# Re homing a Romanian dog...



## WiggleBumMum (Mar 3, 2014)

Hiya, 

Firstly, i'm new here  Hello!!

I am in need of some advice, if anyone can help me. 

I am currently in the process of looking to re home a Dog, at the moment I am awaiting my home check...so fingers crossed!!!

My questions is...A lot of the rescue centers in my county have Romanian dogs for adoption...I would absolutely love to give one of these poor souls a forever home...however, I am wondering if Romanian dogs encounter more health/behaviour problems than other dogs? Seeing as the circumstances they have come from??

Can someone give me any advice? 

Thank you. 
WiggleBumMum x


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## cravensmum (Jun 28, 2010)

I have a Romanian rescue dog.

I have had her since July last year and she is now just over 1 year old.

I have been very lucky so far she has not had any health or behavioural issues at all.

There are a few people on here with Romanian rescues and I can't remember them saying they had any health issues.

Some have found their dogs quite timid but with lots of love and lots of time the dogs are doing ok now,hopefully they will be along to tell you more about their problems.


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## Owned By A Yellow Lab (May 16, 2012)

I am due to foster a Romanian dog in a few weeks and I too had some concerns. However the rescue I am going through take all the dogs to the vet to get full vaccinations and apparently the dogs are then checked again when they enter kennels in the UK.

If you would like to speak to someone at this particular group then please feel free to PM me.

Now, that being said, I have been warned that *some* people are bringing dogs over from Romania without taking care over vaccs etc. So you are right to be aware of these issues.


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## Riff Raff (Feb 12, 2013)

If the Romanian dog is at the rescue centre, or in a UK foster home, my advice would be to asses them behaviourally on an individual basis before you adopt. If you aren't confident doing this, hire a really good trainer with experience of behaviour assessments to go with you and provide independent advice. This may be the best money you ever spend, and can potentially save you a lot of expense and heart ache.

I would actually suggest this to anybody looking to select a rescue dog. So many people end up way over their head with a dog that doesn't suit their family situation, experience level etc. 

I certainly don't wish to discourage you from adopting, there are some really excellent dogs looking for homes at any given time, and I myself have two fantastic rescued dogs as well as fostering numerous others. However, as a trainer I often see very unsuitable dogs being placed in the wrong homes, and the distress this can cause to all concerned parties. Take selection very seriously, and choose with your head, not solely your heart.


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## 2Hounds (Jun 24, 2009)

Cravensmum was bodhi a young pup when her 1st owner adopted her?


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## cravensmum (Jun 28, 2010)

2Hounds said:


> Cravensmum was bodhi a young pup when her 1st owner adopted her?


Yes,she must have been about 3/4 months old.


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## rottieboys (Jan 16, 2013)

Well done to you, I was thinking of rehoming two rottie puppies. They are in a rescue in Romanian... My OH said no. I would of done this without thinking, just to help these puppies out.


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## comfycavy (Mar 3, 2013)

Hi 

It's wonderful you want to give a romanian dog the chance of a new life  I've had my romanian girl just over a year, we got her at 7 months and she will be two in April.

I feel I must be honest and say that the first 4-5 months of having her were very hard work. She had absolutely no training (accept for the fact she was comfortable but not very good at walking on a lead) she had never lived in a home environment and as a result she wasn't house trained. There were a LOT of accidents but we dealt with it calmly and figured out a routine and stuck to it like glue. Eventually it all fell into place but it was by no means easy. We bought a clicker and clicked and gave her a treat for every single poo/pee she done in the garden. My mum still clicks/treats her now...just habit I suppose 

Also she was incredibly timid when we brought her home. She was pretty much scared of her own shadow but given what a lot of these dogs have been through it didn't come as a surprise. The outside world was also a huge challenge, for both of us really. It took weeks before she would even leave the end of our road. Men, cars, bikes, children and other dogs all proved a challenge. It was tiny, tiny steps to build her confidence up. She's still not a fan of men (sorry chaps!) or children and bikes but we take our time, if we have to cross the road that's fine but I make a real effort to try and be relaxed and to not make a fuss of any oncoming people/dogs but this has taken a huge amount of effort on my part as I'm naturally quite an anxious person  so we have worked on this together.

