Jack is an 8 month old Blue Heeler who was about to be shot because he's injured. I brought him to the vet this morning and his prognosis is good. I spoke with a rescue for cattle dogs who will train him and find a farm or ranch where he will work. Also, a friend's mother owned a dog like this for years and lost him about 6 months ago. She is ready to adopt again and would give him a great, pampered life. With these 2 options which would you think is the best for Jack? According to the vet, once his injuries have healed he should have no disabilities or limitations.
Sign him up for rescue - and have your friend's mother apply to them.
That way, the dog will have the insurance of being a rescue dog, whether she adopts him, or another one, and if things don't work out for him wherever he goes, he will end up back with that rescue - safe. They all have give-back clauses that say the dog must be returned to the rescue, and that will stand him in good stead later on…
Good for you for saving this dog's life - you're a dog angel!
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February 8th, 2009 at 7:54 am
I would think he would be better off where he can work and engage that mind and body of his, rather than being pampered. A pampered working dog tends to become a behavior problem.
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February 8th, 2009 at 8:34 am
I would go with your friend. You know her, and you will probably still be able to see him and know how he turns out. Save the rescue for another dog that has nowhere to go.
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February 8th, 2009 at 8:47 am
I've met a lot of those types of dogs, and personally, I think Jack would be happier with a job. He's a very young dog, full of energy, and with a strong drive to work. While a pampered, lazy life might be appealing to some breeds, cattle dogs just aren't one of them. I think he would be very happy and fulfilled to learn his job and do what he was bred to do. If he were an older adult or senior dog, I would definitely opt for the pampered life. But I think he'll get frustrated at his age not having something to do all day.
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February 8th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Why not have her adopt him from the rescue. This way, if your friend's mother changes her mind down the road, he can be returned to the rescue.
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February 8th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Sign him up for rescue - and have your friend's mother apply to them.
That way, the dog will have the insurance of being a rescue dog, whether she adopts him, or another one, and if things don't work out for him wherever he goes, he will end up back with that rescue - safe. They all have give-back clauses that say the dog must be returned to the rescue, and that will stand him in good stead later on…
Good for you for saving this dog's life - you're a dog angel!
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February 8th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Clearly it hasn't had a good life, so a pampered one would be great! I would just be sure that your friend can deal with making sure he gets enough exercise, and stimulates his herding nature. Thanks for caring!
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February 8th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Hmmm… I guess this is where we wish our little babies could talk!
On one hand, he may enjoy being a working dog. Many dogs do, as you know. They love the exercise, they get a thrill from their orders.
On the other, he may just want to be pampered and loved! Personally, I think the lady who lost her dog may benefit from having this dog too, and I think that Jack should go there. While some dogs do love the working life, you know this lady and you are sure that she will give him a great life - and also, it will make her happy to have him around.
Either way, you can't really go wrong now his health is back on track! Well done for rescuing him - I saw your question about Jack the other day and you were really brave to step into that situation. You've saved a life - and life that may now be full of woofs and happy things xD
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February 8th, 2009 at 11:05 am
this could go either way
will the friends mother walk the dog regularly and keep him busy? working dogs can develop behavioural problems if not kept sufficiently amused (Eg. our red cattle had an OBSESSION with tennis balls)
Observe his personality- some of these dogs belong on the farm, others in a home- cattle dogs can be funny with kids too… they can get nippy.
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Beautiful Red Cattle Dog "Sandy"
February 8th, 2009 at 11:29 am
How job focused is Jack? If he truly needs a job to do, then I would go with the rescue.Your friend has owned this kind of dog before, so she is aware of what is needed to to keep his mind engaged and happy. As you are the one who has spent the most time with the dog, I would go with what you think is best.
Good luck and thanks for rescuing.
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February 8th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Both situations sound great. He is a cattle dog and it would be great for him to be able to run free and be the dog he was meant to be. The down side is it sounds like the ranch will find another home after he is trained and you have no way of knowing if that will be a great place.
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February 8th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I've owned 2 Blue Heeler mixes and they were the best dogs in the world so if your friend owned one for years and lost him then I think she's the best choice because, as one other person said, you save the rescue placement for a dog that has nowhere else to go. God knows there are too many of them!
Introduce Jack to your friend and see how they get along. People who have owned Blue Heelers before know that you have to keep them busy because they become mischievous if bored. She'll know what to do.
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February 8th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I would do a combination of the two.
Tell the rescue that you have an interested adopter and would like to use their contract for the dog and have the adopter pay a 'small donation' to their rescue for that service.
This way, the dog immediately gets to a home that has an experienced owner AND the rescue gets a few dollars for their great work. ALSO, if something happens in the future, the rescue would more than likely be willing to take the dog back if the adoption goes poorly or the mom cannot keep the dog.
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February 8th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
i go with the friend's mom , u never know if working would be best for him ,and he might be exhuasted somehow, but the woman will sure take care of him and he had enough of a traumatized life i think he need pampering after all he went through dont u agree?
best of luck
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