Ava is adopted. Ava was surrendered to us in emaciated condition after being left in a garden by her heartless owner.  We think she is around 16 months old, she came down quite badly with kennel cough so was placed in foster where she has recovered really well.  

This what her foster mum has to say about her:

Beautiful Ava she is a special little lady. She is so sweet she wants cuddles kisses and like all dobies thinks she is a lap dog.  

I have been feeding her little but often which seems to work for Ava.  She loves Salmon she prefers wet food but I also mix in the dried food too.

She likes to hide her chews (not for long though) they can be found under cushions. She loves adults not sure about children as my grandson hasn’t been.  

She does bark at birds squirrels cats and dogs.  She is reactive on the lead but she is very clever I’m sure eventually she will get the message to not react.

Ava loves her toys and balls loved to play fetch. She does jump up again this is a work in progress. She loves her beds and loves to suckle on anything soft like a cushion or a blanket.  

She is truly a lovable soul no trouble at all. She does pull on the lead.

She does check you haven’t left any food out on the counter in the kitchen.

All we can say is she is lovely.

If you feel you can give Ava a loving home then please fill out an application form, we are looking for a home with no other dogs.

Ava’s Assessment

Kennel behaviour

Ava greeted me excitedly, jumping up. She was keen to exit the kennel block and showed no reaction to any dogs in adjacent kennels. She pulled on the lead on the way to the paddock.

Handling

Ava was affectionate and keen to engage. She was over-excited and does jump up. She was happy to be touched all over and showed no negative reactions at all. She was motivated by treats and her recall was good at times but will need some work.

Sociability

Ava is reported to be reactive to other dogs when she is on lead. I did some work with her in the kennel block around other dogs and she did not show any reactivity until one dog barked at her.
She is very sociable and affectionate with people and enjoys play. She likes to play but does not bring back well. She wants to run around with the ball in her mouth. She will, however, drop for a treat when you can get her attention. She also enjoys playing tug but again, will exchange for a treat. She is soft mouthed and does not snatch at treats, which is surprising seeing as she is currently very underweight.

Arousal/Reactivity

Please give details of reactivity on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = low & 5 = high)
Reactivity – 0
Ava was not reactive to anything at all in her environment during the assessment.

Possession

Although keen on toys, Ava was happy to exchange for a treat. There was no evidence of any resource guarding.

Comments

Ava is a very affectionate and friendly dog. She has had limited training but will sit when asked and does show some impulse control. Given her motivation for treats and her young age, I feel that she would be responsive and highly trainable. It was reported by volunteers that she can be reactive to other dogs on lead. I tested this out and she did not show reactivity during the assessment, other than when another dog barked aggressively at her. But, given the reports, I would recommend working on positive lead training around other dogs and engaging in controlled greetings.