Advice needed: Romanian rescue dogs

Hi @Van_do,

Thanks for taking the time to explain everything in such detail; I think it’s really helpful because this thread has been bumped several times (along with others like it), and I’m sure it’s a regular go-to for people currently doing their research or weighing up their options.

I think the main point that comes across so clearly in your post is that you are a "rescue" organisation, and that word has a real weight to it—something that potential adopters might not always fully grasp in terms of its depth and implications.

What’s more, I honestly feel that the whole concept of rescue and adoption is often sugar-coated these days. The instant nature and ease of social media create this illusion of a virtual shop window, which can give the uninformed public the impression that rescuing an animal is a walk in the park (just pick your puppy, add it to your basket, and it’ll be delivered to you for free via a pet transport run).

The sheer scale of the work and the resources deployed by everyone involved in the rescue chain often remain "hazy" concepts relegated to the background.

In short, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword with the digital age... modern tools allow us to spread the word on a massive scale, which is a positive thing as it helps facilitate so many more rescues, but on the flip side, the apparent simplicity of the process is totally disconnected from the actual reality of the mission, especially for those working on the ground.

The public wants to believe that everything is beautiful and perfect, just like on Instagram, and they’re much less keen to hear about the diseases or the heartbreakingly high number of animals that we simply won’t be able to save.

If you aren’t managing, it’s either because you couldn’t care less and you completely overestimated your own resilience when it comes to welcoming a new family member, or because you aren’t listening to the advice given, or you’re projecting your own anxieties—which you're often not even aware of—onto the dog.

When you’re asked if you can keep them separate from other pets at home, it’s for a reason; it’s because they need time to settle in.

But all those people who return a dog because it bared its teeth at another dog, or because it "scared" a family member, or for any other supposedly "valid" reason, are usually just people who can’t be bothered to put in the work. Above all, they don’t try to analyse the situation, or they take bad advice from self-proclaimed "super trainers" who want to assert dominance over the dog instead of trying to understand it.

Another thing: when you watch those adoption shows on telly and see people even going to the RSPCA to give up their pets, don’t you ever wonder if it’s the fault of the rescue or the breeder they bought it from? Honestly, use a bit of common sense, engage your brain cells and try to broaden your perspective.

Why not take a look at yourself and ask where you went wrong? Is that too complicated? You’d rather blame the rescues because it saves you from having to admit you weren’t up to the task. Is your self-image so precious that you can’t let it take even a tiny hit?

To be perfectly honest, dogs that aren't adoptable aren't put up for adoption. If you’ve adopted a dog, whether it’s from Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Moldova, Ukraine, or even Russia or China—not forgetting the Spanish ones—well, you wanted to do a rescue, didn't you? And when you hand the dog back after three days because it’s peed on the carpet or for some other flimsy excuse, it’s quite simply selfish.

It’s very rare to find a dog that won’t settle in eventually, given enough time.

You didn’t listen to what you were told during the pre-adoption phone interviews; you were so convinced you were doing a "good deed" and you didn't do it for the dog—you did it to give your own ego a pat on the back.

Something to think about: Give a dog a bad name and hang him.

Hi everyone,

A bit of advice for anyone thinking about adopting a Romanian dog:

1/ You really must follow the advice given by the rescue charities.

2/ I have three amazing Romanian dogs myself.

One came from a rescue; he’s an absolute sweetheart, weighing about 6 stone 4 lbs (40kg), and he adores children, babies, cats, and other dogs, both male and female.

One I took directly from a Romanian public shelter through a brilliant charity that helped me bring her over. She was very, very timid at first, but with plenty of goodwill and patience, she’s now perfectly behaved and follows my lead completely.

The third I took in as a foster; she was totally shut down at the start but is doing great now and is happy to come and sniff our visitors.

They are all in good health. Even if the two females were a bit traumatised at first because of what they’d been through, if you respect them and don't just chuck them into a pack of dogs or a crowd of cats without doing proper introductions, they’ll be fine—though things can go wrong if you're not careful, just like with any other dog.

In short, you need to use your head; these are rescue dogs with a past, just like the ones you’d find in any local RSPCA or shelter here in the UK.

To sum up, these aren't dogs for people looking for a trendy accessory or those who aren't prepared to put in the work. They aren't "ready-made" dogs, and adopting a pet isn't like a trip to the toy shop after Christmas! You need to put in some personal effort, and if you’re willing to give them that (by which I mean patience, love, and above all, respect) and use a bit of common sense, you’ll have an absolute treasure at home.

@Arianeshoes: I can't believe you're coming on here to slate our rescue after giving up Idylle. There are photos of Idylle on her post from the shelter where you can clearly see her with other dogs without the slightest bit of aggression; at the rescue centre, she never once had an aggressive reaction towards any other dog. It is clearly stated and explained during the pre-adoption call that the description of a dog's temperament is based on how they behave at the rescue, and that this can change once they get to their new home because the context and environment are completely different... These dogs have lacked everything: a family, food, warmth, care... Suddenly, they find themselves in a home where they have it all. They need time to realise that this is for keeps and that they have nothing left to fear. They are often traumatised dogs who have been through terrible things, and when they arrive, some adopters expect them to behave "normally" as if they’d never suffered at all... Some dogs have that immediate, total resilience, but for others, the road is a bit longer. But at the end of that road, they are wonderful companions who give back a hundred times the love they receive! We got Idylle into a foster home very quickly—a fosterer who has several dogs of all sizes and genders—and there haven't been any issues there... She has been adopted again and is heading to her new family today.

You don't live with your mother-in-law and vice versa; you’re talking about occasional pet-sitting because "that's your lifestyle". Solutions could have been found, and I spoke to you about them over the phone: using a dog sitter or a boarding kennel when you needed cover, finding another family member or a friend to look after your dog while you were away, or even taking her with you whenever possible??? It was a flat refusal: "no, that's not our lifestyle." And yet, those solutions would have prevented the abandonment of a little dog that you yourself described as being perfect in every other way (house-trained, well-behaved, lovely...).

You could have also worked with a behaviourist; you were in contact with our trainer as recently as the day before, but again, the option of working with the dog was immediately rejected because "it would take too long and the result wasn't guaranteed." Perhaps so, but surely it’s worth it if it stops you from giving up your dog????