I'm waiting for a home check with a rescue then hopefully am going to be a foster mummy to a dog. They say it will probably be fairly soon as they get dogs coming in all the time.

I have a visually impaired nearly 11 yr old bull terrier who is good with other dogs and in fact lived as one fo a pair for 6 years til our staffie died.

As a kid I worked as a kennelmaid, and have a lot of experience with bull breeds, buthave never had a rescue dog let alone a foster before, as up to now I felt my kids were too young. This is summat I've always wanted to do, so am excited but any tips or tricks from those of you who have experience fostering or with rescue dogs? How to settle them in and how to introduce to your existing dog? Any other neat tips?

We always introduce on mutual ground not at home, we also when we get home ignore the rescue until it is ready to meet us. Some have been almost instant hellos and one we have currently sat in the fire place for 3 days before he ventured out to say hello. Just carried on as usual and when he realised our other dogs didn't get into trouble for being naughty decided he might be OK and we might be safe to approach.

Hope it all goes well for you ! It's a wonderful thing you are doing !

Try and get one that's of the same energy levels as your bully. He won't want another dog jumping on his head if he's the laid back sort - and vice versa.

The opposite sex is usually more succesful as well.

I don't necessarily agree with that cosmo, we have always had a mixture of temperaments and energy levels they all get on really well, laid back girlie gets more exercise with nutty one leading her on and laid back one's calm down the nutters a bit. When we did have two nutters was when we had trouble

Yep I know of rescues that will only rehome a bee-arch with a dog and vice versa - but my dog is uber lesbonic and actually prefers ladies. (Although our last one was a bloke - but we've noticed she gets on generally better with bitches). Our neighbour shares a bit of yard with us, before our gardens start and my dog is totally in lerve with his (much younger) lady dog - but she doesn;t want to know.

They say it's generally true that opposites attract but with some rescues that would cut our potential pooches down by half, as some wouldn't let us put another bee-arch with our little lady.

Now that I would agree with, we have had lady dogs that loved being together and froze out the gentleman doggy and also had a lady who would have loved living on her own she didn't really enjoy boys or girls but loved people.

Lesson is all dogs are different and not all dogs can live together.

Bumping cos I just heard yesterday they may have a rescue for me later this week. This things can fall through - people change their midns at the last minute - but it sounds likely and apparently the dogs are flooding in at the moment.

Any more advice anyone?

It's a bit like asking how long a piece of string is as all dogs are different and all dogs react differently to each other and situations. Best to take it one day at a time and come back and address problems as they arise.

Good luck with the new housemate and well done for doing such a great thing !

Sadly, it's that time of year - as the idiots who got puppies at Christmas without engaging ther brain first, are now realising what keeping a dog involves.

Be great if you can re-home a bully-breed - far too many of them in the rescue centres.

Agreed. They are such great dogs, too.

sorry double post

Agree with the above poster that if you could adopt a bull breed it would be wonderful, there are just so many of the poor creatures in rescue centres at the moment and the saddest thing is (from my experience) they are the dogs with the biggest hearts when it comes to people. My staffy loves everyone but she absolutely canot be around any other bull terriers. I wish I could get another but she just has an aversion to her own kind! Must be some kind of complex! Anyway I think you're amazing for what you're doing and wish you all the luck in the world, you sound like you love dogs so I think you'll be fine with whatever lucky dog gets to join your home.

Yeah, wouldn't be without my current Staff-mix - my first bull-breed, and the best dog I've had (going back 40yrs)
http://i56.tinypic.com/29av50h.jpg

Did you get a dog?

Nope - two prospective fosters have fallen through! But I think that's parr for the course. I'm told that the next 'cat friendly' one that comes up will be our's - and I'm guessing it could be this week or in several months! I'm cool with it either way, and spending the time trying to educate myself so I get it right!