Benji | Crossbreed | Basildon (Essex) - 1

UNDERDOG

Benji

I'm looking for my forever home. Could you be my perfect match?

Breed

Crossbreed

Reference ID

1201752

Age

5 - 7 years

Sex

Male

Location

Basildon (Essex)

May live with

Benji needs a home with no other pets or children.

Size

Large

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Are you right for Benji?

Six year old Benji is one of our longest staying residents, having been here at Basildon with us for over three years, but he's a sweet boy who's so deserving of a chance to find his forever family. Are you a quiet, adult only home, with a maximum of two people and minimal visitors? You could be the one he's been waiting for! Benji must have a secure, secluded area, preferably in a separate room, where he can take himself away from you and any visitors if needed. He will need to be the only pet in the home although, as you can see in his video, he can have walking buddies if they are small and unintimidating. Benji can be a cheeky chap, so he will need to wear a muzzle and be kept on lead on walks for his own safety, as he can be unsure of strangers and some bigger dogs. Our training and behaviour team have been working with him to build his confidence, and he'll need adopters who are willing to continue with this. Our specialists will always be on hand to give ongoing advice and guidance with his little quirks though, so you won't be alone in your journey with Benji. As well as his stranger issues, the team here at Basildon have been working on helping him in other areas that he feels insecure in, including being muzzled at the vets, as being over-handled by a stranger can be a bit too much for him at times. Benji does have a history of being possessive around food, toys and beds, so ideally he would prefer adopters who have experience with resource guarding, but again our training team can help with this. Due to his shy nature, Benji will need you to respect his space when you first meet him, and until you have gained his trust. He's very foodie though, so they way to his heart is through food. His new family will need to be able to come in to the centre multiple times, to start building a relationship with him through walks, training and play, before taking him home. For someone who is willing to work with him, Benji will be an incredibly rewarding dog to rehome.

Is Benji right for you?

Our Benji Boy has been unlucky in love thus far and has been with us for far too long - could you be the one he's been waiting for? In previous homes he was playful, settled well at night and was house-trained. He enjoys his training and is a really clever boy who has even learned a little bit of heelwork to music here at the centre! Benji adores getting out for a stroll, walks nicely on the lead and really loves running around. Access to a secure, private garden is a must, as this will give him a place to be off lead, get the zoomies, and play with toys and tennis balls (they're his favourite!). Benji travels well in the car, is happy jumping in and out himself, and is able to be left for short periods. Although Benji can be possessive with things he finds valuable he is able to play swap games, and this will be an invaluable tool for his new family. Although potential adopters will need to be able to come to the centre for multiple meets, we will also bring him to your home a few times before you adopt him, to help you settle him in to his new environment and routine. Once Benji is comfortable with you, you will be rewarded with an active, playful and entertaining boy. He'll be a companion for adventures, and you'll be able to teach him all kinds of new tricks if you are into training. All Benji needs is patience, love and compassion, and we know he will be an amazing dog for the right person. Could it be you?

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How our rehoming process works

Create an account and fill out our application form

In our form you can tell us all about your home, your lifestyle and the kind of dogs you’re interested in. You won’t be applying for a specific dog, but you can add favourites to give us an idea of the dogs you like. We’ll use this information to find a great match for …

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Choose a rehoming centre

We’ll also ask you to select a rehoming centre. The team at this centre will look after your application and assess you against all suitable dogs in their care. This doesn’t have to be your nearest centre, but you will need to travel there within a few days once we’ve found …

We’ll contact you within seven days

We’ll be in touch by phone or email within seven days of receiving your application to have a chat about your dog search. Then we'll start looking for a great match for you.

We will make two attempts to contact you. If after the second attempt we don’t hear back from …

We’ll keep your application open for three months and keep looking for a match

You won't need to do anything else or apply again for three months. We’ll keep reviewing your application against all the dogs at your chosen centre. Not all available dogs are featured on our website; dogs of all shapes and sizes regularly come into our care, and your application will be considered for any dogs that match your requirements. We’ll contact you as soon as we find a good match.

If for some reason we don’t find the right dog in that time, you can reapply, and we’ll keep looking.

When we find a match, we’ll invite you to meet them

If we’ve found a dog who seems right for you, we’ll invite you to come and meet them at the rehoming centre.

Some of the dogs in our care will need to meet potential owners several times to get to know one another. This lets us see you’re compatible and gives you …

If we’ve found a dog who seems right for you, we’ll invite you to come and meet them at the rehoming centre.

Some of the dogs in our care will need to meet potential owners several times to get to know one another. This lets us see you’re compatible and gives you the chance to build a bond before making a commitment to give them a new home. By taking some time at the beginning to make sure everyone’s comfortable, an adoption is more likely to be successful.

We may also arrange a home visit with you, to see how your house will be set up and check that the garden (if you have one) is secure. This may not be necessary, though, especially if you’ve adopted from us before. Where you already have dogs, we may accept a reference from your vet as an alternative.

If we haven’t found the right match, we’ll continue the search together

If we haven’t found the right dog for you within three months, we’ll let you know your application is closed. We’ll invite you to apply again so we have up-to-date information about you, and we’ll keep looking.

We’ll support you to embark on a new life with your dog

When we’ve matched you with a dog, we’ll help you welcome them to your home. After adoption we’ll keep in touch to see how you and the dog are doing. If you need any advice or support, we’re just a phone call away.

With our nationwide Dog School, free behaviour …

Key information

Location

Dogs Trust Basildon (Essex)
Nevendon Road
Wickford
Essex
SS12 0FH
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Opening hours

We’re open for general browsing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 12–4pm. Wednesday and Friday mornings are by pre-arranged appointment only.