HELP WITH SCHNAUZERS, WIRE FOX TERRIERS, LAKELAND TERRIERS, IRISH TERRIERS, LUCAS TERRIERS and SPORTING LUCAS TERRIERS
If you need help with your miniature schnauzer, wire fox terrier, lakeland terrier, irish terrier, lucas terrier or sporting lucas terrier, please call 407-333-0524 or email polpis2010@yahoo.com. We specialize in rehoming schnauzers, selective wire fox terriers, lakeland terriers, irish terriers, lucas terriers and sporting lucas terriers for owners who can no longer keep their dog due to change in circumstances such as a job relocation, divorce, birth of a baby, move to an apartment, move to extended care facility, marriage, job loss or the dog is not the right breed for their lifestyle. We do NOT buy or deal in the selling of dogs acquired from puppymills.
We can refer you to the breed club rescue representatives for Florida if you need to rehome or are interested in adopting a airedale terrier, australian terrier, bedlington terrier, black russian terrier, border terrier, brazilian terrier, cairn terrier, cesky terrier, dandie dinmont terrier, fell terrier, giant schnauzer, glen of imaal terrier, jagdterrier, Japanese terrier, kerry blue terrier, norfolk terrier, norwich terrier, patterdale terrier, plummer terrier, Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz (SFT X Raterillo Andaluz), scottish terrier, sealyham terrier, skye terrier, soft coated and irish coated wheaten terriers, standard schnauzer, teddy roosevelt terrier, tibetan terrier, welsh terrier and west highland white terrier.
REQUIREMENTS
We require a fenced yard, prior miniature schnauzer, wire fox terrier, lakeland terrier, irish terrier experience, current pets must be spayed/neutered and licensed, excellent vet and grooming references and agree to training and vet care stipulations in the adoption contract. We prefer to place schnauzers and terriers in homes with children over 8 years of age. We are a Florida based organization and prefer to place our rescues within the state of Florida to owners that meet our requirements and whose primary residence is in the state of Florida. We will need to arrange a homestudy for each residence if you own more than one residence. We do not allow our rescues to be placed in a home where an owner leaves their dog(s) or cat(s) outside while at work, overnight or for any period of time not supervised by the owner. We do not allow our rescues to live outside. We do NOT allow dog houses, dog condo's or other such structures (e.g., igloo's) to be used outside or in a garage to house a pet either during the day or at night. We evaluate schnauzers or terriers with young children prior to placement. We will make an exception IF a schnauzer or terrier is well socialized and the adopter demonstrates the ability to effectively manage a schnauzer or terrier with children under 8 years. TERRIERS: We require a fenced yard and NO children under 8 years of agel Be careful when adopting a wire fox terrier bred by a backyard breeder or a puppymill. A short tail, poor ear set, poor quality coat are tell tale signs of poor breeding. A puppymill wire is not socialized as a puppy. This is very important in the development of a well adjusted wire fox terrier, lakeland terrier, irish terrier or welsh terrier. Some poorly bred wires or wires used as breeders at a puppymill develop rage syndrome when not correctly socialized as a puppy.
COSTS
We do NOT charge an adoption fee. The adopter is responsible for payment of the vet bill paid directly to our vet and the grooming bill paid directly to the groomer. Please recognize the vet bill can be rather costly if the schnauzer is in poor health at time of rescue. We negotiated fixed vet costs at a significant reduction based on our rescue practices with 3 vet offices in Central Florida and vet offices in Clearwater, Miami, Naples, Wachula and Wildwood. Younger rescue dogs have the highest cost vet bills due to the poor breeding of schnauzers and wire fox terriers sold in Florida and/or through internet sites. All adoptions are done at our vet offices. We do not transport dogs for adopters. If we are required to transport a dog, the adopter is responsible for gas and tolls. If you release your dog to our rescue group for rehoming, you are responsible for bringing the dog, signed owner release form and their medical records to one of our vet offices. We do not pick up dogs and deliver owner release dogs to rescue. If we are required to transport a owner release dog to rescue, gas,and tolls are paid by the owner and/or the adopter. We provide a Sun Pass report of toll charges and gas receipts. The adopter is responsible for all shipping costs, crate cost, shipping documents, filing fees required to ship a rescue dog outside of Florida.
