SPANISH WATER DOG CLUB UK

SPANISH WATER DOG CLUB UK

Welfare Page

The Spanish Water Dog Welfare Group was formed in 2005 in the certain knowledge that it would be needed before long. Dogs of all breeds get into trouble or fall on hard times and the SWD is going to be no exception, even though there are so few in this country. To illustrate the truth of this we have already re-homed several dogs who had developed problems that were too difficult for their respective owners to cope with. The nature of the problems that these dogs presented with confirm the importance of early socialisation and correct information being given to prospective owners before they have a puppy. They will then be able to decide if this is a suitable breed for them and their personal circumstances. Socialisation must begin with the Breeder and continue in the new home. Early training must be motivational, non-threatening, and care must be taken not to reinforce or punish fearful, apprehensive behaviour, as was the case with most of these dogs. People also need to understand that what often appears to be aggressive behaviour (especially during the second fear-imprint stage at around ten to fifteen months of age) is actually the dog's reaction to a fearful situation. If it is handled inappropriately the problem could escalate and result in the dog becoming difficult to manage and being passed to us for re-homing!

The Spanish Water Dog Welfare & Rehoming Group made up of Spanish Water Dog Club Members who are dedicated to helping dogs that, for whatever reason, need to be rehomed. Whether due to a change in family circumstances or behavioural difficulties and temperament problems, Welfare is there to help needy Spanish find good, suitable, permanent homes. If a dog has problems that make this difficult we have the facilities to keep the dog until he or she has been rehabilitated. All this takes time, which is freely given.

It does, however, cost a lot of money to run Welfare efficiently; to neuter entire animals and provide veterinary treatment when required. Many Club Members raise funds on our behalf by running events throughout the year but cash contributions and new ideas for fundraising are always much appreciated.

We are also in need of help from people who are willing to carry out home checks or transport dogs from one area to another. If you, or anyone you know, would be willing and able to help, one of us would be delighted to have a chat about what would be involved.

These dogs need us.

We need you!

If you would like to be added to the list of prospective owners of a dog from welfare,

please fill in the form available below.

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If anyone is interested in taking an older dog please contact one of the people listed below to discuss the pros and cons so that when a dog becomes available we have potential homes waiting. A form is available to download, this is to be filled in and forwarded by prospective owners of Welfare dogs.

Adoptive Home Application Form

If you can help in any way please contact one of the following:

National Co-ordinator:

Di Williamson Tel: 07951 186 216

Welfare Officers:

Angi Hodges Tel: 0121 7880752 Mob: 07792 298 090

Lynne Walker Tel: 01246 826090 Mob: 07803 045 062

Jenny Johnson Tel: 01926 778777 Mob: 07505 559 154

Gill Frost Tel: --------------------- Mob: 07855 969 868

Janet Peart Tel: 0161 3683801 Mob: 07976 224 223

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Dogs Re-homed

Mia

Mia (previously known as Ana) came into Welfare at a very difficult time with a great many problems. She is sister to Max, our second Welfare dog. Her behaviour was quite challenging and she was very disruptive in the home of the Welfare agent who working with her. She created a lot of problems for the resident bitch pack. For this reason she was rehomed earlier than we would have liked.

Hazel and her family were happy to take her before rehabilitation was complete, knowing that it might not be plain sailing. And it certainly wasn't!! Their other dog, a Foxhound called Gulliver (who is also a rescue), had a really rough time for the first couple of weeks, but he and the family persevered and eventually Mia settled down and became a much loved member of the family. She and Gully have bonded really well. On 24th June Mia was taken with Gully to the Dogs Trust Open Day where she behaved better than could ever have been expected.

We in Welfare would like to thank Hazel, Andrew, Russell and Sophie for giving Mia a chance when her future looked fairly bleak. It was very difficult during the early days and their determination to succeed is a credit to them.

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Josh before rehoming

Josh

Josh was nine months old when he came into Welfare on the twenty fifth of January 2007. Josh was very sociable with other dogs and loved to play. He was naturally wary of strangers although it was only a short while before he became their friend. He was not used to children and quite frightened of them especially if they were lively and noisy. This caused him to bark at them and run away.
Josh has gone to live in Scotland with Gordon, and is living the life of riley!! He travels extensively, (including Ireland) rides the trams, stays in expensive hotels and is very much loved by all who meet him.

