‘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.
Friendly lady Blue is an 11-year-old Lurcher who came into the Oldies Club rescue as her previous owner could no longer look after her. She’s in a foster home to the north of York, waiting for the perfect home offer.
Summary: Blue is steady, affectionate and medium to large sized (60cm/2ft tall and weighs 23kg). Ideally, she’d like a retirement home with another compatible, calm dog for company. It’s thought she might be OK as an only dog if her owner is at home most of the time AND she has some canine company every day, e.g. on walks. She likes short walks, including the occasional secure field zoomies but mostly she likes to relax at home. She could live with respectful, quiet children who won’t interrupt her long snoozes and won’t mind being jumped up on sometimes or walloped by her very waggy tail!
Quickly settled into foster: By the end of day one in her foster home, Blue was snuggling on the sofa with her foster carer as though she’d always been there. In the first few weeks, she did have the odd accident when left but this soon stopped, so it was probably just because she didn’t yet know the routine and was anxious.
Can be left for short periods: Once fully settled into foster, Blue is fine being left for a few hours, eating her chew and then snoozing. She might be OK with someone who goes out to work part-time, especially if she has a canine companion at home with her but she’d be happiest in a home with someone around for most of each day.
Loves other dogs: Blue lived with other dogs in her previous home. In foster care she has been great with all dogs she’s met and is keen to say hello to every dog she walks past. She’s calm and relaxed when she meets them. If another dog starts to get excited, or tries to encourage her to play, she isn’t interested, but she really does seem to like just being around other dogs. This is why living with another calm dog would be lovely for her, or at least having a doggy sociable life-style.
No cats please: Blue wants to chase cats when she sees them on walks, so she needs a cat-free home.
Could live with calm, sturdy children: Blue used to live with children and we were told that she loves them. During her time in foster she has met children out on walks and she seems as calm and laid back with them as with all people she meets. The main considerations are that she will sometimes plant her front paws on people when greeting them which could easily knock over someone small, her tail wags a lot of the time and she’s unaware that it’s quite a hard thwack when she’s right beside you and, lastly, that she does like to sleep and lounge around undisturbed for most of the time.
Only needs short walks: Blue currently has three short walks a day, of about 15 minutes each or one 15 minute sprint around a secure field. She doesn’t want any more exercise than that and if she has to have a longer walk, she needs a much longer sleep afterwards! She used to be quite strong on the lead but has calmed down as she’s got used to her new routine. Her recall has also improved (from practically zero) but she’s still kept on a long lead unless in a secure field to be on the safe side.
Good in the car: She will happily jump into the car for an adventure. If she’s in the boot, she’ll sometimes do an “are-we-there-yet?” sort of cry on the way but not on the way home, and not if she’s on the back seat which she finds more convivial.
Blue’s favourite pastimes: Sleeping – especially snuggled up with her humans on the sofa. Saying hello to people and dogs when she’s out – she’s very waggy and friendly and she greets people and dogs calmly. Sunbathing – any opportunity to sneak outside and lie in the sun on the patio and she’ll take it!
Blue’s ideal home: Snoozy Blue needs a home where her people will not ask too much of her in terms of exercise, and will allow her to have long periods of sleep and rest. She will love a home with people who will cuddle up with her on the sofa. Ideally a home with another calm dog but, with enough socialising with other dogs, she might be OK as an only dog. She needs people who will keep food out of reach but can feed her 4 times a day. She would like human company a lot of the time and a nicely predictable pattern to life.
Sleeping arrangements: Blue sleeps in her bed in the kitchen. Given a choice, she would probably sleep on the sofa or in her foster carers’ bed, but she does settle down on her own very easily with no issues.
Health notes: Blue has been neutered since coming into Oldies Club care. She’s vaccinated, microchipped and has been wormed and flea treated. She has a mild heart murmur (graded 2 out of 6). This is not causing her any issues and she may have had it since birth. She does need to be fed 4 times a day, as having an empty stomach for too long can cause her to vomit, which is fairly common in older dogs. She is having 3 mammary lumps removed but these are not believed to be any cause for concern. The overall consensus is that Blue is in excellent health for her age.
More from Blue’s foster carers: “Blue is calm, cuddly, waggy and friendly and we just think she’s wonderful. She’s a joy to have around, and so easy to have as well. She’s won the hearts of so many people we’ve met, which is no surprise given she’s so friendly and affectionate. She also rarely barks, which is another bonus. We’ve only heard her twice. She’s just very laid back and we have not found anything that she reacts to. Anybody would be lucky to have her.”
If you would like to offer Blue 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.
Blue 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.