Are You Right For A Rescued Dog?
All the volunteers associated with Trinity Of Hope Dog Rescue are dog lovers. Many have adopted rescued dogs. All of the volunteers have shared the joy, and the sorrow, when a dog cannot be rehomed because of temperament issues or health issues. We have all shared the sadness of when an older dog is not claimed at the shelter and starts his/her new life at age eight or nine and has to be given a new name because his/her owners did not go into the shelter to fill out an information sheet on the dog.We have heard all of the stories, and all of the excuses, why a family cannot keep a dog. We have heard all of the stories and all of the excuses why a breeder cannot take back a dog. Despite these stories and excuses, we still believe that abandoned Giants can, in most cases, be rehabilitated.We do, however, realize that a rescued Giant is not for everyone and that is why we are very selective about where we place our dogs. We know how much time, effort, work, and yes, money, can go into a rescued Giant. We all have at least one with whom we share our lives.
Because rescue is a BIG DEAL to those involved, we would like for people to understand what a rescued dog is and what a rescued dog is not before considering adopting one. Rescued Giants are not for everyone.
What Does A Rescued Dog Need?
A safe and loving home.
A safe an loving home is one that will give the rescued dog the attention needed. Dogs end up in rescue for different reasons, most arrive with baggage. Some do come from wonderful homes that had to give them up because of life-changing events such as bankruptcy or death. Others come from homes where they were not considered part of the family and were not trained.This is why the rescued dogs all stay in foster care until they are ready for placement. Adoptive families must be open to loving the dog, but more importantly, dedicated to continuing working with the dog to help it adjust to its new life. If you think that a rescued dog comes to you already trained and perfect, you have the wrong idea of what rescue is about. The perfect dogs are rare and far between. The perfect dogs stay with their families. Rescue gets the dogs that have not received training, adequatesocialization or handling. That is why temperament is so important. A dog with sound temperament stands a very good chance of being rehabilitated. A dog with unsound temperament does not.
We start the rehabilitation process, but the adoptive family must continue to work with the dog.
A commitment to the rescued dog's needs.
A commitment to the rescued dog's needs means a willingness to provide for obedience training (even in unpleasant weather), socialization, understanding, patience, and plenty of "quality" time. This might mean changing your work schedule, hiring a dog walker to come in at lunchtime, going to obedience class instead of going to the gym, whatever it takes to spend time with your rescued dog.Dogs are not space intensive, they are time intensive. Ask yourself if you have sufficient time to attend training classes, walk a dog, groom it, and feed it. When a rescued dog first goes into a new home, it is much like having a puppy or new baby. New routines and schedules must be learned.
We strive to place rescued dogs in homes where someone works from home, works part-time or is work a flexible enough schedule so that the rescued dog is not left home alone for 10 hours a day. Dogs are social creatures and without the attention of their humans, can become destructive when bored.
A commitment to training.
Motivational and compassionate obedience training helps to build a quality relationship with a rescued dog. A training program is part of responsible pet ownership. Through training, you will build a quality relationship with your rescued dog. Many types of training exist. We encourage positive reinforcement training, commonly known as clicker training.Clicker training rewards dogs for the behaviour you want, rather than correcting dogs for behaviour you don't want. It is combined with food for rewarding the dog and to motivate the dog to perform for you. While in foster care, all of our dogs are given target training using positive reinforcement methods. If you don't believe in reward-based training, continuing the work we have started will be very difficult for you.
A willingness to crate a rescued dog.
All of the rescued dogs are crate trained while in foster care. We encourage adopters to continue to crate a rescued dog when the dog is left home alone, when it is transported, or when it needs a quiet, safe place to retreat. Although dogs are social animals, they are also known for being den animals and like to have a quiet spot to call their own. If you need to leave your rescued dog at a vet clinic, a crate trained dog is less stressed when confined if he or she is accustomed to it.Crating a dog also helps establish your position as the dog's leader. It is important that rescued dogs have a leader as they have not learned how to be the leader and are often over-reactive if forced to assume the leadership role.
A crate is not cruel, it is not a jail. It is not a doghouse in the yard away from the scents and sounds of the family. It is a rescued dog's room, a place to go when it wants to be alone.
A willingness to work leadership exercises with a rescued dog.
Leadership exercises that we start while the dog is in foster care include teaching the dogto wait at doorways, wait to be fed, to look at us, to give things (toys, food, etc.) to us on command, to not touch things on command (off or leave it), to not do the funky chicken when we put the leash and collar on. The dogs are rewarded for remaining calm and for letting us be their guides.A securely fenced yard or exercise area.
A securely fencedyard or exercise area keeps your rescued dog safer from harm than a yard without a fencing. Normally, a six-foot fence is required. We do not consider invisible fencing to be a secure. Dogs will leave property that is fenced with invisible fencing and other animals can enter your property.Many rescued dogs cannot be let off leash except in a securely-fenced exercise area. We will not sentence a rescued dog to living the rest of its life on the end of a leash. Dogs need the ability to race around in a wild circle every now and again, to chase and retrieve a ball, to lie on the deck on an autumn evening.
If you do not have adequate fencing and are not able to install fencing, please rethink your desire to share your life with a rescued dog or any dog. It is your responsibility to provide a safe environment for any dog that shares your life. A fenced yard helps you to honour that responsibility.
Regular exercise does not include letting the dog out the backdoor into its fenced area. An exercise routine is something you do with your dog, whether it is walking, jogging or taking the dog to a local dog park to play with other dogs.
Most breeds need a minimum of 45 minutes of aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week to maintain sound physical and mental health. Dogs that do not get exercised regularly can display behavioural problems or experience health problems.
If you are a couch potato, chances are, your life style is not active enough to satisfy the exercise requirements of a normal dog. And, dogs are usually indifferent to the weather. If it is raining or cold outside, the dog still wants to go out for a walk.
What Is A Rescued Dog Not?
A rescued dog is not for the entertainment of your children or your existing dog.
Rescued dogs range in age from puppies to seniors. They rarely have
manners. We try to ensure that they have sound temperaments. While most
our rescued dogs are trustworthy around young children, most of the dogs
we place into new homes are LARGE dogs and need ongoing training. Households
with young children often do not have enough time to devote to the needs
of a rescued dog. We recommend that people wait until their youngest child
is ten years old before considering adding a rescued dog.
A rescued dog is not an inexpensive gift for yourself or someone else.
A rescued dog is not free. There are many expenses to consider, including adoption fees and annual veterinary care, as well as the ongoing care of the dog (training, feeding, heartworm prevention, and flea and tick control, purchase of an adequately-sized crate, etc.). NOTE: Most Giants require a 54" crate. These crates retail for approximately $350 before taxes and are very difficult to find used.A rescued dog is not a dog that you can expect to act like it has lived with you all its life.
Rescued dogs frequently have behaviors that include separation anxiety, abandonment issues if they were "disposed of" by their former owners because of destructive behaviours, lack of socialization, or lack of obedience training. Sixty percent of owner surrenders to shelters in the United States are becauseof behaviour problems, problems that can be managed with the proper training. Rescued dogs usually require large amounts of attention and patience to help them adjust to their new home and family.A rescued dog is not a disposable commodity.
We are committed to being available to the dogs we place for the rest of their natural lives. We take care to match each rescued dog to the best possible home we can find for it. We expect those who adopt our rescued dogs to make a commitment to the dog for the rest of its natural life.If, after reading the above, you feel that you are the right people to adopt a rescued dog and meet our placement criteria (a securely-fenced exercise area, commitment to ongoing training and socialization, children over the age of 10 years and breed experience), then please contact us for an adoption application.
