Jordon Ambull x DOB 02.13 Bulgaria

Dogs that have found their forever home
CoraMc
Posts: 323
Joined: Thu 05 Jun 2014 11:07

Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns

Post by CoraMc »

After a few weeks of walking with Jordan, I'm smitten!! Kiss of love.gif

I think folks might be put off by his size (he's not a small boy but not massive either) and by his energy. In a few short weeks he's decided we're friends and although I only see him at weekends, his self assurance has grown steadily. Today I barely needed any help harnessing him and any help I have is to manage his 'puppet on a string' approach to being harness, it's all a game to him.

During his walk today, with a stick (and a small tree at one point) in his mouth, he remains calm and responsive. He listens to all you say, loves to be told he's a handsome boy and enjoys being out of kennels. If he dies become too springy, I've found this instantly resolved by giving him a stick. If you pick up his stick, he's instantly transfixed and rushes to play but I've found him very conscious of where my hand is with no even near misses as he grabs it.

Hilariously, today Jordan decided he'd rather pull a small fallen tree with him rather than the measley stick I'd found for him! He was not put off by how big it was and proudly trotted along trying to drag it. Again, with a stick in his mouth, I've found he hasn't spooked at anything nor gone Tigger like in open spaces.

After his walk today, Allison and I joined him in his kennel for cuddles. He's so voice responsive, showing us his 'sir', 'paw' and he quickly learnt to 'leave' his treasured rawhide bone when asked. He then buried it in his bed, adorable!!

For a dog savvy family, Jordan will be an immensely rewarding addition. He is lovable and keen to love. And I'm definitely falling for his charms.... Kiss of love.gif
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Hoonercat
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Joined: Sun 01 Jun 2014 09:36

Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Dartford W/E

Post by Hoonercat »

Jordan is so sweet. :smiley-gen132.gif: The welcome I got from him in his kennel yesterday was truly touching, silly-boy just wanted to play and roll around with delight while I was trying to fit his harness :D Jordan is looking fantastic and seems very happy at Gatwick, not only is his coat thicker and softer but his whole aura is different, the staff at Gatwick should be very proud of themselves (and I know he's a favourite with the girls there).
We haven't fostered Jordan for a while as Tia has been having some health problems and it was just too much for her. No fault of Jordan's at all, it was his first break for ages and he expected the Tia he knew at kennels so wanted to play but she really wasn't well enough for it. However, she is getting back to her old/younger self so I thought she was ready for another Jordan visit :D I shouldn't have worried, as Jordan was so good with her all weekend, left her pretty much alone and instead directed his play at Chelsey and myself. He's also spent the entire weekend in the house with the cats, he's excellent with them though keen to say hello whenever the chance arises and quick to run if they swing at him lol.gif I had to laugh at him last night; he was lying on the sofa to my left with the cat to my right and he thought he could get in a sneaky sniff, nearly jumped out of his skin when the cat turned to face him and hissed as he was 1 inch away from her :D Most of his time was spent with Sox, the cat who has sworn to rid the world of dogs, though by last night even the rarely seen Tabbie was comfortable enough to be in the same room, though at a safe distance.

Jordan, the cat and the ball thief :D



But enough about the cats, what about Jordan? He has been wonderful company. He was quite hyped on his walk before we got home, lots of lead grabbing and I didn't have anything on hand to distract him, though fortunately there were lots of dogs for him to say hello to. Once home he spent the first couple of hours attacking my head and face with his tongue and by early evening had settled down, after plenty of play sessions. Jordan is a clown, no doubt about it :D He's all lanky legs, looks a sight skidding around the wood floor and has some of the most comical expressions you'll see on a dog, from his serious and thoughtful head tilting to his scatty, wide-eyed excitement. I'm sitting here typing with a big grin on my face thinking of his daft antics, such as coming upstairs with me, disappearing back downstairs only for me to find him sucking on my Homer Simpson slipper :D And the remote control. And one of my exercise grips. :D But he doesn't do any damage, he's quite puppy-like but without the chewing. He can go from sleepy to playful in an instant if you instigate it, though he's not demanding of play if you're busy and will take himself off for a sleep.

