26/12/2024
Rita - 2-year-old Belgium Malinois bitch being fostered in Gloucestershire in adult family home with other dogs, visiting dogs and people.
Before you even think about applying for Rita please read her full profile - She is a very special lovely dog and because of the time and love invested into her to get her to this point please give us the respect of not being a time waster or applying for a dog that you as a family are not suitable.
To save some time you reading all of this if you are looking for a guard dog stop reading now, she would be useless. She will need another dog and proper rescue people who are experienced and understand intelligent working dogs ie Collies, GSD etc.
Rita's past is unknown picked up as a puppy in April 2023 in Spain as a stray she has been first living with a group of other rescue dogs and then later on in September 2024 brought to the Rescue's kennels which is where I first met her.
A little back story we have been working with the Charity Noahsarc she was saved and kept safe for over 12 years now.
Although we do not home from Spain anymore since the UK got so terrible and being only a small foster based rescue we are heart breakingly turning away dogs in UK on a daily basis because of lack of space.
BUT !! Gilly twice a year spends holidays in Spain with her dogs and always volunteers at Noahsarc with the lovely friends she has there.
This October was no difference but her friend kept saying wait until you meet Rita a Belgium Malinois.
Must admit not keen not my first choice of breed especially for a small foster home based rescue they come with many problems mainly cause by the idiots who get hold of them, try to train them to be protection dogs or bite dogs do it all badly and you end up with a screwed up extremely intelligent, sensitive breed who is completely confused what is right or wrong.
When I first met Rita, she did not even know how to walk on a lead, she was so very nervous, unsure and no difference to any other rescue dog who has been dumped by humans like rubbish and never known love properly.
But I could see why my friend knew I would love her - everything about her cried out please help me I will try really hard and be brave if you help me trust you.
So, for the next 6 weeks in Spain, I spent loads of time with Rita with the help of the Noahsarc team we got her used to walking on lead, jumping in the van and then eventually going out and about.
This was in the beginning terrifying for her but she is a bright clever dog and each time got easier. I
took her home to where we were living in Spain to meet my dogs to make sure she was going to be safe with them.
The first time I took her back she was very scared about coming into the home the second time she could not wait to get in, she had walks with our dogs she never put a foot wrong temperament wise with people, dogs everyone was so helpful in Spain my friends helped mix her with their dogs, the volunteers in Charity Shop in Spain made such a fuss of her with treats and love, so many people involved in her story which got her to the next stage the life line of a foster home in UK.
When I first met her in Spain
https://youtube.com/shorts/uGwmKt6BkBo?si=YOtDF64d08rUSwcQ
https://youtube.com/shorts/LX5b1OcXuCA?si=mFvPG334MkU8zK1v
With my friend
https://youtube.com/shorts/X81b-3E38yQ?si=1pDHddGry2RB62lb
She very easily convinced me I should help her
https://youtube.com/shorts/00_psalxKzo?si=jzF9x1KOB2RfOy5y
Those first walks out of the kennels in Spain
https://youtube.com/shorts/OfsHz7Npe8o?si=_LDFguuSmiB-6O0M
The lovely volunteers in the Charity shop were so kind as she was so nervous
https://youtube.com/shorts/FyerVit2ozw?si=VgkD0ATyUEjJZPXW
https://youtube.com/shorts/p5AqsfNEK1U?si=odPgajqNOEmJQtIU
We then started to bring her back to where we were staying and introduce her to our dogs
https://youtube.com/shorts/SA-9yJhu38E?si=FG848u0y07ySuQxB
She smashed it bless her
https://youtube.com/shorts/8t_x9EZGCho?si=UQbThqggstTXozVN
https://youtube.com/shorts/RYWaw1UMqVs?si=6jqvXmbTlqtS4Zfj
In the flat for the first time
https://youtube.com/shorts/3Mk10AplQvo?si=0e0R8B2vM-O_q4dO
This was the second time and she remembered where we were
https://youtube.com/shorts/NsJYfhayH2E?si=CT0lNfUVkwNIvUWB
So lovely Rita arrived in UK 3rd December with Harrison, another lovely boy who we threw a life line too.
We have spent the last few weeks just letting Rita get used to home living, walks, meeting new people, just learning to live a normal pet dog life.
She was very bonded with Harrison when she arrived but soon became best friends with Lucy, in fact the 3 of them that first week they played and played - we were lucky to have access to a secure field where they just had fun and slowly decompressed.
When she first arrived
https://youtube.com/shorts/D0VRClxCh84?si=Xs6lNtnoxYEROqLn
With her friend Harrison when they first arrived with foster dad
https://youtu.be/WyttlF3SyfQ?si=PR4u8SrN2maYdIrg
Both Rita & Harrison although not kenneled together did develop a lovely bond and Lucy was soon accepted as part of that
https://youtube.com/shorts/pjLuNsB2diA?si=0NJ-0F6yilLoHqzL
https://youtube.com/shorts/jQTsv9JGZyk?si=IVE1a393S_Q1YSqW
Harrison then joined his forever family.
So, we continued with Rita exposing her to more people and more dogs on walk, baby steps her confidence grew, she was soon off lead in public places, pubs, cafe's and meeting other dogs and people you would never have known her background of never being exposed to this, although there are
still signs are the lead when you go to put it on, she gets nervous and will put her head down but have ignoring this and with lots of treats she is learning nothing bad is going to happen.
