Stanley  

Stan the Man

Stanley is 13 years of age and has the most melting brown eyes. He’s a calmer gentleman, often overlooked due to Holly’s exuberance and forward nature. Having been a little wary of coming forward in the early days, it soon became apparent what a love bug Stanley is. His overwhelming desire is to be your bestie; whether out on a walk or if invited (he never presumes), to curl up on the sofa for snuggles. Stanley is a real companion, happy to fit into your day, whatever it is you’re doing.

 

Car journeys are possibly a new experience, so he is a little unsure, but travels quite well, securely fastened. He shows no sign of travel sickness and whilst he may need a little lift in, he’s not unwilling. 

 

Stanley is dog friendly and has shown no issues with dogs he has met. He can be barky on first meeting, but this seems to be excitement. Once initial introductions via a short walk are made, it’s clear he just wants to be friends, and has settled with both a neutered male, spayed female and a recent new unspayed foster female with ease. He shows no issues meeting dogs outside the home.

 

People are just an opportunity for a fuss, and Stanley appears especially drawn to men, but shows no aversion to anyone. His current foster home does not have children, but those he has met on trips out he has greeted gently and calmly. However, with his age and less bouncy nature it would be sensible to seek a home with teenage or no children. As he gets older he may not appreciate the higher noise and energy levels of a busy home.

 

Stanley walks nicely on the lead, with just a little pull on leaving the house due to excitement. Once out he settles well into a walk that both he and his handler will enjoy. He has good fitness for an older chap and does enjoy a walk. His recall is also good, but this has not been tested in open expanses in foster.

As Border Terriers have specific dietary needs Stanley is fed twice a day on a grain free diet (currently Harrington’s) and is an ideal weight for his size/breed. It is important to maintain this as he is showing some early signs of arthritic changes in his hind end, but not sufficient to require pain relief. A new owner may wish to explore supplements with their vet, but regular exercise and a sensible weight are primary.

 

Stanley also has a small area of hair loss on his tail. This has been examined by the vet and ‘may’ indicate thyroid changes. As we do not have access to any veterinary history for Stanley it has been advised to monitor this loss, and should it progress or be of greater concern then blood tests may be required in time. 

 

Stanley does have a couple of minor issues, which as a rescue we are always honest about, but we believe these are likely to improve in a new settled and long-term environment where he rebuilds trust and security.

 

Stanley is not always clean at night. He chooses not to go upstairs at night, despite this being permitted. He is happy to sleep in a dog bed in the lounge, and accidents have been restricted to the kitchen. This has been managed with puppy pads. 

 

We suspect Stanley’s previous owner may have been at home a lot of the time, as Stanley does seem to struggle a little with being left. This has improved in foster, but it would be great if a home could be found where someone was at home much of the time, except perhaps for shopping and trips out. A retired couple or single person would be an ideal home for Stanley where he was the focus of all your love. Or perhaps sharing a home with an older friendly female companion who won’t boss him as much as Holly.