Posted on behalf of
Friends of the animals RCTName: TORRES /TAZ
Age: Approx 14 months old
Breed: LURCHER X
Can I live with Children: Older teenage children only
Can I live with cats: no
Can I live with other dogs: yes but please read below
Fostered In: Winslow Bucks
Other Information:
Taz was a hand in (July 2010) because the owner could no longer care for him. He was the son's dog and he loved him very much but the Mum couldn't walk him.
He was adopted in August 2010. His adopters have been experiencing some behavioural problems with him. Although they love him to bits, they do not feel that they have the time to address these.
Taz will however be remaining with them until he finds his new forever home.
Taz has been assessed in his current home by a qualified behaviourist, who will provide a full behavioural plan for his new owners, ongoing behavioural support and if they live within a reasonable distance from her, she will also undertake home visits for further assessment and advice. If his new adopters live further afield, Friends of the Animals RCT will facilitate a home visit by an alternative if required.
Taz is looking for an adoptive home that is prepared to follow through with this behavioural program and have the time and commitment to do this.
ABOUT TAZ
Taz is a very sweet lad that is quite insecure and anxious. He has had a huge amount of change in his short life living in various different homes and for an anxious lad this has obviously had an effect on his behaviour as it would on many dogs
Taz displays his anxiety in various ways. One of those is by being a bit manic and over the top and this could be misconstrued by someone inexperienced and without a good understanding of behaviour.
Taz has displayed very good bite inhibition. Despite making contact with his owners on a few occasions he has never actually done real damage, though he did cause a graze on one occasion.
Taz needs to know what he SHOULD be doing and it being a positive thing. He is quite unsure about physical contact. Although he accepts this in a positive situation, he does not react well to being physically guided in situations he is unsure about. He needs to be guided to do things without any physical handling, He’s very bright and quick to learn so he can learn to do things on a verbal cue, if they have been taught in a positive way and in the meantime he should be got used to gentle handling and it being associated with good things.
For example…He could do with knowing a ‘go to’ place such as a bed or a mat for when people come in the house and being given a Kong stuffed with spreading cheese to give him something to focus on doing and keep him occupied while he gets used to visitors being there and settles. The Kong will not only keep him occupied but will give him a chance to do licking and chewing which is stress relieving.
While his ‘aggression’ does need work, he also needs to be listened to – he is reacting in an aggressive manner in the first place because of stress and feeling threatened. As with any similar dog, telling him off for reacting is only likely to suppress the warnings which will leave a stressed dog that can snap without the obvious warning that we need. What needs work is his underlying stress levels and knowing how to deal with situations that stress him.
Taz finds being out very stressful. He presented to the behaviourist as not very reactive when out on a walk, just nervous. For example, the most he did was have one little grumble at a man a few hundred yards away that was dressed in fishing gear and walking quite strangely so it was understandable and he was easily distracted with a goody. He was just a very nervous boy that found walking in a town stressful.
The ideal for Taz would be for him to have quiet walks outside of a town. Taz could be built up to walk in busier areas but it will take time and patience and him having built a trusting relationship with someone.
It’s really important for Taz while working on changing the way he feels about things and teaching what he is supposed to do, for him not to be put in situations that he can’t cope with and using management to stop him practising unwanted behaviour.
We are considering starting him on Zylkene to try and help him settle and relax. This will also mean that when it comes to learning it will hopefully have helped him relax enough that he will be in a better position to take on board what he is being taught due to being a little less stressed.
When he does move to his forever home, the behaviourist suggests that he is not taken out for busy walks straight away and that his first week or two in a new home is just him getting to know the people that he is with without any thing being expected of him. He just needs to know that he is somewhere safe and that the people can be trusted and no pressure put on him. Visitors should be limited until he has settled in
Adoptive home requirements
Taz would be most suited to a quiet home, in terms of comings and goings and visitors or someone who can limit and then plan when they do have visitors.
It would ideally not be somewhere residential and if it was, somewhere with access to quiet walks would be needed
Taz is a bright dog and is going to need to be kept mentally stimulated so someone with an interest in training would be needed. He needs plenty of physical exercise but also needs mental stimulation.
He is currently living with another dog and they get on well and enjoy playing. He would be best rehomed as an only dog or if he was homed with another dog then it would need to be a very laid back dog and one that didn’t have any resource guarding issues as this would be a clashing point. A smaller dog would be preferred. Taz also plays in a very ‘lurchery’ rough way with lots of barging and mouthing, There is absolutely no malice in this but not all dogs take well to rough lurcher style play so this would also need to be taken into account.
Taz wouldn’t cope with being left alone for long periods. H e is ok with being left for a few hours a couple of times a week with the company of another dog.
Taz has the potential to be a wonderful forever friend once he is given time to relax and enjoy himself and to learn that the things that worry him are not actually that scary.
Could you be that special person who could show him this??
..and here is the lovely lad himself
Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:16 pm
He's also looking for a foster home now, poor boy.