My name is Alistair!

**IF THIS LISTING IS STILL POSTED THIS DOG IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. NO NEED TO EMAIL ASKING IF THE DOG IS AVAILABLE. PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS BIO THOROUGHLY AS INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY IS CONTAINED IN THIS LISTING.**


For Adoption: Alistair!

Before I get into his bio details I need to impress upon everyone that we are looking for a VERY specific
home for Alistair. Please read his bio in detail if interested in him. Alistair’s forever home will need
experience with fearful dogs and have the patience and right environment for a dog who might take
years to truly come out of his shell. Alistair is very handsome and you might look at his face and feel
compelled to help, but please be honest if he is the right dog for you. If you cannot imagine owning a
dog who flinches when touched, runs and hides from you when approached, and does not want to
spend cuddle time with you then Alistair is not the dog for you. And that is totally fine! Alistair is safe in
his foster home and we will take the time needed to find the right home for this sweet but terrified boy.

We took in Alistair as part of a larger intake of dogs from a puppy mill establishment. We were told that
the dogs were St. Bernard and Poodle mixes but Alistair looks different from the rest and with his
markings and personality traits we believe he is Great Pyrenees and Poodle. When taking in these dogs
we were told that a 1yr old male was in need of rescue and we took him in thinking that he would be a
quick turnaround; only having a year in the state of terrible neglect, he should adapt to life as a loved
family pet much quicker than the others who had to suffer for much longer. But Alistair is a great
example of how every dog handles things differently and a dog’s unique personality and resiliency goes
a long way in determining how they recover and adapt. The dog we thought would be the first to ready
for adoption is actually the last. This boy came to us the most shut down, terrified, and broken dog we
have dealt with in a long time. Alistair is a sensitive soul and his time being kept in a kennel with no
socialization, positive human interactions , exercise or affection has done a number on him. He has
been with us just over 4mths now and only now is he starting to show some breakthroughs. We take
even small moves forward as big victories.

Alistair initially determined that his foster dad would be the person he would somewhat accept in his
space..he only had the option of the 2 of us, and he decided very early on that I, his foster mom, was the
worst and a terrifying human being. (some would say he isnt that far off..LOL!!) But I was also the
person who put him into a vehicle for his first time ever, drove him to a brand new place, put a leash
and collar on him for the first time ever and then brought him into the house which were all super
terrifying experiences. So even though I was the one who brought him to the start of his brand new life,
I was deemed untrustworthy in his eyes and it’s taken months to get him to gradually change his opinion
of me. Only now can I offer him food and he will take it, and walk him and he goes willingly. It’s really
hard to not feel frustration when a dog you so want to help flees in fear when you walk into a room. But
this is the reality with a dog who has never learned that people are kind. Alistair is a dog that needs his
people to be super patient, and who know that he is a dog that will be a long term project, BUT, he will
make strides. We can now walk Alistair on leash and no longer need to double leash, double martingale
collar him. He walks with a spring in his step and seems to truly enjoy his outings. We can now feed him
treats and food from our hands and show him that we offer tasty snacks! Alistair is very much a foody
so the way to his heart is through his stomach! But this acceptance of food from or hands is as a result
of months of tossing treats to him from across the room. Patience is key! He will now come and sit on
the couch in the living room with us and sometimes will even remain there if someone walks into the
room or goes to get up. We are very good at sitting like statues, not daring to sneeze or even breathe
too loudly if Alistair decides he feels safe enough to join us on the couch. The joy for us of having Alistair
feel safe enough to join us, and actually want to be in the room with us outweighs any need we have to
move or ruin the moment in any way. This is as a result of starting out with him leashed to one of us in
the home at all times, and then moving to dragging a house line around so we could collect him if we

needed to get him outside , to now no longer needing to be on leash in the house at all anymore as he
knows the routines of the home, he knows his safe spaces and he knows what we are wanting of him
when we say “crate” or “outside” etc.

