Oscar

Oscar is a small to medium sized whippety shaped crossbreed aged around a year old. Oscar is fostered in Leamington Spa Warwickshire. Oscar has had the worst start in life possible. Abandoned at the Botosani public shelter as a tiny puppy by people who never cared for him in the first place. His early weeks spent as one of 150 puppies, none of them being handled, socialised or anything but the most basic of care. When it came to the day that he was due to travel to us he had contracted a bad dose of kennel cough and he couldn’t travel, meaning more formative weeks spent in much the same way. When he arrived in our care he was traumatised and shut down and had no positive expectations left in his body or soul. Sadly it has taken months to get Oscar to the point that we can look for a home for him, the damage ran deep. He is still concerned by new people and new situations, but in familiar surroundings with the people he trusts he’s become quite a character. Food has been the key to his heart and he initially learned to love us as life sized good dispensers. He now appreciates that his humans have more to offer than just food and will allow fuss and affection and even approach to ask for it. He’s still a little wary of the lead going on and off but he enjoys his walks and behaves well. He has shown that he has the capacity to learn at a steady rate and he wants to be a part of a family and let the last of his walls fall down. 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 it situations where unexpected triggers might happen (e.g. around bonfire night). Nervous dogs may always need to wear a slip-lead as a back-up 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. Fences and gates must be 5foot minimum in height and secure. Select CountyAvonBedfordshireBerkshireBordersBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCentralCheshireClevelandClwydCornwallCounty AntrimCounty ArmaghCounty DownCounty FermanaghCounty LondonderryCounty TyroneCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetDumfries and GallowayDurhamDyfedEast SussexEssexFifeGloucestershireGrampianGreater ManchesterGwentGwynedd CountyHampshireHerefordshireHertfordshireHighlands and IslandsHumbersideIsle of ManIsle of WightKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireLondonLothianMerseysideMid GlamorganMiddlesexNorfolkNorth YorkshireNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNottinghamshireOxfordshirePowysRutlandShropshireSomersetSouth GlamorganSouth YorkshireStaffordshireStrathclydeSuffolkSurreyTaysideTyne and WearWarwickshireWest GlamorganWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershire