hi
we are off to the pound tomorrow to have a look esp at the staffyxbeagle :love:

if we do decide to choose one (ie him heh)

big question and deciding factor here is ruby, our 2 year old, never lived with a dog before, staffie. She is fine with other dogs in the park off the lead, ie she dissappears to run off to play leaving me bellowing like a banshee. When she has proved too much for a dog and it has snapped at her, she has never been agressive towards it merely taken the hint and left well alone. The only time i have ever seen her show aggression was when 1 particular dog has got to close to me and the children and then she chases it off in a typical roaring fashion, but this has only happened twice,

whats the best way to engineer a successful intro??

thank you emma

bother :(

Staffies are very loyal and tend to guard their owner against invasion from other dogs. I've had a couple of them here on different occasions, but they've both been fine with Brude up until the point they've decided they're mine :(

Harvey was okay until I managed to get him scanned and called him by his own name

King we went for a walk with with his original owner and he was fine - up until we got within sight of his own house/new baby and he immediately turned on Brude!

All I can suggest is that you do the introduction on neutral ground such as a nearby park, and it helps if you don't approach with both dogs head on. Aim to be walking in the same direction and catch each other up, continuing with both dogs on a short lead

Staffies are easier to control if you use a half check collar. Don't use a full choke as these can lock up and actually choke! (it isn't an old wives tale - it happened to Brude once :( )

Take Ruby along and spend some time in the walk area with both of them , see how it goes and take it from there , also maybe take her a few times before you make a decision about the new doggie XX

you'll have to ask the pound if you can do that though - they don't have the same facilities as a rescue centre. I know they are housed in the old RSPCA building but there was once a lot more land at that site!

I have introduced several dogs into my home (way to many actually :hihi: ) and the best way I find is to introduce them on neutral ground, so you need 2 people one to take your dog and the other to meet you away from home or the dogs norma lwalking places with the new dog.
You then begin by walking them together on the lead a really good walk so that they feel settled together, from then go home and just go in all together, by now the dogs should not feel threatened by each other.
Make sure that you have removed anything that could cause flash points such as toys, bones etc, you might find it better to give the dog a smaller amount of attention... this will actually help him to settle better.
Good luck :thumbsup:

I took so long replying that I was pipped at the post :hihi:

ok will let you know.....

and thank you

fingers crossed for you guys - besides, I'd love to see this dog in a lovely home :D
not that I'm biased or anything :hihi:

lol I hope you get the beagle cross lol I love Beagles

hope so you'd be looking after him when we go away!! ;-)

dying to hear how you got on!

are you now the proud owner of a staffy/beagle?

lol I hope so but i would care for your lot anyway lol

well no.....

we had a look, i went to pieces as soon as i went in, god its sooo upsetting, i just wanted to take them all home.

Anyway we had a look, i saw him straight off and shot off there, the kids were really nonplussed by him, and not at all enthusiatic about him, said he didnt feel like our dog.

OH was concerned because he was taller than his picture gave the impression of and he was likely to be too bouncy for the baby, So downhearted i moved on.

Thing is, I have brought the kids up to really trust their instincts and go with their gut feelings. And if they said he wasn't the one, then fair enough, i was just hoping i could convince them otherwise.

See with all our other dogs, the kids have always been involved in the decision process and we have always had the 'right' animals - dogs that have fitted right in with our personal madhouse heh, so onwards.

I was really distressed by the pit bulls, poor bloody things what chance they have as being totally illegal i dont know and there was this little bedlington terrier who just about broke our heart, she was cowering and shaking in her basket, we wanted her regardless, if only to have her at home and rehoused from here, so she didnt have to stay a moment longer, she has a tumour and they werent forthcoming about us adopting her due to possible medical bills and the fact that she may not survive, we of course couldnt care less about all that but they rather strongly put us off.

OH was taken with another staffy cross called scarface who was good with children, but he was pretty big, yet another beautiful dog, i think the issue was he had been a bit traumatised, and we have had a traumatised dog before and it nearly killed kai, so we were gutted we couldnt really consider him either.

We were really trying for a staffy cross, anyway i spotted this funny looking little dog, that was bouncing around, so i went and had a look, fian came running over heres our dog he says, can we take him home.

Thats the little crossbreed dog, he is a bouncy funny looking dog. Hes got the long nose of a doberman, the ears of a larger dog, the body of a dachshund/terrier and the colour of a gsd, i was very taken with him mainly because he was odd looking but cute i hasten to add!!! Then we were told how old he was, and oh and i were a bit like well we havent come for a pup kids, i dont want all the housetraining grief personally, plus pups are usually so much easier to rehome, the assistant said "no hes been here weeks, no-ones been interested in him, hes a really submissive dog, which could be better for your bitch", How on earth do you choose when all these dogs are desperate for a home??? Sooo, it looks like we are going back for the funny looking pup tomorrow morning.