Alistair is very happy in his crate and early on he spent a lot of time there just getting settled and
adjusting to the sights and sounds of a home. He still eats in his crate as this is the only way he feels
calm enough to eat. But he no longer spends most of his time in it as he has discovered the joy and
comfiness of the couch. He likes to spend his days lying on the couch in a back room, enjoying the
comfort. He is an easy dog to live with as he asks very little of you. He wants a peaceful and quiet room
to spend his time, 2 meals a day offered in his crate and then he asks to be left alone in peace to eat. He
loves his outdoor time and likes to spend a lot of time in good weather just hanging out in the yard. This
is where the 1yr old dog starts to peek through the fearful dog exterior. It brings us such joy to see him
bouncing around, and sometimes even playing with toys. The discovery of toys is still new to Alistair and
we know that someday he will be confident enough to interact with his people and toys but for now, we
get stolen glances of him out in the yard tossing his toys in the air or pouncing on them when he thinks
no one is looking. Alistair will need a large, securely fenced yard in his forever home, with direct access
from the house. He gets such joy from being outside that we need him to have this in his forever home.
He loves nothing better than to lie under a tree and watch the world spin by. He has even started to
alert bark to things as he feels comfortable in his yard and has embraced it as his own.

Alistair is a low shedding dog, but as he is only part Poodle cannot be considered hypoallergenic and he
may still trigger allergies in those who are very sensitive to dogs. Surprisingly he handled a bath at our
place really well, and has recently even been to the groomer and handled that much better than
expected as well. He will need a groomer who is very good with fearful dogs and will take their time
with him and not overwhelm him.

Alistair came to us with a deformity of the tip of his lower jaw; it appears it was broken before and
healed out of place. This does not cause him any issues but is just a sad reminder of his life prior to
rescue. Alistair does not like to be touched or pet on his head and we wonder if this is tied in to how his
jaw was broken. Alistair still flinches when we go to pet his body but he is getting better at this.
Accepting affection is a foreign concept for him and he needs his people to work slowly with this and
respect the fact that he will never be a cuddly dog. But the fact that he is choosing to spend his time
more and more with us than away from us shows that human contact and togetherness are things that
he wants, he just needs to take it slow.

Alistair ideal home will be one with direct access to a safe fenced, large yard in a quiet rural setting or
very quiet neighbourhood. He is overwhelmed by a lot of traffic noises and will not enjoy busy areas
where a lot of people are around him. He is fine to be crated when no one is home so anyone working
away from the house would be fine for him as would someone home more as well. He is easy that way.
He requires an adult only home and one where children don’t visit, or if there are occasional children
visiting then Alistair will need to be in his crate and left in peace. He will not enjoy the activity and noise
associated with children at all. Alistair has been fantastic with every dog in our home and all of the
other fosters that have come and gone while he has been with us. We would LOVE for him to have

another dog in the home to bond with and pattern off of. Alistair has shown bouts of playfulness with
our dogs and he loves to follow them around the yard and tag along with whatever they are doing. He
has also been great with the cats in his foster home. He is truly a gentle dog who is kind hearted. But
mostly what Alistair needs is a person or people who are kind, and patient and experienced with
working with dogs as shut down and fearful as he is. He has made great strides in his foster home and is
ready to move on to the next stage of his life in a loving forever home. But we need it to be the perfect
fit for him. Having had a dog just like Alistair in our lives for over 10 years I can attest to the fact that
they do grow to trust, they do experience joy and happiness…it is just different and at a slower pace
than other dogs. His people need to “get “ that and work with him and know that this is a marathon,
not a sprint. His people need to be super diligent about safety and keeping him safe and know that
Alistair is a flight risk and as such take measures to ensure his safety. We know that Alistair’s perfect
family is out there, but for now , until that family finds him, he is happy and loved in his foster home and
he knows that there’s a piece of cheese waiting for him as his reward for being brave today!

Name: Alistair

Age: 1yr

Gender: male

Neutered: yes

UTD vaccines: yes

Breed: Poodle/ Great Pyrenees/St Bernard

Colours: white and grey

Coat length: med

House trained: yes

Special needs: yes, see bio
OK with kids: no

OK with cats: yes

Ok with dogs: yes

Status: adoptable

Microchip: yes

Size: large

Location: Drumbo

Adoption fee: $700