I am posting on behalf of my next door neighbour, Sarah Pearson (with her permission, of course.) We are looking for a home for her dog, Bella. Bella came to Sarah in October from her daughter, Kathryn, and is currently looking for her 5th home through no fault of her own. Unfortunately, she was not socialised when she was young, spending the first year of her life in two different homes, both of which kept her in a crate, apart from toilet trips to the garden. Bella was taken on by Kathryn when she was a year old and had been walked regularly, making good progress with her training. However, Kathryn was unfortunately made homeless in October, and the decision was made that she would live with Sarah until a suitable home was found. Bella is still in training, but Sarah is unable to give her the time she really needs due to work commitments.

Bella is a medium-sized female, neutered crossbreed, possibly Kelpie x Jack Russell. She is fully housetrained, non-destructive, and doesn't scavenge food or bins. She really is the perfect dog in the house! Due to her lack of socialisation, while she is a fantastic dog in the house, she doesn't understand anything beyond a house and garden. She chases cats and cars, and barks at anything she doesn't understand. There's no malice in her and she could live with other dogs. She currently lives with Sarah's cocker spaniel, Bramble, but introductions would need to be done very gradually. She is also very good with Sarah's two young grandsons when they come to stay.

Bella needs an owner who has experience with kelpies, collies, or similar, and someone who is willing to continue to work through her training. She's a lot to take on because she has so much to learn about the outside world, but she has an incredible brain and picks things up very quickly. She would be a great agility prospect, or similar, once she has come to terms with the outside world.

I adopted Paddy when he was six months old from a family who couldn't care for him due to his energy levels. He presented with lot of frustration and reactivity towards dogs, humans and cars. With patience and lots of positive reinforcement, he has come to greet and play with dogs wonderfully, and enjoys play with other dogs off lead or having a quick hello and sniff onlead before moving on. He is much happier around most humans, too. He has enriched my life and we have developed a special connection. I am gutted to admit to myself that I can't find a work around my current situation and that I can't give him what he needs.

Paddy is a small/medium sized, tri-colour collie. He is a very smart and lively boy, who has taken to training with enthusiasm and joy. He learns very fast and is funny and goofy when it comes to showing his eagerness to please his master. He has attended puppy classes in the UK for basic positive reinforcement training, and I've had input and advice form a canine behaviourist in Ireland regarding his training. He responds quickly to training using a clicker, and he responds consistently to a range of commands: sit, down, heel, wait, stay, drop, Up (jump onto something), through (legs), weave (figure 8 between legs), all done (go inside/ball finished) and with me (follow me away) Paddy is crate trained and house trained, and is okay to be left out of his crate for a few hours in the house. He currently lives with a 14yo Jack Russel who he adores (but she is less fond of his energy!) I am still working on his running (so he can go out on jogs on lead beside me) and recall which are heavily dependent on context and his ability to stay focused, and have recently introduced 'over' getting him to jump clean over a horizontal barrel which he loves. I can see a bright future ahead of him working in agility. High value rewards are his ball (to chase and fetch) and cheese. He is still reactive, specifically to men wearing black and with a hat/hood on, as well as towards cars and the sound of fast moving traffic. He is prey driven and will chase furry moving things of any size (hares, sheep, cats, pheasants, swallows) so needs to be on lead around animal friends. Down and wait command in these scenarios has proven to be a really helpful way to help him cope with the triggers.

Paddy needs an experienced collie owner who can give him a job. He has huge capacity to learn and needs ongoing management and training to navigate his reactivity so that he can focus his energy on working and being the best loving boy. He currently lives in the countryside, and it is clear he loves the rural setting.

Very sadly I am looking for a new home for my dog Spice. Due to my disability, I’m finding that she’s too full on.

Spice is a beautiful, slender build, small/ medium size black and white girl. She’s full of energy and has done agility previously. She’s had training and knows all the commands. Spice is good with dogs/cats and loves people and children. She’s crate trained but prefers cuddles on sofa. She loves the car and will remain in it until she’s told to come. When it comes to her food, she won’t touch it until she’s told she may have it and then she will eat it.

I would love Spice to go to someone who can give her time and carry on her agility training. Would prefer one to one as she will give full attention to you. Can be seen at my home.

Jack was handed into the centre due to a change in his owners’ circumstances.

All energy, all love – Jack’s the full package! Jack is a high-energy Border Collie who thrives on activity and stimulation. He has previously lived with older children and teenagers and could happily do so again in the right home. Jack has also lived with cats and can be playful indoors, but he may chase outdoors, so any resident cat would need to be confident and dog-savvy. On the lead, Jack can be reactive to other dogs, but he has enjoyed positive off-lead interactions with dogs at the centre. He is housetrained, travels well in the car, and is comfortable being left alone for a few hours.

Jack requires an active, breed-experienced home—ideally with someone who enjoys hiking, agility, or flyball. He can be nervous when meeting new people, particularly men, and will need a calm, patient owner willing to take the time to build his confidence. He could live with older children or teens, a confident, dog-savvy cat, and possibly another friendly dog with careful introductions. A secure garden is essential, as he tends to chase when off-lead and still needs work on his recall. His new family must be committed to supporting him with his lead reactivity and helping him feel more at ease around strangers. Jack has so much potential – he just needs the right person to help him shine!