# Kids and Rescues



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Most of the time, the GR Rescues have their Adoption Policy available to view on their website and it will have information regarding adoptions to families with young children. 

The GR Group I adopted my girl from did not adopt to families that had children under the age of 6.


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## goldprof (Oct 12, 2011)

That's what I thought. 

I've looked but haven't found this info. explicitly stated.

Perhaps we should go ahead with our pup plans for now and then get a rescue down the line once the kids are 6+.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

goldprof said:


> That's what I thought.
> 
> I've looked but haven't found this info. explicitly stated.
> 
> Perhaps we should go ahead with our pup plans for now and then get a rescue down the line once the kids are 6+.


 
If you don't mind me asking, which GR Groups have you been in contact with? The policies vary with each group.

I meant to answer your questions regarding how skittish Rescue dogs are-Dogs in Rescue come from shelters, strays-these dogs the Rescue Group basically has little to no information about their background. The groups also take in owner Surrenders-there is an Intake Questionnaire that is completed when a group is considering taking a dog into Rescue. It asks questions about the dog's behavior, it's likes, dis-likes, if it's good with children, cats, other dogs. If it's had formal training, if it has any fears, etc. 
Dogs that come into Rescue Groups are evaluated very thoroughly before being accepted.

I adopted my Remy from my County Humane Society-he is very gentle, calm, and great around other dogs, children, etc. I knew basically nothing about him when I adopted him, he was a stray.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I have fostered for a golden retriever rescue in NC for almost 9 years. We have no policy about not adopting to families with small children. Even though I have no small children, I can tell whether my foster will be good with them or not just based on their personality. 

I have had particular fosters that I would not adopt to families with small children, usually puppies that are entirely too mouthy. It's not fair to the puppy or the kids to place them in that type of situation.

The majority of my fosters have been quite resilient and don't have any lasting issues from being in a shelter or being surrendered to the rescue. Any issues they may have are minor, I have never had an aggression issue in the over 50 fosters I have had. Not one!

Edited to add: Our group also has a questionnaire that has to be completed by owners with owner surrenders. We don't normally take owner surrenders who have displayed aggression towards humans. I say normally because we do try to find out why/when/how the aggression occurred. Sometimes it can be that someone reached into a dog fight and got bitten and they considered that aggression when a rescue wouldn't.


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## goldprof (Oct 12, 2011)

Thanks, this is helpful. I've contacted GRREAT and SEVA GRREAT.

This is off topic because it's about cats, but . . . 

In my 20s, as a college student, I used to foster cats--not dogs--and most were unfortunately very skittish and scared. Unless the cats were adopted rather young, they had a hard time overcoming their previous negative experiences. Not all of them but many.

About 5 years ago I ended up adopting a mother cat who had just had a litter of kittens and was rescued from a shelter. She was a sweetie but absolutely terrified of 99.9% of most people. My husband and I never saw her. However, she came to love me and she also really LOVED my mother. Just adored her. So when my mom begged to have her I couldn't say no. Now, years later, she's a very loving and happy cat. Just needed the right mommy. 

I'm glad she ended up in a loving home because her kittens were adopted straight away but no one wanted the mother cat.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Goldprof*

Goldprof

I agree with Carolina Mom-ask the rescue if they have a policy for adopting to people with children. Maybe the rescue would let you foster first to see if the fit is good. 

The thing I worry about with small children and dogs is the responsibility level. Some little ones are very responsible, where others are not, Example: Leaving the back gate open.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

fostermom said:


> I
> Edited to add: Our group also has a questionnaire that has to be completed by owners with owner surrenders. We don't normally take owner surrenders who have displayed aggression towards humans. I say normally because we do try to find out why/when/how the aggression occurred. Sometimes it can be that someone reached into a dog fight and got bitten and they considered that aggression when a rescue wouldn't.


Thanks fostermom for adding this info-extremely important. Rescue groups are very concerned with any type of aggression or bite incidents. 

As fostermom has said here, the group I was with would not/could not take an aggressive dog or a dog that had previously bitten someone into Rescue either, the dog would not be adoptable, therefore it would not be accepted into their program. 

