Meet Greta, a lovely little lady who is searching for a very special forever home. At around 2 years young, Greta was found as a stray without a microchip, leaving her past a mystery—but her future is bright with the right family!

A Little About Greta
Over the past few weeks, we’ve gotten to know Greta, and she is a very special girl! Possibly one of the most affectionate dogs we’ve ever met, Greta craves human company and thrives on love and attention. She’s a real foodie, always eager for a tasty treat, and absolutely adores a good chew—settling down contentedly with one by your side. While she doesn’t yet know how to play with toys, her love for cuddles and human connection is unmatched.

We believe she’s spent much of her life fending for herself, but despite that, her heart is full of trust and love for people. Yesterday, she spent the day at one of our volunteer’s homes and was beautifully behaved—claiming her spot on the sofa and even “helping” with the washing up!

What Greta Needs in Her Forever Home
Greta is looking for a unique home that can meet her special needs and shower her with the love she’s missed out on. Here’s what her ideal home looks like:

• A Dog-Free and Cat-Free Home: Greta does not enjoy the company of other dogs, possibly due to past experiences, so she needs to be your one-and-only furry friend.
• A Patient and Loving Family: Greta finds lead walks stressful, as she may never have been on a leash before. While she’s showing signs of improvement, she may never be a dog who loves long walks. Instead, she’d thrive in a home with a nice-sized garden where she can run, play, and soak up the sun at her own pace. Bonus points if you can take her to a secure field a few times a week for some extra zoomies!
• Someone to Be Her Constant Companion: Greta’s favorite thing is being close to her people. She’d love a home where someone is around most of the day to give her the cuddles and reassurance she craves. Whether you’re working from home, retired, or simply looking for a loyal shadow, Greta is ready to be your devoted sidekick.
• A Home Ready for a New Adventure: Greta may not have lived in a home before, but she’s eager to learn. With patience, love, and a little guidance, she’ll blossom into the perfect companion.

Greta’s Assessment

Kennel behaviour

Greta exited her kennel excitedly and rushed straight over to me, jumping up. I asked her to sit but she did not comply. She did take a treat from me. She did not react to dogs in adjacent kennels. She waited to have her lead put on and then pulled quite strongly on the way to the exercise area.
When we returned to the kennel area, she did bark at another dog in its kennel.

Handling

Greta ran happily around the paddock and would come for a treat. This only worked if there were no distractions. She would Sit when asked but did not comply with any other cues. She was trying to snatch at treats initially but quickly learned that she had to wait to get the treat. She does pull badly on the lead but is very motivated by treats and will focus on her handler when asked to.

Sociability

Greta has clearly not done much previously. She seems a little confused and wants a lot of reassurance from people. She seeks out human contact and enjoys a fuss. She will engage with you but does not know how to play with toys. She showed no interest in a ball and a mild interest in a tug toy but I think she would easily learn how to play with time. She certainly enjoys engagement with humans.

She is reactive to other dogs. We introduced her to another very calm male dog through a fence and in person on lead. She did bark and lunge. Her behaviour appears to be more barrier frustration rather than aggression but such behaviour can easily tip over into aggression, especially if the other dog reacts too. After a while of being in the presence of the dog, she did calm and her body language noticeably changed. She became more relaxed and engaged with us and took treats.

Arousal/Reactivity

Please give details of reactivity on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = low & 5 = high)
Reactivity – 3

Greta does not appear to have much experience of the outside world and did react to several things in her environment, including other animals.

Possession

Greta would not play with a toy so obviously no resource guarding was observed. She took treats well after learning that she could not snatch. She is soft mouthed.

Comments

Greta is a lovely dog who enjoys human company and engages well. She seemed a little worried about what was happening to her and seeks
human reassurance. She is a blank page in terms of training but is food motivated and therefore I think she will be willing and focussed on good
positive training. She definitely needs work on leadwork and recall.

Her reaction to dogs and other animals needs some work. I do feel that it is barrier frustration rather than fear. Once in the company of a dog for a
while, she relaxes and looks calm and happy. Her behaviour around dogs obviously needs work. It is a question of teaching the behaviours that you
want from her eg lead walking and recall whilst desensitising her to dogs being around. I would not allow her to run off lead with another dog at
the moment as barrier frustration can easily tip over into aggression. She has not been at the kennels for very long and she will naturally become
more accustomed to the environment and other dogs in time too. I do feel that she needs some help from a behaviourist (not a trainer) to resolve
these issues. She is a motivated dog and I feel confident that this can be massively improved.

To conclude, Greta definitely needs some work but will soon take to new adopters and will make a loving pet.