Our New Addition

It has been absolute ages since I last blogged about my pets and I do apologise.  I’ve had so much going on.  Today I want to talk about the newest addition to our family, Atticus Finch.  Finch is a rescue dog and he is a Pomeranian cross.  We’re not overly sure what he is mixed with but our guess is a long haired Chihuahua. 

We wanted Gatsby, our little pug to have a brother and to be socialised with other dogs.  We really wanted some company for him and to give another little dog a happy and loving home.  We decided to visit the DSPCA and see if there were any dogs that would be matched to us.  The staff there were very helpful and introduced us to Finch.

Finch was in the shelter with his sister.  Both dogs had lived in a home with over 200 dogs.  Finch’s sister had already been adopted so he was going to be on his own and he isn’t great on his own.  He was a very quiet little chap with a sweet little face.  I held him for a few minutes and gave him as much of a snuggle as he would allow.  He was very shy.

Later that afternoon we brought Gatsby to meet Finch and took both dogs for a little stroll.  They were indifferent to each other.  At first I thought this was a problem but the staff assured me that this was best case scenario as if the boys didn’t like each other or were incompatible they would have fought straightaway.

Later that week we went to collect Finch and bring him home.  I was very nervous about how he might react to his new hedgehog and guinea pig brothers.  We were told that as soon as we got out of the car we should walk the two boys around the block before bringing them into the house.  When Finch entered his new home he was inquisitive about his new brothers but wasn’t bothered by them, nor did he bark or attack them.  He sat on my knee and on the couch for his first evening and tried to take in his new surroundings.

He was incredibly nervous of both us and Gatsby for the first few days. Both boys had a few small scraps to decide which one of them was the alpha but it wasn’t anything serious.  Finch didn’t know his name and didn’t understand any basic commands.  He also wasn’t used to the lead so at times that was difficult.

So how is he getting on now?  He is still a little shy and is not always great with new people but him and I have become great friends.  He follows me around the house.  He loves his brothers and running around gardens.  He gets very excited for his walks and bounces out the door.  He still has a few funny quirks.  He takes his food from his bowl and runs away with it, eating it in hiding.  He cowers when anyone pets him from behind.  He is nervous of approaching people and he likes to hide in confined spaces.  Each week that passes I see another positive change in him.  His tail is always wagging and he usually has a cheeky grin on his face.  He loves a sneaky slice of ham as a treat.  Ear rubs are his favourite.  He can’t be without Gatsby and adores playing with him.  He lets me put hats and outfits on him and sits still while I do it.

Finch still has a few problems but he has come such a long way and we love that he is part of our family.  He had a tough start to his life but he is happy and spoiled in his new forever home.