We are asked many questions from potential owners about our rescue dogs. Now bearing in mind these dogs have always lived in a kennel environment with other dogs and people do not factor in often, only for cleaning and feeding then these are the most frequently asked questions:
Are they toilet trained? The simple question to this is probably not. They live in kennels and have never lived in a home before so they need to learn. Adult dogs do learn relatively quickly and we suggest you use positive reward training. So take the dog out on a regular basis in to the garden and praise when the dog pees or poos outside with a lot of fuss or a treat. Ignore when they do it indoors, just clear it up without telling the dog off. They soon learn they get praise for doing it in the right place.
How well do they travel in a car? These dogs do not travel in cars often so this is hard to answer as we do not know. Some hunters use trailers to transport the dogs and some cannot see out. They can be car sick but it does depend on the individual dog which we do not always know until they arrive in their forever home.
How are they when you leave them to go out? This would be unknown until they arrive in their forever homes as they have never lived in a home before or have had a family. This will all be completely new to the dog and you will need to build up time slowly to leaving them. Some may suffer separation anxiety as they suddenly have people who love them and can get upset when you leave them. With time and patience, it will happen but you have to go at their pace.
What do they eat? Most shelters feed dry food and it can be a range of different foods as some of the shelters rely on donations so it may not always be the same food.
Do they walk well on the lead? We can ask for dogs to be tested on lead but their lives in Spain would be off lead chasing after prey. So some may need some lead training. They can pull like trains and are very strong. Head haltis are often useful for these dogs as harnesses can make them stronger to pull. They often have zero recall so off lead is not an option for these dogs unless a secure field is used or a long lunge lead (which you cannot use with a halti).
How are they with cats or small furries? We have to bear in mind these are hunting dogs and scenthounds although some are ok with cats. We do cat test in a controlled environment and the dog will be on lead so cannot chase. It is normally in an environment they are not used to such as a vets so the dog may be on their best behaviour! It does give an indication of whether they are scared, excited or may harm the cat (if it had the chance). But they can be different once in the home as they can chase a cat.
Why do we not rehome with children under 8 years old? We have taken the decision not to rehome dogs with children under 8 years old as these dogs have not lived around people on a daily basis, only visits to their kennels to be cleaned out or fed. We need to be responsible for the family and the dog that we make the right match for them all without any risk because the dog may be nervous or scared.
All testing of our dogs is in an environment that they are used to and are relatively comfortable around. It is a life they know so they can be different in the home as they have had to learn a different life. They do learn but it takes time and patience at their pace. It cannot be rushed so they need the right family who are going to help them with this.
Are they toilet trained? The simple question to this is probably not. They live in kennels and have never lived in a home before so they need to learn. Adult dogs do learn relatively quickly and we suggest you use positive reward training. So take the dog out on a regular basis in to the garden and praise when the dog pees or poos outside with a lot of fuss or a treat. Ignore when they do it indoors, just clear it up without telling the dog off. They soon learn they get praise for doing it in the right place.
How well do they travel in a car? These dogs do not travel in cars often so this is hard to answer as we do not know. Some hunters use trailers to transport the dogs and some cannot see out. They can be car sick but it does depend on the individual dog which we do not always know until they arrive in their forever home.
How are they when you leave them to go out? This would be unknown until they arrive in their forever homes as they have never lived in a home before or have had a family. This will all be completely new to the dog and you will need to build up time slowly to leaving them. Some may suffer separation anxiety as they suddenly have people who love them and can get upset when you leave them. With time and patience, it will happen but you have to go at their pace.
What do they eat? Most shelters feed dry food and it can be a range of different foods as some of the shelters rely on donations so it may not always be the same food.
Do they walk well on the lead? We can ask for dogs to be tested on lead but their lives in Spain would be off lead chasing after prey. So some may need some lead training. They can pull like trains and are very strong. Head haltis are often useful for these dogs as harnesses can make them stronger to pull. They often have zero recall so off lead is not an option for these dogs unless a secure field is used or a long lunge lead (which you cannot use with a halti).
How are they with cats or small furries? We have to bear in mind these are hunting dogs and scenthounds although some are ok with cats. We do cat test in a controlled environment and the dog will be on lead so cannot chase. It is normally in an environment they are not used to such as a vets so the dog may be on their best behaviour! It does give an indication of whether they are scared, excited or may harm the cat (if it had the chance). But they can be different once in the home as they can chase a cat.
Why do we not rehome with children under 8 years old? We have taken the decision not to rehome dogs with children under 8 years old as these dogs have not lived around people on a daily basis, only visits to their kennels to be cleaned out or fed. We need to be responsible for the family and the dog that we make the right match for them all without any risk because the dog may be nervous or scared.
All testing of our dogs is in an environment that they are used to and are relatively comfortable around. It is a life they know so they can be different in the home as they have had to learn a different life. They do learn but it takes time and patience at their pace. It cannot be rushed so they need the right family who are going to help them with this.