how do people assess a husky before putting it up for rehoming?

[keiko mummy]

my friend wants a husky and i suggested to her to get a rescue but shes worried about what the dogs behaviour would be like. i know every dog is differnt but i was wondering how rescue centres assess a dog to see wither they should be rehomed or not. so i would like to know how they test wither the dog is dog aggresse humman agresse food agressive ect ect how do rescue centres test this do they put them in with other dogs and watch there behaviour ectect any advice would be great so i can pass this info on:D

[valkyries]

oh leeann good question i've often wondered how they do this, i'll be watching this thread xxxx

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

have a look at this link - it seems quite informative from what ive had a look at - My link hope it helps

[Wizadora]

an organisation will not rehome a dog to you if they think there will be any major problems. They will rehome to someone who doesn't incite those problems in the dog or who can effectively deal with the problems before anything dangerous can happen. A dangerous dog won't be rehomed.

[valkyries]

so what happens to a dog that as failed an assessment ????

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

if a dog cant b rehomed then im guessin its pts

[valkyries]

not a good reply sorry as assessments can be wrong if which case the poor dog looses

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

sorry - i dunno they might not i dunno ive never had 2 asses a dog or anything b4

[valkyries]

lol nix i'm just hoping you are wrong and they dont just give up and put them to sleep xxx

[Lil Miss Bump]

what is pts??

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

lol nix i'm just hoping you are wrong and they dont just give up and put them to sleep xxx

me too - i think i watch 2 much tv and read 2 many sad animal books

what is pts??

put 2 sleep diz

[valkyries]

put to sleep Aimee

[valkyries]

oh i came back coz i thought terry would have said what SHWA do to assess dogs oh well next time xxx

[ISDW]

Well I'm only a small rescue, and I'm not trained, but I do assess the dogs myself. I see how they interact with other dogs, male and female. I have two children, 7 and 15 so I can see how the dog is with them, although obviously I never put the kids at risk, and I don't get them to take bones off the dogs or anything like that.

Once I know the temperament of the dog and how well or not they get on with humans and dogs, then I look for a home that suits that dog.

We had a malamute bitch here for months and months, she is great with people, although a little bit dominant, but cannot live with another dog, male or female. She tried it on with Diesel once, didn't do it again, but she would dominate every other dog. She bit the tip of his ear right off a large male mal. However, she would play and sleep together in the field with Smudge, a really small sibe girl with attitude (I never put them in a pen together though, as Smudge would have nowhere to go). A lot of people were interested in her, but none of them were the right home for her - an adult only home with no other dogs. I also had a male mal that I loved, but unfortunately he bit my 15 year old son (it was my son's 'fault' but still unacceptable) and also grabbed my dog sitter's pony tail one day. He never showed me any aggression whatsoever and would always do as I told him. I really didn't want to have him pts, but I couldn't rehome him to a family and take the chance that he might bite somebody. However, I know a behaviourist a few hours drive from me who likes to work with very difficult dogs! Both of these mals are now with her, and are doing great. I don't know if she'll ever rehome them, or if she'll keep them herself, she has recently got a scooter, and wants to work them along with her own mal.

I haven't yet had to have a dog pts because they were not rehomable, but I'm sure that the day will come. Unfortunately, it won't be the dog's fault, it will be the people who had it before it came into rescue, but it will as always be the dog that pays the price.

[valkyries]

Thank you karen for that reply, Why it interests me so much is my girl was assessed by a rescue association, and I’m told she fail her assessment as she is animal and people aggressive. So I’m interested in how they do these assessments.

[ISDW]

Thank you karen for that reply, Why it interests me so much is my girl was assessed by a rescue association, and I’m told she fail her assessment as she is animal and people aggressive. So I’m interested in how they do these assessments.

I find the word fail interesting there. I wouldn't 'fail' a dog, but I would see how they are, and what home would best suit them. Obviously if a dog bit somebody completely unprovoked, then I would have to consider having them pts. But even the mal that bit my son, I could see why he did it - he definitely shouldn't have done it, but this is a dog that has been passed around a lot.

If she failed, how come you managed to get her?

I have another young boy here at the minute who is lucky that the pound he came from has a forward thinking manager, apparently he went for one of the workers there when they touched his ears. They let him come to me, but wouldn't rehome him to the general public. He has never bitten me, and loves having his ears rubbed. But, dogs behave differently in kennel and pound situations, even the most laid back dogs can go a bit funny in boarding kennels, so goodness only knows what goes through their minds in a large rescue centre environment.

I do let all of the dogs into my house, it can be very difficult at times, but they all spend time every day in the house, so that I can see how they are in a home environment, and so that they don't become 'institutionalised'. Thats why I think organisations like SHWA who have foster homes, rather than kennels are fantastic.

[valkyries]

I got her from a foster home i was told later about her assessment and that she failed due to being animal and people aggressive.

[Sid_Wolf]

But Loki's LOVELY!!!!