Out and about Jordan does show a mistrust of strangers, and yesterday a couple of people received a low growl from him as we passed by. Not a big deal, better a dog that clearly communicates anxiety than one who springs a surprise, and people are understanding as long as you explain the reasons rather than just leaving them to draw their own conclusions. However, by today he was showing improvement and had contact with two men out on his walk. One was full of compliments having seen Jordan interacting with his own dog and asked if he could say hello. I explained that Jordan can have trust issues but the man said that's fine, my fault if anything happens and then proceeded to give Jordan a treat. Jordan didn't want the treat but still stood with the man and had contact with his hand - he seems far more relaxed with someone who has a dog with them. Shortly afterwards and my pet hate, a man walking past admiring Jordan and reached out to stroke his head, but Jordan was fine with it. :smiley-gen132.gif: The area we were walking in was fairly busy with people which seemed to help, rather than an area where you come across the odd stranger now and then.

These were my attempts to get some nice, quality shots of Jordan posing. It started off quite well...
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'Not sure I can hold it for much longer...'
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And that was the end of that... :D
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Here he is with Tia who, thanks to Jordan's respectful manner, was a much happier girl.
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And with one of the many toys/household objects that he gathered, though impressively it was only the toys that he chewed.
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And out on his walk today. I had expected to find some wonderful pictures of Jordan, only to discover that most of them had what I can only guess to be leftovers from a certain dog's tongue blurring the picture lol.gif Hmmm...
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Jordan has been an absolute pleasure. He has a lovely puppy enthusiasm mixed with the ability to be calm and relaxed when needed. He really is a clown and will have you smiling with ease. He loves to play, be it with your hands or chasing a ball in the garden or just trying to get you to chase him, and such fantastic body language that really tells you how much fun he is having, the front paw dance looks oddly cute on a dog of his size :D I honestly think he will get over his trust issues in the right hands and given time to desensitise. He needs more social contact with people, something he is getting at Gatwick, and most experienced AmBull owners will recognise and understand how to manage him and slowly up his confidence.
When I dropped him back at kennels today I went off to sign him back in, and in those few seconds one of the kennel maids was already in the kennel welcoming him back, saying Jordan is her favourite, and I know she's not the only kennel maid who's heart has been stolen by Jordan. He really is a cracker love4.gif
Last edited by Hoonercat on Sun 06 Mar 2016 21:59, edited 1 time in total.
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Hoonercat
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Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Dartford W/E Foster

Post by Hoonercat »

Just one more video, check out those dancing paws :D

Steve A

Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns

Post by Steve A »

My lovely adventures with Jordan have continued over the past few weeks. He's so good when he's out we've met other dogs on and off leads and in varying degrees of excitement /aggression Jordan is always completely unfazed and non reactive hardly giving a glance. Easy as can be on the lead. We've met a variety of people including runners , walkers and workman he seems to be gaining confidence and although he has a good look and keeps an eye on people approaching he's no longer trying to back track. On first entering the kennel he's still reserved but with gentle encouragement and the presence of his kennel worker friends we can get him harnessed. On return he's great - games and fussing ensue you become submerged by a great big, happy ,affectionate dog. Anyone offering a home will have to patiently gain his trust but I'm convinced once in place you'll not have a finer or more joyful friend. Steve A
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Hoonercat
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Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns

Post by Hoonercat »

Lovely long afternoon walk with Jordan today after another 10 minute greeting in his kennel :D Finally managed to get him off his back, attach his harness and off we went.
As always he was excellent with Tia and has pretty much given up on trying to get her to play. The first few minutes were typical Jordan,very excited to be out and wanting to play tug with his leads, then grabbing Tia's lead (run free!!!) but he soon relaxed with a bit of firm encouragement. Jordan did very well today, lots of people out and about walking their dogs and he was very good, much improved on previous outings. He did of course insist on grabbing every stick in the woods, before pulling the roots out of the river bank (he looked very proud of himself after that huge effort thumbs.gif ).
Making new friends
Making new friends
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Hoonercat
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Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns

