I haven't been very chatty on here recently and that's partly due to the change of routine while the builders are here. My Mum has been exercising us early mornings and into the evenings because the builders don't like it when we piddle on their work tools or pinch their bait (spoil-sports!). And, of course, the ban of importing dogs from Romania, Belarus, Poland and Ukraine continues so I don't have many Ambassadog duties to do. So... I'm going to tell you about some of my friends who are ready to be adopted.
RICKY is goofy, confident, energetic, and prefers his friends to be active too so that he has someone to play with. He is a bit too bouncy for old and little dogs but he shares his kennel space with other dogs, both male and female. Ricky is only young (not older than 2, approx 25kg) and needs a living space where he can use his energy. He loves to run and play and would probably fit in well with an active human - maybe he would make a great running partner?! Ricky is clever and he needs to exercise his brain and his body - if left to his own devices, he is likely to get into bad habits to occupy himself - such as car chasing. My Mum had to move Ricky from the roadside kennels as, in spite of two good walks a day and a paddock to play in, Ricky started to run up and down the fence line, barking, whenever a car passed by (he couldn't even see the cars because of the fencing but still tried to chase). Now that he is in a paddock away from cars, he is more settled and his attention is more focused on playing with his friends.
Ricky came from a Romanian public shelter but we don't know how he ended up in there. When the rescuer spotted him, he had been attacked by other dogs and had lots of bite wounds. Ricky loves his food and growls at dogs that get too close when he's eating - he would certainly snap, and scrap, if he thought his food was going to be taken away from him and maybe that's what happened in the public shelter when he was attacked. (It isn't unusual for shelter dogs to only be fed twice a week so the dogs are always competing against each other for food.) My Mam feeds Ricky in a space away from the other dogs, and keeps him there until all the others have finished eating. No food is left lying around and treats are given out carefully - it works just fine and stops any stress or aggression. A food aggressive dog isn't a bad dog - its just a dog that needs different management.
When out on road walks with Helpful Lady, Ricky chatters all the time and gets quite excited, wanting to see and sniff everything. He's young and enthusiastic but will also settle into a walk and enjoy it - he hasn't really experienced lots of people or other pets when out on a walk as it's quiet where we live (he is used to cars, wagons and farm traffic though). When Ricky sees farm animals or a cat, he likes to stop and watch - we assume he would chase if he was off lead (like most dogs would do if given the opportunity). Ricky has not been off lead in a public space since arriving in the UK and we wouldn't recommend it unless it's in a private field (with permission) or one of those privately hired dog exercise parks. He does love his time in the PJ fields where he can run safely and enjoy his lead-free time.
Ricky is still learning how to navigate around the human world and continues to need kindness and guidance without any of the strict type of training being imposed on him (which he's likely to rebel against). Training is best done in small chunks as Ricky is easily distracted - but that also means he can be distracted away from less desirable situations too...
Ricky loves 'his' people but can give a mixed response to strangers - sometimes he ignores them, sometimes he is over friendly, and sometimes he gives a grumbling growl. He seeks attention from 'his' people with whines and chatters and thrives on cuddles, love and attention. One day he slipped through the gateway of his own kennel space and ran into the next kennel area - a volunteer who doesn't visit very often, gently guided him back to his own kennel and Ricky seemed to accept this - until he suddenly changed his mind with a growl and a snap at the last moment (Ricky might be a bit grumpy sometimes but he has never bitten anyone - and it's important to remember that a dog grumbling is just a way of communicating a dislike of something). Anyway, the volunteer found another way to persuade him back to his own kennel by quickly getting a food dish and a couple of treats to distract him - and Ricky eagerly followed!
Ricky hasn't lived in a home since being in the UK but, like most dogs, he doesn't like to dirty his own living space and is clean through the night. He has become used to being shut in his kennel and small run at night so that he gets used to being behind a closed door for when he is adopted. At PJ he has the freedom of the paddock and kennels from early until late each day with two walks a day.
Ricky has changed so much since he first arrived at PJ but he still has lots to learn. If you want to read more, have a look at his 'for adoption' post on the website which was written when he first arrrived. It will take time for him to settle into a new routine in new surroundings and anyone who offers him a home should remember the 2 Toto sayings -
GTT - Give Them Time KiS - Keep it Simple
Bye for now, love Toto x
