Wanda

Wanda is a 5-month-old puppy who is looking for a dedicated and understanding home to help her grow in confidence. She can feel conflicted when meeting new people—keen to interact but still unsure—so she’ll need a patient family committed to helping her feel safe and secure as she develops. Wanda is wary around unfamiliar dogs and has only known her littermates so far, meaning careful, positive introductions will be important. She cannot live with cats or small furries but could live with older, secondary school-aged children who understand how to behave around a large, sensitive dog, adopters should be mindful that Wanda will grow into a large/giant breed when she reaches adulthood. She has a medium energy level and will need all aspects of puppy training, including housetraining, socialisation, and confidence building, particularly as she currently finds traffic worrying. A secure outdoor space would be highly beneficial for her to explore and relax safely.

Is Wanda right for you?

Wanda is currently in our Home Stay scheme and not based at the centre while she waits for her forever family. She is not yet comfortable being left alone and can become distressed, so any leaving time will need to be introduced gradually and with care. Wanda gains reassurance from being around her siblings and may benefit from living with a calm, well-balanced dog (neutered if male) who can help guide her, although adopters should be aware she has shown some food guarding behaviours and will need appropriate management, such as being fed separately. Wanda would suit a committed home that can provide time, patience, and consistency, along with gentle exposure to the world to help her overcome her worries. With the right support, she has the potential to blossom into a confident and loyal companion.

HELP ME FIND A HOME

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How our rehoming process works

Create an account and fill out our application form

In our form you can tell us all about your home, your lifestyle and the kind of dogs you’re interested in. You won’t be applying for a specific dog, but you can add favourites to give us an idea of the dogs you like. We’ll use this information to find a great match for …

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Choose a rehoming centre

We’ll also ask you to select a rehoming centre. The team at this centre will look after your application and assess you against all suitable dogs in their care. This doesn’t have to be your nearest centre, but you will need to travel there within a few days once we’ve found …

We’ll review your application

We’ll review your application against the dogs in our care at your chosen centre. If we think we have the right dog for you, we’ll be in touch as soon as possible. If we don’t hear back from you, we will close your application for now, and you can reapply when you’re …

We’ll keep your application open for three months and keep looking for a match

If we don’t have a dog for you right now, we’ll keep your application open for three months and keep you in mind for any new dogs that arrive. If within this time you see another dog you are interested in, you won't need to apply again but you can amend your application by …

When we find a match, we’ll invite you to meet them

If we’ve found a dog who seems right for you, we’ll invite you to come and meet them at the rehoming centre.

Some of the dogs in our care will need to meet potential owners several times to get to know one another. This lets us see you’re compatible and gives you …

If we’ve found a dog who seems right for you, we’ll invite you to come and meet them at the rehoming centre.

Some of the dogs in our care will need to meet potential owners several times to get to know one another. This lets us see you’re compatible and gives you the chance to build a bond before making a commitment to give them a new home. By taking some time at the beginning to make sure everyone’s comfortable, an adoption is more likely to be successful.

We may also arrange a home visit with you, to see how your house will be set up and check that the garden (if you have one) is secure. This may not be necessary, though, especially if you’ve adopted from us before. Where you already have dogs, we may accept a reference from your vet as an alternative.

If we haven’t found the right match, we’ll continue the search together

If we haven’t found the right dog for you within three months, we’ll let you know your application is closed. We’ll invite you to apply again so we have up-to-date information about you, and we’ll keep looking.

We’ll support you to embark on a new life with your dog

When we’ve matched you with a dog, we’ll help you welcome them to your home. After adoption we’ll keep in touch to see how you and the dog are doing. If you need any advice or support, we’re just a phone call away.

With our free behaviour support, our Canine Care …

Key information

Location

Dogs Trust Basildon (Essex)
Nevendon Road
Wickford
Essex
SS12 0FH
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Opening hours

We’re open for general browsing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 12–4pm. Wednesday and Friday mornings are by pre-arranged appointment only.