[scott]

no dog should be put to sleep unless its for a medical reason, no dog is beyond the point of rehab. Been honest i aint to keen on how some of the rescue organisations operate reasons being if i went by there rules and regulations i shudnt have any huskies as i have small kids, also that i didnt have the right amount to spend with the huskies.

as it stands i have 3 wonderful huskies and a staffi cross i also have 4 kids i have ample time to spend with my kids and my dogs, my dogs get all the attention they required, all my dogs interact great with the kids even the youngiest of 11months.

Yeah there has been times when my 2 female huskies dont always see eye to eye its a problem i am currently workin on, improvements are been seen, if my female had been in a rescue centre she would have been deemed as an aggressive dog and wouldnt have been rehomed i have spent over a year with her and seen a big difference in her, nothing is impossible if you are willing to provide the time and effort in to helping the dog re-adjust.

On the whole rescue centre do provide a good service however there is loop-holes within the methods of rehoming. Stronger systems are needing put in place to prevent dogs being bred, abused, sheltered and rehomed. I personally think all dogs (pure breeds crosses etc) should be microchipped therefore they will all have owners details so someone will be held liable throughout its duration of its life.

[valkyries]

yes she is sid that why i say assessments can be so wrong and sad if dogs are put to sleep, as in no way is Loki people or animal aggressive.

She's been on meets been camping hell even got adopted on camp for the weekend by mary (huskyhugs)

she plays off lead with lots of other dogs, she as had sarahs boys here and stayed at sarahs. She as never gone for any one or any thing.

Yes she's gobby lol very vocal but thats it xxxx

[Rosemary]

Thank goodness there are people who care so deeply.

[ISDW]

no dog should be put to sleep unless its for a medical reason, no dog is beyond the point of rehab. Been honest i aint to keen on how some of the rescue organisations operate reasons being if i went by there rules and regulations i shudnt have any huskies as i have small kids, also that i didnt have the right amount to spend with the huskies.

as it stands i have 3 wonderful huskies and a staffi cross i also have 4 kids i have ample time to spend with my kids and my dogs, my dogs get all the attention they required, all my dogs interact great with the kids even the youngiest of 11months.

Yeah there has been times when my 2 female huskies dont always see eye to eye its a problem i am currently workin on, improvements are been seen, if my female had been in a rescue centre she would have been deemed as an aggressive dog and wouldnt have been rehomed i have spent over a year with her and seen a big difference in her, nothing is impossible if you are willing to provide the time and effort in to helping the dog re-adjust.

On the whole rescue centre do provide a good service however there is loop-holes within the methods of rehoming. Stronger systems are needing put in place to prevent dogs being bred, abused, sheltered and rehomed. I personally think all dogs (pure breeds crosses etc) should be microchipped therefore they will all have owners details so someone will be held liable throughout its duration of its life.

While I'd like to agree with you, unfortunately most rescue centres have limited finances available to them and can't afford the kind of rehab that would be needed with some dogs. There is also I'm afraid the question of liability. If a rescue rehomes a dog that they know is aggressive, and that dog bites somebody, they could be sued, and that would be the end of that rescue centre, and then what happens to the other dogs that it has or that it could help in the future.

Rescue organisations, except for the big ones, RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Battersea etc are run by volunteers, people who give up their time and their money every day to try and help dogs that other people have dumped. All of the rescues in Ireland, and I believe the UK, at the moment are at bursting point. As harsh as it is, and it is harsh, it is horrific, but when there are so many dogs that need to be rehomed, decisions have to be made to have a dog that will be very hard to rehome pts. But, it means that there is space for another dog, one that may not have aggression issues. I learnt very quickly that there are worse things that can happen to a dog than to be put to sleep humanely. The male mal I was talking about earlier, he was here for over 6 months, he hated being in his kennel and run, he lost loads of weight and when he was let out, he would just run around and around and around the kennel block. He would get an hour's walk every day, and another 4 or 5 hours a day out in the field, but he went stir crazy. I'm delighted he's gone to someone who can hopefully help him, but it really would actually have been the humane thing to do to have him pts otherwise, rather than keep him here for another 6 months.

[Sid_Wolf]

Its terrible... What could have happened to her if she hadnt been taken in... Because she was assessed wrong

But she's with you now, you know the truth and thats all that matters

[ISDW]

yes she is sid that why i say assessments can be so wrong and sad if dogs are put to sleep, as in no way is Loki people or animal aggressive.

She's been on meets been camping hell even got adopted on camp for the weekend by mary (huskyhugs)

she plays off lead with lots of other dogs, she as had sarahs boys here and stayed at sarahs. She as never gone for any one or any thing.

Yes she's gobby lol very vocal but thats it xxxx

But even though she failed, they obviously thought that she had some redeeming features Maybe she failed at that particular time, and they wanted to see how she was in a home environment, hence the foster home?

She sounds lovely. A gobby female, now theres a novelty

[valkyries]

yep she's a big soft gobby cow lol love her to bits and so do ppl that have met her xxxx