Bitsey

Bitsey is a pedigree Jack Russell Terrier bred in England, 5kg, fully sighted and born on 11 September 2022. She is fostered in Norfolk.

Bitsey is a typical plucky, happy little Terrier: very smart and with bags of character, an adorable brown eye patch and spotty ears.

In terms of training and socialisation, Bitsey is still a work in progress and we are looking for a home who are happy to continue nurturing and training Bitsey, ideally one with experience with terriers.

Bitsey is very curious and loves to explore.  She walks on lead beautifully and does not pull. She is happy to walk with familiar and unfamiliar dogs and has never shown any reactivity to strange dogs.   She has a medium energy level: will walk for miles or will be happy with a short walk.  She loves to be in the garden ‘doing stuff’ with her humans and will join in with all your activities.

Bitsey had not lived with other dogs before she came into foster, but is now living with 4 others, one of which is a bit reactive, two deaf, and one a bouncy large Australian Cattle Dog puppy.  She has coped amazingly well and has negotiated her way through showing good social skills!  She does get a little overwhelmed when playing with the puppy and will see him off but is getting more tolerant and confident every day.  Her fosterer monitors play and is helping her manage, calling her away if she gets over excited and anxious.

Bitsey has shown two episodes of resource guarding over her safe place/nest when she nipped at the foster carers hand. Both instances can be explained due to her history and may also link to being recently spayed, as her hormones were still adjusting.  Her foster carer is an experienced accredited Behaviourist so is very happy to explain the background for these behaviours and offer advice and ongoing support to her new guardians.  But due to these episodes she cannot be rehomed with children.

Bitsey is fine with food and has never shown any guarding, even with the other dogs waiting for her to finish so they can rush in to lick the bowl!  Bitsey is learning to access food when scatter feeding, this is a brilliant answer simple form of mental stimulation for her, she loves it and works happily around the 4 other dogs.

Bitsey is excellent in the car, she travels in a crate and settles immediately.

Bitsey is crate trained and will go into her crate in the kitchen at night with the door closed and will sleep through the night. She will also take herself off to her crate in the day with the door open. She can be left for up to 3/4 hours and settles in her crate.  She is calm in the day and will settle when you are working.

She is clean at night and there have been no accidents in the house.

As far as we know Bitsey has not lived with cats.  Her foster carer says:  I would think with correct introductions inside she would be okay, as she is quite respectful of the older (grumpy!) dogs and has learnt to keep away. So a dog savvy cat may be OK.  She is a Terrier and does react to excessive movement/speed/ over excited play, so think she may chase, however this might come on as her self-control builds.

Bitsey is lovely to train, she is bright and picks things up quickly. At the moment she does not have much recall but that will come as she builds engagement with her new guardians, she likes to be near her people so never strays far. She is walked on a lead or long line.

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