Aby 1 year old Shih Tzu

If you are interested in adopting Alby please read about our re homing process

http://www.friendsoftheanimalsrct.org.uk/animalsforadoption.html

and complete a Pre Adoption form (link below) and one of our Adoption Coordinators will contact you for a chat

http://www.friendsoftheanimalsrct.org.uk/dogadopt.html

Name: Alby
Age: 1 years
Breed: Shih Tzu
Can I live with Children: Older teens
Can I live with cats: Yes, confident cats
Can I live with other dogs:No
Fostered In: Nr Swindon, Wiltshire

Other Information

Alby is a sweet and funny boy with a quirky and adorable little character. He has lots of plus points. He loves cuddles and is very affectionate. He really enjoys his walks. Is funny and makes me and his previous fosterers laugh lots. He walks fantastically well on a lead. Has a great sit and good recall. He loves off lead time.

He's not had a good start in life which has left him with a few insecurities which comes out in resource guarding with people and dogs. He is insecure around other dogs. Nothing nasty in it but he will be a bit vocal about things so this needs some work in a positive way that will build up positive associations.

His resource guarding again needs work but he is very responsive to work and building a trusting bond will help with this. I after just two weeks can sit by his food bowl and hand feed him chicken inbetween him taking mouthfuls from his bowl and the same when I give him a long lasting treat. However because of these issues he is not suitable to go to a home with kids or other dogs. He does however seem happy enough around cats and has even snuggled up with them.

He will be much happier in a home without other dogs, he really is just lacking confidence around them and wants someone all to himself. Which given a pretty rubbish start is understandable.

While he is happy with cuddles and handling all over by someone he trusts and enjoys and nice gentle groom, the vet and groomer are not included in the list of people he trusts (I don't blame him), so this will need work gently too.

This will be added to as time goes on. This little lad already has a couple of fans :-*

Some pictures of Alby.

Coming



Laughing at my jokes.



Looking cute



Playing



Any questions please ask.

My lovely little fluff ball is doing very well. Coming on very well and we are working on things gradually every day - he has made two new doggie 'friends' by which I mean he can go out in a relaxed manner with them and no barking. A little unsure of them still but was fab with them. I also have a picture of him below with my boy.

He's not at the stage where he would be able to cope with a groomer handling him and we don't want to push him to the point where he is needing to react fearfully and therefore feels the need to get snippish which happened previously. So, given that he was getting to the stage of looking like a mop and needed this done - I have 'groomed' him. Now, it is clear I have not missed my vocation in life but at least I can see his gorgeous face again and he's not walking on lots of wet foot hair.

Just to reiterate to people as while he's getting lots of applications, many of them just aren't quite right for Alby because he does need a fairly specific home due to him worries from his past. So just so we don't need to dissapoint people it's worth reading through just make sure the criteria fits.

He CAN'T be left for lots of hours a day. He can cope with being built up to a few hours a few times a week, but he loves company, thrives on it when he knows and trusts someone and he really deserves that, so someone that works everyday just wouldn't quite work.

He needs to be an ONLY dog, but with someone ideally who will keep building his confidence around other dogs and maybe build up to him having some walking buddies.

He CAN live with dog confident cats.

He CANNOT live with children and would not be happy in a busy household.

He needs someone who is able to look after his coat which takes a bit of work and is a bit more difficult with his handling issues with strangers. He is now fantastic with me handling him and if he is unsure of something, he just 'faffs' about and tries to make a game of it.

He ideally needs someone who is experienced and used to working with dogs with fear anxiety related issues as if things aren't done positively and at his pace his behaviour would escalate rather than improve as it has been doing so well. He neds someone that is able to read body language and will take things slowly at his pace. He does bond very strongly with people that he loves.

So below are some piccies today, showing off his new [s]hair butchering[/s] 'hair cut' and him being rather cute and with my boy!

Play withe meeee



Now pleeease!



Sitting pretty (Poor Thai, I chopped his head off)



While this is a rubbish quality photo, it is a lovely one and really quite special. Thai, my big lad came to be with threat of PTS (as a foster) due to various issues but mainly dog to dog aggression. A reformed chap (was, like Alby, insecure aound other dogs, so took the get in there first approach to dogs that got too close to him) and has been beyond amazing with Alby. Albs created quite a bit when he first arrived and was not impressed by the other dogs and Thai has not once growled or even woofed at him. So both of them, who have dog issues having sniffs and wagging with each other, which they do most days now, is a lovely thing :-* He does still have and prefer his own space but is mixing more and more which is good for him.