ADA - LONDON

Ada is a really great dog. She's been really mis-treated and despite it all is a sweetheart, in need of a loving family home.

The volunteers arrived and Ada let them both into the flat with great excitement. She jumped up at us delightedly (note - she jumps!) and brought toys for us to play with. The whole time they were filling out the forms, she played with one of the volunteers.  Ada loves throw and tug games, and plays to the rules, she knows 'out' and 'leave it' etc. She knows the names of her toys - like the difference between 'ball' or 'rope' or 'stick'. She knows lots of the basics - like sit, wait, 'be calm'. She's kind, clever and eager to learn.

Ada had the toughest start in life. She was kept chained in a builder's yard, abused, teased, underfed and had never been for a walk or had any kind of socialisation. Her current owner rescued her from that life and has done a pretty good job with her. Indoors her training is great, and it's amazing that despite all that mistreatment she's good with people, loving, and seeks out company.

Outside, she's a bit of a handful. They all went for a walk together. She pulled her way out onto the street, barking, and would easily pull someone over who wasn't strong. Near the flat where she lives she was over-excited but manageable. She'd already bonded with the volunteers, and wanted to keep them all together. She likes to circle a lot. I think because of being chained for so long, this feels to her like her natural movement. She listens to cues out on a walk, she even knows 'toilet' and circles to see if she needs to go - but at the same time she's pretty stressed/hyper. When they walked out on to the busier streets, she was over-aroused, panting, pulling and lunging towards any dog she saw. She can be asked to sit to the side, but she's not that easy to control and will need someone calm, confident and firm with her. It's a work in progress. But this was  inner-London on a busy Saturday morning; it would be easier somewhere quieter. She's currently walked on a metal choke collar. Apparently she won't tolerate a harness and if has a head-halti she will spend the whole walk trying to get it off.

Regular exercise, and consistency, will make this situation much better. Her current owner has done well by her in the short term, but is not in a position to meet her ongoing needs, in particular he says she is left on her own for 10-12 hours at a time when he is away working. This beautiful girl deserves a much better life, and she'd make a dog-experienced family, willing to put in a bit of work, very happy.

Don't dismiss her because she's 6 - she's got lots of energy, loves playing, and is fun! New owners will need to work on outdoor exercise, training and gradual socialisation with other dogs. We think she might do better in a rural location where she could go on walks where she wouldn't constantly bump into other -dogs.

PLease note she's fine with everything else. On the walk they encountered lots of people, bikes, traffic and she's not fazed by any of that. Initially it might be good to use enclosed private-use dog fields for off-lead exercise. We hope that with careful introductions she'll be OK with other dogs, and might really enjoy a friend, she's a sweet girl, and is probably just confused about dog etiquette and eager to meet them, but this is untested and would need to be handled carefully. She's a long way off from off-lead walking in a public park at the moment but never say never.

 She'd like to live somewhere with a garden and young or young-at-heart humans to play in it with. 

Do you think you can offer Ada her forever home ??