Bobby is an 8 year old male Collie Cross. He is fostered in Norwich Norfolk. Bobby was picked up from the streets of Bulgaria along with his siblings.
They were taken to a safe shelter where they grew up. One sibling was adopted in Germany a couple of years ago and Bobby and the other sister came to us in the UK a few months ago. His sister was recently adopted and now it’s his turn to look for a home.
His sister was recently adopted and now it’s his turn to look for a home. He is a quirky boy and we’re not here to pretend he’s not.
We are here to find someone capable of loving him AND his quirks (weirdness)! It’s very hard to explain how Bobby is.
One-on-one when I’m home alone with him he’s a normal dog. Playful, affectionate, interactive…. just “normal”.
However, when anyone else comes into the equation he switches on his “ghost mode”. He will keep his distance, look suspiciously at everyone there and not even really come to me either.
The contrast between his two personas makes finding him home very tricky. Bobby can, of course, switch how he is with me onto someone else and bond with them but he’s not going to do that whilst I’m still in the picture.
So basically I’m asking for someone to look at his pictures, see how he can be with me and give him a chance. He is good with other dogs but hasn’t bonded with any in his foster home so could be the only dog with someone experienced.
Bobby’s cautious of cats but could live with them and get used to them. He will need a quiet home environment, ideally with one person but if it’s a couple it needs to be understood that he might not bond with one of you and offence shouldn’t be taken at that as he appears to have room for only one person in his “comfort bubble”.
When you adopt a Safe Rescue dog, you MUST use a slip lead.
This will keep your dog safe: your new dog will be nervous and will not trust you, and you will not know which situations might upset your dog.
If your dog panics, then a slip lead is the only way to prevent your dog from escaping (many dogs can escape from a collar and/or harness). It will take AT LEAST 3-6 months for your dog to settle in and for you to know your dog fully (longer for nervous dogs).
The slip lead must ALWAYS be used during this settling-in period. Even after your dog is settled, it is safest to use the slip lead in situations where your dog may become scared (e.g. visiting new places, around unfamiliar people, at the vet), and in situations where unexpected triggers might happen (e.g. around bonfire night).
Nervous dogs may always need to wear a slip-lead as a backup safety measure. The slip lead is a safety device and must NEVER be used as a training tool. Using the lead to apply pressure to the dog’s neck is damaging.
If your dog pulls on the lead, then we can advise you on training methods that avoid harm. Once your dog is settled, you may want to consider using a harness (together with the slip lead) if your dog is comfortable with being handled when it is fitted.
Most harnesses are not escape-proof, but harnesses with a strap behind the ribcage (e.g. Ruffwear Webmaster or Perfect Fit Harnesses) are safer. Retractable/extendable leads must never be used on our dogs.
Adopted dogs must be collected from the rescue and transported straight home in a crate.