She again has not put a foot wrong temperament wise, she meets lots of different dogs on her walks and always saying hello with a waggy tail, she did try to avoid people out but now does not take any notice mainly, she loves her walks especially in our woodland where the squirrels are a new thing to her and she loves running full pelt around trying to find them, seeing her forget about being scared, nervous and just relaxing and running around with Lucy her foster sister is a joy.
Out on walks in the woodland
https://youtube.com/shorts/rj1NkdNj0gQ?si=Ock-yfTAPgbxG6Nw
In the house she is very quiet, she has discovered the sofa and will lay down for hours happy and content with head on the pillow now, she is a very easy dog to live with in the home, I have taught her to sleep in a crate in the kitchen with other dogs and knows the word get in your bed, as she is still learning which are toys and which things are not ie shoes, remote controls, she sleeps peacefully at night with no issues.
She has been left for a few hours in the crate and out the crate with no issues too.
Her house training since day one she never has had an accident in the house sometimes in the morning she is reluctant to do that first wee and poo in the garden and will only do it once we go out on a walk.
She loves the Sofa
https://youtu.be/vsRxq82Gh1o?si=k3De_HbVBsZIYkfO
She soon discovered all about home comforts
https://youtu.be/pa7OzAmCpNY?si=9QB7-FlzE-ePPx36
She has accompanied us to agility classes
https://youtu.be/GGpIIqsZ8c4?si=xqc8wOWOh624I6GV
She lives with the other two dogs with no issues, Lucy her foster sister is very good with foster dogs she is an extremely confident happy dog and so good with our foster dogs and Rita has really bonded with her, our other dog a Spaniel who actually thinks he is human will usually have nothing to do with the foster dogs he just ignores them and because of this she ignores him.
She has met many other dogs in the house and out the house and is nothing but friendly.
Love playing with Lucy
https://youtube.com/shorts/r9pR_RmkqG0?si=LNSpbe64u5ZPoCPY
She spent a busy Christmas day - she got involved with the present opening and choose to stay with us with our adult children but when more family came later she was happy to say hello to everyone gently but did retreat to the sofa she loves in the other room.
Opening her Pressie
https://youtube.com/shorts/WIajqm0Pk1M?si=vJf3-FGH9Tz9kjV5
I have done training with her not a lot just basics and very gently with lots of treats for rewards as she is such a sensitive dog, she walks nicely on her lead now, she travels well in the car although jumping in and still sometimes get a bit nervous about this, her recall is good but she does get distracted by the squirrels but she will always run full circle back to you.
She sits and has learnt down. She has put on weight and grows stronger in her body and confidence every day.
She has enjoyed multiple walks on the Malvern Hill which can be quite busy, local walks and woodlands and even a day trip to the beach.
At Malvern
https://youtube.com/shorts/1aOlphgJWfk?si=CWCYMMFmnN15H0i2
Lots of people and dogs
https://youtube.com/shorts/IKfEBhdBGzs?si=VBre-VAqZNTCNXT3
https://youtube.com/shorts/NktzDV9JwiU?si=fgNgqXJBjezp_mNu
Ogmore Beach
https://youtube.com/shorts/gw0BgMjZIfc?si=MxDgwV-J1OOIjNRq
https://youtube.com/shorts/Bcn5vaQAjJk?si=695m6WmxxhLHy33D
Out locally
https://youtube.com/shorts/1g02qPqeygI?si=WdW7QlyhGvSwhud5
So that is all about Rita and her story so far.
She is pretty amazing and is very loved and cherished by her Starfish foster family and going to be a difficult one to let go as we have done a long journey to get to this point.
But unfortunately, in this world we live in there are many Rita's out there through no fault of their own stand zero chance of finding a forever home and need a life line like she has been given so once she finds her forever home there will be another one soon to replace her.
But if the right home does not come along, she will stay where she is.
Rita will need to go to an adult only home with people who have experienced of rescue dogs and dogs who are highly intelligent working dogs ie GSD, Collies, Rotties Malinois etc.
We have not exposed her to children I am sure she would be no threat but she is such a sensitive dog and needs a quiet gentle home.
So, Rita is a Belgium Malinois it's my firsthand experience of this breed.
Wary because of social media and what I have read, I am going to ignore most of that as most of the problems caused to this breed are by people who have less brain cells that the dog and cause the problems.
Having read their history they are very much like a Collie and they were actually bred in the first place to herd sheep, another very intelligent breed which often goes wrong also in the wrong home and environment.
I would say yes she is high energy and needs two good walks a day off lead.
As she settles and everything, she is being exposed to becomes normal she will need more than your normal pet dog in the way of training ie agility, hoopers, scent work somebody who enjoys doing stuff with their dog she will be ideal for.
She will need another dog, another friendly big dog for her to play with and get her confidence from she is not going to be the type of dog that will be any good as an only dog.
I have put up some videos her time in Spain and then in UK so you can see her progress and I hope to give you the essence of this special dog.
I have been fostering dogs for years and they are all special but some get that little bit more into your heart than others and the only way you can let them go is to someone can offer her exactly what she needs.
Rita is spayed, vaccinated, had her blood tests, chipped, wormed/fleaed. You can email at [email protected] for our questionnaire so we can learn more about the home you can offer her in the first instance.