Bailey and I had a little time out from the rescue and visited a local country park. Bailey had travelled in my car before and she just lays down. We had a great walk and Bailey met quite a few other dogs politely, and was polite meeting people.

When we got to the lake, I attached a lead, she stepped in quite cautiously but soon was going in confidently and getting treats that floated. Check out the video in her gallery!

We then drove to Cross Hands and did some practice with passing traffic as she has lunged at cars in the past. This was the third time we'd gone to do this, and Bailey has now learnt to look to me for squeezy cheese when cars pass.

We finished up at Greggs where she waited patiently in the car while I queued for a sausage roll, which we shared.

Bailey was excellent company, well behaved and a joy to see her enjoying and relaxing.

Bailey struggles in kennels and gets stressed, it was great to see the real Bailey

What a superstar this lovely girl is. Full of love and energy. Bailey is well behaved although she can have her moments where she is overexcited, especially as other dogs run past her kennel to go to the yard, but she is getting so much better with this, and has started to become a bit calmer. Bailey is a smart girl and loves to learn new things to help keep her mind active, whether this is tracking, new command words or figuring out how to get the treats out of a puzzle toy. She has recently started spending her days in another dogs kennel, Ronald, they are besties and always go to play in the yard together a few times a day, Ronald has a bigger kennel than Bailey so every morning after a long walk or some play time in the yard she goes and spends the day with him, it's so lovely to see, it's good for the both of them and they get along so well. Bailey also has other friends that she goes to the big play yard with every day, she absolutely loves playing with other dogs and it's always so much fun to watch her running around. Bailey loves playing fetch and will play with you for ages. So if you're looking for a very energetic dog, who listens well and who you'd like to take for long walks and days out etc, then look no further than Bailey, she's a precious girl, she has so much love to give and she will always put a smile on your face.

Some dogs are easy. Some dogs fit into a home like they’ve always been there. Bailey is not one of those dogs. Bailey is 14 months old, a young dog with a lifetime ahead of her—if only she can find the right person to guide her. She was due to be put to sleep in the pound. No history. No backstory. Just another black dog that no one noticed. Not a Collie, not a Labrador, not small or fluffy. Just a dog people passed by. When she arrived at Many Tears, we thought she’d struggle to find a home, simply because black dogs are often overlooked. But to those who did stop and look, she seemed friendly, desperate for love, eager to be someone’s dog. And so, she was adopted. But that’s when the real Bailey emerged. Once in a home, she became intensely possessive—of space, objects, food, anything she decided was hers. She snapped when her harness was put on, she challenged her humans, and she made it very clear that she was going to be the one in charge. It became obvious that Bailey has had very little in life, and the scraps she has managed to hold onto, she guards with everything she has. This doesn’t make her a bad dog. It makes her a dog who has never known stability, never been taught how to be part of a family, never been given a chance to trust. Bailey needs something very specific:

• An experienced, patient owner who will commit to her training and boundaries.
• A home with multiple confident dogs, so she can learn appropriate behavior through them.
• A structured, active lifestyle—she would thrive in agility, obedience, or any task that gives her a purpose and burns off her energy.
• A person who won’t give up on her when it gets hard.

We are not charging an adoption fee for Bailey. Not because she isn’t worth it—she is—but because we know the real cost will be in time, patience, and dedication. She isn’t a dog to squeeze into an already full house on a whim. She is a project, one that requires experience, compassion, and absolute commitment. We are terrified that Bailey will spend her life here. 

That every night, when the volunteers go home, she will be left in her kennel, staring at the bars, wondering why no one came for her. That she will grow old in rescue, not because she isn’t lovable, but because she isn’t easy. But somewhere out there, there must be someone. A trainer, an athlete, a kind-hearted soul who believes in second chances. Someone who understands that the best dogs aren’t always the easiest ones, but they are the ones worth fighting for. Bailey deserves that someone. Please—if you are that person, come and meet her. Give her the chance that no one else has. Because without you, she will never leave this place.

This is Bailey’s story She isn’t a designer breed. She doesn’t have a heartbreaking backstory or a striking coat that turns heads. She’s just a black dog—one of so many, the kind that gets overlooked time and time again. No one stops at her kennel. No one asks about her. She watches as others leave, tails wagging, stepping into a future filled with love and warmth. And still, she waits. But if you really see her, if you take just a moment to look past the ordinary, you’ll find something extraordinary. A dog who will walk beside you through anything, who will be your quiet, loyal shadow, who will love you with the kind of devotion only a dog who has been forgotten truly understands. She doesn’t want much. A soft bed. A gentle voice. A hand that reaches out, just once, to say, You matter. Maybe she isn’t the dog you thought you were looking for. But maybe, just maybe, she’s the dog you need she’s a lab cross Spaniel type athletic and so so smart Smart enough to help you do your crossword and navigate you all over mountains and moorlands Smart enough to tech you some agility fly ball or cani cross. But not smart enough to attract your attention it seems Please, don’t let her be invisible. Come meet her. Give her a chance. You might just find your best friend.

