William & Émilie

Stats:  4 or 5 years, 7kg, neutered, vaccinated, pet passport available, housetrained, no noted diseases, clean teeth.

Willy is a medium-high energy dog that enjoys playing, running, hiking, cuddling, being held and petted.  Willy has a delightful personality, a bit of a goofy boy, and is always ready for an adventure, and if left idle, will find one for himself.

William comes when called in the home and is very food motivated in general. 

William’s only and biggest challenge is his prey drive. As he was bred for hunting rabbits, he has a strong prey drive and has a next to zero recall outside in settings where there is wild prey.  However, if you are standing next to him while he is hyper-aroused, he will let you pick him up. We live in a rural area so this is a daily issue to manage with appropriate tools (long leads, outdoor enclosures safe for offleash zoomies).  In urban settings,  his prey drive is less notable.

Once William becomes hyper aroused at the scent of small game, he becomes completely fixated on the scent and is well past a threshold for training, including coming when called.  He will vocalise (called ‘singing’ by hunters) to signal he has found game. He should not be allowed off-leash outdoors unless in a fully secured fenced area where he cannot crawl under or jump over a fence.   He would do well in a secure indoor or outdoor dog park/dog field once he adapts to his forever home.  

Recently (May 2026), in the early morning prior to his walkies, William jumped out of a first floor screened window of the home because he could smell a rabbit on the property. He landed on stone and proceeded to run after a rabbit with a broken toe. Thankfully, the property is fenced and it was easy to get to William quickly. 

His prey drive will not go away but with appropriate positive science-backed training and prevention/management strategies – such as adequate daily exercise – it can be handled.  

William needs a minimum of 4o minutes of good cardio per day: whether a challenging walk or a hike, run, bike ride or zoomies in an enclosed area. He loves to run and smell and tires out quickly.  He would be an excellent dog for agility training, canicross, scent work, or someone who enjoys an active lifestyle (hiking, scrambling, cycling, running, possibly even swimming). Inside the home, he is a couch potato and enjoys his rest and food. 

Beyond his prey drive, Willy is not hyperactive nor does he display separation anxiety, fear reactivity, nor any destructive behavior in the home. He is, in all other respects, a perfect dog that deserves a chance in a good, loving home. 

He is good with the male sterilised cat in our home and three other dogs. He is untested with children at this time however I believe he would be an excellent play and cuddle companion for a child or children that were taught to respect dogs. 

Likes: food. walkies, runs, sniffing in the woods, tummy rubs, being held, playing with safe humans and Emi.  Being outside in nature, chewing on a bone, chew toy, or plushie. 

Dislikes: car rides (he gets motion sick but will stay still), some men, baths, new loud people, aggressive of hyperactive dogs, cars driving past on the road (if they are fast and/or loud, he and Emi sit and cower.)

Stats: 3 years, 7kg, spayed, vaccinated, pet passport available, housetrained, no noted health issues, healthy coat and teeth.

Émilie is a medium energy dog bred for small-game hunting. She is a bit shy and can show anxiety when over-aroused.  She will need more time to decompress with new people. She has been in her foster home since November 2025 and is still a bit shy.

Although her prey drive is not as extensive as Williams, she cannot be off-leash in unsecured areas as she becomes fixated on scent and her shyness around people make it hard to pick her up; she will run from people.

She is a very sweet girl and loves sitting and laying in the sun, inside or outside.  She has started doing solo walks without William and she has a very good time sniffing everything. She likes taking breaks on her walk to sit in the sun.   She also loves food and her plushie toys. Émi is housetrained but hast, at times, had difficulty holding it in if not kept to a predictable schedule.  She would be a good candidate for an indoor potty patch if required. 

Sometimes she lets out a small cry for William. She did this a lot in the valley prior to rescue and William would run and lay down beside her.  In the foster home, William always came to lay next to her. But now, he rarely comes.  She does not persist in the crying and typically gives up within a minute. Giving her comfort and verbal reassurance is helping. The ‘crying’ has subsided substantially as she becomes more and more confident in her surroundings. If she is to be adopted separately, she will need a home with another dog to take William’s place. The dog needs to be confident, not a bully, and willing to take on the role of her comfort buddy. 

Despite the above, she does not display separation anxiety nor destructive behaviours in the home.  She has been left home alone with the other animals without incident. 

She lives peacefully in a foster home with a male sterilised cat and three other dogs aside from William. She is untested with children. Like William, she would likely be okay with children taught to respect dogs. She needs a forever home that understands she will bond and decompress on her own time.  She expresses happiness in seeing her foster mum with tail wagging and little kisses but is still hesitant if foster mum reaches out to her. Émi needs to come to you on her terms. 

Likes: sitting anywhere the sunshine hits, walkies, naps on the sofa near the window, cuddling with Willy, food and treats, playing with her plushie, her blankie, laying next to you and getting cuddles on her own terms.  

Dislikes: forced cuddles/pets (as she decompresses, she will enjoy cuddles more), loud people, some men. 

Stats: 3 years, 7kg, spayed, vaccinated, pet passport available, housetrained, no noted health issues, healthy coat and teeth.

Émilie is a medium energy dog bred for small-game hunting. She is a bit shy and can show anxiety when over-aroused.  She will need more time to decompress with new people. She has been in her foster home since November 2025 and is still a bit shy.

Although her prey drive is not as extensive as Williams, she cannot be off-leash in unsecured areas as she becomes fixated on scent and her shyness around people make it hard to pick her up; she will run from people.

She is a very sweet girl and loves sitting and laying in the sun, inside or outside.  She has started doing solo walks without William and she has a very good time sniffing everything. She likes taking breaks on her walk to sit in the sun.   She also loves food and her plushie toys. Émi is housetrained but hast, at times, had difficulty holding it in if not kept to a predictable schedule.  She would be a good candidate for an indoor potty patch if required. 

Sometimes she lets out a small cry for William. She did this a lot in the valley prior to rescue and William would run and lay down beside her.  In the foster home, William always came to lay next to her. But now, he rarely comes.  She does not persist in the crying and typically gives up within a minute. Giving her comfort and verbal reassurance is helping. The ‘crying’ has subsided substantially as she becomes more and more confident in her surroundings. If she is to be adopted separately, she will need a home with another dog to take William’s place. The dog needs to be confident, not a bully, and willing to take on the role of her comfort buddy. 

Despite the above, she does not display separation anxiety nor destructive behaviours in the home.  She has been left home alone with the other animals without incident. 

She lives peacefully in a foster home with a male sterilised cat and three other dogs aside from William. She is untested with children. Like William, she would likely be okay with children taught to respect dogs. She needs a forever home that understands she will bond and decompress on her own time.  She expresses happiness in seeing her foster mum with tail wagging and little kisses but is still hesitant if foster mum reaches out to her. Émi needs to come to you on her terms. 

Likes: sitting in the sun, walkies, naps on the sofa near the window, cuddling with Willy, food and treats, playing with her plushie, her blankie, laying next to you and getting cuddles on her own terms.  

Dislikes: forced cuddles/pets (as she decompresses, she will enjoy cuddles more), loud people, some men.