What a dilemma! But, from my own experiences, my dogs love living with another - company, playmate etc. Flame was my only dog for 3 years before I made the decision to get Moss. I had the same quandry as you, in that she was soooo bonded to me, she was grumpy with other dogs and I really wondered whether she would be happy having another dog in our lives. She was very grumpy and unsettled for the first couple of days but I can now say, hand on heart, that she adores Moss - as well as Rip and Yogi, but Moss is her brother and best mate and I am sure she is far happier having him in her life.

Obviously the decision has to be yours, but Georgie enjoyed living with Cassie didn't he? I am sure he would be more than happy to share you and his home with another lovely girlie for company. Just my thoughts.

Thanks Eunice I'm sure you understand my predicament here

Thanks MissE, it seems you know more than me then, because quite honestly, I never actually looked at things this way until my visit this morning, I just assumed that Georgie would want this, as I assumed he was lonely, and I never gave it a thought, as to how he really MIGHT see his place with us now, being top dog, the only dog at that! All my others of course, were brought up as puppies, so I had no hesitation whatsoever in introducing another dog, and Georgie being my rescue, had a lot of baggage from the past which he's dispensed with now, he's a happy lad, and I've got to think about whether we might just be sending him into turmoil if I introduce another dog. I honestly, honestly, never looked at it in this way until she said all of this. Then Dave piped up with the fact that when we brought Georgie here to live with Cassie, it was her home and Georgie was grateful to share it, but now it has become HIS home, would he even WANT to share it, or would he end up miserable not having the 100% of us that he adores at the moment?

I have had various dogs to visit, even Trixybird's two cavs who wouldn't leave him alone they fell in love with him, as well as a border collie, a spaniel, and a puppy, but thinking back, although he enjoyed their company, he did try and slope off after a while into his bed, and came to me for a big fuss when they had left! I wonder???? I just wonder now????

Maybe I'm doing this for ME and not Georgie???

Hi Kirsty. Yes, but Flame was your dog from a puppy wasn't she, just like my Cassie was when I first brought Georgie home?? What has made me think is the fact like Pat has said, Georgie himself is a rescue, and he did have a terrible life, he's settled in as if he has been with me since a puppy, but you really don'tknow what is going on in his mind, he could still have some of that old baggage tucked away in his tiny brain somewhere (Lol, sorry Georgie!!)and I could be bringing problems for both him and myself.

I will carry on regardless, and I think my next port of call will be to phone my lovely dog warden chap tomorrow who has known Georgie all his life and who gave him to me, he'll come up with an answer! After all, he almost got me a dog a year ago and thought it was a good idea at the time, and maybe he's got a poor animal at the moment that I could perhaps "foster" for a short while and just see if there is any change in Georgie??? That might be a good move perhaps?

Only you can decide what's best for Georgie, Helena. I can understand your dilemma completely. I must say though, fostering a dog sounds like a good idea.....the dog needs fostered and you want to see if another dog will benefit Georgie - a win-win situation - and if they don't get on then you won't feel too bad when the other dog goes. Good luck with whatever you decide to to.

I don't know that I know more than you, Aitch.
I am just used to observing. I wanted Missy to be happy so I introduce different things and see how she reacts. Like clicker training, like dog classes, like agility. If it makes her happy I continue. But I watch to see.
Some dogs are happier being only dogs , I know Missy is - only you can know if Georgie is the same. I would start watching him and see if he likes his life. Don't assume or put human emotions on him. Just observe.. you'll soon see if he's a happy soul or not.
Fostering sounds like a brilliant idea, that way if sharing his home makes him miserable, its not forever - and neither do you let a rescue down by having to give it back.

would it not be worthwhile offering a tempory foster home to a dog, so you can help a recue for one and two you can see Georgies reactions, knowing that if he wasn't entirely happy that the dog would be going back anyway?

I know for a fact My Zak has had a second lease of life since Zeita arrived, he is so much more active and spends far more time with us than he used to. He has as much fuss as he wants and Zeita has had to learn that they are both loved and that she will get her turn. Also the reason we had two arms (to stroke two dogs lol).

He was always top dog and still is but then we had him from a puppy but he has had is aggression issues esp with other dogs, so we were careful as to how they were introduced we needn't have worried he adores her, even if she is a bit bouncy for him lol.

Only you know georgie, I am sure your friend knows what she is talking about but her dogs are used to the dogs going sooner or later, They haven't needed to get used to any length of time stay ie permamnent which i am sure any dog would get used to if handled carefully


when we were looking into getting Zeita we talked to our vet as he knew what Zak was like...his words were A GSD will accept your decision because he knows your happy with it!!!!he will be happy because you are and you know he was right!

Aww Aitch, what a dilemma your in. I can only give you my experiences. As you know Ben was a rescue and we thought "that's it now a one dog house" Admittidly we have not had him as long as you have had yours.
We got Ben in May and as you know picked up Poppy a few weeks ago.
Ben did seem happy to see Poppy, and apart from the possesivness over toys and chews, they have been fine. More so, now that Pops can go out at last. I am no expert hun, but I feel that once dogs walk together they become a pack.
Now Ben will let her have a chew bone So al in all, my experience has been positive.
But you know your own dog best, so as you say, you have a lot of thinking to do.
Whatever you decide, we will stand by you always.
Love Elaine xx

Thanks Westie I thought it might be, so I'm persuing that kind of route first.

