Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has a long history of caring for dogs which have been abandoned or whose owners were unable to cope. The Home cares for thousands of dogs many different backgrounds and this year is looking more busy than ever.
Unfortunately many dogs at Battersea arrived because their previous owners only considered what they wanted their dog to look like – not its background and behaviour patterns.
As a result Battersea has seen a rise in the number of pure breed dogs it receives as well as a rise in the number of dogs that need country homes.
The most popular dogs purchased by misinformed town dwellers are, incredibly, Border Collies. These dogs love mental and physical stimulation – they are literally bored silly in the city and need space and air and things to chase.
Other breeds unhappy with life in the city are Jack Russell Terriers (miniature whirlwinds), Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers (both have endless reserves of energy and stamina), Springer Spaniels (originally bred for retrieving they have energy and stamina reserves to rival the Labradors and Golden Retrievers) and Lurchers (a very strong chase instinct coupled with very bad recall means a three legged Lurcher in the city).
Battersea has also lately seen a rise in Japanese and American Akitas. These awe inspiring dogs were originally used as hunters in Japan, therefore they have a very low tolerance of other dogs and so need to move to an area with a low dog population.
These are examples of some of the breeds which are unhappy in the city, and over the next few months dogs like these will be looking for places to live where they are more at home, with loving owners who can give them the attention they need.
This month, the dogs needing immediate housing are Sally and Candy.
Sally
English Springer Spaniel
Seven years old
Female
If you love Spaniels you’ll really love Sally. She’s a wonderful, loving girl, full of beans and slightly scatty! She is middle-aged but still acts like a lively two-year-old. She is always on the go and will need similarly energetic owners who can keep her entertained and stimulated. Poor Sally has been finding her stay at the Home quite stressful, due to the busy environment and many new sounds.
Toys are her greatest love – she finds them quite comforting and often carries them around in her mouth. Sally is quite distracted and confused here, but we hope she would settle nicely into a peaceful country home. Sally cannot live with children but would be happy to live with a laid-back male dog.
Candy
Border Collie
One to two years old
Female
Candy arrived at Battersea as her owner could no longer cope with an active Collie and a new baby. Like most Collie-types Candy finds the kennel environment very stressful. She will need patient new owners who will allow her time and space to settle. Candy loves people and is very responsive so she will make a loyal and loving addition to a household, but she does require guidance. Ideally Candy needs owners who have owned Collies before to understand her needs.
Candy has unfortunately not been socialised with other dogs and lacks confidence with them, so she will need owners prepared to help her overcome this, and she would not be compatible to live with another dog or with cats. Ideally Candy needs an all-adult household where all training will be consistent, although she may be able to live with confident older teenagers who will help with all aspects of her training and care. She is looking for a quiet home in a semi-rural or rural location where she will have plenty of space to burn her energy off.
If you love Collies then Candy could be the dog for you – she has so much to offer and lots of potential.