Bailey is just the sweetest sweetest girly. I have been looking after Bailey since she came back and I wanted to record some of the more notable things in regards to her initial write up having felt I've had a decent amount of time to assess her more in-depth.

Bailey is a mouthy girl, but her ability to learn manners and routine is impeccable, and with the right routine she doesn't get too overwhelmed and giddy and therefore doesn't mouth. It's an easy thing to manage until she's out of the habit, as long you know what you are doing. She has not guarded anything from me, even her food bowl while eating. She did grab a blanket playfully and wanted a game of tug which came out as a low growl- I let go of the blanket so she wasn't rewarded for this behaviour with a fun game, and as soon as she realised I wasn't playing she dropped it too. The second you engage in trying to get something back, it just becomes a game to her, and it's SUPER fun for her! So if I want something that she has, I offer her a swap for a more valuable treat or toy, which works every time.

We've been working on a "drop!" And "in your bed!" And she has picked these up very well. She gets very stressed when you go to leave her on her own in her kennel and will grab your clothes to try and get you to stay- in this instance I ask her to go to her bed, and throw her a treat in the bed AS I leave. With lots of consistency and patience she now goes into her kennel and sits on her bed waiting for her treat, without stress.

We have worked very hard on a "Bailey, here!" where she instantly looks at me for her reward. She really loves this game of repetition, and this is extremely useful in instances where she is startled by passing cars, or horses. Her arch nemesis is a quad! Which is still very much a work in progress- she will growl, bark, and panic just at the sight of one.

I think Bailey has never learnt the art of relaxation or settling. She struggles to switch off and because of this she is always in a state of hyperarousal, which as a general rule, dogs really struggle to learn new things when their brains are constantly firing stress hormones. Considering this, Bailey has done really well to learn all the things listed above that she has learnt in her short time with me! Also considering this, when taking Bailey home, you may have to actually carve out a time each day where she has a calm hour or so with a chew, just to teach her how to relax and switch off, like you would with an overexcited puppy who needs a nap.

Bailey does not have an aggressive bone in her body. She is overwhelmed, stressed and hasn't been given a chance to settle in a home. The first few days are bound to be rocky, but she just needs the right guidance. Bailey needs a quiet home as an only dog, in a rural location with people who are totally committed and devoted to helping her become a more secure and well rounded lady.

All of that said- Bailey is genuinely one of the most affectionate, loyal, loving dogs I have ever met. She is super people orientated when she is calm. She LOVES snuggles and playing fetch. She has play times with a few different dog friends which she loves and gets so excited for each day! Her play can be a bit rough and tumble so any play friends need to match this! She LOVES tracking, hunting and digging in the hedge rows along the road. It's truly fascinating to watch her little brain get to work. We are going to work out a good sniffy job for her as I think using that part of her brain will release all the happy hormones that she needs!

Bailey just needs her special person to appear as she's really struggling in kennels. She just needs someone experienced to give her a chance. She really is an awesome dog and I really believe she will be an amazing companion to the right person! 

Bailey originally came to us from a breeder back in December, she was briefly adopted but struggled to settle into her new home and so she is back with us. Bailey is an extremely busy and active girl who can be a little boisterous and full of energy. She will be looking for an experienced, active, adult only home with no visiting children. Bailey does show some signs of resource guarding over items she deems high value like blankets, beds, cushions etc so she will need adopters who are willing to work on this with her and have prior experience with dogs with similar resource guarding issues. She can get quite over stimulated by the environment around her and so would be best suited to being homed in a quiet, rural area. She will need a secure garden with 6ft+ fencing as she does like to try and jump up over fences.. When she is overstimulated she can get a little overwhelmed and make the wrong decisions, but she does listen to you if you are firm and confident with her and gently introduce boundaries with her.

Despite all of this, Bailey is a friendly girl who is sociable with everyone and happy to say hello to anyone she meets! She is very motivated for training and is a super quick learner who already knows "sit", "stay", "down", "middle" and "up" and so in the right home and environment we think she is going to be a truly wonderful dog, she just needs experienced adopters who will help set her up for success. She can pull on the lead, so needs some training with this but she really enjoys going for walks, but sometimes can get startled by the shows if she's out at night. Although her microchip states she is a lab cross spaniel we think there could be a possibility of Border Collie in her, this is due to traits she shows that are very common in the Collie breed and makes her even more lovable and loyal. She is confident enough to be homed as an only dog and has a PETS travel document.