Dog adoption facilities in Bangkok to recommend?

[peterdwje2]

A friend is looking to adopt a guard-type dog for her house. One that watches out for bad guys but also is playful and friendly with children and other dogs (she has two small dogs). She would like to visit different dog adoption places in Bangkok and see what's available. Should be a reputable place and have dogs on site to view. Can someone with recent experience recommend such? Thanks.

[Oxx]

PicaPet4Home does sterling work.  It shows their cutest dogs on the website, but there are many, many more available for adoption.  It's run by Khun Tharinee and is based off Lat Phrao Road.

 

http://www.picapet4home.com/pick-a-dog.html

[wildewillie89]

We may have a difference in definitions of 'guard-type dog'. You may mean what I would call a 'watch dog'. The dog may bark, but be expected to do absolutely nothing else and also be expected to run away scared when challenged. Even so, I would be incredibly cautious, well to be honest, I would tell her not to do it at all. 

Adopting a guard-type dog to live with children and small animals is a recipe for disaster in most countries. Those dogs usually fail temperaments tests so are destroyed by facilities. It is for this reason guard-type dogs have their own separate groups who only house the dogs with experienced people. In Thailand, it is almost a guaranteed disaster due to the life it has most likely had to end up in an adoption facility. 

For it to have a higher chance of working it needs to be a puppy. But even then the dog has probably already experienced a pretty rough life in the most important socialisation period of its life. Not to mention the backyard breeding programs that ends up forming unstable temperaments. It is why it is important to check out the family/conditions the dog has come from if you have kids. Usually you cant do that with an adopted dog. 

I cant really see any 'reputable' place letting a dog of this nature go into a home with children and small dogs. I get the whole 'adopt a dog instead of buying', but there are certain circumstances that require buying. They are when you have kids/small dogs the dog will live with and working dogs. Even Soi Dogs, who I do not even consider that 'reputable', discussed this with me when I contacted them when I first moved to Thailand (in the hope to help a dog that wasn't even a working dog). Adopting a working guard-type dog is a completely different process than adopting your standard dog. 

Edited June 22, 2018 by wildewillie89

[chrisinth]

On 6/22/2018 at 9:35 AM, wildewillie89 said:

We may have a difference in definitions of 'guard-type dog'. You may mean what I would call a 'watch dog'. The dog may bark, but be expected to do absolutely nothing else and also be expected to run away scared when challenged. Even so, I would be incredibly cautious, well to be honest, I would tell her not to do it at all. 

Adopting a guard-type dog to live with children and small animals is a recipe for disaster in most countries. Those dogs usually fail temperaments tests so are destroyed by facilities. It is for this reason guard-type dogs have their own separate groups who only house the dogs with experienced people. In Thailand, it is almost a guaranteed disaster due to the life it has most likely had to end up in an adoption facility. 

For it to have a higher chance of working it needs to be a puppy. But even then the dog has probably already experienced a pretty rough life in the most important socialisation period of its life. Not to mention the backyard breeding programs that ends up forming unstable temperaments. It is why it is important to check out the family/conditions the dog has come from if you have kids. Usually you cant do that with an adopted dog. 

I cant really see any 'reputable' place letting a dog of this nature go into a home with children and small dogs. I get the whole 'adopt a dog instead of buying', but there are certain circumstances that require buying. They are when you have kids/small dogs the dog will live with and working dogs. Even Soi Dogs, who I do not even consider that 'reputable', discussed this with me when I contacted them when I first moved to Thailand (in the hope to help a dog that wasn't even a working dog). Adopting a working guard-type dog is a completely different process than adopting your standard dog. 

Just in addition to what wildewillie89 (correctly) said above, another concern that your friend may have is bringing a 'guard type dog' into an established pack (albeit only two dogs) of smaller dogs and the socializing that will (probably) need to be done. Exercise will be another concern as the larger type dog will need more than the smaller ones. If you don't provide the exercise, prepare for the destruction!

 

Before taking a dog for adoption, for the purpose of guarding, be very sure of that animal before bringing it home.

[wildewillie89]

1 hour ago, chrisinth said:

Just in addition to what wildewillie89 (correctly) said above, another concern that your friend may have is bringing a 'guard type dog' into an established pack (albeit only two dogs) of smaller dogs and the socializing that will (probably) need to be done. Exercise will be another concern as the larger type dog will need more than the smaller ones. If you don't provide the exercise, prepare for the destruction!

 

Before taking a dog for adoption, for the purpose of guarding, be very sure of that animal before bringing it home.

The 'guard-type' dogs that are becoming popular in Thai you really don't want to be introducing into a home with small animals. Even my Fila at 4 months old immediately attacked the in-laws Pug when they first met. Many working dogs have a natural drive for small animals anyway, but many lines are incredibly sharp in Thai (as haven't been diluted to fit better into society like back in the West). Socialisation as a puppy is obviously incredibly hard in Thailand depending where you live due to disease (especially if live in red zone rabies areas). Not to mention, socialisation of a guard dog is so much more intense than socialisation of a normal dog (literally have to take the dog everywhere you go). 

Even if they do manage to get along, they play very rough with other dogs. Not so rough with humans with training, but rough with dogs as their play is just a softer version of their more hardcore instincts (attack). 50 plus kg landing awkwardly on the leg of a 6kg dog is an expensive vet bill.

Exercise is a must. If the dog has a lot of land and is a  'guard dog' it will self-exercise. However, still need to walk it as it will want to work in the outside its border as well. Walking a working 'guard dog' isn't the same as walking a Labrador. So need areas with space, and no buildings etc where people will walk around the corner out of nowhere. 

Really, unless the dog is adaptable and has been trained to be a 'guard dog', like some German Shepherds etc, which takes a lot of dedication (especially if adopted), the only place to own such dogs is in rural settings. People have unrealistic expectations these days. They want the dog to be calm enough to take on the schools runs, but to defend their property. 99% of dogs may look like they are 'guard dogs', but if challenged will run scared. People don't want to spend the money/time on getting a dog up to scratch so the natural 'guard dogs' are starting to become popular now in Thailand. Natural 'guard dogs' are not trained police dogs that wait for a command. They independently assess the situation themselves and attack - thus being a huge risk to the public in inexperienced hands. Also a huge risk in the home if the environment isn't set up right, and lack of experience. 

[Katia]

My worry would be-- she will adopt a dog, of whose background and previous training she will probably know nothing.  And expect it to be both a guard dog and safe around children/smaller pets.  It's not something to take your chances on and sounds like a recipe for disaster.  The dog is up for adoption and she may not know why (issues in the past?), the dog has perhaps been abused in the past and may have certain fears or triggers of which she may know nothing, the dog may have never received any training or received bad training, the dog may not have breeding appropriate to being a guard dog (too timid) or appropriate to being well-mannered (an absolute must in possibly-tense situations).  If I wanted a dog for guard purposes, especially if I wanted the dog to "turn off" the aggressive instincts in certain situations, I would want to have say over the training from day one at a young age and know its disposition and how it was raised very well.