# Wish Bella had a small doggy friend - any1 only have 1 chi?



## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

I know alot of people on here have multiple dogs but does anyone only have the one chi?

I feel like Bella is missing out on playing with other dogs. At puppy classes when the dogs leads get put down at the end to teach appropriate play the trainer asks us to pick Bella up as these dogs are HUGE and she could easily get hurt. She has to just watch and it's a shame she can't join in.

The only people with dogs we know are my fiances family and their westie is old/not interested in Bella and their terrier has aggression issues.

I'd love to find people in our area with small dogs who wouldn't mind meeting up so our dogs could play occasionally but i don't know how to go about it, where would you start? I would love to see Bella playing with another dog but she never gets the chance or the dogs are too HUGE.

*p.s - part of the problem is we've only lived in England for 3 months so barely know anyone as it is, nevermind being lucky enough to meet someone with a tiny dog *


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I had only one till the other day lol but my friend has a yorkie so they played there are a few dogs in the park she can play with have u looked to see if tere is a small dog group in your area?? You could also go to some companion dog shows as there will e lots if people there!!


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Daisydoo said:


> I had only one till the other day lol but my friend has a yorkie so they played there are a few dogs in the park she can play with have u looked to see if tere is a small dog group in your area?? You could also go to some companion dog shows as there will e lots if people there!!


I've tried to find a small dog group here but not been successful.

We went to an rspca fun dog show day and there was 5 chihuahuas there but at that point it hadn't occurred to us to say hello and ask if we coud meet up again. Is there a specific place to look for companion shows online or just google it?


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Shame i'm too far from you,Lily would love to play with another tiny dog.Wouldn't you consider another chi ?


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

michele said:


> Shame i'm too far from you,Lily would love to play with another tiny dog.Wouldn't you consider another chi ?


I would LOVE another chi but we are in a complicated situation. We own a house in Edinburgh which we had to leave when my partner had to relocate for work to Bristol (which i wasn't v happy about, i love Edinburgh).

We found it so hard to get rented accom which would take a dog and 2 cats, we had to double our deposit to £2400 and they put in the lease that we aren't allowed any more pets .

This situation will change in 2/3 years when we either move back to Edinburgh (i wish) or sell the house and buy one here if i'm more settled here but untill then i have to go where my partners work is and no more pets .


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## *Chloe* (Feb 6, 2006)

i had Twig on her own for about 3 years but i was lucky my brother & SIL have 2 chis so she got to play with them a few times a week, theres a few companion show groups on facebook if u search fun dog shows should come up they list alot of the companion shows, theres also a list on the KC website


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

*Chloe* said:


> i had Twig on her own for about 3 years but i was lucky my brother & SIL have 2 chis so she got to play with them a few times a week, theres a few companion show groups on facebook if u search fun dog shows should come up they list alot of the companion shows, theres also a list on the KC website


I've got 2 of the companion show facebooks on my list. So it's fine to take Bella along to the companion shows even if she is not entering any of it? I don't know why i thought you could only take your dog in if they were competing.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Brody is an only child.  We like it that way and aren't looking to add another. He is so easy to take with us. Our kids are grown, so it's so nice to pick up for the weekend and take a trip or go on vacation and take him with us. It would be harder with two.

He's also so very bonded with us. He does occasionally play with other dogs and I have seen his personality change. At my parents, he plays with their papillon non-stop. They race around the house and wrestle and carry on until they are exhausted! 

I guess I am just selfish, but I love having him all to myself. When he plays with other dogs, we are second fiddle - it's obvious.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Yup you can go to companion shows without entering!! I think being new to the area it's best way to meet like minded doggy people so to speak. You could always visit loads of parks I'd never seen a chi here before getting daisy and I've met about 10 since however they weren't my sort of people so didn't wanna arrange a play date. 2 are off lead also so they all tear around in the park together. 

