Like if potential adoptees were counter surfers, leash pullers, hole diggers, and all that? We haven't had those issues and other typical ones with Brinkley (bless him) and I thought to perhaps make a list of questions about dogs.

The frontrunner rescue right now is Labs4rescue but we really, really want to meet the dog before adopting, and make sure Brinkley meets them too. I think those questions would be more important to me if we were adopting from out of state and weren't able to meet them first.

I just don't know how specific I can get without sounding nitpicky. On one hand, we are making a lifetime decision, so it's good to be informed. On the other hand, let's face it, you get your own brand of challenges with any dog.

What do you think?

Picky? No, I don't think so. Is Brinkley a rescue or did you get him from a breeder? The thing you have to understand about most rescue dogs is that they are in rescue for a reason. Through no fault of their own, mind you, but more often than not, they have never been taught any sort of obedience or manners. So many of them do have bad habits that need to be broken. Maybe you could phrase the question something like, Has the dog shown any behaviors that we should know about so that we can be prepared to correct them if needed? As a foster home, I always tell it straight to anyone interested in one of my foster dogs. I won't gloss over any bad behavior just to get the dog adopted because I want people to be aware of what they may be taking on. When I get lots of behavior or health related questions about a dog, I don't think someone is being too picky, it just makes me think they don't understand what types of dogs we get in rescue. Perfectly behaved, well bred dogs do not usually end up in shelters and rescues.

Yeah... I agree.

I also think... that they would be HAPPY if you asked lots of questions because you will have a better idea of weather this dog is a good fit for your family if you do. Make sure that you are aware of what behaviors you can live with and what you can't and let the rescue know this.

They don't want these dogs to come back to the rescue. They want them to live out their lives with you.

I'm an advocate for rescue & No you aren't being picky. That's great that you want to rescue a lab, however you know what you are looking for and what you can handle. That's not to say that he/she won't need some work- they all do, but you'll be able to tell what dog is the right fit. Good luck.

If you mean you want a dog that does NONE of that and is perfect - then yeah that is picky (no dog is perfect)

but i think you mean is it bad to ask. no, in fact, if the rescue doesn't want to provide such information (and ONLY state GOOD things about the dog) I wouldn't work with them. As a foster I am quick to say the good and the BAD about a foster dog, because I want people to have realistic expectations of the dog, and not return it afterwards.

if you want to meet hte dog first, then work with a rescue that allows this. Unless you are working over long distances, and if you are willing to go to the dog (i.e. you do not expect the rescue to travel 1 hr or more to come meet you unless they suggest it) then there is no reason NOT to meet hte dog first (and have your dog meet the potential dog as well).

Maybe you should be upfront about behavior that are a deal breaker (i.e. if you live in a apt and need a dog that does not bark all way) vs behaviors you just want to know about right away so they don't think you are asking EXPECTING the dgo have none of the isuses. might help.

Again, the rescue should provide this info willingly.

We have the same concerns. On saturday, we met a beautiful chocolate lab cross at the salem NH Animal rescue league, a no kill shelter. He is 4 years old, and was adopted out 2 times, once as a puppy and a second time when he was 3 1/2. He was returned back to the shelter because he nipped at a young child. Our 7 yo lab, Max, met him, after we met him for a while, and he did not pay much attention to Max. He had so much anxiety that he was actually foaming at the mouth at one point, but when I went over and spoke with him, and patted him, he settled down. My concern is if we adopt, and get him home, and he tries to dominate or worse bite Max. I believe once you adopt it is forever, so returning him to the shelter is not an option, but I don't want to have to try and seperate the 2 of them for ever, and I don't know how to retrain the dominance of another dog. Has anyone else thought about this?
HELP!!

Not picky at all. I asked the same questions, as well as questions about Corndog's health and if he had any aggression issues.

nope, rescues expect this!

I have a dog whose adoption has been approved, waiting till next week for his neuter & final vet checkup and then he will be off to his new home. In the meantime, I have been in contact with his adopters pretty much daily. answering questions, and trying to guide them as much as possible. we have already had 2 meet & greets with them, and we know it is definately a match that was meant to be! but they do have lots of questions, and a GOOD rescue will be honest with you!

Thank you very much everyone! Brinkley's 'challenge' was more about fear than anything else, and I guess I have a soft spot for that situation now. Whenever I see a picture of an obviously scared dog, my heart goes out to them. DH works from home and I can bring my dog to work, and along with having no children and a desire to learn and train, I think we could make a difference for a dog like that.

Of course, I know I can't special order another Brinkley in a different color. ;) What I like about Labs4Rescue is that they do list important factors like "prefers to be the only dog" and "needs leash training" etc. so I feel better about getting into a situation with my eyes wide open. My biggest concern is energy level and how it compares to Brinkley's. I would want to see that interaction firsthand.

Thank you for your suggestions, I truly appreciate them. We have 2 months to go till we start seriously looking but I'm very excited!

I volunteer with Labs4rescue. I would say everyone is pretty honest about the good and bad points for each Lab. When I do Home Visits I try to get the potential adopter to tell me their possible concerns so I can make sure the Lab they want is a correct fit. Think any of the volunteers would welcome any questions/concerns you have. The last thing anyone wants is the dog to be surrendered, so honesty is the best policy. I say ask away...

