History:
Baxter arrived at SSC after his seven days were up in the Pound. He was picked up as a stray and therefore we have no prior history for him.
When Baxter arrived, he was extremely thin and very wobbly on his back legs, we were fortunate that we were able to place him immediately into a foster home where he has gained some weight and his back legs are now getting much stronger.
Current:
Baxter is currently in foster. He is an extremely affectionate and loving boy who adores people. He enjoys being close to his humans and loves to snuggle on the sofa in the evenings. He is always a well behaved boy with visitors and doesn't jump up to greet them, although he will happily dish out Staffy snogs to any willing recipient! At night, he prefers to sleep near you, and may choose the bed if allowed, although with gentle training he could adapt to sleeping elsewhere.
He is a bright boy who already knows sit, lie down, leave and paw. He loves playing with his toys, especially Kongs, balls, tug toys and chewy bones, and will invite you to play with him by bringing his toys to you. He loves treats, and is very gentle taking these off you. He is happy to be touched all over and stands still to have his coat or hoody on. He loves his walks and enjoys a good sniff around the garden. Baxter eats well but can be a little picky, enjoying his meals more when a small amount of Butternut Box is mixed in.
Baxter is hypervigilant and noise sensitive, meaning sudden sounds can make him alert, pace and bark, he responds well to gentle reassurance and distraction, and settles quickly in a calm environment. For this reason, we are looking to find him a quiet rural home to relax in. He can be left for 3-4 hours and is non-destructive in the house.
Walking:
Out and about Baxter enjoys walks of up to 30 minutes 2-3 times a day, he prefers to toilet when out on a walk rather than in the garden. He can be strong on the lead, and tends to weave, but wearing a Halti and slip lead helps to manage his strength well. He is dog reactive, and reactive to other animals, and go can from zero to 100 very quickly, so will need plenty of space on his walks.
He is always happy to receive a fuss from any humans he meets on a walk though. Baxter enjoys being taken to a secure dog field, where he will happily run around for an hour, and burn off some energy. Due to his previous poor body condition, Baxter can knuckle his left back paw, so he wears a boot on his paw for walks to stop any scuffing. He is incredibly patient whilst you pop his boot on.
Travelling:
Baxter loves travelling in the car. He is a bit excitable at first, but will then sit quietly on the back seat and is secured by a seat-belt harness. He likes to look out of the window for a while, but will then settle down for a snooze on longer journeys.
Vets:
As Baxter isn't a fan of other dogs, the waiting room can be stressful, so he waits patiently outside until he is called in to the consultation room. He is an absolute star with the vet, he will stand still and is happy to be examined all over.
Health:
The vet has said that the weakness in his back legs was probably caused by very poor nutrition and a lack of exercise, which has caused some muscle wastage. His legs are very much improved now that he is being walked regularly, and eating good quality meals.
He has had an x-ray on his spine to rule out any spinal damage.
Baxter was taking Propalin, which helped with his occasional sprinkling if he got overexcited. He has now been taken off this medication as his bladder control is very much improved, and he is always a clean boy throughout the night.
Ideal home:
Baxter loves company, so ideally a home where someone is there most of the day, although he is fine to be left for 3-4 hours.
He isn't a fan of other dogs and will bark at outside noises, so we feel that a quiet rural location would be perfect for Baxter.
As we have no history on Baxter, we feel that he could live with dog savvy sensible children 12+.
We feel that Baxter may have led a rather sheltered life, he is a sensitive soul who needs a patient owner to help him settle into a new home.
Standard information:
Baxter is microchipped, vaccinated and neutered.
He is currently in foster in Staffordshire, but he can be rehomed anywhere in the UK, pending a successful home visit. However, any adopter should be willing to travel to meet him at least twice where he is now.
There is a non refundable adoption donation of £120 for Baxter and all money donated goes directly to helping all the Senior Staffies in our care.
If you think you could offer Baxter a new home, please complete the application form below.
We aim to acknowledge your application within 48 hours.