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Josh in his new life

Lago

Lago joined us when he was 11 months old. He had suffered the same fate as our two previous dogs in that he had been grossly misunderstood, by both groomer and veterinary surgeon, who mistakenly labelled him ‘aggressive’. His family unintentionally reinforced his ‘guarding’ behaviour so he thought that barking constantly when visitors were present was required behaviour. He also learned to ‘control’ children. He had been spoilt by those close to him but almost certainly had experienced forceful training methods from someone outside the family.
When he first arrived Lago was very frightened of situations where he felt out of control. He could not cope with being handled by people he did not know and showed signs of ‘nervous aggression’. He was afraid of being forced into situations he could not handle and was very confused as to what was expected of him. He had received no training and had no idea how to learn.
Lago has been successfully rehomed with a lovely family near Northampton, Sid, Elaine and their daughter, Brooke. They are active Water Dog Club members and giving Lago an interesting and exciting life.

Lago had responded really well to ‘clicker’ training and his new family are continuing his training. He is fast, agile and light on his feet. The world will be his oyster now that he is in the right hands.

For additional pictures of Largo please visit here

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Max before re homing

Max

Our second dog, Max, was eighteen months old when he was ready for Adoption. He is a white and cream dog and he, too, has been castrated. He had bitten in his previous home and when he came to us would bite if frightened and backed into a corner. When he arrived it was obvious he was going to take a long time to learn to cope with his new life. He had been with us for two weeks before anyone could even touch him and he had to be anaesthetized to clip his coat, which was very matted. He too found it very difficult to trust people and had suffered abuse in boarding kennels. When visiting the Vet for treatment under anesthetic he was manhandled on a catchpole because they thought he was seriously aggressive. He is a lovely dog who did not want to bite, and once he felt safe he was truly stunning! Max had not been socialised as a puppy because his owners were not taught what socialisation really means. They had done their best but had not received the right help and information. Once he came out of his shell Max was (and still is) very bossy but in a playful, non-aggressive way. He has gone to live in Swanage with a lovely couple called Ann and David who take him on the beach everyday. He has also been passported for travelling to his holiday home in Portugal. Lucky dog!

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Max after re homing

Helping with the gardening

Jasper before re homing

Jasper

One of our success stories is Jasper, a brown, neutered male, who was two and a half year old when he came into Welfare. Although he had been moved frequently throughout his life he had still managed to achieve his Kennel Club Good Citizen's Bronze Award. He had also been a member of a winning Starters Fly-ball team. Whilst in our care he went on to gain his Good Citizens Silver Award with great ease! He used to show apprehension towards certain people, mainly men, but learned, with the help of his new owners, to cope extremely well with strangers in all sorts of situations. He is a delightful dog who had learned very early in life that some men could be aggressive and although all he wanted was to be accepted and understood he had lost the ability to communicate with people that he didn't know because he couldn't trust them. He had learned to “pace” constantly to cope with stress and, while in our care, he was very destructive in the garden due to his ability to “plough” the ground! He has gone to live near York with a wonderful family headed by Julie and Mick, who truly understand him, and who have five other dogs. He is now enjoying his fly-ball again and learning agility with their lovely daughter who also plans to train him for competition obedience. Their other dogs are all rescues so they really know what they are doing! He fell in love with Doris straight away but is now very friendly with Ernie and quite content with the rest of the pack. Many thanks to Julie and her family for giving Jasper the chance he so deserved.

Jasper after re homing

Jasper with his new doggie family

Flyballing

If you find it heart-warming to see the successes these dogs are making of their lives perhaps I could ask you to consider making a donation to the Spanish Water Dog Welfare Group? Perhaps you would like to organise some sort of fund-raising event on behalf of needy dogs? Rescuing and re-homing unwanted and problem dogs efficiently costs a lot of money so any contribution to our funds would be much appreciated!

