Zia - Staffie, Bitch (10-12 Months)

Zia came to us from the pound. She has been in the kennels for four months now, which is too long for any young puppy.

Zia will need an active family without young children as she is still displaying puppyish behaviours like jumping up and mouthing. As she has been institutionalised for most of her young life, Zia has missed out on the essential basics for any puppy, so will need a family that is prepared for the hard work a puppy will bring, such as taking her reguarly to training classes for lead and obedience training and socialising her with other dogs and people.

However, since being here, Zia has shown no aggression towards other dogs and desparately wants to play. She is however getting increasingly stressed, which is understandable, so it will take her a while to settle. She has a lot of energy and has proven responsive to the little training that can be carried out in a kennel environment.

Zia desparately needs a family to love her and her young age means she will be starting with a clean slate.

If you can be Zia's forever family, please ring 01299 266313 (9am - 5pm) or email rehome@forest-dog-rescue.org.uk.

If you can offer Zia the next best thing and foster her, then please ring 01299 269181 (9am-5pm)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.196762143745432.50759.100002349431880&type=1&l=d378bbbf1b

WOW, what a bouncer Zia is.
She walked me last week because she is so strong and cute that I struggelt to show any consequence at all. I know- not good- I have my weak moments.

However, Zia definitely needs lead training and good control as she bounces straight in your face if you let her. She playfully snaps, too which is dangerous with kids- so be aware. My jumper sleeve now has a big hole- glad it's only my jumper not my arm!

In any case I am sure she will make a lovely pet once she has had some persistant training. She is still young so it can be done easily if that is sensible to say in a Rescuye environment at all.

Lovely girl!

Yes, Zia certainly pulls badly on a lead and needs lead training, but I am not finding her at all jumpy.

We had a ball game today in the play area and I got the impression she didn't quite know what to do but was learning. She would chase the ball but not always bring it back. She wouldn't always leave the ball for me to pick it up. But she didn't jump to try to get the ball from my hand. I'm sure she just needs a bit of patient help and she will be able to play and get rid of excess energy which may have been causing her to jump up too much.

She seems to desperately want to play with other dogs. She's been quite close to one of the other dogs and has been totally friendly and not the slightest bit aggressive.

I have walked Zia several times lately and am getting to know her better.

She does pull dreadfully on the lead, but I have adopted the practice of not moving unless the lead is slack. It does mean we don't get very far, but we have managed a fair amount of civilised walking and investigating which I'm hoping will increase. She particularly pulls toward the play area and toward other dogs which she desperately wants to play with.

She has given up trying to learn to play ball. She prefers to just run around, particularly when there are other dogs within view - which is pretty well all of the time! She will chase a ball but rarely picks it up any more.

And not surprisingly, she loves affection. I was giving her a fuss because she had obeyed some commands when she pushed down on my hand with her paw to get me to tickle her tummy. She really enjoyed that.

Hi Annie,

I walked Zia for the first time today and found her a real challenge to walk. She pulls so much I just could not handle her at all. Just not enough strength in my body. She got worse when she saw the play area ( which she could see from everywhere we went ) and I am absolutely amazed I did not end up sliding down the hill on the mud.

I will definitely try your tactics next time I walk her!

Is there a canny collar or halti that fits her at the kennels? That would be a good start to get her used to walking alongside you instead of pulling like a steam locomotive out ahead. Much less effort on the walkers part too. Staffies are such an incredibly strong breed. It made quite a difference changing both Ferdie and Tucker to a harness.

Great idea Ria. Not too sure what is available, will deffo ask next time I am at the kennels. It would do her a world of good to learn to walk using these, making her more manageable and therefore increasing her chances of a forever home.

http://youtu.be/qa-hnPrcBy0

Zia has loads and loads of energy, loves a good sniff about getting to know who's been here and who's been there, such a livewire, difficult to keep up with her at times! Certainly keep somebody fit, maybe someone who enjoys jogging would be just perfect for our little Zia!