Post by Hoonercat »

Jordan has come to spend a long weekend with us, though it seemed a shame to waste a beautiful day so we headed off to Ashdown Forest for the day. He was of course very excited to start with but was totally knackered by the end, and is still snoring away on the sofa :D We saw a huge improvement where people are concerned today, lots about and not a single murmur from Jordan.
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Hoonercat
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Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns/Dartford W/E

Post by Hoonercat »

Sadly Jordon goes back to kennels tomorrow as I promised Nessa a few days out. He has been an absolute pleasure to have here and really feels like he has settled. He is good with Tia - he still tries to get her to play occasionally, she still tells him off - but he accepts it well. He is great with the cats and walks over to say hello as if it is the most natural thing, though the cats always tell him off and he never reacts. He is very cheeky and will 'steal' things that have the potential to be chewable, though he doesn't actually chew, he just seems to use it as a comforter :smiley-gen132.gif: If you tell him 'no' or try to take it from him he sees it as a game, but if you talk to him like a naughty child 'Ooh what have you got?' he goes all shy and drops it, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself :D Even though I think we may be bestest friends, there are times when he flinches, fearing something bad is about to happen. For example yesterday he had a long cardboard tube in his mouth (which he is allowed to have) then dropped it. When I picked it up and went to play with him he dropped to the ground before scuttling away from me in fear, though I'm sure he trusts me but it's instinctive for him to fear the worst. He comes back as soon as you reassure him and only really does this if I have something in my hand, even a plastic washing liquid holder like today. So this weekend we've been working on letting him take things, giving him the naughty boy talk then lots of praise, keeping it at that level ensures he doesn't fell frightened at all.

So our walk in Ashdown Forest yesterday started with Jordon being very excited and lots of lead grabbing, though I was quick to remind him that by the time we'd finished walking I'd probably have to carry him back to the car. :D This morning's walk was completely different, out for an hour and not once did he grab the lead, he was so calm throughout and I think beginning to understand that he doesn't need to expend all his energy as quickly as possible. We said hello to the horses, and again he does this so gently, as if it's the most natural thing in the world. He wanted a face to face but while I trusted Jordon, I wasn't so sure about the horse so thought better of it.
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He's also feeling much more relaxed around strangers, again not a mumur from him today out on our walks and the more he is exposed to people the more he will learn to trust. He's been so good with the cats that he is allowed off-lead in the garden. He also managed to squeeze himself through the Tia-sized dog flap today, how he managed that I do not know :D
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I mentioned when Jordon stayed with us in November that he was possessive off attention and growled at Tia a couple of times, but he's far more settled with her now and has no problem sharing. They both sleep together at night and yes they both share cuddles and Jordon is happy to use Tia as his pillow :D
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I should also mention that he has no chase drive where the cats are concerned, one of them has just scuttled across the floor in front of him and he just sat there watching her. thumbs.gif
He does love to play whenever you offer it to him but he is just as happy cuddled up on the sofa. He has that lovely puppy feel to him but it's not constant and always welcomed - while I was in the bath this morning he was intrigued by the bubbles :D He has really improved where food is concerned and no longer tries to sit on you when you are eating :D though he still sometimes gives you those puppy dog eyes. He does need training where off-lead play is concerned as he likes to jump up a lot in his excitement and enthusiasm to get you to join in and, as much as he wants you to throw a ball for him, giving it up is soooo hard to do :D
Jordon is proving himself to be a very fast learner, especially on his walks. He's gone from super-bouncy to super-connected in a short space of time and I think that mainly comes from trust which is quickly followed by a willingness to please, he has the potential to the perfect dog for someone willing to give him a bit of time to settle. love4.gif
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Sarahk
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Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns/Dartford W/E

Post by Sarahk »

