Maggie – Available – South East
Dogs name: Maggie
Age: 5
Current location: Aldershot, Surrey
I CAN LIVE WITH
Children: Yes, dog savvy 8+
Cats: No
Dogs: Yes, calm laid back dogs with no resource guarding traits.
A BIT ABOUT ME
Personality:
Maggie has the biggest personality. She is goofy, cheeky, affectionate and full of life. She’s the kind of girl who makes people laugh daily with her silly antics, expressive little face and enthusiastic approach to absolutely everything.
Despite her playful, energetic side, Maggie is also incredibly loving and people focused. She thrives on human company and adores cuddles, happily climbing into your lap for affection or settling nearby for a nap, complete with her adorable bulldog snore. Once she feels safe and secure, she forms strong bonds and really blossoms, showing just how warm, loyal and sweet she is.
Behaviour:
Maggie she is generally well behaved and settles nicely into a routine. She sleeps well through the night, relaxes when left for short periods, and is clean in the house. She enjoys having boundaries and responds well to calm, consistent guidance. While she will try her luck now and again (especially with food, beds or anything interesting left within reach), she gives up easily when corrected and isn’t destructive.
Maggie knows some basic commands. She responds well to sit, paw and bed, and is generally eager to engage, especially when food or praise is involved. Her recall is a work in progress, she understands it and will come back in low-distraction environments, but excitement (particularly sticks, balls or other fun distractions) can override her listening at times.
She doesn’t reliably respond to “leave” when it comes to toys or sticks, as she is very attached to them, but she will stop engaging when given a firm verbal cue such as “enough.” Overall, Maggie is bright and trainable, and with continued consistency, positive reinforcement and clear boundaries, she should continue to build on the commands she already knows.
Maggie really enjoys rough, physical play and is a very vocal, boisterous player. When she’s excited, she’ll jump up, push toys into you or another dog, bark and grumble, and invite chase or tug-style games. She especially loves being chased while she has a toy and can get quite noisy and animated during play.
Needs:
Maggie needs daily physical exercise. She is an active bulldog who genuinely enjoys her walks, exploring, sniffing and having opportunities to move her body. She’s not a “quick potter and back home” kind of girl and benefits from a decent daily walk to help burn off energy and keep her settled.
She also needs mental stimulation and enrichment. Maggie is clever and gets bored easily, so food puzzles, snuffle mats, wobble Kongs, chews and interactive games are important for her. These outlets help prevent her from looking for her own (often mischievous) entertainment.
Maggie thrives on human company. She’s very people-focused and happiest when she’s part of daily life, whether that’s coming along in the car, relaxing nearby while you’re at home, or joining in family activities. She can be left for short periods, but she wouldn’t suit a home where she’s regularly left for long hours.
She needs clear boundaries and consistency. Maggie will test limits, especially around toys, food and comfort spots, but she responds well to calm, fair guidance. Someone who understands bulldogs and can manage excitement, reinforce training and continue working on recall and “leave” will suit her best.
Maggie would benefit from a secure garden and careful toy management, as she can be possessive over balls and sticks. If living with another dog, she needs a tolerant, non-toy-driven companion, or she would also be very happy as an only dog where she doesn’t have to share her prized possessions.
Maggie needs a home that appreciates her big personality, one that can laugh at her cheekiness, enjoy her enthusiasm, and give her the structure, love and outlets she needs to be her best self.
Walk/exercise:
Maggie is very enthusiastic about walks and exercise and is much more active than your typical laid-back bulldog.
She genuinely enjoys getting out and about and needs a good daily walk to keep her happy and settled. On lead, she walks well and is comfortable on both fixed and flexible leads. She’s happy walking on her own or in a group and will either trot along with the other dogs or happily do her own thing, stopping to sniff and explore.
When she gets excited, especially if she spots squirrels, water, sticks or balls, she can pull and get the zoomies, as she loves to run. Her excitement is playful rather than problematic, and she remains manageable, but she does benefit from structure and calm handling on walks.
Maggie enjoys variety on her walks. She loves splashing in water, playing in puddles and carrying sticks (though she is possessive of them), and she really comes to life in open spaces. Her recall isn’t fully reliable yet, so she’s best walked on a lead or in secure areas, particularly when distractions are around.
When meeting other dogs on walks, Maggie is generally confident, social and curious.
Maggie is happy to greet other dogs in a typical bulldog way, walking up to them, having a sniff and then either moving on or continuing her walk
Maggie can be vocal and excitable, which can sometimes look more intense than it is. Her grumbles and barks are usually excitement or an invitation to play rather than aggression, but this means she’s best kept away from nervous or reactive dogs who might find her overwhelming.
