Tia

Tia is an 8yr old English lady who has been used for breeding. She will be spayed three months after her season. With her friend Marley, she went into foster care with Lisa and then moved on to David and Alison for further assessment.

PERSONALITY

Lisa said “Tia is a really sweet, fairly small girl who is just craving for love. Despite her previous life, she has settled into living in a house really well. Her confidence grows daily and she always greets you with her smiley face and wagging tail. Tia is calm and laid back, alert and inquisitive and surprisingly confident, playful and happy.

Not unsurprisingly considering her previous life, she is a bit of a food scavenger and she will look for any opportunity to help herself”.

David adds “This little girl has the most wonderful temperament and, considering she has probably spent most of her life in a stable, she is extremely well adjusted.

The first week was spent following us around like a shadow looking for fuss and food but she will now, occasionally, settle into a little ball on her own and rest.  She accepts other dogs happily although she is not interested in interacting at present but she much prefers having company to being on her own”.                                                             

HEALTH

Tia is extremely thin with a very poor coat but, with good food and regular feeding, this will soon improve Her teats are very large but that is to be expected having been a brood bitch.

Lisa used Plaque Off and raw bones to help clean her teeth and they were soon looking much better.

David agrees her condition is probably related to overbreeding. He notes her underlying skin is improving slowly and she is itching less and she loves to be groomed gently. They are feeding 3 times a day and adding coconut oil to her feed. He says she needs to fill out, improve condition as well as learning that the outside is the place for weeing”.

SOCIAL LEARNING

TRAVEL:   Like many ex breedering girls, Tia shows some reluctance to go in a car.  The actual journeys are ok but she is not keen to stay in the one.  I am securing her to the car with a lead so she cannot get out when I open the door.  I think, once she gets out and about, she will soon learn that cars can actually be good things.

HOUSETRAINING:  At Lisa’s, despite having lived outside, Tia had no accidents in the house and barked to ask to go outside.  It may be she was copying Marley in doing this because at David’s she has been different although this could be related to her season.

He says “Tia is sometimes clean overnight especially if she is limited in space but she will wee in the house during the day even with the outside doors open. We are working on puppy house training, taking her out on the hour every hour.

She also has a habit of eating her own pooh if not watched which is another sad sign of her breeding background”.

BASIC TRAINING: Tia is very affectionate and appears to be well socialised but she has had very little training. At Lisa’s, she enjoyed being groomed and was happy to have a bath.

LEADWALKING and RECALL: Lisa found she would walk `loose lead’ with a slip lead and said once she sees her lead she heads to the front door so she has learnt very quickly what walks are all about!

Unfortunately, Tia has come into season so, since moving, she has not been walked or taken out in the car but she is extremely happy to follow David and Alison around the house and garden and to greet adults, children and dogs at the gate with affection and a waggy tail.

Tia knows her name and responds well when you call her. She has the makings of a good recall in the garden and in the house.

RESOURCE GUARDING: Even with 6 dogs in Lisa’s house, there was no sign of food aggression and David has seen no evidence of resource guarding either.

SEPARATION ANXIETY:  Tia is slowly learning the house routine and will settle at night on her own. She likes to be with you and will howl occasionally if she has been left on her own. Tia has formed a very strong bond with David and prefers to be right next to him whenever possible. She will pace and cry when he takes the girls out for thwie walk and has to leave her although she will settle once she realises Alison is still around.

ADULTS and CHILDREN: Tia is very friendly with adults. There is no sign of fear with males or females and she is very happy to be with children.  David says ”She greets children passing the gate most assuredly and is probably used to them”.

Tia’s tail does not stop wagging if she is with a human!

DOGS: She is very friendly with other dogs. Lisa said “Tia has started to play with my four dogs although she doesn’t play with toys or balls.

Overall, Tia is a super girl that fits into a household with other dogs really well and I will miss her little face pushing against me when she goes”.

CATS: Lisa says ”Like many ladies with mothering instincts,Tia seems to be fairly cat friendly. I do not have cats but we have walked past several and she has shown no interest in them”. 

David comments” She is extremely interested in the garden birds”.

TIA’S DREAM HOME

Lisa says “Tia is a lovely friendly girl who would fit easily into most households but will be much better with people who are around most of the time. As long as she is treated kindly and cherished, as she deserves, then she will be very happy and will give her forever owners her total loyalty and all her love”.

David adds “To meet this sweet girl is to fall in love with her. She wags her tail from the waist downwards all the time. Tia can go to a house with or without dogs but we think she may benefit from the extra company.

Whoever adopts her will need lots of patience and understanding and be willing to let her tag along with them everywhere but, in return, they will get a very loyal companion”.

AUGUST 2018

Tia has gone to live in her Forever Home.