Duke: male dog to adopt

Duke is a medium sized mixed breed dog aged around three years old. Duke was found wandering around the fields outside a private shelter in Romania looking scared and confused. Despite being shy, Duke really wanted to be saved. After a few days of building his trust, he followed a volunteer straight in through the shelters gates. This was around 2 years ago and we’ve only now had the space to take him here in a UK foster home. Duke is a sweet and mild mannered boy, he’s initially a little wary of strangers but extremely affectionate once he knows you. Duke really does not take long to warm up to new friends, in half a day he will be on your lap. Duke was initially scared of walking through doorways suggesting that he had never been in a house before but he cracked this very quickly and soon after that discovered the joys of the sofa. Duke still shows some signs of past trauma in that he appears to have nightmares. He will jump awake or yelp suddenly from a deep sleep and seek his foster family out for a cuddle and reassurance, but this is becoming less frequent as time goes on. Duke might look a lot like a collie mix but he doesn’t act like one. He is very lazy in the home and prefers to cuddle on the sofa or lounge in the garden when it’s sunny. He enjoys his walks and lollops along in an ungraceful gangly stride. He is gaining confidence on his walks daily but is still scared of loud traffic and needs reassurance from his foster family. He is wary of strangers on walks and will stick close to his family for comfort. He has started to initiate play with his foster family and will play bow at us but is totally baffled by the concept of toys. Duke mixes well with all of the dogs in his foster home and is very popular. He would like another dog in his forever home. He totally ignores the cat in his foster home. He could live with quiet and respectful children aged twelve plus.

Duke fostered Royston Herts.

If you are interested please message or call between 9am to 5pm Mon – Fri or 9am to 4pm Sat. Tel 07788251197 / 07899844524.

From 1st June 2025 our adoption fees are Puppies £500 with £100 rebate on spay proof provided, Adult neutered dogs and bitches £400, Seniors over 10 reduced fees £100-250.

Adoption Policy

When you adopt a Safe Rescue dog, you MUST use a slip lead. This will keep your dog safe: your new dog will be nervous and will not trust you, and you will not know which situations might upset your dog. If your dog panics, then a slip lead is the only way to prevent your dog from escaping (many dogs can escape from a collar and/or harness). It will take AT LEAST 3-6 months for your dog to settle-in and for you to know your dog fully (longer for nervous dogs). The slip lead must ALWAYS be used during this settling-in period.

Even after your dog is settled, it is safest to use the slip lead in situations where your dog may become scared (e.g. visiting new places, around unfamiliar people, at the vet), and it situations where unexpected triggers might happen (e.g. around bonfire night). Nervous dogs may always need to wear a slip-lead as a back-up safety measure.

The slip lead is a safety device and must NEVER be used as a training tool. Using the lead to apply pressure to the dog’s neck is damaging. If your dog pulls on the lead, then we can advise you on training methods that avoid harm.

Once your dog is settled, you may want to consider using a harness (together with the slip lead) if your dog is comfortable with being handled when it is fitted. Most harnesses are not escape-proof, but harnesses with a strap behind the ribcage (e.g. Ruffwear Webmaster or Perfect Fit Harnesses) are safer.

Retractable / extendable leads must never be used on our dogs.

Adopted dogs must be collected from the rescue and transported straight home in a crate.

Fences and gates must be 5ft min & secure. All dogs are vaccinated, microchipped and neutered (unless the dog is too young to be neutered).