Walter 2 year old male Labrador Cross

Walter is a 2 year old male Labrador Cross. He is fostered in Norwich Norfolk. He was saved from a kill list in a public shelter in Romania and whisked away at the eleventh hour to a private shelter where he could be kept safe until a rescue space in another country could be found.

Walter arrived in his UK foster home a few weeks ago. He was curious about humans but afraid to let us touch him. He is still a little hand shy but improving all the time and try’s very hard to be brave and come forward for a fuss but needs more one-to-one work in this area.

Walter is now loving his walks and enjoying being out and about in the local woods. He is playful with the other dogs in his foster home and will need to live with at least one other dog (preferably playful) in his forever home.

Walter has not been cat tested and is living with dog-savvy children aged twelve plus successfully. Walter is still a bit of a work in progress but will come on leaps in bounds in a less hectic environment than his current foster home.

Walter is a curious and kind dog which is a great combination for becoming a brilliant new family member in the not-too-distant future.

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.