Sorry I just read your post - none of the replies so please forgive me if I am repeating replies!

I have always had pets from the pound or abandoned. And yes you can get some that have been abused neglected and can be distrustful. But, you should see the dog I've got this time. People are amazed that we got him aged 2 from the pound - he is such a gorgeous gentle, yet energetic and playful black labrador X. (If you live in Melbourne I could let you meet him!!)

The RSPCA and other rescue shelters usually assess the animals for the behaviour traits before putting them up for adoption. If you are looking for a dog that will be good with children then they won't let you adopt one that isn't. Obviously there is no guarantee, but they do have animal behaviouralists on the job! So my advice is go with what you want in a dog/type of dog in mind and don't leave with one that doesn't meet your criteria. It is easy to get sucked in by those gorgeous puppy dog eyes, but your family comes first and you need to pick a dog that will fit in. This may take a few trips and also try different shelters.

You won't regret it, I promise!! Just be sure of what you want/don't want and don't compromise. Dogs end up in there for all sorts of reasons, not just abuse/neglect/abandonment. Sometimes the owners just can't look after them anymore - moving away/smaller premises etc. The shelters will give you what history they know of with the dog. We got one dog - a beautiful white German Shepherd that was pushed out of the car door with another dog outside the shelter. Obviously they had no history, but we spent some time with him in the yard (I was about 11 at the time) and knew he was the dog for us. Beautiful, gentle temperament and FANTASTIC with kids. So you just never know....