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Location: Surrey
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,313
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Claire fosters Marie for short spells when she can to give her a break from kennels. This is what she said about her…
“Photos and words cannot sum up the special effect Marie has on everyone lucky enough to meet her. She is an absolute joy to be around and brightens your darkest day with her open heart and eagerness to 'just be with you'. She has waited far too long to find her forever home yet still remains bursting with love for all she meets - after such a long time she deserves to be cherished and have her very own sofa to snuggle up on permanently - I hope the following text does justice in helping her find that special home soon.
Marie is an extremely intelligent lady and is very much a people person dog. Being in kennels is hard for her with so little distraction therefore on first meeting she can appear a bit full on and to some perhaps a little daunting. As someone who has shared their house with her on several occasions I can confidently say this is not the real Marie, she is simply eager to get going and explore the world, and who of us wouldn't be. Once out and about she is as good as gold and happy to sniff and explore whilst trotting back to you with her waggy tail and happy happy smile to make sure you are okay. She has excellent recall however I wouldn't recommend her off lead, at least not for now as she can be unsure in new situations, especially on meeting other dogs who may enter her space and she can respond by barking and being quite jumpy. We owe it to her to take charge of these situations and be her eyes and ears until she gains confidence, this is not difficult, simply an observant eye, a firm but gentle hand and a calm manner is all that is needed and she quickly moves on to something new. When I have walked Marie around our village I have been heartened to see how over the course of a week she has become calmer as she begins to know the area and I strongly believe this would improve further with daily walking and a routine. Last time she spent the week with us I was actually able to get her to sit whilst I opened the door and then told her to come rather than have me struggling with keys and leads whilst she threw herself at the patio doors! This in under a week, imagine 2, 3, 4 weeks!
She is such a quick learner and responds well with consistency, patience and kindness. That said she does currently have an active interest in cats and if encountered on the other side of the glass she is not for the faint hearted and does need to be restrained until she calms down, again I think most of this is new experiences - a pigeon had the same affect (!) however once she sees that you are her protector and not the other way round she soon starts to get the message that if you're not bothered then hey I shouldn't be either and she chills out again.
She is very good in the house, perfectly house trained even telling you when she needs to pop to the garden. She sleeps through the night once she has checked you are all in bed and knows where you are. She loves to cuddle up on the sofa with you and knows that the biscuits / crisps are not for her unless offered. She'll happily sleep in her bed when you are having your dinner and she'll wriggle on her back for a belly rub with her lovely smiley face grinning at you. She is perfect around our 2 boys (7 & 11 years) who love her dearly and although we'd like to get her out of the habit of jumping up this is again something I believe she'll quickly get out of the habit of with direction. She really is an angel.
Please don't forget though that Marie is a strong dog and one still needing to be reaquainted with everything in the 'real' world therefore she deserves a family (of whatever makeup) that can give her the love and time she needs to truly chill out and relax, safe in a loving home. For everything you put in you'll get love tenfold and the most loyal friend who'll happily spend the evening snoring next to you chasing hares in her sleep.
I love this little lady and if there was any way to bring her home permanently I would in a second - I would be happy to share my fostering experiences with anyone interested to know more and would gladly introduce her within my home environment to show the real wonder that is 'Marie'”.
If you are able to foster Marie longer term then please get in touch.
If you are interested in re-homing Marie please complete our homing questionnaire so we can ensure our dogs are matched and will suit your circumstances/lifestyle.