Underdog Alfie finds a forever home after 686 days

This patient pup spent over a year in our care waiting for his paw-fect match.

Alfie the Collie cross and his carer Tasha at Dogs Trust Leeds

26th February 2025

Collie cross Alfie came to us at only 3 months old through no fault of his own in 2020. Just as he arrived the nation went into lockdown, but we managed to get him adopted just before the doors were closed.

Unfortunately, after exhibiting some challenging behaviours, Alfie was returned to us two years later. As he settled into kennel life, it became clear that he was a little unsure of the world around him. He would guard his toys and was very shy when meeting new people, or being handled.

This clever Collie starts his new training plan

Afie’s trainers put together a dedicated training plan which included building his confidence around meeting new people by developing a special introduction plan so he would know what was happening and that he could move at his own pace. In no time, he was making more friends this way.

He became less worried by being touched, thanks to cooperative handling training. Alfie’s muzzle training was also a success, meaning that he can now safely have vet visits when he needs to.

After a few months of training, he was ready to find his forever home again. The team wanted to make sure that his next home was a paw-fect fit. This patient pup became one of our Underdogs, an affectionate term for our residents who take longer than average to find their forever homes.

Alfie says goodbye to the team at Dogs Trust Leeds

Alfie finally finds his forever home

Alfie may have waited a long time for his perfect match, but along came a family that was worth the wait – Damien and Linda. The couple understood Alfie’s needs and had the perfect home for the collie cross to thrive in, so they began the gradual process of getting to know him. They visited him many times at the rehoming centre to slowly build a bond and learn all the useful training techniques from Alfie’s carers.

Once Alfie was fully comfortable with Damien and Linda, Alfie did several home visits to get used to his new digs. Before long, it was clear that Alfie was ready to fly the nest and his favourite handler Tasha dropped him off at his forever home for the last time.

Alfie spent 686 days in our care waiting to find his perfect match but now he’s loving life in his forever home.

We’ve had a great first year with Alfie and have zero regrets about adopting him, he’s a wonderful dog with his own personality which suits us perfectly. The help and support from the Dogs Trust has been great, especially during the early days of getting to know Alfie so we knew how to get the best out of our relationship with him.

Damien and Linda

Could an Underdog like Alfie be your paw-fect match?

If you think a dog like Alfie could be right for you, visit our rehoming pages and start your application today. Our centres are also open to the public five days a week, no appointment needed.

Come and meet our amazing four-legged residents. You might just find your perfect match waiting for you.

Meet our dogs