My name is: Dotty aka, The Dottster, SnottyDotty, DottyBotty
I came from: Cyprus
Now I live in: Buckinghamshire
My favourite things are: Cuddling my humans, rolling in fox poo or dust, the outdoor warm ‘Dotty shower’ my parents have just had put in to get rid of said dust or fox poo, any toy I can tug, raw broccoli stalks (not the florets, they are horrible), coffee froth and puppacinos, sticks and running around very fast aka zoomies!

Dotty’s story

“Look at her eyes - she looks like she’s got eyeliner on!”, “What a beautiful dog, what is she?” We hear this on almost every walk with Dotty the doggo. Take a moment to gaze at that face - she really is gorgeous! She’s part Husky possibly mixed with a sprinkle of retriever… or maybe it’s Labrador.

Dotty was spotted in Cyprus as a nine month old stray. She took some catching by the wardens as she was so quick and then was looked after by Eve and the amazing Underdog team, until she came to her forever home in Buckinghamshire in February 2021 aged one-ish.

We’ve always had a family rescue dog and they’ve lived for many years - we sadly lost our last old boy, Barnie, aged 15, in 2020. As a family we were bereft. The ‘couldn’t stop crying and looking at photos and videos of the dog’ kind of bereft… only seasoned dog owners get it! They really are a special part of the family.

We were overjoyed when Eve matched us with Dotty who was described in the initial Underdog email as sociable, confident and friendly. We’ve never adopted a dog before without meeting them and had to admit to being nervous. We had to trust the Underdog process. It turned out to be smooth and slick. There were forms, checks and interviews - it was clear from the start that we were dealing with a very professional and caring operation. They absolutely wanted to make the right adoption match so that it would turn out to be a success.

The day Dotty arrived we knew it was the perfect Underdog match. On first meeting, Dotty instantly rolled onto her back for cuddles and strokes, all four legs up in the air. She wasn’t at all bothered about her epic journey from Cyprus and sauntered into the house like she owned it, said a big excited hello, ate her dinner, did her business outside and then curled up in her dog bed without being shown to it and slept through the night without a peep. It was like Dotty just knew she’d come home.

Over the coming months we learnt what a playful, loving and clever dog she is. She went to dog training classes to learn a few simple commands. We live in the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside and wanted her to roam free off the lead on walks, and it wasn’t long before she was trained to return to a whistle.

She had her first (of many) holidays to Dorset and enjoyed staying in a dog friendly cottage, trying out swimming on the beach (not so keen) and loving the automatic dog wash after paddling and rock pooling (much more fun). Caught at the right angle you can see Dotty smile - she’s so photogenic and loves looking at herself in a mirror or a phone on selfie mode!

Dotty loves chasing sticks and chewing wood, she enjoys digging holes and pulling up roots. Her habit of digging the soil out of filled garden flower pots and eating the heads off of her choice of blooming flowers is not one of her best traits - apparently roses are tasty?! Who knew! She adores her daily walks through the Chilterns, walking through local woods at the weekend and loves meeting all her doggy friends for super fast chasing games (zoomies). By the end of the day she’s invariably exhausted and sleeps curled up with her toy seal every night.

Dotty is one of the most tactile dogs we’ve had. She wants to be with you all the time, touching you, her head or paws on your lap or sitting curled by (or usually on) your feet. If you’re sitting on the floor she’ll climb onto your lap. She is not a small lap dog - she is a large husky/retriever size dog but she thinks she’s tiny! It’s adorable.

Dotty hardly barks which was a surprise. Our dogs have always barked if there’s someone at the door or to go outside, instead she just patiently waits for you to notice. If a burglar came into the house we’re pretty sure she’d nuzzle them for a head rub.

If you’re thinking of adopting an Underdog just do it. The support and help and care is there from the moment you say yes. Our home checker, Daniela, looked after us brilliantly and we were so impressed with the aftercare too - checking in on us and available for support any time we wanted to ask a question.

What are you waiting for, isn’t it time you added a dog to your family?

- Cathy