Strider is an older Lab and has been a resident at North
Clwyd Animal Rescue for a few long years now. He is a calm, sweet and
affectionate lad whose big loves in life are walking, chasing balls, and
curling up with you for some relaxed attention.
Unfortunately for Strider, during his time before the rescue
he learned to distrust strangers and he actively discourages unknown people
from trying to stroke him. This is a
tricky issue to resolve in a rescue centre environment, and is a sure fire way
of ensuring Striders chances of finding a forever home are very slim. It is very rare for a potential adopter to
want to spend a few hours with a rescue dog in order to gain it’s trust before
they can start to build a close and trusting relationship, and this is exactly
what Strider needs.
In order to get a good idea of how long Strider takes before
he is ready to accept affection and relax with a stranger I took him out for a
walk. Before this, Strider not only saw
me as a stranger but has been actively avoiding me or acting defensively near me
over the years I’ve volunteered at the rescue, so I was a good test candidate!
Here is the video of how I got on.....
Regular volunteers at NCAR who spend time with Strider have
a wonderful relationship with him, he walks well, loves playing fetch the ball
and is only too happy to sit on the grass with them and chill out in the sun.
Strider hasn't had much chance to socialise with other dogs,
so he pretty much just ignores them. I will continue to socialise him and
hopefully he will see that he can have fun with other dogs and expand his
horizons (and re-homing chances!).
Here he is offlead with the fantastic Rhianna....
Anybody interested in giving this old boy a few good years
in the comfort every dog deserves, be willing to spend quality time with
Strider to earn his trust. This means, relaxing walks, a few treats along the
way and maybe a few ball games to finish. The key is to not force Strider into
interacting with you, or force your affection upon him, just enjoy his company
and wait until you have proved yourself trustworthy. The long term rewards will
be well worth the small amount of initial effort.
Also, anybody interested in helping Strider, or improving his
quality of life, in the meantime would make a big difference to him. Offering to
take him on walks or play sessions to show him strangers aren't all scary or
will hurt you would be fantastic. Contact me and we can work on introducing you
both up at the rescue and start a new mutually rewarding friendship. Adam at
www.K999.biz
Striders photo profile - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncar/sets/72157631575856024/
Striders NCAR profile - http://www.ncar.org.uk/portfolio/strider/
