Kyle ❤️
Kyle is an under-one-year-old Collie mix being fostered in Gloucestershire in an adult home with several other dogs.
Kyle is a lovely young dog who has already come such a long way — and I really think his best is still to come.
His story
Kyle was found dumped on an urbanisation in Spain. He was absolutely terrified and so frightened of people that it took rescuers some time to catch him. When I met him in Spain, I was told how much progress he had already made, but he was still very hand-shy with strangers and had never learned to walk on a lead.
I have a real soft spot for Collies, but that wasn’t the reason I chose Kyle. It was his wonderful nature.
He absolutely adores other dogs and clearly gets a huge amount of confidence and reassurance from them. Despite everything he has experienced, he has never shown aggression, nastiness or resentment towards people. There isn’t a bad bone in him. He is simply a young dog who has never had the love, guidance and security that every puppy should have.
I spent some time working with him on lead walking in Spain and was amazed at how quickly he learned. You could almost see him beginning to realise that perhaps the world wasn’t quite as frightening as he thought.
I have worked with the rescue in Spain for over 15 years, helping a few dogs each time I visit. Because Starfish is a foster-home-based rescue, our dogs live as part of a family and are properly assessed before we look for their forever home. We also make sure we can provide the backup they need for life.
Kyle in foster
Kyle has now been with us for nearly a week and, although it is still very early days, the change in him has already been amazing.
For the first 24 hours he was extremely nervous and spent most of his time avoiding us and the other dogs. We simply gave him time and space to work things out.
Slowly, just as we have seen with many nervous dogs before him, he realised that we and the dogs around him were safe.
And now we’re starting to see the real Kyle.
He absolutely loves the other dogs, particularly Lucy, and has started playing with them confidently, racing around the garden at top speed. He is relaxed in the house and has discovered sofas and chairs — which he is very pleased about!
Considering he has never lived in a home before, he has settled incredibly well. He hasn’t had a single accident and sleeps happily in the utility room with Meg, our Labrador who is also in foster.
He has started going out for gentle walks in the woods opposite the house. On his first walk he thought the woods were very scary. Now he is often the first one waiting at the front door when he knows it’s walk time!
He is still cautious when we meet new people or dogs, though, and this is something his new family will need to understand. At the moment I would not trust him off lead as I still think he could be a flight risk and he isn’t yet 100% reliable about coming back.
And then there is his inner puppy — which is definitely starting to appear!
He loves cushions and carrying them around, taking paper out of the bin and running off with shoes. All completely normal puppy behaviour, although I do find myself saying “NO” so often that I’m worried he is going to think that’s his name! 😂
What does Kyle need?
There have been a few people interested in Kyle, but I do feel strongly that he needs another dog or dogs in his new home.
This isn’t simply because he likes dogs — although he absolutely does. He gains confidence from them and watches what they do. A confident, friendly dog will help him understand that the world is a safe place and will help him progress much more quickly.
His new family will also need to be patient and experienced enough to allow him to build confidence at his own pace. He doesn’t need someone to push him into situations he finds frightening. He needs people who will quietly show him that there is nothing to be afraid of.
Kyle is still very young and he is soaking up life like a little sponge. I genuinely think that in another few weeks we will be writing a very different profile again.
He is already discovering how much fun life can be.
Underneath the nervousness is a beautiful, gentle, playful young dog with a lovely temperament. He just needs the right people, some confident canine friends and the chance to continue learning about the world.
And I think once he realises just how good life can be, Kyle is going to be an absolute joy. ❤️
Kyle is neutered, fully vaccinated and has tested negative for all Mediterranean diseases.
As always, please read Kyle’s requirements carefully before enquiring. We are looking for the right home for him rather than simply the first home that offers.
He loves a sofa 

Playing with his toys 

We had a get together only a few days after he arrived you can see him at the door taking it all in 

Very relaxed around the other dogs and in our home now 

Lots of interesting sniffs over the woods 

Morning time 

Playing with Lucy