Meet the handsome boy that is Cookie who is unfortunately looking for a new home as his owners feel they can no longer provide him with the attention and time he needs so he has been up for his assessment with us and is now waiting patiently in his home for a new family to prevent him having to come into kennels.
We have been told that Cookie is housetrained, travels well, has good recall (though no road sense!), knows his basic commands, good with people, loves his fuss and his favourite toy is a tennis ball!! The areas he will need work on is lead work as he can be a puller and being left, though he can/has been left up to 4 hours Cookie struggles with the initial being left on his own and as such may bark/cry but does settle down but with this in mind we are looking for a home where he isn't left frequently/can be worked with.
We are ideally looking for a dog free home for Cookie as predominantly this is what he is been used to and whilst he can get on with the vast majority of dogs he can dislike certain dogs, usually the more dominant/larger dogs but he is good with puppies, old and small dogs - he might just need a bit of work on the larger dogs in his new home 🙂
Cookie has lived/is currently living with young children however his owners said he isn't fond of the youngest so has suggested he be best placed in a home with children over the age of 10 years old.
His owners have said that a 5* home for him would be one where someone/family can be around for him, one with a large secure garden for zoomies and one where he can get plenty of fuss, playtime, attention and lots of walks as he is an super active lad.
Amar is finally ready to find himself a new home, after arriving with us with his sister Billie, although he has a long way to go Amar has now developed enough confidence to start his own life with a new family!
When he first arrived lead, walks, new people and new environments were all very scary for him, it took us a while to coax him out but we got there - he's gone from shut down, to quivering wreck needing to be attached to another dog to walking out fairly happily on the fields! The biggest thing on Amar's wish list is to have another dog as a companion and to take confidence from, he thrives in the company of other dogs becoming so much more outgoing, tail wagging and loves to play/interact with them so his progress will be helped by another four legged friend!!
In the playpen he doesn't really know what to do or where to go unless he has another dog around to play with, follow and take lead from. The type of dog he would suit would be one who is confident and who likes a play as when he knows them he can be quite over the top!
Throughout all of his most fearful moments his temperament has never faltered, though petrified at times he has never shown an ounce of aggression, he's one to plant himself or try and scarper but now he is very accepting of all the fuss he gets provided people approach gently.
He can walk around the fields on his own, he does need a lot of confidence from his handler and we have found he is a treat monster so food will definitely help win him over but obviously as described above he is much better with another dog in tow!
We are ideally looking for a quieter home with no young children, as he is still nervous he would struggle with the hustle and bustle of daily life, playtime and noises. He would love a patient and experienced home to help him flourish into a well rounded adult.
Amar really is a sweet boy who just needs to find a home to continue his journey!
If your looking for a soppy dog who loves their belly rubs and walks well on the lead then Brenda could be the girl for you!
Brenda has come into us as she found herself in the stray pound and we can only assume due to her looks she was struggling to find a rescue space meaning she had a very uncertain future ahead but thankfully we looked past aesthetics and welcomed her into the FDR family 😀
As you can see Brenda's ears have been cut and no very well at that, poor girl, but PLEASE don't let her looks put you off, she is only 25kg and an utter softy!!!
Brenda is ALL about the people, she loves to be with you, having cuddles or fuss and her most favourite is having belly rubs.
On the lead she walks surprisingly well, usually to heal with a loose lead. Whilst on the lead she can react to certain dogs but not all dogs (many she just blindly ignores) and by react we mean have a bounce about and possibly a bark however she is very easily corrected and will then continue her walk without a fuss or glance back. We do think some training/socialisation classes could help with this as she really isn't a bad dog and is very biddable so hopefully a helping hand and continued exposure will rectify this.
In the play pen she loves nothing more then fuss, followed by a run around with a tennis ball before coming back, rolling over for tummy rubs whilst dropping the ball for you to throw again for her.
If Brenda could describe herself we think she would identify as a lap dog as she would love to be small enough to lie on your lap though she does her best to achieve this anyway!! 😀
We can't stress how gorgeous she is, she loves every person and will always greet them gently never jumping up and always accepting the attention they give her.
