There seems to be a myth that dog rescues won’t let families with children adopt a dog
I have wanted a dog since my childhood dog of almost 18 years passed away when I was in my early twenties. She was a rescue and pretty difficult but she was lovely. Last year we made the decision that we were in a position to adopt a dog. Both boys were keen and old enough to respect a dog. I work from home and we were in a financially better position than we had been.
There was one condition, we had to adopt a rescue dog
Both Monsieur Incidental and I are firm believers in “adopt don’t shop”. It sees unfair to buy a dog when there are so many dogs in rescue shelters waiting for their forever homes, for us it was rescue or nothing. I had heard that most rescues won’t let you adopt if you have young children, Little L was 4 and Big L was 9 at the time. Undeterred I started doing some research.
It is true. A lot of rescues don’t entertain homing with children but actually there are a few who consider homes on a case by case and dog by dog basis.
Vader loves tummy rubs from Big L
Which dog rescue centers will consider families with young children?
During my research I found that the RSPCA won’t write-off families with young children (but suitable dogs are few and far between), nor will the Greyhound Trust. A lot of local rescue centres are also more lenient, I found that they are open to discussing individual circumstances. Check out your local forums to see who people recommend. There are national rescues that may be based miles away but have fosterers close to you.
The problem you have if you have young children is that a lot of rescues are pushed for time, finding dogs that will suit a family is time consuming and they obviously don’t want to make what could be a costly mistake by putting a dog with a child that isn’t suited.
Another issue is that a lot of rescue dogs have had a rough start and need a lot of attention and a calm environment which is less likely if you have young children.
Vader, curled up asleep on his bed
The other thing to consider is the breed of rescue dog
Dogs, quite literally, come in all shapes and sizes, as well as personalities. Certain breeds are well renowned to make good family pets. During my research I found the often overlooked ex racing greyhound. People often make the incorrect assumption that they need a lot of exercise when they actually only need 15 to 20 minutes walk twice a day. They sleep the vast majority of the rest of it. They are large but they actually don’t need a lot of room, in fact there are people who own a greyhound (or two) quite happily who live in a flat. There are some who are quite happy to be left alone for longer periods of time than your average dog so fit in around people’s work.
With ex racing greyhounds you have to remember that their previous life was spent in kennels. Most have never been in a home until they are adopted. Please don’t let that put you off, most settle in very quickly and are easily trained to do their business outside.
Dogs, quite literally, come in all shapes and sizes, as well as personalities. Certain breeds are well renowned to make good family pets. When considering adding a furry friend to your family, it’s wise to explore options like pet insurance for dogs with comprehensive coverage to ensure their health and well-being.
Visit your local rescue dog rehoming centre
We visited our local Greyhound Trust and walked two dogs that were matched to us by the staff. The first was a small female. She was lovely but I didn’t find we quite gelled, she was a bit nervous. We took her back, the boys groomed her and we were offered to walk another. Out trotted Vader. I fell in love with him right away. He is a big lad (34kg) but an absolute gentle giant. He was strong on the lead but lovely to walk. The only problem we had was Big L’s potential allergy but we were able to arrange a short term fostering agreement which meant we could ensure that any allergy could be treated simply without disrupting Vader too much. Luckily it was and here we are!
We adopted Vader as part of our family in May 2021 and I can’t imagine life without him now. As I type this he is asleep on his bed, he really is my spirit animal!
I hope this helps persuade you that you can adopt a rescue dog, even with young children
