Dogs by Nature

Firstly some good news - all Adventure Buddies previously listed here found themselves excellent homes and are probably being spoilt rotten as I'm writing this post. Little Miss Sunshine was the last of them and she was reserved this week; if all went well she's also probably in her new home by now.

This week we have a new Adventure Buddy waiting for his second chance in life:

HANSIE

Hansie is a Fox terrier cross with the perfect ridge running across his back, which is why he's indicated as a Foxy x Ridgeback on the picture above. This boy is very lively but just as loving. He just can't wait to get out of his kennel to stretch those beautiful long legs of his, which is why he adopted the habit of repeatedly jumping high up against the gate of his enclosure when he sees people - pure excitement! Naturally this makes potential adopters nervous as they (falsely) assume he is a dog that needs a lot of space. This is not necessarily true of Hansie. His jumping habit originated out of excitement (and probably boredom) and as soon as you enter his enclosure he immediately calms down and approaches you for some attention. 

Behaviour displayed by dogs in a kennel environment is not necessarily indicative of their real personalities under normal circumstances. Remember that dogs will always experience a kennel environment as stressful despite the fact that they're safe there and well tended to. Just like humans, different dogs have different ways of coping with stress. When we adopted our whippet we were told by the Rescue Org how he used to repeatedly jump the wall of the enclosure he was kept in - from the one camp to the other, repeatedly and obsessively. Today he is the calmest and most laid-back (bordering on just plain lazy) dog you will ever meet. No compulsive behaviour. No excessive jumping. No trying to escape the yard. 

Adopting an adult dog with an unknown past is always a bit of a risk, but experience taught me that there are very few behavioural problems that will not disappear with time, given the right dosages of a calm and peaceful environment, some set routine and a bit of love and patience. And since you're adopting a companion that will hopefully be a part of your life for the next couple of years, why not go the extra mile and take a dog behaviourist with when picking your new canine companion. Looks can be deceiving and the smallest cutest dog can turn out to be the most energetic and emotionally needy, while larger breeds sometimes need less space and exercise. The perfect example of this is the greyhound. Most people think of them as bouncy and energetic and requiring a farm-sized living space. Fact is, Greyhounds make good apartment dogs and some even regard them as one of the top 10 dog breeds for apartment living given they get a bit of regular exercise, like all dogs should. Despite these opinions I actually rarely spot Greyhounds in the city. Jack Russells on the other hand are a very popular breed among small property owners  despite their requirements for a large running space and plenty of mental stimulation and the fact that they tend to bark excessively. As long as you are willing to devote a bit of thought and research to the adoption of your new dog and as long as you're willing to sacrifice some time and effort afterwards, the risk should be greatly reduced.