The young couple rescued their stray dog about six years ago. When they moved to the UK last year they had to leave him behind in Portugal with relatives. A few days ago they went to fetch him. (more…)
Can they keep him?
They had decided to take Merlin back to the rescue, but then decided to try for a bit longer. The gentleman called me.
They have had Rottie mix Merlin for about ten days. Before fetching him from the rescue the gentleman had visited him eight times. He wanted to get it right.
They had told him Merlin had shown aggression in the past and that they wouldn’t let him near other dogs. They said he was hand-sensitive around his head.
He had been in the kennels for six months, with just a week out with people who then sent him back.
Despite this, the family felt they would like to take him on and to work with him. Can they keep him? (more…)
They fetched their Romanian rescue pup, Toby, four days ago from a temporary foster. He’s seven months old.
Seven hours hiding behind a bush
A couple of weeks previously he’d been transported on the long journey across Europe from Romania in the back of a van.
The Romanian rescue organisation had picked up Toby’s mother and siblings from the streets when he was two weeks old. Both the original rescue and the subsequent foster had looked after multiple dogs.
Now, probably for the first time in his life, he’s an only dog. (more…)
It’s not surprising that two-year-old Moose suffers from lack of confidence around people.
Considering his background as a puppy born on the streets of Romania, he’s doing great. They didn’t have him until he was sixteen weeks old.
No socialisation will have taken place during the crucial early weeks. Those encounters he did have with people were very likely scary ones and now hard-wired into his brain.
Imagine, how a Romanian puppy of about four months old must feel, being flown across Europe in a crate. Then, after a long drive in a car, the puppy enters an alien environment, a home.
The family, first-time dog owners, has done very well indeed with Cody who is now 18-months old. Most of the time he is affectionate, playful and friendly. He is great with people and dogs when out and off lead, so walks are enjoyable.
Near home he’s more insecure. At home he has a few problems.
They can’t give him anything of value to chew, just the kind of thing he really needs to keep him occupied and calm, because it triggers resource guarding behaviour. In the past, growling, guarding behaviour has elicited scolding.
Instead of stopping the aggression, this confrontational approach made Cody angry. (more…)
Tala is shy with people she doesn’t know. She is particularly scared of men.
A year ago she was rescued from an abusive situation. Where shy dogs are very often more frightened of men than of women, it may be that Tala has particular reason to be shy of men.
She now lives in a lovely family. It took her time to relax with the two men when she came to them from the RSPCA a year ago, but now she’s soft, funny and loving. (more…)
I have just met Staffie Chester, featured on TV’s The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davis, rescued with two starving companions from squalor.
How do some of these dogs coming out of such a bad situation, come out of these situations and remain so sweet? (more…)
Sasha finds the outside world overstimulating.
A street dog by birth, eighteen-month-old Sasha has adapted amazingly well to life in a house. This is a tribute to both her basic temperament and to her new family’s own efforts.
She started life on the streets in India. They think she has Pointer in her. I see possibly Labrador and German Shepherd. A beautiful mix, she doesn’t look like the typical street dog.
At five months old, along with her brother, she was caught and placed in a pound where she stayed for another seven months until the couple adopted her six months ago. (more…)
So much change. The four dogs of interesting mixed breeds were flown over here from South African only two weeks ago and everything is different. They have generally settled in really well to their new home. A huge change in their lives. The older two dogs have had previous experience Read more…
Cassie is a puzzle. Everything about Cassie’s behaviour points to her having spent the first year of her life in a crate or very small space, deprived of stimuli. This is an educated guess only. When she was rescued three years ago (she’s now four) her posture was hunched. On Read more…