Tried a halti...canni collar on zia....she was loads better but we need a size three as the size 2 was too small....size three will probably be too big...hmmm....as with some of our other dogs here zia may pull out of it....but its worth a try......just recently it has been noted that zia has been cowering in her kennel.....this could be for a number of reasons....but she needs a watch upon her to make sure shes okay....Zia is amazingly funny , strong when she wants something....but there is a beautifully clever girl in there....who looks at you with the most cutest sideways glance as tho she has sussed you out already.....lol.....she is very playful...can be grabby as most puppies are who havent had consistent training.....Heels lovely when the time is taken to show her.....x:D

Zia is an awesome little girl....very funny ..she is responding to heel work in small doses....she has a deep desire to be with other dogs...loves to be spoken to gently and responds well to slower more precise handling..a very funny little character...loves to be outside and doesnt like to be brought back in to the kennel enviironment....Is soon to be taken for forest walks away from the kennels : )....one of the walkers is going to dedicate some free time to do this...to help bring on this misunderstood but very clever little puppy...such a promising young girl...x:D

Yesterday wasn't a great day for Zia..i think she had a lot of built up energy and just needed to get out..Rich was mouthed a lot due to all this tension she had built up..it was not ment nastily i just think she was going a little stir crazy bless her..kennel life can be tough on the in mates especially the staffies.. going to the forest the following day proved tht she can be a great dog and that it is kennel life thats getting to her...i was so impressed with her in the forest- she still pulled but not as bad as when shes at fdr..there was no jumping and no mouthing in fact she seemed very focused and enjoyed a sniff here and there and never batted an eye lid to the other dogs that past by..we even got to go and sit outside the visitor centre where she was treated to a sausage and showed her manners and sat beautifully..this was a good end to a fabulous walk and i believe with many more walks to come Zia will be a lot more happier until her forever family come for her!!
this afternoon xia kept up the good progress..still no jumping no mouthing and was brillliant- in fact i think having more interaction made her a lot more contented..which made me think she looked happier and in turn makes us feel good too!

Zia has just been an absolute sweety in the playpen at 6.30pm tonight....i threw balls for her and then when she came back i would get her to sit and have a treat...she liked this idea and completely forgot to play me up...instead she would fly off after the ball...and race back to get a big fuss and a treat....still acts as though she has been tricked lots in the past as she is wary of being put back on the lead...and so has to be coaxed...but progress has been made...Zia is a sweet little girl who gives and craves affection and play ...she just has the manners upside down sometimes.....but she gets them up the right way when she is not in the vicinity of the kennels ...which is very good news....Hoping for a foster home for Zia...

During the week i took Zia to the forest..it was as tho she remember where she had been..we walked for 3.5 miles and tried to do more heel work which seemed to be working a treat..she occasionally tried her luck and would give tht final tug tht she does when she thinks your least expecting it..we worked on that for about 2 miles..i would have short lead then slowly give her more leash as she walked nicely-then the lead would be full length when she was behaving well..when she tried her luck i would just stop and call her back to heel where we would start again..it did take time but we just repeated it till she got the message and then it just clicked and then she was walking beautifully..perhaps it was a fluke but it worked this one time and i believe she allowed herself to relax and enjoy her walk..i didnt over fuss her this time just a gently pat on the head when she gave me a look as tho to say im being good. We didnt have a sausage this time but she had a big drink of water at the visitor centre where she was admired by a few walkers which then asked if they could stroke her..Zia actually sat very well behaved whilst she had a fuss..she never jumped up she was simply perfect,well mannered such a different Zia to when she's in kennels x

Im so absolutely chuffed that Zia had the opportunity to go out into the forest ( Thanks to Elka : ).....).....just goes to show that kennel dogs are frequently proving to us that its kennel life and all the stresses and strains that go with it that cause all sorts of absurdities in these guys.....a bit like us being thrown in prison ...im sure we would show some strange behaviours too. In saying that , for alot of these dogs the kennels is a wonderful stop-gap between hell and a lovely home....Zia came from a home....she didnt exhibit much in the way of training and is beginning a short work programme produced by our behaviourist Kate who has been to assess her...Zia has never been shown how to behave before and be a bit over playful....but she is adorably funny and endearing....hopefully she will respond in full and we shall see this sweet little girl get an equally sweet new owner.....come on Zia you can do it....xx:lol:

To anybody interested in rehoming Zia, I'd say don't be put off by her mouthing. It's a completely natural behaviour and dogs grow out of it when they're told off by their litter mates or mother. Zia's obviously missed out on this, but it is easy to stop.

Our own rescue, Nico the Rhodesian Ridgeback, mouthed when we got him back but after a few days he stopped completely. All we did was say 'ouch!' very loudly and withdrew our hand and attention and he soon cottoned on that it wasn't an acceptable behaviour