WATSON The Sleuthing Sidekick You’ve Been Searching For!
Our dear Watson is the James Bond of dogs—charming, mischievous, and a little bit of a daredevil. He’s got a heart as big as his appetite for treats and loves to snuggle on the sofa after a day of adventures. Watson is not your average dog; he’s got a mind of his own and prefers a balanced relationship with his humans. Too many commands? He might give you the canine equivalent of an eye roll.
Watson and his brother Sherlock have a backstory that reads like a gripping detective novel. Rescued from a domestic violence situation in NSW, these brothers, now in Melbourne VIC, are ready to start a new chapter with a loving family. After months with wonderful boot camp trainer Steve, Watson is ready to part with his littermate brother Sherlock and prepared to be your loyal companion.
Dog Trainer Steve Meloche, of Master and Hound who took the boys on for their boot camp training, working specifically on their separation anxiety from each other, has been quoted as having said that both Sherlock and Watson “are some of the best dogs he has ever come across”. Their behaviroal issues are minor in comparison to the majority of dogs who are in need of serious help. Both pups have manners, are non-reactive and so very loveable.
Handsome boyo Watty (as his foster parents affectionally call him) is a delightful blend of sweetness, intelligence, and mischief. His clever nature shines through, and he can be quite determined when he sets his mind to something. While he may not be overly toy-driven, Watson is highly motivated by treats, making him a joy to train. His recall is excellent, reaching an impressive 95% success rate.
Watson is looking for an active family who can keep up with his boundless energy. If you’re into outdoor adventures, long walks, and the occasional game of hide-and-seek, Watson is your guy! He enjoys the company of humans of all sizes, making him the perfect addition to families with children. Just be prepared for a little magic show—he might just disappear and reappear on top of the sofa! While his obedience skills are average, he compensates with excellent manners. He is gentle with humans of all ages, suitable for a forever family of one, or many, big or small. However, due to Watson’s history coming from a DV situation too much insistence on obedience may cause him to shut down. He can be a bit independent and doesn’t appreciate being ordered around constantly. A more positive training approach works best for him. His athleticism is noteworthy, and we cannot emphasise enough that he can jump and climb fences. Potential adopters should be aware of this and take precautions to ensure his safety. While he has never tried to escape in the care of his foster carers, we feel that it comes down to environment. If Watson feels safe, involved, in the action of daily life of his family, then he is content and will not seek the freedom beyond his home. If left alone or unsupervised in the backyard for long periods he will magic his way out for an adventure. Continued crate training is a must!
As mentioned above, Watson is dog-friendly and enjoys the company of his canine counterparts. Watson’s detective skills haven’t yet been put to the test with cats or small animals. The jury’s still out on whether he’s a friend or foe to our feline friends, his amiable nature suggests he may adapt well with proper introductions. A family with one or more resident canine siblings waiting in the wings, would be perfection!
Watson is in excellent health, displaying the vigor and energy typical of his breeds. Regular exercise and an active lifestyle are key to keeping him happy.
Ultimately, Watson is looking for an active family that will embrace his clever antics and include him in their adventures. A household with a balanced approach to training and a willingness to provide mental and physical stimulation would be the perfect match. Watson forms strong bonds with his people and thrives on companionship. When rescues suggest a dog likes to be a “couch potato” it can be such a generic term… in Watson’s case, “couch potato” (especially at night after a long day) is 100% Watson.
Ready to embark on a new adventure with Watson? Click on the adoption form link for this mischievous maestro, and let the tail-wagging tales begin! Adopt Watson – because every family needs a little mystery, mischief, and a whole lot of love.
BEFORE you read Watson’s adoption criteria it is extremely important that potential adopters give great thought and communicate in their adoption application as to what their home set up and routine plan is for the first few weeks/months if they are the successful adopter of this most precious doggo. Watson cannot be settled in over just a weekend and then left on a Monday home alone while you return to work… There needs to be a plan outlined so that his foster family can feel assured that he is going to be set up for success in his new home.
ADOPTION CRITERIA
Deal breakers:
– American Staffies need a good amount of exercise each day to keep them in snuggle bug mode in the down times. We would recommend 3 walks/plays a day for Watson to burn his everlasting adventurous spirit into a tired sofa snuggling staffy. Perhaps a dog walker for this boy would be a great investment, having a group of other dog friends to go on adventure with a few times a week sounds like a perfect dream for a kid like Watson.
– Continued crate training! Watson needs an indoor secure large breed dog crate for the times when you need to pop out and he is feeling a bit clingy. If kept indoors at home with another canine sibling or two, he is less likely to try his escaping escapades. It’s when Watson feels that he is separated from his humans and home that he will scale fences and squeeze through gaps that are so small you never even knew they were there. Being kept in the garden unsupervised is not an option for Watson.
– Premium diet! We are a balanced raw diet advocating rescue. On adoption of Watson we will provide a break down on what Watson’s current diet is and what we recommend moving forward.
– Watson must have indoor and outdoor access throughout the day! Our adoptables are not to be kept in a backyard or garage, Watson in particular is a sofa surfer and is most content after a walk/play snuggled up on the sofa with his humans and canine siblings.
– These blockhead hunnies are not huge American Staffies, but they are quite the unit of hurricane when playing bitey face with other staffy friends or doing zoomies around the house and/or yard. Bull breed experience would be great to have when considering adopting this hunk a chunk.
Non deal breakers:
– It would be fantastic for these boys to go to families that are happy to stay in touch with each other. Even if the adoptive family of Sherlock doesn’t live super close to Watson’s adoptive family, we’d like to think that the new forever families will stay connected with each other.
– A sports sort of activity! Watson is one of the smartest dogs to have ever come into Life of Pikelet Rescue, this boy would be absolutely magic with an extracurricular activity like sheep herding, dock diving, noncompetitive agility etc. Not an essential or a deal breaker for us, but it would be an added bonus for Watson to have a life where that was on offer!
HEALTH
– Watson is in over all fantastic health and perfect body weight and condition. He has a very athletic staffy body and has never been overweight. When arriving into rescue care Watson was already desexed and fully vaccinated, we have kept this up to date along with worming, flea and tick treatments.
– After knocking the tip of his tail too much by wagging and playing, it did start to bleed. Upon treatment for the bleed Watson then started to chew his tail! He has just had a small tail amputation surgery, however he continues to try and chew out the stitches. We believe once we can get it to heal up, Watson will not feel the need to treat his tail like a chew toy.
ADOPTION DETAILS
**We do our best to review and reply to all applications within 14 days, please be patient.
Please click here for an adoption application.
– Microchipped
– Desexed
– Up to date vaccinations, flea, tick & worming treatments.
– Collar & Leash
MICROCHIP NUMBER 953010004746122
SOURCE NUMBER RE128924
**Located in foster care in Victoria, Watson is available for interstate adoption however this comes with the firm understanding that if an interstate candidate is successful, Watson’s new family will need to come to HQ to complete adoption paperwork and travel home with him. Interstate candidates please see above in deal breakers/non-deal breakers. Video footage of yard & home will also need to be provided along with the agreement to a possible home check by a local Life of Pikelet rescue volunteer.
