Hopper

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Hopper originally came to us in 2023 in quite a poor state, being underweight and sores all over his body. His left leg was injured on arrival which made it hard for him to walk on, making him hop. Finding his new name Hopper to start his fresh new life.

Hopper was later seen at a specialist and diagnosed with having either; a previous trauma to the leg that has healed incorrectly, or a rare condition he was born with (similar to prises disease in humans). As we don’t have his full previous history it was hard for the vet to say but currently have taken a conservative approach, given how mild it was and currently is at the time, surgery would be a last resort such as amputation of the whole leg. Hopper is currently on medication (anti-inflammatory meloxicam) when it flares up or paracetamol as this can be gentler for long time use. When it comes to treatment regarding exercise it is still said for short frequent walks, however this can be adjusted accordingly to him as he does better with one long one (around an hour). I would also recommend the owner look into osteopathy and hydrotherapy and a good quality diet with supplements to support him.

After spending a few months out in a home, he has sadly returned back to us due to the owner struggling with his behaviour and became anxious to walk him. Hopper showed reactivity towards other dogs on walks and was said to be aggressive. He was muzzled previously, however, after having multiple dog mixes and walks with other dogs at the centre, we have seen no issues, and with some proper introduction we haven’t needed to use it.  Hopper is a gentle, slightly sensitive dog and can find rough and tumble play uncomfortable especially with larger dogs.  While in the home he would struggle like most dogs do, having a rude off lead dog charging up to him or passing dogs while road walking. Here he will give a normal correction when uncomfortable but nothing over the top. A little bit of management to advocate for both dogs is all that's needed.

He is finding his feet again here but hasn’t changed much from when he was first here. He is settled and always happy in the kennels snoozing in his oversized bed although enjoys spending as much time as he can get outside of this. In new environments hopper is curious but calm, settles beautifully, whether that's hanging out in the staffroom with another dog and the cat or in the offices/reception sleeping or watching everything go by.

When it comes to people, he is very friendly, occasionally slightly shy, but always lovely and polite when meeting all the staff. Hopper is sweet meeting anyone new and good at finding any treats they have on them. He is very gentle when greeting and loves nothing more than to lay next to you for some fuss.  If he could, he would lay on your bed or sofa for hours.

Hopper gets very excited to get out of his kennel; he is never boisterous when getting him ready but does the typical lurcher antics such as sliding around the floor and lying down, acting like a deer on ice. He enjoys his walks and although he pulls a little to start with he soon settles into walking nicely.  He is a typical lurcher, requiring 1-2 hours exercise twice a day and a bed or sofa to lie on during the day. Sometimes if he over does it, sprinting around our paddock to hard, this is when he starts to limp and lie down.

In his previous home he was a delight and easy going within the home. Once settled in, he learnt a few basics but will need refreshing.  His housetraining was mostly perfect before leaving. He travels beautifully and after a walk will sleep on the return journey. He was left sporadically each day for around 1-4 hours and was fine. He is pretty calm and settles in places quite easily

He could live with young children but is best suited to children that have been around or lived with dogs before and can be gentle and calm with and around him.

We would recommend owners who have previously had a dog or are experienced with dogs. If new to dog ownership, we would recommend doing a little research on lurchers and sighthounds; what they are like to live with and care for. He isn't a very difficult dog but is looking for a relaxed confident owner that is able to put in a bit of work if issues around other dogs start up again. Depending on your experience an easily anxious handler won't help, especially when it comes to advocating for him in the real world. We believe he would be a good candidate for controlled group walks with friends and dogs to build his confidence.

The adoption fee for Hopper is £250.00 

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