Sex: Male
Size: Large
Age: Approx 2 years old
Breed: Lurcher
Have I been neutered? Yes
Energy needs? Medium-High
Can I live with children? I would prefer a home without young children (I’m bouncy!)
Can I live with dogs? I can live with or without another dog
Can I live with cats? No
Where will he travel from? He is currently in foster in Wales with a trainer with whom he did a course of residential training
Background
Alfie is a very special dog. He is a bundle of loving energy and playfulness. He is brimming with intelligence and has so much potential to be a wonderful companion. His foster says about him: “he is very loving, very affection and loyal. He loves being near you and the quality of the love that he give is insane. Whoever invites him into their life will have a treasure”.
Alfie came to us from the UK pound system. He was found straying. A lovely woman lured him into her house using treats before calling the local dog warden to get him help.
In his current foster, Alfie is starting to thrive. His foster is a dog trainer and she has been working hard with him to help him become more confident on walks and in new, busy environments. With her help, Alfie has built relationships with a pack of dog friends that he enjoys rural walks with and beach zoomies. He has also enjoyed some great play time with other residential training clients’ dogs staying in the same home.
Alfie does have some reactivity around other dogs on on-lead walks and he is anxious in some environments but he has been coming on leaps and bounds in foster with his foster mum’s brilliant guidance. He is learning to respond to cues around other dogs on walks and to channel his energy into other activities around them. His foster has been exposing him to rural walks, park walks and even more recently an agricultural show where Alfie handled the presence of other dogs on lead and a bustling, scary environment excellently.
He is now more than ready to find an adoptive home and can be transitioned directly from residential training to his new home with training support from his foster! This is a great opportunity to adopt a loving sighthound with a nice foundation of training.
Home
Alfie does really well in the home environment. He is toilet trained and he enjoys relaxing in the company of people and other dogs he knows. He loves to have a couple of play sessions during the day with his rope toy or plush toys, throwing them in the air and play pouncing with his crazy long legs flying everywhere. His foster has introduced him to a flirt pole and he thoroughly enjoys this – it is a great way to exercise his mind, body and to fulfil his chase drive as a sighthound. As long as Alfie gets adequate exercise and playtime daily, he is calm and settled in the house.
He has been left alone for a maximum of a couple of hours so far and has done well with this. He is a lot more settled when left with another dog to keep him company.
Alfie has not displayed any issues with destructivity in his foster home.
People
Alfie simply loves company. He will be a great companion dog for an adopter who wants to be with their dog as much as possible, either in the home or out and about.
Alfie has formed a close bond with his foster and really enjoys their company and affection.
Once Alfie knows you, he loves you. He is very people-oriented and it is easy to enter his circle of trust.
Dogs
Alfie is constantly improving around other dogs. Though he can be unsure around other dogs at first, especially entire males, Alfie is very capable of of building relationships with other dogs…even the entire males! He has lived in his foster home with multiple other dogs happily. His foster (and trainer) is confident that with consistency and the right approach Alfie will keep on improving.
With dogs with whom he has formed a good relationship, he loves to play and share beds with them!
Walks
Generally, Alfie walks well on the lead (particularly a longline). He has plenty of energy so he needs a decent walk or two each day.
Alfie much prefers rural, quiet walks. He isn’t very comfortable in walking areas where he has to pass lots of other dogs on lead, head on and is particularly uncomfortable around entire males.
Being a sighthound, he does have a high chase drive. On walks, he will stop to stare into fields waiting for something to move so that he can chase it. He is very interested in livestock. We do believe he would chase sheep and also small dogs if he was off lead around them. For this reason, it is safest that Alfie stays on lead on his walks, especially in areas where livestock are.
Alfie needs to have the opportunity to stretch his long legs and run regularly – it makes him happy and fulfilled. He would be able to do this safely in secure dog fields, of which there is plentiful supply in the UK. A large garden would also offer Alfie the opportunity to spend his energy.
Training
Alfie is food and play-oriented. He will push his snoot into your pockets/bags/anywhere where there are treats. He is an intelligent dog and his drive for food and play has meant that he has been very responsive to training in foster. He has learned a number of very helpful cues and his repertoire can continue to be built on in his adoptive home.
He is muzzle trained and comfortable wearing a muzzle if/when necessary. This is a great skill for any dog to have, particularly a dog that can feel uncomfortable around other dogs.
Ideal adopter and home
Alfie’s ideal home is as an only dog or with another dog who is calm and neutral out and about but will enjoy boisterous, high energy play with Alfie occasionally. We are looking for a confident dog owner for Alfie – someone who is experienced with dogs and understands dog body language. Experience with reactivity of any kind would be a huge bonus!
If his adopter has another dog, they should be confident they can dedicate time to Alfie’s training on walks and manage their other dog too. His adopter should be home most of the time as Alfie is not happy being left alone. Whilst he can be left alone, he needs to work up to being left alone for longer periods where required.
He would be happiest in a home with a good-sized garden that he can perform his excitable zoomies in and enjoy romping in. Alfie’s adopter should be willing to help him lead a fulfilled life by learning how to safely satisfy his desire to run and chase with the use of play tools and secure fields.