It was horrendous, all these dogs looking and sounding so stressed, desperate for a decent home, these dogs are just beautiful and that staffy/beagle is just gorgeous and i mean really lovely - pleeeaaase someone go and get him!!! Can't tell you the guilt we feel as we went specifically for him but he just wasnt right for us, but i know what the kids mean, the crossbreed was the only dog there that felt 'like ours' (as well as that bedlington which we would also have taken home just because).

OH is going to walk ruby into town tomorrow and down to the pound to pick him up and then walk them home, taking them for a run in the park when they get back to meersbrook, then lead them up again and bring them in at the same time. He will have his own crate as will ruby.

How do we manage the water bowl situation, 2 bowls? Food we guess, we have 2 bowls and put rubys down before his as shes top dog etc.

Thanks for listening :-l

emma

I'm so glad you found the dog for your family :)

if anybody is looking for a staffy, I can't see the beagley dog being there for long :thumbsup:

Emma - thanks for your post
I can tell you have put it all in their - straight from the heart.
It is heartbreaking and it is very stressful to see dogs in there in need of a home. If you do no more, than spread the word loud and clear that they are there and they are desperate - you are helping

The old one with the tumour - i believe will be going to The Mayflower Sanctuary - when out of time - unless an owner comes to claim it and whisk the poor thing off for vet treatment.

Believe me - any kennels are stressful - but these dogs are lost and lonely and can't understand why they are in this very stressful environment. BUT - you are right to go with your instinct. It has to feel right.
Adopting or taking on any dog is hard work. There will be problems as the dog learns to understand your words and your rules - and your way of life.
Any how your family adapt to how your own dog reacts - and how you help a new dog settle in to your life style and understanding - your words and your rules.

That is made so much easier if you all really like the dog and know that in the long run- it will be worth while - you can't take one in just cos u feel sorry for it - you have to feel its right.

My heart breaks for these dumped old and poorly ones - it really does. We always try to help them and just hope that there are people out there who will take them on and help them too.
thanks for going - and keeping up the story.
send some pics to us on the web site at admin@rainrescue.co.uk and we will put them up for you

I hope all works out well with your chosen dog eejay - having met Ruby, I know what a fab staffie she is so fingers crossed she'll get along with the other doggie when your OH goes to see him again. xK

well, we picked him up today, we did have another good look round, just to make sure, but it was definately him. When we got there we were greeted by the yaps of 6 puppies that had just been dumped in a cardboard box......

so we got him home, i went in and got ruby, as i came out, i can hear him barking, and look at oh shocked face "omg hes just tried to attack a pit bull!!", so of course, him and ruby took one look at each other and started barking furiously at each other, so he grabbed her lead and dragged them both off up the road.

It was hilarious actually, but 20 minutes later they were fine, there was a fair bit of 'pin down' by ruby just to show who was boss, but they have played together in the garden since 3oclock, the only reason that they have now stopped, is because the children are in bed, we've brought them in, the poor pup is shattered but they havent stopped.

Poor fian was sulking as he wanted to play with them both in the garden and they have taken no notice of him whatsoever bless him. I have reassured that i am sure that they will both settle down soon, pup now named dylan has missed having a friend to play with, and poor ruby never has anyone to play with as people take one look at her shriek staffy and flee into the night

all in all a good result!!!! they are curledup together now, ill take some nice photos in a day or 2, he will have filled out a little by then, and maybe will stay still long enough for a photo!! Thanks strix and of course Rain rescue!!!

oh just a note, the little bedlington was up and about today and seemed a bit better, she was having a good bark this time. So glad she'll be going to a place where they can help her out.

Glad it all went so well!

does this mean you don't need the loan of a crate now? ;)

heh i was just going to update the post, great isnt it!!!! All curled up and cute - nahhh thank you to all that offered!!

So pleased it is working out for you and really pleased about the bedlington being up and about, was really worriod about her yesterday.

just to update the staffyxbeagle was reclaimed last night - the pound rang me to let me know!!!

aww brilliant news - I'm glad the staffie/beagle found it's way home too.

oh fantastic!!
any idea how come it took so long for his owners to find him?

I wonder where he lives? Brude would love him :D

no they didnt say - wouldnt have liked to be on the end of those kennel charges - ouch - but so glad hes gone home - i feel so much better, even more convinced now that we made the right decision, oh hes so cute even if he is completely unhousetrained and has pooped behind the sofa and then i came into the kitchen after going to tell the oh that tea was ready to find him on the kitchen table helping himself hahaha little ratbag - i'll be chasing him round the house with a rolled up newspaper for a few more weeks yet :-D

lol he sound lovely he would make the ideal partner for Mojo (she poops and wees on her wee mat in the kitchen) and is and was totally not playing ball with it . ruby will teach him to do it outside hun xx

we'd love to see photos of them together- was telling the other half about them - can't imagine our dramaqueen dobe being as accommodating as Ruby so doubt we'll be introducing another doggie for a long while yet. Mind you, with maniac moggies wrecking the joint, we've probably got enough to contend with (but at least they don't have a gerbil to hassle now!) (Only an OAP cockatiel)