Ex Explosives Sniffer Dogs/Working Dogs

Hello,

My dad was raving on the other day about how fab his nextdoor neighbours sons new dog is. Its an ex Customs and Excise sniffer dog that wasn't much cop apparently.

Anyway my parents would like a dog and after trying to convince them to get an ex racing grey, dad has decided he would like a dog with a bit more go in it

He was particularly impressed with the level of training the dog had.

This particular dog was a border collie and the neighbours son is experienced with dogs, i personally feel this type of dog would be too much for them even though they are in their 60's they are very active and young at heart with no health problems,

Any advice would be gratefully received, thanks.

I would agree that a collie might be too much for your parents, maybe a slightly less high octane dog that still has more get up and go than a greyhound, does your dad want a bigger dog or would he look at something a bit smaller? Have they had dogs before? They're unlikely to be able to get a dog with the training that the collie has so would they be able to put the work into one that needs some help? Sorry, just realised I've answered your post with a bunch of questions.

It depends on how experienced your dad is with dogs. Sniffer/search & detection dogs, even those who have failed to make the grade, will have had a lot of training. Plus they will have been picked for training in the first place because they have certain traits that will make them good at the job they will be expected to do. I expect these dogs have a strong drive to "work", are busy little dogs, perhaps bordering on obsession with certain things. This doesn't always mean that they will make good house pets though. If your parents are prepared to put in the hours of training & providing lots of mental stimulation, perhaps going to specialised classes to give these dogs enough to do, then maybe a "failed" detection dog would be ok for them?

But I suspect that your dad has seen how good your neighbour's son is with his dog & wants to have one just like it! Maybe ask the neighbour's son to have a word with youy dad & tell him how much work & training he puts in with his dog ~ it may be too much for our parents & may help manage their expectations?

The other point is how often will these sort of dogs be available for rehoming? I bet there's a waiting list & I bet the homes & potential owners are thoroughly vetted.

bored ex working dogs are a real handful and need a busy experienced household who will continue with training for a good chunk of the dogs lifetime, please convince them to give it a lot of thought.

my friend has had four ex racing greys, has he ever seen a grey have a run?? you cant have much more get up and go!!!
all her rescues were under 3 years and were fabulous dogs, relaxed in the home and so curious and outgoing on walks!!
would it be worth trying to visit a grey rescue so he can see fist hand what he will be getting?
we have a collie and she rarely sits still, there are definite ants in her pants!!! he he he he
im slightly biased when it comes to a good rescue grey, they really are beautiful dogs!!!!!!

If your parents are really active and healthy, why do you feel that this type of dog would be too much for them?

Hali - no offence i love border collies but i know they needs loads of stimulation and exercise so i just think itmay be a bit too much for them - they have never had a dog before i should have mentioned this in the beginning.

Mac - i have an ex racing grey and a lurcher and they both have their nutty moments - i know what you are saying - personally i think one would be ideal for them. I think my dad is a bit put off by their size, he wants something smaller. Please be assured it would not be a spur of the moment decision, they have the same thinking as me on people who go out on a whim and get a dog !

yep watching my friends spanish grey twisting in circles whilst playing with his mates is one of the best sights i have ever seen!!! as you can tell they are a breed im thinking of for myself in the future!!
my family live with a collie and lab x and i live with a dogue de bordeaux and a papillon, and a smaller dog that is never still takes up a hell of a lot more room than a larger dog that is very restful! the dogue is a much easier dog than the pap to be honest(we were determined not to be one of those people with a badly behaved small dog!!!he he he!!) although she is huge but you dont really notice her because she will just go to her bed, and an absolute dream on the lead, had to do ALOT more training and practise to stop the pap pulling, both are brilliant and love them both to bits, i would not be without either of them!!

ooh forgot to add well done for going about it the right way and im sure your parents will end up with the right dog for them!! would the next door neighbour consider bringing the collie over and have a cuppa and a chat or something so your dad can get an idea about how restless the breed can be?
and what hard work they are?
personally i love collies and we have one in the family who is beautiful(another breed i desperately want in the future) but they do need alot of stimulation and work.they aren't the ideal fist time dog!

and non taken...bcs definitely aren't for everyone

Actually I was surprised when you said that it was a bc as I didn't think they were used widely at all for this kind of work - spaniels are generally far better suited.

Yes, if your parents want a dog to only 'switch on' when your parents want him to and then 'switch off' the rest of the time, neither a bc nor probably a spaniel are right for them. Though in truth, if you are prepared to devote 2 hours a day to walking/training/playing with their dog, an adult bc would not be out of the question.

What about a failed guide dog? (though I think there are probably long lists for them).