Troy on the left and Alpha, his daughter, on the right
20/9/2024 – Troy & Alpha have now been adopted and are having a wonderful time in their new home!
Little Troy is 13 years old, and Alpha is 12 years old and is Troy’s daughter. They are a terrier-lover’s delight and have a very strong bond, bless them! They are in an Oldies Club foster home in Wittersham, Kent, waiting for someone to offer them a permanent home together.
Summary: Alpha and Troy settled immediately at their foster home. They were happy to be in a new place with new, unfamiliar people. They took a few nights to adjust to sleeping in their bed in the kitchen, but have settled well into a routine. They need a home with someone around most of the time where they can do lots of napping and have plenty of cuddles.
Can be left for short periods: They sleep alone through the night and have been left for a few hours during the day or in the evening. Depending on their energy levels, and whether they have been for a walk, they might be restless, but usually they are absolutely fine, and very happy to see you when you come back. They wouldn’t suit a home where people go out to work though as they do need to go out for a wee every few hours, especially Alpha.
Fine with dogs: They are mostly disinterested in other dogs. Troy is a little friendlier and doesn’t mind if unknown dogs get close, but Alpha can be a little fearful and may bark or look/run to her carers for safety. Their former owner reported that they have stayed with other dogs for long periods of time with no issues.
Need a home without cats: When Troy and Alpha encountered a cat recently, they were quite slow to react, but they did try to run at the cat, then got quite excited and started barking. They need a home without cats.
Said to be fine with children: Their former owner reported they have stayed with children for prolonged periods with no issues. They are small, older dogs though, so any resident children would need to be aged 10+ and kind and gentle. Well-supervised visiting children of any age should be fine.
Love their walks: Alpha and Troy are well-behaved on walks and love to have a good sniff. For the first few weeks they did pull a little bit on the lead but have since settled down. Alpha has good recall but Troy can take some convincing. Two or three 15-20 minute walks per day is perfect for them. They will manage with a little less on days when you’re busy, but they have also had longer walks and been very happy. Since his surgery, Troy can be a little slower on walks, so the frequency and length has reduced, but both still seem very satisfied. On a few occasions he has been carried part of the way home if he has slowed down a lot.
Good in the car: They are usually quite excited to get into the car, and sit well in their harnesses. Alpha can sometimes get a little restless but is mostly very well behaved.
Favourite pastimes: They are big fans of a nap and will nap for most of the day. Troy loves a cuddle and doesn’t mind being picked up and carried around. He has also shown some interest in playing with stuffed toys and carrying them around. If he has a dentastik or similar he will walk around and proudly show it off. He also has quite a bit of fun playing chase with his foster carers and will bark enthusiastically as he totters behind them. Alpha likes a bit of attention and belly rubs, but after a some fuss will go and lie down on her own, or spread out on an armchair staring at you longingly from across the room. She loves a run when on a walk. She also likes to lick Troy’s face. They are both very big fans of licking anybody and anything but will stop when told.
Dislikes: Troy seems happy with pretty much everything but his former owner said that he can be fearful of thunder. Alpha doesn’t like unknown dogs being too close, or being picked up in certain ways (particularly if there is no bum support).
Ideal home: The perfect home will have one or more adults home all day who can let them out frequently and offer a warm lap for cuddling. Their new people must be patient, loving, and gentle, and have a good stock of treats.
Health notes: They are neutered, vaccinated and microchipped and have recently been wormed and flea treated. Alpha has a heart murmur and enlarged left atrium causing her to cough. She has just started treatment for this and is taking Libeo and Zelys to reduce fluid on the lungs and help the functioning of her heart. She takes one tablet of Zelys and half a tablet of Libeo every morning and evening without food. Troy has had a dental and had some teeth removed, he also had a small lump removed from his eyelid.
More from Alpha and Troy’s foster carer: Troy is cuddly, playful, cheeky and adorable. Alpha is sweet, gentle, soft and shy. They are an absolutely delightful pair full of love, patience, and personality. They are fabulous sofa companions and are always happy to see you. When Troy gets over-excited he is usually immediately calmed down if you pick him up and cuddle him. Alpha often likes to follow you wherever you go and will calmly hang out with you as you make food or do some chores. They’re both very fond of people in general and like to introduce themselves to anyone they come across with lots of sniffs and tail wags.
If you would like to offer Troy and Alpha a permanent home together, please read our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process. You can then contact an Oldies Club Rehoming Coordinator as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk
Telephone: 0844 586 8656
They can be rehomed anywhere on the UK mainland – the closer to their foster home the better – subject to a satisfactory home visit. Note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to collect them.
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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.