Rupert is a 12 month old, castrated male

He is a friendly boy who walks nicely on his lead and takes treats very gently. He gets on well with other dogs and could live with an equally playful or tolerant female.

Rupert has had little in the way of boundaries and still mouths/nips to get attention, this behaviour is being worked on, he responds very well to being told to sit and wait when he starts this but for this reason he will not be homed with young children.

He has boundless energy and will need a very active home and space to run around and burn this off! He loves to please and wants to learn so he will be a great addition to a home that will invest the time in training him.

Rupert will excel at being active so scent work, agility, hiking etc or something else to tire him mentally and physically.  If you are a confident dog person who is looking for an active companion then Rupert could be for you.

Rupert’s Assessment

Kennel behaviour

Rupert waits patiently to have his lead put on and leaves his kennel calmly, walking past dogs in adjoining kennels in a calm, composed way.

Handling

Rupert walked to the secure area on a standard lead and collar. He pulled slightly but was very responsive to training with treats and walked nicely with minimal pulling.
Rupert is pro social and enjoys being fussed and handled but isn’t overly pushy and can disengage well when ignored.
Rupert is very responsive to training and appears to have a good recall. This would need to be tested in a larger secure area and may need some work when distractions are present.

Sociability

Rupert is a well balanced dog who shows interest in other dogs but no adverse reactions and walks past calmly when asked to.
Greeted me calmly and appropriately, no hostility shown and willing to play with and train with me very quickly. Not observed with men.

Arousal/Reactivity

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

Rupert was excited to play and have treats off me but was very calm, no grabbing behaviour noted and happily exchanged toys for treats. Knows a ‘drop’ command and doesn’t snatch toys back. Will wait calmly to be offered a treat. Did jump up a couple of times for a treat but quickly controlled himself and sat down instead. Traffic went past the secure area and Rupert acknowledged it but no adverse reaction at all. Not observed with cyclists, children or in a vehicle.

Possession

Rupert enjoyed playing with the tug and doing some training for treats and toy rewards. No snatching or retention noted at all.

Comments

Rupert is a well balanced dog who has clearly had a good start to his training journey. He knows basic commands such as sit, lie down, off, drop, wait and he walks well on his lead. His recall appears good but this would need to be tested further before being let off lead in a non-secure area.
Rupert is calm in his demeanour and will make somebody a lovely companion.