An adorable pup who lives in a dogs' home and keeps being overlooked by potential owners is learning Welsh - in the hope this will open up more potential homes for him.
Buddy, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, has received such little interest from visitors to his rescue centre, Dogs Trust Cardiff, that staff have decided to teach him Welsh in the hopes this will give him a greater pool of potential owners.
So far, the intelligent canine has mastered many basic commands in Welsh, including eistedd (sit), i lawr (down), yma (here), pawen (paw) and da (good), and has even been nicknamed 'Bilingual Buddy' by staff.
Buddy's 'canine carer,' Lizzie Smith is teaching Buddy Welsh, while learning the language herself.
She said: "Buddy is an amazing dog but since arriving with us, he hasn’t had much interest from potential new families which is really sad as he would make a great pet.
"I spend a lot of time with Buddy so thought I’d use our training time as a way to teach him some new tricks – or in this case – a new language! He’s such a keen student and so clever, I think he picked up the words quicker than I did.
"He knows all his basic commands in English, but now that he knows them in Welsh too, we’re really hoping we see more families come forward interested in adopting him."
Buddy is looking for an adults-only, calm home with patient adopters who will continue with his training, Dogs Trust Cardiff says.
He is "sweet and sensitive" and takes a little bit of time to get to know new people, so his new family will need to visit several times to build up a bond.
Deputy manager at Dogs Trust Cardiff, Kim Davies said: “Buddy is an adorable boy and Lizzie has been working so hard to go the extra mile to help find him a home.
"Like all our dogs, we want Buddy to go to a loving home – although in this case, it would be a bonus if they are also bilingual!
"Once he knows you, he enjoys the company of people and if you have toys or treats with you, this is a sure way to win him over.
"Buddy needs time and patience to settle into his new home and gain confidence, but once he does, he will make a loyal and loving companion."
Buddy's description on the Dogs Trust website reads: "Buddy is a very handsome one-year-old Staffy Cross looking for an adult-only home to settle into. He would love to build on his confidence and to join a family that is keen to further continue his training and socialisation.
"Buddy would like to be the only pet in the home. Although he can be worried by new people initially, he is quick to come round and ready to play with his favourite toys.
"When out and about, he likes to bring his favourite toy 'wubba' along with him. He will sit ever so patiently for you to start a game of fetch. Buddy is also a big lover of food and is even learning some of his basic commands in Welsh!"
If you're interested in adopting Buddy, visit the Dogs Trust website here to express your interest
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