The group I helped had a foster dog bite a member of the foster family, this dog was deemed unapdoptable and was euthanized. At the time of Intake of this particular dog, there was no aggression or bite incidents reported.


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## goldprof (Oct 12, 2011)

Luckily our back gate is the only exit out of our backyard into the alley where our garage is located (very high fence too), and the lock on the gate is far too high up for our children to reach. No escape for any of them--dogs or kids!!


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Besides the initial intake information, a lot of rescue groups put new dogs with a family so they can evaluate first hand how the dog behaves around people and other dogs. 

Since rescue dogs come from all sorts of backgrounds, with all sorts of individual personalities, they really vary as to how they behave. Consider a dog that is turned over to rescue because the owner is in the hospital or a nursing home or sent off to war; that dog will be very different from one that was abused or neglected or ran away and lived on the streets. 

With small children, I would go with an older dog - 4 or 5 years old - that has had some training and is used to being around children. You'll still have to train him/her to obey you, but you'll have a head start. If it has been fostered, they should be able to tell you about whether it chews, or expects to sleep on the furniture or walks well on leash. 

Obviously, you'll also have to train your children as well - not to run at the dog, or poke it or hug it too hard. And you'll have to monitor interactions until the kids are old enough that you can trust that they won't accidentally hurt the dog. Chances are, the dog will instinctively do its best not to hurt the kids. We have a 3 1/2 year old rescue who was not raised around kids at all. We got him completely untrained and very exciteable. Twice in the past year I've watched strange toddlers (2-3 years old) run up to Ben and throw their arms around him. Each time he sat perfectly still and waited until they let go. With other small children we see on our walks, Ben will instinctively lie down, so that he is at their level. He'll stay perfectly still while they decide whether or not to pet him.


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## booklady (Mar 3, 2009)

The rescue I have worked with takes it on a case by case basis. The attempt is to get the right dog with the right family and if the right family has children and the right dog is good with them...it's a go. One of our rescue dogs would never be placed in a home with very young children without being as sure as possible that it had the correct temperament - pretty much a bomb-proof dog. It might take a little longer to find that dog, but with patience and the rescue knowing what you are looking for - it can happen.

However, they will not adopt to anyone with children under 12 from Dec. 1 to Jan. 1. The holidays can be very chaotic and young children can be very wound up - not a good time for most people to be getting a new dog comfortable with a new surrounding and routine.


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## Cocker+GoldenR (Aug 26, 2011)

Hi there

We have just adopted a 9 month old Golden Retriever from Adopt a Golden Atlanta and we have 3 kids, 9, 4 and 2, other rescue groups that were closer to us would not adopt any dogs to households with kids under 8, AGA treats it case by case, they have their dogs in foster homes, this way they can evaluate their temperament and will know if the dog is good with kids, if by lack of foster homes, they have the dog boarding, that dog will not be put in a home with little ones until it has been fostered, for us it took a little longer to find the right dog , we fell in love with 2 but they were not good matches for kids, and then Lady came along, she was a owner surrender so they knew her background, it has turned out to be a perfect match, her temperament is amazing, she is patient and gentle most of the time ( sometimes she gets very excited and can be a little rough) but we manage with constant supervision when kids and dogs are together, if I cannot be watching them, like when I am cooking dinner and my husband is not home, then I separate them, better safe than sorry right? So I think it can work for your family too, rescue groups are devoted to find the right family for each dog, it might take longer but I am sure the right match is out there waiting to be found. Hugs, Olga.


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## jealous1 (Dec 7, 2007)

Olga - I am so happy to hear things are still going well for Lady and your family (although I would love to see more pics!) and even more so that your experience with AGA while undergoing the process was a good one. While there are rules in place regarding the placement of puppies/dogs with homes with children, they are there for a reason and AGA takes that information as one piece of the pie (so to speak) before making a determination when placing one of their goldens. Unfortunately, some people get offended when told they cannot have a particular dog but after fostering a dog for a period of time, foster parents have a pretty good feel about what kind of home the dog needs to go to (i.e., laid back vs. active, medical history, history w/ kids/cats/men). The bottom line with AGA is that it is all about the dog and getting the dog into the best possible home where he/she can live out his/her remaining days in a loving forever home. 

