Adopting a different view on rescue dogs

The elegant phrase ‘you cannot polish a turd’ is used a lot when it comes to dogs, particularly when it comes to any form of serious competition. It relates to the fact that breeding and nature can have a big influence on the success of the dog in question.

Some litters, purely based on the breeding lines and genetics, will have waiting lists before the bitch is even mated, let alone got puppies. However, as most experienced dog trainers will know, excellence can come from unknown, and often unexpected, lineage. The slogan of ‘adopt, don’t shop’ is one pushed by many and for good reason with the number of dogs in rescue centres.

Short-sighted

When clients approach me about getting a working dog, I have to admit that looking at rescues is not the first