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Seeking advice for a growing rescue pack

541 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  OldDog-NoTricks
I've joined dog forum because of the growing rescue pack!
Indoors are 4 rescue cats and a 6 year old dog (she stays separate to the other dogs). Outside are two recent rescue dogs and a third is arriving soon. If all goes well I'll take on a 4th outdoor rescue dog. I've never kept outdoor dogs but these guys need a home and mine is too small to accommodate so many animals inside in harmony.

The outdoor dogs started with a puppy dumped at my gate with fight bites (I think her owners were desperate and trying to do the right thing). So I got another older dog to keep her company, he is Toby (see my avatar) he's had a broken front leg and damaged back leg possibly due to a motor bike. He's an absolute treasure but was attacked by other dogs at the rescue home. His three legged girlfriend is still there and I am planning to adopt her. All going well we'll take a 4th (older) doggo later this year.

So I am here looking for tips, hints and links to old threads to help manage and enjoy a growing outdoor rescue pack!
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Your situation with outdoor-only dogs sounds very different from what we are used to in the United States and Western Europe, but it's not uncommon in other parts of the world. It wasn't even uncommon in the US prior to the 1970's.

One of my concerns would be around the relationship between the female puppy and the female dog you plan to adopt. In general two female dogs are more likely to get into fights than a male/female pair or even two males. You said the puppy had bite marks from fights. Was she being used as a bait dog? Does she have poor social skills? Did she come from a household where the senior dog was vicious? I wonder how traumatized she is from her prior experiences, and how she will behave in response to her trauma. Meanwhile, the three legged dog may feel vulnerable due to being crippled and unable to defend herself properly. She may not deal well with a puppy that has poor social skills. Some timid dogs deal with their fear by declaring "the best defense is a good offense." So, watch for issues when you bring the new girl in, especially when the puppy gets to the age when she is due for her first heat. Things may be fine if all the dogs have sound temperaments (we once had a dozen dogs including 5 females living in a two bedroom cottage,) but you need to monitor the situation.
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