Toilet trained:
Maggie is very good at letting you know when she needs to go out She’s clean in the house and hasn’t had accidents during the day. There has been some marking on her bed at night, which appears to be linked to change and sleeping arrangements rather than a lack of toilet training.
With time, consistency and settling into a new home and routine, this is expected to improve or resolve completely.
Travel:
Maggie is excellent when travelling. She settles almost immediately in the car and is very relaxed throughout the journey, even on longer trips. She clearly enjoys car travel and is happy to hop in, often making herself comfortable straight away
Because of this we will consider homes up to four hours away from her foster home.
We recommend using a seatbelt restraint or travel crate whenever transporting dogs.
Things to be aware of:
Toy and stick possessiveness, Maggie loves her ball and sticks and can be very vocal, growling or barking if another dog tries to take them. There is no malice, but she does need careful management around other toy-driven dogs. She will also guard toys from people if not offered a trade (like a treat).
Maggie is very interested in squirrels and neighbourhood cats. She may chase them if off lead, so she’s best in secure, controlled areas when exploring outside.
Sometimes Maggie is excited to play but doesn’t realise her size, any young children in the home must be supervised, as She has the potential to jump and knock children over.
Children must understand that bulldogs need time to settle in and have space to rest peacefully and uninterrupted.
Additional information from Maggie’s foster family:
Maggie is such a fun and silly girl. She wants a family who appreciates her prize ball just as much as she does. She loves to walk and play and is such a good girl in the car. She would melt anyone’s heart with her grumpy little face and cheeky personality. She thrives on company and has the cutest snore while she sleeps at your feet. She has been such a laugh to have around, and I can’t wait for someone to give her an amazing forever home full of fun and love. She can be easily won over with a good butt scratch, a ball and a bit of carrot!
Maggie’s adoption donation fee is £400 and will need to be paid in full prior to her going home which will also be subject to a home check.
**Every dog rehomed by GBSR receives Rescue Back-up for their whole Life. And the admin team are available for advice and support for the whole of that dog’s lifetime via Messenger, therefore the successful applicant will need to have an active Facebook and Messenger account for the life of the dog. If you cannot agree to this, please don’t apply**
***ALL DOG’S MUST BE COLLECTED WITHIN 7 DAYS OF ADOPTION***
🚨 PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE APPLYING 🚨
1. You MUST MEET ALL the dogs’ criteria, have you read the adoption criteria in full?
2. COMPLETE APPLICATION FORM
3. PAY YOUR £5 SUBSCRIPTION – SEE NOTE BELOW*
4. PAYMENT REFERENCE must on the application form to cross reference. Mention if you have paid by Paypal or Bank Transfer if you are unable to provide a Transaction Number so we can check.
5. PAYMENT METHOD Via Enthuse using the link below.
https://geordiebullies.enthuse.com/donate
Note:
UNLESS WE SEE PROOF, YOU HAVE PAID; WE WILL NOT PROCESS YOUR APPLICATION AND YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED.
£5 per year allows you to apply for as many dogs as you wish over a 12-month period from your first application. Please mention if you have paid by PayPal or Bank Transfer on any previous applications so we can cross reference.
Below is the link to the Application Form.
https://www.cognitoforms.com/geordiebulliesspringboard1/adoptionapplication2
Please join us in welcoming #Maggie back into the arms of GBSR.
Maggie was previously adopted from us, when she was known as Betsy, but her family renamed her Maggie — and that’s the name we will continue to use.
Sadly, due to changes in her family’s personal circumstances, the very difficult decision was made to return Maggie to our care. This was an incredibly hard choice for them, and we’re truly grateful they trusted us to help and to take Maggie back
Over the weekend, our wonderful volunteer Danielle collected Maggie from the south east and welcomed her into her home, where she’ll be fostering alongside her resident dog, Cookie
As expected, Maggie has been a little unsure in her new surroundings, but Danielle is giving her all the time, space, and support she needs to decompress. Slowly but surely, Maggie is starting to come out of her shell and settle into her new normal
Thank you so much, Danielle, for stepping in and opening your home to Maggie — we appreciate you more than words can say
Maggie appears to be in generally good condition, but she’ll be booked in with the vets soon for a full health check and assessment.
Cookie and Maggie are taking things at their own pace and are slowly becoming friends, and we’re confident Cookie will show Maggie that foster life isn’t all that bad
Welcome back, Maggie
