Cheddar – 10 month old male Cross-Breed

Cheddar is a 10 month old male Cross-Breed. Cheddar and his siblings were abandoned as tiny young babies and came to the shelter when they were only around 2.5 months old.

The group adjusted to shelter life as well as they could, and one by one they were adopted into lovely homes in the UK, ready to begin their new lives.

Unfortunately, just a couple of months after Cheddar was adopted, he’s sadly back to square one as his present home feels they just can’t give him the attention and focus he truly needs.

Cheddar is still only a baby at 10 months old and he struggles with separation anxiety, which is something that we have noticed throughout the majority of his littermates too.

This will require ongoing work, patience and understanding to help him feel safe, involved and reassured, but it absolutely can improve.

Aside from his separation anxiety, Cheddar is a sociable, loving, playful, fun-loving and adventurous little guy who loves people and other dogs alike.

Cheddar likes to be busy and is always interested in what is going on around him. He is probably a bit too nosey for his own good and his separation anxiety has also been characterised by a fear of missing out.

Being a young dog, continued training and socialisation will of course be key in helping him adjust to another new home, and he thrives off being told he’s a good boy, receiving positive reinforcement, and he is also very food motivated which helps!

Cheddar adores human company. He loves to snuggle, he loves being close and he loves to just be beside you on the sofa. He is happiest with people.

He does get a little concerned when new people enter the house and will bark, but his family are working on this and it is not an overly concerning behaviour. Once he has disengaged, he can be calm around new people.

He hasn’t had much exposure to young children, but has spent time with them whilst on the lead and been happy to get strokes and pets, so we think he would be good for a family with kids aged 6+.

Cheddar has lived alongside another resident dog since he arrived in the UK and has been great with them.

He learned a lot from the older dog in his foster home (when he first arrived in the UK) and the dynamic worked well between them, but he didn’t get the opportunity to play as much as we initially felt he would like to.

Now, he lives with a younger dog and whilst they get on, they’re not best buddies either and co-exist more than depend on each other. Cheddar is good with other dogs he meets out and about, but can get a bit over-stimulated when they start barking.

Cheddar is very, very smart and picks up new things quickly. He likes to learn and would benefit from further training. He has learned sit, paw and lie down, he is also house trained, and crate trained overnight.

He loves scatter feeding, as he is motivated by his nose and food, so this is a great game for him as well as being a naturally calming activity.

Cheddar is looking for a home with a garden, and a fairly active lifestyle. He needs a family who have had dogs previously and are committed to providing him with the dedication he needs – we really don’t want to see him moved again.

Cheddar does struggle to ‘switch off’ so this is an area that needs work and will in turn improve his confidence and independence. He would benefit from another dog in the home, although it’s not compulsory as long as his family have the time to give him.

He is a wonderful boy with a heart of gold and loads of love to give, but he just needs another chance to find the right environment where he can flourish.

Cheddar is currently based in Buxted and has a clean bill of health. He is ready to meet his new forever family.