But despite what has been a huge learning curve and one heck of a rollercoaster ride I absolutely ADORE my very special girl. She is just the most funniest, naughtiest, sweetest dog I have ever laid eyes on. The thing that you will find if you do decide to adopt, is that despite the trauma that many of these dogs have had to face they still have the most incredible personalities that are just waiting to shine though. You will also have a lot of fun too, it's not all hard work! My dog is 100% mongrel but we think she's possibly a combination of a collie/jack russell/whippet/beagle so her energy seems endless but yes, she does sleep at times thank goodness!  

If you do decide to adopt a "rommie" there are quite a few members on here who I'm sure will share their experiences with you.


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## PennyGSD (Apr 16, 2012)

I would suggest they're no more likely to have health/behavioural issues than any dog from such an awful background.

We adopted a bonded pair from Romania at the end of September who had been in foster in the UK since June. Both were skinny rakes when they first arrived and although a healthy weight now, I do wonder if any long term damage was done through malnourishment. Only time will tell, but a very good excuse to spoil them with the best possible diet I can now

Any rescue dog can have issues. But once you build up trust and develop a bond it's so, so rewarding to see them relax and blossom.


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## Linzbam (Apr 19, 2016)

Very happy to read these comments about a Romanian rescue! We are currently In The process of adopting a dog from Romania, we have our home check on Friday and have reserved our dog. She is just beautiful, looking at the pictures!


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

She is a bonny girl .......... good luck with her.

My Son and his Wife rescued a little Romanian girl eighteen months ago, a small terrier mix, aged then about a year.

She's a delightful little girl, no real issues or health problems and they love her to bits.


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## Moobli (Feb 20, 2012)

She looks beautiful. Good luck with your home check.


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## Blobfish (Apr 19, 2016)

Hi all!

This is my first post - I was trawling the internet for advice on how to cope with my recently rescued Romanian dog, and came across this, so felt I had to comment! I have just rescued a little Romanian dog - we have only had her a week and a half. If you are considering getting one, I would very strongly advise to think with your head and not your heart. I had a romantic idea of rehoming a friendly little companion, and going for long countryside walks together, and maybe even have her sit at my feet in a dog friendly pub. Now I have her......it would seem that's not going to happen - not for a long time at least! I really agree with what Riff Raff has said above - perhaps get a behaviourist to assess the dog BEFORE taking him/her home. I have been looking for a rescue dog for a while. I felt that unfortunately I wasn't in a position to take on a dog with deeply ingrained behavioural issues. But then I saw this little dog advertised by an English charity that rescues Romanian dogs. She seemed perfect! And apparently was lovely, friendly, happy and free of issues. Brilliant, the dog for me at last! She was being fostered quite a long way from where I lived - a few hours drive. This meant that after I had passed my homecheck, there wasn't really the chance to meet her before taking her home. I felt a little pressured, as you are told it's a first come first served basis, and other people may be interested. She seemed so perfect - if I delayed by just going to see her but not take her home, someone else may snap her up! When we went to get her- upon meeting her, she seemed great, very confident,playful and friendly. But as soon as we took her away, things changed. I found that she is the opposite to how she was described in her write up. She is PETRIFIED of anyone other than myself and my partner,and doubley petrified of dogs. I was told she was great with dogs, strangers,kids, everything! But she is so scared, I can't take her for proper walks. We had an awful incident on our second day with her; thinking she was fine with dogs we tried taking her to our local park. She was so so scared. She dug her heels in and had he tail between her legs. A dog came up to her (not on a lead), she tried to run but couldn't on a lead, so snapped at it in fear. The next dog she did this to (a dog which again wasn't on a lead) provoked a huge dog fight with it's friends joining in, meaning she is now even more scared. Poor girl. I feel so sorry for her. I can't walk her at the moment in any place where we may come across a dog off lead, which is most places where I live!

