Hello Honey!

Well after a number of false starts we are finally sharing our home with this lovely girl who arrived nearly three weeks ago.

Her name is Honey and she is a one and half year old Lab Retriever cross. We adopted her from Guide Dogs UK, which was a surprise to us since I had no idea until recently that this organisation had dogs for adoption. However, we were having no luck with the animal shelters so when Guide Dogs came up on the eleventy billionth web search, I applied and we were accepted.

If a dog is not suitable for the Guide Dogs program (medical or behavioural issues) or is a retired dog, they will look for a new home for the animal. In our case, Honey has a minor ear condition which requires regular medication that would be difficult for an unsighted person to handle.

There is a vetting process which includes a home visit by a Guide Dogs staffer. You get full information about the dog you are adopting, so no surprises. If everyone is happy, a date is set for you to collect your new friend. Honey also came with a generous supply of Royal Canin dog food along with a voucher for a welcome pack that Royal Canin deliver to your home, her meds to get her through the next few weeks and a month's pet insurance cover with PetPlan.

We were so fortunate to get Honey. Guide Dogs has done the hard work with all of her basic training. She still has a tendency to get over excited when she sees other dogs (and cats and birds! I put that down to the gun dog in her), but we are working on that behaviour with her. She absolutely loves the fields and woods around the house and the extra exercise hasn't hurt us any either. She is typical of her breed in that she loves food. "Stomach on legs" is what one of the Guide Dogs staff called her. We are thinking of changing her name to "Miss Piggy"!

We are all still adjusting, but getting along like peas in a pod. I can't imagine her not being here now. If you are looking to adopt a dog and are U.K. based, I would urge you to get in contact with Guide Dogs UK to see if you can provide a loving home. **

** note there is an adoption fee payable, which varies depending on the age of the dog you are adopting.