Over the last few weeks, I’ve been spending some time with our amazing furiends at Animal Rescue Centre – Arbroath based in Angus.  I’ve been helping out walking the dogs who have three visits per day from volunteers. But when Matthew, their Chairman, approached me about grooming one of the dogs in their care, we jumped at the chance to not only say yes but find a way to give him some much needed time out too.

So if you’re looking to adopt a dog, then dive into the blog below and read all about our day out with Stitch.

 

 

Looking to Adopt a Dog? A Day Out With Stitch (Animal Rescue Centre – Arbroath)

Our day started just after 8 am when Millie and I headed up to Animal Rescue Centre Arbroath to collect Stitch.  Based just outside Arbroath, we chose to opt for the pawtastic Millie’s van to ensure Stitch felt as comfortable as possible while travelling and had his own secure space. While I felt incredibly guilty leaving the other dogs for the day, Stitch clearly wasn’t at all phased by the change to his routine.  One super confident guy.

As soon as I opened the side door and the travelling crate, he jumped in and turned around looked as if he was saying… come on, let’s go!

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After a short drive home, it was time to meet Millie and head out into the field behind our house!   I loved seeing Stitch sniff his way around the house and he was more than keen to say hi to Millie and play with her.

Unfortunately, Millie isn’t a massive fan of playing with dogs and much prefers humans to throw things for her to fetch. But after a few signals to Stitch, he realised that she was too occupied with her tennis ball and left her to her own playtime.

He’d def fit in well with other playful dogs but also seemed to settle in.  He seemed at ease spending an hour following Millie round the field checking out what she was up to but also giving her space too.

 

 

With our meet and greet out of the way, we popped down to the shop to grab him a new harness.  I wanted to give him a little more freedom than a short lead on our walk later in the day, so he needed a harness to use along with our 10m training line.

It also was a great chance to see how Stitch would react to being in a grooming environment so we did a quick pre groom too.

Nails clipped, his coat brushed through and cleaning out his ears! He was more than happy to be fussed over given me his paw to do his nails though like most dogs, found the ear cleaning a little annoying ;0).

 

 

 

All kitted out, we were off for another walk. This time down to Barry Buddon – flags down and a beautiful day so the perfect quiet spot to explore with the longer training line on.

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It was also time to meet a new furiend – Buddy! Buddy is a previous resident of Animal Rescue Centre – Arbroath, so it was lovely to see all three together. As with Millie, Stitch was keen to try to get Buddy to play with him.  Buddy is more than laid back so wasn’t fussed or react but great to see that Stitch could again go off and find something to sniff on his own!

 

 

We were lucky enough to come across a lot of cadets on training, vans, and cars which Stitch was far from phased by.

His recall had dramatically improved throughout the day, after all the excitement and he sat patiently at the side of the road as they all passed without much prompting.

After all the excitement we were off back home for some food and chill time!   Stitch quickly made himself at home on the sofa and could see that he’d be a dog who loves cuddles. He even waited to be asked to jump onto the sofa – super polite!!

He didn’t beg for any food and was happy to head off to the floor for a little Sunday nap while we did the same. Well, isn’t that what Sundays are for.. dog walks, food and snooze!?!?!

 

 

Before dropping Stitch back off to the rescue at 8 pm, we had one last big adventure  – his groom!!

As a bichon/schnauzer mix, he will require regular grooming.  If you prefer a Teddy style as we opted for, this would typically be around 6 weeks, however, if you go for more of a short schnauzer look, you’ll get a little longer out of that type of cut and typically a groomer will charge between £35-£45.

I am always aware that when grooming any rescue dog, they are potentially under some stress already and so a groom could add to those stress levels.  Though with a day full of walks and new experiences, hoping that Stitch had gained a little trust and lost some energy!

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After a thorough four washes with our deep cleaning Wildwash organic shampoo and a dry, I was so so pleased that he again took it all in his stride.  As he has some bichon mixed hair, his coat does need a thorough brushing out and it was only in small areas with matts that he had any reaction at all.

For the first visit to us, and given his circumstances, a big massive gold star from us!

 

 

 

I have to say, while I’ve always had a bias towards spaniels and gun dogs breeds in general (yes Millie, I still love you.. don’t worry), I loved getting to know Stitch and spending the day with him.  He def won us all over and has def made me think twice about the type of dog that we’d choose if we add to our furiends family!

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• 10 Facts about English Springer Spaniels and why I love them

It was incredibly sad to drop him off again that evening and I’m a little at a loss as to why he hasn’t already found the pawfect home.  He’s a dog with a lot of love to give!

NOTE – All grooming services and products above were donated free of charge. 

 

Are You Interested in Adopting Stitch?

Stitch is a lovely 9-year-old lad who is a little set in his ways he loves cuddles on his terms. He can be barky on a lead around other dogs but seems to just want to play with any that he has been introduced to. He’s looking for a quiet home with no children where all the attention is on him. It’s possible he could live with another dog after a good few introductions.

Due to his breed, he will require reguar grooming (brushing) at home and ongoing professional grooming.

Read more in our related blogs:

• Why Do I Need to Groom My Dog? 5 Reasons to Groom Your Dog
• Looking for a Dog Groomer in Carnoustie? Mobile, Home and Local Based Dog Grooming
• What Questions Should I Ask a Dog Groomer? Choosing the Right Dog Groomer

If you’re interested in meeting Stitch please email Animal Rescue Centre – Arbroath at arcarbroath@outlook.com.  They can get the process started with an application form.

Don’t forget that home checks and adoption fees apply!

 

Not Looking to Adopt a Dog?  Here’s How You Can Help  Animal Rescue Centre – Arbroath:

While there are other dogs looking for their fur-ever home at the rescue, you may not be able to re-home a dog right now.  Don’t worry, there are lots of other ways you can support the work the rescue does (and the dogs too!):

You can:

• Make a donation via their website HERE.
• Make a purchase from their Amazon wish list HERE.
• Give up some of your time to join their list of volunteers and help out with dog walking (I’d more than recommend!)
• Help share awareness by liking their Facebook Page and regularly interacting and sharing their posts – costs very little in time and no money needed! But you may just help them find a new home for a dog or someone who has time to help out ??
• Share this post (some easy share buttons below) to help Stitch and other dogs in their care find a new home!