Philippa
Reference Number: 36228
Background: Lost
Breed: American Staffordshire X
Gender: Female
DOB: 23/9/2023
Size: Medium-Large
Weight: 30kg
Desexed: Awaiting Desex
Adoption Fee: $201
Requirements:
Experienced owners
Must meet all family members
Kids (10yrs+)
Must be only dog
Commands I know:
Sit
Meet Philippa,
About: Philippa is lovingly nicknamed the Portly Princess of the ACF, and she is seeking a home of her own where she can reign with grace, love, and a touch of sass. She loves to make friends with any person that she meets often greeting people with a big smile & wagging tail.
This happy-go-lucky gal is friendly, outgoing, and exudes confidence. However, as any true princess would, she’s got a streak of stubbornness – just to keep you on your toes (and make you giggle). Philippa adores her walks, preferring exclusive walks with her handler (no other dogs, please!) and after a brisk walk, she’ll be perfectly content to lounge about like the queen she is, soaking up cuddles and chilling.
Philippa’s perfect home would be calm and quiet, ideally with experienced owners who understand her royal quirks. While she can be a bit boisterous and strong on the lead, her cuddly and calm side is worth every ounce of effort.
Ideal Home: Philippa is best suited to live in a standalone home or farm/acerage, with a medium to large yard & high, secure fencing.
Philippa is a versatile dog who’s just as happy spending time outdoors as she is relaxing indoors with her family. She enjoys being around people but is also content with her own company.
Family: Philippa is open to meet kids from 10 years & up - she is very friendly & loves to engage with you, but she’s also boisterous and excitable, and she may accidentally knock smaller kids over during play time.
Philippa is fine to live with people who work full-time hours.
Furry Friends: Philippa must be the only dog in the home. Either through lack of social training, or past trauma in her previous home, Philippa is not interested in making dog friends & we respect her boundaries on the subject.
Unfortunately, Philippa would not be able to live with cats/pocket pets.
Training & Development: Philippa would benefit from post-adoption training such as training at home to cover basic commands/obedience & loose lead walking. If you want to delve deeper into addressing her reactivity toward other dogs, one-on-one training with a pro could be a great option. However, it’s not essential as long as you’re aware & understand that she needs to be the only dog in the home.
While Philippa is still learning her name, she does know commands such as: sit. Philippa is food motivated, and she often takes them from you gently. She can get a little stressed though, usually when she doesn't understand what you want her to do. When she is feeling a little stressed, she won't take treats from you. Philippa gets excited when she meets new people & may jump on them to greet them - this is something that we are working on with her & she is responding well to training.
We always recommend post-adoption training whether it be at home or with a professional. Training doesn’t have to be a chore – it can be a fun experience for you both, it doesn’t have to take long & is a great way for you to bond with your new pal.
Play: Philippa has mid-range energy needs & would benefit from walking, play, or exercise from 20-30mins per day to keep her happy & satisfied. Philippa is not really interested in toys, but she would enjoy food puzzles. She prefers to engage in personal play with her handlers & be involved in training sessions.
Philippa walks ok on a lead, but she can be very strong to walk, so she is best to be walked on a martingale or harness for better control. She is known to pull towards points of interest - walking should be a part of her training. While she may not like other dogs this is easily managed by walking her during non-peak hours or early in the morning.
Staff Comments: We know that not being dog social can often be a turn off for some people but Philippa is as deserving of a loving home as any dog. She has been let down by her previous owners and is trying to navigate a whole, new world. While she may not like other dogs this is easily managed by walking her during non-peak hours or early in the morning. She is a sweet girl who loves to cuddle & is very excited to make friends. She is learning new skills & is trying her best to make us all proud.
Post Adoption Life: With all animals it’s important to understand that going into a new environment with new people may not be as seamless as we want it to be. It’s important to know that these animals have unknown histories - most are left in the shelter by their owners. The information we have is from observing the animal’s behaviours & reactions to certain stimuli whilst in our care. Adopted animals can take up to 3 months to properly decompress from post-shelter life & a lot of behaviours & quirks may surface during this time. All that we ask is that their new owners have an open mind & are patient.
