cbmcts
Well-Known Member
My little JRT died very suddenly last week at 13 years old. It was a huge shock and both I and my other two dogs are missing her lots. RIP Mo.
But it has left me with a dilemma that I wasn't expecting to face just yet. I have a very old JRT (who I've posted about on here a few months ago) and a 7 year old Rottie. I had always expected to lose the 20 year JRT long before either of the other dogs and again, always planned to get another rescue but the type of dog I would have wanted in those circumstances is completely different to the type of dog that would work out/fit in now.
Callie (old dog!) has always been a benign dictator - always top dog but without having to make a fuss about it - and her place was never challenged by the other two as both arrived as pups. Mo liked to give it large on occasion but was actually a wimp and always backed down to other dogs very quickly and without fuss and the rott, Conan has always had thug tendencies with other dogs - there is good reason why he is known as the hump meister
The original plan (when will I learn the danger of plans????) was to look for a rottie bitch after Callie went, if you like the hard to re-home bitch from hell.Conan only tries to hump/harass a bigger dog but once he's been put in his place hard once he will never try it on with that dog again. My thinking that Mo wouldn't challenge a more dominant dog like that so no obvious problems there. Time wouldn't have been an issue and from looking around and talking to a few rescues casually, they can struggle to find suitable experienced homes with no children for the slightly more difficult dog.
The problem now is that I realise that
1) I have to be realistic and accept that my beloved old girl won't be around forever - she really should be called Lazarus as she has been so near deaths door on more than one time in the last year or so - but at the moment is happily bumbling around behaving disgracefully at every opportunity. Long may it last
2) Conan will not be a happy dog as a singleton. I really noticed this during the bad weather when he was the only one being walked as both terriers refused point blank to have leads put on if there was snow or ice on the ground. He was miserable going out without one or both. I also work and don't like the idea of him being home alone regularly.
So, finally to the point, I was thinking of looking for a middle aged terrier bitch, fairly submissive who won't try and push Callie off her perch as boss and while not much of a playmate for the hooligan will provide company. He has never ever tried to hump a smaller dog and while I may make him sound like a ASBO dog is actually very good with other dogs except for the humping. He's not aggressive with other dogs, even when they attack him he won't retaliate....just bark at them! his best friends are GSDs, a bull mastiff and a couple of staffies - playtime is loud and liable to take any bystanders off their feet but nothing like that is suitable to live with Callie IMO.
However I now feel really guilty as if I'm looking for a dog for the wrong reasons - a companion for my boy rather than the dog I always wanted, also as if I'm replacing Mo far too quickly. On the other hand, I'm afraid that if I leave it until I'm in a rush IYSWIM I will get the wrong dog as it's the only one available at that time......
So what do you sensible lot think? As I'm aware that I'm probably not thinking completely straight at the moment - I still keep on dishing up 3 dinners and looking for my cuddle pup while we're out (she had a tendency to get stuck in things!)
But it has left me with a dilemma that I wasn't expecting to face just yet. I have a very old JRT (who I've posted about on here a few months ago) and a 7 year old Rottie. I had always expected to lose the 20 year JRT long before either of the other dogs and again, always planned to get another rescue but the type of dog I would have wanted in those circumstances is completely different to the type of dog that would work out/fit in now.
Callie (old dog!) has always been a benign dictator - always top dog but without having to make a fuss about it - and her place was never challenged by the other two as both arrived as pups. Mo liked to give it large on occasion but was actually a wimp and always backed down to other dogs very quickly and without fuss and the rott, Conan has always had thug tendencies with other dogs - there is good reason why he is known as the hump meister
The original plan (when will I learn the danger of plans????) was to look for a rottie bitch after Callie went, if you like the hard to re-home bitch from hell.Conan only tries to hump/harass a bigger dog but once he's been put in his place hard once he will never try it on with that dog again. My thinking that Mo wouldn't challenge a more dominant dog like that so no obvious problems there. Time wouldn't have been an issue and from looking around and talking to a few rescues casually, they can struggle to find suitable experienced homes with no children for the slightly more difficult dog.
The problem now is that I realise that
1) I have to be realistic and accept that my beloved old girl won't be around forever - she really should be called Lazarus as she has been so near deaths door on more than one time in the last year or so - but at the moment is happily bumbling around behaving disgracefully at every opportunity. Long may it last
2) Conan will not be a happy dog as a singleton. I really noticed this during the bad weather when he was the only one being walked as both terriers refused point blank to have leads put on if there was snow or ice on the ground. He was miserable going out without one or both. I also work and don't like the idea of him being home alone regularly.
So, finally to the point, I was thinking of looking for a middle aged terrier bitch, fairly submissive who won't try and push Callie off her perch as boss and while not much of a playmate for the hooligan will provide company. He has never ever tried to hump a smaller dog and while I may make him sound like a ASBO dog is actually very good with other dogs except for the humping. He's not aggressive with other dogs, even when they attack him he won't retaliate....just bark at them! his best friends are GSDs, a bull mastiff and a couple of staffies - playtime is loud and liable to take any bystanders off their feet but nothing like that is suitable to live with Callie IMO.
However I now feel really guilty as if I'm looking for a dog for the wrong reasons - a companion for my boy rather than the dog I always wanted, also as if I'm replacing Mo far too quickly. On the other hand, I'm afraid that if I leave it until I'm in a rush IYSWIM I will get the wrong dog as it's the only one available at that time......
So what do you sensible lot think? As I'm aware that I'm probably not thinking completely straight at the moment - I still keep on dishing up 3 dinners and looking for my cuddle pup while we're out (she had a tendency to get stuck in things!)