Description
Duma’s story is a little different from that of many dogs who come into rescue.
He was not born on the streets, nor did he spend his early life without a family. Duma actually grew up in a home with people who had known him since he was a puppy.
Unfortunately, as time passed, his family became less willing to take responsibility for his daily care. Rather than continuing to walk him, they began allowing him to wander the streets by himself.
For Duma, this meant regularly navigating roads, traffic and other dangers without anyone there to protect him.
Eventually, he came frighteningly close to being hit by a car.
Thankfully, a lovely lady happened to be passing at exactly the right moment and managed to intervene before Duma was injured.
Following his rescue, Duma was taken to the vets for a health check, vaccinated and microchipped before being placed in foster care.
It was there that his carers were able to get to know his personality properly, and Duma has certainly given them plenty to talk about.
First and foremost, Duma absolutely loves people.
He enjoys human attention and being involved in everyday activities. He is a sociable, affectionate dog who seems happiest when he can spend time around the people he knows.
In his foster home, Duma has also lived happily alongside a three year old child, demonstrating that he can be comfortable in a family environment with a young child.
This is particularly encouraging for prospective adopters with children, although, as with any dog, interactions should always be supervised and children should be taught to respect his space and boundaries.
Another lovely thing about Duma is that he is already accustomed to living inside a home.
His foster carer describes him as a clean dog who maintains good toileting habits indoors. This is a useful foundation for his future family, although a change of environment can sometimes require a little time to establish a new routine.
One of Duma’s greatest pleasures is going for walks.
He particularly enjoys having the opportunity to sniff everything around him. For Duma, a walk is not simply about getting from one place to another. It is an opportunity to investigate his surroundings, discover who or what has passed through the area, and leave a few scent markings of his own.
He enjoys marking during walks, which is a normal form of canine communication and part of how he interacts with the environment.
Sniffing is also a valuable form of mental stimulation for dogs, and Duma clearly finds it enjoyable.
A combination of regular exercise, relaxed sniffing walks, play and opportunities to explore would be a lovely way to keep him physically and mentally satisfied.
However, Duma has another rather unusual hobby that his future family should know about.
He loves climbing.
And not necessarily onto the places where dogs are normally expected to go.
Tables, furniture and other elevated surfaces are all apparently interesting possibilities in Duma’s mind. If there is somewhere higher up that he can reach, there is a reasonable chance he will consider investigating it.
This is part of what makes him such an entertaining character, but it also means his future adopters will need to be sensible about managing his environment.
Food and potentially dangerous objects should not be left where he can reach them and he should be discouraged from climbing onto surfaces where he could fall or injure himself.
Positive training and providing appropriate places for him to rest will help him learn which areas of the home are suitable for his adventures.
His enthusiasm for climbing is not limited to the house, either.
Duma absolutely loves travelling in the car.
Unfortunately, his interpretation of being a passenger is slightly different from what most drivers would consider appropriate.
If he is not properly secured, Duma may attempt to climb towards the steering wheel, apparently convinced that the driver’s position is another perfectly reasonable place for him to explore.
For obvious safety reasons, Duma must always travel securely restrained in a suitable dog harness or travel crate.
He should never be allowed to move freely around the vehicle while it is being driven.
With appropriate restraint, car journeys can remain something he enjoys without putting himself or anyone else at risk.
Duma’s combination of affection, curiosity and slightly unconventional habits makes him a particularly interesting dog.
He has already demonstrated that he enjoys family life, is comfortable living with a young child, maintains good habits indoors and appreciates being taken out for proper walks.
His future family should be prepared to continue his training, particularly around household boundaries, safe behaviour in the car and responding to instructions when something interesting catches his attention.
He would suit people who appreciate a dog with personality and do not mind having to occasionally remind him that the dining table is not a designated dog bed.
Having spent part of his life with a family who stopped providing that care, Duma now deserves a home where walks are part of the routine, his curiosity is encouraged in safe ways, and he is treated as a valued member of the household.