Winnie Firebrace

TO APPLY FOR ADOPTION PLEASE SEND IN APPLICATION FORM AVAILABLE BELOW:

https://www.victoriandogrescue.org.au/adopt/

Winnie is a sweet, affectionate and very clever little dog who has settled beautifully into foster care. She loves her people and gets incredibly excited when they arrive home, eagerly waiting for cuddles, pats and attention. She loves snuggling up on the couch and being close to her humans, but she also has a wonderfully calm side and is more than happy to spend the day curled up for a nap.

Winnie loves food, play and learning. She is very treat motivated and picks up new skills quickly. She already knows sit, drop and stay, responds well to her name and is continuing to work on her training. She can be a little stubborn and doesn't always feel like listening, but her intelligence and love of treats make her a great candidate for positive, reward-based training.

She is wonderful on lead, walking well without pulling, and is friendly with other dogs. When meeting dogs on walks, she can be excited, nervous or calm depending on the situation, but she is always friendly and happy to sniff and move on. Winnie absolutely loves playing fetch and will happily chase after the ball and bring it back for another game.

Winnie's main challenge is her attention-seeking behaviour and barking. She has learned that barking, pawing and jumping can get her attention, so her new family will need to provide clear, consistent boundaries and positive reinforcement. She also barks at different sounds and at people she can see through windows. She can bark at unfamiliar men while out on walks, although she is easily redirected.

Because of this, Winnie would be best suited to a house rather than an apartment, ideally without close neighbours and without windows that allow her to watch people passing by. Her new family should be comfortable continuing to work on her barking and helping her learn appropriate ways to seek attention.

Winnie's recall is currently poor when she becomes distracted or preoccupied, so this is another area that will need ongoing training. She is a smart girl who learns quickly, and her foster family is already working on building her focus and obedience.

Winnie travels well in the car, although she gets very excited when she arrives somewhere new. She is happy to be picked up, although she can occasionally become a little nervous as she seems to think she is getting into trouble.

She is house trained and will let you know when she needs to go outside. At night, she sleeps happily on her own dog bed at the end of her foster family's bed.

Winnie has shown no resource guarding. Her behaviour around cats and children is currently unknown and would need to be assessed carefully before placement.

She appears very healthy overall but does have a sensitive stomach. She has vomited a few times, particularly following a change in food or if she plays too much soon after eating, so her food and exercise around mealtimes will need to be managed carefully. She also needs some grooming, with matting around her tail and small amounts around her tummy.

Winnie needs at least one good walk each day—around an hour—along with playtime and mental stimulation. She would thrive with someone who enjoys training and wants to build a strong bond with their dog.

Winnie would be best suited to an adult home with someone who works part-time or has plenty of flexibility, allowing them to provide companionship, training and enrichment.

Her ideal family will enjoy an affectionate, playful and intelligent dog and be prepared to provide structure, consistency, positive training and plenty of love. She would particularly benefit from someone who enjoys continuing her training and helping her develop better recall and appropriate ways of seeking attention.

With the right guidance, Winnie has the potential to be a wonderful companion. She is a bright, loving little girl who will reward her family with plenty of cuddles, laughter, games of fetch and lots of love.

Not the dog you’re looking for? Please visit our website to see other
dogs waiting for a home.

https://www.victoriandogrescue.org.au/dogs-for-adoption/

Have you considered foster care? For more information please click on
the link below.

https://www.victoriandogrescue.org.au/foster-care/

All our dogs are desexed, C5 vaccinated with intranasal, microchipped,
wormed, and flea treated. All necessary vetwork such as dentals,
surgery, eye treatment are also carried out. We are no longer heartworm
testing as we have not had one positive test since we began in 2006. If
a dog comes to us on heartworm treatment this is continued.