Bella has been adopted!
The rescue community lost a giant when Scott Somerlade passed away unexpectedly. Many dogs came into Save Me and found their happy new lives because of the efforts of Scott and his wife Heather. Scott had a huge soft spot for the hounds and in his memory Bella has been sponsored by members of Save Me. Scott leaves a legacy of compassion and love.
Bella is a happy, energetic, affectionate, playful Beagle-Boxer cross. Take a look at her video – it will tell you more about her then can words. Just go to: https://youtu.be/12Tcuvo3pOY.
Bella is between two and three years of age. She has the innocent playfulness of a puppy. Everything is fun and exciting for her. She weighs just over 20 pounds so is easily picked up. She is house trained and pretty good on a leash. She does not chew and is not destructive. She loves going for car rides and is well behaved in the car.
She is eager to please and good with basic commands. She is very smart and food driven and will no doubt learn any new commands easily.
Bella loves to be outside playing and needs space to run off her energy. A secure fully fenced yard of a moderate to large size is essential. Bella is not suitable for an apartment, town house, or home with a small yard.
In the house, Bella is a major lap dog and needs a home that will welcome her on the couch and the family bed. At night, she loves to burrow deep under to covers and cuddle up close to her bed-mate. She has been known to sleep with her head on a pillow and body under the covers. If you sit down on the couch or chair, be ready for Bella to want to join you. It is hard to say no to those eyes. She can be a bit of a shadow, trying to keep track of where everyone is in the house. That said, with a bit of encouragement, she will go to her bed and chew a bone or have a sleep.
One of her favourite pass times is selecting toys from the toy basket and carrying them around the house. The basket is quickly emptied. She loves to be played with. She is always up for a game of tossing toys around, or tug. She is learning to play fetch, but there are no promises she will bring the ball back to you. She really enjoys going for walks and exploring the world.
While currently happily living with three dogs, Bella would likely also be happy to be the only dog in the house, provided members of her new family play with her. She is not a dog that can be ignored and left to amuse herself.
As you can see in the video, Bella is very playful and respectful with other dogs. However, this is once she knows them. With new dogs (including those she might see on a walk), she gets agitated. This manifests itself through shaking, barking, lunging and attempts to nipp. An approved adopter will have to commit to working with a trainer to learn techniques needed to make walking Bella a pleasant and safe experience for everyone. Careful attention will have to be given to her when she is walked until fully trained.
If left alone, Bella will bark. Because of this, she is best in a home where she will not have to be alone very often. This is another reason why she is not appropriate for an apartment or townhouse. While training might address this, it is an important factor to consider if you think Bella might be the right dog for you.
Because of the training needs, Bella might not be a good choice for a first time dog owner.
Bella is not crate trained, and would likely not be suitable for a crate.
She is spayed and up to date on her shots.
We are not aware of whether she has any experience with children under the age of 12, but have no reason to think she would not fine with them.
She has some limited exposure to cats and seems fine with them.
Bella was lovingly fostered by Bob.
