This is going to end badly

[Dobiegirl]

I'm expecting a 4 year old girl Bucovina Shepherd from Romania next week. To Newcastle. I need all the advice I can get please? I've got a 4 year old girl Collie. I'm 67, not very strong, 5ft 2. Will she toilet training? How much will she eat? Are they nervous? All advice appreciated.

This poor woman has posted this on FB, she has not been home checked, I fear for her and her Collie, whats the betting the rescue are not providing RBU either.

Its time these so called rescues were held to account.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

But why? Just why is she even getting it?

 

[skinnydipper]

I'm expecting a 4 year old girl Bucovina Shepherd from Romania next week. To Newcastle. I need all the advice I can get please? I've got a 4 year old girl Collie. I'm 67, not very strong, 5ft 2. Will she toilet training? How much will she eat? Are they nervous? All advice appreciated.

She should have asked these questions before she signed up for the dog.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Wtaf?
Why would you?

 

[MurphysMinder]

I'd not heard of the breed but just googled. As you say is likely to end very badly !

 

[Gloi]

There's always another idiot about

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Utterly ridiculous.

 

[I'm Dun]

If you put Bucovina Shepherd into facebook its the first post that comes up. The comments are ridiculous. Why is no one telling this woman not to do this? It sounds like a terrible, terrible rescue. I despair!

 

[Clodagh]

If you put Bucovina Shepherd into facebook its the first post that comes up. The comments are ridiculous. Why is no one telling this woman not to do this? It sounds like a terrible, terrible rescue. I despair!

That took me off down a wormhole! I suspect that rescue is less of a rescue than I am tbh. Bet they make some money though. #letssaveallthepuppies.

 

[splashgirl45]

OMG!!! I’ve just looked this breed up, I hope that Facebook post was an April fool. They are big strong dogs and if that post is genuine it’s going to end badly

 

[MurphysMinder]

I've commented on the post but comment is pending and doubt it will actually get beyond that stage. Scary how many people seem to think it is a good idea, no wonder there are so many problem dogs around.

 

[Dobiegirl]

I cant understand anyone wanting a LGD unless they can give it the lifestyle it needs which is a very specific job. A local farmer to me has 2 Maremmas who look after his free range turkeys and I follow a couple of fb pages who have these dogs doing what they were bred for.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I don't think the people who fall for this schtick from (some) rescues are bad people, just misguided/naive/badly informed. Their good natures are being preyed upon in the main.
Once you know a bit, you know you can't save them all and that 'love' 'care' and 'being nice' isn't enough for a lot of dogs.
I've never worried about looking like a nice person in front of others. Which is what a lot of this stuff/the validation and facilitation of it comes down to, it's not really about the dog.

 

[Smitty]

I love watching the reels of them on Facebook guarding flocks in the mountains.

Not sure I would love to see one towing a pensioner around the town.

 

[skinnydipper]

She is in for a big shock in more ways than one.

It isn't only food that will cost her more with a giant breed, it's everything. If the dog needs treatment, cost is dose dependent and dose is calculated on the size of dog.

 

[Leah3horses]

So sad. I've had a Maremma in the past, always wanted one , saw them in the mountains in Italy all my childhood, consumed every piece of info on them for 30 years, am a very clued up vet nurse with diploma in behaviourism , childfree so no kids at risk, and still would never have another of the large LGD types, as much as I loved him. They are not suitable to be pet dogs in suburbia and an absolute danger in this kind of situation. I've seen and heard some irresponsible situations but this older, petite, well meaning but completely unaware lady is in real danger, as obviously is her poor collie.
I have a Tornjak GSD cross from Bosnia, medium size and Tornjaks are nowhere near as "feral" as the largest LGD, but due to the horrendous situation for dogs in Bosnia, she couldn't even be touched for a month, she was so traumatised. No way should a LGD from Bosnia be sent to this lady. If someone could please send a link to this FB post I will pm the lady immediately,to warn her.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I struggle to see people who will have a dog in a completely unsuitable environment as animal lovers, and I lump in people who put dogs in 'wheelchairs' with that.
A big part of being an animal lover is being able to be objective imo.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I had a quick look on the FB page. I do wonder if this lady thinks because she has experience with collies that it means because this also a herding type dog she 'knows what she is doing'. I have had many collies over the years but I would not touch one of these, even if I was younger and stronger it would be a no from me. And why does anyone rescue from abroad anyway, both the Uk and here in Ireland is stuffed full of dogs looking for new homes. Madness.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I had a quick look on the FB page. I do wonder if this lady thinks because she has experience with collies that it means because this also a herding type dog she 'knows what she is doing'. I have had many collies over the years but I would not touch one of these, even if I was younger and stronger it would be a no from me. And why does anyone rescue from abroad anyway, both the Uk and here in Ireland is stuffed full of dogs looking for new homes. Madness.

The usual excuse is that they can't get approved for a dog rescue here - but there will be someone that will give you a dog somewhere (if you are genuinely suitable) just might have to be a smaller rescue..
Well that, and the fact that the ones abroad look sadder..

