Rescue or Puppy?
So you are thinking of taking on a new collie, but should it be a rescue or a pup you ask. And like the number of phone calls we receive I suspect many of you reading this will be considering
a pup rather than a rescue dog - but why?
There are lots of reasons put forward for preferring a pup to a rescue dog so lets look at some of them.
Reason 1. A pup won't come with any bad habits and the breeder will be able to
tell what the temperament will be like
Reply - As far as we are aware no one can really predict the future and breeders are no exception. Like humans every dog is an individual and no one can really know at such a young age how their personality will develop. Those of you with more than 1 child consider this - the influences of family, friends, school have probably been similar, your children even share the same parents BUT are they exactly alike? Did you know at 3 months old the likes, dislikes and personality your child would have? The answer is usually no. Pups are no different. With an older rescue dog its personality and temperament are there to be seen and there are usually less surprises in store.
Reason 2. A rescue dog won't bond with us.
Reply - A pup collected at 8 weeks has bonded with his mother, his/her littermates and maybe the breeder, so even at that age they will have to learn to adjust and develop a new relationship. There is no reason why an older dog won't bond given time.
Reason 3. Rescue dogs have problems, that's why they are there.
Reply - Many rescue dogs end up in kennels through no fault of their own. It might be that the previous owner didn't fully appreciate what they were taking on and was unable to give the time and training needed. With the right guidance and patience any rescue can settle into a new home. If you feel capable of raising a collie from a pup then there's no reason why you can't teach an older dog new tricks (see that old saying just isn't true!!). There are an increasing number of dogs arriving in our centre with no problems - it's simply circumstances surrounding the owner or their family
Reason 4. But rescue dogs haven't been trained. I don't have the time to train an older dog.
Reply - Pups don't arrive fully trained. Any dog will need some basic obedience. If you don't feel you have the time for an older dog then you won't have time for a pup (especially a collie pup). An older dog may well learn quicker as they will have a longer attention span than a pup.
Reason 5. Some of the dogs you have don't have any history.
It's too much of a risk taking on an unknown dog.
Reply - Every dog we have was a pup once so if having a dog as a pup is the ideal way to take
on a collie why are we inundated with calls for help?
Pups are just as much an unknown, in some ways probably even more so. The majority of dogs with us will have some information which is compiled by the staff during the dogs time with us.
Hopefully that has given food for thought and now you may be ready to consider a rescue collie.
If so read on for more frequently asked questions.
Q - I've read that you don't sell dogs but ask for a donation of between £80 and £150.
If these dogs are so in need of a home why don't you give them away?
A - In a way we do give you the dog, the donation we suggest merely allows us to rescue another dog of a similar age. I'm sure you are aware of the cost of caring for a dog - we always have between 30 and 40 to look after. We need trained and caring staff, we still have to pay electricity, phone and fuel bills and despite the generosity of our Vet our veterinary bill is still, on average £1000 a month. Whilst some dogs are not with us long, some can stay for up to 18 months and the average stay is about a month before finding a home.
We estimate that it costs the Trust £20 a day to care for each dog in our centre when you take all our expenditure into account. The donation you make only partly recovers some of these costs. In addition this donation is a way to bring home the reality of the cost of owning a dog as some people don't fully appreciate the year on year cost. We hope that by demonstrating your commitment in this way we can all be assured of the motives and understanding behind taking on a new dog.
Q - You seem to ask a lot of questions on your rehoming form and when we speak to you.
Is it all really necessary?
A - We spend our days helping dogs who for one reason or another have been failed by people at least once. We want to try to make sure that we - and you - get it right this time. We don't know you personally and the questions are not only to protect the dog but also try to ensure the right dog is homed for your own particular circumstances. Whilst we do try to treat every potential new owner with respect and as an individual our main aim is to protect the dogs in our care.
Q - Why don't you recommend a breeder to me if I'm set on having a pup but you don't have any at the time.
A - We don't take a moral stance on breeding and accept there are good ethical breeders who will ensure the best for their pups. Our aim is to find the best possible homes for the dogs who need our help and so we don't have enough contact with breeders to point you in the right direction. The overriding fact is there are still too many dogs being bred - please help by rehoming a rescue collie.