SPANISH WATER DOG CLUB UK
Welfare Page

The Spanish Water Dog Welfare Group was formed in 2005 in the certain knowledge that it would be needed before long. Dogs of all breeds get into trouble or fall on hard times and the SWD is going to be no exception, even though there are so few in this country. To illustrate the truth of this we have already re-homed several dogs who had developed problems that were too difficult for their respective owners to cope with. The nature of the problems that these dogs presented with confirm the importance of early socialisation and correct information being given to prospective owners before they have a puppy. They will then be able to decide if this is a suitable breed for them and their personal circumstances. Socialisation must begin with the Breeder and continue in the new home. Early training must be motivational, non-threatening, and care must be taken not to reinforce or punish fearful, apprehensive behaviour, as was the case with most of these dogs. People also need to understand that what often appears to be aggressive behaviour (especially during the second fear-imprint stage at around ten to fifteen months of age) is actually the dog's reaction to a fearful situation. If it is handled inappropriately the problem could escalate and result in the dog becoming difficult to manage and being passed to us for re-homing! The Spanish Water Dog Welfare & Rehoming Group made up of Spanish Water Dog Club Members who are dedicated to helping dogs that, for whatever reason, need to be rehomed. Whether due to a change in family circumstances or behavioural difficulties and temperament problems, Welfare is there to help needy Spanish find good, suitable, permanent homes. If a dog has problems that make this difficult we have the facilities to keep the dog until he or she has been rehabilitated. All this takes time, which is freely given. It does, however, cost a lot of money to run Welfare efficiently; to neuter entire animals and provide veterinary treatment when required. Many Club Members raise funds on our behalf by running events throughout the year but cash contributions and new ideas for fundraising are always much appreciated. We are also in need of help from people who are willing to carry out home checks or transport dogs from one area to another. If you, or anyone you know, would be willing and able to help, one of us would be delighted to have a chat about what would be involved.
These dogs need us. We need you!
If you would like to be added to the list of prospective owners of a dog from welfare, please fill in the form available below.
------------------------------------------------------------------
If anyone is interested in taking an older dog please contact one of the people listed below to discuss the pros and cons so that when a dog becomes available we have potential homes waiting. A form is available to download, this is to be filled in and forwarded by prospective owners of Welfare dogs. Adoptive Home Application Form If you can help in any way please contact one of the following: National Co-ordinator: Di Williamson Tel: 07951 186 216 Welfare Officers: Angi Hodges Tel: 0121 7880752 Mob: 07792 298 090 Lynne Walker Tel: 01246 826090 Mob: 07803 045 062 Jenny Johnson Tel: 01926 778777 Mob: 07505 559 154 Gill Frost Tel: --------------------- Mob: 07855 969 868 Janet Peart Tel: 0161 3683801 Mob: 07976 224 223 -----------------------------------------------------------
	Dogs Re-homed
	Mia Mia (previously known as Ana) came into Welfare at a very difficult time with a great many problems. She is sister to Max, our second Welfare dog. Her behaviour was quite challenging and she was very disruptive in the home of the Welfare agent who working with her. She created a lot of problems for the resident bitch pack. For this reason she was rehomed earlier than we would have liked. Hazel and her family were happy to take her before rehabilitation was complete, knowing that it might not be plain sailing. And it certainly wasn't!! Their other dog, a Foxhound called Gulliver (who is also a rescue), had a really rough time for the first couple of weeks, but he and the family persevered and eventually Mia settled down and became a much loved member of the family. She and Gully have bonded really well. On 24th June Mia was taken with Gully to the Dogs Trust Open Day where she behaved better than could ever have been expected. We in Welfare would like to thank Hazel, Andrew, Russell and Sophie for giving Mia a chance when her future looked fairly bleak. It was very difficult during the early days and their determination to succeed is a credit to them. ------------------------------------------------------------------
Josh before rehoming	Josh Josh was nine months old when he came into Welfare on the twenty fifth of January 2007. Josh was very sociable with other dogs and loved to play. He was naturally wary of strangers although it was only a short while before he became their friend. He was not used to children and quite frightened of them especially if they were lively and noisy. This caused him to bark at them and run away. Josh has gone to live in Scotland with Gordon, and is living the life of riley!! He travels extensively, (including Ireland) rides the trams, stays in expensive hotels and is very much loved by all who meet him. ------------------------------------------------------------------	Josh in his new life

