[hafod]

On Monday I was offered a new contract which means I will be working at home 99% of the the time. OH and I had been planning a trip to the local dog rescue to see if they would have anything suitable for us. On Tuesday a  friend who I haven't seen for a while posted on facebook that she was looking to rehome her 2 dogs due to her ill health. I've had a chat with her and explained our situation and that we need a dog that's good with sheep and chickens and she thinks that one of hers would be ideal. So we are going to meet "Cody" on Friday.

What sort of questions should I ask about him when we meet him?
I know he's healthy and microchipped and all his vaccines are up to date.
Obviously I need to ask what food he currently has
I guess I need to know about his "normal" routine, how long he is used to being left on his own for etc

We will be taking him out for a walk so we will get an idea of how he is on the lead and meeting other dogs.

What else should I ask/do?

[Me]

Ask for a no obligations trial period

[Caroline1]

You should ask what types of animals and people has he been exposed to, what socialization have they done, how does he travel in a car and where does he currently sleep (ie bedroom, sofa, crate trained).

Initially when you get a rescue it is a mix of risk management and giving plenty of time for socialization and settling in.

I think it is great you are getting a rescue, the more you can find out, the easier the settling in period will be. I have fostered and rescued several dogs and having a good history check is really helpful.

Good luck.

[farmvet]

If her house & car aren't chewed to pieces &  you like him & he likes you all will be fine! Why not take both?

[Old Shep]

Yes they'll probably settle better together .

[SallyintNorth]

I was going to say, if he's used to being one of two he may find it very hard to settle as an only dog.  Often two are less work than one as they keep each other company, play with each other on walks, etc... 

I'd ask to have her 'walk you through' the dogs' days and nights - show you where they sleep, what they do between walks and feeds, etc, so you can gauge whether what this dog is used to tallies with how you envisage life with (a) dog(s). 

For instance, if they sleep on her bed but you want a dog to sleep in the kitchen, with an adult dog already stressed by moving house, owner and companionship, this could be a hard one to manage. 

Look for scratched doors, evidence of garden escapes, etc, and get her to talk about any 'management issues' as well as the dogs' good points!

And take it/them for a walk - some dogs pull constantly on a lead, some won't come when called, etc. 

But broadly,

If her house & car aren't chewed to pieces &  you like him & he likes you all will be fine! Why not take both?

this!   

[hafod]

So we went to see both dogs tonight. We decided that they get on so well together it would be a shame to split them up so......they are both coming for a trial next week. very excited  . Thank you for all your advice. We left a blanket with them so they can get their scent on it. We will pick it up at the weekend and bring it home so the cats can have a sniff and maybe it won't be so stressfull for them. (the dogs are very used to cats so hopefully that will help).

[Old Shep]

Ooh i'm excited for you!! Hope it goes well.

[farmvet]

Thats great. It must be a big relief to your friend too knowing they are going together to someone she knows.

One tip for when you get them is NOT to have a strict routine.. contrary to most advice. Of course they need fed, walked etc but i'd vary the times a bit so eg if you decide to leave their long walk till later as you're busy or its pouring the dogs arent pacing about unsettled until to go.

[ladyK]

Sounds like a great start! Hope it goes well once they come home to you. How exciting! 

So much better for them if they can stay together  I'm sure it will help them settle into their new environment making it less stressful for you too.

I'd love to get a second dog now that we have the space but finding it very difficult to find a dog that will get along with the dog we already have. In hindsight if I was starting anew with dogs I would try to get an already bonded pair.

[devonlady]

I've been re-homing dogs for a fair few years and have found that dogs that are collected by the new owner will settle much better than those that have been delivered and then left.
Good luck with your new friends and may you have many happy years together

[Caroline1]

Hope the trial goes well!

[hafod]

Thank you!! I've attached a pic.
We picked up the dog smelling blanket today  and both cats have had a sniff and my male cat is currently snuggled up in it! I'm hoping this is a good sign but obviously its going to be more stressfull when the dogs arrive. The dogs won't be able to go up stairs but the cats will so I'm hoping this will be a safe haven for the cats. We also have a pheremone plug-in which we have found to help the cats in stressful situations before. The dogs are crate trained and used to sleeping in a crate at night so we will continue to do this too.  What else can we do to help it go smoothly?

[Old Shep]

I don't give a new dog too much freedom to start with, just a safe space away from the goings on of the house (that will be easy if they have a crate/s). 

[Carolswoolies]

I've been re-homing dogs for a fair few years and have found that dogs that are collected by the new owner will settle much better than those that have been delivered and then left.
Good luck with your new friends and may you have many happy years together

Same here when it comes to rescue dogs. Best if you collect them. Much less upset.