I took her today for behavioural counselling, with an experienced and qualified behaviourist. They said that they have seen this often - most rescued romanian dogs are extremely scared of things, and often have behavioural issues. She said about 70% she sees. My dog is around 4 years old - maybe a rescued Romanian puppy would be fine, as they are still in that period where they can learn to socialise. I was also told that some rescues are know for 'twisting the truth' with regards to issues, as they have a conveyor belt of dogs and just need to get them in a home. I'm not suggesting all rescues are like this, the behaviourist was just saying that a number of them can hide things. My little dog is a sweetheart with myself and my partner. It's just everything else that is going to be a problem. I've been told that she will need months, perhaps even a year of regular behavioural therapy, although she thinks that she is 'fixable'. 

I love her, and will do everything to settle her down and make her into a happy dog. But I wasn't expecting to be in this situation. And it's incredibly difficult to deal with. It will take a LOT of time, patience, and money.


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## Chellie (Jul 30, 2015)

I've got three Romanian rescues with a fourth coming over when she has finished rearing her puppies in a couple of months. Are they hard work? Depends on the dog, they are all different the same as any dog, purposely bred or rescued. Most of them have had a pretty horrific time, some cope better with it than others. This is obvious when comparing the two siblings I rescued. One is happy to approach strangers and get a fuss, the other one is petrified of people and there is no way that a stranger can get close to her let alone touch her. They were born in a public shelter but pulled out at a couple of weeks old and raised by a fantastic fosterer but one holds onto her nightmares and the other one has let them go. That said, I can walk all of them off lead and they are a pleasure to own but it has been a slow process to get them there. The secret is to take it slowly. It's tempting to take them out and introduce them to the world but they need time to adjust to their surroundings, just because they are happy in their foster home doesn't mean that they don't need time when they get their forever home, they don't know you so won't trust you to keep them safe. They don't need to leave your house to begin with so its best to spend the time building a trusting relationship before they meet the big bad world and all of the strange experiences it offers.

My third Rommie rescue walked into the house, looked around, ate some food and took over lol. She has always been sociable with people and dogs, is confident and outgoing and would fit into most people's lifestyles. She lived wild on the streets for 9 months, has two mended ribs and two missing teeth (she's only about a year old) so had it a lot rougher than the other two but to her life is an adventure to be met head on.

What I'm trying to say is be patient, empathetic and mindful of the horrendous experiences that the Rommie dogs have witnessed, don't expect too much too soon, once they realise that you are their forever home they start improving in leaps and bounds (a friend has a Rommie that wouldn't come out of her crate for 3 months, 6 months later she is the most sociable dog you could meet, a bit bouncy but a wonderful nature).


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

Blobfish said:


> Hi all!
> 
> This is my first post - I was trawling the internet for advice on how to cope with my recently rescued Romanian dog, and came across this, so felt I had to comment! I have just rescued a little Romanian dog - we have only had her a week and a half. If you are considering getting one, I would very strongly advise to think with your head and not your heart. I had a romantic idea of rehoming a friendly little companion, and going for long countryside walks together, and maybe even have her sit at my feet in a dog friendly pub. Now I have her......it would seem that's not going to happen - not for a long time at least! I really agree with what Riff Raff has said above - perhaps get a behaviourist to assess the dog BEFORE taking him/her home. I have been looking for a rescue dog for a while. I felt that unfortunately I wasn't in a position to take on a dog with deeply ingrained behavioural issues. But then I saw this little dog advertised by an English charity that rescues Romanian dogs. She seemed perfect! And apparently was lovely, friendly, happy and free of issues. Brilliant, the dog for me at last! She was being fostered quite a long way from where I lived - a few hours drive. This meant that after I had passed my homecheck, there wasn't really the chance to meet her before taking her home. I felt a little pressured, as you are told it's a first come first served basis, and other people may be interested. She seemed so perfect - if I delayed by just going to see her but not take her home, someone else may snap her up! When we went to get her- upon meeting her, she seemed great, very confident,playful and friendly. But as soon as we took her away, things changed. I found that she is the opposite to how she was described in her write up. She is PETRIFIED of anyone other than myself and my partner,and doubley petrified of dogs. I was told she was great with dogs, strangers,kids, everything! But she is so scared, I can't take her for proper walks. We had an awful incident on our second day with her; thinking she was fine with dogs we tried taking her to our local park. She was so so scared. She dug her heels in and had he tail between her legs. A dog came up to her (not on a lead), she tried to run but couldn't on a lead, so snapped at it in fear. The next dog she did this to (a dog which again wasn't on a lead) provoked a huge dog fight with it's friends joining in, meaning she is now even more scared. Poor girl. I feel so sorry for her. I can't walk her at the moment in any place where we may come across a dog off lead, which is most places where I live!
> 
> ...


