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What Is A Rescue Dog?
By Teresa Randall
A rescue dog is a one that needs a third party, not it's owner or breeder, to step in and help it. If an owner has a dog that needs to be "re-homed," a responsible breeder will take it back and help find a new, suitable home for it. These dogs are considered breeder re-homed dogs.
If you're purchasing a dog from a breeder, ask if he will take the dog back and re-home, if that should become necessary. When the breeder refuses to help or can't be located, a neutral third party (usually a rescue group) will oftentimes intervene. Dogs assisted by these groups are considered rescue dogs.
Dogs come into rescue from all types of backgrounds. Some, through no fault of their own, find themselves without a home: an owner dies, families move and feel they can't keep the dog or that it won't be suitable in the new home. Perhaps it was a cute puppy bought on impulse, with no thought given about what would be required when it grew up. Often, temperament problems, that could have been easily corrected when the dog was young, were allowed to continue until the dog became a serious problem. Barking, biting and lack of housetraining are common problems. Sometimes, it's just not the right breed for that person, lifestyle or family.
Unfortunately, many people don't take pet ownership seriously. Pets have become very disposable in today's society. The owners simply dump the dog in a shelter if it's not behaving appropriately. Many times, dogs are never shown what's appropriate. Other times, they get mixed messages from the same household. Yet other dogs don't receive consistent training.
Training a dog is much like raising a young child. Remember all the work you put into rearing your child or grandchild? Many of the same principles apply to bringing a new dog into the household. When dogs end up in shelters, parents need to be aware of the message they're teaching children. Pets can teach important life lessons, such as: how to research, wait and select the right dog the first time, making a commitment and learning to compromise. If not, the child learns contrary lessons, and another pet goes into the shelter, eventually to become a rescue dog, if it's luck improves. If not, you know the next step.
A common misconception is that rescue or shelter dogs are "damaged goods." It's true, some have problems, with behaviors that need work. But many don't. Most often, it was simply the wrong dog for the original family who didn't choose well. A great dog for one person might not be for another.
New adopters often tell rescue workers and volunteers that they can't imagine how anyone could give up such a wonderful dog. A good rescue group makes sure dogs go into the right kinds of homes, based on the dogs' and adoptive families' needs.
Teresa has trained dogs for 12 years, earning obedience, agility, canine good citizen (CGC) and earthdog titles. She's a member of OKPAWS Agility Club, American Fox Terrier Club, Fox Terrier Network, Petting Paws Therapy Dog Group and Therapy Dogs International. And she has been a volunteer obedience instructor at the OKC animal shelter for five years. She's the Oklahoma contact person for The Fox Terrier Network (rescue).
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