Libby

ABOUT LIBBY

Libby is a beautiful 13 year old Golden Retriever girl who is in an Oldies Club foster home in Cricklade (near Swindon), Wiltshire, waiting for someone to offer her a permanent home.

Libby settled at her foster home within a few hours, slept downstairs on the first night with no problems and seemed completely at home within a couple of days. She has been left with the other dogs at her foster home for 3 hours with no problems. She was being left up to 10 hours in her previous home with another dog for company, but Libby adores people and would prefer to be in a home where she wasn’t left for such long hours. A part-time worker would be fine.

Libby is great with other dogs and is happily living with 3 dogs in her foster home, but she doesn’t interact with them much and is far more interested in human company. Outside she greets other dogs politely with a wagging tail, and has very good doggy social skills. Libby has been cat tested and she should not be rehomed with a cat as we believe she couldn’t learn to live with one.
Libby has lived with children in the past and seems to love children out and about. She is quite clumsy and could knock little ones over, but would enjoy the company of sensible children of 5+ so long as they respected her and didn’t pull her around. If they would play ball with her that would be a definite bonus!

She isn’t used to being walked on a lead – her previous owner rarely used one – and she does pull strongly, especially setting off. She gets VERY excited about going out and does lots of mad charging around, but she is starting to improve with some training. Off lead she is great, she loves galumphing around the fields and has very good recall. She does try to chase rabbits in a half-hearted sort of way, but will stop if recalled. Libby has some stiffness in her hips and is overweight, so gets tired quite quickly and ideally would have 2-3 short (20-30 minute) walks each day rather than a long walk.

Libby has only done short journeys since being at her foster home. She’s a bit restless and whines a little at first, but settles after a few minutes. She would struggle to get into a car on her own, and her foster carers are using a ramp for her.

Libby’s favourite pastimes are fuss and cuddles, walks, food, toys – and more fuss and cuddles. She has a toy monkey that she’s had since she was a pup that she likes to carry around and take to bed with her. Naturally, when she is rehomed monkey will go too! She is very laid back and nothing really bothers her although she finds visits to the vet a little stressful. Libby is such an easy girl, she would fit in anywhere that she got love, attention and regular short walks. She’d happily live with other dogs so long as they weren’t too boisterous, or as an only dog if she had plenty of human company. Libby can’t manage stairs though and would struggle with steps in and out of a property.

Health notes: Libby is spayed, wormed and flea treated, and will be vaccinated and microchipped before rehoming. Libby is very overweight and needs to lose about 6kg, so is on a strict diet. It’s essential that her new home continues with this and is committed to getting her weight down with diet and regular exercise as this will benefit her joints and her heart. She has slightly stiff hips, but the vet feels this will improve as she loses weight. Otherwise she has a clean bill of health and is in good condition and is quite lively for her age. She has a long, thick coat that will need regular brushing (which she loves). A visit to the groomer a couple of times a year for a trim and tidy up would help to keep it manageable.

Foster carer’s summary of Libby: “Happy, loving, sociable, sweet natured. Libby really is a dream dog; she has a wonderful temperament and is so happy – her tail never stops wagging! She’s well socialised and well behaved and loves everybody. She likes to show off her best tricks (‘paw’ and ‘other paw’), and will carry on for as long as she gets praise and attention. She also loves to play with her toys and always greets you with her special monkey toy in her mouth. Everybody who meets her loves her.”

Libby can be rehomed anywhere in the UK, subject to a satisfactory home visit, but note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to meet her.