just a question.

As I have mentioned before I am interested in adopting a rescue sometime late this year, or next year. I have been browsing the rescue sites of the Uk to get a feeling of the different centres and the dogs. Often the text for a couple of dogs says 'for experienced owners only' what does that mean ?? That the potential owner should have had a dog before, that the potential owner should have xxx number of years of dog training .... I know that it probably differs from dog to dog, but still it confuses me a bit. Often the text gives a short description of the dog, but nothing alarming, it might be dog needs some training since dog is not good on a leash, and then the 'only for experienced owners' line comes up. Is this 'only for experienced owner' due to the fact that I am only looking at GSDs and since they are big and strong dogs the rescue centres feel that they have to warn the potential owner ?? Lone

Yes, I think that's exactly what it means. However, in some cases, the shelter might happen to know that the dog was conditioned to certain negative or positive things. Knowing about those things will help you develop a happier relationship, faster, with your dog. You'd be surprised, and disappointed, to learn how few people do their homework before adopting a dog. You are the gleaming exception to a sadly common rule; so, Bravo, to you!

Our shelter doesn't use this label, 'only for experienced owners,' but I wish we did. I think the shelter is afraid that label would make itself vulnerable to litigation, if something went wrong

IME it could mean anything...personally I would not consider a dog to be needing an experienced owner due to size or strength. It would be a personality thing.

I have used that word often. What it could mean if I used it are any of the following:

- a dog that is not good with other animals - a dog that has a fairly confident or dominant personality and needs someone who is comfortable in the alpha role (this is usually what it would mean) - a dog that's extremely smart - a breed that just isn't a great beginner breed eg ACD, APBT/AST

Or any other personality/temperament trait that could potentially make it a bad match for someone who isn't overly experienced.

We've had dogs come through that are great, wonderful dogs. In the RIGHT home they are dream dogs. In the WRONG home they are very much problem dogs. Two that stand out in my memory are herding breeds that came from bad backgrounds and were lacking in confidence. Both of these boys desperately needed leadership. If they didn't feel it, they would take the reins and basically try to protect their person and themselves from anything and everything. One dog, a Belgian, had been through extensive obedience and was literally a dream dog as long as he understood that the person was 'alpha', and would make the decisions. If he was with people that were at all nervous of him/with him, he felt it and became protective - onleash manners were like night and day depending on the person at the other end of the leash.

Another that's coming to mind is a gorgeous APBT type named Sunshine. She's just a goofy adolescent who LOVES everybody and everything, and she is on a trial adoption right now, which has been extended b/c the adoptors are still trying to get a handle on her. She's just SO MUCH DOG. She is smart enough to take a yard if given an inch, and though there is NO aggression in this dog (I mean PEOPLE-LOVING) she will mouth and jump up. The owners are great, their last bulldog just wasn't as much larger-than-life as Sunny is. They just love her too much, and they have to work on not spoiling her so much. They know it...I am pretty confident that this will work out.

Jen Barlee's Angels Rescue Network - http://geocities.com/barleesangels Barlee, forever in my heart Until there are none...rescue one

Lea, Virginia German Shepherd Rescue www.shepherdrescue.org, wins 'The Most Excellent Paragraph Award' for writing,

Lone, that's what I meant, when I wrote, 'They will test *you*! LOL!' Lea expressed all of the good stuff I left out. Well done.

Gee - thanks for the complement! I always enjoy hearing good words from someone whose opinion and work that I hold in high regard. Means much more to me coming from some like you that I totally respect!

Thanks again,

Yours in rescue,

Thanks Everybody for your inputs and your view on this. I can see that I need to take my time picking the right GSD, not that I had planed otherwise. I guess that so far I have taken the easy way, in getting a puppy from a good line with well tempered dogs. Soon I will get a taste of what it is like getting a 'used dog' as I get a 14 month old GSD bitch on trial to see if we are a match later on this month, not that she will have the issues a rescue might have, as it is one my old dog's breeder has found, but still it will give me a feeling of what it could be like. Thanks again for your help it is much appreciated.