Introducing temporary Red - guide dog Lydia

Meet Oscar, a three year old golden retriever x labrador. He’s fully qualified but needs to be re-placed as the client gave him back as he likes to chew things. He’s a big softie and loves cuddling and chewing his blanket. We’ve got him until the 16th and then we get Whitney, our new advanced training dog.







I don’t know how to rotate the first one on my phone.

 

Is that a green sex toy?!

 

Are they looking for a forever home for him or just temporary home until something more permanent arises

 

Haha, no although it is 20 odd inches long and double ended! It’s a ‘Kong Safestix’. He has brought some mightily suspicious looking toys with him though. He also has a pink, nobbly bone.

 

Just temporary whilst they find a suitable client for him.

 

How do you go about offering a temp home I already have a 7 year old lab retriever at home

 

How do you go about offering a temp home I already have a 7 year old lab retriever at home

 

There are a few different roles. The one we signed up for was 'evening and weekend boarding' although we have done some full time boarding since Will has been working from home. For the boarding, you don't do any training as such (although you do reinforce the training they've already received), they just live with you like a pet, albeit with more rules. Normally with the evening and weekend boarding you need to drop them off at the office on a weekday morning and pick them back up on an afternoon/evening and they have their training whilst you are at work. They have been collecting and dropping off from the house since lockdown though. Boarding is normally 12 weeks whilst they do their Early training and then they either stay with you for another 10 weeks to do their Advanced or they go to someone new. With the ones who are fully qualified, they may not need any training so they just live with you full time. A more intense role is 'puppy walking' where you get an 8 week old puppy and they live with you full time for a year to a year and a half. That does involve a lot of work though as you have to socialise them in a wide variety of places and teach them all the basics. You have meetings once a month I believe to go over new things to do with them in the following month. For all roles, you have to agree not to leave them alone for more than 3-4 hours and to follow rules such as: no allowing on furniture, no allowing upstairs, no human food, no balls, no walking them unless you have been trained (you take them on 'free runs' off lead instead once they are bonded to you. You're not paid but all the dog's things such as food, vet bills etc. are paid for.

You can see the different roles here: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/volunteering-for-guide-dogs They don't have as many as usual due to Covid but you could keep checking back. It took a few months of us checking for the role we wanted to come up.

Alternatively, you can rehome a withdrawn guide dog. There is a cost to that (I think it's just increased to £500) and you still have to agree to not leave it alone for more than 3-4 hours. They've temporarily stopped applications for that in most areas as they got overwhelmed with them over lockdown. https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/rehoming-a-guide-dog

 

Something I can only dream of !!
Seriously JD you are a star. Those doggies are so precious, please keep doing what you do.
Just look at those eyes in the 3rd photo, sex toy or not.

 

You couldn't stop me! I've been like a little kid all week waiting for him to arrive. He seems extra cute because he's so soft and cuddly for the size of him and his little bounces when you call him over for a treat are amazing.

 

We're thinking of finally getting another dog, nearly four years sine we lost Bella and Sable within a few months of each other. Your posts and photos of your dogs have been a wonderful Godsend. In fact, because of them, Laura has decided that they're one of the breeds she's keen on.
Thank you.

 

Bloody hell could do some damage with that.

 

I used to love seeing your photos of Bella and Sable, especially as it was at a time when we couldn't have a dog because of renting so it was lovely to see yours. Labradors and Golden Retrievers really are great breeds, there's a few difference between them so if you go for a purebreed I'd look into which suits you best. They are both intelligent, friendly and playful though so you can't go wrong!

 

My personal preference is German Shepherds. However, I promised Laura she could decide which dog she wanted. It'll certainly be a rescue dog and we'll probably get one in sometime in the New Year, all things being equal.

 

Guide Dogs use German Shepherds too. Just look at Luna and her ears!!

I was hoping that we might get her but she's in Manchester I think.



*Photo credit: Guide Dogs - West, North and South Yorkshire Facebook page.

 

WOW! She's beautiful!

 

So cute.

 

Have you ever had a dog that you liked but the dog didn't like you?

Always wanted a dog - fancy a graceful whippet - (they don't need too much exercise)- but in the back of my mind is the thought that the dog may not take to me and I'm not sure what you do on those circumstances.

 

No, I think Kassie got a bit bored as she's used to working and Will was working from home so she didn't get as much stimulation as she would have liked. (She still got a walk before work, a free run after work, puzzle toys, bones to chew on etc. and regular fusses but it's not the same as her normal working day).

The dog will like you if you feed it, don't be aggressive towards it and give it firm, clear boundaries with lots of fun and praise. It will not like you if you shout at it, make sudden lunging moves towards it or confuse it by letting it do things sometimes and then telling it off for that behaviour at other times. It will be sad if you ignore it but it won't dislike you.

Edited to add: if you adopt a resuce dog then most shelters will set up multiple meetings between you and the dog to see if you like each other. If the dog doesn't like you then they'll try another one.

 

I've always had Border Collies, their intelligence and character keeps us entertained constantly. We spoil them rotten and they respond accordingly.
Our current one, Finch, is a stunning example of a loony, nutcase, friendly, happy, charming, gentle and loved boy. He is wonderful.
But I've always had a liking for Retrievers as I see them as large and loopy and maybe one day, perhaps, I may have one. I love their bouncy attitude.