Wonderful time at dog festival
Who went to the North East Dog Festival this weekend? We were there for a second year, running one of the two dogs shows.
It was an early start – we arrived at around 8.15am but as everything was all set up for us, it meant we could have a quick wander around and see what else was going on – we also got to have a lovely catch-up with our friends from Snoods4dudes, who donate a £1 to us for every item sold.
The dog show started at 10.30am and we had 11 classes to get through. As you can imagine we saw many different breeds of dogs from the tiniest chihuahua puppy to a black Russian terrier who is a very big and hairy boy. We had a very successful weekend.
It was particularly lovely to see some of our ex-rescues and also get our name out there to people who may not know about us.
Having been a visitor to the NEDF for several years now, I always find it interesting to observe what the current ‘on trend’ breed is. In previous years, it's been the French bulldog, the dachshund and, this year, it appears to have returned to the spaniels and cockerpoos.
It does always slightly baffle me why the average family would go for such a high energy breed as a spaniel.
This week saw the adoption of Blake, our cane corso pup – he went off to live with a couple who know the breed and already had a well-behaved staffy. Being 5-6 months old and already the size of many adult dogs, he did of course present some issues – would their dog be happy to tolerate the big goof ball, could Blake learn to respect their other dog’s space and get on top of his mouthing, which from a dog that size isn't going to tickle?
The couple extended the trial, which we are always happy to support, and then it just all seemed to ‘click’ into place and he realised there were boundaries and the couple’s consistency paid off. We are delighted to see him happy and relaxed in his new home.
We also saw the arrival of Maple a beautiful four-month-old pup. We were told she was a whippet and think there is definitely whippet in there but, by her size, she's a lurcher. She's already had two homes prior to coming to us so we are very keen to make sure that her next home will be forever. Keep your eye on our Facebook page for updates on her.
Rescue Dog of the Week: Roxy
Poor Roxy is another dog who is constantly being overlooked. We think she is a staffy x border collie. Roxy will be seven in October. Roxy is a very affectionate girl and loves to be with you.
Being the mix she is, she needs to be kept occupied. As well as the physical exercise, she needs mental stimulation but this can be easier to achieve than people think. Hiding bits of her kibble in the garden for her to sniff out and find is a great way to use her brain and make her work for her food. Roxy has shown a talent for agility, so doing this for fun would be great for her too.
We want a home for Roxy with no children and preferably as an only dog so she can really build a bond with her person.
If you think Roxy could be the dog for you, please email [email protected]