To Adopt Or Not?

[mumsy]

Hi again everyone! We have a boxer who is just over a year old. He is quite well behaved but he HATES being left alone. I work from home so he is used to company. We have some friends with a 9 year old Lab. Unfortunately for him, they are expecting their third child and he isn't getting the love he needs. He has always been an outside dog. My question is...do you think our boxer would be more settled with a mate to stay home with him? My second thought is that we don't keep our animals outside. They are very much a part of our every day life. If a dog that has never been in a house comes to live with us, would toilet training be a problem? Any advice would be kindly welcomed!!

[poodlefan]

Yes, the Lab would need to be toilet trained in the same manner as a pup. However he should have better bladder control.

I'd have bigger questions about how the two dogs get on? Do they? A one year old Boxer might prove too much for the older Lab to handle all the time.

I'd also want to know about what sort of manners the Lab has - walking on lead etc.

[TsarsMum]

Hey,

My sister took on a 5 year old lab who was an outside only dog as the 2 times they let him in he went to the loo on the walls HE was my sister inlaws then my mother inlaws and he was really a dog suited to a family so my sister took him (she has kids).

I told her what they told me. he has never ever gone to the loo inside and sleeps inside and everything. he did once go to pee on the out side couch they just growled at him and he never did it again.

he might be fine just have to see

[mumsy]

Yes, the Lab would need to be toilet trained in the same manner as a pup. However he should have better bladder control.

I'd have bigger questions about how the two dogs get on? Do they? A one year old Boxer might prove too much for the older Lab to handle all the time.

I'd also want to know about what sort of manners the Lab has - walking on lead etc.

Thanks

The dogs haven't met yet but that would certainly happen ( and quite a few times) before anything goes ahead.

The lab has great manners. The people that had him love dearly, and that is why they think he deserves more attention than he is getting.

If anything went ahead it would certainly be with a trial period for all! Although the lab is 9 he is very fit, but I do understand the thought that he might find a 1 year old too much. Do you think the company would allow our boxer to settle more without his humans?

[Monah]

Oh, dear old lab..

I've had 2 older 'outside' dogs who have had no trouble adapting/toilet training for indoors. As long as you make sure they 'go' at bed time, and dont leave water etc around they should be fine. Obviously a bit of training is neccessary, but nothing like with a pup.

Personally (I AM neurotic) I would not leave a very young boxer alone with an old dog. With our oldies, when ever we have got pups, we have had them together when we are there, but kept the oldies either in another room, or with the pup with the pup crated. If the young dog is a very settled and placid young dog, as my spin was, then maybe it can be done.

Old dogs need quality of life just as much as young dogs and this also means time out from boiterous, over the top dogs.. (like my viz was.. ) I also teach all my young dogs how to behave around the oldies, ie. calm, settle, no running flat out and bowling the oldie over etc. I love the oldies, and at our place age comes before youth.

If you can give the lab a lovely home, and you sound like you can, and are not getting it just as a 'nanny' for your lovely boxer, I'm sure it would be nice for the lab to be indoors and have heaps of attention in its twilight years.

agree that you need to see if they will get on and if they do, also see if they get on at your place as sometimes this can make a difference, will the boxer mind sharing water bowls, beds, toys, you etc. xxx

[mumsy]

Oh, dear old lab..

I've had 2 older 'outside' dogs who have had no trouble adapting/toilet training for indoors. As long as you make sure they 'go' at bed time, and dont leave water etc around they should be fine. Obviously a bit of training is neccessary, but nothing like with a pup.

Personally (I AM neurotic) I would not leave a very young boxer alone with an old dog. With our oldies, when ever we have got pups, we have had them together when we are there, but kept the oldies either in another room, or with the pup with the pup crated. If the young dog is a very settled and placid young dog, as my spin was, then maybe it can be done.

Old dogs need quality of life just as much as young dogs and this also means time out from boiterous, over the top dogs.. (like my viz was.. ) I also teach all my young dogs how to behave around the oldies, ie. calm, settle, no running flat out and bowling the oldie over etc. I love the oldies, and at our place age comes before youth.

If you can give the lab a lovely home, and you sound like you can, and are not getting it just as a 'nanny' for your lovely boxer, I'm sure it would be nice for the lab to be indoors and have heaps of attention in its twilight years.

agree that you need to see if they will get on and if they do, also see if they get on at your place as sometimes this can make a difference, will the boxer mind sharing water bowls, beds, toys, you etc. xxx

Thanks again

If we go down the track of a 2 week trial, then that should give us a good indication of how they feel about each other shouldn't it? Although Wilson, our boxer can be a bit mad, he is also very settled and quite a couch potato. It is a big decision and believe me, any animal that lives in this house, doesn't have much to worry about. There could also be some separation time for them without too much trouble.

[dee lee]

I'd do it, if a meeting and then a trial period worked out well.

He sounds like a lovely dog and I'm sure you know your dog well enough to judge if it will work.

[~Anne~]

Toilet training an adult dog is far, far simpler than training a pup I can assure you.

Good luck with the trial. It seems that is might be a great solution for all concerned. I hope it all goes well.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Sounds like a great dog.

I agree with Anne - i never take puppies, only adult dogs and have them all trained within 2-3 days generally If you want to pm me your email addy, I'll post you my method (I've trained well over 100 dogs)

Both dogs need to be desexed too.

[Erny]

he might be fine just have to see

I agree. I speak very generally but the advantage over an outdoor dog > inside is that the dog is less likely to have learnt to toilet indoors and also that the now more adult dog would likely to have developed a substrate preference for toileting outside. You will still need to be vigilant though because you'll need to 'learn' this new dog if you take him on, and understand that he may not initially know how to 'ask' to go outside. But if your Boxer dog doesn't have any toileting issues, there's a chance he'll learn off him. You might need to watch for marking though.

I think the bigger thing will be how the dog behaves inside. If he's never been an indoor dog he might not understand about not chewing on your treasured items. But this does depend on the individual dog. Point being, he'll need to learn the 'rules' of the home and what acceptable indoor behaviour is. But your leadership, guidance and consistency should help this.

[Ons]

first meet neutral territory

if you do decide to adopt him take a 3 week trial rather than a 2 week trial - after 2 weeks dogs seem to be settling in more and their true colours come forth.

I'd rather train an adult dog than a puppy - they have no bladder or poop control at all

as long as the boxer doesnt pester the lab all the time and that the lab can have some quiet time and be locked away at times I think things should be fine. I had an old maltese RIP and got a golden retreiver puppy, after a couple of weeks they were playing together and in fact the pup bred a bit of fun back into the maltese. But I did separate them during the day when I wasn't around.

[mumsy]

Thanks for all the advice everyone!! All makes sense so we will think about this some more and talk to the other owners. They are very hesitant about rehoming the Lab but I think if they thought he was going to be better off, then they would do it.