‘OLD DOG OF THE WEEK’ FEATURES NEW PHOTOS AND A FRESH WRITE-UP FOR AN OVERLOOKED OLDIE THAT HAS BEEN ON OUR WEBSITE FOR A WHILE BUT IS STILL WAITING FOR A NEW HOME.
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Cute little Lucy is a 10-year-old Dachshund (DOB: 15/03/2015) who came into the Oldies Club rescue after her owner sadly passed away. She is in a foster home in Newcastle upon Tyne while she waits for her perfect retirement home.
Summary: Lucy is a timid but active dog, weighing just 12.5kg and she’s 36cm (14″) tall. She wants to be the only dog in an adult-only home but visiting children who respect her space would be OK and she might be able to live with a confident cat. She needs human company most of the time and two or three half hour walks a day, although she can keep going longer if you want!
Gradually settled in: Lucy took quite a while to get used to her new surroundings in foster care and having lost her human. She was impeccably well behaved but would shy away from her foster carers until she eventually realised they were trustworthy and kind. She’s still camera shy though!
Must have company: Lucy gets quite upset if left on her own. She will cry and bark, so she really does need to be with someone almost all the time.
Only dog at home: Lucy is pretty good with other dogs out and about as long as they don’t bounce up to her or loom over her, in which case she’ll air snap to tell them to back off. She tolerates the resident female Jack Russell in her foster home but only because they both ignore each other! She would rather be the sole recipient of fuss and treats in her forever home.
Could live with a confident cat: Lucy hasn’t shown any interest in cats she sees outside, even the next door neighbour’s cat. In fact, she doesn’t seem to have much of a prey drive at all, as she ignores squirrels and doesn’t play with toys. Being such a peaceable dog, it’s thought she could live side-by-side with a dog-savvy cat after careful introductions.
Adult-only home: Lucy is very shy and can find children a bit too much. There have been young children visiting her foster home and she tends to keep to a safe distance and avoid interacting with them. She would cope with the occasional visiting grandchild in her retirement home, but probably by removing herself from the situation until the coast was clear again.
Sleeping arrangements: Lucy sleeps in her own bed in her foster carers’ 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, spark out and snoring happily. She loves having a lie in, in her snuggly bed.
Loves walks – excellent recall: Lucy loves a walk and she walks really well both on and off the lead. She stays near you and will wait for you. She will also stop/wait when told to do so, as she’s an obedient girl and her recall is excellent. She currently has two or three walks a day of about 30 minutes to an hour. She might have short legs but she loves a long walk, avoiding deep puddles, naturally.
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 and just being with her human.
Lucy’s dislikes: She is a very timid dog and shies away from unknown 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 doesn’t like being left alone and her foster carers have been working on this but she still wants company so she can relax.
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.