Is there anyone on here your way??? I don't think I've seen any others from Bristol (how u coping with the accent there??? My exes best mate lives there abd I couldn't understand a word he said lol)


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Daisydoo said:


> Yup you can go to companion shows without entering!! I think being new to the area it's best way to meet like minded doggy people so to speak. You could always visit loads of parks I'd never seen a chi here before getting daisy and I've met about 10 since however they weren't my sort of people so didn't wanna arrange a play date. 2 are off lead also so they all tear around in the park together.
> 
> Is there anyone on here your way??? I don't think I've seen any others from Bristol (how u coping with the accent there??? My exes best mate lives there abd I couldn't understand a word he said lol)


I get out as much as i can but with not being well there can be weeks where i don't. Kye is the primary dog walker . We make a big effort every weekend to try to get to a nature reserve/wood/park but i've only ever seen one chi. I think if i was healthy and could walk miles a day, get out more i'd see more people with chis.

If we see people with chis in future we shall accost them and ask if they'd like to meet up regularly, im sure some people will think we are odd but others will understand its difficult with a small dog 

After living in Holland the accent seems easy , it's such a relief to have things in English! We were in Holland for 8 months and i missed British things soo much. Bristol is a gorgeous part of the country, so much to do and lovely countryside .


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Brodysmom said:


> Brody is an only child.  We like it that way and aren't looking to add another. He is so easy to take with us. Our kids are grown, so it's so nice to pick up for the weekend and take a trip or go on vacation and take him with us. It would be harder with two.
> 
> He's also so very bonded with us. He does occasionally play with other dogs and I have seen his personality change. At my parents, he plays with their papillon non-stop. They race around the house and wrestle and carry on until they are exhausted!
> 
> I guess I am just selfish, but I love having him all to myself. When he plays with other dogs, we are second fiddle - it's obvious.


There are definite benefits to only having one. Bella is very, very bonded to us too  and yes it is easy to pick up and go somewhere for the weekend.

I think I'd just like her to have a regular play date  for now.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Bellatrix said:


> There are definite benefits to only having one. Bella is very, very bonded to us too  and yes it is easy to pick up and go somewhere for the weekend.
> 
> I think I'd just like her to have a regular play date  for now.


Play dates are great! And it's so fun to watch them play. They really wear themselves out.


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## rocky scotland (Jun 15, 2008)

Brodysmom said:


> Brody is an only child.  We like it that way and aren't looking to add another. He is so easy to take with us. Our kids are grown, so it's so nice to pick up for the weekend and take a trip or go on vacation and take him with us. It would be harder with two.
> 
> He's also so very bonded with us. He does occasionally play with other dogs and I have seen his personality change. At my parents, he plays with their papillon non-stop. They race around the house and wrestle and carry on until they are exhausted!
> 
> I guess I am just selfish, but I love having him all to myself. When he plays with other dogs, we are second fiddle - it's obvious.


I have only 1, Rocky boy, I totally agree with Tracy as well. Last year I went to see pups and picked a girl and then changed my mind I was worried how it was gonna effect Rocky! I love having him to myself.

My brother has a westie and Rocky HATES her to the point I think he is gonna have a heart attack he is the dog from hell with her, he gets very stressed and I would hate to bring a pup home and have troubles like that. Plus when I am out I trust him completely in the house, he is free to roam around. Puppies are hard work, dunno if I could go back to that, I think Rocky will be an only child to be honest.

My friend has a Bichon and they chase each other in the park and we meet dogs out on walks thats he can run around with. Also he follows my dads collies around when out on the farm.

They don't know what they don't miss plus Rocky has a LOVE/HATE relationship with dogs, he has dogs that we meet on walks that he totally loves and other dogs that he just hates. Would hate to bring home another pup only to have a clash on personalities!

I have NEVER seen another chi up here  I would love to meet other chi owners but I am too far north!


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

rocky scotland said:


> I have NEVER seen another chi up here  I would love to meet other chi owners but I am too far north!



Where are you? I am from near Hamilton (nearish Glasgow) and lived in Edinburgh. I thought you were from Glasgow? 

I would also worry about having another dog. I say i'd like another but if it came to it i don't know i love my little bug so much


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## rocky scotland (Jun 15, 2008)

Nope im up north here next to John O Groats! Trust me if I was closer I would be organising meet ups for sure. I have not seen another chi except the breeder I got Rocky from and Rocky!


