About Manfred
Manfred (Manny) is a loving, friendly and very activated young dog with a big personality. He is bright, strong-willed, and full of enthusiasm for life. With continued training and maturity, he has all the makings of a wonderful companion in the right home.
Manny walks in a head collar and enjoys getting out and about. He is social in appropriate settings and is known for behaving gently in cafés and restaurants. He’s especially good when settled under a table and is used to accompanying his carer to volunteer commitments.
While Manny has many endearing qualities, he does have some behaviours that require experienced management — particularly persistent counter surfing and sock ingestion. He has ingested over six socks to date (thankfully passing or vomiting them without surgical intervention). He is very quick to seek them out if doors are left ajar and will actively hunt for opportunities.
Where I grew up
Manny grew up in a relaxed, quiet single-storey home with an adult family — his carer and her adult daughter. He has also spent time visiting an elderly family member and has regularly attended his carer’s volunteer role at the local RSL.
During meetings (1–2 hours), he settles calmly on tether under the table and generally behaves well. If he becomes restless, it is usually because he needs to toilet. He is accustomed to public environments where people do not approach or handle him and is typically well mannered in these settings.
He sleeps through the night (unless unwell) and wakes around 6am on weekdays and 7am on weekends. He may bark briefly when he hears his carer return home but settles quickly once she is inside.
Manny has lived alongside an older retired SED dog and has had periodic exposure to a working Guide Dog during short stays. He plays particularly well with other yellow/orange dogs.
A good fit for me is...
Manny would suit an experienced, proactive owner who understands management and environmental control. His new home will need to be diligent about:
Keeping laundry and bedroom doors closed
Strictly managing access to socks and clothing
Maintaining clear kitchen boundaries (especially around chicken or meat, which he finds irresistible)
Continuing reinforcement of “leave it” and impulse control training
He can be strong on lead and has shown significant pulling and vocalising when distracted by other dogs. Careful handling and continued training around dog distractions will be essential.
He has experienced travel sickness and some car aversion and has been trialled on medication to assist with this.
Because he has not had regular exposure to young children, a home without young kids would be preferable. While he has shown he can be gentle (including calmly taking kibble from a toddler at a café), his overall arousal levels and strength suggest an adult household or one with older, dog-savvy children would be more suitable.
My personality traits
Strengths:
Loving, affectionate and friendly
Gentle in cafés and restaurant settings
Settles well on tether during meetings
Plays beautifully with certain other dogs
Smart, observant and even remembers familiar shop locations
Happy to relax at home with a chew (he’s very content with his Nylabone)
Things I’m Still Working On:
Persistent counter surfing
Sock ingestion and actively seeking them out
Pulling and vocalising with dog distractions
Garden destructiveness since adolescence
Barking when highly aroused or anticipating activity