Hopefully we can find her an amazing home that doesn't care she looks mean and scary!
Meet our lovely girl Elsa who has come into us from another rescue with no history on what she's been up to so far in life!
We did manage to find a home for Elsa but sadly she was returned to us after 4 weeks due to her excitable behaviour, reaction meeting new dogs on walks and mouthing. Sadly our offer to work with our behaviourist was declined so she has come back to us in the hope we can find her a better suited home to work with her going forwards.
Elsa is indeed an excitable girl, she is always super happy, tail wagging and ready for the next adventure! She will need an active home to provide her with all the walks she needs but also balanced out with mental stimulation as she is a clever cookie who loves learning and being told she is a good girl - agility, scent work or obedience would definitely be on the cards for her!
On the lead she can and does walk well with correct instructions, there are times when her nose and excitement get the better of her so further work will be needed in her new home to rein her in but we have started and she is doing well.
Prior to coming to us Elsa was with lots of other dogs, she also walked round, met and played with a variety of other dogs whilst she was here however her previous owner said she was reactive upon meeting new dogs. Since being back with us we have purposely put her in various situations to gauge her reactions with new dogs of different sizes and both male and female, we have found that her reaction was likely misinterpreted possibly with her owners apprehension feeding into her, as she can bark and have a bounce about in excitement seeing some dogs however just taking a moment to get her focus, put in a sit and praise (she is very attentive and very food motivated) she will then approach without barking and happily say hello to the dog and their handler. She has also walked within inches of a new dog side by side without a care in the world along with meeting other new dogs face on without anything other than a waggy tail.
As mentioned we sadly have no history on Elsa but it is likely that she was never able to fully live out her puppyhood nor had any training when she was younger, now that she feels secure and definitely happy she is very much reliving her puppyhood which her owner experienced in mouthing, she hasn't mouthed at all since being here as much as we have tried to put her in a position to, however it may be a behaviour only present in the home so her new owner might need to do some work, leave a house lead on her and ensure she quickly understands this isn't acceptable.
We have been told that Elsa is housetrained, travels well, crate trained, has learned a lot of commands and was good with the dogs she got to know.
Overall Elsa is just a young active dog who thrives on exercise, routine and mental stimulation, she really needs a home to help her along with her training to become a well rounded dog, take her to training classes and ideally work with our behaviourist if needed.
Scout has come into us from another rescue who rescued him from the stray pound where he had an uncertain future, thankfully his future is safe and now in our hands to find him the perfect home where he never ends up as a stray ever again.
On the lead he is quite a strong boy who pulls but we're starting to work with him to rein him in and get that lead looser! He will need an active home as he does love his walks and would happily walk for miles but equally be happy for a shorter walk and lots of playtime in the garden!
The playpen is his favorite place place as he loves his free time and above everything else he loves his toys! Sometimes he does love his toys a bit too much and isn't a fan of you taking them from him but he will happily trade or drop that toy to chase another you've thrown for him.
Scout isn't sure of his basic commands, his sit is more luck than judgement and you get the face of judgment when you ask for paw - bless him! We are trying to teach him things like 'leave it' which will be helpful with his unwillingness to give up toys but we do think some general obedience training would be really beneficial for him in his new home.
Scout is a very friendly boy, he loves his fuss and loves to be with you.
We have introduced Scout to lots of other dogs, his preference is the ladies but he can be quite over the top and at times a bit dominant so we would be looking to place him in a home with no other dogs and just have social trips on walks.
Overall Scouty is a fab dog who just need someone to put some time into him to show him how to be the best boy - he will certainly make someone a loyal companion!
Miss Molly came into us from a private home as the owner was not in a position to cope with her. She is a live wire! Temperament wise she has been golden and will happily interact with people unless there is a ball involved. She is a little obsessed with them - so much so that she did go on a trial for the prison service as we felt she needed a job to do but unfortunately she didn't make the grade and was returned back to us 🙁
And so we start the search for her new home. She does need some work doing - not had much lead training so this is a work in progress but is doing really well with the help of a headcollar currently and her recall is pretty much non existent 🙁 She would literally jump through fire for a ball so an experienced owner could certainly use this to their advantage if done correctly. This girl definitely needs a job to do and will need both physical and mental stimulation. She has been fine with dogs here but when she was on her trial they did say there were some female dogs she wasn't too keen on so she could possibly live with a male dog if temperaments suit.