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## Chiboymom (Jul 8, 2009)

Draco is an only dog. We do go to chihuahua meetups about once a month were he can run and play with other chi's. I swing back and forth on wanting a sibling for him. I feel bad that he doesn't have a companion to do doggy things like ear licking and snuggling. I am with Tracy though, it is very easy to pick up and go with just him. My Hubby is happy with just Draco so I believe he will stay an only. I think either way, they do adjust to the life they get.


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## Tanna (Jan 29, 2009)

Paco is also an only child, sometimes I think I'm not enough for him, he is also very bonded to me. I do take him to the dog park a few times a week, they have a fenced off section just for small dogs 20lbs and under there are alot of chi's there, he runs and plays has a great time. I don't think I could handel more than one right now. He also has Spazy the cat, he plays with her as well, chases her all over the house.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Tanna said:


> Paco is also an only child, sometimes I think I'm not enough for him, he is also very bonded to me. I do take him to the dog park a few times a week, they have a fenced off section just for small dogs 20lbs and under there are alot of chi's there, he runs and plays has a great time. I don't think I could handel more than one right now. He also has Spazy the cat, he plays with her as well, chases her all over the house.


The fenced off section for small dogs is such an excellent idea . I really wish she could play with other small dogs like that.

I wish Bella would play with our two cats but the cats aren't interested.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

rocky scotland said:


> Nope im up north here next to John O Groats! Trust me if I was closer I would be organising meet ups for sure. I have not seen another chi except the breeder I got Rocky from and Rocky!



That's what i'd like to do but i don't know where to start by organising it. Also I'd be a crap organiser because of my health, i can't really make plans for a certain day as i never know if ill be well enough to go till the actual day.

If i had 1 other person who wanted to organise something in this area then it would be fine because we could do it together then if worst happened and i couldn't turn up wouldn't be a mess.


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## Elle (May 4, 2010)

Sorry for the late reply, but Harry and I have been away at my Mum's for over a week, and I'm only just catching up with everything here.

Harry is an 'only Chi' who also lives with 2 cats (Bengals). Thomas still avoids him at all costs, but Phoebe will actually talk to Harry and groom him sometimes. She also plays with him occasionally, but not very much, as he always wants to scramble all over her when she rolls on her back, and she doesn't like it when he does that. She bats at him, but doesn't have the claws fully out, and he's now quite good at ducking when she swipes at him, LOL!

I know what you mean about knowing someone else with a Chi for the little guys to meet up and play together. The smallest dog we ever see out and about is a Pom or a Westie and even they seem big compared to little Harry. I actually don't live tooooo far away from you... about an hour and a half from Bristol.


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## PippinsCloset (Sep 9, 2010)

We have a large dog, but keep them separated, and he's our (my) only chi. He has to skip play at the end of puppy class too. It's a little sad, but I don't know that I could have 2 of them. I like having my "only child" too. (the big dog doesn't count, she'sl my husband's hunting dog)


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## msmadison (Jul 6, 2009)

Madi is an only pup...and she's still scared of all other dogs, which is frustrating!!


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Elle said:


> Harry is an 'only Chi' who also lives with 2 cats (Bengals). Thomas still avoids him at all costs, but Phoebe will actually talk to Harry and groom him sometimes. She also plays with him occasionally, but not very much, as he always wants to scramble all over her when she rolls on her back, and she doesn't like it when he does that. She bats at him, but doesn't have the claws fully out, and he's now quite good at ducking when she swipes at him, LOL!
> 
> I know what you mean about knowing someone else with a Chi for the little guys to meet up and play together. The smallest dog we ever see out and about is a Pom or a Westie and even they seem big compared to little Harry. I actually don't live tooooo far away from you... about an hour and a half from Bristol.


I absolutely love bengals , they are so stunning! They sound cute playing together.

Maybe we could meet up somewhere in between sometime if you'd like .


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

msmadison said:


> Madi is an only pup...and she's still scared of all other dogs, which is frustrating!!



I love your pictures of her year, so cute


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

Bellatrix said:


> We found it so hard to get rented accom which would take a dog and 2 cats, we had to double our deposit to £2400 and they put in the lease that we aren't allowed any more pets .(.


