advice for adding a new dog

Hi fellow dog lovers! My name is Kim. I have a 7yr old Border Collie/Aussie mix. His name is Balto. I also have a cute little cat named Buttons. Recently we heard about a 5 yr old Beagle named Max who desperately needs a new home. Being the dog lovers that my husband and I are....we, of course, want to to help this dog. He is severely overweight and his current person does not think she can put in the time/effort needed for Max to go on a diet and exercise program. She will put Max to sleep if no one will take him. Well.....I cannot let someone put a dog down just because he is obese! YIKES.... My problem is that my current dog is not particularly good around other dogs. I know there is going to be a huge adjustment period. I will be home all summer to help these two dogs become buddies (I hope). Any suggestions??

I say "GO FOR IT"! I would do the same thing, get him as soon as you can, you both will be doubly rewarded for many years!!! Max: Golden Retriever Riley: Golden Retriever Murphy: Golden Retriever "We love Golden", can you tell..... Jacque

Hi Jacque, Well we visited the prospective new addition...fell in love and he is in our home. It was touch and go for a bit.....my current dog (Balto, the border collie mix) tried to eat him.....went straight for the throat. I immediately went to the pet store and got a muzzle. A few hours with the muzzle and my dog has become civilized. He is now tolerating Max and is now without the muzzle. I guess he is a quick learner. All this in just 4 hours. Max is extremely overweight. He is the smaller version of the beagle. A very small dog.....but he is obese. We have a lot of work ahead of us ...rehabbing the beagle. Oh...and his former family spoke Polish...to top it off....English is his second language. Had to learn a few commands in Polish!