Rescuing with an aggressive dog

So, I was just thinking ahead to what it would be like to try to adopt another dog if I have Tucker. No guarantees that he will be mine, mom still might want to keep him, but let's just say I take him.

How do most rescue groups feel about adopting out to someone with a human aggressive, somewhat dog fearful dog?

I'm worried about the home visit because Tucker would have a complete meltdown, though not all places do home visits. The biggest thing though is that Tucker is fearful in new places, and most places require you to have the two dogs meet before the adoption. I think that's a good idea, obviously you want to know if they get along, but Tucker would be so scared at the shelter that he would likely lash out at any dog who tried interacting with him. And bringing the dog to my house to have them meet would not work because Tucker would be busy flipping out at the person bringing the dog. I would want Tucker to meet any potential adoptee before I got him, but I just don't know how a rescue would allow us to do it in a way that Tucker would be acting normally. I mean, the only "good" way for Tucker to meet another dog is on a walk (though he's becoming reactive towards large dogs on walks now) or in the park. Or he'd have to be able to spend an hour in whatever meeting area the shelter uses for the dogs to meet prior to bringing the other dog in, and that dog would have to be leashed because Tucker gets nervous about strange dogs crowding him. I just don't see most places being that accommodating. Plus, do rescues even approve of homes that have aggressive dogs or do they assume the owner must be bad because they raised a "bad" dog?

I just don't think it's a great idea. I know with Byron he makes every foster I have had comfortable, loves puppies, makes skittish ones relax. He is like the welcoming committee.

If I had a do it would make anxious or make the foster more anxious I wouldn't do it unless maybe it was a pound pull until it could get somewhere else and they would have no contact.

There is a lot of tension in the house when dogs don't get along. Gotta think of what's good lo g term for your dog and the new one.

And I guess I Mis read at first- if this is permanent do a trial. He will have to like one dog eventually right. I know the group I fostered for would work with you. I just do t like th idea of multiple fosters through the home constantly with a dog that is just no happy with it obviously.

My dogs do great with other dogs when introduced slowly, in a controlled setting. Not so much if I were to take them to a shelter for a meet and great, or having someone come into my home with another dog and right away expect them to get along. That would be recipe for disaster.

So, I just know my dogs and when I looked for potential new dog (or really, in my case, it was choosing to bring home a certain foster), I made sure the dog had the right kind of temperament to mesh well with my current dogs. Had a "doggy visit" been required, it wouldn't have worked and I would just have had to pass on the dog.

I have the same issue/questions.

Frodo can live just fine with other dogs/cats/rats/whatever. But it takes time. The first week or two there is a lot of crate juggling and you can't just throw new animals at him and expect them to play.

It took Frodo probably a good 2-3 weeks to get used to Whiskey, but they are absolutely fine now and they even have their own demented version of playing.

I've considered fostering after Whiskey goes back to Amber. Not sure whether it will be dogs or cats, but I know that I will need to be specific about what I want (old, laid back dogs that are more long term foster), because I won't be able to bring in a dog for a week then have it leave. Doing that over and over again would be stressful for Frodo and the other dog. I need to find a rescue that is willing to work with me on those requirements, and that has dogs that are probably not going to get adopted in the soon-ish future.

I do think that it is doable, I just think you have to put in the extra effort of finding a rescue that is willing to work with you in your situation.

Well...I work in pit bull rescue, so LOTS of people with potentially DA or "iffy" dogs do adopt, we just make sure they're aware of how to properly introduce dogs, crate and rotate, etc.

I've never seen an adoption happen with a human-aggressive dog in the household, but I do know quite a few families who have older, fearful, unfriendly, potentially aggressive dogs and a younger friendlier rescue dog.

I think you just need to find the right rescue group to work with...and foster-to-adopt would probably be the best option for you.

Perhaps I should explain Tucker's dog issues better. He is perfectly capable of getting along with other dogs. All dogs he KNOWS he loves, including several neighborhood dogs. Wants to play, gets super excited to see them, etc. It's really just the initial meeting that can be iffy. The other dog must not be able to crowd him and must not be pushy or over exuberant. So basically if the other dog is on leash he will warm up to it in no time and then the dog can be let off and he's happy to play and be friends. With small dogs none of this applies, he likes them right off the bat. Like at the park if a dog comes up and sniffs him he looks slightly nervous, if the dog then walks away Tucker follows them and sniffs them, then the other dog might try interacting and he'll seem nervous again, but then when it looks away he'll more confidentially sniff it. It'll go back and forth and before long Tucker is inviting the dog to play. He can make a new friend within 5 minutes so long as they aren't overly interested in him upon first meeting, he needs the dog to sniff and leave, sniff and leave. I have almost no doubt that he would enjoy living with another dog. I am not concerned about that, I'm concerned about making the intro go right and about not scaring away the rescue that I'd be adopting from.

