Ella - 4 year old Blue Staffy x with Hope Rescue

Ella is a 4 year old blue and white staffie cross and is currently on foster in Taffs Well, RCT.

The Ella Fact File

Dog status: Could live with another dog but is reactive to some dogs when outside
Cat status: Not suitable to live with cats
Child status: Loves people and could be rehomed with children over 8 years old
Home alone: Happy to be left with canine company
Basic training: Excellent manners, knows basics and walks nicely on the lead.

Ella is a beautiful lady but you need to look past her colour and smile to see that Ella is a special girl in herself and will need a dedicated new owner to help her find her confidence.



Ella is in foster with another dog and gets on great with him. She was also in foster with another Hope dog and has been good with family dogs she has met. She was also an active member of the kennel walks while she was in boarding and was assessed as dog friendly. However now she has had chance to settle she has shown that she can be fearful and reactive to dogs on walks. If Ella was to live with another dog there would need to be careful introductions initially and the resident dog would need to be calm and well mannered. Unfortunately while it would be lovely for Ella to live with another Staffy or similar she may find their exuberance too much to cope with. As with many fearful dogs if the initial meeting is controlled then her confidence will grow and she will be more likely to accept the other dog isn’t a threat.



Her fosterer is working hard with Ella to socialise her in a positive way and has changed the walking route to an area where there are less dogs and using a combination of BAT and LAT training to show Ella that dogs are not scary and that she has a choice to turn away rather than confront and that other dogs mean yummy treats and good things. On this kind of walk she has been much calmer and is slowly improving. Ella is very much work in progress with this and her new family will need to continue the gentle introduction of dogs outside the house and the association between “new dog and good things”. Ella is probably not suitable as a first time dog but most importantly she needs a new owner who is prepared to work with her at her own pace.

Unfortunately Ella is over curious with cats and while not formally tested would be best rehomed without cats.

So what makes Ella tick – people! Ella loves everybody so much so that she gets upset if someone doesn’t want to say hello and give her a pet. She wants nothing more than to have cuddles with every single person that comes to the house and has been kind to the children she has met. She can be excitable when people first come into the room with her and she can jump up etc. However, she is not a demanding dog and after some attention and a walk she will happily spend the day lying on the sofa and relaxing. As we have no previous history for Ella as she was a stray in the local pound and she is not in foster with children we are looking for a home where the children if present are over 8 years old.

Ella walks well on the lead and is walked in a harness at the moment. She knows some of the basics e.g. “sit” and “down”. She is also well mannered around the house e.g. when you are having food she just sits quietly on the floor and if you hand feed her food she also takes it very gently. She has not been off lead due to her dog issues. Ella is fully house trained, travels well in the car and is happy and waggy at the vets. She can be left alone with another dog for company and is generally fine but if left with no company she becomes very upset and can be destructive. If she did live with another dog and was given adequate walks she could be left for longer periods and may suit a full time worker with a break in the middle of the day.. Ella loves her toys and chews and we do think that she may nibble on the furniture if bored!

In summary, Ella needs a home that understands her need for careful introductions with other dogs. They will need to ensure that they are responsible when walking her given her current reactiveness and therefore keep her on a lead when other dogs are around. Ella could live in a home with another dog if introductions were made correctly. However, if she did not live with another dog the new home would need to be mindful of how long they leave her as she can become anxious and destructive when left completely alone.



Overall, Ella is a lovely friendly girl who loves people and is a pleasure to have around the house. She just needs someone who is understanding and can be patient with her when meeting other dogs on walks.

All Hope Rescue dogs are neutered, vaccinated, wormed, flea treated and microchipped prior to rehoming. A homecheck will be required, and you will need to come and meet the dog with your own dogs and family. Hope Rescue rehomes throughout the UK. A Pre-Home Interest Form can be downloaded from www.hoperescue.org.uk and should be returned to dogs@hoperescue.org.uk