Sidley Boxer x Staffie DofB 15.5.23 N London Temp Foster

Sandra87 · Post by **Sandra87** » Sat 01 Mar 2025 17:53

I walked the handsome Sidley again on Sunday. He was excited to see me and even more excited to receive a beef skin chew! He was a very good boy, standing still to let me harness him up with ease. We had our usual walk to his favourite plant boxes and then he decided he wanted to venture a little further with me, around the woods, which was a nice change.
I think Sidley has begun to trust me a bit more, he is easy to walk although has his preference of where to go, listens well to commands when walking and is very receptive to being stroked. He even rolled over on his back for belly rubs from me for the first time!

Sidley got so much attention from the other walkers who commented on how handsome he is, and he relished in the compliments. He is such a sweetheart

kazscanlan · Post by **kazscanlan** » Tue 25 Mar 2025 20:09

Everyone needs a sidley in there life
This boy is absolutely gorgeous he has known kennel life for too long and needs a family that will show him the ropes and love him for who he is
I popped into the paddock where he was playing with scot to have a cuddle with sidley
He can be a bit grabby when overwhelmed but can be distracted
I took this pic while he was playing with an apple
If you want a happy playful boy sidley would be perfect

StephenB · Post by **StephenB** » Tue 08 Apr 2025 13:39

Sidley's a good dog. He gets overexcited when getting ready to go out, but is more than manageable. He just wants to play and be with you.

Sandra87 · Post by **Sandra87** » Tue 08 Apr 2025 20:31

Sidley is such a sweet boy with a bundle of energy. He can be initially quite excited when harnessing up but is easily distracted with a chew or antler. We went for a walk around the grounds and ventured further than previously together which was lovely. There was only one point where I gave him a little encouragement to walk and then he was happy to do so. Sidley walks very nicely and was calm throughout. We then spent some time in the paddock so he could have a run around. I didnt realise how much he loves to play fetch with a tennis ball and cleverly brings this back to you- clever boy!
He enjoyed soaking up the sun and chewing his anter and tennis ball. When it was time to leave, he let me put the leads on with no issues at all and off we went.
Sidley is such a handsome sweet boy!

Playing catch!

Time to relax

Jude&Alf · Post by **Jude&Alf** » Sun 13 Apr 2025 21:33

Oh how I adore Sidley

I saw Sidley arrive in rescue at just weeks old, the runt of the litter, he was homed but then unfortunately he came back through no fault of his own

since then I have been a massive supporter of this boy, he is the absolute bomb, I love him and once you understand him well then you get the very best of Sidley and I can’t tell you how amazing he is

Sidley is a sweet and kind boy, he just needs understanding and kindness in return

I believe he’s been rather misunderstood, but he’s so open and honest that I don’t understand why, but you can’t help but fall in love with him

Sidley is an easy boy to be around, once you’ve spent time with him I dare you not to fall in love

HelenR · Post by **HelenR** » Tue 15 Apr 2025 15:06

I have started walking Sidley over the past few weeks and he is a lovely friendly happy boy. He gets so excited when you approach his kennel - wahey some fuss and attention from a new person! I tend to kneel down and talk to him calmly through the gate for a bit and then give him a pig's ear as I go in (great tip from one of his fans Jude!) which he then chews on while having his harness and leads put on. Once out of his kennel he is then quite content to just lie down, continue enjoying his treat and then enjoy lots of fuss. If he drops the treat and I pick it up to give back to him he is absolutely fine for me to handle it, i.e. he doesn't try to guard it at all.
The 1st time I walked him he wasn't keen on actually walking - there was lots going on in and around the kennels and he just wanted to say hello to everyone and sit or lie down watching all the comings and goings. He was really enjoying himself having time out of his kennel and being such a sociable boy that we just pottered around the site for a bit. He also has a favourite plant-pot to sit in which is quite cute!
It can take a bit of gentle encouragement to get him off site and off into the woods for walkies - lots of "Let's go Sidley!", "Come on Sidley, good boy!" while tapping my thigh - but once off he does enjoy pottering about, sniffing and taking his time. He prefers going for social walks with other dogs - even dogs which also need a bit of encouragement and where we take the lead helping them to walk!
On our 2nd time out he once got a bit over-excited and jumpy on the walk but I simply held his harness, gently shushed him and stroked him to calm him down and within a few seconds it was all over and he was calm again. (Possibly as we'd overtaken one of his favourite walkers and he was a bit unsure about walking on front on his own?)
A trick when putting him back in his kennel is to remove his leads and harness quickly and scatter treats towards his bedroom, otherwise he can do a bit of leg-humping when you try to leave.
Overall he's a lovely boy: people-friendly and dog-friendly and eager to learn - can be a little exuberant at times but possibly just nervous energy at the minute - I just keep my own energy calm but reassuring/ encouraging and it seems to settle him down quickly.
Here is the handsome boy, just lying down to enjoy his pig's ear!

hilarylovell · Post by **hilarylovell** » Thu 17 Apr 2025 19:23

We collected Sidley this afternoon for an Easter foster break, he’s such a sweet good natured boy, travelled very well in the car despite more traffic than we expected, now he’s settling in brilliantly and we can’t wait to spend time with him… we can see why @Jude&Alf is smitten!!

sweetpea · Post by **sweetpea** » Fri 18 Apr 2025 09:58

Fantastic news

hilarylovell · Post by **hilarylovell** » Sat 19 Apr 2025 11:34

Day three and Sidley has settled into our home with ease! He's such a great boy, full of personality and a really sweet, playful character.

He looks to us for reassurance when unsure, especially on walkies while he learns the sights and sounds of our north London neighbourhood. He's getting to grips with the pace here, and has enjoyed his nice trademark sit / lie down that gives him time to take everything in. He's met a few dogs and people on our adventures and greeted them all very well. He was unsure about London buses at first (they're a bit noisy!), but with reassurance he's already seeming unphased.

Sidley's enjoying free reign of our flat, particularly our bed which has become his favourite spot for napping and playing with toys (he's currently zonked out there after morning walkies and playtime). With gentle guidance he's quickly learned what's a toy and what isn't.

He has slept really well overnight so far too, opting to get cosy with us at the foot of our bed where we barely notice him apart from the occasional head-resting-on-feet, which is rather lovely!

He plays really well, full of puppy energy as you'd expect and this morning he enjoyed bringing us his ball to play several games of tug in bed! We've not experienced any guarding at all, in fact the opposite - Sidley's starting to offer his ball for us to throw, as he knows it'll come back to him to play with. :)

Sidley photo spam incoming! Including a selfie with Big Ben on his car journey from the kennels, what an adventure he's on this week