And agree, your dog needs to do a meet and greet with the possible contenders. It is important they get along.

Thank you!! When I originally found them on Petfinder, I was taken aback at how many Labs were listed. But I learned after that not all of them are in New England. I wish I could limit my search for the dogs that were local, but I'm sure when the time comes, they can help with narrowing that down. It would be great to go to an adoption event but there's nothing listed for January yet. We are waiting so that I can take days off work for the first few days with the new dog. :)

We have the same concerns. On saturday, we met a beautiful chocolate lab cross at the salem NH Animal rescue league, a no kill shelter. He is 4 years old, and was adopted out 2 times, once as a puppy and a second time when he was 3 1/2. He was returned back to the shelter because he nipped at a young child. Our 7 yo lab, Max, met him, after we met him for a while, and he did not pay much attention to Max. He had so much anxiety that he was actually foaming at the mouth at one point, but when I went over and spoke with him, and patted him, he settled down. My concern is if we adopt, and get him home, and he tries to dominate or worse bite Max. I believe once you adopt it is forever, so returning him to the shelter is not an option, but I don't want to have to try and seperate the 2 of them for ever, and I don't know how to retrain the dominance of another dog. Has anyone else thought about this?
HELP!!

Shelters are very stressful places for most dogs. The foaming at the mouth you saw was due to stress. Unless some of the volunteers at the shelter have spent time with this dog, you aren't going to get much information on what his true personality is. Most dogs take time to come out of their shells once they are out of a shelter and in a home environment. That's the benefit of going through a rescue where the dogs are in foster homes. But that shouldn't keep you from adopting from a shelter. And I think you are putting way too much pressure on yourself with this. Saying returning him to the shelter is not an option boxes you in and makes this process fill you with anxiety. You need to let go of that. Sometimes, it doesn't work out and that's OK. If it doesn't, you'll cross that bridge when you get there. There is a big difference between genuinely trying with a new dog and ultimately realizing your family isn't the right fit and returning a dog after a few days for something stupid or easily fixed. Looking for a new dog to add to your family should be an exciting time and make you feel good about rescuing a dog, it shouldn't have you so worried. But based on your interaction with this dog, I don't see where your fears have any immediate merit. There are things you can do from the start to show the new dog that his place in the pack is below your current dog. Feed Max first, pet Max first, etc. If you don't feel this dog is right for your family, by all means, keep looking. But don't pass him up just because he was stressed out and don't put your fears on him without any basis for it.

As a rescue we tell the people looking at the dog all we know about the dog.

Being honest helps make things a lot easier for both of us.

If the dog pull on a leash, we tell them, gets in the trash, counter surfers, no matter what we tell them.

We also give the new adopters all the papers we have about the dog from the time we pulled,rescued the dog. We do keep copies in case they would ever need them.

Tell all helps to make sure you never get the dog returned because the person is surprised about something the dog keeps doing

Thank you for your advice. I assumed that he was stressed, but not positive. I think this dog would be a great addition, but I still worry. Max is a very submissive lab, and is not assertive unless it comes to play. The behaviorist at the shelter made a comment that made me uneasy, telling me that we should not treat either dog differently. Meaning that we should not feed Max first, or pat him first. I did this with our older dog when Max was brought in to our home, and it worked out fine.

Yes, there are so many Labs in need. It's really a tough situation. There is a big event in Wallingford, CT this Saturday if you check the event calendar on the L4R website. If I were you I'd go to events a few weeks before you want to adopt. Usually the process takes 2-3 weeks by the time it is all said and done.

Events for January will probably be posted mid-december. Usually they are posted a few weeks out.

Oh also forgot to mention that if a dog is in the area it will say that on the bottom of their bio. Unfortunately no way to sort that out. that I am aware of...

I adopted Dutchess from Labs4Rescue -- she has fit into our family like she was born to us!! I know that isn't the way with all adoptions and I also remember that I was very uneasy about not being able to meet her first. We were actually in a "foster to adopt" contract...which meant I had xx days to return her if it didn't work out -- but the adoption fee would not be returned. Dutchess was in her 1st foster care for 10 months and then lived in another foster for about 3 weeks before I got her. Both foster people were great in sharing all the good and bad -- they wanted the adoption to work for us. They answered all the questions that I had and I asked tons of questions!! Labs4Rescue also sent (not sure if they still do) out electronic newsletters about dogs that are being fostered in New England so you might be able to find something close enough to meet first.

Thank you for your information. :)

I went to the site today to just check over the list and found a horrifying story about two boys, Cain and Sampson. I couldn't control myself and started crying here at work. Instead of waiting till January to make a PayPal donation, we did one today in their names. It's heartbreaking. The fact that they came from a so-called rescue makes me even more upset.

That's not picky at all--it's stuff they should tell you if they know. I like to disclose ALL bad habits to potential adopters, as everyone has things they can live with and things they can't. I can live with counter surfing/dumpster diving, but can't STAND barking, for instance. Good luck!