Jakey- Crossbreed – (M)

Lovely Jakey – 5-month-old crossbreed boy

Videos at the end.

Possibly Spanish Water Dog or Catalan Sheepdog
Coming to the UK in early December – fostered in Gloucestershire

Jakey is one of six dogs I met in Spain that I want to help find their forever homes.

I have been helping the Spanish dogs at Noahsarc for 15 years. Although Starfish mainly helps UK dogs these days, Noahsarc is still very much part of the Starfish family, and I visit twice a year to spend time helping the charity and assessing a few dogs that we can bring back to the UK.

Often, these are dogs who have grown beyond the cute puppy stage or older dogs who have been overlooked. When I return next April, I really don’t want to see Jakey, Tessa, Josh and Billybob all grown up and still waiting for their families. They are beautiful souls, all for different reasons, and far too special not to have families of their own.

Our dogs don’t arrive in the UK and get delivered to their adopters like Amazon parcels! They come into Starfish foster care first, allowing them time to decompress after their long journey. You will meet them just as you would one of our UK dogs, with all human and furry family members involved, so we can make sure it is the right match for everyone.

So, let me tell you about our lovely Jakey.

Jakey is Cindy’s son and Tessa’s brother. Sadly, after their owner died, Jakey, his mum and his siblings were left to fend for themselves in the countryside, in an empty house. They were frightened and in poor condition when they were found, but thanks to the wonderful volunteers at Noahsarc, they have gradually begun to thrive.

Two of the puppies found homes quite quickly, but Jakey and Tessa were still waiting, along with their beautiful mum. So we have agreed to help this whole little family find the futures they deserve.

Jakey has had lots of lovely socialisation with other dogs and enjoys plenty of free-running time with them in the grounds of the rescue centre. They are also lucky enough to have volunteers who come in most days to take the dogs out for walks and spend time with them. So, although the outside world is still very new to Jakey, he has had lots of positive experiences with other dogs and people, which is a great foundation for his future.

Jakey is a boy who has grown on me every time I have spent time with him. Watching him discover the world outside the rescue centre, gain confidence and show me more of his personality has made him a very easy boy to love.

I’ve now been out and about with Jakey four times, and the progress he has made has been lovely to see.

Everything was new to him at first: travelling in the car, meeting new people, visiting cafés and shops, hearing strange noises and encountering unfamiliar dogs. He wasn’t a naughty or difficult puppy; he simply hadn’t experienced these things before and needed time to work them out.

Fast-forward to our most recent trip, which included a shop, the vets and a café, and he was a different boy altogether!

He was much more relaxed in the car, walked more calmly on his lead and was less worried by unfamiliar noises. He was more confident meeting new people, particularly if they happened to have food to offer, and he settled beautifully in the café while we ate.

At the vets, where he had his blood tests in preparation for travelling to the UK, he spent most of his time asleep on the floor and barely seemed to notice the needle going into his leg!

He is becoming much more engaged with me, and I am seeing more of the lovely character underneath that scruffy puppy coat. He really is a little bundle of scruffy love.

I’ve recorded much of our time together on video, which I’ve shared below, so you can see for yourself how he is progressing.

What sort of home would suit Jakey?

Although Jakey isn’t a manic puppy, he is likely to be a bright, active dog who will enjoy having things to do. If you’re looking for a dog to join you on walks, learn new things and become part of an active family, he could be just the boy for you.

He needs people who understand that his journey is only just beginning. We have been introducing him to the outside world here in Spain, and his new family will need to continue that work in the UK, gradually building his confidence and helping him become comfortable with all the things a family dog experiences every day.

We would particularly like to hear from people with rescue experience who understand that confidence develops at different speeds and who can guide him patiently through the rest of his puppyhood and into adulthood.

A home with another friendly, well-adjusted dog could be lovely for Jakey, as he has always been surrounded by other dogs. However, this isn’t essential if his family can offer him the companionship, time and support he needs and he isn’t going to be left for long periods.

For a little more reassurance, his mum and sister are lovely dogs too and aren’t particularly manic, although, of course, every dog has their own individual personality.

Jakey has already shown me what a lovely boy he can be. He doesn’t need someone to turn him into a different dog; he needs someone to help him continue growing into the dog he is capable of becoming.

With the right family, patience, experience and guidance, I believe he has all the potential to become a wonderful companion and enjoy the life every young dog deserves.

Could you be the family Jakey has been waiting for?

He will be arriving in the UK in early December and will be fostered in Gloucestershire. If you have the experience, time and understanding to help this lovely boy continue his journey, we would love to hear from you.

Jakey is too young to be neutered, so we cannot home him with any entire dogs. His new family will need to arrange his neutering once he has finished growing and maturing.

He will be fully vaccinated, microchipped, have his own Pet Passport and have been blood tested for all Mediterranean diseases.

Please email us if you think you are a good match for an application form starfishdogrescue@hotmail.co.uk

Videos of Jakey

At the Vets he was so chilled