Floyd

**Before applying to adopt Floyd, please remember that adopting a puppy into your home is a huge commitment, and very demanding of your time. Puppies require daily exercise, positive socialisation with other people/dogs/puppies, grooming, training and playtime. When applying, please consider the extent of your work hours, holidays, and how busy your personal life is as puppies will need someone who is home for most of the day with regular focused input, especially in those first six months after adoption **

NAME: Floyd

BEFORE SAFE ESPERANCE: Owner surrender with his littermate.

ENERGY LEVEL: Typical pup at the moment, plays, eats, poops and sleeps! He has a medium energy level at the moment which will need a good daily walk/workout and play.

BREED: Staffordshire Bull Terrier X Bull Mastiff

BREED TRAITS: Staffordshire Bull Terrier - they are mostly affectionate and loving dogs with family - known as Nanny dogs they are great with children if brought up with them correctly. They love to be with their people and do not cope with being alone, therefore they are not outside dogs. They are energetic and need a really good work out every day. Early training is essential especially consistent and positive socialisation with other dogs - they can be unfriendly towards unknown dogs if not well socialised. Not for novice owners.

Bullmastiff - originally bred as a guard dog, this breed is affectionate with family but can be standoffish with strangers. Sensitive and loving to his clan he is a powerful and courageous guardian They are independent thinkers so training and socialisation to people, places and other dogs should start young. Best as an inside dog he needs to be protected from overheating. They have low to medium energy requirements. Not for novice owners.

GIFTS AND GROWTH: Floyd is shy, affectionate, friendly, sensitive, submissive and very sweet. Floyd's shaky start in life means he is initially quite timid when meeting new people and growls when he's fearful. He is also timid when meeting new dogs and doesn't like loud noises. Floyd needs an experienced owner who can guide him through his initial fears, building his confidence in a constructive and methodical way.

FAVOURITE THINGS: He loves to play chasey and wrestle with his doggy friends and to snuggle up with his human in front of the tv. He loves to tear his soft toys to bits, so his new owner will need to keep anything precious out of reach, as he could chew shoes etc if they were made available to him!

WORKING ON: Walking on the lead and commands, which he has started at his foster home and is going really well. Puppy school and ongoing training are a must for him.

HOME ESSENTIALS:
*Stability: A quiet, experienced home is essential, where someone is around for most of the day on a permanent basis or can take him with them when they go out.
*Time: Floyd needs an owner who will put in the time to expose him to new experiences and to train and socialise him with new people as well as dogs. He really needs work to build his confidence and learn that the world isn't such a scary place. Structured classes where he can learn, socialise and have safe exposure are a must and 2 good walks a day are essential to keep him happy. He would love another youngish dog to play with. We wouldn't recommend a home with cats or other small species.
*Space: Floyd needs a well fenced, secure yard to run around in to burn off his playful energy, with lots of grass and interesting things for him to sniff.
*Love: To support Floyd's sense of security he needs to be an inside dog, to sleep inside and be included as part of the family. He is lovely with children but we would recommend an adult only home so that his environment is calm and he is not overwhelmed with a lot of foot traffic and activity throughout the house.

If Floyd sounds like the perfect fit for your family, please send in an enquiry and we will be in touch.