[mantispf2000]

As some of you know, wifey and I rescue dogs. Though we've had small dogs for most of our time together, at this point, I'd like to surprise her with a big dog, a Burnese Mountain dog to be exact.

I've done a bunch of searching online for rescue groups, and have been coming up short. Should any of you out in RM-land have any info/contacts to share, please let me know. Sure, I'll still be searching on my end, however, the more leads, the better the chance of winning.

THANKS!!!!!

 

[stevew]

cliche...

but...

rescue a stray pitbull.

they will love you for life.

 

[jonKranked]

cliche...

but...

rescue a stray pitbull.

they will love you for life.

we know a couple that does that. agree with this assessment.

 

[maxyedor]

cliche...

but...

rescue a stray pitbull.

they will love you for life.

Can confirm, super low maintenance dogs that just want to hang out with you eat cheese and nap. If pits aren’t quite big enough, get two.


Breed specific rescues are super hit or miss IME, mostly miss. Too many seem to be started by people who love the specific breed and forget why rescues are good in the first place. Had a Doodle rescue turn us down from even applying because we didn’t have a combined income of $250k+. Bro, if I made a 1/4 mil a year I’d just buy a damn Doodle.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Can confirm, super low maintenance dogs that just want to hang out with you eat cheese and nap. If pits aren’t quite big enough, get two.


Breed specific rescues are super hit or miss IME, mostly miss. Too many seem to be started by people who love the specific breed and forget why rescues are good in the first place. Had a Doodle rescue turn us down from even applying because we didn’t have a combined income of $250k+. Bro, if I made a 1/4 mil a year I’d just buy a damn Doodle.

Can confirm. Right before COVID we started looking for another Lab. Some of these rescue groups are down right invasive when it comes to rehoming a dog and maybe love their dogs just a little too much. COVID only made that shit weirder, which is how instead of a male black Lab, we wound up with a female Chihuahua.

All that to say, @mantispf2000, we also have a pit mix that's just about the sweetest, mellowest dog we've ever had. 9/10, would recommend. I say only 9, because if you were to rescue a dog like that, you do have to contend with the image and perception that comes with a dog that's obviously a pitbull of some kind. Even though ours is very well behaved and very sweet, I recognize that other people don't know that when they see her. Unfortunately, reputation precedes dogs like that and a good owner gets in front of that. Is that unfair? Almost certainly, but the only way that perception changes is for the dog handler to 100% make sure issues don't arise. The excuse that the dog "has never done that before", even if true, isn't going to fly with the general public if you're talking about a pit that just bit someone's dog, or god forbid, someone.

 

[jimmydean]

Abbey is pit and Rottie and is honestly the sweetest dog I've ever met. Had I known she was Pit I would have passed but she was supposed to be Rhodesian Ridgeback and Rottie

When she grew up it was obvious she was Pitty and I wouldn't trade her for anything. She was a $400 re-home.

 

[maxyedor]

Some of these rescue groups are down right invasive when it comes to rehoming a dog and maybe love their dogs just a little too much.

I say only 9, because if you were to rescue a dog like that, you do have to contend with the image and perception that comes with a dog that's obviously a pitbull of some kind. Even though ours is very well behaved and very sweet, I recognize that other people don't know that when they see her.

I get the idea that many of the breed specific rescues are run by people with a borderline hoarder personality and they use the fact that they "run a rescue" as an excuse to have an otherwise unhealthy number of dogs, and accept donations to care for the dogs they otherwise can't afford.


The Pit stigma is a real thing, and the fact that a lot of rescue Pits are a bit reactive and have cropped ears doesn't help. It's also highly variable based on where you're at, just from my old neighborhood to my current one 2 miles away the neighbor's attitudes changed drastically. Doesn't bother me either way, but something worth being aware of, definitely got some frantic calls from my parents when they found out we'd allowed a pittbull into our home, they're great with the kiddo, Marshall checks on him every night when we go upstairs to go to bed and Alice is is shadow.

 

[mantispf2000]

Thank you all for your input!!!

I do understand the pit scenario, however, my feelings are....... rescues of any breed are the best-est!

 

[binary visions]

I've met lots of sweet pits.

It's important to know that, as a breed, they can be dog reactive/selective. Not all of them are, but lots of owners seem to have a knee-jerk reaction of "not MY precious pittie!"

Herding dogs are gonna herd. Retrievers are gonna retrieve. Sighthounds are gonna murder fuzzy creatures. Lots of breeds never end up doing what they were bred for, but plenty of rescue greyhounds have killed the house cat that they were friends with, because it flashed in front of them and they did what they've been bred to do for hundreds of years.

Bully breeds need good socialization and you often don't get control of that in rescues. Depending on your bully breed, they have hundreds of years of genetic predisposition to injure big animals or kill other dogs. So... just remember that.

I say that with love for, and as the owner of, a highly dog-reactive rescue. Just have to acknowledge that a rescue pit is going to be a very different animal from a Bernese, and is going to require a different set of considerations.

 

[6thElement]

I've met lots of sweet pits.

It's important to know that, as a breed, they can be dog reactive/selective. Not all of them are, but lots of owners seem to have a knee-jerk reaction of "not MY precious pittie!"

Herding dogs are gonna herd. Retrievers are gonna retrieve. Sighthounds are gonna murder fuzzy creatures. Lots of breeds never end up doing what they were bred for, but plenty of rescue greyhounds have killed the house cat that they were friends with, because it flashed in front of them and they did what they've been bred to do for hundreds of years.

Bully breeds need good socialization and you often don't get control of that in rescues. Depending on your bully breed, they have hundreds of years of genetic predisposition to injure big animals or kill other dogs. So... just remember that.

I say that with love for, and as the owner of, a highly dog-reactive rescue. Just have to acknowledge that a rescue pit is going to be a very different animal from a Bernese, and is going to require a different set of considerations.

It's like you're describing our DSO, she's a rescue pittie mix and can't be trusted around most other DSO's :/

 

[sunringlerider]

Side note from the boring insurance guy. Statistics exist for a reason. And the number for claims and pits are not in their favor. Seeing an out of control lab at our local park the other day, I feel many folks are not aware the the gigantic liability issue a doggo can possess. The courts will always side with injured party, I won’t bore with the statistics of the paid claims. . . It’s a lot.