me that actively dislikes children & usually keep my dogs wll away from them, however as Mr T is still a puppy(ableit a very BIG puppy)I put up with having them near him, he is always on lead of course, just in case he should rurn & try to bite the children.

To condemn all rescue dogs as being potential child killers because of this ex POUND(not rescue)dog's alleged behaviour(there will only ever be one version of the incident & that is the mother's, who of course is totally to blame as she should never have broken HER tenancy agreement by getting a dog)is totally rediculous-the first 2 dogs my parents had after my brother was born(in March 1947 !)were rescues & we survived-before the days of behaviourists & dog training classes

Even if the pound had done a homecheck or indepth checks-she still broke HER tenancy agreement by getting a dog. QED-keep to the tenancy agreement-dog would never have been bought & child would still be alive-SIMPLES as the Meerkats say

Happy outcome for that dog. However your tale goes to prove the point I was making - people often just do not TELL THE TRUTH when they leave a dog with a rescue. And that can work both ways. Your example was of them making a good excuse to 'ditch the dog'. What I was told is that most feel really guilty about giving them up and will gloss over their faults in the hope it will assist them be rehomed and not put down. Even if it something as important as 'not being good with babies' because they might convince themselves it only applied to THEIR baby on account of jealousy with the dog being there first and that it won't be a problem with a stranger's baby.

Not many rescues have the time and resources to study every dog brought to them in depth - they do rely to some extent on what they are told of the dog's history. And, anyway, it is the case that it is not possible to get a proper picture of an animal confined in a rescue situation as to what it would be like in a 'home' environment.

I was told by the Cat League that the cat I rescued should be kept as an indoor cat because it was EXTREMELY nervous. That cat went on to terrorise the neighbourhood for almost 20 years! It had been taken to the rescue after being run over. I reckon any animal knocked down and waking up in rescue after being operated on might display signs of extreme anxiety and nervousness.