Rescue a dog and gain a friend for life.

In our time as dog owners we have only had two dogs and both were rescued. Our first dog was Walker. He was a collie cross Labrador. he became very loyal and had a easy going temperament and was very protective of our two young sons. He was with us thirteen years and sadly we had to have him put down last year due to ill health.

We have had Marley for nine months, he is a three year old yellow Labrador and is full of life and is now very sociable with all dogs. He makes friends very easily and is a crowd puller when out in town.

Statistics show that only five in every one hundred dogs born actually find happiness from birth or when rehomed, the other ninety five sadly are destroyed. Yet there are several good reasons why if you are considering buying a dog you should look at rescuing a stray.There are many dog homes up and down the country with a vast array of breeds who will for a fee (usually about £100) will supply a rescued dog to your needs.This fee usually includes I.D. chipping, neutering and vet expenses.

Although they are quite knowledgeable, they may not be able to tell you about any dogs past but, experience shows the likely background of the dogs they have. Some rescue centres even insist that a home visit by one of their staff is required and at least two visits are required by any prospective owner (usually to walk the dog) before a decision is made. Such is the importance of ensuring the dog and owner are well matched - let's face it the dog could have had cruel and terrible experiences in his previous home.

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There are many reasons for owning a dog- security, companionship and also for health reasons (It is claimed that stroking and petting a dog is very therapeutic for young and old alike who are suffering from any type of illness.)

Some dogs have had very bad experiences before arriving at the rescue centre and sometimes have special needs and require owners who are up for a challenge and who get a great deal satisfaction out of helping a dog back to normal life as some may have experienced extreme cruelty, involved in dog fighting or who have never been allowed to interact with other dogs or humans.

We have been very lucky with our dogs as we have been able to identify any problems they had very easily and with the information the rescue centre gave us it was easy to settle them down in their new home. Walker was estimated at nine months old, was found walking the streets early in the morning and was quite approachable. Marley was handed in to the rescue centre by a couple who had just had a baby and could not cope with a three year old, full of life jack the lad.

some of the signs we experienced with them included;

1. Not wanting their head touched or stroked. - This could have been because he had been hit about the head or had his ears pulled.

2. Hiding when they think they have done something wrong. - Probably because they were hit when they did something wrong.

3. Random barking - this could be because they never got any attention.

4. excessive turning around in circles before lying down - could be because they spent long spells in a cage.

The list is not exhaustive and I would like to hear of more but. these were typical of our two rescue dogs.

All dogs bring you love they always offer more loyalty than breeder bought dogs because if treated properly rescue dogs will be more contented.Some made need retraining but, rescue dogs have at some stage been trained in all aspects life and might need reminding. They will broaden your circle of friends ( we walk Marley on the beach and on average speak to four different dog owners every time - a lot of them also own rescue dogs of various breeds.)

Dogs are a long term commitment and when considering whether you are going to spend up to £1000 pounds for a breeder supplied dog or just £100 for a rescue dog they will still need to be fed, watered and exorcised. Vets bills will need to be payed so, despite the costs you are sure to be happy with your new found friend.