Our former street dog was a short-term fostering favour for a friend... HA! One year later she means more to us than anything and completely rules our house, our hearts, our furniture...
I would completely recommend having a rescue dog, particularly here in Buenos Aires, where it's hard to live without wanting to adopt a dog off the street almost every day. Even with an older dog like ours you will have so many firsts: first time on a leash, off the leash, in a car, on a beach, eating pears (which our dog loves), snoozing on your bed on a Sunday morning.
It's definitely not without stresses. The first few weeks with our girl were great and we thought it was going to be a breeze. She became quickly devoted to my partner and I, but then she got quite possessive and would be aggressive towards new people, including our friends. She started suffering from terrible abandonment anxiety every time we went out or even went up the stairs. She also had night terrors, which are apparently common in abandoned doggies. Her stomach has always been incredibly delicate after years of parasites and eating god knows what.
Almost all of those issues have gone now, except for the stomach problems which we've learned to live with (she can still eat pears but that's about it, except for expensive dog food). Watching her develop into a relaxed, secure, loving member of our family continues to bring us endless pleasure.
With a rescue dog I think it's important remember that they have a history, especially if you don't know what that history is. Expect ups and downs but the downs will make the ups even better.
It's a joyful kind of stress, having a dog.
