Jasper's incredible journey

Jasper arrived at our Leeds rehoming centre when he was just 10 months old after his owners could no longer cope with his behaviour. Despite this, we could see his potential and couldn’t wait to help Jasper become the lovely dog we knew he could be.

We knew this Labrador Collie cross was a smart lad who needed a lot of exercise – both physical and mental!

Our training and behaviour team developed a plan of action to help him adjust to kennel life and feel less anxious. But, we hit a bump in the road. 

Jasper started becoming less interested in toys and treats, which made training him difficult. So, we needed to get creative and change our approach. 

His training journey  

We took the focus away from training and gave Jasper more informal time around familiar people. He became more snuggly and interactive, and started to enjoy us making a fuss. 

Now he was more settled we were able to gradually start training again. Our staff prioritised activities that would grow his confidence and teach him how to behave around his future family. Soon, Jasper was ready to find a new home.

We found him the perfect match! His new family understood his training needs, and were happy to be patient with Jasper whilst he settled into his new life. They had the perfect home for him, and could see past his anxieties. They were willing to give him the chance he deserved. 

Supporting Jasper and his adopters  

Jasper still had a long way to go and needed to learn to trust his new family. To ensure his adoption was a success, we started a slow introduction process, with his adopters visiting the centre whilst they got to know each other.

As Jaspers' trust grew he started visiting his new home, where we had the opportunity to coach his owners in the real-life situations they would be dealing with. We explored the surrounding area and had some lovely walks while he slowly built his confidence. 

It took 80 days from Jasper’s first meeting with his new family until he was ready to take the final step. During that time, the level of commitment from his handlers and his adopters was phenomenal.  

Towards the end of the process, rather than wait by the door, Jasper would take his lead onto the sofa as if he was saying “I’m ready to stay now!”. On Wednesday 12 November 2021, he did just that – stayed.  

Together, we have given him the happy home he deserves  

Jasper spent 15 months in our care, and in that time his handlers consistently went above and beyond to help him become the dog we knew he truly was.

His forever family had an incredible amount of dedication and resilience. Together, we have given him the best chance of a happy life in a home with adoring owners and for that, we feel very proud. 

Jasper continues to be amazing....