I am looking forward to homing a bitch staffy pup into the family around Summer time 2004 with Gus but would also like to rehome a rescue dog too afterwards .
Obviously I would like the pup to settle in before I introduce another dog but I am looking for info on dog friendly breeds or relaxed breeds that are quite sociable .
I know there are problems with rescue dogs because of their backgrounds etc but would like information on "friendlier" breeds or more relaxed breeds  .
I suppose at the end of the day I want to be able to give a rescue dog a chance of a loving family home but without causing too many problems for any of the dogs living with us .
Any ideas ????
Lel

Hello Lel,

I will be interested in the replies too; but back to your question I think it depends on the individual dog as much as the breed if not more so.

Therefore what breeds have you experience of other than Staffs? and do you want a small dog ie Yorkie size or a larger ie Boxer?

Do you want one with loads of grooming ie OES or not a lot ie Dobe?

One of the nicest dogs we ever had in the family was Cody a plain and simple mongrel (but some GSD in there I think colur wise and ears, but the size of a B/C)

Karen 

Karen

Hi Karen
dont wont a dog/bitch that requires lots of grooming and isnt too large . Think thats all with regards to limitations.
Dont want GSD/Rotty/JRT types but would prefer something quite easy going . Have thought of a rescue Staffy but not sure whether there may be too many problems there - obviously depends on the individual dog and its back ground

what about a lab? They are usually quite adaptable & as honest as the day is long. I always desribe a lab as "what you see is what you get".
& when you look at the variety of things labs do ie - family pet, gundog work, police dogs, drugs dogs, Guide dogs (which is where I'm involved with them!) Dogs for the disabled, .......... the list goes on.

:)

Hmmmm, that leaves load then ;)

I would suggest staying away from Terriers completely too much "I'm not backing down" although I'm a big fan of Borders;

So how about the gundogs, a cocker or a Lab maybe?

Karen     

Or a beagle?
Or a retired greyhound?
Or a ...................erm..................I'll think about it for a while. Not too big,
not much grooming! erm.............. Oh it's got to be a lab. can't think of any others.  :)

a boxer?

my mum has a dog that sounds like cody, she's called cleo and she has the colourings and markings of a german shepard but a much smaller size, she's adorable and extremely loving to her family, she is terrified of strangers though (she is a rescue dog). unfortunately though she got arthritis at the age of 4 :(

slightly off track though eh ?

sarah

king charles spaniel are very laid back, sweet and gentle dogs, or what about smooth haired chihuahua a are small about 6 to 8 pounds fully grown require no grooming, hardley malt and contary to popular belief are very friendly, sociable loving dogs who thrive on other dog and cat company, thy have lots of love to give especially the little boys of the chihuahuas ar the most loving, they are not snappy and dont bark alot

love clare

If you really want a laid back relaxeed dog then you can't go far wrong with a greyhound, they are the couch potatoes of the dog world, or have you considered an older dog ?

mmmmmm id second the greyhound thing.

Or a rescue lurcher.......though not a young un, an older one......

There are loads of older dogs in rescue centres, through no fault of their own, who are plenty relaxed and quiet.

Em

Hmmmm you've all given me a few ideas there to think on :)
Think a boxer may be too hyper ( at least all the ones I certainly know are ;)  )
Cerainly hadnt thought of a greyhound though . Are they ok with other dogs ? I also have a cat and so the new addition needs to be cat friendly too .
An older dog has crossed my mind - where the poor thing can spend his/her last years being loved and spoilt.
I have actually thought of a cocker Karen but I suppose deep down I want to home a dog that has less of a chance if that makes sense . Cockers are very pretty little dogs.

An adult rescue Boxer would probably be less hyper. Ruby is 6, nearly 7, and has her mad 2 minutes then sleeps for the rest of the day. The problem with Boxers is that once theyre at the age where theyre settled enough for you, they may be classed as elderly and may get depressed/harassed by a puppy. However, this is not always the case, and not all young Boxers are boingy.

