Home Needed for Little Archi…*Already in the U.K.*

Little Podenco cross Archi is in foster in the U.K. but what he really needs is a forever home and a family of his own.

This is what his foster says: Archi is a completely different dog from when he arrived in our home in November. He was a shy and  incredibly anxious dog. But despite his fear he never once showed even the tiniest sign of aggression. Over time, he’s come out of his shell and he’s a wonderful cheerful dog. He loves being petted, particularly his tummy. He’ll even grab your hand with his paw if you try to stop. He currently sleeps in his crate and he’s now content to stay in there when we leave him (although, admittedly, we do it rarely).  He was pretty clearly a street dog with no concept of how to be in a house, and he didn’t know any commands. But he’s come on leaps and bounds! He confidently knows ‘sit’, ‘wait’ and ‘bedtime’. His recall is okay but will need to be improved. That said, he forms an incredibly tight bond with his human and he would rather be with you than running off anyway.

I have never, ever, had a dog take food from me so gently. It’s so sweet. He does the opposite of resource guarding. If you come near his food he’ll immediately back off (I think he probably wants to avoid a fight). So when we feed him we have to put down the food and walk away, or he won’t eat it. When we’ve met other dogs (on walks and things) he’s fine with them and I think he could do well with another dog in the house. But you may have to feed them separately or I fear Archi wouldn’t eat (Suspect that would improve with time).

He doesn’t counter surf, or dig through the garbage. He doesn’t beg at meal times. He doesn’t dig up the garden. And, surprisingly, he sheds very little. He’s just wonderful. He’s house trained insofar as he has excellent bladder control, you just need to let him out every now and again. But he hasn’t quite learned a clear way to signal to us that he needs to go outside. That’s our next focus. But he’s only had a wee in the house once and on reflection it was entirely our fault as it had been hours since we took him out last.

On a walk he’s great on the lead. He is relatively confident and recently got over his fear of parked or slow-moving cars. He’s still worried about bins but I’m sure that can be overcome with time and training. He’s funny in that he usually doesn’t love long walks. When he’s done walking he’ll let you know by trying to push you back in the other direction, or biting the lead and pulling you (Not aggressively, he won’t pull you over or anything). It’s just so cute. But even that is getting better. He’s been fine walking on a lead in fields with sheep, etc. He LOVES playing in the garden. Playing tag/it with you is his favourite. He has no idea how to play with toys yet, although he has a little stuffed bear he loves.

He barks when it’s understandable (someone knocks at the door, or a cat is at the window). He has a surprisingly deep bark for his size (which, I think, is great for security!) But he’s not a dog who barks too much. (e.g. he doesn’t bark at other dogs on a walk).

He’s good with my children (12, 15) although he doesn’t really engage with them very much. (He seems to prefers adults.) He’s met my nephew (2) a couple of times and has been lovely and curious (I think he enjoyed being eye-level with someone!) But sometimes Archi would paw at my nephew to get his attention, which didn’t always go down well with the nephew. I think he would be an amazing dog for a relatively active retiree. His people are his world, and he loves being doted on.

He’s going to make someone incredibly happy.

If you can help Archi please email our Adoptions Team via: Adoptions@spanishstraydogs.org.uk 

www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk

Archi is available for adoption in the UK.  Homecheck and adoption fee apply. Adoption fee includes neutering, passport, microchip, all vaccinations, blood tests to screen for diseases, worm and flea treatment. Adoption cost in Spain (if no transport required) 155€ for males and €165 for females.

Adoption costs to the UK £520, this includes all DEFRA paperwork and transport by DEFRA registered carrier(using the TRACES system) by road direct to your door. We sort all the arrangements for you.  For dogs brought to the UK by SSDUK to go on foster, adopters will still be required to pay the full adoption fee of £520 to cover the above expenses.

In some cases, for example a failed adoption of a dog already in the UK, the fee may be reduced to £320 where the initial transport costs from Spain have already been met. This is to cover transport within the UK, kennel fees and any checks required.  

For adoption costs elsewhere, or for help and advice please e-mail adoptions@spanishstraydogs.org.uk

For more information about this dog, including advice and custom made video contact adoptions@spanishstraydogs.org.uk now.