We'd like to introduce you to 19 month old Hamish.

He originally came as a very young puppy from Bosnia - via another rescue - and went into a home. It didn't work out for him there and he was then put into emergency boarding for around 6 months where he had little interaction. At this point we were asked if we would take him on. Before coming here he had never been taken for a walk; his original family couldn't get a lead on him.

As soon as he arrived it was clear that to turn him around was going to take quite some time. From day one here he was so fearful he wouldn't come out his kennel and if anyone went near him he would sit behind his bed, shaking. For several days I would go in his kennel, sit down and talk to him; no pressure on him to interact, just get him used to my presence. Eventually he must have worked out I was no threat to him; bit by bit his confidence grew and he would come out from behind his bed. (see pics) I was then able to stroke him. A few more days and he would actually eat whilst I was in there with him. (see pics) Small steps, but progress nonetheless. Next step was to get a lead on him - not to take him for a walk, but just to get him used to having one on. I managed to get one on him quite easily by this point. A few days of this and then it was time to try and take him out on a lead. In the meantime he had seen other dogs going out for walks or running in the pen. I'm sure he actually wanted to do it to but he was still nervous. He was reluctant at first but day by day we'd go a little further. Now he loves his walks.

We feel that it's time to try and find him a home. If you want a perfect dog the moment he sets foot in your house, please don't apply. He needs someone with a lot of patience, time and understanding. He is still wary of strangers, so any potential adopter would be expected to visit him here at the kennels as often as possible for both yourself and Hamish to get to know each other before even considering taking him home. He's frightened of cars so a rural home would be better for him. A decent sized garden would suit him best as he loves to do zoomies. We feel that he could possibly live with another dog but it would need to be a confident, calm dog, one he could learn from.