These fabulous photos were taken by Sue Milligan Photography, who very kindly volunteered to take them for us.
31/5/19 – After a lot of worry and many appeals for a new foster home for this gorgeous pair of dogs, we are delighted to announce that their new foster carers are completely smitten with Toby and Josie and have now adopted them. We couldn’t be happier for everyone involved.
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Toby, a 10-year-old German Shepherd, and his devoted chum Josie, an 11-year-old Staffy x Whippet, have lived together since Toby was a pup. They’re in the care of the Oldies Club rescue as their owner was too poorly to look after them. Toby and Josie are in a foster home in Lancaster but they need to move very soon and we are urgently seeking either a new foster home or a permanent home for them, together. If you would like to foster them with a view to adoption, that would be wonderful. We would arrange transport for Toby and Josie to a new foster home so don’t be put off if you’re a long way from Lancashire.
Overview of Toby and Josie: In their former home, Toby and Josie hadn’t been walked for quite some time and so hadn’t been socialising with dogs or humans. This resulted in them being wary on walks, and Toby having separation anxiety, but, with the help of a behaviourist, their current foster carers have made a lot of progress and Toby and Josie are responding to training very well. Oldies Club will pay for a suitably qualified behaviourist to advise their new fosterers/adopters if required.
Settled very gradually: Josie settled at the current foster home almost immediately, but it took about 6 weeks for Toby.
Can now be left for a few hours: Although Toby still has some separation anxiety, his foster carers can leave him for a few hours, provided he doesn’t see them leave the house. They distract him with treats and then sneak out of the back door. He’s then OK to be left alone with Josie for 4 or 5 hours. However, we do anticipate that a move to a new home will make Toby anxious until he settles in, so we are seeking a home where it isn’t essential that they are left much at first, and where their new family can continue to work on Toby’s separation training. They only need a toilet break every 5 or 6 hours and are very clean in the home.
Best as your only dogs: Toby is still learning how to socialise with other dogs, so he and Josie need to be your only dogs. Josie is very friendly with dogs, so hopefully once Toby has had further training, they will be able to mix with dogs.
Not used to cats: Toby and Josie need a home without cats as they aren’t used to living with them and Toby wants to chase cats if he sees them.
Could live with teenagers: Toby and Josie haven’t lived with children before but they have been very good with ones they have met. They should be fine to live with sensible teenagers who have lived with large dogs previously.
Enjoy walks: Toby and Josie are walked on the lead, three times a day for about 30 minutes each time. They love their walks. Toby sometimes pulls, but now that the foster carers use the techniques taught by the behaviourist, he is fine. Josie is good on the lead. We don’t know about their recall, but they do respond to their names.
Good in the car: Toby and Josie travelled from Kent to their foster home in Lancashire and were good in the car and good with their transporters.
Their favourite pastimes: Walking; sitting on the sofa; being petted; having their daily 5-10 minutes ‘command training sessions’ with clickers.
Dislikes: They both dislike fireworks and the vacuum cleaner. Josie dislikes raised voices.
Their ideal home: A quiet to relatively active household. They can be couch potatoes and enjoy sitting on the sofa with you, but they also enjoy going out walking with you for up to an hour.
Health notes: Toby and Josie are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and have been wormed and flea treated. The vet says they are doing well for their ages. Their hearts, hearing, weight, skin, coat, teeth and joints are all fine. Eyes are a bit cloudy but no sign of cataracts. The vet mentioned that Toby has a slightly tight hip so you just need to slowly introduce exercises to him.
Foster carers’ summary: They are loyal: they love their people and just want to be around us. They are flexible: can be laid-back couch-potatoes but they also enjoy a long walk and are happy to sniff around. They are smart: very quick to learn commands and tricks, and they adapt to routine quickly once settled. They are stable and consistent, being senior dogs, but they are also currently healthy and active.
More from their foster carers: Josie is wonderful and doesn’t need anything other than your love. Toby still needs consistent and firm training, but it’s nothing too complicated or time-consuming. He just needs boundaries and to be taught how to behave like a dog. They used to sleep on their owners’ beds and it took us time to train them to sleep downstairs on their own but they are now fine with this. Both Toby and Josie are still capable of learning new things so they should adapt reasonably well to new household living arrangements. The last two months that we have spent with them prove that they can still be easily trained.
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If you could offer Toby and Josie a foster home, perhaps with a view to subsequently adopting, please contact us as follows:
Email: treasurer@oldies.org.uk
Oldies Club would arrange transport to the foster home and also cover the cost of any medical care they might need while in foster. You can read more about fostering for Oldies Club here.
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Alternatively, if you could offer a permanent home, please read our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process and then contact an Oldies Club rehoming co-ordinator as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk
Telephone: 0844 586 8656
We rehome anywhere on the UK mainland, subject to a satisfactory home visit, but note that you would be required to travel to the foster home if you were adopting.
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