PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Oscar is a 12 month old KC reg, blue roan show cocker (around 16kg), he is neutered, microchipped, fully vaccinated, flea and worm treated and has a clean bill of health. He will be re-homed with 5 weeks free pet insurance.
Oscar was handed into us after his young owners were struggling to cope with some resource guarding behaviour he had been displaying, as first time dog owners and the lady having a previous phobia of dogs,
his guarding displays and then a minor bite meant that anxiety levels were escalating for both dog and owners and it was right that he moved to a more experienced home.
Oscar is your very typical active, playful, lively young spaniel, he is well socialised with other dogs both here in the rescue but also has attended doggy day care regularly since a pup where he showed no issues and was a well loved visitor. We were told that Oscar's resource guarding was only towards people inside the home and to an extent that was true that out and about and in our paddock and day care settling he was fine, but he did also sometimes guard items against dogs he lives with in the home as well as humans. However now he has had plenty of time to decompress and his anxiety has reduced, we no longer see any severe guarding he is easily manageable for the right experienced home.
We would love Oscar to live with another playful, tolerant neutered dog but we will also consider the right EXPERIENCED home as an only dog as long as he is able to get very regular socialisation with other
dogs for off lead play time as its so important for him.
Oscar is generally a happy, loving, well behaved boy, he is affectionate and enjoys a cuddle and kisses. He has had training input
from a puppy and knows all his basic commands and although he can be a little reluctant at times he will generally do what is asked of him especially when a reward is involved. He loves lots of mental stimulation with dog games, snuffle mats etc as well as LOTS of running around our land getting muddy, he loves a game of chase and
wrestling with the other young dogs here.
His recall is pretty good and he was used to being off lead in his former home. He can be a little strong on the lead when walking but
soon settles down and did display some reluctance at having a harness on before coming here due to escalating anxiety in the home but he has accepted a lead being placed on his collar and a harness with no issues when using the correct cues. He travels well in the car in a crate.
Oscar is what we would describe as a typical resource guarder here, he can be a grabber, a thief and a scavenger so if an item is dropped, he will grab and run with it, if socks are left lying around then that's a temptation too far and he will have his head in the fridge as soon
as its opened if he gets the chance!
Unfortunately as a puppy this led to him getting hold of several things that were potentially dangerous to him and along with a lot of other visits for upset tummies the poor lad was a frequent visitor to his vet practice. The vets have repeatedly reported he is better being handled outside of the consult room and for a recent visit to our own vets for castration he was the perfect patient and they had absolutely no issues with him at all.
Oscar will predominantly guard stolen items and toys in the home but can also show potential to space guard, he gives a very clear but subtle warning of whale eye and freezing when he is being protective which are always recognised and respected here. Mostly we will just walk away and ignore him, called away he will invariably follow as he is worried he is missing out on something more interesting but if he is in active guarding mode then working with him with a high value reward of a high value treat or a squeaky toy enables him to be moved away safely and calmly. Now he is settled, relaxed and "heard", he rarely feels the need to guard anything here anymore.
He doesn't guard around his own food that is placed down or his bowl and will sit and wait whilst it is placed down.
He is a bright boy and will pick up on anxiety and nervousness of an owner and trying to micro manage these dogs just makes things worse, so we are seeking a calm, methodical, confident and experienced owner who can create "calm" rather than challenge or be scared.
Oscar was reported to have a very sensitive tummy and blood and faecal tests revealed he did indeed have some potential inflammation in his small intestines. He arrived with some single protein food and we were told he could only tolerate this. However we noted that although he was given general probiotics, he was low on vitamin B12 and we immediately started supplementing for this which has helped hugely and now meant we have been able to introduce him to a wider range of good
quality kibble and also some wet food without any tummy issues at all.
For completeness and also to rule out any other underlying issues we completed x-rays of his spine and hips and scanned his tummy and all was absolutely normal with no issues found at all and he has a clean bill of health.
Oscar needs an experienced spaniel savvy home, ideally in a more rural area or where there is access to lovely country walks where he can safely play off lead with others dogs, he needs a home with a nice secure garden to be able to play in and would love to get involved in a dog sport, maybe something like scent work or some agility or caincross would be great to help keep his busy mind active. He sleeps downstairs quietly at night and is ok to be left for short periods.
He can live with another friendly, playful, tolerant dog and who won't be reactive to a dog guarding, he could possibly live with a dog savvy cat and he is ok around equines and livestock too. He is NOT suited to
be rehomed with resident children under the age of 14yrs.
Being fostered in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire but can be rehomed further afield subject to home check and adoption donation of £300
If you have the knowledge, commitment, experience and calmness to give this handsome young lad what he needs please email us telling us all about your home offer and how you fit the bill IN DETAIL, no one
liners please we need to know all about you, including your FULL ADDRESS and contact number. Please email to wonkypetsrescue@gmail.com