My Son's Romanian girl was terrified of other dogs at first. No wonder, living on the streets amongst other strays, having to fight for every scrap of food and Jessie is a little girl. No wonder she was afraid.

Eighteen months later, she is over her fear and will socialise with other dogs.

Patience and time will mend most things. You do have to remember what these poor souls have been through.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Blobfish said:


> Hi all!
> 
> This is my first post - I was trawling the internet for advice on how to cope with my recently rescued Romanian dog, and came across this, so felt I had to comment! I have just rescued a little Romanian dog - we have only had her a week and a half. If you are considering getting one, I would very strongly advise to think with your head and not your heart. I had a romantic idea of rehoming a friendly little companion, and going for long countryside walks together, and maybe even have her sit at my feet in a dog friendly pub. Now I have her......it would seem that's not going to happen - not for a long time at least! I really agree with what Riff Raff has said above - perhaps get a behaviourist to assess the dog BEFORE taking him/her home. I have been looking for a rescue dog for a while. I felt that unfortunately I wasn't in a position to take on a dog with deeply ingrained behavioural issues. But then I saw this little dog advertised by an English charity that rescues Romanian dogs. She seemed perfect! And apparently was lovely, friendly, happy and free of issues. Brilliant, the dog for me at last! She was being fostered quite a long way from where I lived - a few hours drive. This meant that after I had passed my homecheck, there wasn't really the chance to meet her before taking her home. I felt a little pressured, as you are told it's a first come first served basis, and other people may be interested. She seemed so perfect - if I delayed by just going to see her but not take her home, someone else may snap her up! When we went to get her- upon meeting her, she seemed great, very confident,playful and friendly. But as soon as we took her away, things changed. I found that she is the opposite to how she was described in her write up. She is PETRIFIED of anyone other than myself and my partner,and doubley petrified of dogs. I was told she was great with dogs, strangers,kids, everything! But she is so scared, I can't take her for proper walks. We had an awful incident on our second day with her; thinking she was fine with dogs we tried taking her to our local park. She was so so scared. She dug her heels in and had he tail between her legs. *A dog came up to her (not on a lead), she tried to run but couldn't on a lead, so snapped at it in fear. The next dog she did this to (a dog which again wasn't on a lead) provoked a huge dog fight with it's friends joining in*, meaning she is now even more scared. Poor girl. I feel so sorry for her. I can't walk her at the moment in any place where we may come across a dog off lead, which is most places where I live!
> 
> ...


In all honesty, none of that is your fault but the fault of the other dogs' owners for allowing their offlead dog to approach yours, bless you for persevering, if it's any consolation one of my Rommies was here several months before she would even allow anyone to stroke her, 3 years on & she can't get enough of cuddles!

I always give people I'm doing homechecks for a realistic idea about what to expect as it's important they don't romanticise about these dogs- yes their plight is extremely distressing & yes people want to help, but there are a lot of very damaged dogs, many of whom have never lived in a home & not everyone is prepared for that sort of difficulty.

It's important for people to be prepared for the time & commitment that these dogs need in order to turn their lives around, I would rather put someone unsuitable off adopting than give them an unrealistic ideal & risk a dog ending up bouncing back into rescue, or worse, getting sold on Gumtree & the like.


