Adopt a Dog from DDRI

Meet Our own deaf
Dane Ambassador

Adopting a dog

Here at Deaf Dane Rescue Inc. we use a placement contract to protect the dogs and new owners, should there be any problems with a placement. And we are always willing to take a dog back after placement for any reason. In fact we require our dogs come back to us. However, we hope through our adoption process to be able to match up dogs and families well enough that there will not be any need for us to take a dog back.

To that end, Deaf Dane Rescue Inc. does more than just place dogs. Every dog is assessed, socialized, and trained, prior to placement. Every Dane will be trained as many basic hand commands as possible, including commands such as sit, down, good boy(girl), come, go, stay, no, etc. If time allows us to teach more than the basic commands we will, and we encourage adoptive owners to continue and expand their Dane's training. We believe a well trained dog, that knows what tasks are expected of them, and how to perform those tasks, will be a happy and well adjusted dog. All Danes that go through the Deaf Dane Rescue Inc. program receive intensive socialization, both canine and human. We feel this not only aids in their development, but also helps them to adjust to new and stressful situations more easily. As anyone who has met our deaf Dane Ambassador Delilah will tell you, the myths about deaf dogs being nervous, unstable, and prone to biting, are simply not true. At least not if the dog is well trained and has been properly socialized. We include with each adopted deaf Dane a series of post-adoption training sessions, to introduce the adoptive owners to the hand signals their dog has been trained to, as well as to orient them to the needs of a deaf Dane. Follow up assistance is also made available to adopters of special needs dogs. We hold our dogs until we feel they are ready for adoption. Most are with us for at least four months.

We do not place young puppies or intact dogs, so if you are looking for a puppy or a breedable dog, I am afraid we will not be able to help you. We also do not do owner referrals. We will only facilitate placements from other approved rescues. There are many reasons for this, but first and foremost is so that the dogs can be evaluated over a period of time, by someone who is experienced and objective. There was a problem with the dog in the original home, that's why they're being gotten rid of. Rather than pass that problem on to the next family, often without the full extent of the problem being clear, we believe the best solution is to put the dog in a qualified rescue where its behavior can be evaluated and it can get the care it needs. This also ensures that the applicants are properly screened and that adequate follow up and after placement support is available. Owners have lives to lead and are not trained or skilled in evaluating applicants. It just is not fair to the dog to leave these vital tasks to someone with little to no experience, training, or time.

The first step in an adoption is to fill out our new on-line adoption application, which is available here. The application is a form that you can fill out right from your computer screen and it will automatically be emailed to the adoptions coordinator.

After we receive your application, we will process it and get back to you. We do check references and will likely talk to your vet, so this may take some time. We are very concerned about placing our dogs in good, loving homes. Our goal is 100% successful placements, with no comebacks, so we try very hard to get to really know the adoptive families, both through our application form and through personal visits. If your application is approved, we will make a home visit, to inspect the home and yard, and to meet your family. We may bring a dog with us at this point, so we can observe how you and the dog interact, or we may save that for another time and have you come visit us. The purpose of all this, is to match the right dog with the right adoptive family and ensure a good, permanent placement. If there are any issues with the house or yard that we feel need to be addressed prior to placement, we will let you know what they are, give you a few weeks to resolve them, and then do a reinspection. We want this to work out well, for both you and the dog, and because of that we may seem to take all this a bit too seriously. But the bottom line is we want to find good homes for all our dogs, and to see that they never end up looking for a home again. We have a lot of time and love invested in every one of our dogs, and we take their happiness personally.

Once you have passed the application and home inspection, we will try our best to fit you with the right dog. Sometimes we will not approve of a particular placement, or will set limitations on the dogs you will be allowed to adopt. This usually has to do with the dogs and their specific needs, and is not a reflection on you or your family. Some dogs and families are just not a good fit, and if we feel this is the case, we will tell you. Hopefully there will be another dog that will be a good fit for your family.

We have a set adoption fee. All our dogs are $400, period. No add-on fees, no application fees, no "special" prices for "desirable" or "rare" dogs, and no bait and switch pricing. You will never pay more than $400 for a dog from us. Adoptions include spay/neutering (this is done with all dogs as soon after their arrival as possible, we do not place intact dogs, so don't even bother to ask, sorry), vaccinations, microchipping, a collar and engraved tag, a 40 lb. bag of food, and a 1 lb. bag of Diatomaceous Earth for worming and flea/tick/fly/mosquito control. The adoption fee also includes some basic training given at the time you come to pick up your dog, lifetime phone consultations on training and behavioral questions, and free refresher training (here at DDRI) for the life of the dog. We also subscribe you to our WhiteDanes Yahoo group where you can meet, talk to, and learn from your fellow adopters, other rescues, and people who own, live with, and love a special needs Dane. We monitor this group every day, so it's also a great way to ask us questions. And having a ready made support group can really be a big help. Heck the truth is we like to stay in touch with our adopters, most have become good friends. And we are always willing to answer any questions our adopters have.

Deaf Dane Rescue
49543 Mountain View Rd.
Oakridge, OR 97463
541-782-2242

We will most likely want you to come visit us and meet some of our dogs. We will want all of the members of the household to come, and we will want you to bring all your dogs with you so they can meet our dogs too. If you will be traveling from far enough away that you will need to stay overnight, you have several options. There are several hotels/motels in Oakridge, their names and phone numbers are listed below. There is also Tired Dog Ranch. TDR is run by a couple of adopters of ours. They are about 15 minutes from us and are just off Highway 58. We suggest you give Amy Jo at TDR a call first and see if she has any space. Being dog and animal lovers, they make DDRI adopters really feel welcome. And Xander, their deaf Dane, loves to greet new deaf Dane owners. You can read more about Tired Dog Ranch on their website. If you do contact them, be sure to let them know you are coming to meet and maybe adopt a dog from DDRI.

Oakridge Hotels/Motels
Arbor Inn Motel 541-782-2611
Cascade Motel 541-782-2489
Best Western Oakridge Inn 541-782-2212
Oakridge Motel 541-782-2432

If you want to follow up on your application please email the adoptions coordinator as they are the only one who will be able to answer your questions.

We want to thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about us, our dogs, and our adoption process. We hope that we can put you together with one of our dogs. If not, we will try to refer you to some other rescue who might be able to help you. Either way, we hope some lucky deaf Dane finds a place in your heart and your home.

Sincerely,

all the folks at DDRI
(and Delilah too!)

"The dog who meets with a good master is the happier of the two."
--Maeterlinck