Rona is a 10 year old female Mioritic Shepherd Cross. She is fostered in Norwich Norfolk. She was adopted from us eight years ago and has been very happy and settled.
Sadly her adopter became ill recently and is no longer able to care for her. Rona is a dedicated and loyal girl who is good with cats and was great with visiting grandchildren in her previous home.
Rona is mixing well with other dogs in her foster home but does not like boisterous dogs that get in her personal space too much. She lived very happily as an only dog in her previous home.
Rona is a typical mio in that she can be protective of her home and family. When she knows someone well, who is a regular visitor, she’s fine with that but is suspicious of the intentions of newcomers.
Rona walks nicely on a lead and is well-behaved out on walks. She is cat friendly. 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.
