[Vendetta]

To clarify, for anyone reading this, my comments and my questions relate specifically to the UK. Opinions about other countries are welcome, but only if it's about more generic issues, like how to navigate the minefield of private dog ads.


Okay so after many years of painful sacrifice and changes to my life, I'm finally now at the point where I'm ready to take on a dog of my very own, for the very first time. It has always been my hope to take on an intact adult male dog from a dog shelter/dog rescue centre. I always knew it would be difficult finding a shelter that didn't neuter by default, but I didn't know it would be quite this hard. Once you dig deep enough, so far it's emerged that every shelter will either neuter by default, or require you to neuter (does anyone have any experience of how enforceable this tends to be in the UK?). I'm casting my net further and further afield, but it's a mammoth task, and of course difficult to get a straight answer on, sometimes. I'm kind enough to want to adopt a rescue dog, but I'm afraid I'm not kind enough to make my first ever pet dog, a neutered one. I want to rescue a dog if at all possible though.

So my first question is, is there anyone in the UK who has experience of this? Did you ever find a no-neuter shelter, or one where you could ignore their neuter requirement? What do these shelters tend to be like, where do they hide? Do you have a specific one you could recommend (probably best sent as a private message to me, that kind of public link could cause a lot of problems for them and us)? I live in the South of England but really I'd be willing to travel far, if I could find a few places that definitely fit my requirements. I've heard no-neuter shelters are much more common in Scotland, anyone know about that? Please private message me if these are subjects you'd rather not publicly come out about. I want to do the right thing, but they really don't make it easy.

Now, if that venture doesnt work, if I simply can't find anywhere, then my options are to chase up private ads, or go to a breeder. Problem is I live alone. I can get home easily, I work extremely close to home, but I don't feel it would be fair to raise a puppy in my environment. The kind of age I'm considering is 6 months to 3 years old, though of course I'd make exceptions if the right dog won me over. So I dont really see breeders as an option, unless there are any who keep puppies really really late. And having been trawling through private ads recently, I'm starting to realise it's quite a minefield. You dont know if the dog has been neutered or not (how to politely ask?, then refuse if you didnt get the answer you wanted?), you don't know the dog's history, behavioural or genetic, it could be a total gamble the sort of dog you get. How best to navigate this minefield?

So I guess I'm after specific advice and help, because I intend for this to happen soon. Help?

[KnotBigEnuf]

I'd say in this situation, unfortunately, rule out the Rescues and go to the Private Ads...anyway, those dogs need rehoming just the same (and some might end up in Rescues or dead if not found a home through the Private Ads anyway).

So far the "the question" is concerned...make sure you have a list of questions to ask, about age, pedigree (or not), history, vaccinations, gender (Ads don't always tell you this one!), why the dog needs a new home, any health issues, Pet Passports, is he/she microchipped, and so on, and ask if the dog is neutered or spayed somewhere in the list.

Don't make it the last question and instantly appear to lose interest if the answer is "yes", ask one or two more, then say you'll give it some more thought, or, if the answer to one of the (other) questions was a worry, indicate your concern and say you think you'll keep looking but good luck...

The average person won't be highly suspicious if you ask the neuter/spay question (some people would be asking hoping the answer was "yes" - they might have another dog, or want to ensure the new dog doesn't wander in search of sex, create unwanted/unplanned puppies, make a mess every 9 months, or hump the furniture...).

Many/most people have no knowledge of Zoos and this is not something that will spring easily to their mind.

[EternalWolf]

Also, you might watch for breeders who have had dogs returned by people who didn't know what they were getting themselves into. Most of the ones I talked to when finding my new pup (d'aww he's killing that squeaky toy as we speak) included a requirement that they never go to a shelter - they had to either find a new home or be returned to the breeder if they had to be given up. One was even looking for a home for a 7 month old husky that I seriously considered getting...

[AyrnesWolf]

GOOD LUCK.

I fear you'll need it.
It's the UK that started neutering.

[burro1989]

AyrnesWolf, on 12 November 2009 - 05:32 PM, said:

GOOD LUCK.

I fear you'll need it.
It's the UK that started neutering.

I live in southern California and in the US aye they shove the nueter doctrine down your throat!

[Hiway]

burro1989, on 07 February 2010 - 09:23 PM, said:

I live in southern California and in the US aye they shove the nueter doctrine down your throat!

Is that before or after they cut them off ?? lol

[Dobies]

I talked to Vendetta the other day, and he did manage to find an intact male. Looks like good things happen, if ya look long enough, and hard enough....... :doggie: