28/1/18 – Max has found a new home in which to chillax. His foster mum will miss him very much!
Max is a gorgeous 15 year old chocolate Labrador who came into the Oldies Club rescue just before Christmas, because he was being taunted by the young child in his home; Max was having to stay in the kitchen and was very unhappy. He is now in an Oldies Club foster home in Cannock, Staffordshire, waiting for someone to offer him a peaceful permanent home.
A delight in his foster home: Max took a few days to settle at his foster home. He is still a little anxious at times, but is proving to be a delightful dog to have around. He is so gentle.
Can be left for a while: Max has been fine when left for up to 5 hours in the company of the other dogs in his foster home. He has only been left for a short time completely on his own. He is not destructive and just sleeps. Max should be fine to live with a part-time worker but he deserves more company than a full-time working household could offer.
Good with dogs: Max is living with two female dogs at his foster home – a 15 year old Golden Retriever and a 6 year old chocolate Lab. Max is fine with both of them but he becomes anxious when the younger dog gets excited. He accepted a visiting male dog quite happily.
Unknown with cats: We don’t know how Max would be with cats.
Deserves a child-free home: As Max came into rescue because he was being tormented by a toddler, we really want him to find a peaceful home without children, even older ones. He becomes anxious when there is a lot going on around him, poor Max.
Enjoys walks at a good pace: Max still loves his walks. He doesn’t pull on the lead but he is eager to walk, so you need to be able to keep up with him. He hasn’t been let off the lead as he has selective hearing, and if he did decide to run off, his fosterer wouldn’t be able to catch him! Max is currently having two 20-minute walks per day, which is better for him than one longer walk.
Good in the car: Yes he is!
Max’s favourite pastimes: Walks; Playing with stuffed toys; Sleeping on the sofa.
Max’s dislikes: Max gets worried about anything “different to normal”. He is fine with visitors – people and dogs – but when they have gone he will hump his bed. If the bed is taken away from him, he becomes very anxious. He is having Zylkene (a natural product that is derived from a protein in milk) to relax him, and the vet has suggested keeping him on it for 1 month before reducing the amount.
Max’s ideal home: He would love to have the company of a calm dog and have a person at home a lot of the time who will take him for a couple of short walks each day. Owners who will let him sleep on the sofa are a must. Although clean in the house usually, there have been a couple of occasions when he hasn’t quite got out in time and has done a bit of poo in the house. He walks as he poos, because his back legs can’t hold him up long enough to do it in one go. If Max is rehomed to live in a house with an upstairs, there will need to be a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to stop him running up (yes, he can run upstairs!), as his fosterer worries that he might slip downstairs.
Health notes: Max is neutered, microchipped, wormed and flea treated but he is not vaccinated and we do not want him to be, due to his age. Max has a number of lumps – one under his throat, a big lump on his hip, plus a few fatty lumps. Following discussion with the vet, it has been agreed to leave everything alone as it would be unfair to put him under anaesthetic for investigations. The vet suspects that Max may have the start of laryngeal paralysis. His breathing can be quite heavy when he is anxious, and he coughs occasionally, particularly when humping. Max is currently having 2 Zylkene tablets per day to help him remain calm. This should hopefully be able to be reduced.
Max’s foster carer told us: “Max is no trouble at all. He is a gentle boy who just wants to see out his days in peace on a comfy sofa. Whoever adopts him is going to have a lot of pleasure but must understand that he can get anxious at times and will hump his bed. It has been upsetting to see him when he does this so the decision was made to make his life more enjoyable by giving him zylkene. All he wants is a peaceful home with someone who will walk him. He isn’t at the doddery potter stage!”
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If you would like to offer Max a permanent home, please read our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process. You can then contact an Oldies Club rehoming co-ordinator as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk
Telephone: 0844 586 8656
Max can be rehomed anywhere on the UK mainland, subject to a satisfactory home visit, but note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to meet him.
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If you would love to offer a home to an oldie but your circumstances aren’t suitable, perhaps you would be kind enough to sponsor one of the special oldies we are caring for that, due to health problems, are unlikely to be offered a permanent home.