I had the pleasure of walking Jordan on Friday :D
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He's quite a cheeky lad !!!
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A bit of lead play to keep me on my toes at the start of the walk but a rope toy helped sort that out and very quickly he was walking calmly on the lead and we both enjoyed a lovely walk :D
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Chris86

Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns/Dartford W/E

Post by Chris86 »

I've been making an effort to say hello to Jordon at his kennel door since he first came to Gatwick a few months back. At first he would just bark and run out to the back of kennels, he wouldn't take treats from my hand. Gradually over time he's accepted treats from me while still giving a nice bark afterwards, but he's been nowhere near as standoffish. Yesterday was the first time he didn't bark at me at all, he took treats and was licking my hands and all the while he was happily wagging his tail and had very relaxed body language.

Today was my first time actually taking Jordon out for a walk. His favourite member of kennel staff harnessed him up for me and Jordon was happy for me to join him in his kennel. It was great to see his more relaxed attitude, he had no problems in being stroked or with me putting his leads on. Once outside he was so easy on the leads after a playful grabby start! We had a potter around in the woods where Jordon had fun chewing on as many sticks and roots as he could find, very good at moving on when asked though. He was slightly wary when he saw someone walking behind us but with some encouragement moved on. Not long after a man on a bike was stopped in the middle of the path, Jordon slunk to the side of me and used me as a shield and moved past with no issues. He seems keen to keep an eye on everything around him and much preferred the open fields to the narrow paths. He grew with confidence as time went on, going from walking beside me to exploring up front.

Jordon enjoyed a nice back scratch back in his kennel and again was happy to be stroked. This boy does a great sit for a treat, he doesn't even need to be asked! I'm glad he's decided he can trust me, I got to see more of the Jordon that I've seen in the updates in this thread. Such a lovely boy :smiley-gen132.gif:
Such a great smile!
Such a great smile!
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Jordon investigating the interesting sound of cockerels
Jordon investigating the interesting sound of cockerels
Chris86

Re: Jordon Crossbreed DOB 02.2013 Gatwick Kenns/Dartford W/E

Post by Chris86 »

Jordon greeted me at his kennel door with a big doggy smile and waggy tail this morning, he was up on two legs and licking at my hands. Inside with him I had to take it a bit slower, he was a bit anxious and did give some nervous barks at me. I gave him some space to get used to me, today the familiar faces of his kennel staff friends weren't there. Gradually he started to come around and approached me for some yummy cheese before going back to his bed, still clearly wary but no more barking. He allowed me to put the harness over his head then he had a nice little chew on the straps. The thing that seemed to settle him the most was when I offered him his rope toy, not wanting to push him too much we had a little game of tug and then I let him be while sitting next to him on his bed. Next thing I know Jordon was bumping his head into my arm then climbing onto my lap for cuddles. From then on his whole body language changed, he was very happy to be stroked and that wonderful puppy side of his personality came out. I knew he'd relaxed fully when he started rolling around pleading for belly rubs with lots of gentle play mouthing woo.gif] Great to see him opening up like that.

Again Jordon had a bit of lead play at the start of our walk but soon was more focused on chewing branches :smiley-rolleyes010.gif: Lots of encouragement for him as he tends to stop and make sure there's no one sneaking up behind us. We managed a full loop today, he turned back a few times but with a gentle pull and more encouragement he moved on nice and confidently. He was interested when a jogger passed us and he just had to keep his eye on her as she disappeared into the distance, the only time he pulled on the walk! He was also great when waiting for a horse to pass us, he was so calm.

Back in his kennel he instantly jumped into his bed, legs up in the air and it was belly rub/play time again! I sat with him for a while, he decided to climb up on my lap once more to give me some sloppy kisses and lots and lots of big hugs as he lent into me. It was sad saying goodbye to him as I love seeing him in this way instead of the fearful dog I've watched in his kennel for months. It's an ongoing process but he's definitely showing more trust with me after these last two walks, something that seems to be key with Jordon.
Cheeky boy
Cheeky boy
"MY stick!"
"MY stick!"
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