no mongrels

[n brown]

just gave up smoking[there's a very easy trick to it if you want to know,simply have a near death experience,worked for me!] and was toying with the idea of getting a dog. where's all the mongrels? i don't want some expensive interbred pure breed thing i daren't leave tiedup outside a shop in case it gets nicked,i want some ugly misshapen object that will always be grateful [hang on wife's reading over my shoulder,whoops] where was i ? oh yes,haven't seen a mongrel for a while, they're often the best of both parents,used to be given away,would eat anything and defend you to the death,looks like they've been phased out by modern living. when i was a kid only the wealthy had a pure breed and our dogs could sort them out anytime, i suppose in these days when dogs aren't allowed to roam the streets rooting through everyone's bins and impregnating every female in sight[and bitch wasn't a bad word and gay meant joyful and your partner was in business with you etc etc blah blah] these great dogs are a thing of the past.as am i

 

[maingate]

There are plenty of rescue kennels and they are usually full of pups after Christmas. Look in ther phone book or online.

 

[cooljules]

the pound is full of them, overrun....... i sometimes drive the local dog charitys van, taking them from one to another so not put down and given a bit longer to find a home if in a long time and no one even gives them a 2nd glance. i bet your local pound is crammed full of unwanted dogs.

arthur is a mongrel, damn ugly but had him for 15 years. i had him since he was tiny, but i didnt pick him on looks. hes been camping with me all over europe a few times.

dont forget, from yesterday its so cheap and easy to get a dog a pet passort compared to how it used to be

ah also glad your over your near death experience, i had one last year...ah, 2010 now, it just made me smoke and drink more, as would rather go happy

 

[DottyDog]

Try Bristol Dogs and Cats Home. Plenty of mongrels there although most have a large dollop of Staffy, which may or may not be your thing.

Just had a look at their website and there's a lovely looking older dog called Bobby.

 

[lotty]

I agree with the others, go to your local Dog rescue. They are overrun with good dogs who need a good home. I had my previous dog from a rescue. He was 9 years old when we had him, he had been there for 12 months just because of his age! I purposely rescued an older dog as puppies will always sell but there are lots of wonderful older dogs in need of a 2nd chance too!

 

[Wind Dancer]

Congratulations on giving up smoking. Fabulous that you are thinking of getting a dog They are truely wonderful companions.

As the others have said there are an abundance of dogs at shelters all over the country that would be very grateful for a good home.

I too hate inbreeding of dogs, but I would stress that this is the minority, and from irresponsible breedres. The one thing about pedigree dogs is, well just that - they have a pedigree. A paper trail that tells you clearly about their genetic history, so one can see whether inbreeding (amoungts other things) exists in that line or not. Just because a dog is a mongrel, it does not mean that it wasn't a father/daughter mating etc. and you could just as easily get the worst from both partents as well as the best. You are less likely to know what you are getting.

Perhaps the demise of the term mongral (mixed breed) is because we now call them labradoodles, sprollies, lurchers etc etc
(There are about 70 versions on this poodle mix site, including the wire-poo and the rattle! :scared: Poos, Crossbreed, Mongrel, Mixed Breeds, Popular Mixed Breeds, Poodle Hybrids)

It would be really great if you could rescue a dog, of any breed/mix, from the pound.

Good luck, there is the perfect dog just waiting for you!

 

[whitevanwoman]

Good for you, you can't beat a mongrel - as everyone has said, best place is a rescue centre or wait a couple of months till the spring / early summer and then put word round, most bitches have a spring season and there's often lots of pups (pedigree and crossbreed) needing homes then.

Do consider a Staffy or a Staffy-cross - rescue homes are full of them because they have had such a bad press due to irresponsible owners, but in the hands of a responsible owner who is prepared to put in the time for training, Staffies are great dogs - very affectionate, loyal and intelligent, and not too big so fit nicely in a overcab bunk space. They do need firm handling, and to be socialised with other dogs at an early age to prevent problems due to their fighting instincts but the reward is well worth the effort.

