Thomas – 6-7 year old male Cross-Breed

Thomas is a 6-7 year old male Cross-Breed. He is fostered in Norwich Norfolk. We were asked to take two dogs from a UK pound.

Allegedly they had been dumped out of a van and were never claimed. When their time ran out in the pound we took over their care.

They were microchipped but this showed they were initially from Romania and their chips had never been registered here. We traced the lady that sent the other dog (we didn’t check his but assume he came from the same lady) from Romania but she had no record of who she’d been sent to only that it was a few years ago.

Thomas can be a little hand shy at first but soon makes friends and is an attentive and friendly boy. He could live with another dog but would be ok as an only dog and likes a quiet life.

Thomas is still physically fit and enjoys his walks, he pulls on the lead initially but soon settles when the excitement wears off.

Thomas could live with respectful children of ten years plus. 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 in situations where unexpected triggers might happen (e.g. around bonfire night).

Nervous dogs may always need to wear a slip-lead as a backup 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. Adopted dogs must be collected from the rescue and transported straight home in a crate.