Available

Toby

Cairn Terrier · Male · Young · 3 years

Little Toby had a terrible start to life after being neglected and not fed regularly. He was taken in by a neighbour, but unfortunately their ill health means Toby needs a new home once again. He’s a worrier – a very nervous little dog who takes a while to build a bond with someone and feel secure, but when he does, he will allow affection and a gentle stroke. Toby has a history of getting very attached to one individual and then rejecting the presence of another. His handlers have been careful to make sure they have equal responsibility for Toby so that he doesn’t tend to favour one in particular, and this is likely something that needs to continue in the home. He has been having training with our behaviour team and is doing well, and if his adopters keep this up then we expect Toby will settle in much more quickly. Toby walks quite nicely with other quiet dogs but prefers smaller dogs. He loves to play with toys, especially tennis balls and teddies and it’s wonderful to see him relax when doing so. Toby has so much potential as he’s only four years old, he just needs the right family to support him. Toby had a difficult start to life and requires adopters to take time to get to know him over multiple visits before taking him home. He cannot live with children or other pets and needs his own garden and entrance rather than communal spaces. Toby is house trained but not used to be left alone for any length of time. Toby has sinus arrhythmia but doesn't require any intervention, and recently had successful sugery for patella luxation..

Size

—

Age

Young · 3 years

Location

🇬🇧Liverpool

Shelter

Dogs Trust Merseyside

Living with Toby

✓Good with dogs
✕Good with cats
✕Good with kids

Cared for by Dogs Trust Merseyside · Liverpool Learn about Cairn Terrier →

More dogs in Liverpool →More dogs in United Kingdom →

Listed 3 months ago

Bringing Toby home

What you'll need for Toby in week one.

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About Toby

What life with Toby looks like

Toby is a young adult cairn terrier dog waiting at Dogs Trust Merseyside in Liverpool.

A young adult dog fits most household rhythms once the first couple of weeks of adjustment pass. Two reasonable walks a day plus play time is usually enough. Plan a "decompression fortnight" — quiet routine, no visitors, no off-leash adventures — to let them settle.

🇬🇧Adopting from United Kingdom

UK shelters work under the Pet Travel Scheme (post-Brexit, the EU pet passport is not valid; a UK Animal Health Certificate is required for travel into the EU). Most UK rescues focus on domestic placements but some work with EU partners.

Liverpool, United Kingdom — browse more dogs in United Kingdom.

Frequently asked

Adopting Toby, answered.

How do I contact the shelter about Toby?: Use the phone, email, or website link in the sidebar of this page. Dogs Trust Merseyside handles screening and the adoption contract directly — TailHarbor doesn't broker the conversation. When you reach out, mention you saw Toby on TailHarbor so they know which animal you're asking about.
Can I adopt Toby if I live in another country?: Yes, in most cases. Rescues across Europe routinely place animals abroad — Dogs Trust Merseyside will tell you what they need (EU pet passport, rabies titer, transport coordination) and whether they handle transport themselves or refer you to a partner. UK adopters: post-Brexit travel into the EU requires an Animal Health Certificate. Transport is usually a separate cost, so ask for the exact figure before you commit.
Is Toby already vetted, vaccinated, and chipped?: Most dogs on TailHarbor leave their shelter with sterilization, current vaccinations, microchip ID, and an EU pet passport included in the adoption fee. The vet status on this page reflects what the shelter has reported — ask them directly if you need details on specific vaccines, recent bloodwork, or chronic conditions.
What happens if Toby isn't the right fit?: Every reputable rescue accepts an animal back if the adoption genuinely doesn't work — that's part of the standard contract. Talk it through with Dogs Trust Merseyside early rather than rehoming privately; they know Toby and can place them more successfully than a second-hand listing can.
Why does the description sometimes read awkwardly?: TailHarbor translates shelter descriptions into English from the source language (EN). Translation is imperfect — names of streets, donors, and shelter-specific terms occasionally slip through unidiomatically. For the cleanest read, click the source link to see the shelter's original page.