No fence = No sheltie

Thanks everyone for your opinion. My personal opinion is that they take it case by case. For the dog. I mean, I would expect the need of a fence for either dogs that tend to take off or dogs that just tend to wander. I mean, let's be real. It's not like Shelties are like Huskies. Where within their breed, they are known to take off if they can. However, each dog is different, and I wish rescues would treat it as such.

This is what my local rescue's website says about "requirements":
The main requirements for adopting a Sheltie are simple. We ask that you have a fenced yard, that you allow the dog to be an indoor pet, and that you will treat the dog lovingly, as a full fledged member of the family. These are basic needs that all dogs deserve. The Shelties that we rescue may not have been lucky enough to have had a secure home in the past. When a rescue dog is treated with kindness and respect, it often becomes more loyal and devoted than a dog raised in the same home since puppy hood.

Y'know, I think I'll contact them this week. I am by no means ready for another dog, but if I know they are absolutely not bending on the fence issue, then I know later on if I'll qualify or not. Why waste their time and mine, y'know. Especially after someone else said the same thing about having to fill out a long questionnaire.
 
k9kreationz said:
Y'know, I think I'll contact them this week. I am by no means ready for another dog, but if I know they are absolutely not bending on the fence issue, then I know later on if I'll qualify or not. Why waste their time and mine, y'know. Especially after someone else said the same thing about having to fill out a long questionnaire.
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I would wait and contact them when you are ready for a dog. Like you said, it is probably case by case. There is no way for them to know what dog will be in the rescue when you are ready. Or...you can call them and tell them to contact you if a dog becomes available that would fit into your lifestyle. I am assuming they will not place a young dog with you, but rather an older dog that does not require the amount of exercise that a younger dog would require.

Just remember.....rescues are made up of the best of the best people. They are there to find the best possible forever home for the dogs that are entrusted in their care. They are not going to place their dogs based on your needs, but rather they will place their dogs based on the needs of that specific pup.
 
danisgoat said:
I would wait and contact them when you are ready for a dog. Like you said, it is probably case by case. There is no way for them to know what dog will be in the rescue when you are ready. Or...you can call them and tell them to contact you if a dog becomes available that would fit into your lifestyle. I am assuming they will not place a young dog with you, but rather an older dog that does not require the amount of exercise that a younger dog would require.

Just remember.....rescues are made up of the best of the best people. They are there to find the best possible forever home for the dogs that are entrusted in their care. They are not going to place their dogs based on your needs, but rather they will place their dogs based on the needs of that specific pup.
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I emailed them today, let them know I'm not looking, but had a question about their requirements. Then I asked them if the fence was mandatory or case by case. If it's mandatory, then I know I probably can't contact them later, if it's case by case, then I'll contact them when I am 100% ready for a rescue and hope they have a pup (I call dogs of all ages pups) that needs me. :)
 
A response from my local rescue group regarding fences and homes w/o yards. I have to admit, her answer made me feel really good about this rescue group.

"We do place dogs in apartments, condos and even retirement homes. We know the owners are expected to walk the dogs on leash and exercise their dog accordingly. It is done case by case and having a yard that is not fenced would not necessarily stop an adoption."

I'm glad that they think about what is best for the dog, even if that means walks only on leashes. It really breaks my heart to know that some think a fence means the dog will be better loved. I do hope those groups that have that requirement and it's a mandatory requirement, find awesome homes for the dogs....not just a "good" home with a fence.
 
k9kreationz said:
A response from my local rescue group regarding fences and homes w/o yards. I have to admit, her answer made me feel really good about this rescue group.

"We do place dogs in apartments, condos and even retirement homes. We know the owners are expected to walk the dogs on leash and exercise their dog accordingly. It is done case by case and having a yard that is not fenced would not necessarily stop an adoption."

I'm glad that they think about what is best for the dog, even if that means walks only on leashes. It really breaks my heart to know that some think a fence means the dog will be better loved. I do hope those groups that have that requirement and it's a mandatory requirement, find awesome homes for the dogs....not just a "good" home with a fence.
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I am glad that you got a response from your rescue, and that you can see for yourself that the rescues are out to find the best placement for each specific dog.

I seriously doubt that any caring rescue takes the position that a fence means that the dog will be better loved. Not really sure what rescue would give you that opinion....most certainly not a reputable one.

Hopefully others reading this will understand that reputable rescues are out to find the best possible forever home for each specific dog that they place. There is no way that this can be done.....other than case by case...dog by dog....home by home.
 
danisgoat said:
Around here it is almost impossible to find a Sheltie to adopt. You almost never hear of one that is on the younger side. Even with the PA raids of the Amish puppy mills (our rescue helps to place those dogs) they get lots of dogs in....and are able to find homes for them.

So....they can be picky. If the Rescues are finding the homes, and the Shelties are in a safe place (foster home) until the perfect forever home comes along, then they have the right to be picky.

Believe me...the rescues are ONLY looking out for the dogs that are in their care. That is their passion. They are not trying to be difficult, but rather trying to find each dog a happy, healthy, forever home.
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I do understand about the fence rule, but I think that some people just let their dogs out in their fenced in yard and don't spend the time with them. I don't have a fence, therefore did not try rescue, I preferred to find a good breeder instead. Rescues have to make sure their dogs are placed in a home where the owner will not let the dog off leash where there can be any type of danger at all. I did have a shelter dog once, she came with baggage but we did our best and had her untill she died. I don't feel guilty about not using rescue. Sandstorm gets enough excersize because where I live there are enough safe places to take him off leash, and when he is on leash I take him down our private dirt road to the water and we chase each other and throw a ball around, I let him drag his 15 ft leash in those cases. My husband takes him to conservation lands where there is about 160 acres and he can go off leash.
Karen
 
I guess we were lucky. It was actually easier for us when we didn't have the fence to adopt because they have to inspect the fence when you have one. They were fine with us walking Bailey and when I was working away from home he attended play groups daily. Now he attends once a week.

We are considering a second dog and it will be more of a challenge because our rescue is a regional rescue not a state based one which means someone will have to come from a distance to inspect the fence prior to approval to adopt. That could make it more difficult.

The one thing I will say about apartments is that it is more challenging to find dog friendly apartments than many people realize. Even if you have a landlord who says yes now and puts it in your lease when you move, it can be really hard to find another dog friendly lease. Cats are much easier. That is why some rescues are picky about placing dogs with apartment renters. I had one relative that kept a dog in various apartments until its passing, but she moved on to cats after his death because of the challenge in finding rentals that would take the dog, even with additional security deposits. Some even have weight restrictions. You can have a dog under X pounds trying to eliminate larger dogs from apartment buildings.

I have been looking at our regional site again as we prepare to move towards adoption and I can only think it is fortunate in this bad economy that there are so few dogs available for adoption. I expected with the down turn there would be far more looking for homes. I hope it means that Sheltie owners are finding ways to hold on to their beloved pets.
 
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