Alphie

Meet our adorable little senior Alphie. Weighing in at only 5 kilos, this little guy may be 14 years old but is quite spritely for his age! We are looking for a loving family to welcome this sweet boy into their home to live out his remaining years as their cuddly companion.Alphie is a wee little Maltese x who will just melt your heart

PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM AND JUNK FOLDERS FOR YOUR APPLICATION ONCE YOU HAVE SENT YOUR ENQUIRY

Alphie is highly affectionate and gentle. He will cuddle up next to or on his foster mom's lap when she is sitting on the couch. But as soon as she gets up he will follow her around the house. A very loyal companion, Alphie struggles with being left alone so we are only seeking adopters who are home more often than not.

Alphie arrived into care with a number of rotten teeth so has undergone a full dental where 18 teeth were removed and the remainder cleaned. He also received a clean bill of health from the vet. His mouth is now a healthy clean smiling picture of health

A small unit/house with a small courtyard/yard with a bit of grass (real or artificial) with a post to pee on will be enough for Alphie as he is not very active when at home. A short walk each day or every second day would also suffice. He is well-behaved at the local cafe if you want a companion for your morning coffee stroll!

Alphie would be the perfect dog for anyone living a quiet and relaxed, home-based lifestyle where they are seeking companion who will stay by their side. Older people are encouraged to apply!

Alphie happily jumps into the car (onto the floor, then up to the seat). Once in, he needs to be restrained as he will wander around the car while you are driving. He may whimper sometimes but will calm down if you speak to him. Take care when you go to let him out of the car as he will launch himself off the backseat, so make sure you lift him down before he does so! He does not get travel sick.

After his dental surgery, Alphie was left with only half of his teeth. He started on wet food, but has progressed to eating soaked dry kibble. He will eat some dry bits mixed in it. His new owner should continue upping the ratio of dry to soaked kibble to see if he can manage a completely dry diet, or whether he should stay on soaked kibble.

At the moment he eats Royal Canin dry food, and would benefit from a Senior-specific quality dry food. He is fed twice a day.

Alphie is definitely an inside dog. He wants to be wherever you are. He doesn’t tend to wander and will usually be within a metre of his favourite person. He is well behaved, and non-destructive when inside with you. Due to his advanced age, he won’t cope well with extreme heat or cold so should be allowed to spend all of his time inside, even when his owners aren’t home.

Alphie took a week or so to learn how to use the dog door in his foster home. Prior to this his foster mum would take him out every few hours to do his business outside, and she still does occasionally to make sure he is doing his business outside. He learnt how to use the dog door after watching his foster sister and gaining confidence in his environment. Alphie’s foster home has a small backyard with artificial grass which he toilets on, and will cock his leg to pee on a post or the fence. He only had a few accidents inside on his first few days and didn’t mark his territory inside.

Alphie won’t hang around outside, unless you are doing something out there too.

VISITORS AND PEOPLE

Alphie doesn’t mind being around people. He is happy to be patted by them, but doesn’t gravitate toward them. His foster mum lives alone so he has only bonded with her and will always be by her side. He doesn’t seem to rush toward visitors or seek their attention.

He has met some older people and liked them. He hasn’t been around kids and won’t appreciate being handled roughly and won’t want to play with them, so won’t be suitable as a child’s pet.

Alphie has a soft and smooth low-shedding coat. It will need to be brushed regularly to prevent knots from forming. He will also require regular grooming by a professional to maintain his coat length (his adopter should budget for this additional cost). His under eyes must also be cleaned daily as they tend to weep and leave tear stains.

Alphie doesn’t really require enrichment activities. Attention from his owner will be enough to keep him stimulated. He has shown no interest in toys or being overly playful.

Alphie is a well-behaved boy. The old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” applies! He is not particularly “obedient” and doesn’t do commands, but he is not getting into trouble or exhibiting any bad behaviours. I have a feeling he is either a bit hard-of-hearing, or has selective hearing. His loyalty and gentleness outweighs the need for him to be performing any tricks.

Alphie walks very well on the lead. He will happily trot along beside you and doesn’t pull on the lead. He will enjoy a short walk each day (or every second day). He is happy to accompany you to the local cafe and will sit patiently under the table while you have a coffee.

Alphie does not like being left alone. He will cry and scratch at the door while you are away. We are therefore looking for a family who will be home most of the time. We do hope that with time, his separation anxiety may lessen when he learns that his people always come back! He has had a tough few weeks, ending up in the pound then in an unknown foster home where he has been for only 2 weeks. Once he settles into his forever home, bonds with his people, and learns their routine, he may not worry as much.

Alphies copes with this foster mum being out of the house much better when his foster fur-sister is there with him. So a canine companion may help in his new home.

Alphie has been in foster care with a very playful but sweet 1.5 year old cavoodle who is twice his size. At first, he was very overwhelmed by her advances (which he would growl at), and showed some resource guarding over his foster mum when they were all sat on the couch together. After a few days of decompressing and settling in, he has bonded with his fur-sister and will follow her around the house and doesn’t mind playing with her for very short periods. He shows no signs of jealousy or protection any more and will happily sleep next to her.

If there is another dog his new home, they must be a small mature female who is not looking for an active playmate. They mustn’t get jealous easily as Alphie prefers to be by his humans side predominantly. His adopter must also give him time to adjust to the new dynamic if they have another dog.

He has met other dogs at the park and won’t react unless they bump into him or get rough. He doesn’t seek out their attention or sniff any butts!

He hasn’t been exposed to cats or other animals in foster care, but I don’t think he would be bothered about sharing a home with them.

Alphie sleeps solidly throughout the night on his foster mum's bed. She has tried to get him to sleep elsewhere but he will cry and scratch until he is allowed on her bed. Therefore his new owner must be okay with a nighttime cuddle buddy. Good thing is he doesn’t snore! He will happily jump onto the bed after his pre-bed wee outside while his foster mum brushes her teeth.

IDEAL HOME

A single person or family with a very relaxed home-based lifestyle where he won’t be left home alone frequently.

A person he can bond with that would cherish a loyal companion constantly by their side.

Someone who is willing to love him for the remaining years of his life and appreciate his sweet old soul!

A unit or small home is adequate as long as it has a small outdoor space for him to use the toilet.

A short walk each or every second day.

If there is another dog they must b