Santi
Santi
My name is: Santi
I came from: Romania
Now I live in: Croydon
My favourite things are: Chicken, sniffing, running through long grass, being brushed and sleeping (in that order on a daily basis, please!)
Santi’s story
When we spotted Santi on Underdog International’s website in February 2021, we were instantly drawn to his smiley face. He was described as having lots of love to give and Greg grew up with German Shepherds so the fact that Santi looked like a mini one felt like fate.
A week after we sent off our application form, we were delighted to receive an email from Eve to arrange a home check and reserve Santi. Fast forward a month and Santi was on his way to us. Throughout the adoption process Eve was so helpful; she provided us with lots of information about expectations and training, and kept us updated about Santi’s arrival time. It was also great to have the support of Daniela, a volunteer who did our virtual home check, and who was on hand to answer any questions we had before and after Santi’s arrival.
Santi was found as a pup with ticks and a broken leg, he then spent the next six years in a shelter so moving to the UK to live in a house was going to be a big change. As expected Santi was very scared when he was dropped off at our home and needed time to decompress after the long journey from Romania. He spent the whole of his first day in the garden as he was apprehensive about crossing the threshold into the house, which Eve told us is common. It took him a couple of days to get comfortable in the house and he’s still selective about where he goes. He didn’t step into the kitchen for weeks and he never ventures into our utility room, even though he knows his food is kept in there!
For the first week or so one of us would sleep downstairs with Santi as he was unsettled at night and we needed to toilet train him. We kept a diary of when he went to the toilet to help us establish a routine and got to know the signs he displayed when he needed to go to the toilet. We were impressed with how quickly he picked up toilet training and we’ve since realised that he must be a camel reincarnated as he can go for crazy lengths of time without needing to go outside to wee!
Santi was nervous on walks at first and would regularly freeze but with patience and positive reinforcement we built up his confidence and he now walks brilliantly on the lead. When we felt he was ready to go to the ‘big’ park for the first time, it was a joy to see how happy he was to experience the open fields and all the new smells.
We knew that it can be a long road to letting a rescue dog off the lead but luckily this wasn’t the case with Santi. We dedicated time to training him on long leads and after a while found that he liked to stay near to us. Initially we attached a GPRS tracker to his harness to give us peace of mind, but we didn’t need it for long as he’s been a star with recall and generally doesn’t stray too far.
From the beginning Santi requested tummy rubs and after a week we were delighted that he graced us with his trademark bouncy welcome that was mentioned on his profile. Although he has bonded well with us, he will rarely approach new people, and his bashful nature makes our friends and family all the more keen to win him over! He’s nonchalant when it comes to socialising with other dogs but when he is in the mood to mingle, he gets on well with other doggos. He loves to play when he finds the perfect pal – he’s often drawn to fellow rescues from overseas.
It’s been over a year since we adopted Santi and in that time we’ve introduced him to lots of new things. He’s travelled on trains, trekked through national parks, come face-to-face with sheep and dipped his paws in the sea. He loves to go wherever we go and although he enjoys family adventures, he absolutely adores relaxing at home, too. At first he was skeptical of getting into the big, cosy bed we gave him but now it’s where he spends the majority of his time snuggled up.
After all those years in the shelter, it’s lovely to see how well Santi has adjusted to life in the UK and that he is happy in his forever home. He’s grown in confidence but will always be a delicate soul, it’s part of his charm. We love him as much as he loves chicken, and that’s a lot! We’re so grateful to Underdog International for providing a smooth adoption experience and bringing the wonderful Santi into our lives.