Willow
Reference Number: 36696
Background: Lost
Breed: Staffordshire Terrier X
Gender: Female
DOB: 25/8/2024
Size: Medium
Weight: 18kgs
Desexed: Yes
Adoption Fee: $201
Requirements:
Experienced owners
Must meet all family members in the home
Kids (any age)
Dog selective
Commands I know:
Sit
Meet Willow,
Willow is a gentle soul who’s looking for experienced owners and a calm, quiet home where she can feel safe and loved. While she would suit active people or families, her exercise needs aren’t demanding – she’s happiest with a balance of outings and downtime.
Independent yet affectionate, Willow has a soft, sooky side that makes her incredibly endearing. She may be a little shy or timid at first, but once she warms up, she’s excited to meet you and loves to engage. With her friendly, happy nature and calm demeanour, Willow is the kind of dog who brings warmth and sweetness everywhere she goes.
Ideal Home: Willow is suitable to live in a townhouse, standalone home or on a farm/acerage, with a medium to large sized yard, and high secure fencing.
Family: Willow is open to meet kids of any age - kids in the home should be dog savvy as she is a very loving and sweet dog but can sometimes be a little anxious when she feels uncomfortable.
She is fine to live with people who work full-time hours as she shows no signs of separation anxiety. She is able to spend time in the yard on her own, but would also love to be inside with her new family too - she's the type of dog who could live inside full time as well but she is not currently toilet trained.
Furry Friends: Her dog assessment was a mixed of social and selective. Willow was eager to meet the other dog, she had a loose body and offered play bows. She was able to interact, then break away when she needed space. She was also respectful when the other dog broke away, allowing the other dog to take a break. However, there have been some dogs that she hasn't felt comfortable around, which may indicate that she is dog selective. She is manageable though in all her interactions and we feel that her sociability truly depends on the other dogs reaction to her.
As we cannot test in this environment, we are unsure how Willow would go living with/meeting cats and pocket pets. This would be up to the discretion of her new owners.
Training & Development: Willow would benefit from post-adoption training such as training at home to cover basic commands/obedience. Willow may jump on you - she usually does this when she gets excited.
Willow is still learning her name, but she knows commands such as sit.
She is food motivated too - so having treats on you during training to mark good behaviour would be an excellent idea as she is very responsive to them. She is gentle when taking treats from you, too.
We always recommend post-adoption training whether it be at home or with a professional. Training doesn’t have to be a chore – it can be a fun experience for you both, it doesn’t have to take long & is a great way for you to bond with your new pal.
Play: Willow has low to mid-range energy needs & would benefit from exercise, play, or walks from 20-30mins every day to keep her happy and healthy. Willow is not very interested in playing with toys - she prefers going for walks and personal play with her handlers. She loves to meet new people and become their friends - she loves to be cuddled as well.
Willow walks really well on lead with very minimal pulling. She is fine to be walked on any walking apparatus.
Staff Comments: Willow is a kind, gentle and sweet girl whose still learning her place in the world. She can be a bit of a sook - but usually only when she doesn't feel confident. She's engaging and loves to be with you. She is usually calm, content and affectionate.
The 3-3-3 Rule of Adopting a Dog
Post Adoption Life: With all animals it’s important to understand that going into a new environment with new people may not be as seamless as we want it to be. It’s important to know that these animals have unknown histories - most are left in the shelter by their owners. The information we have is from observing the animal’s behaviours & reactions to certain stimuli whilst in our care. Adopted animals can take up to 3 months to properly decompress from post-shelter life & a lot of behaviours & quirks may surface during this time. All that we ask is that their new owners have an open mind & are patient.
