Lucy is a 10-year-old Dachshund (DOB: 15/03/2015) who came into the Oldies Club rescue after her owner passed away. She is in a foster home in Newcastle upon Tyne, waiting for someone to offer her a permanent home.
Summary: First of all, her vital statistics: Lucy weighs 12.5kg and she’s 36cm (14″) tall. Lucy needs an adult home with people around most of the time. She doesn’t like to be left on her own. She will cope with having children visit her home, as long as she can take herself off out of the way and be left alone. She wants to be your special only dog, but she doesn’t seem to mind cats. Lucy loves to go out for a good walk – she’ll happily walk for an hour in fine weather – so needs an active owner. She is quite a timid dog and will take time to settle into any new routine.
Settled slowly: It took Lucy quite a while to settle at her foster home. She was very out of sorts with the change and getting to know her new routine. She was really well behaved but was very timid, and when she’s feeling unsure she will shy away from you.
Wants to be with you: Lucy isn’t happy being left on her own so needs a home where someone is at home most of the day, every day. She will settle eventually when left for a short time, but definitely needs a home where she will be with her people all day.
Would prefer to be your only dog: There is a resident Jack Russell in Lucy’s foster home, and Lucy is fine with her, but they don’t interact. Lucy would be happier being the only dog in her new home, getting all of the love and attention.
She is okay with calm, older dogs, but she does not like bouncy dogs being near her, nor tall dogs standing over her. She will snap at dogs if they are invading her space from above her head.
Potential to live with dog-savvy cats: Lucy doesn’t react to the neighbour’s cats, nor when she sees them in the street or at the vets, so her foster carer thinks she could live with cats that are used to dogs. She also doesn’t react to squirrels in the garden.
No young children – adult home best: Lucy wouldn’t be happy to have younger children living in the home. She will cope with them visiting occasionally, but she wouldn’t be happy with them around all of the time. When young children (aged 0 – 9) visit her foster home, she keeps out of the way and won’t interact with them. She will allow the 6-year-old to stroke her sometimes, but she generally just takes herself away from the children.
Sleeping arrangements: Lucy sleeps in her own bed in her foster carer’s bedroom. It seems that she may have shared her owner’s bed because she will try to get up on the bed sometimes. Lucy sleeps really well (deeply and snores a bit!). She loves her bed and is not fond of an early start in the morning!
Loves walks – excellent recall: Lucy loves a walk and she walks really well both on and off lead. She does not stray far from you at all and will wait for you. She will also stop/wait when told to do so. She recalls extremely well and is very obedient. She currently goes out 2 or 3 times a day for about 30 minutes to an hour, weather dependent. She is a very fit and agile girl.
Not fond of the car but is good: You have to lift Lucy in to the car, but she settles and is quiet. In her foster carer’s small car, Lucy travels on the front seat with a clip harness. In the larger car she travels in the back on a cushion with a leash clip on. She does NOT like being in a cage/basket AT ALL, either in the car or in house.
Lucy’s favourite pastimes: Sleeping; Walking; Eating. She does not seem to like playing with any type of toy.
Lucy’s dislikes: She is a very timid dog and shies away from people and situations, but it doesn’t seem to overly stress her out – she just steps away and sensibly removes herself from the situation. She wasn’t distressed or bothered by the noise of recent fireworks. She doesn’t like being left alone and her foster carers have been working on this; it is better but not great. She will bark and cry when left alone, but she does eventually settle. Her foster carer told us: “If she is home with my partner, she whines a bit for me until I return (I’m obviously the favourite!)“.
Lucy’s ideal home: An active older person or couple would be best. Someone that is home most of the time but still has the ability to take her for the good long walks that she loves.
Health notes: Lucy is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and has been wormed and flea treated. At her vet check, Lucy was pronounced fit and healthy. She has a slightly high liver count, so recently had a scan, but everything was fine. It might be a good idea to give her a regular liver support supplement.
More from Lucy’s foster carer: “Lucy is a timid, sweet little dog – unless you are knocking on the front door, and then she sounds like the biggest guard dog ever! She will let you know when someone is coming to the house. However, she is fine when they come in, does not jump up at visitors, just lets you know, loudly, that they are there. Then is happy to step away and settle down.”
If you would like to offer Lucy a permanent home, please read our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process. You can then contact the Oldies Club rehoming team as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk for an application form.
Or phone 0844 586 8656, leaving a message including your email address, and we’ll email an application form.
Lucy can be rehomed anywhere on the UK mainland – the closer to her foster home the better – subject to a satisfactory home visit. Note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to collect 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.