Ooh made enquiries about a rescue dog?

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Expecting a home check in the next few days and so excited. I think I may have found the dog to help with the part time Eric shaped hole in our lives. It's a ten year old bitch called Bella a Lhasa Apso. I like the idea of an older dog seeing as I hated the puppy and adolescent stage and she is in rescue due to owner's ill health rather than any behavioural issues so that's a bonus as well. Slight sticking point in that she isn't keen on other dogs, no aggression just barks, so if she can't tolerate Eric it will be a no but apparently she is better with small male dogs and Eric is calm and friendly and submissive and prefers bitches so it might work. I just feel like we need an animal here. Dd is asking for a cat but cats scare me and I think a dog would fit better anyway with routines and walks and Eric ( who wouldn't happily share us with a cat) Fingers crossed that Bella is the dog for us please.

Fingers crossed :-)

Good luck!

Good luck (fingers crossed)

Do you live in a less populated area?

If not, consider how you will walk Bella. She sounds like she isn't keen on other dogs and would prefer to be walked away from other dogs. Not too hard to do if you live in the middle of nowhere, but I suspect this isn't the best dog for someone living in a city.

I think it is time now. Eric has been here only part time for a year now and none of us have got used to being dog free in a year so I don't think we are going to. I so miss having a dog by my feet, the walks, someone to talk rubbish to and someone who is always happy to see me.
Anyone know what they look for in a home check? Eric seems to be happy here so hopefully it would be ok for any dog. Large house,small secure garden on the back but open plan on the front (can't alter that) We live on a cul de sac so no real traffic and look out onto a park that leads onto a trail and woods where I walk Eric. Lots of hard floors downstairs but Eric is allowed on the sofas, dining table so I have no problem with a dog having the run of the downstairs although Eric isn't allowed upstairs purely because I'm never certain what ds and dd leave lying about in their rooms and would want the same rule for any other dog. I do have a spare bedroom downstairs if the dog was used to sleeping on a bed though.

Oh good luck!
I have fostered a similar sounding older dog. For the first week she just barked at my dogs from behind the stairgate or glass door. My dogs just looked at her like she was mad!
Bit by bit we gave her more access as my dogs are very laid back in the house, and she fitted in really well.
A scared dog can get a lot of confidence from lead walking with a nice, confident one as well.
( of course as Avocado said your worst case scenario is that she hates walks because the whole setting is too busy and scary :( )

Avocados yes we are pretty rural here tbh. I walk Eric with other walkers so know routines of many of the local dog owners so I'd walk Bella outside those times and tbf there are enough routes and footpaths that you can easily never see another dog. The rescue thought that Bella could be walked with Eric if introductions go well as she is tolerant of certain dogs she knows well and Eric's size and him being male is the sort of dog she tolerates best so they are hopeful and Eric has good manners with other dogs so won't overstep the mark with her which should help.

fivedogsThat sounds promising. I think Eric would just look at her barking in amusement as well or join in thinking she knows something he doesn't . If she will put up with Eric then I think walking them together would be good for her confidence. The rescue said she is unsure of big dogs which being small is understandable. Eric doesn't like black labs for some reason although has no problems with black greyhounds Eric is smaller than her which should help hopefully as well. On paper she is right for us if Eric is accepted by her anyway if not I will just keep looking and I'm sure someone else will turn up eventually.

If he's streetwise at all he'll know she's just frightened and will model normal behaviour accordingly. I think it sounds a good prospect all round, though may take a bit of time.

Yes he is pretty tuned in, we were lucky that he was accepted as a puppy by a group of dogs and their owners and the older ones taught him how to behave when he was being a pest. He's been told off by them all plenty of times when he was younger so he has pretty good manners now. Hopefully that will help her accept him because at least he will be respectful and he's not a dog that barks much,only if someone knocks on the door, so it's not something he usually does anyway. Can you tell I want this to work?

I used to home check, it’s mainly just geting idea of what adopter is looking for in dog& has fully considered care &check areas dog will access are safe, most properties don’t have secure front garden, it’s more avoiding dog slipping out of front door.

Sounds like could be a good match, do they have similar exercise needs? Its nice that your giving an older dog a chance & like dating if Eric & Bella are not ideal then are others out there that might be especially those 5+yrs.
Just because a dogs reactive & appears to not like others (this can be wide spectrum) it can mean they just need more gradual introduction & time to feel comfortable around each other, it’s often fear based.

I’ve 3 dogs & 2 are reactive to unknown dogs while out to varying degrees (those 2 don’t often walk together). They get on really well. My girl DD2 needs a gradual introduction, she can meet other calm sighthouds/large dogs fine but isn’t really a social dog. so when DD3 came along they went out for walk together (DD2 wasn’t happy for him to be near when first saw him) then by time got home again she’d warmed up and he was allowed inside, she grumbled & told him off fair bit but thats fairly normal especially as he was annoying large older pup & she was setting out the rules, we made sure to occupy him so she got a break. DD2 has accepted another foster dog too but that was a clash of personalities once newbie got settled it turned out she wasn’t a quiet, meek thing & wanted to push others out. I think getting right mix is often more important than gender, I don’t expect my dogs to be best chums but they have to happily tolerate each other.

DD2 very foodie & on walks have trained her that seeing dogs= treats so can distract her. Her triggers seem to be more small or busy dogs like spaniels especially if there making a noise. I make some adaptations for her but it’s not particularly restricted

Well Eric is always up for a walk but settles if he only gets 45 minutes anyway so if Bella could only manage that it would be ok because exh would just give Eric extra in the evening and I'd give Bella less. If she only wanted thirty minutes I'd take her early for thirty minutes with Eric and then go out with Eric and meet up with our regular gang at half nine as she is ok to be left for a while and Eric would never refuse a walk.Pretty sure I could work round them both anyway and I don't have Eric every day well not for walks, he does visit most days though for my fuss and a play.
Hopefully because the back garden is secure then and obviously the house is dog friendly for Eric then it will be considered good enough for a rescue dog anyway.