Dogs from Other Sources

I am a trainer with Camp K9 in Newbury, MA and am fostering a 1.5 yr old neutered male border collie named Guppy. He was a client surrender due to pretty extreme fear issues in their home.

They bought Guppy at 10 months of age from a “breeder” where he lived in a large group of dogs on the property with little to no human interaction. As a result, he was unable to adjust to a home with young kids in a busy downtown area and spent almost all his time hiding or bolting to avoid his family.

Luckily Guppy bonded very strongly with one of my dogs and we were able to integrate him into our small dog daycare on my farm where he began to thrive and interact with myself and the other staff. He truly loves being in a group of dogs and looks to them for support when he isn’t sure about something. Although his family loved him, after 5-6 months of little improvement in the home they decided to surrender him into my care.

Guppy has been with me for 3 months and is an entirely different dog now that he has a space where he feels safe. He loves to hike and play with my dogs and warms up to new people with a routine that he is comfortable with. He is definitely a little fish in a big pond but slowly he’s learning to navigate the scary world around him. I am committed to helping him continue to grow as he finds the right permanent home, which is why he must be placed nearby for further training and daycare (free of charge).

Once comfortable, Guppy is a goofy and sweet pup. He loves to snuggle in the mornings and if he finds a squeaky ball, prepare yourself for a hilarious display of pouncing and tossing that won’t stop until you confiscate the toy or it disappears under the couch!

I have found that Guppy bonds faster with women and will require a patient human dedicated to fear-free training to help him thrive. His new home must have at least one other dog (more is better!) and a fenced in yard as he is a flight risk until he trusts you. Guppy tolerates cats and has been around chickens and goats without any issues. Transitioning him to a new living environment will be a slow process but when done correctly I’m confident that Guppy will make someone the best sidekick for life!

If you are interested in Guppy or have further questions please reach out to:

CONTACT: Jenny at friendsagaink9@gmail.com