Corrie

Corrie is bright, affectionate, friendly, inquisitive, energetic and extremely nose-led.

He is something of a Velcro dog with his person and loves being involved in whatever they are doing. That said, an interesting scent can quickly become very important to his Spaniel brain! For now, we are keeping Corrie on a very long line while we continue building our own relationship and recall with him.

A Working Cocker who needs a job:

Corrie is not a low-maintenance Spaniel who will be satisfied with a quick walk around the block and then entertain himself for the rest of the day. He needs somebody with time, energy and imagination, and most importantly, something worthwhile to do — ideally in teamwork with his person.

Search games, scent work, retrieving, hide-and-find games, training and exploring new environments would all provide excellent outlets for his natural Working Cocker instincts.

Corrie goes to our sanctuary site with Mark every day and absolutely loves it. He gets freedom on his long line, interesting smells, games, interaction and plenty of attention.

His previous family gave him around 1½–2 hours of exercise each day, including opportunities for running, searching and fetch-style games.

But simply exhausting Corrie physically is not the answer. He needs a balance of using his body, using his brain and learning when it is time to do absolutely nothing.

When that balance is right, he settles beautifully.

Structure and boundaries:

Corrie thrives on routine, consistency and clear boundaries. He needs somebody kind and confident who will guide him calmly rather than turn things into a confrontation. He responds to a useful range of cues including sit, stay, place, off, recall and a strong “leave it”.

Resource guarding:

Corrie has a history of resource guarding, particularly around food or items he has picked up. His previous family made good progress with this. The important rule is: swap rather than grab.

If Corrie has something he should not have, a positive exchange using a high-value treat alongside his “leave it” cue is much better than simply reaching in and taking it.

He enjoys picking things up and may carry shoes, toys or other treasures around.

His communication:

Across Corrie’s six years there have been a small number of infrequent defensive incidents in particular circumstances. Most were low-level and did not break the skin or require medical treatment. On a couple of occasions Corrie used his teeth to communicate more firmly and the skin was punctured, but not severely.

His known areas of sensitivity have included:

• valued items being taken from him
• being disturbed while resting
• handling around his neck or collar
• handling his paws
• grooming
• people continuing an interaction after he had already shown discomfort

We take this history seriously, but it does not describe a dog who routinely goes looking for conflict. Corrie generally communicates first. His person needs to notice the quieter message so that he never feels the need to shout.

Handling and trust:

Corrie needs a little time to build trust with new people, particularly before they begin handling him around his neck or putting equipment on him. His previous family normally used a slip lead day-to-day, and Corrie has never particularly enjoyed wearing a harness.

Treats and positive associations help enormously. Rather than immediately reaching for his collar or physically manoeuvring him, he does much better when a relationship is built first. If he becomes uncomfortable: pause, listen and find another way.

Grooming:

Corrie is sensitive about grooming, particularly his paws, neck and coat. His previous family believe he may have had an unpleasant experience with professional grooming when younger, as he initially coped well but became increasingly anxious over time.

Home grooming was managed slowly using high-value distractions such as lick mats, treats or peanut butter. He also isn’t fond of being dried after a bath.

For Corrie, grooming needs to be cooperative rather than confrontational — little and often, rewarding participation and stopping before he becomes overwhelmed.

Prey drive:

Corrie has a very high prey drive. Wildlife is extremely exciting to him and his previous family reported that rabbits, deer, sheep and ducks could all switch on his chase instinct.

His recall had improved considerably with his previous family, but we are currently keeping Corrie on a very long line while we establish our own relationship with him. His future family will need to continue managing this sensibly rather than assuming previous recall will automatically transfer to a new person.

A secure garden is an absolute must.

What we are seeing in foster:

Corrie is a very nice, friendly dog who loves his people, enjoys attention and wants to be involved in life.

He particularly loves accompanying Mark to the sanctuary site each day, where he can explore, use his nose and join in with whatever is going on.

He is energetic and requires commitment, but he is also proving that when his needs are met and he is given proper downtime, he settles really well.

His crate has become an excellent relaxation space during both the day and night, although he is equally happy on a dog bed, sofa or armchair.

What really lights Corrie up is having something interesting to do with his human.