Costel (1 year old)
We adopted Costel in August 2020. We did a DNA test out of interest. Costel is a mix of German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Schnauzer and going further generations back, various mixed breeds including Chihuahua! Our other dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and he and Costel are inseparable.
He stands on his rear legs when looking up into trees at squirrels like a giant Meerkat, Is somehow able to unbuckle our other dog’s collar with his teeth, loves staring up into the sky at birds/planes/stars, cocks his head from side to side when you talk to him & loves to wash our two young boys' bare feet even when they have just had a shower!
He loves cocktail sausages and his favourite toy is a red & purple squeaky ball. He will sit and wait next to his bowl of food until we say ‘Go on then’ and then devours it! His favourite walk is in the forestry plantation near our house, and he loves to relax on the sofa or our son's bed.
We wanted to adopt a rescue dog to provide a loving home. Costel was dumped in a polystyrene box with his brother and 6 sisters at night in pouring rain, near the docks in Navodari on a road called Music Street. They were found a short while later by a BMDR staff member and were referred to as ‘The Music Street Eight’. The adoption process with BMDR was very efficient, friendly and thorough and was professionally handled from start to finish.
It was the middle of a warm summer night when Costel arrived in the van. He was shaking and apprehensive until the driver cuddled him and then handed him to me for his first ‘daddy’ cuddles and kisses. An hour later he was running around the garden in the dark playing.
Settling him in was easier than we thought it would be - a few toilet accidents in the house but nothing unexpected. His recall became fairly consistent after a bit of perseverance and he can be trusted to be alone in the house with our other dog for short periods without chewing anything at all.
If you're thinking of adopting a dog, first make sure the decision is right for you and everyone else in the family and if it is, give a BMDR dog a loving home. Be patient with your new dog and utilise the brilliant support from BMDR and other adopters if unsure about anything.