	Lago Lago joined us when he was 11 months old. He had suffered the same fate as our two previous dogs in that he had been grossly misunderstood, by both groomer and veterinary surgeon, who mistakenly labelled him ‘aggressive’. His family unintentionally reinforced his ‘guarding’ behaviour so he thought that barking constantly when visitors were present was required behaviour. He also learned to ‘control’ children. He had been spoilt by those close to him but almost certainly had experienced forceful training methods from someone outside the family. When he first arrived Lago was very frightened of situations where he felt out of control. He could not cope with being handled by people he did not know and showed signs of ‘nervous aggression’. He was afraid of being forced into situations he could not handle and was very confused as to what was expected of him. He had received no training and had no idea how to learn. Lago has been successfully rehomed with a lovely family near Northampton, Sid, Elaine and their daughter, Brooke. They are active Water Dog Club members and giving Lago an interesting and exciting life. Lago had responded really well to ‘clicker’ training and his new family are continuing his training. He is fast, agile and light on his feet. The world will be his oyster now that he is in the right hands. For additional pictures of Largo please visit here ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Max before re homing	Max Our second dog, Max, was eighteen months old when he was ready for Adoption. He is a white and cream dog and he, too, has been castrated. He had bitten in his previous home and when he came to us would bite if frightened and backed into a corner. When he arrived it was obvious he was going to take a long time to learn to cope with his new life. He had been with us for two weeks before anyone could even touch him and he had to be anaesthetized to clip his coat, which was very matted. He too found it very difficult to trust people and had suffered abuse in boarding kennels. When visiting the Vet for treatment under anesthetic he was manhandled on a catchpole because they thought he was seriously aggressive. He is a lovely dog who did not want to bite, and once he felt safe he was truly stunning! Max had not been socialised as a puppy because his owners were not taught what socialisation really means. They had done their best but had not received the right help and information. Once he came out of his shell Max was (and still is) very bossy but in a playful, non-aggressive way. He has gone to live in Swanage with a lovely couple called Ann and David who take him on the beach everyday. He has also been passported for travelling to his holiday home in Portugal. Lucky dog! ------------------------------------------------------------------	Max after re homing Helping with the gardening
Jasper before re homing	Jasper One of our success stories is Jasper, a brown, neutered male, who was two and a half year old when he came into Welfare. Although he had been moved frequently throughout his life he had still managed to achieve his Kennel Club Good Citizen's Bronze Award. He had also been a member of a winning Starters Fly-ball team. Whilst in our care he went on to gain his Good Citizens Silver Award with great ease! He used to show apprehension towards certain people, mainly men, but learned, with the help of his new owners, to cope extremely well with strangers in all sorts of situations. He is a delightful dog who had learned very early in life that some men could be aggressive and although all he wanted was to be accepted and understood he had lost the ability to communicate with people that he didn't know because he couldn't trust them. He had learned to “pace” constantly to cope with stress and, while in our care, he was very destructive in the garden due to his ability to “plough” the ground! He has gone to live near York with a wonderful family headed by Julie and Mick, who truly understand him, and who have five other dogs. He is now enjoying his fly-ball again and learning agility with their lovely daughter who also plans to train him for competition obedience. Their other dogs are all rescues so they really know what they are doing! He fell in love with Doris straight away but is now very friendly with Ernie and quite content with the rest of the pack. Many thanks to Julie and her family for giving Jasper the chance he so deserved.	Jasper after re homing Jasper with his new doggie family Flyballing
If you find it heart-warming to see the successes these dogs are making of their lives perhaps I could ask you to consider making a donation to the Spanish Water Dog Welfare Group? Perhaps you would like to organise some sort of fund-raising event on behalf of needy dogs? Rescuing and re-homing unwanted and problem dogs efficiently costs a lot of money so any contribution to our funds would be much appreciated!