My name is: Alfie
I came from: Cyprus
Now I live in: East Calder, Scotland
My favourite things are: Cuddles, cheese, showing off how speedy I am
Follow me on Instagram: @littledogalfie

Alfie’s story

I've wanted a dog since I was five and was never able to have one. I’ve always looked after and dog sat for other people but when I turned 30 I was determined to get a dog of my own - everyone who has known me a long time said ‘finally!’

I grew up in Hong Kong and all my friends with dogs had rescues and I was keen to do the same. We love all dogs and didn't have a particular breed in mind so it made sense to rescue and a friend recommended Underdog International to us. We lived in a top floor flat in Edinburgh, so we wanted to have a relatively small dog and also a puppy as we'd never owned a dog but otherwise didn't have too set a criteria.

Alfie (then Charlie) turned up at the bottom of a newsletter from Underdog of dogs that were available for adoption but not on the website just yet, and his glorious crimped ears and soft smiling little face caught our eye. The original ask was for a home that already had another dog to show him the ropes, but we were so besotted I thought it was worth asking about them considering us - after a chat with Eve who reviewed our application it seemed like it could work.

A few months later, we had a tiny puppy deposited into our arms at a service station (still a bleary and weird memory!) and took him home, and now it's really hard to remember a time without him.
Alfie can be a bit timid about loud noises and new people to begin with but is generally a very relaxed dog - a lot of friends comment on how easy-going he is. Since he was a young pup he's come out and about with us on buses, trains and car journeys and been to restaurants, pubs, cafes, beaches, one bar with a live band (he was totally unphased) and more. One train journey we were overpacked and he had to sit on my lap and the woman next to me didn't notice he was there for the first two hours of the journey! He's stayed with a few different friends when we've been away on holiday and has always been easy to look after and adaptable to new settings. He loves to walk but could also happily cuddle up with you on the sofa all day and chill out.
Most importantly, in the last year Alfie has rolled with a new baby arriving, a big move from central Edinburgh to a house in West Lothian and has just got on with it all. When we first brought the baby home he would sit very close to us and make sure we were looking after him properly, earning him the title of 'supervisor' as he oversaw all feeds and stuck close to us when we went on walks. As he's getting older, it's been really lovely to see their relationship grow and both of them wanting to play together - always overseen and hard work teaching a baby to be gentle with their hands!

We're so grateful to have such a relaxed and gentle friend with us as we went through all these big changes and honestly couldn't have found a more perfect dog for us. It's always weirdly quiet in the house if Alfie isn't here and I'm so glad we found our perfect pup through Underdog and very grateful to Eve and the team supporting us through the whole process.

- Nicola