I have two right now. One is a rescue - this dog is amazing, Totally chill, loves kids, has her CGCC and can walk downtown of a major city without reaction to anything. Stand a little to close or stare at me, and you will see her switch to ‘on’. No bark, no lunging, just moves between me and any perceived threat with her head down, staring. She has never had protection training. New pup is the goofy one, big bounding personality who doesn’t know his own size with all the energy in the world and a voice to match. I took my time finding this one. This pup has parents titled in both conformation and working Schutzhund.
Neither of these dogs would be appropriate for a newbie.
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Possibly both but mostly humor.
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Now that made me laugh out loud. Having owned Corgis and a Maine Coon Cat, I totally get this.
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Good for you to do that research and make a logical decision to not risk it. Borzoi are gorgeous dogs - I used to show them and my BIL had one for a while. I have wanted a Scottish Deerhound - forever - but our fence is only 5 ft and we are surrounded by woods full of deer. And since Deerhounds love to run deer and can clamber over 5 ft fences with ease, there will be no Deerhounds for me in this life.
I will add though that I had two Salukis when I took in a stray cat. He lived in the bushes outside my townhome and followed us on walks. The dogs got so used to him that when he came to live inside with us, they never once tried to chase him. They just accepted him as one of the menagerie (two dogs, a cat, and a cockatiel). It can work, but the personalities have to be right - and there is always the chance that the dog’s instincts will take over. Luckily my Salukis were older (10-ish) and pretty mellow, so Conrad the Cat was safe - he outlived them by 10-12 years.
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Shame that DCM is so prevalent in such a wonderful dog breed. Isn’t von Willebrand’s also an issue? I had a coworker who owned two Dobies, both of whom developed von Willebrand’s.
I also recall reading something about some cretin who is trying to select for “rare” fawn-colored Dobermans. Apparently the fawn coloration is usually coupled with a gene for alopecia, resulting in a dog that’s mostly or entirely bald by age two or three. 
Yes, Von Willebrand’s is an issue in Dobies. It is caused by a single recessive gene mutation that can be tested for. There is NO reason why a breeder would not test and breed two carriers together.
Fawn and Blue Dobermans are caused by a single recessive gene that dilutes the black to blue or red to fawn. These colors are accepted by the AKC (but not in Europe). I think the incidence of registered fawn or blue are less than 20%. And yes, there is a high incidence of alopecia in these affected dogs early in their lives, Reputable breeders will not produce these colors due to the health concerns. And don’t even get me started on the white or melanistic Dobermans!
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White or melanistic anything usually has problems.
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This is absolutely true, but on the flip side, there’s a no-kill rescue local to me that won’t even accept an application from anyone who doesn’t have a fenced yard. Want a senior chihuahua who only wants to go out to potty for two minutes while on a leash? Too bad. Want a lab mix that is going to run several miles with you on the greenbelt every day and get three other long walks as well? Too bad. Want a hound mix that will get to go to doggie day care every day? Too bad.
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some rescues let perfection get in the way of ‘good’
it has been over 25 years, but I knew a lady, her family went to the pound to adopt a dog to be a constant companion to their daughter 9the younger sister) who had some physical disability.
They were upset they were turned down as they had picked a dog scheduled to be put down the next day. I mean, true, no fenced yard (or was it too close to the highway, I forgot)
A head scratcher, for sure.
there are plenty of good homes out there. I’d figure that people with fenced yards toss the critter out and not care much. it does work both ways.
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There are also some “rescues” who reportedly disqualify people who do have fenced yards, using the excuse that the potential adopters won’t ever walk the dog.
Disclaimer: I’ve only heard vague mutterings about such. I don’t actually know of any and I can easily envision a situation in which a potential adopter was asked about leash walking and responded with “why would I do that? I have a fenced yard”.
The breeder from whom we got our senior doggy once refused to sell a puppy to a family who had bought from her previously. The puppy was intentionally let out the front door by the family’s unsupervised kids and was killed by a car. Breeder didn’t feel comfortable selling to them again, and of course the family posted all kinds of hateful things on social media.
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A neighbour of mine here in England has just been turned down by a big rescue charity. They have one elderly Bichon, lost their other one last year and saw a middle aged Bichon that was in need of a new home. They were turned down for having a section of 4’ fence in the back garden, even though behind that fence is a 6’ hedge. The rescue insisted a tiny, not young, non athletic dog needed at least a 5’ fence.
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Ah, the list of demands from rescues. Our local shelter won’t let anyone who works full tiime have a dog. That’s ok: the shelter an hour away in the country asked me one question: which one do you want? That dog came to the office with me every day for 13 years, til she wanted to retire and stay home. Breeder of my current dog was delighted to sell her to me.
