Milo - SRF082

Name: Milo

Colour: Red

Breed: Working Cocker Spaniel

Sex: Male

Age: 11 months

Neutered: Yes

Dogs: Only dog

Cats: Unknown so advise no cats

Children: No

Current Location: Fairburn, Yorkshire

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Meet Milo

Milo may still be young, but his short life has already been full of challenges. Found as a stray earlier this year, he’s learning to rebuild his confidence and trust in the world.

In many ways, Milo is a typical young working Cocker Spaniel – affectionate, lively, and full of energy. He loves attention and will wag his whole body to invite cuddles (and sneak in a few cheeky face licks and ear nibbles). He enjoys toys, a good chew, and a squirrel chase. When excited, he can get jumpy and “clothes-grabby,” and like clockwork, he has an evening “mad half-hour.”

However, Milo’s difficult start means he also carries some emotional scars. He can sleep startle – reacting defensively if woken suddenly – and he can resource guard his special items like toys or treats, fearing they might be taken away. These behaviours are understandable for a dog who’s had his start and they won’t change overnight, but with consistency, structure, and care from the right home, they will improve. Milo needs a patient, understanding home that can set him up for success while helping him learn that the world is safe. He’s also a typical, untrained young working spaniel heading into adolescence so his new family will need to commit to both behaviour management and basic training. We are therefore hoping to find a fosterer who would potentially adopt Milo after an extended settling in period. It’s a big ask, but for the right person or couple, the reward will be a truly exceptional member of the family.

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Energy & Exercise

Milo is full of beans and loves to go on walks. Currently he is walking for a couple of hours a day across 2 walks and still has energy when back home which can usually be depleted through mind games and training. He does pull on the lead and has limited recall so both need to be worked on to allow for more varied walks.

He is a typical puppy when it comes to making bad decisions when he is overtired so it is important to recognise when he is forcing himself to stay awake but needs help to have a nap, usually this will be clear due to jumping up and or biting at clothes.

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Training

Milo has had little to no training and is a bit of a blank slate. He will need all basic puppy training (lead walking, recall, leave, drop, stay etc) but he is very food motivated and likes to do new things so training sessions should be enjoyable.

While in foster he has started to give scent work a go and this really helps tire his brain out.

Milo is getting better with crate training however this could also be worked on.

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Behaviours

Milo has two main behaviours that need addressing: Sleep startle and resource guarding. Both are likely to have been created during his time as a stray and come from a place of fear and protection which means in the moment of feeling these things everything is very instinctual and done as an almost auto pilot response.

Sleep startle: If disturbed while sleeping or dozing Milo can forget where he is and go into immediate protection mode, lunging out at the perceived danger e.g. a person suddenly appearing in a room or a loud noise. Milo has bitten twice while in this mode but not in his current foster home. For this reason we know it is important that Milo has a predictable routine and sleeps in his own space without risk of disturbance, this could be a crate, a room behind a baby gate or a conservatory with glass doors to see through. In foster his pattern for sleeping is usually after each walk he is put into his room for a sleep for a couple of hours before being brought back out for play etc. Overtime as he becomes more confident in his routine and feels safe and settled in a home we fully expect this behaviour to disappear.

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Resource guarding

Milo is new to discovering the joy of treats and toys and as such see’s them as a very important resource for him, because of this he can become defensive if his toys or treats are touched or picked up by people or other dogs without his permission. While in foster Milo has been able to enjoy treats and toys but only with careful management, e.g. long lasting treats are only given in his room and toys are only played with if play is instigated by the foster. Again over time and alongside basic training it is hoped this behaviour should reduce but in the interim he will need management around both toys and treats. Milo’s current fosterer is a member of our education team and is happy to work with Milo’s adopters virtually to help with the management of both of these behaviours.

 

Meeting new people

Milo loves people, they are the best thing ever. He loves to say hi to new people on walks and receive some affection, he is happy to welcome new people into the home and he is always there to offer people face licks and ear nibbles.​

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Children

Milo can find children unpredictable and a bit scary, alongside his behaviour needs this means he currently isn’t around children.

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Dog/Cat test

Milo is happy to say hi to dogs out and about and loves to have a play with the right one but he can struggle to share resources in the home. For this reason, Milo would be best suited to being an only dog in the home but with dog friends outside the home.

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Home Alone

Milo will initially howl and bark when left home alone or when put in his room for fear he is missing out on something fun, but after a couple of minutes he will settle down and fall asleep. In foster he has been left up to 4 hours with no issues.

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Medical History

When Milo came into the charity he had an undescended testicle that would have been causing him a lot of pain. He recently had this operated on and as a result was neutered early.​

 

Vet visits

He was fine at the vet, very engaged and interested. He has not shown any aggression towards
the vet when handled.

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Traveling

Milo travels beautifully in the car, he is happy to jump in the boot and will settle down and not let our a peep. Milo has spent extended time in the car while with his fosterer at work (dog trainer) and he curls up fast asleep. When the boot is opened he remains sat there until a lead is clipped on and he is told he can get out.​

 

Handling/Grooming

Milo is happy to be handled and loves to roll onto your lap and have you pet every part of him so it is easy to do checks of his body and address any sticky bobs or tangles in his ears.

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Food

He is currently fed a mixture of dry and cold pressed food alongside treats. He has a unique like of a variety of fruits and vegetables too.​

 

Sleeping

Milo sleeps well in his room overnight, roughly 9 hours and then naps throughout the day for a couple of hours at a time. He is roughly sleeping around 14 hours a day.

On his first couple of days in foster he slept in a crate in the lounge with his fosterer on the couch so he knew he wasn’t alone but was still behind a barrier.​

 

Ideal Home

Milo’s ideal home is a single adult or adult couple who have the space, time and patience to help rebuild his trust in the world and himself. He needs an active home with lots of opportunities to get out and explore nature and run off some energy. He would love dog friends out of the house he can meet up with regularly and form a bond with. He could also thrive with a hobby such as scent work or agility to keep his mind working and help strengthen the bond with his new family. He needs his own space in the home, whether this is a room or space for his crate out of the way and he needs people willing to give up their personal space for a cuddle monster.

As much as love and care will go someway to helping Milo grow into the dog he can be he also needs time, boundaries and consistency on top of that, so his ideal home will not only look at his cute face but take in every aspect of this write up and be ready for the journey not the destination.