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Ted - SRF093
Name: Ted (Tato)
Colour: Black
Breed: Cocker cross
Sex: Male
Age: 3
Weight: 12.3kg
Neutered: No
Dogs: No
Cats: Not known
Children: Yes 12+
Current Location: Bath
Adoption Fee: £400
Summary:
Ted, also known as Tato, is a small spaniel with a gentle and affectionate nature. He bonds closely with his people and has a lovely enthusiasm about him, always keen to be involved and to do the right thing. He enjoys learning and responds well to food rewards, and there’s a bright, thoughtful quality to him that makes training enjoyable.
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He’s settled and reliable in the home. Ted is fully house trained, comfortable in his crate and happy to follow a steady routine. He sleeps soundly through the night for around eight hours and is content whether he’s sharing space with his people or resting on his own.
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Sadly for Ted, he didn’t receive the early socialisation he needed, which means he can find other dogs overwhelming, although he’s trying hard and making gentle progress with patient support. With a calm, committed home to guide him, Ted has every chance to grow in confidence and continue becoming the wonderful companion he already shows himself to be.
Ideal Home
Ted would suit a semi-rural but preferably rural home with a garden. He could live with or without children aged 12+. A calm older dog may help his socialisation, though he would probably prefer to be an only dog. A location that isn’t too over populated with dogs would be ideal.
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His perfect adopters will be retired and have the time, energy and patience to continue training his recall and lead walking. In return they will gain the most loving, enthusiastic and joyful companion. He truly deserves a wonderful home.
Energy & Exercise:
Ted is a medium energy dog who needs around an hour of exercise a day, although he’s happy to go further. He currently enjoys three short to medium walks each day, though the length is limited by his barking at other dogs and his strong pulling. He currently lives in a residential area where there are a lot of dogs, and he is struggling to cope on his walks if there are too many unknown dogs around.
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He enjoys playtime in the house and garden, and every week he has playtime in an enclosed field where he loves chasing a frisbee or ball.
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He has not been let off lead so far. His recall is generally reliable but becomes inconsistent around wildlife due to his strong prey drive.
Training
Ted is a quick learner and responds well to structured, food based training. His previous owner confirmed that Ted knows a wide range of cues, including practical tasks like tidying toys. However he has not responded to these cues with his fosterers. He enjoys agility‑type activities and enrichment tasks.
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His fosterers have been trying to work on reducing his anxiety around other dogs. He is beginning to show small improvements and has made two tolerant dog friends he can walk with. He is bright and food motivated, so with time and consistent training he has real potential. His new owners will need to continue to work on his recall so he is able to go off lead as well as helping him to learn not to pull on the lead.
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Behaviours
Ted’s main challenges are his barking and lunging when he sees other dogs and his strong pulling on the lead. Both the fosterer and previous owner describe this as fear based rather than aggressive. He becomes overwhelmed and unsure how to behave, which leads to noisy reactions. He lives in a residential area with many dogs, which makes this harder for him. Despite this, he is making progress and has begun to manage short, calm greetings with some dogs.
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He copes well with household noise and will either settle in his crate or seek reassurance if unsure.
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Meeting New People
Ted is friendly with people both inside and outside the home. He is not aggressive and can be enthusiastic in his greetings. Outside he tends to greet briefly then disengage, while indoors he is more affectionate and enjoys close contact. If overstimulated, a short rest in his crate helps him settle.
Children
Ted has been stroked by children without issue but has not lived with them. He can sometimes find younger children overwhelming. He has had recent interactions with a three year old who stayed with the fosterers for a few days, and he coped well.
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Dog/Cat Test
Ted is not suitable to live with another dog at present due to his fear-based reactivity. He has made two calm dog friends in foster and is beginning to manage brief greetings with others, which is encouraging. His barking and lunging comes from confusion and nerves rather than aggression.
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He is not suitable to live with cats or small animals as he will chase them.
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Home Alone
Ted is fine being left for a few hours and is settled. He prefers a lamp on and quiet background noise when alone.
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Medical History
No known medical issues before or during foster. He has been in good health. He is up to date with vaccinations, flea and worming treatments, and is an entire male; neutering was previously delayed on veterinary advice due to his nervousness around dogs.
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Vet Visits
Ted struggled recently in the waiting room when another dog arrived and barked loudly. Once in the consulting room he was calm, cooperative and allowed full handling. The vet found no issues and Ted won over the whole team.
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Travelling
Ted enjoys car travel. He sits happily on the back seat with his harness clipped to a seatbelt and watches the world go by.
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Handling/Grooming
Ted has no handling concerns reported. He can be slightly fussy with grooming at home but is compliant, and he is very cooperative with professional grooming. He does not enjoy water but will tolerate bathing.
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He allowed the vet to examine his head, ears and paws without concern.
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Food
Ted loves his food and tends to eat quickly, but a slow feeder bowl has helped a little. He is fed twice a day with a lick mat at lunchtime. He has grain free kibble in the morning and evening, with tinned meat added in the evening He loves natural treats and vegetables, especially cucumber.
Sleeping
Ted sleeps in a basket at the foot of the bed and settles well. He may try his luck getting onto the bed. He wakes if someone gets up in the night but settles again easily. He naps happily during the day after walks or when the house is quiet.
