Albie: male dog to adopt

Albie start to life was rough to say the least. He and his brothers were rescued from the back of a meat truck in China back in 2019 when he was just a puppy. Thankfully, he never made it to the meat markets, but after living in such cramped conditions with hundreds of other dogs Albie and his siblings had picked up some nasty illnesses. After a stint of quarantine and heaps of TLC from the local clinic they all made a full recovery and at the start of 2020 Albie joined the safehouse gang in Harbin.

A year later, Albie was lucky enough to be offered a forever home in the UK. Getting him to England was a feat in itself due to the significant impact COVID-19 had on transport costs and availability, but everyone played their part and Albie finally arrived home in January 2021. He has been living in West Yorkshire for almost four years now, but sadly due to changes in his family circumstances and Albie’s anxiety around their new baby, they have made the difficult decision to rehome him for his own comfort and wellbeing.

Albie is now five years old and is a smaller sized mixed breed weighing around 13kg. He’s a very unique mix of breeds: Pekingese, Japanese Chin, Pomeranian, Pug, Shih Tzu, and around 40 other East Asian breeds according to his DNA test! Albie is a naturally anxious dog and outside of his immediate family unit, he struggles to trust strangers. He is looking for an adult only home with experienced dog owners who recognise the time needed for a dog to settle, and understand how to advocate for his time, space and boundaries. When you’ve formed a bond with Albie, he is an absolute gem and adores being in the company of adults.

It’s important to note that Albie hasn’t shown any adverse behaviour towards the new baby in the house, but is clearly uncomfortable when faced with unpredictability, and with the toddler phase fast approaching his family don’t feel Albie would be able to cope based on his character and temperament. He needs a calm home with routine and few comings and goings. This is where he would feel more settled and secure.

Albie responds really well to training and with food as a reward he will happily perform sit, paw, down and round. He finds learning new tricks fairly straightforward and as he’s food oriented, this works well as a reward (especially chicken!). He is also house trained, and walks nicely on the lead with good engagement. He is a moderately active dog and benefits from a minimum of 45-60 minutes walking per day.

Although Albie is often sociable with other dogs, he shows some reactivity on the lead particularly towards large/male dogs. Smaller/female dogs he views as less of a threat, and tends to react out of uncertainty and fear. Because his recall is not 100% he has not been off-lead recently, but can socialise and play nicely with other dogs and gets on well with a family dog, so there is definitely scope for Albie to live with a canine companion if they are well matched.

Albie loves sniffing on his walks and is really happy just minding his own business and exploring his surroundings. At home he is happy in his own company and can be quite independent at times, but loves a fuss from his owners when their baby is in bed. When he is calm and content he loves a belly rub and enjoys just being present in the same room as his owners, even if he’s not engaging with anyone. He’s a very sweet dog, and just needs a patient and consistent family to give him a second chance.

We feel that the best home for Albie would be a family based in a semi-rural or rural location, allowing for a more calm, relaxed pace of life and in an area where Albie’s triggers can be minimised. City life will not suit him and he will be on edge constantly. Previous dog ownership experience, access to a secure garden when he can let off steam, and a home without children are all necessary for Albie’s new home. He would also prefer a home with adopters who are happy to go at his pace in order for him to learn to accept new people, as opposed to a busy household who socialise with family and friends regularly. After such a traumatic beginning, Albie just needs a laidback life where he can flourish and find his feet in his own time. He has been a wonderful companion for the last four years and his family know how affectionate, loyal and devoted he is, so they’re hoping to find a family who can give him the environment he truly needs to blossom.

Albie is currently based in Leeds and has a clean bill of health. He is ready to find his new home as soon as possible.