Hmm it is a tuff one...
I have chosen to buy a pup from a reputable breeder when I get a dog... because I have my heart set on a bullbreed I want one from pup so i can really get it socialised well with other dogs - its important its good with other dogs because I want to carry on with fostering dogs... althought I would consider a rescue bullbreed - but only if her history is known and doggy friendlyness is tested, so I can take on fosters.

pmsl Well I was there about..... OMG its a long time ago

I started there in.... 1992 I think

Nevermind. I´m sure if you want a rescue you can get one.

The first real dog I had was a English Springer Spaniel who was bought to entice my brother and sister to move house with me and my Ma and Pa! Not the best of intentions but needless to say she lived 15 happy years with us and is still greatly missed. The point I'm making is peole generally have a good reason of their own as to which they choose. The choice is theres and so it should be. When Bonnie was 12 I managed to co-herce my parents into letting me have a dog of my own (only took 8 years!). I went to a rescue shelter as I didn't have the money to pay for a pedigree puppy and felt I didn't have the time to spend with an 8 week old pup. It also wouldn't of been fair on Bonnie considering her age and increasingly grouchy temparment. So Pickles came to be my little boy in 1996 aged 4! Sadly Bonnie died in 1999 and we were all devastated. It took a full year for us to come to terms with a dog that had heavly influenced our whole lives through better or worse (especially me being 5 when we got her and 20 when she was PTS!) In 2000 we decided that it was time to have another "family" dog so off to the shelter we went again the reason being that we wanted a certain breed but did not have the time for a young pup. So along came Woody a Yellow Lab given up by his present owners at the age of 4 for reasons that turned out to be a pack of lies! He again has benn a fantastic dog, he's fitted in since day one never any trouble and always the subject of amusement! At the moment I still have both dogs Pickles aged 12 and Woody now aged nearly 10! In the near future I'd like to go back to the ESS as I've been severely influenced by the breed, perhaps it will be a rescue but I'm hoping for a pup from a dual purpose kennel as I'd like to try and work a Springer that still retains it's real looks. Following that I'd like to get a Northern Inuit as I've long admired the breed and have always had an obsession with the wolf, again a pup would be preferable as I'd like to see the dog grow up and develop.
So as I said it all depends on the individual, many rescues have very srict criteria which prevents people from getting a dog others go to rescues cos they have a fairly uncomplicated life and could spend the time with a dog that's had a poor start in life. Every one has a different reason.
I will always consider a rescue as my two have given me such a challenge and such joy in discovering their personalities. Not all rescues are a nightmare, give them a chance they might just surprise you!

If we had no children or grown up kidlets then I'd go for a rescue dog. But, with two samll boys I was concerned about the background of the dog, wanted to meet the mum with other children etc as we had a very bad experience with one 'puppy farm' dog. So for me, it had to be a puppy but maybe in the future when they boys are bigger, we'll go for a rescue.
TTFN

That would be a definite "no" from the rspca anyway, as I wanted to rescue a dog a few years ago and because my bitch had not been speyed they wouldn't let me have either a bitch or a dog! Then, after my bitch had been speyed, I found it difficult to adopt another bitch as they all wanted to home a dog to me when I didn't want a dog I wanted a bitch, so I gave up.

Anyway, it so happened that Georgie landed on my doorstep through circumstances with his owner,and although I have always had puppies previously, after having him, I will always opt for a rescue now as they all need a loving home don't they and there are far too many of them,so I will never consider buying a puppy again as much as I love them.