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## LoopyL (Jun 16, 2015)

There are thousands of dogs needing rescuing in this country which may suit you. I'd visit your local rescue & do some research on any
dogs you like the look of & maybe offer to 'foster' with a view to offering a permanent home if you & dog get on well


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## Blobfish (Apr 19, 2016)

Thank you everyone for your advice, and thanks simplysardonic for the understanding. I don't want my above post to sound too negative - it's fantastic adopting a dog without a home, as opposed to getting a new purpose-bred puppy. It's a great thing to do. I was just trying to add in that (particularly for people with no prior experience of rescue dogs) it can be tough, even if you think you are taking on a dog free of issues. Some dogs will take to their new life like a duck to water, and some won't. It's easy to see their sweet faces, get swept away in all the excitement and assume it will be an easy ride. That's what I did. And I was mistaken. It's really encouraging to hear peoples success stories- my little dog has just embarked on (positive and slow-paced) behavioural training - I'm sure she will get there in the end. Her biggest problem is fear-aggression, but we will work on this at her pace. I think perhaps the rescue I went through didn't try very hard to match the right owner with the right dog, but it's okay, and I'm going to stick by her. They also insisted she must always be on a slip lead (the choking type), my behaviourist was horrified!


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

One of the key issues that appears to be fairly common in many of the dogs being adopted from abroad is that if they have been street dogs for any length of time, they resemble Steve McQueen in the Great Escape..................

I know several very experienced behaviourists and trainers have advocated a house line on the dogs for several months and not be let off for quite a while even in the garden as many do actually escape, sometimes unfortunately only once...................


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## New-mom (Mar 19, 2016)

I have had my Romanian rescue for 7 weeks at the weekend. Alot of the issues i was told i was likely to have really didnt happen which i was suprised about but a whole lot of other issues that i didnt think would be an issue were.

I adopted straight froma shelter in Romania and never met him before he arrived home. They told me he was good with dogs and cats. He is neither. He was very leash reactive (fear aggressive) and was aggressive to my cat too. He was afraid to walk along the kitchen floor. Afraid of traffic, especially vans due to dog catchers. Is food aggressive with other animals.(not so suprising this bit)

I didnt bond with him straight away and thought omg what have i done! From having my boy and from speaking to others, Romanian rescues tend to be more independant.

But you will be meeting your dog face to face which is a huge benefit. I cant say my dog is a good match for me as he just came straight from Romania.

Looking back at my post i ramble on a bit and dont really have a point to make just stating what i have found with my boy x


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## cheekyscrip (Feb 8, 2010)

I think most issues are the same Romania or any other place where dogs are abused and neglected.
My Spanish podenco cross during first days neither ate or peed or pooed anywhere...just frozen with fear..lying on me like a ragdoll. 
Then he panicked anytime I had to be out of his sight...trying to break toilet door etc...crying all nights as OH firmly refused to keep him in our bed...
Men and most dogs were too scary. No understanding of traffic, stairs...
Reactive to being touched from the back or with a foot..or having foot near him...
My children had lots to learn!!!
Took one year to sort it out.
Six years on...he is not very sociable with strangers..but accepts friends, got a cat, likes some dogs, perfectly house trained...adores the children...
Issues: Barks a lot when excited...scared of bull breeds, his teeth need cleaning...

The sweetest, most loving little soul. Never going far...so very easy off lead and never bothers other dogs or strangers. .very good watchdog!


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## Victoria Haddock (Sep 15, 2020)

Have posted a separate post but just found this one. I am due to adopt 2 sisters from Romania. Can i ask when they first arrived how did you let them out to wee. Slip leash or did you attempt a harness? Thanks


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Victoria Haddock said:


> Have posted a separate post but just found this one. I am due to adopt 2 sisters from Romania. Can i ask when they first arrived how did you let them out to wee. Slip leash or did you attempt a harness? Thanks


Or you could do like someone near me did and let the dog out loose and leave it to roam for weeks till someone got fed up and shot it! Sorry, not very helpful. I would put on a harness but also have a lead on the collar so you have a bit of back up.


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## Victoria Haddock (Sep 15, 2020)

Ok thanks. Was told to get them use to a harness before stressing them out. So trying to do the right thing and not knowing what that is lol. But think it's best to be safe than sorry.


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