Andy

Andy is a cheerful but uncertain little dog who has gained a lot of confidence over his time in foster care. It seems that in his former life he spent much of his time outside, which means that he often feels safest in the garden, where he can curl up under bushes for a nap or to hide when things get too scary. Although he is an older dog, he is still very lively and he has demonstrated that he is adaptable and more than capable of learning many new tricks!

In many ways, Andy is a very easy-going dog. He spends much of his day snoozing, moving between lying in the sunshine in the garden, nestling under his favourite bushes, stretching out on his dog bed or dozing on the sofa. He isn’t much of a barker but can be vocal when first meeting strangers. He is pretty self-reliant and doesn’t get stressed if his people go out, but he prefers to have them around, ideally hanging out with him in his garden realm. The more time you spend with him, the quicker you will gain his trust and see his fun side. This includes completely bonkers post-poo zoomies, ecstatic rolling in grass and leaves and his little dance to charm you into joining him outside. He enjoys going for surprisingly brisk walks, particularly in quiet areas where he won’t see too many strange people and dogs.

Although he looks very cute and cuddly, Andy is not a lap dog. His lack of human socialisation means that he doesn’t enjoy being handled, so he finds being picked up, patted, put into a harness or made to wear a coat scary and stressful and will try to avoid being caught. He has improved with very consistent work and sometimes, when he feels very overwhelmed, he will seek out human contact for comfort. He needs someone who is willing to continue to work with him to overcome his fear and who will do so at his pace – pushing him too much just breaks his trust in people and it can take a long time to rebuild it. For this reason, he would not suit a home with children. He has also shown a propensity for stalking and chasing, so would likely do best without cats or other small pets. He may do well with another calm, confident dog who can show him things aren’t that scary.

Andy can sometimes be frightened by things that seem ordinary to us. He can get scared of the sight, sound or smell of people cooking. He is also nervous around thresholds and doesn’t like to feel trapped in a space, but he has mastered the use of a dog door, which has given him more confidence about moving between indoors and outdoors. His fear is often amplified after dark, so it is important to have a predictable evening routine that he can get used to as he settles in.

Luckily, Andy really loves food. And the one thing that is even better than food is working for food. He really likes food puzzles and snuffle mats or even just getting food out of a knotted towel. Training is one of his absolute favourite things! He had no training (beyond house training) when he arrived and has since learnt lots of simple commands, from sitting to shaking paws, high-fives to walking backwards. He thrives on positive reinforcement and is an incredibly willingly and enthusiastic student. His training sessions are a great opportunity to increase his confidence, introduce him to novel objects, work on his tolerance of handling and to build a really positive bond with his people.

As an older dog, Andy’s hearing isn’t great and he particularly struggles with locating the source of sounds. This can be a good thing and a bad thing – he often doesn’t react to unexpected, loud noises, but he can also get easily startled if he feels like you’ve snuck up on him. His eyesight is also imperfect. He was suffering from a corneal ulcer when he came into care, which required surgery and a conjunctival skin graft. As a result, his one eye looks a little funny and he can struggle to judge distances correctly when looking directly into light. He can get a bit unsure when he can’t see clearly who is approaching him, for example.

Beneath his uncertainties, Andy is a very happy little dog who really wants to engage with his people and to be included in all the household routines. Although he is pretty independent, he is also all waggling delight when his people come home and as his trust grows, he’ll even choose to snuggle up against your legs or feet. He needs a home with someone who is patient and willing to work through his fear with him so that he can have the joyous life he deserves.