August 2025
Sonny is a very handsome, affectionate 3 year old boy whose owners feel that he needs an experienced new home because he has some behaviours that they have found hard to manage.
Where they live most of the walks generally face a lot of cliff edges and wildlife which they feel is too unsafe with Sonny having a high prey drive so unfortunately he spends a lot of his time on a long line which is obviously very frustrating for both him and his owners.
Sonny resource guards bones but he also takes things he shouldn’t have, and he doesn’t always like giving them back, which has resulted in his owner being bitten on three separate occasions.
Going forward they have exchanged treats as a way of trying to manage this but he's not keen to give anything up unless he deems it high value, with this in mind we won’t be rehoming him to a family with children. Sonny doesn't bark or growl as a warning which makes him unpredictable, but he totally stiffens up and his eyes widen, so he does give other body language to let you know he’s not happy.
They are trying other management strategies that can help in the short term, whilst he hopefully learns new ways to behave but we feel that they are running out of time with their first child due very soon.
Sonny is very affectionate on his own terms and loves sitting on the sofa with us in the evening. However, he has growled when they have tried to move him off the sofa last thing at night so they avoid touching his collar as Sonny does not like having his
collar pulled/touched unexpectedly. They have included the use of a muzzle, as a precaution for vet visits but thankfully the care team reassured them that there was no need to use it when he was neutered.
He loves his food and enjoys Millie’s Wolfheart Duck & Veg dry food and Butcher’s tinned wet food – Sonny also does well on fish recipe's, he has a sensitive gut and they’ve seen a huge improvement avoiding chicken and grain.
He is very polite asking to go to the loo and will tap the back door when he needs to go out.
Sonny rarely ever barks, they live in a terraced house in a quiet area and have never had any noise complaints, even when he’s home alone. They’ve never heard him barking or whining when leaving or returning home and their dog walker or anybody else checking in has never reported any noise. If his needs are met, he is fine being left for several hours. Remote controls etc must be out of reach and surfaces clear, if there’s nothing around he’s happy to people watch out of the window.
Sonny hasn't had the opportunity to socialise since his group dog walks ended with the dog-walker, because he can be very playful and boisterous at times, he has no idea how big he really is, and he became too strong for her. He also hasn’t had any 1-to-1 introductions since he’s been neutered and is very nervous/cautious of dogs that bark at him, big or small. When out on walks Sonny displays submissive behaviours such as laying down or pawing when approached. His owner feels that he would benefit and learn a lot from living with an older steady dog who could help him learn to settle and relax.
He gets overexcited when meeting cats so we wouldn’t place him with resident cats. He lives in an area with cattle, horses and sheep and is always on lead but respectful around them.
Sonny’s owners say that he has fairly good recall, but he will range quite far, so should not be off lead unless in known, safe places. He does jump up at people to greet them, he isn’t aggressive, and he doesn't realise his own strength, but this behaviour needs to be avoided, again by keeping him on a long line if he is likely to come across people. He does respond to 3 pips of the whistle to recall along with come, heel and go commands. He is a healthy active lad who likes going on trips with his owners and they say he travels well often sticking his head out of the window.
Sonny is currently in the Dorset are and will be rehomed with his 5 weeks free Agria Insurance and Adoption Contract.
If you feel you could give Sonny a lovely home please contact us.
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