I also have a dog from ARF. He is the best dog we have ever had. He is a mixture of lab, shepard, collie and husky. Definitely a smart dog and extremely friendly. Loves to swim. He came from a reserve and we got him when he was approximately 8 months old. He was already house trained and had not been abused. My experience with the rescue dogs has been very positive. They are excellent dogs as long as they have not been abused.