Pros and cons of neutering male dogs
Pros and cons of neutering male dogs

Advantages and disadvantages of castrating male dogs. Pros and Cons of Castrating Male Dogs: A Comprehensive Guide Castrating male dogs, commonly known as neutering, is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the testicles. It is a widespread practice, recommended by many veterinarians and animal welfare organizations, primarily for population control and the health benefits it can offer. The decision to neuter a male dog can come with a variety of implications for the dog’s health, behavior, and overall well-being. The benefits of neutering include a reduced risk of certain health problems, such as testicular cancer and prostate disease. […]

Best Food for Dogs
Best Food for Dogs

The Best Food and the Right Diet for Dogs: Tailored Nutrition for Your Canine. The best food and the right diet for dogs Choosing the best food for a dog is crucial to ensuring they live a happy, healthy life. Every dog has specific nutritional needs that vary according to their age, breed, weight, and activity level. A balanced diet for dogs should contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in the right proportions. Not all dog foods are created equal; it’s important to select a diet that provides comprehensive nutrition and caters to any special health concerns. In the […]

Hunting Regulations
Hunting Regulations

Gun law and hunting on Crete and in Greece. Hunting Regulations in Greece: Understanding the Legal Framework Hunting in Greece is governed by a comprehensive set of regulations designed to manage wildlife conservation and to ensure that the activity is conducted ethically and sustainably. These regulations are implemented by the General Secretariat of Forests and Natural Environment, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture. Individuals interested in hunting must possess a valid license, which is mandatory to carry at all times while engaging in hunting activities. In addition, a multi-choice test is required in which the applicant […]

Health of feral cats
Health of feral cats

Health care and prevention for feral cats and the right attitude of their carers. Here to the previous section: Shelter and feeding street cats. Basic health care for feral cats By nature, cats don’t need a lot of attention and care. All they need is food, shelter, health and some affection, and they are as happy as little children with ice cream. Feral cats are particularly easy to handle, as they live independently in the wild and don’t need human affection. Diseases Worms Cats, especially feral and stray cats, are susceptible to parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, coccidia and tapeworms. […]

Obituary for Shadow
Obituary for Shadow

The life of Shadow (called ‘Shady’) with photos and video. Shadow’s obituary On the evening of August 8, 2013, on our way back from a bike tour near the wind turbines in the northeast of the Aghios Ioannis peninsula – shortly after Vrouhas on the road that leads down to Plaka – we found a dog that had been hit by a car on the side of the road. Of course, we carefully picked up the dog and I put him on the passenger seat, where he threw up to make matters worse. With the bike and two dogs in […]

Lost dog
Lost dog

Lost dog – what to do? Lost Dog: What to Do? Essential Steps for a Swift Reunion Discovering that a dog is missing can be an extremely stressful and worrying experience for any pet owner. It’s crucial to remain composed and take immediate, strategic action to increase the chances of a safe reunion. Owners should start by thoroughly checking their home and neighborhood, as animals often hide in familiar areas when scared or injured. It is also beneficial to inform neighbors and local community members about the missing pet, as they can be valuable allies in the search. As time […]

Dog Grooming
Dog Grooming

Dog care through grooming. Grooming, cutting, washing, trimming claws, cleaning ears and much more. Good grooming helps to keep your dog looking and feeling good. Routine grooming also allows you to check your dog’s coat, teeth, eyes, ears and nails for signs of problems. How often you need to groom your dog depends on its size, breed and coat type. While good hygiene habits are essential for a healthy dog, unlike humans, most dogs do not require daily hygiene and grooming habits. What is required and how often depends on the breed. The Afghan Hound, Poodle and Komondor – to […]

Furever Happy Village Animal Shelter
Furever Happy Village Animal Shelter

‘Furever Happy Village’ (‘happy village for furry noses forever’) – a shelter in Crete for animals that need a little extra care. Furever Happy Village Katja Brakenhoff comes from the Netherlands and first came to Crete in 2001 to work. Like many other tourists or expats, she was not aware of the big problem with strays on the island until then, nor the questionable attitude of a large part of the locals towards animals in general. She returned the following year and decided to stay on Crete for the winter. She quickly became familiar with the local poisonings, animal cruelty, …