My Rigg the pig is a Staffy-cross (google "Rigg the pig" and go to the "About the author" page for more info) and he is my third dog - the other 2 were pure bred border collies (working sheepdogs from farms) and although I feel a bit disloyal to them saying this, he has been the easiest of the 3 to train and I can honestly say I trust him 99% with kids and other dogs (no dog is 100% reliable with kids and other dogs) whereas the collies would sometimes nip if aggravated by small children pulling their tail / ears etc and were sometimes too independent and head strong. I think he has the best of all the breeds in his genes - the collie brain, the labrador temparent and hunting instinct (very useful for fetching firewood and retrieving lost keys and gloves on the fells) and the Staffy brawn (he has a husky harness for hauling firewood on a sledge) and affectionate and loyal temperament.

Rigg is nearly 9 and still behaves like a teenager, no sign of deafness, arthritis, hip problems etc which start becoming apparent at this age in pedigrees. Apart from kennel cough, there's been no illnesses. A dog in a million.

Happy dog hunting - I hope you are strong enough to resist all those pleading eyes in the rescue homes until you find just the right dog for you. But I've always found that my dogs have found me, at times when I wasn't looking for another dog, they just kind of came along.

 

[Teffy]

I will add my voice to the plea for you to get a rescue dog, there are so many lovely dogs just longing for someone to take them home and love them. The first time we went to the RSPCA home at York I cried because there were so many and we could only take one. Don't dismiss a pedigree - we got our lovely greyhound Breeze and she is the darlingest dog in the world and very healthy once we found a diet that suited her. The world is full of discarded greyhounds, chucked out if they don't win. Then two years later we went back and got a funny little terrier cross, Sky, who had his poor little face bitten to bits by something (possibly badger) and had been found starving to death in a wood. He wouldn't win a beauty contest but he is the most loving and loyal dog I have ever met. We are so grateful to the pair of them for the love and happiness they brought into our lives. Get adopting, you will find exactly the right dog for you once you go looking, and you will be so rewarded for it.

PS they love going in the motorhome

 

[Ste]

As an alternative, check your classifieds for farmers giving away pups. Dad's just got a proper border collie sheepdog (10 week olds now) from a farm in Dumfries & Galloway.
If you have to go through a rehoming centre I'd always use an independant such as Animal Rescue Cumbria @ The Wainwright Shelter.
try Dog Rescue Pages - UK dog rescue homes, centres and shelters guide
My experience of RSPCA is that they don't know a good home when they see one. They've turned us down twice without proper reason.

 

[Canalsman]

I would commend Evesham Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue to you. Link here Evesham Greyhound & Lurcher Rescue

Both our lurchers came from them, and EGLR's approach is different. All dogs that they place are fostered first - this means that you can learn a great deal about the dog before meeting him or her, and that you can see them in a home environment rather than kennels.

Highly recommended

 

[kenjones]

Our dog came from Dogs Trust just over five years ago.
She's a great pet and loves travelling.
If the dog's not welcome I don't go there!

 

[hdeagle]

Try Hope Rescue they have lots of dogs looking for a new home. They have pictures on their website.:wave:

 

[kimbowbill]

ya can have henry my extra large bullmastiff, lol, no just jokin, i agree with all the others, any rescue centre will have loads of loyal pals waiting for you, but as canalsman said greyhounds make fantastic pets, i worked at the RSPCA for many years and we rehomed loads of greyhounds, that would be my next choice. ggod luck and let us know what happens

Jen

 

[DottyDog]

Oh and just to respond to a comment in the original post, it's not safe to leave any dog tied up outside a shop, even a non-pedigree. Dog-fighting gangs will pick up any unattended dog to use as a bait dog and they won't care what it looks like. Likewise people who steal dogs in order to demand a ransom payment don't care what the dog looks like, only that its owner loves it enough to pay to get it back. Neither of my dogs are pedigrees, but they would both be attractive to thieves and I'd never leave them alone outside a shop.

