Bella

Meet beautiful Bella, a highly intelligent girl with bags of personality who is looking for an experienced, understanding home where she can feel secure and continue to thrive.

Bella is an incredibly clever girl who picks up training very quickly. She has already made some lovely progress while being in the home environment , including learning to take treats gently, and with the right person we feel she has lots of potential. Bella does have some behaviours that her new family will need to understand and be prepared to work with. Most importantly, Bella must be the only dog in her new home, as the only dog in the household she is noticeably more relaxed. Bella also shows signs of anxiety, which can present as pacing and barking, particularly around exciting or stressful situations. She will need a patient owner who can help her build her confidence and provide her with consistency and routine. Food is a particularly exciting subject for Bella! She can become very worked up when she knows her meals are being prepared, pacing and barking while she waits. She is also an opportunistic food thief and will help herself if food is left within reach. She currently benefits from using a slow feeder and will need continued training around food and mealtimes.

We are looking for an experienced adult home, ideally with someone who has previous experience of Huskies and/or Akitas. Bella is a wonderful, funny girl with so much character. Bella loves her toys, particularly balls she can chew, a Kong filled with frozen yoghurt and playing with her flirt pole in the garden. She even loves ice cubes! She is learning to enjoy her walks and absolutely loves taking her time to sniff and investigate everything around her. She can initially feel anxious when her harness is being put on, but some tasty treats and reassurance help her settle. She has also started enjoying secure enclosed fields where she can have the freedom to run and explore. Car journeys are another favourite — Bella loves sitting on the back seat, looking out of the window, enjoying the fresh air and watching the world go by.

At home, Bella loves being close to her people and doesn’t particularly enjoy being left downstairs on her own. Given the opportunity, she would quite happily sleep on your head at night! She enjoys affection but can also communicate when she has had enough by nipping, so her new owner will need to understand and respect her boundaries. Bella doesn’t mind having a bath, particularly when there’s a lick mat involved to keep her occupied. And then there’s Bella’s personality… she’s sassy, vocal and certainly knows how to talk back! She has the cutest little awoo, complete with foot stamping when she has something to say.

Bella’s ideal home: Must be the only dog in the home, An experienced adult home, Previous Husky/Akita or similar breed experience preferred, Someone confident and committed to continuing her training, A calm, consistent home that can help her manage her anxiety, Understanding around her food-related behaviours, Someone who will respect her boundaries and allow her to build trust at her own pace, Plenty of enrichment, sniffy walks, secure exercise and, of course, toys!

With patience, consistency and someone willing to understand her, we believe Bella can continue making fantastic progress and become a wonderful companion.

All 8 Below dogs are neutered (if of an appropriate age) microchipped, up to date with parasite treatment, have lifetime support and backup and 5 weeks free insurance plus a lovely 8B collar and lead.