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Animal Shelter Finokalia
Animal Shelter Finokalia

‘Finokalia animal help’ dog shelter near Aghios Nikolaos. Shelter Finokalia Animal Help Finokalia animal help is one of the largest animal shelters in the region of Aghios Nikolaos in Eastern …

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From handling horses
From handling horses

‘With horses in the here and now’ near Sitia in eastern Crete. Educational and therapeutic use of horses of ancient Greek breeds in Crete. With horses in the here and now Not far from picturesque Sitia in eastern Crete, about 1.5 miles south along the road to Ierapetra (in the village of Piskokefalo turn east to the next village Kato Episkopi, there in front of the church clearly standing out again to the right to the end of the village) is the horse club of the ‘Friends of with horses in the here and now‘ of Andrea Patrizia Wiener-Angelakis. With […]

Shelter and feeding street cats
Shelter and feeding street cats

Feeding and sheltering feral street cats. Here to the previous section: Rescue cats and their sterilization. Sheltering street cats Almost all feral cats, although very tough and resourceful, cannot survive a severe cold. They may have a thick coat that keeps them a little warm during the day, but at night, when the temperatures drop more, they need our help. Both feral cats and cats that live outside need warm, dry shelters that are adapted to their size to help them survive the cold season. There are some outdoor cat houses that are designed for one cat (in different sizes: […]

Greek Animal Welfare Act 4830/2021
Greek Animal Welfare Act 4830/2021

A English translation of the current Greek Animal Welfare Act with law number 4830/2021. LEGISLATIVE NO. 4830/2021 THE PRESIDENT of the Hellenic Republic We enact the following law passed by Parliament: PART A: Framework for the welfare of companion animals (Argos program) CHAPTER I: General provisions Article 1 – Purpose The purpose is to protect domestic animals and ensure their welfare, to strengthen responsible pet ownership, to establish a clear and coherent legal framework for dealing with stray domestic animals and to develop a strategy to drastically reduce their numbers by adopting programs such as strict compliance with animal welfare […]

Dogs of the South
Dogs of the South

The dog types in the Mediterranean countries. From bell dogs to guard dogs, hunting dog breeds, herd dogs to barrel dogs, strays and street dogs. In the south all dogs …

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Needs of the dog
Needs of the dog

The needs of the dog, which are a prerequisite for species-appropriate husbandry. Every animal has a set of basic needs or requirements that must be met to ensure its survival. …

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Phrasebook Dog Language
Phrasebook Dog Language

The dog language phrasebook. Just as all cultures have a set of rules for behaviour, so do members of the dog family. Ignorance of these rules can cause us to …

Phrasebook Dog Language Read more »

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Pros and cons of neutering male dogs
Best Food for Dogs
Hunting Regulations
Health of feral cats
Obituary for Shadow
Lost dog
Dog Grooming
Furever Happy Village Animal Shelter
Animal Shelter Finokalia
From handling horses
Shelter and feeding street cats
Greek Animal Welfare Act 4830/2021
Dogs of the South
Needs of the dog
Phrasebook Dog Language
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Rescue Dogs

Rescue Dogs are Best Dogs! What could be better than to give to a poor rescue dog a new home? Information about adoption of dogs from Crete.

Rescue dogs
For these two dogs the preferred mode of transport into the mountains or on beaches is a quad bike.

t arrow1 Here to the latest reports.

Rescue dogs

About me and dogs.
The author of Bestdogs together with recuse dogs.
To adopt dogs from Crete or from southern Mediterranean countries is similar to adopting an orphan from a distant Third World country. This concerns the feelings as well as the everyday life with them.
There are lively discussions whether dogs from the Mediterranean region or Eastern Europe should be placed in Central Europe, where there are proponents and opponents. Due to lack of local experience the latter often misjudge how much worse the dogs are doing here in the Mediterranean than their comrades in Western and Northern Europe.