We have a rescue that won’t let you have a dog if you’re going to let it off leash. What the heck kind of a life is that?! I mean, ok, if it’s a sight hound, but a little terrier mutt?
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Local one woman rescue had 21 puppy mill dogs, I applied. She called all my references including equine & small animal Vet, before ever contacting me. She was always very vague about what dogs were available. Never could send photos and refused to let me visit her house. All mixed dogs were $400-$600. Obviously this is some sort of money maker and I asked too many questions.
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I couldn’t get approved by a rescue due to not having a fenced in yard or a current dog vet. Our lab had died a couple years prior.
Went a county over paid 45.00 and they asked which one I wanted.
I just inquired about a sweet puppy for me with a 750.00 adoption fee and was a hound mutt of some sort, but denied for having kids under 13. Oh well. I’m done trying, I’ll just go to a breeder for my next puppy.
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I have worked with rescues too – and the “fenced backyard” thing is so so stupid.
I lived in the city of Chicago w/two GSDs. I walked them several times a day.
I now live in a semi-rural area in a college town. We bought a house, and put up a fence. The fence was installed by someone recommended by the rescue. It was installed horribly.
I now have a fenced backyard that won’t contain anything 
. My new rescue critter goes out on a long line (with me) in the yard a couple of times a day, and has one long hike before suppertime at the local natural area before suppertime. He also gets quite a bit of mental stimulation w/obedience, trick, and agility training.
Those stupid regulations are one of the reasons I quit rescue. That said, sometimes if you talk to the “powers that be,” you will find that the rules are not quite as hard and fast as they seem. If you sound knowledgeable and can make a good case for yourself (dog won’t be running about the neighborhood unsupervised, etc) you very well may be approved. Some of that stuff is just a speedbump designed to dissuade the “Oh how cute… I want one!!!” crowd.
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I can see how some of those rules are kind of guidelines for volunteers who may not feel that they have the flexibility to use common sense.
I foster kittens and the last mom + litter I got was just about a week old, a little malnourished and a raging URI, so initially they were a lot of care and medication and later they were just heathens. One of those kittens turned into a foster fail. As a side note, my state actually requires a twice a year in home inspection in order to foster animals.
I was a little bit surprised when I found out that I had to go through the whole adoption interview process, but went ahead with it with a sense of humor. After getting several minutes of of ridiculous questions about care and management of a kitten blah blah blah, I laughed and said you do understand I’ve been fostering this kitten, his three feisty litter mates and saint of a mom for 7 weeks already? You’ve been on my house and approved me for fostering… It’s possible I might know a thing or two about kittens!
She laughed and sheepishly admitted that they have to run through the interview regardless…
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the ‘I want one now’ crowd goes to Craigs List anyhow. Or trade days.
And potential adopters will too, after they have been given the 3rd degree over nonsense.
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This happened to my daughter in law. She recently bought a house and wanted a puppy for my granddaughter to raise and train. (Granddaughter was 12 at the time.) the rescuer she volunteers with guilt tripped her into a 1 year old male put cross. The first few months were a nightmare and I was hopeful the rescue would take him back, but DIL was afraid of what would happen to him, so she kept him. 
I’m quite sure he killed their cat although DIL denies it, but he has shown no aggression toward DIL, GD or DS. Hopefully things will stay that way.
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Yikes! That’s awful. If it’s a rescue, they should take him back. The embarrassment and guilt they put someone through might be a strong deterrent, though. Rescues should focus on placing dogs in good homes instead of guilting people into taking dogs that are poor matches.
Rescues, unfortunately, should be run with a business mind. Can you realistically find homes for 24 pits or pit crosses? Probably not. Even if you love pits, you might want to focus on rescuing a variety of dogs. If you can move some types of dogs faster, you won’t get bogged down with difficult placements and not have room for the easier to place dogs. Too many extend themselves too much and fill up too fast.
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I think the ‘no-kill’ (at all cost) has done a disservice to the movement. Death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a living being.
I mean, I can see a rescue specializing in one thing. It makes a lot of things easier.
The business model should not include guilt tripping and emotional blackmail though.
never mind the fallout: people getting turned away from rescues (there is one in my area, if I was as rich as Bezos, they would not get a red cent from me!) and frequent the backyard breeders.
Or stop having dogs at all, because it is just too stressful to deal with dogs that are either not right, or broken.
And yeah, you must go into dept to give the animal $$$$ treatments for ailments that are probably fatal anyhow…because…rescue and all.
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