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Looking For A Gentle Larger Dog As A Companion Animal


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Howdy folks,

I'm looking for a medium to large (roughly Lab or Greyhound sized), very gentle, very quiet dog that would be suitable for an acreage property (reasonably well-fenced, for rural) in the Hawkesbury area of NSW. An older boy or girl who is looking to live out their retirement years in a quiet place as a companion dog would be ideal.

The person living on the property would be home most hours of the day and inside pets are both welcome and encouraged. The person is fit and active and any animal would be well cared for.

The dog in question would have to be fairly bombproof as:

- Small children visit the house semi-frequently.

- Two cows are present on the property, in a fenced-off paddock adjoining the house yard.

- Dogs owned by mildly-irresponsible neighbours occasionally wander up and down the road.

- A stray cat occasionally visits the property for food and pats.

If anyone has a foster in care they think might be suitable, please feel free to PM me or reply in the thread. Thanks!

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Long time no read :laugh:

I think the prospective owner needs to change that "reasonably well-fenced, for rural” to “completely and safely fenced”.

Good luck - I am sure there would be hundreds of dogs that would fit the bill.

Hi Cynthia - a long time indeed :) How are ye?

In terms of fencing, it wouldn't be suitable for any of your littlies, but your average tub o' lard Lab (for example) would find it completely escape-proof. If a rescue group deemed it unsuitable after a house inspection, I'd honestly be pretty surprised.

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How about Zimba the first lab on here. My link

Hi Sarsaparilla - thank you for the suggestion.... Zimba looks lovely.

This clause in the description on the website would concern me: "Except for cats who he thinks are most interesting and unusual and he sways between ignoring them and barking and chasing them so maybe not a home with a feline friend".

Even though the cat on the property is a semi-stray, it's still important to the potential adopter that other animals are not harassed by a new arrival. I can also imagine that a dog that chases cats wouldn't deal with cattle particularly well.

Edited by ShadesOfGrey
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  • 1 year later...
  • 5 months later...

Actually, I gave up in the end - the majority of rescue groups I contacted about their pets didn't even bother to return a call or an email.  Several of the ones that did tried to palm off completely unsuitable dogs.  I recently tried again and had an even worse experience - not a single rescue group has had the courtesy to offer even a basic response to any inquiry I've put in.

 

I've been in rescue and understand the burden that groups and individuals operate under, and that patience is therefore required, but that's no excuse for completely unprofessional behaviour.  To be blunt, I'm shocked at the poor quality of many of the rescue operations out there these days.  I certainly won't be going back for a third try.  Rescue has always been my first choice in the past, but now I'll be looking at a breeder (for a retired boy or girl) or gumtree etc.

 

 

 

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That is both very sad and totally unacceptable, SofG.  When you consider there are so many dogs languishing in kennels (that are called rescue - a complete disgrace :mad) and probably any number of them would have been 100% suitable for the situation you described.  I find it hard to understand why people do it.  

 

Do you remember this evening?  Such a long time ago.  My darling Tirra has been gone for 9 years :cry: :cry:

 

36814421023_b9fb9a42d8_n.jpg2008 Tirra and SoG by Cynthia Waters, on Flickr

 

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Hi SOG!

You could try dogmad , she isn't here much but she has lots of contacts and will often match people up, and you know you can trust her.

Lots of crap rescues around these days, in fact i struggle to recommend any other than Paws and they are small dogs.

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Agree there are far too many dodgy rescues these days. And some who have just NFI as well.
If you are still looking I can ask around for ethical rescues in your area to recommend to you? Are there any changes in your current criteria? Or were you looking on behalf of someone else?

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1 hour ago, ShadesOfGrey said:

Ha yes, I do remember that night!  Didn't she pee on me?  I can't believe you still have those photos hanging around.

No!!!  HE did not pee on you.   You must be thinking of another dog.  LOL.  I keep all my photos, but the reason I took that was it was very unusual for Tirra to go to other people.  You have the knack, obviously, and should use that as a testimonial for getting a dog.   :) :) 

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15 hours ago, Dame Danny's Darling said:

You have the knack, obviously, and should use that as a testimonial for getting a dog.

I'll put that as a testimonial on my application - "endorsed by Cynthia and Tirra, so there!"

 

16 hours ago, juice said:

Hi SOG!

You could try dogmad ,

Hey Juice, long time!  That's worth a try, thanks for the suggestion.

 

16 hours ago, RuralPug said:

If you are still looking I can ask around for ethical rescues in your area to recommend to you? Are there any changes in your current criteria? Or were you looking on behalf of someone else?

I'm still looking, and yes it's on behalf of someone else.  No changes to current criteria.  A greyhound would be perfect really, but finding one with no prey drive that doesn't get snapped up in 0.00000003 seconds has turned out to be very difficult.

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Assuming you're in the general Sydney area... you could try Sydney cats & dogs hone if you're only wed to size* (and obviously a few other things) 

 

If you've become 100% sure you want a grey... they do have them very occasionally but I assume you'd have to look ekse where

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I agree that a greyhound would be perfect. Those without prey drive can be found I have peripherally assisted in the rehoming of several that live amicably with dogs cats and other small pets - the trick is to have your name listed with an ethical grey rescue that does temperament test thoroughly. You just MIGHT get first shot at an unadvertised one that is the perfect match. The vast majority of available greyhounds come from the racing industry, it is actually surprising that a percentage have low prey drive, but it is true - just make sure they are sourced from a reputable breed rescue that temp tests properly.

In this regard, GAP has the largest numbers, and therefore, low prey greys being a percentage of the population, the most low prey greys available in any given time span. I would be surprised if, having regularly contacted the trustworthy greyhound breed rescues (and unfortunately there are some that cannot be trusted :mad  ), you weren't able to source one within four or five months if low prey drive is the only major factor. If other factors, such as local sourcing, pattern or colour also come into it in a major way, then yes, it will take longer.

An adult (4+ years) Golden Retriever from a non-working line should also suit, if budget is not a factor then a rehomed ex-show dog might be ideal. There a a couple currently listed in the DOL breeder pages, one of these might suit very well. If the GR breed club in their state has a FB page, why not message that page and ask if it is allowable to post that you are seeking a laid back adult used to kids and cats? Never any harm in asking.
Although a fair few adolescents of this breed move through rescue, due to the usual puppy-buyer-didn't-realise-the-cute-puppy-needed-training-and-is-now-unmanageable syndrome sadly common in all breeds, adults are not all that common in rescue. The household involved can submit an application to GR rescue who are VERY careful in matching homes and adoptable dogs, from memory that rescue won't discuss it at all without an application.

An enquiry or application is NOT a commitment to take on any dog that a rescue offers, it is a template that helps ethical rescue match homes and dogs. I urge people, in general, to contact multiple rescues with details of their needs and lifestyles in advance of that rescue advertising a particular dog. Once you do have a dog that suits you, it is of course, courteous, to contact all the others you have contacted to let them know that you are no longer looking.

@ShadesOfGrey,apologies for the novel, I know that you know most of this and have found out which rescues are not ethical the hard way! :banghead: It is just that I try to keep aware that this forum is open to, and read by, non-members and so I try to give advice that will help people who are testing the dog search waters for the first time. 

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Actually i am having a nightmare atm with a dog i applied for weds on PR ,application  form virtually wanted  my blood group ! and still waiting for a text to book a phone  interview they said would come " asap" , still waiting. Now looking at a  breeders older dog aswell.
 

Edited by juice
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