How big? Medium
How old? Adolescent (around one year)
Male or female? Male
Living with kids? I can live with children (8+)
Living with dogs? I can live with other dogs
Resident dog required? No
Living with cats? I am looking for a home without cats
Where can I live? I need a confident adopter, and an active, semi-rural home with a garden
Where am I from? Cyprus, now in Derbyshire (Cyprus adoption fee applies)

About Ted

Our gorgeous boy Ted has had a tricky start to his new life in the UK. Although he had a potential home in the pipeline, it unfortunately fell through and we’re back to square one. Ted is an amazing young dog. He is full of character, loves humans, picks up new things quickly, and would make an incredible companion in the right home.

Being a Shepherd, we’re looking for a confident and committed family who can give him the structure, training and enrichment he needs to really thrive. Ted is a highly intelligent, affectionate and adventurous young dog with a huge personality. He is very people focused and loves being involved in whatever his humans are doing, whether that means exploring somewhere new, learning something, enjoying a cuddle or simply sitting on a lap. He has no idea that he’s a little too big for that!

Ted is curious, confident, energetic and agile, and as he has settled into his foster home, his cheeky personality has really started to come through. He is very bright and observant, and responds particularly well to training in the home. He already knows sit, down and leave it, is learning wait and stay, and has a good recall around the house and garden. He is extremely food motivated, and he enjoys long lasting chews and activities that give him something to think about. He is less interested in traditional dog toys and much more fascinated by whatever he can find himself, so his adopter will need to keep tempting household objects safely out of reach!

Ted has shown himself to be a very affectionate and friendly dog with people. He loves meeting people and will generally want to say hello, enjoy a fuss and find out whether they have any treats. He can be very enthusiastic with licking and affectionate mouthing, but this is playful behaviour can be redirected with appropriate training. He has been very good with older children and would be best suited to children around eight years and upwards who understand how to interact appropriately with an excitable young dog.

Ted's main area for improvement is his behaviour when walking on lead. He is strong, energetic and easily distracted outdoors, and he can become highly focused when he sees another dog. If another dog approaches while he is on lead, he may stare, jump, growl and attempt to move towards them, so this needs to be worked on. We can give some recommendations on appropriate harnesses that will help, and we also feel this will start to decrease with a more confident handler.

In comparison, his behaviour is notably different when he is settled. He has been able to relax underneath a pub table with lots of dogs around him and has watched dogs passing calmly while settled at a café or picnic area. He also now largely ignores the neighbour's dog after becoming accustomed to it.

Ted originally came from a shelter where he was sharing his space with plenty of other dogs, so he is not a dog who has simply been unable to live alongside other dogs. His current difficulty appears to be much more closely associated with being on lead, the movement of passing dogs and the excitement and frustration that this creates. His foster feels that with the right guidance and professional support, there is plenty of scope for him to make progress. He is a clever dog who learns quickly, and giving him clear boundaries, consistency and plenty of exercise is likely to make a huge difference.

Ted is a very active young dog which is not a surprise with him being a Shepherd. He also has higher enrichment requirements than some other breed types due to him being so smart, and would be particularly well suited to an active person who enjoys spending time outdoors. A semi-rural home with easy access to fields, countryside, riverside walks or other open spaces would be ideal. A busy city or heavily built-up residential area is unlikely to suit him.

Ted is already is housetrained, crate trained, travels brilliantly in the car and has settled well into his foster routine. He is super loyal, affectionate, responsive and eager to be involved with his family, and he has already shown how much he can learn in a short space of time. For someone prepared to give him that time and guidance, Ted has the potential to develop into a fantastic, devoted companion.