The dogs are often the mirror image of humans and their society. Therefore, the dogs from Crete are also a reflection of the society of Greece. Central and Western Europe are more densely populated and there is another tradition of living with dogs. Therefore, there are differences, so that the dogs from the south have a clearer body language and a greater desire for freedom. Many of them are anxious, but at the same time very self-confident and independent.

Wolf and human entered into a symbiosis about 20,000 years ago, but the basic behavior of a species together with its genetics takes about one hundred thousand years to change from wolf to dog. Therefore, the correct and successful education of a dog is only possible on the basis of its species behavior and the knowledge of its origin. However, the dog learns its whole life long and adapts also to changed conditions. Therefore, even the wildest stray dog can become a problem-free city dog over time, depending on what his master does for it or not.

Therefore, it is the task of Best Dogs to help with the adoption, mediation, education and training of dogs – and in particular of their fellow dogs – from the south and at the same time to engage ourselves for the animal protection and against cruelty to animals, poisonings or keeping of barrel dogs, in order to improve the lot of their fellow sufferers locally bit by bit.

Particularly if the animal was treated badly in the past, suspended or abandoned because of his problematic behavior, special care and attention is needed against the animal protection dog.
Having taken a whole series of rescue dogs in Crete, I can say without any hesitation, that this was a genuine happiness for both – the dogs and for me. The joy that you feel when an abused, poor creature recovers again, is simply indescribable. I have to admit that it satisfies me deeply, to offer these animals a happy, reliable home that they didn’t have for such a long time.

The trend towards a rescue dog is steadily increasing. Through the Internet, transnational exchanging of information and images of poor dogs are possible, that are most barely escaped a certain death. Not only adult dogs, but also especially puppies pass through an international network of transfer to travel to the people who want to help these four-legged friends to forget the misery they have experienced – or better survived.

In particular, on Crete many puppies are simply abandoned or killed after a short time as many people do not feel able to provide them and there are just a few private animal shelters. The annual number of puppies is great, because only a few dogs are brought to castration or sterilization to the vet and the uncontrolled proliferation is therefore predictable. Many dogs have to life under unimaginable conditions, chained short where they must spend their entire, in these cases especially short dog life. Animal dog attitude, as it is understood in Western Europe, is on Crete unfortunately rarely encountered, when also lately some things have changed to the better way.

Dumped puppies
Dumped puppies on Crete.

Nevertheless, I will not deny at this point that rescue dogs often bring great problems. In my opinion, however, there are no ‘problem-dogs’, but dogs or dog owners with problems. And that rescue dogs usually have more problems than others is probably obvious.
Usually it is not possible to bring a lot of information about the experience of the animals. Often these scanty information is sad, but not meaningful. The new pet owner can indeed understand in what way the dog had found its way to him, but what is really important, he does not know what has really dug deep into the soul of his new protégée in the past. Physical injuries heal much faster than psychological wounds. And above all, you have no chance to recognize this from the outside.

The extent of psychological injuries seen only gradually, as well as the behaviors that your new protégée has acquired as a result. For many rescue dogs you have to expect that the imprinting on humans is not optimal expired, that it is scarcely come into contact with environmental influences that we feel here as commonplace. Substrates, smells, sounds, etc., which are taken for granted can cause great uncertainty with them. Many dogs had to hunt to survive. Many tortured dogs shows problematic behavior when they meet people who remind them of their tormentors. And hiking from hand to hand until it reaches you, was not good for the stability of his inner life, any way.

If such a dog didn’t find a person which is a safe person of authority – in the positive sense – that provides security, so the spiral of fear and compensation behavior continues downward, in which it is trapped. For dog owners, such a dog is a living appeal to his leadership qualities. If the rescue dog comes in a new home where it is being treated humanely, this is the opportunity for it to find out of this vicious circle, gradually confidence in the world that surrounds it and enter into a new life, which also the person wants for his dog since he has looked for the first time in its puppy eyes.

 Bicycle tour with dogs on Crete.
Bicycle tour with dogs on Crete.

