Alfie by Mark from our latest link magazine
Having lost our old dog we soon found we missed the company and the outdoor life which owning a dog involves. So eventually we felt we were ready to give another dog a home and felt re-homing a dog would be the right thing for us.
We saw a dog on the Love your Labrador website and thought we could give him a home and look after him. After completing the application form and a home visit we were pleased to be deemed suitable to look after the dog we had seen.
We attended a few training sessions but found this was not suitable for Alfie’s needs and by a stroke of luck met an old work colleague who understood Alfie.
We had a number of 1 to 1 training sessions in a local park and slowly we started to understand Alfie and he gradually became more comfortable in an open strange environment with dogs and people about.
When we first met Alfie he was a timid nervous dog who hadn’t really been socialised with either other dogs or people. This was evident straight away when we first took him for a walk and he completely shocked us by his reaction to both other dogs and people. He barked and jumped at everything aggressively to warn them off and protect himself.
We identified that he enjoyed doing agility and became really focussed and learned things quickly, but he gets bored easily once he’s done the task.
At home Alfie settled in very well, he’s never chewed anything or had an accident inside.
Slowly by playing with him he is learning how to be a dog and that it was ok to chase a ball, eat a chew and use his nose to find things. He came to trust us and to know he was safe.
Alfie attends training classes in a barn with other dogs each week and is working towards his Kennel Club Bronze good citizen award. He loves water and really enjoys the beach and sea. He has at least two 45min – 1 hour walks a day and plays with the football, practices agility and does scent work most days.
He’s been with us to Whitby, enjoys time at the pub and walks with his dog friends in the woods and nature reserve. We are due to go walking in the Peak district next week.
Occasionally if we drop something, move quickly or startle him, Alfie will run off an hide and every now and again bark at another dog.
We have identified he has a sensitive stomach and now eats half and half kibble and tinned natural food which he loves.
We are 90% there with him and will continue to exercise and stimulate him.
He is a very loving and intelligent dog who is now a part of our family.