Pupdate: Jacky and Amber
When rehoming a young dog, their upbringing as a puppy can imprint on their behavior and sometimes make them seem they are an unsuitable pet for your family. We always highly recommend you think VERY carefully before you give any dog a home, but this PUPDATE about Amber shows that with lots of love, patience and understanding, almost every dog can make a loving pet for your family.
Please note however that not all working dogs make suitable pets, if work is their primary purpose. Visit our working dog definition for more information.
Jacky and Amber
Our dog is named Amber. She is approximately 5 years old and is a Red and White Border Collie and she has been part of our family for 4 years. Amber was found through Preloved and was born and lived on a farm in Wales for approximately1 year before we brought her home. She still shows some signs of being brought up as a ‘farm dog’ as she prefers to be outside as much as possible and prefers to drink water from the water butt or puddle rather than from the water bowl in the kitchen!
When we first brought her home, we put her straight in the bath as she was smelling very ‘farmyard’ like. We rubbed her down (which she loved) and she was all nice and fluffy. Her favourite past time for a few weeks was running round a large circular flower bed and nipping the flower heads off as she was speeding around it. She has a strong strength of character, is very active, friendly and a very happy girl. She is very energetic and loves playing games (frisbee and loves heading a soft football). The most favourite thing about our dog is her loyalty and affection she shows to us. She also loves cuddles! To our amusement, sometimes, If she wants attention while we are watching t.v. she will make a noise similar to Chewbacca from Starwars. It does the trick every time!
The most challenging part of giving a dog a home is the initial puppy chewing stage, but that doesn’t really last too long and it’s important to provide plenty of toys to keep it stimulated. The most rewarding part of giving a dog a home is knowing that they will be exercised on a daily basis, whatever the weather. It is also rewarding to know that Amber gets lots of love and affection and knowing that our Collies are safe and not left for long hours during the day as we are fortunate to work from home.
Our advice to anyone wanting to give a dog a home is to ensure that they have the time and patience to look after their dog and make sure that they will be able to provide a life-long commitment to him/her - walking on a daily basis, come rain or shine and showing love and affection. We feel that dog training is also an essential part as it will make their life easier.