 

[SilverLinings]

Presumably as it's an eastern european 'rescue' dog there is a large chance that it is either completely or partly feral. Just a quick google told me that this breed can reach 90kgs, and isn't a 'pet' type: why in god's name would you buy a large dog that's heavier than you with an unknown history (when you aren't a dog trainer/experienced with the breed/etc)? And why would you want to risk the safety of your own, smaller dog?

I'd get it if the lady had experience with the breed and a suitable home set-up, but it sounds like she has neither. I understand that the rescue's can sound very convincing and pull at the heart strings of potential adopters, but I don't understand why (with the benefit of google etc) someone would volunteer for a dog like this, with a personal situation like hers. Do these 'rescues' sometimes get adopters to agree to take a dog and then only let them know what they are getting when they collect a load?

It is really good though that she is realising before the dog arrives that it might not be the best match. I hope if she decides against it she doesn't get gilt-tripped by the rescue, and they take time to find a more suitable home for it.

 

[Hackback]

I just googled the breed and they sound very similar to Pyreneans and as a past Pyrenean and current xPyr owner I feel the need to defend them a little bit.

The pure Pyreneans were lovely dogs, absolutely non-confrontational and only responded to aggression with defence. They were both attacked by other dogs and both put the attacker down on the floor but didn't do them any damage. They 'sleep' a lot (don't be fooled, they're still on alert and will spot any door that hasn't been closed properly) and don't eat as much as you'd think - less than an active GSD - because their biology is to conserve energy until it is needed to chase a predator away.

They do bark a lot, like to dig and are excellent escape artists, as it's in their genetic make-up to roam.

They don't need loads of exercise, they're not high energy dogs. They are devoted to their family and fantastic with children.

Still not a dog for everyone but they're not monsters and have a far more gentle temperament than a lot of smaller dogs. Not all the LGDs have such an easy temperament but these dogs do sound similar to Pyreneans.

We had ours from pups and I appreciate that getting an adult dog from an overseas rescue will be a different experience entirely. I just didn't like the blanket negativity about the LGD breeds. Sorry.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I just googled the breed and they sound very similar to Pyreneans and as a past Pyrenean and current xPyr owner I feel the need to defend them a little bit.

The pure Pyreneans were lovely dogs, absolutely non-confrontational and only responded to aggression with defence. They were both attacked by other dogs and both put the attacker down on the floor but didn't do them any damage. They 'sleep' a lot (don't be fooled, they're still on alert and will spot any door that hasn't been closed properly) and don't eat as much as you'd think - less than an active GSD - because their biology is to conserve energy until it is needed to chase a predator away.

They do bark a lot, like to dig and are excellent escape artists, as it's in their genetic make-up to roam.

They don't need loads of exercise, they're not high energy dogs. They are devoted to their family and fantastic with children.

Still not a dog for everyone but they're not monsters and have a far more gentle temperament than a lot of smaller dogs. Not all the LGDs have such an easy temperament but these dogs do sound similar to Pyreneans.

We had ours from pups and I appreciate that getting an adult dog from an overseas rescue will be a different experience entirely. I just didn't like the blanket negativity about the LGD breeds. Sorry.

I don't think it is so much that people are negative about the breed full stop. They are negative about the breed for this particular person and her circumstances. Plus the age of the dog is another negative in my mind, probably far harder to rehabilitate than say a puppy or one up to a year or so old.

Admittedly I have very little real knowledge of Pyreneans but have known two within the family and they were both beautiful gentle giants and I would not be nearly so worried about one of those. When I google this type in question and dig deeper into the rabbit hole I do not think these particular LGD dogs are at all similar or suitable as Pyreneans might be? You might as well say well they are similar to collies too, but they obviously are not.

 

[Hackback]

You might as well say well they are similar to collies too, but they obviously are not.

No indeed - completely opposite ends of the spectrum. One bred to work and cooperate closely with the human and the other meant to work entirely without human supervision, spotting danger before the human is aware, or when the human isn't present, and working by instinct to protect the flock. There used to be an article on the UK breed website about how 3 Pyreneans were brought in to defend the livestock of a Norwegian village under threat from bears. When a herd of cows was attacked one dog rounded up the cattle and put them behind a barn while the other two went off into the forest after the bears. They returned sometime later unharmed but with bear saliva round their necks (the reason why they have such a thick ruff of fur round their neck). They did all this purely my instinct with no direction from a human.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Pyreneans have been adapted for use as pets over many years.

Also, the Pyrenees and the Carpathian mountains are over 1000 miles away from each other.

Googling is probably one of this lady's problems in the first place, 'oh, it's similar to this other dog from a completely different region'.

 

[Leah3horses]

I just googled the breed and they sound very similar to Pyreneans and as a past Pyrenean and current xPyr owner I feel the need to defend them a little bit.

The pure Pyreneans were lovely dogs, absolutely non-confrontational and only responded to aggression with defence. They were both attacked by other dogs and both put the attacker down on the floor but didn't do them any damage. They 'sleep' a lot (don't be fooled, they're still on alert and will spot any door that hasn't been closed properly) and don't eat as much as you'd think - less than an active GSD - because their biology is to conserve energy until it is needed to chase a predator away.

