Blaze is adopted.

Blaze is 10 months old and is in need of a person to call his own.

After being with us for a few days it is clear that he needs a lot of training but he has BUCKETFULS of potential.

He is finding the kennel environment quite stressful but out and about he’s a happy and friendly boy. He has enjoyed and responded really well to the training that has been provided by one of our volunteers and in the right hands this boy is going to be exceptional.

He has absolutely no manners with other dogs but isn’t aggressive, just under socialised. He could potentially live with a resident, older female who could teach him some doggy manners. He can walk nicely alongside other dogs on his lead once the initial excitement has passed.

We feel that Blaze will respond well to training once he has bonded with someone and he is SO eager to form that bond, this will make training easier as he just wants to please.

He has lived with children from 6 years upwards.

We are looking for an experienced home that can give him the time and training that he needs If you think you have the time and experience to transform Blaze into the wonderful dog we know he can be, please fill our application.

Blaze’s Assessment

Kennel behaviour

When I first approached Blaze’s kennel, he approached the bars and looked at me. He looked a little wary but wagged his tail and took a treat when I offered one. He exited the kennel excitedly and ignored me. He was pulling on his lead to leave the kennel block. There was no negative reaction to other dogs in adjacent kennels even though they were loudly barking. He approached another dog against the bars of his own kennel. They sniffed in a friendly manner and then Blaze was happy to leave.

Handling

Once out of the kennel block, Blaze was happy to approach me and took treats from me. He did pull quite strongly on the lead until we got to the exercise area. Once off lead, he enjoyed running around but did not want to interact too much with me straight away. At first, he was more focussed on the DRUE Kennel Co-ordinator but quite quickly, he became interested in me and responded to my cues. He was happy to play and actually play bowed at us. His recall was hesitant at first but he quickly became very responsive and came back to me when I called him. He responded very well to Chase Recalls.

Sociability

Once Blaze was over his initial wariness, he was very pro-social and enjoyed playing. I was able to handle him all over, playing quite rough with him and touching him everywhere including head, ears, tail and feet. He showed no negative reaction at all and displayed very positive, playful body language. He does become a little over excited and then can jump up. When asked to Sit, he did respond and his impulse control improved.
He appears to be very good around other dogs, with good positive interactions.

Arousal/Reactivity

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

Possession

There was no tendency to resource guard. Once he understood the game, he was willing to drop a ball or the tug in exchange for a treat at all times. He loved playing ball and had a good fetch. He didn’t appear to know that to do with a tug toy at first but soon started to enjoy it. There was no obsessiveness about the toys and Blaze was happy to end the game when asked.

Comments

Blaze is a friendly and human loving dog although he is a little nervous at first when meeting strangers. Once he has established that there is no threat, he wants to interact and play and loves to be fussed and petted. He does know how to sit and give a paw but his training is limited. He is very responsive, however, and I believe that it would be relatively easy to get some great work from him. He has lots of potential for further improvement, especially with his lead work. He does get a little over excited and jumps and mouthes but this is only occasional. His recall is good, he loves running after you if you run away from him. There were no negative reactions to anything during his assessment. I am sure that he will bond with a new owner quickly and become a loving and loyal pet.