Having said all that, I have experience with greys/lurchers too, and there are loads in rescue. I think you have a better chance of desensitizing a grey around a cat than an ex working lurcher, but there are also lots of lurchers in rescue that havent worked. Greyhounds make wonderful, calm pets. They truly are the 100mph couch potato. The downsides are few, but include the fact that they have likely never been in a home before (most live at the tracks in a small kennel with another grey), so housetraining etc is *sometimes* an issue, but rarely for long as greyhounds are meticulous *lol*. Also most greyhounds have never met another breed of dog before, so socialisation is very important. I have trained 2 greys out of cat chasing, but it was very easy work (one a non chaser that took a day or two and the other who had raced more took 3 weeks). Its much easier to train them out of chasing cats in your home than cats they see out and about. It is also very common to see "non chasers" in rescue. These are dogs which just didnt feel the need to run down and "kill" the rabbit, and likely just jumped about playing at the trials and probably caused a huge embarrassment to it's owner/trainer *lol*. These are often young dogs of about 18 months to 2 years old that failed trials to race.
With lurchers, its much more of a mixed bag depending on what breeds they contain *lol*. The cat problem can be more of an issue with lurchers, as they are used to hunt rather than chasing a fluffy fake rabbit. However, a lurcher I know of has been trained to retrieve in the past and only picks up cats and brings them to you *lol*. There are however lots of cat friendly lurchers about, as many lurchers have lived in the home. This also helps when it comes to the day to day stuff like housetraining, house rules, etc. The other good thing about lurchers is that the majority of ex workers have lived with other hunting type dogs, eg other lanky dogs and terriers, etc.

Of course, the other option is to visit your local rescue centre (I wouldnt use a council pound as many dogs dont have a history and this is very important when adding additional pets to a household). There are loads of gorgeous crosses in need of homes - big, small, tiny, huge, hairy, smooth, etc etc. Good rescues will often go through what qualities you are looking for in a dog and match the right one to you. If you have a puppy coming into your home soon, I would give it 6-12 months to settle in before considering another dog.

Good luck whatever you decide!

Kathy
xxxxxxx

I have 2 staffy bitches, and a rescue lurcher.  He has been absolutely fantastic with them and manages to put up with them suprisingly well.
He was about 2 when we rehomed him but has always been  very quiet and gentle.  I would definitely recommend a smaller male lurcher or greyhound with a staffy as I think they manage to put up with all the playing because they're so calm.
Rescue centres are packed with lurchers and greyhound so it would be lovely to give one a nice home!

Hi Rachel
are they ok with cats as well ? Thinking of the chasing thing here ?
What sort of exercise would a greyhound/lurcher need ?? Are they pretty chilled in the home ? As you know Staffys love their exercise but also love lounging around at home too ;)

I think it's pretty much pot luck as to if they're ok with cats.  I got lucky and he has been fine, a bit interested to start off with, but after being told that they weren't his he hasn't shown the slightest bit of interest.  I even have 2 rabbits, which he hasn't ever looked at!
Exercise wise he is happy to go on a walk as often as my staffs, but would also be perfectly happy to spend the whole day in bed and never go on a walk again!  I've honestly never met a more relaxed dog in my life, he doesn't get bothered by anything, I suppose we were really lucky.  I think the fact that they are so chilled out would make a lurcher an ideal dog to have with your staffy.
My sister has a dobe pup who adores our staffs and they love her, but it can get pretty wild so don't know if that's such a good idea!  But she is gorgeous.

Yeah I know what you mean about Cockers but there are rescues for cockers.

I like lurchers but wouldn't have one myself,I think I'd go for a mongrel or cross to be honest myself (I know you have no true idea of size, just a guesstimate)
but thats part of their charm.

I agree I think adding a boxer would be a receipe for disaster, it would be like living in a race track.

Karen

Hi Lel
I know you have children so one of the most important things when rescuing a dog that you know nothing about is the safety of the kids.
It is a really kind thing to do by taking in a rescue dog but please be careful you don't bite off more than you can chew :-)
I'd stick with a smaller breed but it needs to be big enough not to be pushed around too much by young staffs. Also a smaller breed will cost less to feed as I know your circumstances have now changed :-(

Bulldogs are gentle and would be a good size to stand up to an over excited teething staffy! :) It is difficult to find a rescue Bulldog though, but I have seen some. Mind you, I am hoping that my bully calms down, an 11 week old bully is like a hyper bear running around, I am wistfully dreaming of the day when she stops trying to bite everything in sight! :)

Although I adore bulldogs I am sure there is a waiting list as long as your arm for one ;)

I know if I visit a centre I will want to take them all away with me. :(
Do you think it would be wiser to introduce the rescue before the introduction of a pup or to home the pup first ??

