Blue

Description

Blue is a 4 year old American Bulldog who has come into our care after enduring a vicious attack by his owner. We don't believe this was an isolated assault but unfortunately it has not been possible to make a case against his previous owner so after two months being held as a 'case animal' Blue has been transferred to our branch for rehoming.

From day one Blue has proven to be a remarkable dog; so trusting and attentive with humans. He has been in our care since October 2012 undergoing thorough assessment and rehabilitation. Blue has fully recovered from his ordeal and is just left with physical scarring. Thankfully there has been no evidence of psychological trauma and he has proven to be consistently good natured with everyone he has met, including whilst at the vets undergoing examination and neuter.

Blue now has a strong attachment to his handlers and highly values the attention and stimulation he receives from them, but he is also keen to meet new people and interact with them. He very quickly wins people over with his affable nature and eagerness to show how well-behaved and attentive he can be.

Blue has sadly been poorly socialised around other dogs, in fact we'd go so far as to say he has been encouraged to be reactive toward them. With the use of clicker training we've been working on capturing his focus on his handler and rewarding him for positive behaviours around other dogs, thereby shaping more desirable responses. The training is going really well, but there is still some way to go with this, and his reaction can still be quite random. We are confident that this can be addressed with a consistent approach but it will take a long time to fully eradicate.

We have also been working on Blue walking to heal. This has been remarkably successful using the click and treat method because he is so highly motivated by food. Although it must be stressed that he doesn't try to steal food, he just sits patiently and waits for his reward. Blue is now capable of walking to heal and when he plays off lead he stops politely at your feet and waits for his reward.

Other than his scarring you would have no idea that Blue has suffered such a horrible past. It's merely his size that is of issue and as such we are looking for an experienced, large-breed, rescue dog adopter without children, dogs and small animals. Blue would also really benefit from having a large enclosed garden where he can root and sniff to his hearts content, as this is a favourite past-time of his! Blue is a firm favourite amongst us all; he really is a hero and deserves to live a life of happiness.

Blue Pictures & Videos

Pictures