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Gilbert is a 5-month-old male Labrador Cross Standard Poodle, born at the beginning of November 2023. A fabulous chunky puppy.
This outgoing and friendly pup has proven to be sociable with dogs of all sizes and ages, as well as people of various age groups. Gilbert’s house training is good, and he is making good progress with all areas of his training.
His adaptability extends to car journeys, as he has demonstrated an ability to travel well. Additionally, he is fully vet-checked, wormed, and vaccinated, ensuring his health and well-being.
Recognized for his cleverness, Gilbert is a pup that will thrive with consistent input as he grows and matures. Anticipated to become a reasonably large dog, he requires a spacious environment and plenty of exercise.
Here is a note from his foster family
“Gilbert is a highly intelligent, beautiful pup with the most excellent potential.
We have been impressed and amazed with the way he has coped with the major transition from Lizzie’s Barn to a house with no other dogs: he has slept all through the night on his dog bed, every single night since getting here, with one of us downstairs, to help him feel safe and secure at the start.
He has proved to be fully house trained with a 100% clean record and he has been remarkably calm with all the new sounds and smells of a suburban environment.
He travels incredibly well in the crate in our car, and settles quietly on journeys. He is very calm when lifted in and out (as he is too young to jump up yet)
We have also started crate training him, and Gilbert is happy to pop into his crate on a regular basis, and enjoys a Kong full of his food in there, but has not yet slept in it overnight- so this is a work in progress for us and his new owners, should they want to continue it.
He has quickly learned and responds well to several prompts, like Sit, Lie down, Look at me, Touch (when he touches your hand with his nose), Out (to drop something that is in his mouth), On your mat, Off and Come. He has even managed ‘Look at me’ when he’s excited by the sight of another dog, a child or a person when out and about. Incredible, given the relatively short time he has been with us. We continue to reinforce this training, daily, with the help of tasty treats.
He responds very well indeed to reward based training, as he loves his food. He has learned to sit calmly and wait while his food is been prepared and until the moment it’s placed on the floor.
He also sits and waits politely at the back door when coming in from the garden.
He has only been walked on the lead with his harness so far, in less crowded areas, for regular short walks, in keeping with his age, but walks very well on the lead.
He is extremely keen to meet other dogs, and people, a bit too enthusiastically at times, so we have been working on getting him to relax and stay calm with all paws on the ground , whilst he is on the lead. This will need ongoing practice, as he is so sociable and is used to interacting with other dogs freely.
He has been very good during 2 visits to the vet, to register him , and the vet even commented that ‘Not all dogs are nice- but this is a nice dog.’
Gilbert also enjoys being brushed, in the garden, and has been very cooperative with all handling.
He has been teething whilst with us, (has lost 3 puppy teeth so far), so he is sometimes quite mouthy when he’s suffering, and desperate to chew on something, especially a plump cushion.
If he is provided with appropriate alternative toys, or teething chews (a frozen wet tea towel with some kibble in the folds works well) he responds well. He absolutely loves a Himalayan yak milk chew, which will keep him occupied for a while.
It’s also useful to fill a Kong with kibble from his breakfast/ supper allowance and freeze it to keep him occupied while you cook or eat.
He has not damaged anything in the house, although he is partial to nibbling on a pair of shoes and I’m sure he would give them a good chew if left unattended. And of course keep your remote controls out of reach.
He has shown what might well be anxiety-related humping behaviours once or twice, which started when one of us returned after leaving the house for the first time since he’s been here.
If he is redirected with a toy and a very calm ‘Off’ this can be controlled relatively quickly.
He can sometimes get a burst of very high energy / the zoomies, particularly in the evening after his tea, or sometimes just before/ after a poo in the garden, which is a typical puppy behaviour to be aware of and manage. It’s safer and easier if he is outside in the garden. This is also a time of day when he may try to get onto furniture, uninvited, and seek attention, which seems to happen when he’s overtired, as he usually conks out immediately after it.
We’ve found, through trial and error, that if his energy is managed throughout the day, and he is allowed to sleep undisturbed when he needs to – late morning for a couple of hours, and at around 2 ish in the afternoon for an hour or so, and if he has a morning walk after his sleep and an afternoon walk after his sleep, it seems to help him regulate his energy later in the evening and he stays calm.
Gilbert is also learning to keep all his beautiful paws on the floor when we are eating or cooking, and whilst this has improved during his time with us, it will need continued reinforcing in his new home. He would definitely have a go at counter surfing, given the opportunity, as these things are all new and enticing to him, so initially at least it will be important to be vigilant of him and make sure there is nothing edible/ harmful within his reach.
A gate to close him out of the kitchen area might prove useful in the early days, to reinforce his training and keep him safe.
(I think Gilbert would love to live with dog savvy older children and possibly a calm older dog/ dogs to show him the ropes, and he would love to have his people around him for most of the day. He would also thrive with a large garden/ more rural setting, as he really enjoys being outdoors.)
We have not yet left him alone in the house, as he is still getting used to us and this totally new environment, so this would need to be built up gradually in his new home.
All in all, he is a great, loveable, playful, sociable dog whose personality matches his dashing good looks. He stole our hearts very quickly with his lovely nature and his intelligent eyes.
When he trusts you, he loves to be touched or have a cuddle on the sofa or on his dog bed.
Gilbert already has most of the foundations to be a brilliant young dog- and he will benefit from continued training. He loves tracking, so this is something he would find very stimulating.
He is sure to make some family the very best companion if they continue to put the effort into him that he truly deserves”
Therefore, the ideal home for Gilbert is one where he won’t be left alone for extended periods or crated throughout the working day. He would love to be with another dig/ dogs. Moreover, it should be a setting free from the potential distractions and demands of young children.
Currently fostered in South Wales, prospective adopters should be prepared to travel to meet Gilbert. Homes will undergo a vetting process to ensure a suitable environment for this delightful Labrador X Standard Poodle.
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