We can see that she has such a bright future and would make the most amazing dog but it will be a challenge so we are looking for someone who can see what we do. Super active home is a must and definitely one who will embrace her training going forwards.
Merlin is sadly looking for a new home as his owner is having to move into accommodation where they can only take 2 out of the three dogs, so with no other choice available the very upsetting decision has been made to find Merlin a home elsewhere. Merlin and his owner don't live local to us and made a mammoth drive up to us for us to assess him, thankfully he was absolutely golden here and it's very clear his owner has done SO much work with him.
This is what his owners have to say about him:
Merlin is a 5-year-old mixed breed. While his exact breed is unknown, whatever he is, he’s absolutely beautiful. Merlin is fully house and crate trained, travels calmly and confidently in the car, and displays no signs of separation anxiety. He is not destructive and can be left alone in the home for a few hours without issue. On the lead, Merlin walks well overall, though he can show occasional reactivity, typically only when another dog barks first. With a clear “leave it” command and the use of treats, which he’s extremely motivated by, he can be redirected quickly and chooses to focus on his handler over distractions. He is very friendly with strangers both in and outside of the home and adapts well to new people. Although he loves affection, Merlin is also an independent dog who is often happy doing his own thing, whether that’s playing with toys, simply lounging around or scoffing a peanut butter stuffed kong (his favourite). He has a silly, fun-loving side and absolutely loves tug of war and plays vocally and energetically, which is all part of his joyful, rough-play style and shouldn’t be mistaken for aggression. He also enjoys rolling on the grass or carpet, showing off his belly and being his goofy self. Merlin has always been polite and gentle when meeting children on walks, but as he has no experience living with them, he would be best suited to an adult-only home. He could live with another dog following proper introductions and multiple meet-and-greets to ensure a good match, as he currently lives peacefully with three other male dogs. Alternatively, he would also be perfectly content as an only dog receiving all the love and attention. Merlin is not suitable for a home with small animals, as he has a chase drive and displays reactivity toward cats on walks in the past. In some situations, he can be strong-willed, so he requires a confident, experienced handler who can offer structure, ongoing training, and patience—support and guidance will be provided to ensure his continued progress. Merlin came to me resource guarding his water bowl and any kind of food. We have touched over some training with that and having a bond built has put respect in our relationship and I haven't seen any further aggression. Merlin is a fantastic travel companion, coffee date and an unapologetic sofa hog. With the right person, he will make a deeply loyal, entertaining, and affectionate best friend.
We are just helping Merlin's owner find him a new home, he is based near Essex. If you are interested in rehoming him and ideally are located near Essex then please email us for an application form, we can then put you in touch with his owner - [email protected]
Chip is now ready to begin his fresh start for a new life and a forever home, he has come into us as a stray after being found straying for a second time, sadly his owner didn't come back to claim him so served his days and has come to us!
On the lead he can be very strong especially at the start of his walk with the excitement of being out of the kennel and does generally settle down however we have started him walking on a Gencon headcollar to help with his pulling.
We do think some training classes would be good for him as although he does know his basic commands like 'sit', 'paw' & 'down' he does still jump up and would also help with his lead work.
In the playpen he loves a zoom around and will always be up for a game of ball, out of all of the toys balls are his upmost favourite!!
Out and about he ignores all other dogs, he isn't phased or fussed by them, he very rarely wants to interact however we have found some he quite likes and will say hello but with this in mind we would suggest he would much prefer being an only dog in the home.
Poor Chip is hating kennels, he's lost all he has known and we're not sure he has had the realisation that his owner isn't coming back for him so we are keeping paw, toes and tails crossed he won't be waiting too much longer for a new family where he will be loved and adored never to be a stray again!