Reece is a handsome young boy who is going through his adolescent stage, but he is a bright, affectionate and very trainable dog who has lots of potential to make a wonderful companion.

His assessment showed him to be a lovely, engaging boy who can form relationships very quickly. When the assessor first arrived, he barked at her, but within a short time he was happily interacting with her and was all over her. Although he can pull on the lead and bark at people when out, he does so while wagging his tail, and we feel this is much more likely to be a defensive/reactive response rather than aggression.

There is no history of Reece biting or attempting to bite a person, and no known history of him attacking or attempting to attack another animal.

A lovely, bright boy

Reece is housetrained and travels well in the car. He knows some basic commands including sit, stay and wait, and his assessment showed just how responsive and trainable he is.

He is very good with handling and was happy to have all areas of his body touched, including his ears and tail. There were no issues at all with handling.

He is also very good to groom and appears to really enjoy it.

Reece showed no problems around food. He was happy to exchange treats, have treats gently taken away, be stroked while eating and have food covered and removed. He also had no problem when a toy was removed.

All of this gives us a very positive picture of a young dog who is responsive, bright and willing to learn.

Out on walks

Reece is an energetic young dog and can pull on the lead. He can also bark at people when out and is reactive towards other dogs.

However, his body language is important. He wags his tail while reacting and, taking everything we have seen into consideration, we feel his behaviour is more consistent with uncertainty and defensiveness than aggression.

He had no issues with traffic noise during his assessment.

His recall has not been sufficiently tested to consider him ready for off-lead freedom in busy or unfamiliar areas, so this should be worked on with his new family.

People

Reece may initially be wary of some people and can bark when someone unfamiliar arrives. However, his assessment demonstrated that he can settle and build trust very quickly.

Once he has had the opportunity to get to know someone, he is an affectionate and engaging boy.

We feel a female-only home would be preferable for Reece, giving him the opportunity to settle into a calm and predictable environment where he can continue to build his confidence.

Other dogs

Reece has experienced some conflict and tension with the other dog in his current household and can be protective of toys and resources around other dogs.

He is also reactive towards other dogs when out.

That said, we don’t feel this necessarily means he could never live with another dog. His assessor felt that a suitable female dog could potentially be a good companion for him, provided introductions were handled correctly and the dogs were considered a good match.

This would therefore be considered on an individual basis.

Training and settling

Reece is not crate trained and is not accustomed to using a crate.

He can become anxious and vocal when separated, so his new family will need to be prepared to work on this gradually and positively.

He is also extremely excitable when visitors arrive and may jump up when excited. Continued training and consistent boundaries will help him learn more appropriate ways of greeting people.

What sort of home would suit Reece?

We feel Reece would be best suited to:

• A female-only home
• A calm and relatively predictable environment
• Owners who are prepared to continue his training
• Someone who understands young dogs and canine reactivity
• Someone who can help him build confidence and learn appropriate responses when he is unsure
• A family who can provide plenty of exercise, mental stimulation and positive interaction
• Someone prepared to work patiently on his lead walking and reactions to other dogs
• A home where his separation difficulties can be worked on gradually

A suitable female canine companion may be considered, subject to the usual introductions and assessment.

Reece is not considered cat-friendly.

Reece is ready for his next chapter 

Reece has now completed his assessment and is ready to find his new home.

He is a young dog with lots of energy and enthusiasm, but underneath the excitement is a very affectionate, clever and loving boy. His assessment showed that he is extremely responsive to people and very willing to learn.

We believe that with the right person to guide him, Reece has every opportunity to flourish.

He is available for foster, adoption, or foster with a view to adoption, depending on what is considered the best option for him and his new family.

We are looking for someone who will see the lovely dog behind the barking and adolescent exuberance and who is prepared to give Reece the time, consistency and positive training he needs.

Reece is a very loved boy who clearly loves his family very much, and we want to make sure that his next home is the right one for him. ❤️

Please note that the information above is based on Reece’s assessment and the information provided by his current family. As with any rehoming, we will discuss his individual needs with prospective adopters/fosters to ensure the best possible match.