Losos, we're going over to Cheshire Dogs Home next week (the Manchester one is still a building site and not open to public after the horrific arson attack) - I'm going to phone and ask if there's anyone in particular we should speak to, and I'm going in my chair so I can see what the doggies think of me.

We were going to get pet insurance - I think you get a couple of weeks free if you adopt from CDH and have an option to carry it on. However, with you saying that and some other things I've read on here, I'm going to have a good look into it first! We've got a credit card we could use with a decent limit, and we could save instead.. will discuss it with the hubby and see what he says, but thanks for bringing that up!

As for responsible pet ownership, I am very lucky that my parents brought me up to understand that a pet is a member of the family, and like a child they can't provide for themselves, so it's essential for the owners to do it, and do it properly. I bought a horse when I was 14, who was a rescue case himself - my poor boy had ribs you could have played a tune on when he came to me, and some severe medical issues that had been neglected. I learned fast that being prepared was important.

Chris, I hadn't thought about older dogs in rescues being used to less active owners, that's a really good (and encouraging) point. One of the reasons for looking at a rescue doggie is that I know the shelters can usually give a lot of good advice and support if needed, and they won't let a dog go to an unsuitable home, so I'll get at least some guidance there.

Thank you all so much for talking with me, I really appreciate it.

Hi Jaime, how lovely to see someone who has put so much thought into getting a new family member. I have little to add to what has already been posted, but would like to take this opportunity to wish you well with your search.
Losos's idea of a little saving fund should your dog need any attention, is a very good idea.
If you don't have a result with the CDH then perhaps you might try the relatively new Dogs Trust rescue centre at Denton, which would be nearer to your home.
Good luck with it all and my best wishes to yourselves and your forthcoming companion.

Gordon Mac, I didn't know there was a Dogs Trust place in Denton - I'm there every week or so anyway so I'll definitely look it up.

Thanks!

Actually many giant breeds are couch potatoes. The biggest thing would be getting a adult out in the morning for a 30 min walk and another in the evening. (And by walk I mean a stroll).
Most English Mastiffs actually require less than normal exercise.
Mine though is from a breeder I have known for way to many years, he bred for working EM's and toward temper.

Adults also Don't actually eat as much as you would think since there lower energy.

Another option is to approach a rescue who use foster homes for their dogs rather than kennels, as you can get a truer picture of what they're like in the home. Dogs can easily enough be taught to walk alongside wheelchairs nicely, though of course it's easier if they aren't initially fearful. I've trained a lot of young Labradors, Golden Retrievers etc to work with a wheelchair user, and attachment to the chair generally works well as long as it's secure...one easy way is a large carabiner attached to the chair, and a Halti double ended training lead which can have as many rings as you need clipped on.

The long handled scoops can be useful, would suggest going into a pet shop and finding which one best suits your needs, as there are so many types available and my favourite may not be the best option for someone else. Wish everyone put as much thought into taking on a dog, and gave an older rescue a chance!

I think an older Staffie would be beautiful for you. It's just finding the right rescue. I know two neighbors I see frequently walking their dogs in their motorized chairs. One has her pup on leash and they do so nicely together. There are pooper scooper that extend as well. The other woman I know has her dog trained to walk off leash. She cruises her chair curbside and her dog trots on the sidewalk. Perfectly wonderful dog and totally devoted to her. Best of luck to you!

We have a lady in a wheelchair on our flyball team, with 5 working cockers, she has a long handled pooper scooper that she hangs from the back of her wheelchair, and as trained all her dogs to trot at the side of her chair

Sounds like some great advice so far. I know you have mentioned an interest in staffies, and I'm sure there are plenty of perfectly wonderful ones out there. But as a rule they are pretty crazy thuggish dogs. I say that in a loving way, honest. My Cookie was a staffy cross. Typical staffy in the way when you come through the door he would run through you rather that to you. He was forever knocking things over, pretty strong on the lead and as seems to be a common issues, he wasn't great around other dogs.
I don't want to put you off. My sister has a little staffy who would be pretty much perfect temperament wise, it's just finding the right match.

