My boy, Margate.
Another day for Margate in kennels, after another week, another month... I'm just hoping that he doesn't have to wait until the another year mark.
Margate has been waiting for seventeen months for his ideal home to find him, that's 506 days in the same place, with people who adore him, but they're not just his people. He has to share his time with so many other dogs that are waiting for their forever homes, but none have been waiting as long as him.
He does require a special home, with people who can help him thrive and who will not fail him! But as long as they understand his needs and set him up for success, they'll get so much in return.
Margate needs a cat, child (resident and visiting) and small furry free home. He needs mental stimulation and he needs a good deal of exercise too, he is smart, so so soooo smart and this is where his humans will have to try and be smarter.
Margate learns everything very quickly and will need to have clear, set boundaries in his new home from the get-go. He will need to be given his own bed, that he learns is his bed and that he isn't allowed on the sofas or other furniture, especially to begin with. He will need a home that understands how to enrich his life, to use his brain and that LOVES a good walk. He could walk for miles. He could potentially do cani-cross as he loves to run, but Margate needs to be kept safe at all times, so he will need to be kept on a lead in anything he does (unless in a secure rented dog field area). He has a high prey drive and a nose that rivals the very best sniffer dog. If you had treats in your pocket at some point this year, he'll know.
The best set up for Margate would be a home that could adapt a room to be his area that is free of food and where he could go to sleep at night, if visitors came round or if you had to pop out to go shopping etc. He needs this to be his area that helps him feel safe and secure.
Although he can act like a big tough guy, underneath it all he is extremely sensitive and can get very worried by things.
How can we blame him for being this way? He's been let down by humans over and over again, he has had thousands of people walk by his kennel during his stay and no one chooses him.. I know that in a home that FULLY understands him and puts everything in place to set him up to succeed, then he will be the bestest boy you could ever wish to know. His heart is the size of the whole universe and he just needs someone to see him and commit to him, then they'll see what I see too. My boy, Margate, I see all of you and I'll love you like you're my own until your forever person comes along. I'll be so jealous of the person who gets to share their life with you.
Disclaimer - although he picks up agility things quite quickly, this is not something he should do to a competitive level as the environment of the events would not benefit him.