DONATIONS
We do NOT receive funding from national breed clubs nor do we engage in fund raising activities. WE DO NOT ACCEPT DONATIONS OF GOODS, SERVICES or MONETARY DONATIONS.
ADOPTION PROCESS
We are experiencing a high volume of emails and telephone messages left with our answering service. We apologize if you do not receive a timely reply. Please request an application by sending an email to polpis200@yahoo.com We will discuss available dogs AFTER we receive a completed application returned by email. It typically TAKES 4-6 weeks to process an application, schedule and complete a homevisit, verify references and place a dog. We are volunteers and do NOT have the time or resources to answer every telephone call/message or respond to every email. We receive an average of 61 completed applications for each rescue dog listed on petfinders. All adoptions are done at our vet offices. WE DO NOT DELIVER OUR DOGS FOR ADOPTION.
DISCLOSURE
We REPRESENT the needs of the rescue dog we are trying to save, rehabilitate and rehome. We do NOT represent the needs of the applicant or the breeder. We find homes for the dogs we rescue.
Is A Fox Terrier Right For Me? by Dena Lebo-Funk, DVM
Rescued Wire Fox and Smooth Fox Terriers are fine companions in an appropriate home but their "terrier ways" make them unsuitable for some families. Maybe you know someone who owns a Fox Terrier or have met one that you like. Maybe you are interested because you have seen one on TV or in the movies. Or maybe you have shared your life with a Fox Terrier, or several, before. In any case, before you envision your rescued Fox Terrier living happily ever after while he charms you with his intelligence and antics, please take time to carefully consider whether or not a Fox Terrier is a good match for your household and lifestyle.
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Puppies are rarely available through rescue. Adult Fox Terriers become available for adoption for a variety of reasons. Sometimes their owner dies, moves to a retirement home or finances no longer allow them to keep a pet. Sometimes adults are rescued from puppy mills. But most commonly, the reasons are because he doesn't get along with another dog or cat in the house, doesn't get along with small children in the house, isn't housebroken, runs away when outside or has more energy then the family can deal with. These adults are typical, normal, Fox Terriers given up by families who didn't realize what a Fox Terrier was all about.
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While on the subject of personality, not all Fox Terriers are alike in their personality and behaviors. If you owned a Fox Terrier before and think that you know the breed very well, please consider that perhaps your dog was not typical for the breed. For example, if you owned a quiet, calm, Fox Terrier that loved all children, got along well with every dog and cat and could walk off leash without any problems, that was not a typical Fox Terrier! In all fairness to any dog you are considering adding to your family, it is important that you clearly express specifically what personality and behaviors you do and don't expect from that dog. This way the rescue volunteer can better determine whether a particular available dog's personality will mesh with your own. In short, clear communication of your expectations is the key for a successful match since some available Fox Terriers will not fit your expectations.
Fox Terriers, both Smooth and Wire, are working breeds developed to chase fox into the ground then burrow, dig and bark furiously to annoy the fox out of the ground so the hunter could shoot it. Fox Terriers were bred for stamina that allowed them to run with the fox hounds for hours at a stretch several times per week. This work requires a Fox Terrier to possess intelligence, problem-solving skills, high prey (chase) drive, confidence, fearlessness, and an independent attitude. These characteristics make them excellent hunters and endear them to owners who love a bold, rash and determined companion. However, these are the same characteristics that make them a poor fit in many households. The very characteristics that land many Fox Terriers in shelters or in foster care with a rescue group!
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While every Fox Terrier varies in personality and energy level, considering the breed as a whole, they bark, they chase moving objects, they have never-ending-energy and they are relentless when they want something (prey, food, toy, a Barbie Doll's head, etc.) They are typically territorial and "quick to react" so they often don't get along well with other dogs if they haven't been well socialized, especially dogs of the same sex. In fact, many rescued Fox Terriers must be placed as the only dog in their new home. Most Fox Terriers will chase cats. Some will even kill cats. There have been instances of Fox Terriers who seemed to get along with the cat beautifully until one day when the owner arrived home to find the cat slaughtered by the dog. Most Fox Terriers will kill birds and small pets like hamsters, chickens or guinea pigs. If you have other pets , confining the Fox Terrier to a crate or a small room when you are not home is highly recommended for the safety of the other pets. Most will chase squirrels, rabbits and deer. If you don't have a safe, fenced area for them to exercise off leash while outside then the dog should remain on leash at all times. Unless trained otherwise, many Fox Terriers are excited by and will chase moving bikes, skateboards and cars. This can be an annoying habit to a family lacking the time and patience to teach the dog to ignore these moving objects. It can also be dangerous to the dog and the persons involved if the dog gets loose.
