I am enquiring about a dog on Monday, what questions do I need to ask?

[TheCunnyFunt]

My neighbour is currently fostering an 8yo Border Terrier, me and DH are smitten with him, mainly his wee little face :) and we've talked about it and decided we'd like to offer him a home if he's suitable, so we're going to enquire about him.

We currently have a Greyhound who is, quite frankly, shit at being a dog :o love him to bits but he doesn't do anything, our 4yo DD would love him to play with her but he just doesn't do playing. Plus he'd probably like having another dog around the house.

The questions I can think of are -What rescue is he fostered with?
Good with kids & dogs?
Can he be left alone & with another dog?
Can he go off lead?
Any health or behaviour problems?
Good stomach? (Current dog has iron constitution, recently proved this by eating polystyrene with no ill effects...!)
Can he be crated?
Is he good on lead?
Is he house trained?
What commands does he know?

Can anyone think of anything else that we should ask?

[salixcaprea]

Think you have covered it all apart from:

• is he OK travelling in the car?
  
• is he castrated?
  
• is he microchipped?
  
• are his injections/worming/flea meds up to date?
  
• where does he sleep/is he OK sleeping alone?
  

-any past incidents or history of aggression?
-what is his general history?
-any specific fears?
-what is he currently being fed (and how often) ?
-how many times a day is he currently being walked and for how long?
-what is the procedure if he gets ill shortly after adoption?

• (if he is being fostered for a rescue centre) do they offer ongoing support?
  

Good luck and hope all goes well for you (and him!). We adopted a dog at Easter and he has transformed our lives for the better!

[TheCunnyFunt]

The few things that I do know about him from chatting to the neighbour in the street are - he was picked up as a stray, seemed very well cared for. He was scanned for a chip, he is chipped (that's how they know his name and DOB) but unfortunately his owners had not updated their details on his chip so his owners were never found and they never came forward. Oh and he objects strongly to cats visiting the garden :o but that's not a problem, our greyhound would love to get his teeth into a cat so the neighbourhood cats avoid our garden like the plague.

Thanks for those, shall add them to my list!

[salixcaprea]

He sounds great! He'll hopefully be the perfect pet and easily adoptable if previously well looked after (no emotional scars to contend with!).

How odd that the previous owners didn't update the microchip details. It's not something you would really forget (unless he escaped on moving day before they'd had a chance to do it) or points to perhaps having an elderly or infirm owner who was no longer competent.

If only they could talk, eh?

[Our furry one also spends quite a few moments of his day on cat patrol btw. He takes his duties very seriously indeed ]

[TheCunnyFunt]

Well I still haven't had chance to go and chat to my neighbour, I unexpectedly had a lot to do at home! However, I am free today so I'm going round sometime after I've dropped DD at school and walked the hound.

[TheCunnyFunt]

Unfortunately he is a failed foster. His fosterer has adopted him. Great news for him but now I am sad :(

[PhyllisDietrichson]

I was advised this: when you see the puppies don't go for the mad overly friendly one or the shy and retiring one, go for one who shows interest then is content to do it's own thing for a while. More likely to be a balanced dog that way. Mum should be with them up until around 1st jabs time. Best of luck.

[TheCunnyFunt]

What puppies?

[PhyllisDietrichson]

Soz wrong thread. Good luck with the DOG!

[salixcaprea]

Oh no! Just come back to this thread. So sorry it didn't work out for you this time TheCunnyFunt

If it's any consolation, we had a couple of false starts before we found our adoptee; I am sure your perfect dog is out there waiting for you! Good luck with it!