10/6/22 – Smudge has gone off to a fabulous new home! Woohoo!
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Smudge is a gorgeous 8-year-old Great Dane who came into the Oldies Club rescue due to his owner’s declining health. Smudge is in a foster home in Nottingham, waiting for someone to offer him a permanent home.
Settled gradually: Smudge is a fabulous lad who took about 4 weeks to settle at his foster home.
Can be left for a few hours: Smudge is fine to be left for an hour or two, but at first he did howl a little when left before then settling down. He wouldn’t suit a home where people were going out to work as he likes to have company.
Needs to be an only dog: Smudge isn’t keen on other dogs and when he sees dogs on walks he will pull and bark. We have taken the advice of a behaviourist who recommended that he is walked in quiet areas where there aren’t lots of dogs so that Smudge can slowly get used to them with gentle exposure without being overwhelmed. He will happily walk past houses where unseen dogs are barking, and also ignores them at a distance, it seems to be when he sees them up close that he reacts.
Needs a home without cats: Smudge can’t live with cats.
Fine with older children: He is currently living with children aged 10 and 13 and he seems happy with them.
Enjoys onlead walks: Smudge walks well on the lead, mostly without pulling, except when he sees a dog. His fosterers are working on focussing his attention on them, and changing direction to deal with Smudge’s reactions to dogs. He knows his name but doesn’t respond reliably, especially when distracted, so he hasn’t been walked off the lead. He’s having a 30-45 minute walk and then a 15 minute walk later in the day. He has done a 5km weekend walk and was completed unfazed by that.
OK in the car: Smudge will settle down nicely in the car, though he might have a sneaky bark if he sees dogs en route!
Smudge’s favourite pastimes: Pottering about, following someone around, exploring the garden, and going for walks.
Smudge’s dislikes: Sweeping, mopping and hoovering, but he tolerates it if directed away from him. He’s not keen on toys being thrown for him – he really doesn’t understand the concept!
Smudge’s ideal home: He’d like a reasonably calm home with a family to feel a part of. He needs lots of fuss and quiet walks away from high dog-traffic areas. A rural home would suit him nicely.
Health notes: Smudge is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea treated. He has no health issues, just a lump on his chest that is nothing to worry about.
More from Smudge’s foster carer: “Smudge is a gorgeous soul who is a bit daft. He really is a gorgeous handsome boy, and we wouldn’t believe he is 8 (more like 3!). He has a lot of energy but also enjoys snooze time, tucked in with a blanket on cooler days. He has come a long way in the weeks we have had him, and continues to improve. He needs a forever home where his good behaviours will continue to be nurtured. He understands sit, down, back, stay, ‘with me’ and his name. We are working on reliability with these, but he does know them. We are working on response to his name and ‘with me’ when his focus is on something else. He will sit on his bed whilst his tea is put in his bowl and wait until told to take it. He will (ish; very exciting!) sit on ‘his spot’ ready for walks and wait for harness etc and us to be ready. He is not destructive, doesn’t raid and is generally well mannered and wants to please. He sleeps on his bed during the day but does sneak onto the sofa at night. He sleeps through without accident and will pace if he needs to go out, but that’s not been before 6a.m. Sizewise he is small for a Great Dane, 43kg, but he is still a big dog, and he is strong! I can hold him back on the occasions it’s necessary, his new forever owners need to be able to too.”
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If you would like to offer Smudge 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
Smudge can be rehomed anywhere on the UK mainland – the closer to his foster home the better though, subject to a satisfactory home visit. Note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to collect 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.
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