BUT in a new place (like at the shelter) he would likely be aggressive to a dog due to fear of the new place.

With humans he is just completely stranger aggressive and it won't make a good impression on any rescue worker.

My first thought would be, would YOU feel comfortable managing a dog like Tucker and then adding another dog on top of it?

My dogs were always easy because what one did, the other did. But now they're very different in personality due to age and I have to do two walks, two separate methods of attention and affection with them each, etc.

If a new dog was different in personality, you might find that twice the work can be difficult (I do!) and on the other hand, if you get another dog and he has any behavior issues, you'll end up with double the work for sure.

As someone who has done rescue placements, I would adopt to someone with a HA/fearful dog if they had a good understanding of the behavior and a solid plan in place to either modify it or manage it.

I'm not sure what his human aggression is exactly like...most shelter and rescue workers are pretty familiar with dog behavior (although unfortunately, MANY aren't)...if we were adopting so someone with a dog who didn't like strangers and went to introduce the dogs at the home, and the first dog was barking, posturing, etc...we'd just ignore him and see how he acted towards the other dog. A lot of times we'll meet the new owner in the street or yard or a public area with the other dog to introduce them, it doesn't have to be indoors at a shelter.

Home visits for us are to make sure you're not a hoarder, or living somewhere totally different than you told us, or (this probably only applies to bully breeds) housing any dog fighting paraphernalia. We're flexible about introducing current dogs to new additions, and the only rescue I know of that isn't is ACC.

Coming from a rescue standpoint, I know that many/most of our foster homes would turn down adopting a dog to a home where this is an aggressive/reactive dog, but many of our foster homes know little about dog behavior. When I was fostering, I was completely fine with adopting out dogs to homes with dogs with issues. I adopted out a female terrier mix to a home with a male terrier that was SSA. They knew what they were doing, and sent me a whole crate and rotate schedule for the first few weeks until the dogs got comfortable. I was completely fine with that. Another foster dog went to a home with a small Pomeranian mix that was very standoffish with people, and didn't like to be approached. Again, she was very controlled, and I was fine with that.

You will probably be limited to organizations that will work with you. Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton seems to be pretty good actually, pretty friendly and accommodating (relatively $$ though).

You aren't looking now, are you? I have an ACO friend that runs a kennel and she has some dogs available. I don't know what size you are looking for but she has a FANTABULOUS lab x sighthound thing that needs a good home.

No, this won't be for several years (4-5). I'm still a poor college student


I know Baypath, it's very close by, I volunteered there for a short time, had to stop because my parents got tired of driving me to two rescues every weekend, so I chose the rescue I'd been working for longer.


If someone brought a dog to our house he'd likely be too busy freaking out at the person to notice the dog (he takes hours to be fully comfortable with a guest). I think if I were adopting a small dog doing it at a non-familiar place might work if it's calm and quiet, but not a large dog, it'd just put him over the edge, he'd have to meet a large dog somewhere he is comfortable.

And I certainly do need to be sure I can handle a second dog with Tucker's issues, I could really only see it being a big problem when people come over as Tucker really needs 100% of my attention, so if the other dog has bad door manners it could be an issue. I'd hope to have his leash reactivity under control by the time I get another dog, I've already done it with his reactivity towards people, now I'll just need to redo it with dogs too.
I would just hate to put off the dog I "planned" (I ideally want a therapy dog, and that's certainly not in Tuck's future) for 15 years, especially since I do truly think Tucker would enjoy another dog. He adores dogs he is comfortable with, watching him play brings me such joy, he is so happy. He loves Phoebe (aunt and uncle's Shih-Tzu, lives next door), Zelda (lab/pit mix next door), June Bug (pit bull from the park), Ginger (Golden next door), and Spike and Peyton (two Chihuahua mixes from down the street). He absolutely loves them. But the only ones who really like him back are the Chi mixes, the rest find him annoying at best. He also loves all of the small dogs he's met in the park or around the neighborhood pretty much right off the bat.

She has a few small dogs too .

I would just try and hook up with someone that will give you the time to evaluate the dogs together, however you need to do it. The foster homes or rescue people should be willing to help you, go for some walks with you. I would be VERY happy to see someone taking the time to do it rather than throwing them together with "I hope it works". Yep.

I hope not to still be in this state in 4-5 years but god forbid I am, and the ACO is still running, I'd be more than happy to help you with her dogs.