Hi I’m Mabel…..
I’m currently sat on the kennel coordinator’s feet while I tell you all about myself in the hope that somebody will give me a lovely new home.

I am 3 years old and my favourite things are cuddles and treats. I like to be as close to you as possible and would love to be your new sofa buddy.
I quite like the sound of my own voice and like to bark at other dogs when I’m out walking but as you can see, I’m not what you would call properly dog reactive as I really enjoyed running around at The Dogs Paddocks this morning with Derrick.

Derrick did say that I’m quite bossy though and it’s a good job he’s as chilled as he is I would like to be an only dog as I don’t like sharing my people, and I also don’t like cats.

I had lovely cuddles with an 11 year old little boy last night so children around that age could be my friend.
Everyone that has met me says I am really sweet and any little issues that I have I would be happy to work on in exchange for love and food.

Mabel’s Assessment

Mabel was assessed by a qualified behaviourist:

• Kennel behaviour: Mabel was already out of the kennel when I arrived. After the assessment, I did return her to her kennel and she went in very willingly and waited for me to take off her lead. I was able to distract her with treats to enable me to safely exit the kennel without her barging through. When I entered the kennel block, she excitedly came up to the bars of the kennel and wanted to say hello. Mabel encountered other dogs outside the kennel block and also inside. She gave no negative reaction. The first dog she just walked past and the second dog that she was introduced to inside the kennel block, she wanted to play with. She did bark at the dog but rather through excitement rather than any anxiety.
• Handling: Mabel pulled strongly on the lead but did respond to treats when asked. She was better on a head collar than a slip lead or collar. I was able to touch Mabel all over without any reaction. She is very affectionate and wants to be close to you. She has a tendency to lean on you. Her recall appeared to be very good but she does appear to have a strong prey drive so may well be distracted if she should encounter an animal while off lead. She was very interested in a cat on the farm. I would also suspect that she would run over to another dog if she was off lead rather than recall to her owner.
• Sociability: Mabel is very pro-social with humans. She engages immediately and wants to be fussed. She enjoys attention and will attempt to play but does not seem too motivated by the toys themselves. She is very focussed and treat motivated and will perform cues well when asked. She has excellent impulse control and will wait for a treat or a toy. She appears to be very excitable around other dogs although shows no negative behaviour. She is potentially a little over boisterous around dogs and has a tendency to bark.
• Arousal & Reactivity: Reactivity on a scale of 1-5: 1. Mabel was not reactive to anything at all in her environment during the assessment, other than an excited bark when playing with dogs. During the assessment, Mabel was exposed to people, dogs, other animals, vehicles and numerous objects.
• Possession: Mabel showed some interest in a ball and would fetch it but then would drop it and lose interest. She showed no interest in playing tug. When she had the ball, she would readily drop for a treat. She showed no resource guarding and was very soft mouthed.
• Assessors general comments: Mabel is a very friendly and sociable dog. She enjoys human company and wants to be with you. She attempts to play but doesn’t seem to understand toys very well. I am sure she would become more interested in play in time. Her leadwork will need some work but she is very food motivated and would respond well to positive training. Her recall is good when not distracted but I feel that her strong prey drive may override a recall cue. Work can be done on this. If her motivation for toys can be improved, this could help focus her on her owners rather than other distractions around. She clearly has received some training before and will Sit, Down and Paw on cue. She is boisterous around other dogs but does not show any aggressive behaviour. She may be a little over boisterous for some dogs and will bark at them. Mabel will be a very loving dog and will be a loyal and affectionate companion for her new owner. She is very sweet natured and, with some training, will fit into a new home very well.