Considering adopting a senior Blue Heeler - need advice?

[Dashdog]

While I have brought in dogs that neither I or my other dogs have met and it worked out good, they were puppies granted Dazzle was about 8 months but that is still a puppy, Chaos was about 12 weeks so she was still a small puppy but with both I had never met them before I picked them up so my dogs did not meet them until I cam home with them.


When I got Dazzle I still had Dash and Jazz and Jazz was a cattle dog X border collie mix. She was fear aggressive and reactive to other dogs but there were a lot of dogs that she got along with and she enjoyed as long as they played by her rules.


Jazz who was 12 did not like Dazzle when she met him and threatened him big time and at first he was afraid then he realized that being a sight hound he was much faster then her and he would taunt her. She decided it was best to pretend he was not there until Dash died. After Dash died I think she missed playing with Dash and she started to actually play with Dazzle.

At 14 Jazz was still extremely active and at her check up my vet said if he had not known her since she was a puppy he would have guessed her to be about 6 or 7 not 14. That great Cattle dog blood!

When I had added 2 yr old Phoenix to my pack years before I knew Jazz would have issues with her so the trainer at the HS and I worked for weeks getting her to like Phoenix. When they were getting along well at the HS we even did a home visit with Phoenix which was the first time our local HS allowed that but due to Phoenix being special needs ( deaf and vision limited) and being terrified of most people but warmed right up to me they wanted to give her a chance at a home as they had her for about 6 months with little interest in her because she hid from people when they stopped by her run to see her . During the home visit everything went great Jazz and Dash got along great with Phoenix so I adopted her. The first couple of weeks went great then Jazz started going after Phoenix and attacking her . She never hurt her but she did terrify her and I worked on the issue for over 1.5 yrs and every time I thought we had it fixed and things would be great for a few weeks Jazz would end up attacking her again I ended up rehoming her with my parents where my dogs would still see her but not 24/7 and most of the time it was peaceful when they were together at my parents. My mom died then a few years later my Dad died and Phoenix came back to live with me Jazz and Dazzle ( Dash had died) This time it was peaceful and Jazz accepted her but they were both old ladies.

I bring up the story because even when you have dogs meet and it seems like they get along you can still have issues.


Having said that when I volunteered at Best Friends for a week. in old dog town I met an adorable older male Cattle dog and he came across as quite the gentleman. He stole my heart as he was so calm and so sweet and was living with a group of dogs so got along with all of them. I would have taken him home with me in a heart beat if I did not have Jazz, but I did. I was her person and this old dog was looking for a new person to be his person so I felt there would be issues there. Dash, Phoenix and Dazzle were all ok with letting me be Jazz's person but cattle dogs tend need a person to be theirs and may not like to share . There was a happy ending for this sweet old dog as one day a poster on this forum was talking about her new dog which was an older Male cattle dog from Best Friends, we compared notes and yup it was the old guy I had met. She gave him a wonderful few last years which I was so happy to know as I never forgot him as that look he gave me every time he put his head in my lap that week was like him asking can you please be my person and it is hard to forget a dog like that.

[lkb0714]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

If I was seriously considering adopting this dog I would fly there with my current dog and let them meet up. .

A dog with a potentially enlarged heart should not be flying.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by lkb0714

A dog with a potentially enlarged heart should not be flying.

Yes, you are right.

OP as others mentioned, my example WAS extreme, but I included it because I thought I had lined up a good match knowing the breed. I thought I could predict and handle the reality. There was a good chance they would have gotten along but it all went haywire. I'll never do something like that again. Too too hard on everyone involved; too big a price.

[Regina14]

Originally Posted by lkb0714

A dog with a potentially enlarged heart should not be flying.

I didn't know that. But I wouldn't want to put my dog on a plane even if he did not have a potentially enlarged heart; emotionally and physically it would be too hard on him, he has separation anxiety.

[Regina14]

Originally Posted by motownnative

I agree that it is too risky to bring this dog in. You also stated in first post that the foster stated she got along with *most* dogs. That means they have noticed there are some she clearly doesn't like. It could be a disastrous situation to bring her into an apartment where she is in close quarters with a dog she doesn't get along with. Other than housebreaking, it doesn't sound like she has had any training. You may have to walk the dogs separately for quite a while until that is worked out. Also 9 is not that old depending on the individual dog. My beagle is 11 and still has a ton of energy. If he had the herding instincts of a cattle dog, he would still be a handful at this age.

Have you considered a much smaller dog that would be less of a threat to your older dog? You mentioned possible health issues. Also, how do you (or your dog) feel about cats? Cats are overpopulated everywhere and are in dire need of homes. I like both dogs and cats equally and they are SO much easier. Even a kitten is easy. They don't need crated, walked, trained, etc. Many have personalities like dogs too. They can be more cuddly and loving than many dogs too. Many even end up taking to a dog very well and being a great playmate.

Yes, cats are much easier as pets; they don't need to be walked. But I'm not a cat lover. I admire cats, I like cats, but not enough to want one in my home. I'm also not sure that keeping a cat in a one-bedroom apartment, where the cat could never be outside except for on a leash, would be fair to a cat - and yes, I know that many people do it, but I would feel bad. (if I really wanted to have cats, I'd think about moving to a house with at least some yard and having some kind of habitat built for the cat outside so it could play outside in safety and come in at will)

Actually, my dog is very cuddly and affectionate; he's a snuggler and is the most affectionate dog I've ever known. I don't expect my next dog to be as cuddly; though I would certainly like him/her to be.

[shadowfax]

I know I am late to this discussion but I wanted to weigh in on adopting senior dogs.

This spring I adopted a 10 year old shiba inu after losing one of my old dogs. I wanted a companion for my other old dog and had seen his picture on Facebook. I felt a connection and knew he was supposed to be with me. So I adopted him.

Shibas come with a certain reputation for being difficult, sometimes dog aggressive and escape artists. I was asked many times by many people if I was sure I wanted a shiba. Did I know what I was getting into?

Well the adoption process was nerve wracking but he and my other dog got on okay and he came to stay. A week later my old gil passed on. I guess she really missed her other friend and decided that the new boy could handle things.

Well Kyoshi has been with me for 6 months today and I could not be more happy with him. He has his quirks but he also is so totally happy with life. Don't let stereotypes stop you from adopting any dog, but especially not a senior. Sure he has some old dog issues and as it turns out a neurological problem that makes him a bit more work to care for but I have no regrets.

My only caveat for the OPs situation is the long distance. It is really better to meet the dog and have them meet your existing pets before making it final. Shipping an older dog back and forth to find out if it works is awful hard on the dog. It seems a little odd to me that a rescue would do this without a home check.

Be sure you have some sort of plan for if things don't work out.

As far as neutering the older dog goes. I had an intact female for 15 years. Never had a health issue and never had a problem. She never had puppies and never came close to having puppies. Is it ideal? No. Would I do it again? Probably not. But it was what it was and I was not going to put her through surgery that she didn't need and was not healthy enough to handle. I am 100% for spaying and neutering pets but I will not pressure someone to do it without knowing the entire story.

[JrzDefector]

I'm sure there are senior dogs available that are actually near to you. You could take your dog to visit them and see how they got along before adopting. That's ideal, I think.