05/09/2026
**Dave: International Dog of Mystery** 🕵️♂️🌍🐾
Meet the magnificent Dave!
Dave is thought to be around 14 months old and was apparently found in a box as a tiny puppy. He’s described as a Staffy × Boxer - but he’s a VERY big boy for that particular combination…and his microchip appears to be foreign.
Where did he come from?
What breeds are hiding in that family tree?
And just how much more growing does he plan to do?
We may never know! 😂
What we do know is that Dave joined his lovely new family just two weeks ago - and right now, the world feels enormous.
Noises, people, dogs and everyday village life can quickly fill Dave’s brain. Once overwhelmed, the barking begins and his ability to respond disappears. With a dog of his size, that can look and feel pretty dramatic - but louder behaviour doesn’t call for more pressure or stronger control.
It asks us to slow down and listen.
Our session focused on:
🐾 Understanding trigger stacking
🐾 Recognising Dave’s green, amber and red lights
🐾 Choosing quieter walks at quieter times
🐾 Allowing him to sniff and watch the world from a safe distance
🐾 Reducing the things he feels responsible for at home
🐾 Building connection before adding distraction
At only 14 months old, with an unknown history and potentially limited experience of the outside world, Dave doesn’t need his new life squeezed into his first few weeks.
He needs his world to expand gradually.
Fewer walks. Quieter places. More sniffing. More watching. Plenty of sleep. Time to decompress and opportunities to feel safe.
Because sometimes the kindest, most productive thing we can give an overwhelmed dog isn’t more training, more exercise or more experiences.
It’s less.
International Dog of Mystery he may be - but one thing is already very clear: Dave has landed with people who want to understand him and put his needs first. And that’s a wonderful place for his next chapter to begin. 💛
