Dog who had 'never been outside' saved from barn where she was kept with 44 other animals

RSPCA rescue dog Ellie still waiting for home after 450 days

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: One of the fringe benefits of taking on the responsibility of pet ownership is that animals can be an instant icebreaker, whether they’re with you or you’re just using them as a topic of conversation.

The dogs had also never worn a collar or been on a walk prior to being rescued.

Ellie has made lots of progress thanks to the hard work, patience and dedication of the centre’s staff, but is still looking for a home.

Protect Your Dogs Paws in the Winter with Vaseline. If you don’t have any paw balm, and if your dog doesn’t like wearing boots, you can use some Vaseline to help protect your dogs paws in the winter.

The sheer number of dogs in the owner's care meant it was a struggle to meet their basic needs.

A lack of shelter, parasite control and poor diet were all areas of concern for the pups.

Watch Out For Your Dogs Feet in the Summer. Hot pavement can burn your dogs paws rather quickly. To see if it’s too hot for your dog place the back of your hand on the pavement – if you can’t hold it there for 5 seconds it’s too hot for your dog. On really hot days consider walking your dog in the woods, on the grass, or waiting til the sun goes down.

She said: “When Ellie arrived at the centre she was unsocialised and understandably nervous. She’d been living rough in inappropriate conditions in a dilapidated outhouse with 44 other dogs and had never experienced a normal life, so we’ve worked really hard to build up her trust and confidence.

“For the first couple of months, we’d sit outside her kennel and throw in high-value treats.

Run a dryer sheet over your dog's fur when there's a storm — chances are, they aren't freaked out about the storm but the static electricity built up in their fur. According to Martha, this should work at least 50% of the time.

“Once she was comfortable with that we fed her through the kennel bars before letting her out in the main block, leaving food bowls in different areas and gradually introducing more staff around her.

“The next step was to get her used to a collar and a lead, and about three months after she arrived, she was finally ready to go for a walk.

"It was really important not to rush Ellie and to let her do everything at her own pace.

basic puppy socialization

“We took in five other dogs from the same farm and whilst they have all been rehomed since Ellie is still waiting.

“She’s been with us a long time and has seen her friends from the barn all go off to new families, so we’d really love to see her settled and happy in her own home after everything she’s been through.”

Prospective owners need to be understanding and patient with Ellie and be willing to continue to build her confidence.

She would be best suited to be in a quiet rural or semi-rural environment, and in an adult-only home as the only pet.

If you have a small dog, cutting up a lamb roll into tiny pieces is a cost-effective way to make healthy, bite-sized training treats. A 1-pound roll costs $6.98. Cut it up into the desired size, store most of it in a ziplock bag in the freezer, and leave the rest on the counter for immediate use.

• Woman and dog mauled by 'Staffy' at popular beauty spot
• Owner reunited with her stolen childhood pet after ten years
• Dog surprises RSPCA rescuers by giving birth to litter of 13 puppies