18/2/18 – Poppy the Social Butterfly has fluttered off to her new home!
Poppy is a very sociable 10 year old yellow Labrador Retriever who came into the Oldies Club dog rescue because of a marriage break-up. Poppy is in a foster home in Newcastle upon Tyne, waiting for someone to offer her a new permanent home.
Very well-behaved in foster care: Poppy took about 2 weeks to settle at her foster home. At night, she needs to have her basket in the bedroom with you and then she will sleep straight through. She occasionally wants to go out to toilet at around 6am, but she will then go back to her basket and settle down again. She doesn’t snore. She has impeccable manners around food in the home and only checks under the table and chairs when you have finished a meal just in case there are morsels of food to be hoovered up. She manages stairs very well and has made no attempt to climb on the furniture. She understands basic commands.
Can be left for a few hours: Poppy is fine when you leave her alone for a while. Her fosterers have left her for 3 hours without any problems. She is a very sociable girl who likes to be around people though so wouldn’t be happy with full-time workers.
Good with dogs: Poppy adores other dogs and will pull like a steam train to get to them to say hello. She tries to play with other dogs even if they bark at her.
Has lived with a cat: Poppy ignores cats in the garden but shows an interest in them when out on walks. We were told that Poppy lived with a cat in her previous home but her owner stated that she was inquisitive with cats outdoors.
Loves children: Poppy lived with children in her previous home. She adores children and will pull hard to get to them on walks. She then sits patiently for them to pet her. She could live with sensible school age children, but she could easily knock a toddler over as she is a strong, stocky girl.
Loves walks (on-lead): Poppy loves walks and walks well on the lead, except when she sees children and dogs and then she is very strong. Her recall is poor so she is walked on lead all the time. She must be kept on a short lead anywhere near a road, and she will stop suddenly in the middle of the road if there is something interesting to sniff! Her fosterers are encouraging her to ‘wait’ at the kerb and cross when she is told. This is working well and is ongoing. She is a scavenger on walks and anything that once resembled food, no matter how old or disgusting, is fair game and is hers and she can smell it before you can see it so you need to be on your guard. Poppy is having three 25-30 minute walks a day. She likes to have a nap after her walks.
Good in the car: Poppy travels well in the car. She is used to travelling in the back. Given her build and her age she will need help to get in the back of most cars. She had to be lifted out of the car when she arrived at her foster home.
Poppy’s favourite pastimes: She likes to play gently with her tugger or ball, but only if you join in. She will offer her tugger to visitors to get them to play with her. She loves visitors and is at the front door before you with tail wagging madly. She likes to be brushed and rolls over so you can brush her tummy. She likes regular naps, but in between her naps she likes to be with whoever is around. She is interested in whatever is going on whether it is housework or escorting you to the toilet! She likes to supervise food preparation and particularly likes to lie in front of the cooker. Those sad looking eyes make you feel very bad when you have to move her out of the way.
No fears: Poppy shows no concern around loud noises – fireworks, vacuum cleaner and sirens are all ignored. The doorbell is greeted with great interest but she never barks.
Poppy’s ideal home: This would be sandwiched between a Primary School and a Doggy Day Care Centre where she could sit at her gate and act as ‘greeter’. She likes to be around people but is not clingy or needy. She rarely lies in her basket during the day because she likes to be near you. Her fosterers feel that Poppy would like a home where someone is around most of the time and where she has a garden to potter in.
Health notes: Poppy is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea treated. She has just had several teeth removed (her fosterers aren’t playing tuggy with her until her gums are healed) and a small cyst/wart removed from her paw. She has bounced right back. She has a crinkled left ear which sticks out a little but does not bother her. The vet said that it could be from some sort of trauma when she was younger or she may have been born with it. She may need her ears cleaned from time to time with a non-prescription cleaner.
Poppy’s foster carers told us: “Poppy is sweet-natured, affectionate, calm and gentle. Do not be fooled by that sad face. Behind it lies a loving, sociable and very young ten year old who believes that everyone is her friend. Poppy is a treasure of a dog who appears very puppyish at times. People who meet her on our walks are often surprised at her age. She is a hardy girl who doesn’t seem to let anything get her down. When she had her dental the vet said that her tail only stopped wagging while she was under the anaesthetic. If we were in a position to rehome a dog she would not be going anywhere.”
——————————
If you would like to offer Poppy 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
Poppy 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 her.
——————————
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.
——————————