Have you looked at greyhounds? They often come into rescue a bit older, tend to be calmer than a staffy but still loving, playful and very caring. Not as much force behind the lead, and are real couch potatoes. Maybe get in touch with Tia Greyhound. They are a great smaller rescue, I'm not sure where they are anymore as they may have moved (bigger premises) but may be worth a look if you can travel a bit.

And from a neighbour Hi! I'm about 30 mins from you

you could maybe google 'walkydog' attachments or 'bikejor' equipment

walky dog is an arm that attachs to a bike seat post (am thinking arm rest bit of your wheelchair) and it has a little bungee cord on the end which you attach to your dogs lead/harness (i would get a harness if it were me) a 'bikejor' attachment is a bar that fits to the handlebars of a bike (agian am thinking side of wheelchair) that holds the lead up off of the front wheel

So, I apologise for not being back to let you know how we've been getting on, but my life kind of fell apart rather abruptly the week after we brought home our new family member. I honestly think I'd have given up and died without him, it's been that bad, but he's helped me so much and we've already grown quite close.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Baxter, a 7.5 year old male Staffy cross, who came home from Dogs Trust Denton with us on 19 November 2015.

He was taken to Dogs Trust in Scotland some time in late 2014/early 2015 as a stray. They do have an incomplete history, including birth date and vaccination records, so I'm guessing either they found his vet or his owner didn't want him back.

He really struggled in the kennels, so was transferred to Manchester in the hope they could rehome him more quickly. He was adopted previously, in June 2015, but he escaped from the garden of the couple who'd taken him and was in a fight with another dog. Because he had a couple of scrapes and the other dog needed stitches, it was assumed Baxter had started the fight, although to the best of my knowledge no-one saw it, so no-one can be certain what happened.

Sadly, his former adopters returned him to Dogs Trust - the man was willing to keep working with him, but the woman wanted a 'nice' dog

On return to DT Manchester, they found him very dog reactive (he's terrified, but so much so he jumps straight to 'kill it' without the warning signals) and decided he'd need to be muzzled and on a lead at all times in public - that with his age had been putting potential adopters off and no-one had really looked at him since he'd been back in the kennels. He was suffering badly from kennel stress again - injured himself bouncing about and shadow chasing.

We actually went to look at a completely different dog - an older GSD who'd been handed over after neglect and was looking for somewhere to retire, but he was much much bigger than we'd anticipated - definitely on the far end of the bell curve for GSDs! - and when we talked to the staff, we realised his hip dysplasia and the bone erosion in one hip from lying for extended periods on a hard surface (my big, tough husband actually cried when we realised what had been done to that poor dog) meant he'd never cope with living in our first floor flat (and he's too big to use the stairlift!)

The lady asked whether we'd seen any other dogs we were interested in, and my husband and I looked at each other and basically said, we've just told you all about us, do you think any of the dogs would like to live with us?!

After a few minutes, she came back and said "I've been thinking about all of them, and I keep coming back to Baxter". She told us a bit about him and his issues and history, and asked if we wanted to meet him in the fenced-off ring, away from others. It was love at first sight!

We went back every day they were open for about a week - took my PA and my parents (who would be our substitute dog parents if necessary) to meet him, got to know him a bit and met the lady who'd been caring for him and training him with the muzzle etc., and then we went back on a horrible wet Thursday to bring him home.

We've had a fair few hiccups - a bladder infection, a stomach upset, and an attack by a known aggressive terrier running wild among them and we've struggled with his muzzle training (now complete) and his tendency to wee on your shoes if you make him take horrible medicine (working on it, mostly by hiding my shoes ) and there's a few things I'm going to start a new thread to ask about.

But he has literally saved my life. My (already disabled) Mom's broken leg, my Dad's cancer and swallowing/choking problems, my own collapsing larynx, being suspended from work - and banned from the premises and contacting my colleagues - unfairly for something I never did, best friend's health issues, sister's, ah, eventful pregnancy and birth of my newest niece... all happened at once, and then Christmas fell on me too. I already have severe mental, physical and developmental disabilities (I hit BINGO - at least two in each category - but my prize has not arrived!) so this pushed me over into actively suicidal - but I couldn't abandon Baxter when he'd already been rejected so many times, and when he was constantly wanting just to be near me. He really did save my life.

Without further ado, here's my adorable little lifesaver.


album here:Baxter