Oh, don’t worry: plenty of people in the human adoption industry use the term “rescue” too.
1 Like
This is a good place to put a counter argument, because while I do NOT believe it is the appropriate response in this particular situation – clearly this dog is responding well – people might remember this conversation thread some day when they adopt a rescued animal.
Many years ago, we adopted a rescued dog because we trusted the person who told us we would be the perfect family for him. She neglected to tell us he’d been in three other “homes” before, badly mistreated at the first two, and even used as a fluffer for dog fights at the third location. Australian Shepherds are wired to protect, so this really screwed with his head. I worked with private trainers and maintained an email correspondence with several out-of-state trainers who specialized in fear-aggression issues, etc. There were times I paid a babysitter to watch my children so I could concentrate on working with the trainer. The kids couldn’t bring friends over, because he thought anyone who came into the house was trying to attack us. Etc., etc. Finally, after a couple of years of this, the most-senior specialized trainer responded to someone else having the same issues by saying: “If your rescue dog is causing significant financial or emotional cost to your family, you are not a failure if you find an alternate, more appropriate, home for the dog. It would be better for the dog and better for your family.” A huge weight fell off my shoulders when I read that.
We read about these wonderful humans who go above and beyond to help their animal companions, and we think that we cannot possibly give up ourselves no matter how bad the situation is. Some homes are not going to be right for some rescue animals. That’s just how it is. Don’t be a martyr because you want to think of yourself as willing to do whatever it takes.
And make sure you get the real story on what the rescued animal has been through before coming to you, and what their behavior is like as a result.
4 Likes
Unfortunately, in their haste to get a dog adopted some rescue groups are shall we say, less than honest in their description of the dog, or maybe they just didn’t have the time to really observe its behavior or test it. Your story points out how important it is to know the reputation and history of the organization as well as the dog’s.
2 Likes
This was someone we knew personally (one of my kids’ teachers, in fact) who knew the original family (in-laws) where the dog had gone back to. A few years later, I found out that she was an abused spouse. Her statement “with enough love, this dog will transform” took on a whole new meaning after I found that out. Yeah, lesson learned.
2 Likes
There have already been some posts about the homeopathy here, but one more point needs to be made, I think:
My vet suggested Bach’s Rescue Remedy. This product is a homeopathic
If you’re really that serious about taking care of this dog, it is time to find a new vet.
4 Likes
sad button
:click:
2 Likes
On many levels.
2 Likes
I refer to my cat as my “foster failure” that way there’s plenty of negativity in there! Technically it is true though, I failed to place him because I didn’t want to part with him. Looking over at him, crashed out on the sofa with his tongue sticking out… I don’t regret my poor performance. After all, I did find him a home.
1 Like
I just love this story about Nemo. Good on you for trying anything - I don’t blame you! Whatever works out for your family and the dog is best. The result is the best reward.
We have a rescue dog too. I agree, they can require patience! Then again, ours was an adult and we never went through the puppy phase of chewing everything in sight. He did need a good few months of toilet re-training when he came to us, and he bit me quite often (although mostly because I hadn’t learnt his limits with food, playtime and dominance). He bought accessories, too - a belly band for use inside, especially when visiting - and a muzzle for grooming.
I imagine any dog from any place teaches you something about patience, discipline and unconditional love.
I thoroughly agree with the comments about some dogs not suiting your home. We tried unsuccessfully to add another dog for company, but it didn’t work out. We were stupid to go back to the same place in hope of finding another. But she was nothing like him. He didn’t like her much, but we figured he was just a little jealous, and persisted. She growled and grizzled a lot, but we persisted. Barked, kept us up nights, wizzed in the house many times, chewed up tissues in the garbage. Kept her beyond the trial period…
When she bit through both of my thumbnails, I finally gave in. The first only just went through and left a bruise. I was astonished when this tiny dog bit through the base of my thumbnail the week after and leave it hanging over the skin. This happened because I towelled her off after a bath. We had to give up - I couldn’t do this over again.
We went walking the week after. He held his head high and wagged his whole bum like he just got through a bad divorce. We didn’t blame ourselves, and never looked back.
Currently looking for a toothless dog.
1 Like
Yep. My bossy little 8-pound tortoiseshell cat took to randomly peeing on things about three years ago out of the blue. Prozac got her to knock it off. About 18 months ago the vet suggested we see if we could taper it off, so we went from a tablet per day to half a tab per day, then half a tab on alternate days. As soon as we went to zero, the peeing started again, so we’ve maintained her on the lowest dose ever since. She hates the pilling ritual but I have to think it’s better than being anxious all the time inside her furry little noggin.
3 Likes
If he purchased the Rescue Remedy for pets, there is no alcohol. All Rescue® PET Products | Support Emotional Well-Being Of Pets | Bach Flower Essences
Like I said above, the rescue remedy for animals contains no alcohol. http://www.bachrescueremedypet.com/about/what-is-rescue-pet/
I think the homepathic thing is bunk, but the author didn’t put his dog in any danger by using the rescue remedy if he used the formulation for pets.
Reasonable point, but we should note that the link in the article does point to the alcoholic version of the “remedy”.
As a side note, the author isn’t just promoting homeopathy; there’s an Amazon affiliate ID in the link. So, someone (assumedly the author?) is profiting from promoting homeopathic remedies.
Ah, I didn’t catch that the link was to the alcoholic version. Using the alcoholic version could have been a problem if Nemo wasn’t so large. That much alcohol for, say, a cat or a kitten isn’t a very good idea.
The thing that bothers me most about the Bach stuff is the “homeopathic” thing and how the essence is supposed to help by imparting the “energetic vibration” of the flower.
adoption is common parlance in the companion animal field. yes, anyone can be adopted. the word is associated with love, commitment, and the basis of a “forever home.”
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
