Click on the following link to complete a questionnaire which will make recommedations on which dog breeds are most suited to you, your lifestyle, and what you want in a dog: www.petnet.com.au and do the Select A Pet quiz - there's a quiz for dogs and another for cats.
Please remember that each dog is an individual, and selecting a dog based on the breed's reputation only puts the odds in your favour of getting a dog with the kind of personality you are after. It is important to meet and spend time with your potentially new dog before committing to bringing them into your family. If you are adopting a puppy, try and meet at least the pup's mother as her temperament (personality) is a reasonably good indicator of her pup's temperament when an adult.
If you read the breed standard on the Dogs NSW website (see below) and it states the dog needs 'firm handling', or is to be the 'only dog' in the home, or is 'extremely loyal to owner' be aware that these dogs are not necessary the best for multi-dog households or those with small children. These terms are a kind-of code for not a terribly friendly dog/may be prone to aggression. Again - its always best to interact with the dog before taking them on to make sure you have a good chance of getting the kind of dog you are after.
If you take on a rescue dog, please listen to what the staff and volunteers at the rescue shelter say about the dog's temperament as that is your best indicator of how the dog will be once settled at home (however, its also important to remember that shelters and pounds are incredibly stressful environments for dogs and this may cause them to act up). All of my dogs are rescues and I'm grateful for the recommendations made to me over the years by caring staff who only want the best for the dogs and having them sent back is not good for anyone.
When you know what kind of dog you are looking for, please visit the following animal rescue web sites (many are looking for homes for cats, rabbits and horses etc) - there's a good chance you'll find who you're looking for (they have purebred dogs, and puppies too) and you'll save a life, and by the way rescue organisations only charge for microchipping, lifetime registration, a pre-adoption vet check, desexing, and initial vaccination:
Rescue organisations:
· www.pawsnhooves.org.au
· www.dchanimaladoptions.com
· www.animalwelfareleague.com.au
· www.rspca.com.au
· www.paws.com.au
· www.dogmatch.com.au
· www.doggierescue.com
· www.petrescue.com.au
· www.sydneydogsandcatshome.org
· www.saveourstrays.org.au
If you don't have the time or energy for a young dog or puppy, why not adopt an older dog who is already toilet trained and happy to laze about watching tv in the evening and give you lots of love: http://www.freewebs.com/seniordogs/ .
Dogs with special needs, and that may just be pregnant, may be found at: www.nswar.org.au Please support NSW Animal Rescue who take on the too hard cases from pounds who would most likely have euthanised many of the dogs they care for. You can also help by sponsoring a furbaby back to good health.
Local Pounds:
Blacktown Pound: www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/petsonline
Adopting a dog from Blacktown Pound requires you to make a silent bid, plus pay for the cost of microchipping and desexing. If you are on a low fixed income or pension Blacktown Pound also participates in a veterinary training program with the University of Sydney and you may be able to have your dog desexed at no or little cost.
Hawkesbury Pound: www.council.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/animalshelter
Dogs and cats at Hawkesbury Pound have a price noted on their kennel run and on the picture of each animal on the website.
Liverpool, Camden, Fairfield, Bankstown: www.renburyfarm.com.au
Animals in these council areas are held at Renbury Farm. Pictures of animals found are on the website, listed under the area they were found in and the date they are available for adoption. Many of these dogs are fostered by Paws, www.paws.com.au.
Breed Rescue:
If you have your heart set on a purebred dog, try contacting your local rescue group for that breed. These include, but are no way limited to:
If you are looking for a good dog breeder, get in touch with your local breed club - a comprehensive list of all dog clubs is available under the Breeders/Clubs menu on the Dogs NSW website www.dogsnsw.org.au, the NSW branch of the Australian National Kennel Council.
More coming soon : )
