Fri 11th Aug: Not every home suits every dog

It's been a while since I had to take baby pups to the vet for vaccinations, but I was at Acorn today with the four new recruits in readiness for Sunday afternoon at Whiskers N Paws.  I forgot to take photos unfortunately, so you'll have to wait to see what they look like but there are two black fluffies, and two short-haired, all girls.

Magic on his way home

I've said it many times before, that some dogs just don't feel comfortable in certain homes even if there is no real reason, and they come back with reports of aggression or other behaviour issues.  This was certainly the case with Magic, a black poodle who had been chosen twice before and returned both times, so we had to be very clear and upfront about what had happened when he went to his new home.  However this time he has been fine, which is obviously very good to hear, and reinforces the fact that dogs aren't just inanimate objects that don't have sensitive feelings and are immune to personality likes and dislikes.  In fact there are a couple of dogs at the Homing Centre that don't like me for whatever reason, even though I have really not had anything to do with them. I can't take it personally of course, and just see it as part of understanding the complexities of dog behaviour.

This is why it's upsetting to see our "Red Dogs" sitting waiting for such a long time, when I know that in the right home they will be fine.  Nobby the poodle is a perfect example of an angry dog at the Homing Centre whose behaviour changed so completely once he was taken out of that environment. He will be moving to a foster home next week to hopefully complete his rehabilitation, and from there the next step will be a permanent home.

Maya is really not a problem dog

Maya is another poodle who has been with us for a very long time even though her behaviour issues weren't that bad anyway, but the longer these dogs have to wait the worse things get.  She is in line to go to the new Lamma Home for Small Delinquents where I'm sure we'll see a very happy personality emerge in a very short time.   If you have the space and willingness to help with any of these small-sized "Red" dogs, please let us know.  It's incredibly rewarding helping them and seeing the change that takes place, and it means the chance of a real home at the end of it.