MY daughter-in-law Kristy is very much a dachshund sort of girl.

Her first dachshund Fliss joined the family at eight weeks of age and is an absolute delight, but Kristy has said several times of late that, were she ever to get another, she would like to rehome an adult and, in particular, one that had been used as a breeding bitch.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, that is exactly what she did and so little Poppy joined the family.

Five years old, a pretty brown and tan girl, Poppy had been with her previous owner since birth, where she had lived her life as a commercial breeding bitch.

Now, this establishment is a properly licensed breeding kennel.

All puppies are sold at the correct age, in line with current legislation.

All are sold having been micro chipped, vaccinated and vet checked, even if not usually KC registered. In other words, as far as the law is concerned, all is in order.

Of course, getting a puppy is a wonderful experience and let’s face it, if you like dogs, how can you help but fall in love?

On the other hand, adopting an older dog, the sort of dog whose entire life has been spent in a kennel or a pen; a dog whose job in life has been to ensure that a ready supply of puppies are available to satisfy an ever-growing market; adopting such a dog could be fraught with difficulties, could it not?

So three weeks ago, having lived in an outside kennel all of her life, little Poppy moved in with Kristy and my son, plus 12-year-old Border Terrier Bertie and Fliss, the six-year-old dachshund. Bertie and Fliss, as expected, were very accepting of their new sister and new friendships were formed in no time.

House training hasn’t been an issue either as, despite living her entire life in an outside kennel, Poppy has been quick to follow the example set by the other two.

She very soon established a favoured spot in the garden where, for possibly for the first time in her life, she also discovered the delight of tennis balls.

Oh my goodness, she can’t believe how much fun can be had, chasing and carrying this little round thing about.

Initially, she couldn’t run around that much without tiring, which is not altogether surprising, considering that she has spent most of her life confined to a pen.

It would certainly appear though, that never in her wildest dreams, could she have possibly imagined the unbelievable sense of pride and pleasure brought about by the simple act of retrieving.

Whether it be a tennis ball, a mobile phone or an empty shotgun cartridge, all are treasures in this little girl’s eyes and what’s more, they are treasures that she is so proud to present to her new people.

We understand that Poppy did not enjoy life as a breeding bitch.

We are not sure how many litters she had, but we believe that as she had no desire whatsoever to look after the last one, it was decided that her breeding days were over.

I first met her shortly after she had arrived in her new home.

Health-wise she was fine, but her eyes were sad and lacking sparkle. But goodness me, in just a few short weeks, how things have changed.

She is still my daughter-in-law’s shadow and I think that may very well always be the case, but overall, she has changed in so many other ways.

Body profile, for example, is now a much more toned sausage shape.

She also now fully appreciates the concept of playing with toys, the joys of going for a walk and the exciting sniffs waiting to be discovered in the grass.

At home she has her own fluffy, fur-lined basket, but best of all she has her very own people to worship.

In fact, little Poppy has got me thinking that, should I ever decide to get another dog, I too will be looking for an adult; one that maybe, deserves a second chance.