In the Home

Sweet and sensitive Jordy came on a homestay to give him a break from kennels and to help him adjust to life in a home.  We were thrilled to see him blossom as time went on.  This gorgeous lad is extremely affectionate and has real sense of play, qualities we hadn’t experienced in him before.  When we arrived at the house, we applied the obligatory rule of visiting the garden first.  We let him take his time to wonder and locate all the pee posts available and praised him each time with excitement and a treat when he toileted.  Indoors we could tell he was a little overwhelmed, he was drinking a lot and although he found his bed you could tell he wasn’t relaxed.  As you would expect he watched our every move and on the first evening he wasn’t really interested in his food.  The next day he ate a bit more.  He has impeccable manners; when preparing his food he just laid in his bed until we took his bowl to his food stand.  And he took all his treats from the hand VERY gently.   When exploring the home he had to sniff everything out.  He particularly liked a mirror; you could see he was looking at the dog staring back at him and when I opened the cupboard door he looked inside to find them!  He is incredibly nosey and would sniff inside any drawer or cupboard he could. He liked to watch TV and to look at himself when it was switched off.  However, he decided to watch the washing machine from a distance, he sat on his bed looking at it from the corner of his eye.  For a few days he struggled to settle but as the days went on, he started relaxing.  It was rewarding to see him eventually drop into a deep sleep and dream.  He had a few occasions of sleep startle when he heard a noise but as soon as recognised us, he wagged his tail and approached for a reassuring cuddle.  He does this lovely little chatter with his teeth when he greets you.

My husband works from home and so each day he went with him to ‘work’ aka the spare room.  Luckily it has a big comfy bed.  In the end he would just take himself off to the office for the day.  If the door was closed ,he’d stand outside waiting for someone to open it!

As the days went on, he began to settle more but we were also aware of how big a deal the change in circumstances were for him.

In the Car

Jordy travelled well in the car but he didn’t like going in it and didn’t know how to get in.  Time, treats and encouragement will probably help him with this.

With other Dogs

We kept Jordy’s muzzle on him at all times on walks, but he was very sociable with all breeds and sizes we came across.  He was calm on introduction and just wanted to play; particularly with a female Welsh terrier and male rescue mix breed.  He is lovely to walk on the lead we didn’t experience any pulling but if he put his anchors down there was no moving him.  It’s lovely to see he has his own mind.

With Other People

Jordy was very calm and well-mannered with everyone he met.

With Children

Unknown, but he has walked with families at kennels.

Leaving the House

Towards the end of his stay we left him un-attended for 15mins in the kitchen.  There was no crying when we left or when we came back, nothing was destroyed and he was in his bed!  And we had a waggy tail welcome home. 

Summary

Jordy really is an adorable lad who needs to explore all the exciting things life has to offer.  He has such a sweet nature that I think he will flourish with people who understand his sensitive side.  He is a trusting soul and with guidance and slow introductions it would be lovely for him to life his to the fullest.