Nala is now ready for adoption. Here is her foster-mum‘s write-up.

“Nala is a beautiful 7-year-old Labrador who has been an absolute pleasure to foster. She has been with us for around two months, and in that time she has shown us what a wonderful, well-mannered and loving girl she really is.

Nala came into foster care because her previous family was expanding and she had experienced some grumbles with the younger children in the household. When she first arrived with us, she was understandably nervous and a little jumpy, but she settled remarkably quickly.

Since then, she has been nothing short of fantastic.

Nala is calm, relaxed and incredibly well behaved. She walks beautifully on the lead and doesn’t pull at all. She enjoys getting out and about and is equally happy going for a countryside walk, exploring the city centre or joining you for a coffee.

She is friendly with both people and other dogs. Even when another dog has barked aggressively at her, Nala simply carries on walking past without a fuss. She is a lovely, steady girl who doesn’t seem interested in getting involved in drama!

Nala has also been wonderful with visitors in the home and has happily met people of different ages and genders. She has been living alongside a 14-year-old in her foster home and has been absolutely fine.

She travels well in the car and, rather unusually, loves going to the vets! She is fully vaccinated and, as far as we are aware, has no current health concerns.

Nala can be left for around 4–6 hours without any problems, although we wouldn’t recommend leaving her for this length of time regularly. She would ideally have someone who can give her plenty of companionship and include her in family life.

Something important to understand about Nala

The only thing we have identified during her time with us is what appears to be sleep startle. If Nala is suddenly woken while sleeping, she can become startled and may growl.

Because of this, we have a very simple rule in our home: Nala has her own bed on the floor and is left completely undisturbed when she is sleeping.

This has worked perfectly. Since putting this routine in place, she has not growled at us once and we have had absolutely no problems with her.

We suspect that in her previous home she may have been approached or disturbed while resting, particularly with young children around. Nala seems to simply need her own safe space and to know that when she is in bed, she can relax without being disturbed.

She does not resource guard, and we have seen no other concerning behaviour during her time with us.

For this reason, we feel Nala would be best suited to a adult only home or a family who has children aged 12+, where everyone understands and respects her need for space when she is sleeping. She is a wonderful dog, but like any dog, she needs her boundaries respected.

Other animals 🐾
Nala absolutely loves other animals and has been friendly with other dogs.
She does have a tendency to chase cats, but not because she wants to hurt them — she seems to think they are very exciting and would quite like to be their friend! Unfortunately, the cats don’t always share her enthusiasm. A home without cats would therefore probably be the best fit.

The perfect home for Nala
We think Nala would make a fantastic companion for someone looking for a calm, affectionate and easy-going Labrador who can enjoy being part of everyday family life.
Her ideal home would be:
* A family with children aged 12+ who understand and respect her need for uninterrupted sleep.
* Someone who will give her her own comfortable bed and allow her to rest peacefully.
* A home where she can be included in walks, outings and family activities.
* A family who understands that, although she is incredibly well behaved, she still needs her boundaries respected.
* Ideally, a home without cats.
* Someone who can give her plenty of company rather than regularly leaving her for long periods.

Nala has been such a lovely dog to have in our home. She is gentle, friendly, well behaved and wonderfully easy to live with. She really is the sort of dog who quietly wins your heart.

We have absolutely adored having her and would love nothing more than to see her find a loving forever home where she can settle, feel safe and be part of the family.

Nala truly is a very special girl. ❤️”

Nala has now been fully vaccinated. She will need to be spayed at a safe time in our season cycle – paid for the rescue to be done at one of our vets. That reason, she will need to stay in a reasonable distance of Derby, Nottingham, Stoke, Burton, Chesterfield or Newark.