Example: I recently picked up a ~2 year old golden from a local shelter and transported him to AGA. His story: Buddy Wilkes was in his 5th home and was being kept outside on a chain inside of a pen; his folks couldn't deal with his wild ways whenever they did decide to pay him a little attention. He is a large boy (almost 80 pounds), very excitable when first meeting. While he was really sweet with me on the car ride to Atlanta, due to his background, size, and personality, at this point in his life I wouldn't place him in a home with small children as it would probably end in disaster and him looking for his 7th home.


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## RedWoofs (Apr 19, 2008)

Hi! I'm not far from you, and we have adopted several GRs through rescues, and had small children at the time. It can be wonderful! what I like about adopting from a rescue versus a shelter is the foster family is often a font of knowledge and can help ascertain if there is a mutually beneficial match. Also, every rescue is just looking for the best interests, so if for any reason it doesn't work you can ask them to help you rehome. I have adopted GRs when pregnant, with an infant, and most recently while our child is 7 years old. It's been wonderful. 
I recommend you consider GoldHeart Golden Retriever Rescue, www.goldheart.org. They are great. 
There is also Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary. We were there recently adopting our new dog Duncan, and we met a FABULOUS GR mix that is THE perfect child's dog. His name is Hatch. He is on the smaller side, incredibly well trained and child oriented. My son walked him and fell in love. We cried to leave him behind he was that good, but we were committed to adopting a dog who might not otherwise get a home (a problem child) and Hatch is an easy to love dog. If you are looking for a good dog to adopt, consider Hatch!! He is gentle, petite in stature, well behaved, well trained, and loves children. Adopt a Pet :: Hatch - Delray, WV - Golden Retriever Mix
They've got other GRs as well, and Carol was honest with us on which were good with children and which were not when we visited. Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary - Residents & Adoptable Dogs
HTH!
Sarah


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Hatch is completely adorable!


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## RedWoofs (Apr 19, 2008)

Me again, had another thought I wanted to share. Adopted an adult or senior dog is AWESOME for children. They are past the puppy stage, less likely to pick up toys, their personalities are more evident, and they are usually gentle with children. Some seniors are less "overwhelming" for little ones b/c they are steady and calm, just the right speed for children. I encourage you to consider adopting an older dog. The Old Gold is priceless!
Sarah


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## RedWoofs (Apr 19, 2008)

Hatch was a seriously awesome dog! A perfect child's dog. I keep thinking about him, and wish we could have two. Meanwhile we are loving Duncan, a big gentle giant, and his heartworm treatment is going well


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*RedWoofs*

RedWoofs
So glad to hear about Duncan and so glad his HW treatment is going well!


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Hatch is beautiful, I so hope you consider adopting him! The best tings in life are rescued!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Goldprof*

Goldprof

How is search for a rescue or puppy going?


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## Hali's Mom (Oct 5, 2006)

If he is still there, my sister's friend surrendered her golden to GRREAT a few months ago because he didn't get along with her lab. His name is Riley and he is a red golden, 4 yrs old. Supposed to be a great dog according to my sister. i would have taken him myself if I hadn't just rescued Mollie.
He was just exactly what I was looking for.


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## goldprof (Oct 12, 2011)

Thank you for all this additional info. I didn't realize members were still posting to this thread, so sorry for the delayed response!

Because this is our first golden, and we were told that rescues do better in families with older kids, we ended up putting down a deposit for a puppy from a breeder frequently mentioned here. But if the mommy dog is not actually pregnant, or there are not enough puppies to go around, we intend to keep looking for a rescue dog. 

Also, even if we do end up with a puppy in a few months, I think this will be our first--and only--family puppy. After this puppy grows up and/or is no longer with us, with intend to adopt a rescue golden. By then the kids will be much older and more understanding about how to treat animals. And the rescue societies will hopefully be keen to adopt to us too!


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