Looking for a new dog - and it's a bit weird ....

[this is my username]

My wife's lab died a couple of months ago and it's time to find a new one. Both of our previous labs have been from a rescue place (rehomed rather than "rescued") so that is our first port of call. We have moved since we acquired our last dog so that means finding a new lab rescue outfit to deal with.

In theory it all seems straightforward - find a lab rescue place which operates in our area, fill in the forms on the website and wait. My memory of our previous experiences (over 10 years ago) were that it was all fairly straightforward. Now it seems that emails / application forms just go down a black hole. No acknowledgement, no contact. If you call the number on the website then it always seems to be someone else that you need to speak to. I know they are all volunteers and doing their best, but surely just some very basic admin (acknowledging application forms, making sure contact details on the website are correct, setting expectations on timescales and availability vs demand) would save a lot of workload from people calling to find out what is happening. The only answer seems to be "don't know".

Frustrated with the lack of progress I started looking online at adverts (we want an adult dog rather than a puppy). That freaked me out even more. It seems to be a universal truth that people trying to get rid of their adult dogs are unable to spell or use any form of grammar. They are all so gutted to have to get rid of their beloved dog that they only feel able to charge £500 to £1,000 for the thing. Dog ownership also seems to be a massive trigger for illness, a new job or a change in personal circumstances - oddly no-one says "we got this horribly wrong and should never have bought a dog in the first place."

All of a sudden a puppy seems to be a good idea. Does anyone use words other than "cute", "adorable" and "forever home" in the adverts??

Any bright ideas on how to (legally) acquire an adult (1 to 3 years old) labrador bh?

[moorx]

Where are you based?

[this is my username]

We're in Wiltshire.

[moorx]

Labs are very popular and therefore very much in demand. Particularly the age and gender you want.

I think you will probably have to accept that if you want a rescue you will need to be patient, or widen your parameters re age/gender. As you say, the vast majority of rescue centres are run by volunteers and admin tends to be lower on their priority list. Maybe also consider looking outside your local area?

If you go down the free-ad route, you would need to be prepared to move fast if you see one that's suitable.

I went through this not long ago with my parents, who had been left dogless after losing two in quick succession. We ended up looking at free-ads, and my partner and I met a lab and golden retriever on their behalf (as we were nearer). You need to be aware that not everyone will be honest with you about why they're rehoming their dog.

Have you considered looking into rehoming a guide dog who hasn't made the grade? I think there is someone on here who is involved with that, but can't recall who right now, sorry.

[this is my username]

Thanks for the reply. I think we've applied for a (failed) guide dog.

Have just ordered £££ worth of fencing to "dog-proof" the garden to the requirements of the re-homing people just in case they ever get in touch. Our last lab never even came close to breaking out of the garden in 10 years, but them's the rules!

[Gandahar]

this is my username said:

Thanks for the reply. I think we've applied for a (failed) guide dog.

Have just ordered £££ worth of fencing to "dog-proof" the garden to the requirements of the re-homing people just in case they ever get in touch. Our last lab never even came close to breaking out of the garden in 10 years, but them's the rules!

I was going to suggest a failed guide dog, quite a few around here and all seem happy go lucky, and of course they fit your age bracket. Quite a good idea because they are semi trained and you can finish it off to your liking. For the garden, the same rules apply to our mongrel Pointer / lurcher / lab we got from the rescue center. At least you can not worry now at all once Stalug luft IV camp is completed ( unless the lab can dig a 30m tunnel, fake a passport and ride a motorbike ?)

[Who me ?]

At least you've not got the problem I got with this rescue. I've owned Cairns for years and they can be escape artists. Last two just looked at fence and decided that they had found their home. Latest rescue is a JRT/Yorky cross. She looked at fence and then the bird table- one hop and she was over. I took the bird table down and next jump was over the 5 ft rear fence. That's now been extended ,so she can't get over it and as a bonus, cats can't walk along the extension netting, otherwise madam would have a cat a day. Only thing that finds it's way in is a hedgehog. It's welcome as our garden is a snail/slug paradise but I've noticed that the slugs are less and we're finding a lot of empty snail shells. Madam lets us know when it's in, and I leave a chunk od dog food ( and a saucer of water ) out near it after taking madam in.

[CAPP0]

I think that fortunately for the breed, less so for you, Labs seem to end up requiring rehoming far less often than other breeds. So although you've found some in the past, it may just be a waiting game for the right dog.

I volunteer for a breed rescue (GSD) and do homechecks, transport, etc, I know I don't always manage to respond immediately but I usually do so within a day or two. We are usually really keen to rehome dogs (to the right homes) simply because it then creates a space for the next dog in need, so I can't see why anyone would delay in getting back to you unless they're not really properly set up after all.

We do occasionally get notification of other breeds looking for homes so I'll keep that in mind for you. The rescue is Surrey-based though.

Agree with your points about the Gumtree etc type adverts. We have been known to try and fish dogs out of situations like that just to try and ensure that they do end up in a good home rather than passed on to the next "6 months then lose interest" owner.