Are they allowed to discriminate like that? I know here they can refuse to rent to you if you tell them you have animals, but it's not legal. Once you move in and you have a pet they cannot evict you for it here.. around here it's always best not to mention it.



Brodysmom said:


> Play dates are great! And it's so fun to watch them play. They really wear themselves out.


Does Brody play with the cats? I have to break AJ & Skippy up.. they drive me insane sometimes.



Bellatrix said:


> The fenced off section for small dogs is such an excellent idea . I really wish she could play with other small dogs like that.
> 
> I wish Bella would play with our two cats but the cats aren't interested.


I am curious to know how most people's Chis interact with the housecats.
We have a Blue Point Siamese and those two are nearly inseparable. I do notice however that AJ plays more like a cat than dog.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Zoey is my only chihuahua and she does pretty good, I had 2 but Sebastian died about a year ago. I think Zoey likes it better with just one, as Sebastian was kind of the pesky little brother, he used to sit on her head, and steal her bones/toys all the time. I have 2 other dogs, but 1 is mega hyper and doesn't understand the concept of she outweighs Zoey by 65# so doesn't play well with her, Georgie my pomeranian doesn't really play. Zoey does play with 2 of my cats quite a bit, they will chase each other and wrestle. I would LOVE to have another chihuahua but Hubby isn't too keen on the idea of 4 dogs.


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## Electrocutionist (Jul 10, 2010)

I have the same problem as you 
Don't know anyone with a small dog here in Cardiff.


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## Natti (Jun 24, 2010)

I've seen small dog playdates advertised in the local papers before (Friday ad had one a few weeks back in the pet section)


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## Elle (May 4, 2010)

Bellatrix said:


> I absolutely love bengals , they are so stunning! They sound cute playing together.
> Maybe we could meet up somewhere in between sometime if you'd like .


Yes they are gorgeous cats. But so big next to a little Chi!

That sounds like it might be fun!


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Elle said:


> Yes they are gorgeous cats. But so big next to a little Chi!
> 
> That sounds like it might be fun!


Oh yes, they are bigger than an average cat aren't they? My cats weigh about 8 pounds and Bella is 3.8 pounds lol.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Natti said:


> I've seen small dog playdates advertised in the local papers before (Friday ad had one a few weeks back in the pet section)


I've looked in the free paper we get here and there wasn't anything but maybe the library has other local papers, i will ask there.


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## Deme (Aug 18, 2009)

I know just how you feel, I bought Jake a year ago and for a whole year it was just me and Jake, but my heart would surge when we went to the park as he would get so excited to see other dogs. Some he hated (Labs and Spaniels) some he tollerated (the semi boisterous ones) but most he played with.

The look on his face when he had to leave them.

It took me 9 yrs to convince my partner to let me have Jake and thought there was no way he would let me have another. I mentioned a play mate and y partner goive me that look. Others told me that I would loose the bond with Jake if I got another dog nbut in my heart I knew I had to put Jake first not me.

So off I went to Champion shows to talk to breeders and I now have a second chi called Red.

Red and Jake get on fantastic, Jake still loves me and Red is very atteached to me.

My partner is prefers Jake and puts him first before Red but doesn't mind Red being here.. 

Seeing Jake and Red playing just stops me doing anything but the pleasure I get is seeing just how happy my two dogs are.

So if you have the money,the time and the room I'd say go for it, get another Chi and see the fun and love you will gain.

Mind I spoke to a woman at the MCC and she had 16 Chi's, 2 is enough for me but then.....

Deme x x x


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## Deme (Aug 18, 2009)

KittyD said:


> Are they allowed to discriminate like that? I know here they can refuse to rent to you if you tell them you have animals, but it's not legal. Once you move in and you have a pet they cannot evict you for it here.. around here it's always best not to mention it.


I lease my house with a clause saying "No Pets allowed" if they then buy a pet therir tenancy is immediately terminated and their deposit is used to fully clean the house. This is in the contract and perfectly legal.

