Gomez stole the hearts of our staff, volunteers and supporters when he arrived at the Hotel last year. When we first met Gomez, he was incredibly frightened of the world around him and building his confidence was the priority.
Many of our dogs have missed out on the basics in life. That’s why we fund a small team of behaviourists who work with the staff, volunteers and dogs to help build confidence, teach essential life skills and prepare each dog for life beyond the kennels.
So, the team stepped in to help Gomez develop the skills and resilience he would need to one day find a loving forever home.
Nancy from the behaviour team explained that Gomez was terrified of travelling in cars and vans and was also very sensitive to loud noises.
They began using counter conditioning techniques to help change Gomez’s emotional response to vehicles. This was supported by carefully planned desensitisation car journeys carried out by the behaviour team alongside some of our dedicated volunteers.
To help with his noise sensitivity, Gomez took part in desensitisation sessions that incorporated noisy household items, such as tins and cans, into freework activities. By allowing Gomez to explore at his own pace and create the noises himself, while pairing the experience with positive reinforcement, we started to see progress!
All of this dedicated behaviour work helped Gomez take huge strides towards finding the family he deserved. Six months ago, that special day finally arrived when he was adopted into his forever home and we are delighted to share this wonderful update from his new family.
What does Gomez’s daily routine look like now?
“My wife gets up at stupid o’clock in the morning, let’s him out and plays with him for a bit, then he’ll come in and chill. He goes on his morning walk around 6:15. Then after that everyone gets up and ready for the day and he’ll have fuss time from everyone and a bit of training. He’s scared of the hoover so he goes outside but has access to come back in if he wants- he’s getting better as will now sit inside by the door. Throughout the day he gets fuss, training (we are muzzle training him) and outside time with the wife. Then from around 3 the rest of us start coming home which he gets really excited about, more play and training time and another walk, then he gets lots of cuddles and chill time.”
What was it about Gomez that first made you want to apply to adopt him?
“Gomez wasn’t our first choice, we have experience with large dogs and the dogs home suggested he would be a good match for us, when we met him we didn’t know he was a jumper and jumped straight at our faces which was very surprising but didn’t put us off, we could see he had a lovely nature and just needed a good home. We’re really glad we trusted their recommendation. We went back and took him on multiple walks to make sure we were the right fit for him, we also got to see different sides of his personality.”
Has Gomez reached any milestones recently, or are there any moments you are especially proud of?
“He’s been neutered and coped with this really well, didn’t even mind his bodysuit and left his wound alone, we were told his anxiety could get worse but it’s seems to have actually improved, on walks he is less reactive to other dogs and will often completely blank them. The main thing with Gomez is we have to be very consistent with our boundaries. Also, in the last month he has realised that he can just go in our garden and chill, not have to move the whole time. He is definitely bonded and protective with each of us, you can tell he’s a guarding/companion breed.”
From arriving as a frightened young dog who struggled with everyday experiences to becoming a much loved member of his family, Gomez has come an incredibly long way thanks to the dedication of his new pawrents. We are so grateful to his adopters for giving him the chance he deserved!