Taya will be 7 in September. She is microchipped and spayed but her vaccinations need to be updated. She will need a very special home as she is an ex working dog, having worked for Border Control we are told. She has been with her current owners for 3 years. She is a no to children and cats but we are told she is good with other dogs but can be OTT but also can be fearful of certain dogs. Being rehomed due to her reactivity. This is what our volunteer has to say about her:

“I met with Taya and her family at their home address. Taya was in the car with the son, and I stood 10 metres back. As soon as he opened boot Taya fixed on the environment with a lowered head and tense body. He and Taya approached me on lead. She wore a muzzle and we took a walk round the block. Taya is a tense frustrated dog. She would repeatedly fix on passing cars and bark but would respond to command to sit. The son has quite a good measure of what Taya finds challenging. He was firm but also kind. Taya is technically his dog but he is due to go travelling in January and his mother is unable to confidently manage Taya in the home or on walks.  He describes that Taya is keen to meet other dogs and will greet in a frustrated manner but will also show some fear. They regularly take Taya to enclosed fields and do a 45 minute walk each day. Taya has chased bikes and joggers.

Taya largely ignored me for the duration of the stroll as appeared over threshold hypervigilant to environment – lots of glancing around, fixing on cars, but no yanking or driving forward. She had good manners on lead with the exception of movement drive situations. Once back at the front garden the son invited her to greet me and she approached with a loose body, slight body wiggle and looked up at me and accepted a stroke.

She quickly became tense again when entering the home. She was kept muzzled and on lead. She was not happy with me entering the property. Barked, muzzle butted me, jumped up. There was no growling. Just intense frustration, flighty behaviour and whining. I was greeted by Mum in the back garden. Taya remained on lead and muzzled. She was heavily panting. Desperate to approach, frustrated, lunging forward, with repeated commands to sit, agitated further by my movements around the garden or house resulting in bark, whining and lunging on the lead. I didn’t feel that if allowed she would aggressively bite me. There was no growling. No stiffness. Panting but no ceasing in breathing towards a snap. She wanted her muzzle off and would rub at the outhouse.

Mum described that the series of events leading up to this behaviour was when guests had been round she had nipped them on the bum and continuously barked. She also described her being off lead chasing a jogger to the point he jumped over a fence and told Mum she had bitten him – no blood or evidence but blasted on social media. She reacts to people in high Vis and black people.

These events have rattled Mum and now she does not have people round unless she is left in the outhouse or kept muzzled and on lead. She was completely over threshold and confused throughout my visit. They are fearful of what Taya may do which is then creating a feedback loop between them all. Taya is strung out. The issues lay solely in people coming to the house. Mum loves Taya but admits she has no idea about dogs and acquired Taya when a friend adopted her from a “border control” role but was going to re-home her again after 2 days. She was sympathetic and described that Taya was great initially but then these home-based behaviours emerged. She reports Taya remains great in the house with no incidences of aggression, possessiveness, is calm. Can be left for 3 hours. No destruction.

Taya has multiple Nasdu certificates and it was evident that she is well trained. She was able to regulate enough to respond to commands despite marked stress and also went through 5 lickiemats whilst I was there suggesting she was not so over threshold that she couldn’t disengage. Mum described that they had gone to a local well regarded trainer who trained search and rescue dogs back in 2020.  She showed me videos of him handling Taya who demonstrated high level of prior training. The trainer told Mum, frankly, that she was the problem. She did not deny it.

Taya presents as a dog that is rehomeable with very careful management until a new baseline can be made. Assessment was quite hard given the degree of mismanagement. Under the right guidance, understanding and structure, leaning on prior obedience training and management, I can envisage Taya yielding much better wellbeing overall with a reduction in her frustration and anxiety. Whoever adopts her will have to have a good body of knowledge and awareness re Nasdu trained dogs, working dogs, required structured on top of herding breeds. Taya needs a safe space for her middle age to retirement with a bit of peace in her life with more enrichment.

Taya presents as overweight but not massively. She is fed 2x400g of Raw. Her coat looked good, her eyes clear. Did not get a good look of teeth or ears. I noticed no abnormalities in her gait.”

The family took Taya in for all the right reasons but she obviously needs much more than they have the experience to give so do you have the necessary experience to give this girl a home please?

Apply to adopt

Location:

Berkshire - IN HOME

Sex:

Female

Age:

DOB 27.9.16

Neutered:

Yes

Good with children:

No

Good with other dogs:

Careful introduction

Good with cats:

No