Anonymous wrote:Forget about it if you have kids, they will never let you adopt a dog.

Go to craigslist and find someone who is giving up their dog due to not having enough time to take care of it. Lots of great young dogs that need homes and you don't have to fill out 3 page adoption forms and continually be let down.

I have a friend with one 10 year old son that finally gave up on "rescue" organizations after being repeatedly turned down.

We are financially secure, have a fenced yard and prior dog owners, got turned down 3 or 4 times.

That's not true. Some places won't adopt to people with kids, but that's the exception. Please don't go to Craigslist; that place is a nightmare for animals.

Our family (including 3 kids under the age of 11), had such a positive experience with the dog adoption process we started fostering dogs for several of the organizations mentioned on this thread. I wouldn't recommend one over another. They're great and work very hard to match a dog with the right family. That's why the questionnaires are so detailed and they do home inspections. It was a first family dog for us and it had been over 20 years DH or I had had a pet - yet this was no barrier for adoption. What will kill a person's chances with a rescue group is having animals (current or past) that did not see a vet on a regular basis, that were unvaccinated, not on heartworm/tic medication or were not neutered. Unrealistic expectations about dogs is another (yes, there's likely to be a lot of dog hair in the house and negative behaviors increase when exercise decreases). There is such a demand for adoptable dogs in this area that rescue groups can be selective on who gets their dogs. The groups also don't compete with each other for adoptions. If one group did your home inspection but you're interested in a dog from another, chances are, they'll use the inspection from the first group. No need to waste resources on a second visit. They all have the same goal.

My advice to OP is to identify the criteria that's most important for you in a dog. For us, it was being good with kids and low-medium energy. What would make you have concerns about a dog - for us it was aggression with the kids or other people. Other than aggression, we were willing to work with the dog to modify behavior. You dog won't be perfect in the beginning. The dogs went through a lot before getting to the rescue group and it will take a little time before the dog recognizes his new 'pack' and home. All the groups we work with have trainers/behavioralists to help adopters work through issues. You just need to call them when you need help - this help isn't limited to the first month or year. You can call the rescue group for help at anytime. It's a lifelong relationship. But, you need to be realistic that the dog won't know your habits/routines/rules in the beginning. It took our dog a little while to know our routine. Until he did, he'd sometimes poop/pee in the house. After a few weeks, he knew he could count on two walks in the morning/evening or ask to be let into the backyard. Hasn't had an incident in the house since then.

Petfinder.com is a great way to find groups to work with. You don't have to limit yourself to one group. Fill out all their applications so you can be in the pipeline. Many of them get dogs from shelter partners in rural areas that have low adoption rates. The dogs come up on a transport and are placed with foster families (most do, sometimes there aren't enough fosters and dogs go to boarding). The fosters and boarding staff get to know the dog and can tell you more about them. Listen to what they have to say. We were told one dog wasn't right for us because he had a high prey drive, another tended to herd. We had another person tell us that if we all weren't enthused about the dog we met, it wasn't the right dog for us. She was right and we kept looking. It only took us about a month to find the dog we have now. Couldn't ask for a better dog. The only thing I wish I could change about him is that he wouldn't get carsick. But, it's not that big a deal for us because we're not big travelers. If we were driving to NY every weekend, well, not getting carsick would be a big requirement for us - and legitimately so! If frequent car trips is a family characteristic, let the adoption groups know! Good luck!

GRREAT (golden retriever rescue league in MD, DC and Nova) is wonderful. I got the most incredible, lovely dog from them and their description of her was extremely accurate. They were also very careful about placing their dogs in just the right home - if you go to their Available Dogs page you'll see what I mean. They say, right in the description, what kind of home they think would be best for that dog's temperament, previous ownership background (if known), activity level, and comfort level with children and other pets. A wonderful organization.

Also, the PP who said that rescue leagues never give dogs to families with children is not correct. That may have been her own experience, but it's definitely not standard.

I spoke to GRREAT. They told us if we wanted to adopt a dog under 2 years that either my husband or I would need to take a leave of absence from work for 6 months!! The person was not being snarky. She actually thought that maybe that could be an option and was something reasonable. Federal maternity leave is only 3 months!

We went to a breeder and got a puppy. He's been great. We have dog walkers/sitters come during the day.

GRREAT (golden retriever rescue league in MD, DC and Nova) is wonderful. I got the most incredible, lovely dog from them and their description of her was extremely accurate. They were also very careful about placing their dogs in just the right home - if you go to their Available Dogs page you'll see what I mean. They say, right in the description, what kind of home they think would be best for that dog's temperament, previous ownership background (if known), activity level, and comfort level with children and other pets. A wonderful organization.

Also, the PP who said that rescue leagues never give dogs to families with children is not correct. That may have been her own experience, but it's definitely not standard.

Second Lucky Dog - but also LOVE the Mutts Matter idea!

We adopted through K9 lifesavers and I had a kid at the time. They were great, and very honest, although I adopted the only dog I looked at with him and he really is super easy. I told them I needed a "Plug and play" dog because I was worried that I would be very bad at dog training. The dog I got is super easy going and eager to please, which is what they told me.

Anonymous wrote:Mutts Matter is a good organization and seems to be very careful to adopt out dogs to good families who meet their needs.

Second this and they will work with families with kids of all ages.

Mutts Matter is a good organization and seems to be very careful to adopt out dogs to good families who meet their needs.

Anonymous wrote:Forget about it if you have kids, they will never let you adopt a dog.

Go to craigslist and find someone who is giving up their dog due to not having enough time to take care of it. Lots of great young dogs that need homes and you don't have to fill out 3 page adoption forms and continually be let down.

I have a friend with one 10 year old son that finally gave up on "rescue" organizations after being repeatedly turned down.

We are financially secure, have a fenced yard and prior dog owners, got turned down 3 or 4 times.

This is not accurate. I'm the PP with the terrier mix - our kids were 11 and 8 when we adopted her, and we do not have a fenced yard. We both work outside the home (I work from home sometimes). Not a problem.

Ethical people do not put pet-adoption ads on Craigslist.

Anonymous wrote:We used petfinder.com to look for our dog and adopted one through lucky dog rescue group. They are a good rescue, we got a yellow lab/retriever mix and he is perfect for our family.

We did this too and adopted a terrier mix from a rescue group in WVa, the Mineral County Humane Society. She had been fostered for about a month and the group gave us an accurate description of her. She came to us at about 2-3yo, fully housetrained and super-family-friendly.

We do not have a fenced yard so take her out 4x/day (two walks, two quick outings), which is really much easier and more fun than I had it would be. She roams the house when we are not home (mostly sleeps I think, but also monitors the comings and goings outside) and hangs out with me when I work from home.

I could not have asked for a better dog.

Anonymous wrote:I thought Lost Dog and Cat Rescue was very professional but at the same time not unreasonable with their homing policies (didn't require 14 references and 3 home visits liks some groups - ok I'm exaggerating but if you've tried to adopt you know what I mean) and they provided good information about the dogs.

I have found them to be less informative on the online profiles than other groups and they claim so many dogs are good with kids, but it doesn't always sound like that has been tested out. On the other hand they seem well-organized and they are quick to respond to inquiries and the ranch sounds like a wonderful place for the dogs. I personally prefer talking to a foster parent who can give me the inside scoop on family life with the dog and who shares what the dog needs without using euphemisms so we ensure that it the right fit.

We used Homeward Trails and were pleased all around. Our dog's personality is exactly as they described. They gave us a lot of support as we got her acclimated to her new home. She is a delight!