Layla is a 15mth old greyhound who came to us from a racer in Shotts, Lanarkshire. She is the most nervous dog we have had in so far. She had a missing ear which made her all the more cute. She quickly came round to me but was still absolutely terrified of any strangers. So much so that she would try to bolt from her lead and went quite hysterical to get away. I honestly thought she would be here for months being rehabilitated.

But only one week after she arrived I did a home visit on a lovely couple who had 2 big hunky Afghan Hounds. They live in a lovely quiet part and have their own field for the dogs to run in. I had mentioned Layla to them only to explain the variation of dogs that come our way and their different problems. But they steered me back to Layla and asked more about her. They had previous experience, as one of their own Afghan lads was very nervous when he was younger. Mark & Taryra started to come and visit Layla with the Afghan lads so she would get to know them. They also brought down old jumpers so I could put them in her bed so she would get used to their smell.

After a couple of weeks it was the big day when I finally took Layla to meet them at their own home. At first Layla was typically nervous, but not quite as much as she had been. We walked round their field with the boys and then went into the house. She was being wary at first and the boys were teaching her the house rules. By the end of only one hour she was standing beside Mark getting petted and looking a lot less anxious. I felt so happy as it was obvious this was the perfect place for her to be and she was already coming round. I’ve been to visit her since and she is a different dog. She boldly wanders about the house with the 2 big lads and completely trusts her new owners and loves them.

A big thanks to Mark & Taryra for taking on this challenge and succeeding so well. Layla has the perfect home and is the happiest wee dog ever. I imagine she will soon have the big lads whipped into shape as her confidence grows even more.