Koda – 1-2 year old male Cross-Breed

Koda is a 1-2 year old male Cross-Breed. He is fostered in Norwich Norfolk. He was brought to the UK as a puppy independently from us but was quite a troubled soul and could not cope being the only dog in the home. He moved to the adopters parents household and in someways did much better as he was part of a pack but issues arose with handling him as he grew older and his new mum had done health issues that made his progression come to a stand still.

Since arriving in our care Koda has advanced very well. His main issue was having a lead put on as he was simply terrified.

He will now allow this with people he knows well and trusts. In all other aspects Koda is a comical, playful, lovable wally ? he gets on well with the other dogs and walks beautifully on a lead. He is very loving and affectionate. Koda will need an experienced home only because of his anxiety putting lead on which will improve over time.

He would do well with another playful dog but actually might also be ok as an only dog now that his confidence has grown. Koda likes children and could go to a home with children of eight years and over. Koda is not cat tested but can be if a passed homecheck is carried out.

When you adopt a Safe Rescue dog, you MUST use a slip lead. This will keep your dog safe: your new dog will be nervous and will not trust you, and you will not know which situations might upset your dog. If your dog panics, then a slip lead is the only way to prevent your dog from escaping (many dogs can escape from a collar and/or harness).

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. The Adopted dogs must be collected from the rescue and transported straight home in a crate.