The reason for this is I have my house on a yearly lease contract and if someone has a pet and then moves out the next person wanting to lease could be allergic to animals. If the person already has an animal it is perfectly legal to refuse to lease to them. I also don't allow smokers as I don't want my house stinking of smoke.

Also its no good sneaking an animal in and saying nothing as my agency make randon checks.


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

Deme said:


> I lease my house with a clause saying "No Pets allowed" if they then buy a pet therir tenancy is immediately terminated and their deposit is used to fully clean the house. This is in the contract and perfectly legal.
> 
> The reason for this is I have my house on a yearly lease contract and if someone has a pet and then moves out the next person wanting to lease could be allergic to animals. If the person already has an animal it is perfectly legal to refuse to lease to them. I also don't allow smokers as I don't want my house stinking of smoke.
> 
> Also its no good sneaking an animal in and saying nothing as my agency make randon checks.


Yes of course... but laws very by region Deme, here it is NOT legal to refuse to rent to someone because they have a pet, and you cannot be evicted for owning one either unless it can be proved in court that your animal is disrupting the reasonable enjoyment of others, regardless of what the lease says!

That said I understand your reasons for not wanting animals in the leased property, and it seems where you live you are able to enforce it adequately.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

I dont often see otheer little dogs round here either. There are 2 Chi's near me but they are so fat and under socialized that they are no fun at all!!
Luckily the puppy classes we went to were sensible enough to split the pups into big and small and let them play seperately. I dont think the become less attached to you if you have another though. Sure a dog they see occassionally will be more interesting but if its there bro/sis then they will happily drop what they are doing for a cuddle!!
Nothing wrong with spoiling a single baby though. The only ones I feel sorry for are those who are alone and have owners that are out at work for 8hrs or more a day. Thats just a little selfish in my book.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Deme said:


> I lease my house with a clause saying "No Pets allowed" if they then buy a pet therir tenancy is immediately terminated and their deposit is used to fully clean the house. This is in the contract and perfectly legal.
> 
> The reason for this is I have my house on a yearly lease contract and if someone has a pet and then moves out the next person wanting to lease could be allergic to animals. If the person already has an animal it is perfectly legal to refuse to lease to them. I also don't allow smokers as I don't want my house stinking of smoke.
> 
> Also its no good sneaking an animal in and saying nothing as my agency make randon checks.


I agree with you as we rent our house out too but its harder to enforce the tenanacy beng terminated than you would think.

Basically we rented our house out through an agency saying no pets and when we went to visit the house there was a HUGE alsatian there and the place was not very clean. We spoke to every eviction specialist we could find but their concensus was basically that we'd have to file a certain form to evict the tenants which would go to court if they fought it and they said the judge would probably not evict them just for animals in the property.

Basically if they didn't pay their rent or severely damaged the property they CAN easily be evicted without a hearing but something like a pet being present even though the tenancy says no pet is very, very hard to enforce if the tenant fights it ...no matter what your agency tells you .

I then went to another agency as we were angry at our original agency and they said yes unfortunately its true, if we changed to them they would help us file the notices etc but it would be up to a judge who would most likely not evict for a simple pet.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

KittyD said:


> That said I understand your reasons for not wanting animals in the leased property, and it seems where you live you are able to enforce it adequately.



We chose no pets for our home (we had to leave when my partner lost his job, it was heart breaking) and in the UK alot of people are under the illusion it is enforceable but generally it isn't

The eviction would only work if they didn't pay their rent etc, its unlikely according to ALl the specialists we spoke to that an eviction would be successful.

Agencies make alot of claims we've found to people who use their services and trust them (like us, we trusted our agency) but then you find out they can't do alot to protect your house, not really and even if they want to the law limits them and the eviction specialists told us that basically the law ALWAYS favours the tenant, unfair but true.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

P.S i forgot to say that above is exactly why we would never, ever lie about having pets.

I would never want to cause the distress which was caused to us when we having left our much loved home, had to mvoe countries for a job loss and then went to view the place saw it in such a mess with a huge alsatian.

The agency are going to enforce a mandatory clean and fix up of all the damage the dog had done but i cried so much seeing our home like that .

I personally would never break a lease as i think the owner of the house deserves honesty and respect, you never know why the house is up for rent ..it could be someones lost a job like we did


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

catz4m8z said:


> I dont often see otheer little dogs round here either. There are 2 Chi's near me but they are so fat and under socialized that they are no fun at all!!
> Luckily the puppy classes we went to were sensible enough to split the pups into big and small and let them play seperately. I dont think the become less attached to you if you have another though. Sure a dog they see occassionally will be more interesting but if its there bro/sis then they will happily drop what they are doing for a cuddle!!
> Nothing wrong with spoiling a single baby though. The only ones I feel sorry for are those who are alone and have owners that are out at work for 8hrs or more a day. Thats just a little selfish in my book.


I feel sorry for dogs left home all day too .

Bella is lucky as i work from home, she sits on my lap or sleeps in our bed while i work lol.


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## Deme (Aug 18, 2009)

Interesting what you say about judges and dogs as my friend had a tenant removed from her house very easily after discovering they had brought in a dog. I suppose it also depends on how resonable the tenant is. If they are told to leave and they do that's great but if they cause a fuss thats a pain.

Luckily I have a good agency and people that tend to take on my house are students or business people who don't have time for pets.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Deme said:


> Interesting what you say about judges and dogs as my friend had a tenant removed from her house very easily after discovering they had brought in a dog. I suppose it also depends on how resonable the tenant is. If they are told to leave and they do that's great but if they cause a fuss thats a pain.
> .


I'm only repeating what took us 6 weeks, 1 citiziens advice bureau, 2 housing agencies and 2 eviction specialists who do nothing but work for clients needing to evict tenants . The tenants are still in our house and its very stressful.

The citiziens advice were the worst, she thought it was awful we wanted the tenants out and was like ..its just a dog, i got so annoyed, its my home, i should have the right to decide!

The tenant must have agreed to go


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

p.s they are students who are in the house, there is no back garden for the dog and the state they keep the dog in in the only carpeted room made us soo annoyed for the dog.

grr


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Here's a link to the state they left our flat  and the conditions the dog was kept in.

Damage our tenants have done in 9 months | Facebook

It was a perfect brand new interior with plain walls flat 2 years old inside, it was absolutely perfect before they moved in, agency has reassured us they'll be paying for the damage when they move out but it was frustrating we couldn't evict them.


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## Deme (Aug 18, 2009)

yeah as I said, that is the difference of having a good tenant or a one that's a pain... its interesting though so I am gonna contact my agency and see what they say should the situation ever arise with me.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

In our experience they will reassure you that it won't be a problem, until it is.

The lawyer we spoke to in the eviction sector said the problem is often the agencies themselves have little or no knowledge of the law.


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## Elle (May 4, 2010)

Bellatrix said:


> p.s they are students who are in the house, there is no back garden for the dog and the state they keep the dog in in the only carpeted room made us soo annoyed for the dog.
> 
> grr


There is a rule of thumb when letting a property you care about... NEVER EVER allow it to be let to students. If you have a property that has been bought for the purpose, that's fine, as long as you know what to expect. When I lived in Sydney, I remember it being said that the order of tenants you want in your property goes something like: 1. gay man or couple, 2. gay woman or couple, 3. straight couple, 4. straight woman, 5. straight man, 6. Family, 7. single student and last and very definitely least... 8. students in the plural!

(The order is said to come from the level of pride they have when their current home is someone else's property.)

Sad to hear you've had to learn that the hard way


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Elle said:


> There is a rule of thumb when letting a property you care about... NEVER EVER allow it to be let to students. If you have a property that has been bought for the purpose, that's fine, as long as you know what to expect. When I lived in Sydney, I remember it being said that the order of tenants you want in your property goes something like: 1. gay man or couple, 2. gay woman or couple, 3. straight couple, 4. straight woman, 5. straight man, 6. Family, 7. single student and last and very definitely least... 8. students in the plural!
> 
> (The order is said to come from the level of pride they have when their current home is someone else's property.)
> 
> Sad to hear you've had to learn that the hard way


We knew that information unfortunately but we saw 6 agencies before letting and all of them said due to the location and our property being a 3 bedroom students were who would want to rent it. A couple or a single person etc would not want a 3 bedroom flat and due to location a family wouldn't as it had no garden etc ..we were stuck. 