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Fox Terriers require an enormous amount of daily exercise. The truth is, a tired Fox Terrier is a well-behaved Fox Terrier. An hour a day of aerobic exercise like jogging, swimming, biking or ball chasing is the bare minimum. Ask any self-respecting Fox Terrier himself, and he will tell you three hours is more like it! Does your family have this much time to devote to just exercising the dog every day, no matter the weather? A ten minute leash walk twice a day will not come close to satisfying their daily exercise requirement. Putting them out in the backyard while you stay inside the house will not satisfy their exercise requirement either.
And most Fox Terriers cannot be exercised off leash at a "dog park" because they are not likely to get along with all of the other dogs running loose there. If you don't have time to exercise the dog properly every day or have someone reliable to do it for you, your Fox Terrier companion will likely invent his own fun and it probably will be something you don't approve of like running away when outside, chewing your furniture, barking at anything that moves, digging holes in your yard and pestering everyone in the house because he is too "pumped up" to simply relax. Fox Terriers remain active well into their teen years. It isn't just the puppies and young adults that need daily aerobic exercise though a middle-aged to older Fox Terrier has an energy level that is generally a better fit for most working families.
If you have children, grandchildren or neighborhood children, keep in mind that some Fox Terriers don't tolerate or are unable to cope with them. There are, of course, Fox terriers who are great buddies with children but finding a dog like this available for adoption will generally require a longer wait. Many reputable breeders and rescue volunteers will not place a Fox Terrier in a home with children younger than 7 years of age. Unless properly and socialized and raised from puppyhood with small children present, many Fox Terriers will be stressed by the awkward, unsteady movements of a toddler or overly aroused by the quick movements and high-pitched noises made by active children. In such stressed conditions, even an innocent nudge or an accidental trip and fall over a sleeping Fox Terrier can startle him and result in a snap or bite. Like some other terrier breeds, Fox Terriers have practically zero tolerance for their ears, tails or feet being pulled on. Unlike a Golden or Labrador Retriever, most Fox Terriers do not make special allowances for very boisterous children. They instead perceive them as a threat or a challenge. This is another common reason for a Fox Terrier to end up in need of a new home.
Because Fox Terriers are bred to think and work independently of their human companions, they have a reputation for being stubborn and hard to train. Actually they are highly intelligent and very willing to learn if you are a patient teacher and provided all of their requirements for physical and mentally exercise are met on a daily basis. Fox Terriers do best in an active but calm household where the rules are clear and consistently applied by everyone in the family. This cannot be over emphasized. Without rules and benevolent guidance to clearly establish the family's leadership role, a Fox Terrier will tend to be reactive, anxious and ignore instruction. This can escalate into behavior problems.
Fox Terriers, in fact terriers in general, can also be difficult to house train. Yet another common reason why they end up in need of a new home. A Fox Terrier tends to quickly learn to potty outdoors but is slower to realize that pottying indoors is not appropriate. In order for them to clearly understand what is expected, it is critical to keep them within your sight at all times during the acclimation period to a new home. How long is that? It could be a few weeks for some dogs, several months or longer for others. Are you and the rest of your family willing and able to keep your new companion constantly within your sight and to clean up after the dog for potentially several months?
Rescued Fox Terriers can and do make wonderful family pets, for families prepared for and able to properly train and exercise them. Most Fox Terriers available for adoption are not there because they have something wrong with them. But rather because they are a typical Fox Terrier turned over by a family that didn't expect what they got.
Remember that no matter how wonderful a home you may be, you are not going to be the best home for every Fox Terrier. The key is finding a dog with the personality traits and behaviors that will mesh with your home, family and expectations. In order for this to happen, you must have open and frank communication with the volunteer about what you are looking for in a new companion.
If you decide that the Fox Terrier breed is not the best match for your family, be proud that you have done your research. With more research, you will find the right dog for you!