Thanks Pat. Yes, I do a lot of observing with Georgie (along with everyone else around me!), and of late, I would say, yes, he's definitely a very happy dog, much happier now that we've sorted out his skin problems, he knows he has a tail now, which he wags furiously like never before, and slams it hard down on the floor whenever I walk into the room Maybe he does like having me all to himself now, afterall, it's been 18 months he's had that luxury, maybe he likes it that way? I honestly think I will do a "foster" thing first, hopefully with a dog that we would be able to keep if I thought it would improve Georgie's quality of life, but at least that way, if it upset him in any way, it wouldn't be for long. Thanks for putting things so clearly for me (you obviously know me then!!!! )

Thanks Mel, and yes I decided that a couple of posts back (keep up misses!!! ). I think this might be best all round, and that way, both Georgie AND Dave would get the feel of having another furry friend around the place, and me too of course, but then we've always had two on most occassions anyway, so I know I'll cope. The thing is, when you got Zeita, was the same as I've always been in the past, i.e. we waited until our dog was a bit older and then introduced a new puppy, we never questioned whether things would go wrong, and in actual fact, at one time I had a very dog aggressive dog (my Sacha) who I also introduced a new puppy to (Cassie), never thinking she would harm a little puppy and luckily she adored her. This time is totally different for me, because like I said, Georgie is a rescue, who's had a terrible, terrible life, and although he came to US and was welcomed into the house by both us and Cassie, the visit from that woman who knows him well, has somehow made me think more about whether it is right for me to put his life in turmoil yet again? He might just like things the way they are and I would hate for him to get stressed in ANY way, because he might just start chewing himself to death again in the process! You never know do you! I think the fostering is the wtg in the first instance and take it from there.

Hi Elaine, oh I totally agree with you about the dog walking together before introducing the dog at home, that is going to be a must for me!

I've spoken to the Met man for my home visit which will be this Saturday afternoon, so I'm still going ahead with that, which I will need anyway for the fostering.

I've left a message on my local dogwarden's office (he's the local dog rescue man who I know very well indeed, he got Georgie for me!), and I've sort of crammed it all in on his tape and probably filled it all up! Lol! He will get back to me at the end of the day hopefully around 5.30pm.

Can't do any more for the moment. I can keep looking on Vigil's site, and the other one. Everyone in local gsd rescue now has my phone number and details, and one of them said that if I had a homecheck for Vigil they would take that as read too for their own, save me having two homechecks, so that's good!

Still excited, but not quite as excited as I was coz I'm still thinking in two halves now!!! Thanks for your support, something will happen, just not sure what at the moment!!!

Right have read through all of this I think and hope I haven't missed anything

From what I read Georgie lived with Cassie? How was that?

From what I remember he loves other dogs on walks?

Its really hard isn't it ! Its good to get another persons perspective though.

What a dilema for you - whilst its not the same but I did wonder many years ago how Sacha was going to cope when we got Maxy - she was 7 at the time but it really bought the best out in her and seemed to give her a younger outlook on life.

You seem very much of the what will be - fate and all that so have a feeling fate will intervene eventually on this one.

(hugs) to you and georgie xx

What ever your decision it will be the right one.
Good luck with your quest.

Thanks Rachel Cassie and Georgie was an instant match made in heaven, within half an hour of him being here, they played so much out in the garden (AFTER we did a walk with them together on neutral ground!!!) I had to stop them for fear of Cassie having a heart attack, she was exhausted!!! I have to say though, we did have a 5 minute moment before I let them out the front where Cassie put her head on his shoulders and growled when he tried to go out the back door, but I left her to it, Georgie's ears went down, then he went down and all was fine! There I was at the time thinking Cassie had had us all to herself for 2 years and didn't know if I could introduce a 5yr. old rescue, but I never looked back, it was all so perfect! The difference being, I KNEW Cassie so well, having brought her up from a pup, just like all my other dogs when I introduced a new puppy. The difference here is, Georgie, coz he's different in a way isn't he? We just don'tknow HOW hard a time he had of it, although this woman yesterday seemed to know quite a LOT about his past life, having known his previous owner. She said we never knew if he got fed or let out from one day to the next, and if he got walked, it was only around the block and he was never let off his lead, and that's why he had no recall whatsoever I now understand! Anyways, to him, he now has the perfect life doesn't he, compared to what he had for the first 5 years, he gets walked and fed and let out almost like clockwork coz we have a routine, and although he originally missed Cassie terribly, I think he's moved on now, plus he's moved on from his miserable life of constantly itching all over and feeling c*ap, so to HIM, life is perfect! SOOOOOO, is he going to think (if I introduce another dog), what's going on here??? There I was, all settled in my lovely routine, got mum all to myself now, and then there's this other woman arrived taking half her attention etc. etc. etc. If it's a perfect match like it was with Cassie then of course I won't have a problem. Another thing, he's a very submissive dog, he didn't mind Cassie ruling him like she did because afterall it was her home anyway, she had every right to do that, but now, he thinks he's top dog, which he is, and MOST bitches are dominant, what's going to happen if the new bitch tries to show her dominance too early, he doesn't back down this time like he did with Cassie, because in his mind, he IS the top dog around here now? I saw a very dramatic change in him when I lost Cassie regarding the dominance thing, although at first he didn't quite know what to do, it didn't take him long to realise he had to protect me coz Cassie wasn't here any longer to do the job for him (he always left it all to her!!). See what I'm getting at???