Micu is a 9 year old male Collie Cross. He is fostered in Mattishall Norfolk. This handsome boy has had quite a journey with us. He spent many years in the Botosani public shelter in Romania before he arrived at his UK foster home.
Those bleak years of incarceration had done quite a number on Micu and it was months before he was willing to even consider being touched by human hands.
Lead training was easier than anticipated and made a big difference once he could get out and about and safely see more of the world. Two years after arrival and we are finally ready to start looking for Micu’s forever home.
He’s still a bit “quirky” there’s no denying that ….. he can be groomed, stroked, and walked but you have to go to him it doesn’t yet occur to him to come to us for attention or affection.
He likes to be around us, and know that we’re there, but he’s lived all his life without human contact and he’s just not sure why it’s necessary right now.
He doesn’t hate a fuss, and he doesn’t love it either, he’s kind of bemused by it, but that’s a stage many of our quirky dogs go through and that doesn’t mean that one day he won’t appreciate the benefits of human affection.
He’s just not quite there yet, but he can progress to that stage in his forever home like so many of our dogs have done successfully before him. Micu will need a home with at least one other confident dog, more than one is fine too.
He would not be happy as the only dog in the home. Micu will need a family with no children under twelve and everyone in the household needs to understand and appreciate his lack of confidence.
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.