You say NEVER ..but I mean not renting and paying our mortgage of £850 a month with no income or renting to students ..wasn't really a choice, we are backed into a corner.

We've been in a really difficult situation and it's not very pleasant but when the time comes for changing tenants we still won't have any choice. The students we got are in their mid 20's so we had to hope for the best.



Before anyone asks the obvious question ..why don't we just sell it ..we can't, we bought it at the peak of house price rises in 2008 and its lost 20 thousand pounds, we would end up bankrupt. My partner lost his job just a year after we bought it and by that time it was too late to sell.


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## Elle (May 4, 2010)

Bellatrix said:


> We knew that information unfortunately but we saw 6 agencies before letting and all of them said due to the location and our property being a 3 bedroom students were who would want to rent it. A couple or a single person etc would not want a 3 bedroom flat and due to location a family wouldn't as it had no garden etc ..we were stuck.
> 
> You say NEVER ..but I mean not renting and paying our mortgage of £850 a month with no income or renting to students ..wasn't really a choice, we are backed into a corner.
> 
> ...


Oh that's such a horrid situation to be in! I feel for you, having been caught very badly by the recession myself. I have to say, I really don't trust agencies at all. Even more than some other businesses, they seem to be interested in one thing only... money in their own pockets! Surely, one of the things you pay the agency for, is to check regularly on the condition of your property? One other option which it sounds as though those agencies didn't suggest, and which I have seen be successful, would be to let the flat officially to only one responsible person, maybe at a slightly lower price... but still covering your mortgage, hopefully. Then allow that person to sublet the other rooms instead of the agency. If that one person is ultimately then responsible for any damage, they would make sure they only let the other rooms to people they trusted. That's the theory anyway! Of course, it's easier said than done, I know. But Bristol is a big city with a lot of people who need to rent rooms, so it might work.

Whatever happens, I do hope you manage to get those horrid tenants out in the not too distant future. From the pics on your FB page, they look like a load of uncaring slobs. And even though it shouldn't be there in the first place, I pity the poor dog who lives with them, it doesn't look at all well cared for.


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## Bellatrix (Apr 23, 2010)

Elle said:


> Oh that's such a horrid situation to be in! I feel for you, having been caught very badly by the recession myself. I have to say, I really don't trust agencies at all. Even more than some other businesses, they seem to be interested in one thing only... money in their own pockets! Surely, one of the things you pay the agency for, is to check regularly on the condition of your property? One other option which it sounds as though those agencies didn't suggest, and which I have seen be successful, would be to let the flat officially to only one responsible person, maybe at a slightly lower price... but still covering your mortgage, hopefully. Then allow that person to sublet the other rooms instead of the agency. If that one person is ultimately then responsible for any damage, they would make sure they only let the other rooms to people they trusted. That's the theory anyway! Of course, it's easier said than done, I know. But Bristol is a big city with a lot of people who need to rent rooms, so it might work.
> 
> Whatever happens, I do hope you manage to get those horrid tenants out in the not too distant future. From the pics on your FB page, they look like a load of uncaring slobs. And even though it shouldn't be there in the first place, I pity the poor dog who lives with them, it doesn't look at all well cared for.


Sorry to hear you've been affected 

I don't trust them at all either, the stories i've heard since we had the problems have been horrendous! They only care about the money and they say tons of things to get you to go with them but when it comes to it they barely do anything for the money they take

Ahh... we had to go to Holland when my partner lost his job, he couldnt get another job so we had to leave all our family and friends  and go there, then his company sent us to bristol. if we were in the same city as our flat we DEFINITELY wouldn't use a crappy agency!!

We have to pay the mortgage on the flat in Edinburgh *and* pay rent in bristol so we just desperately need to keep the flat rented out or we will lose it . Neither of us wanted to leave Edinburgh or our home.

Bristol is nice but i don't know anyone here and its not home.
*
p.s can you believe they brought the dog over from america!!!* if they love it that much its unbelievable they dont care for it better.


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