 

[Canalsman]

Oh and just to respond to a comment in the original post, it's not safe to leave any dog tied up outside a shop, even a non-pedigree. Dog-fighting gangs will pick up any unattended dog to use as a bait dog and they won't care what it looks like. Likewise people who steal dogs in order to demand a ransom payment don't care what the dog looks like, only that its owner loves it enough to pay to get it back. Neither of my dogs are pedigrees, but they would both be attractive to thieves and I'd never leave them alone outside a shop.

Totally agree - don't do it!

 

[cooljules]

Oh and just to respond to a comment in the original post, it's not safe to leave any dog tied up outside a shop, even a non-pedigree. Dog-fighting gangs will pick up any unattended dog to use as a bait dog and they won't care what it looks like. Likewise people who steal dogs in order to demand a ransom payment don't care what the dog looks like, only that its owner loves it enough to pay to get it back. Neither of my dogs are pedigrees, but they would both be attractive to thieves and I'd never leave them alone outside a shop.

tied arther up outside shops for 15 years, no ones taken him.......i hoped and preyed they would, but hes so ugly no one wants him lol

but yeah i know of ones stolen and in Oz not long ago, someone stole a old mans old dog, caught on cctv taking it, found the dog deat beaten and stabbed. how heartbreaking. they never caught the person at the time of the programme being shown (itwas some oz vet thing, and even the man vet was crying his eyes out....cant blame him)

 

[Channa]

I would agree with most of what has been said in respect of rehoming and breed characteristics.

Holly my gsd died last christmas (and I shed a tear on the anniversary).

I replaced her in April with Léon a German short haired pointer from a french rescue home. And I hate to say it but his disposition is better with other dogs and people than any GSD I have had.

One point that hasnt been mentioned, is depending on the type of dog, even mongrels give a clue as to their roots a lot of the time ....take into consideration the anmount of excercise required.

Léon tbh can run for miles, I am fortunate in that I can afford him the exercise his breed demands, But for example I know my parents couldnt both of whom are dog lovers.

Yesterday 9 miles around clumber park me on a bike him trotting alongside, When we got back to the van and I collapsed into a hea^he wasnt even out of breath :scared:

Also dont forget the expense of a dog vets bills especially as they become older. specialist diets etc etc.

Channa

 

[Deleted member 4850]

...And I hate to say it but his disposition is better with other dogs and people than any GSD I have had.

One point that hasnt been mentioned, is depending on the type of dog, even mongrels give a clue as to their roots a lot of the time ....take into consideration the anmount of excercise required.

Totally agree with both your points here, Channa...I've had 2 rescue dogs in the last 4 years and both have better temperaments than any pups we've paid lots of money for...BUT...be careful if there seems to be a fair bit of terrier in your Heinz 57...they're delightful characters and often turn out brilliantly but a few can be too lively and obsessive for some people...bit of a shellshock. Mine sneaks off to go down badger setts sometimes ...and when he emerges, he looks for the badger poo to roll in...such a delight!

 

[Channa]

rolling in the poop seems to be a speciality of terriers ....they do it apparently to disguise their scent. I was once told.

Léon yesterday misbehaved for the first time , in the respect the bugger knicked my sausages ...Richmond specuials from Tescos only 52 pence sell by date and all that ...and to make matters worse stoooools today have been normal TMI I understand


I used a few choice words in a very stern voice and I suspect it had no impact but at least I feel better

Brekfast was ruined this morning but what the hell ?

Channa

 

[Deleted member 4850]

In his case it's only a very temporary disguise..he gets dunked in the bath and ends up smelling of anti-dandruff shampoo in no time! (often wondered why its called shampoo...maybe a terrier named it :lol-049