Dont want to unsettle a rescue by later introducing the pup - I know this can take time to feel settled into a new home......just thinking about introducing a rescue into a home with two dogs already there ???
Do you think there are less issues with an elderly dog or more ?? I  Supose it is dependant on the individual ( sorry just thinking aloud) :o
Lel

I would go along with the rescued Greyhound/ Lurcher idea, or perhaps a rescued Whippet, if you want something a bit smaller? They tend to be very peaceable dogs, who don't go looking for a fight and generally won't rise to the bait if threatened!
All the above are happy with as much or as little exercise as you can give, and are lazy and well behaved dogs in the house.
With Lurchers, they are a bit more of a mixed bag, since if a collie was used in the cross, they generally are more active and demanding than a sighthound cross.
I got my Lurcher Nellie from Evesham Greyhound and Lurcher rescue- their dogs are put into foster homes so they can be assessed with cats, other dogs, children etc- since I also have cats it was important that she was tested with them.
They always have loads of Lurchers of all shapes and sizes, and lots of Greyhounds looking for homes.
I can't find their telephone number, but they do have a website- just do a search under their name.
Good Luck, Liz

It's a difficult one, but I would suggest seeing as you're already getting the pup, to wait until he/she is 6-12 months old before introducing another dog. Like you said, it would be a bit much for a rescue to get used to being in a loving home and then a new arrival in so short a time. Also it gives you a chance to settle the new pup in and start training so that when a new arrival comes in it wont disrupt things too much. I know it sounds like a long time! :(

The time scale of summer 2004 for pup is not set in stone - this was the original timing of introducing a bitch pup before we had talked of homing a rescue .
I suppose if we bring pup home and let her settle in then the rescue will only have one set of changes to adjust to ( its new home) . Whereas if we home the rescue first it will have to settle in and then adjust again to the new pup as well at a later date.

It does all depend on the individual dog.  I have male rescue cockers and all have settled down pretty much immediately.  I 've had rescues of the ages 5, 6, 8ish and 9 (when rescued).  My first rescue who was 8ish (and lived to 16/17) was not happy with male dogs in his house - but fine with all bitches and fine with males outside.  My 5 yo (now 6) is fine with any dog of any temperament - he is not submissive but just doesn't believe in fighting!  My 9 yo loved anything, while my 6 yo is fine with most and iffy with the odd one.

It is a bit of a myth that most rescue dogs have issues.  Most of the issues are with the original owners.  I have fostered more than one who was put into rescue because he was terrible at being left alone - weed, chewed, barked, etc.  When left in my house, with another dog, they were all perfect.  In one case, the issue the original owner had not mentioned was that the dog had not been socialised properly with other dogs or humans - with humans, he growled all the time but didn't mean it; with dogs, he displayed dominant behaviour but didn't mean it; - god knows what his owners had been doing to get him that way - this is a dog who wants to be friendly.  After 2 weeks with my wonder 5 yo dog and me, he went off to his new home, to live with another male dog, a different dog (all his bad points had been told in detail to his new owners, they love him and he's been lovely for 6 months).

As I said, it all depends on the individual dog and how they and the others interact.  But, it's a rescue dog for me anyday.

Did your rescue Cockers come from a shelter or through a foster home/old home? This often makes a big difference. With any dog though, rescue or otherwise (but especially rescue), it's still best to let one settle in for a few months before rehoming another :) Putting the rescue issue aside, introducing a new dog is a stressful time for any dog, and when a new puppy is brought home, they need their own time to settle in and start training. :)

Some from rescue kennels (including one from Ireland), others via a home to me immediately via a rescue (I foster) and one from the pages of Loot.  They all have settled in straight away - but I am a dog person and, particularly a cocker person.  They like me and I like them - we always seem to click straight away.