I think that's half the problem with some rescue centres, they're just a bit too picky! A friend of mine went to the local Dogs Trust centre looking for a dog, after having picked out a dog and gone through the home check they said sorry you can't have a dog as your not married and your relationship with your partner hasn't been long enough to deem it stable! And then they said and your out at work all day when my friend had already said she would get someone in to walk the dog whilst she's out! Needless to say she went to Border Collie rescue and got a dog from them instead and the dog lived a very happy life!
When I helped out there for a few weeks even the staff agreed that sometimes the rules were too strict and they could understand why some people were put off. I must admit after having two dogs from them I doubt I'll go back again, the staff were very patronising and they make you go through a dog behaviour seminar every time you go even if you've had dogs from them before. Great for people who've never had a dog, but unecessary for those who have I think. I know they have to be cautious but sometimes I think they're a bit up themselves and don't help their own cause!

When I went to the local Dog's Trust centre, I was amazed that all the dogs had notices on the front of their sleeping quarters which ALL said "doesn't get on with other dogs". Well, how come all the doors were open at the back end of all their sleeping quarters and they were allowed to run around together along the back passageway? If they all didn't get on with other dogs, why weren't they fighting, they looked happy enough to me playing with each other!

I was going to rehome through the Vigil g.s.d. Rescue too, but the lady in charge said she would never let me have a bitch, only a dog as they would never place dogs of the same sex together as it would never work out, even though I told her I had always had 2 bitches together who always got on, and even the young chap who came round to vet my home tried desperately for me to no avail. We also have a local g.s.d. rescue centre where I tried again, but the woman was so obnoxious to me that I told her I would be trying elsewhere. It seems to me, they are making things so difficult for adopting these poor animals - I know they have to be very careful so that they don't end up in the wrong hands, but considering I had ample experience with these particular dogs, and was offering a very caring home, it really did put me off at the time, and that's why I went out and bought a puppy - again! Another thing is the fees seem to be going up and up all the time, when imo this may be going against getting the animals a good home, as some of the caring people wanting to adopt could not afford a lot of their charges.

I do agree that some rescues make it difficult. However have to say that dont mind at all paying the fee as it firstly helps pay for further rescues etc and also if someone isnt willing or cat afford to pay the fee then in my opinion cant afford to keep the dog..?
I found the rescue a great option, and would go for another rescue again on that basis. Even the dogs trust up here seem quite good - so suppose it depends on area too.
dani

Yes, but I hear some of the fees are now well over £100, and some people who badly want a dog and can afford the £10 a week or so to feed it, just haven't got that kind of money saved. In the past it used to be a donation which people would gladly give and obviously well off people would give a lot more than the poorer ones wouldn't they? I just wondered why they have changed it to a sort of fixed fee now, which may eventually creep up to the price of some puppies, thereby putting some people off, who may think they may as well pay the extra and go and buy a puppy? I know this to be true as there was a discussion on this on another board, and some of the fees that people were saying were being charged was ridiculous, in fact I found it hard to believe in some instances. I am definitely not against paying the fees to any animal centre and in fact I have a monthly direct debit going out to the Dog's Trust anyway, even though I have never rescued a dog from them, I'm just worrying that it might be putting some people off going to the centres.

I have to agree £100 is a lot of money to expect. When I got Pickles I think I paid £25 (1996!) and for Woody it was about £60 (2000) so I guess it may well be nearer £100 where I am too. It does cost a lot of money for main stream rescue centres to rehome a dog cos I suppose they do it properly (home checks, neutering, microchipping etc) but a lot of these things will be at cost price and I always worry the moneys going to the wrong places. I'd rather be given the option of donating things that will actually benefit the animals as well as a cash donation.
The thing that really bugged me was they would go on about how you couldn't have a dog from them if you worked or if the dog is to be left for more than 4 hours when the majority of the dogs were left in kennels alone ,not unusually, for 20 hours a day and were lucky if they got 20 minutes walk a day. Now I know that many dogs can't tolerate being left for more than four hours, but there are dogs out there that are either used to it or like their own company, like Woody who has to be bribed to spend time with everyone in the front room! Instead of looking at every case individually and allowing more dogs to be rehomed they turn perfectly good people away who could give a dog a loving home. And amazingly many of the kennel staff agreed the rules were too strict, but rules are rules.