Please question yourself before taking a rescue dog, if you are able to meet your new family member even in difficult situations humanely and not make mistakes from false sense of love for animals. Cuddle loving its head and talk to it doing well when the first sign of insecurity appears, will thereby confirm its fears and the assumption that the world is an evil. This is the opposite of what a rescue dog needs. It will only help if the dog finds someone who masterfully shows it how to behave in a situation that it can not handle properly. Leave it to the decision, it will be the same as before. The rescue dog has to take its life in its own four paws, despite its shortcomings, which can lead to behaviors that might exceed your worst expectations.

Many dog owners will then abuts to their own limits and often the whole family is about to surrender. This would mean for the dog to walk back again from hand to hand – and even worse prospects for a family where it can find the place where it flourishes and expand in a positive sense, and show from what it’s made.
Take this challenge, and you are aware that these dogs in particularly need a reliable pack leader. Although you must expect that your dog will check you in every particular case, whether you like it too serious about him.

Quality of life for a rescue dog is not only to find a roof over its head, sufficient attention and every day a well-filled bowl, but also to find people who offer its behavioral needs of security that it urgently needs – to leave it mental shadow behind and go on all four paws in a fear-free life.

The rescue dog which you have saved its life will stay its whole life together and loyal to you!


Dog pack

called dogs hurry up
The called dogs hurry up.
Handling and training of a pack full of dogs.
The pack in the nature, problems with new arrivals and separations, training and feeding.

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Chain dogs

Dog chained to the road or path
All types of dogs are chained to paths or open gates to prevent sheep and goats from passing through.
Is the keeping of chain dogs legal ? Information about the ‘barrel dogs’, the legal situation, measures against the owners, warning, reporting to the police and penalties.

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Dogs of the South

Cretan dogs
A group of Cretan dogs: in front two hunting dog puppies (Cretan Cross and Pointer Cross) with a hunting and herding dog and behind a typical ‘bell dog’.
The dog types in the Mediterranean countries.
From bell dogs to guard dogs, hunting dog breeds, herd dogs to barrel dogs, strays and street dogs.

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Diseases

Leishmaniose
At this dog, the first symptoms of leishmaniasis can just be seen, including falling hair with numerous white nodules in the coat.
The dog diseases of the south around the Mediterranean.
Symptoms and treatment of leishmaniasis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and heart worm disease. Annoying fleas and ticks as vectors and their control.

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Animal shelters

Nikos loves dogs
Nikos loves dogs and the dogs love him.
A visit to the Bronx Familia Animal Shelter near Chersonissos.
In the hinterland, not far between Chersonissos and Gouves, lies Bronx Familia Animal Shelter, a shelter for dogs, built and run by Nikos Tsikalakis.

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Legal status of animals

End of the event
End of the event and congratulations to police chief Nikos Chrysakis
Presentation of the book of the police chief Nikos Chrysakis on ‘The legal status of animals in the Greek legal order’ in Aghios Nikolaos on Crete.

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Needs of dogs

happy and contented dogs
For happy and contented dogs, several needs must be met.
The needs of the dog, which are a prerequisite for species-appropriate husbandry.
Every animal has a set of basic needs or requirements that must be met to ensure its survival. In addition, there are typical needs of individual species or breeds, which may also vary depending on the individual.

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3 thoughts on “Rescue Dogs”

  1. Hello, I wonder if you can help please us. We have arrived in Chania on holiday and found a stray puppy alone by the side of the road in the plains who has been at the same place due to a possible broken leg. It looks like he is a stray who has been hit by a car. He is very friendly and we fed and watered him. He is still in the same spot probably because he is unable to move any distance. We live in the UK and would like to adopt him to live with us in Leeds. We are experienced dog owners and have the means to give him a happy life. How can we make this happen and what would be the proceedure and costs involved?

  2. Here is alfie who we found in a shelter on Crete in may. We had not set out to rescue but having found 7 abandoned pups and their mum it was while taking them to shelter that our eyes met Alfie!
    Alfie has now been in the uk for just 4 weeks, he is best of mates with our other dogs , is going to puppy classes and living life !

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