They do bark a lot, like to dig and are excellent escape artists, as it's in their genetic make-up to roam.

They don't need loads of exercise, they're not high energy dogs. They are devoted to their family and fantastic with children.

Still not a dog for everyone but they're not monsters and have a far more gentle temperament than a lot of smaller dogs. Not all the LGDs have such an easy temperament but these dogs do sound similar to Pyreneans.

We had ours from pups and I appreciate that getting an adult dog from an overseas rescue will be a different experience entirely. I just didn't like the blanket negativity about the LGD breeds. Sorry.

Pyreneans in this country aren't from actual European LGD working stock, and haven't been for generations. Their temperaments are lovely, and reflect how they've been bred more as companion dogs who will still show some of their LGD heritage,but not the extremes like their less domesticated cousins such as Maremma, Komondor, Kuvasz or even working stock Pyreneans straight from the Alps, who are definitely a different kettle of fish to UK Pyreneans.
They are lovely dogs , not the same as a rescued Bosnian/ Romanian etc LGD, where unfortunately dogs are treated as vermin and have to have a feral streak to survive.

 

[Leah3horses]

I had a quick look on the FB page. I do wonder if this lady thinks because she has experience with collies that it means because this also a herding type dog she 'knows what she is doing'. I have had many collies over the years but I would not touch one of these, even if I was younger and stronger it would be a no from me. And why does anyone rescue from abroad anyway, both the Uk and here in Ireland is stuffed full of dogs looking for new homes. Madness.

Some of us who have rescue dogs from the continent also have UK rescue dogs, it's not an either/ or .
Also, street dogs having to survive in countries where dogs are treated as vermin by the majority of the population, are thankfully not a UK problem. Also, it should be considered that some of us have actually lived and worked in other countries and have brought dogs back with us ,or are very familiar with the horrendous conditions dogs are in in those countries.
Also, unfortunately, many UK rescues are extremely precious about rehoming and in some cases reject excellent would be owners for quite extreme reasons. Would you believe that a vet nurse with 35 years experience in the profession, and 45 years living with dogs, including LGD and giant breeds, and many previous UK rescue dogs, living in a rural setting,and no kids around, would not be approved by many UK rescues? It happened to me and other colleagues... because the ridiculous planning law in some rural conservation areas prevent us having fences above 1.5 metres high? Objectively, I get it, as less experienced Joe Public do let dogs out in gardens unattended, sometimes for hours. But mine never are, my 19 and 20 year old UK rescue dogs never were left in any danger of escaping but that didn't help.

My traumatised Bosnian rescue proves that UK rescues do prevent their dogs from being adopted out by extremely capable owners, if one was going to escape over 1.5 metres high fencing, it would have been her. It has never and will never be a possibility, because I'm not stupid.
Hope that clarifies the "madness" of some of us adopting non UK dogs

 

[Dobiegirl]

So sad. I've had a Maremma in the past, always wanted one , saw them in the mountains in Italy all my childhood, consumed every piece of info on them for 30 years, am a very clued up vet nurse with diploma in behaviourism , childfree so no kids at risk, and still would never have another of the large LGD types, as much as I loved him. They are not suitable to be pet dogs in suburbia and an absolute danger in this kind of situation. I've seen and heard some irresponsible situations but this older, petite, well meaning but completely unaware lady is in real danger, as obviously is her poor collie.
I have a Tornjak GSD cross from Bosnia, medium size and Tornjaks are nowhere near as "feral" as the largest LGD, but due to the horrendous situation for dogs in Bosnia, she couldn't even be touched for a month, she was so traumatised. No way should a LGD from Bosnia be sent to this lady. If someone could please send a link to this FB post I will pm the lady immediately,to warn her.

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[Mrs. Jingle]

@Leah3horses I did not mean to offend you with my 'madness' comment, and I agree with the ridiculous rehoming policy for many rescues does nothing to help the problem, here in Ireland anyway.

However, I respectfully suggest that your good intentions and obvious suitability to re-home feral street dogs from abroad is the exception rather than the rule.

 

[splashgirl45]

What mainly concerns me about foreign rescues is the very real threat of diseases being bought into our country, and although posters on here may be very careful with their foreign rescues , Joe Public don’t even know how to look after and train an easy British dog from puppyhood so what chance do these adult rescues from abroad have.

 

[SOS]

What mainly concerns me about foreign rescues is the very real threat of diseases being bought into our country, and although posters on here may be very careful with their foreign rescues , Joe Public don’t even know how to look after and train an easy British dog from puppyhood so what chance do these adult rescues from abroad have.

I can’t find any information on this rescues website or ‘adoption pack’ info about whether these dogs have been tested for any of the exotic diseases and the risks of such. All it says is included is in the £400 adoption fee - ‘Vaccinations and tests’.

I have very little faith in their ethical decision making. The charity is currently fundraising to have an RTA deers leg amputated so it can be released into the wild on three legs. They have phoned vets to find out options, are asking for donations for the op and meanwhile said deer is sat with no pain relief and a broken leg. Euthanasia would by far be the best option here and delaying it seems absolutely cruel.