Paxton is a Dogue de Bordeaux. He was a very sad hand in. His previous owners loved him very much but wanted to what was right by him. There were lots of tears the day he came to Fripps. Paxton hadn’t lived with other dogs before but he has fitted in so well. He’s like a giant puppy and gets very excited. Also he has a fear of men so we have to be very careful when new people come to the house as he will growl and bark and snap at them. Once he knows the person is safe he’s the most loving dog ever. A few days after he arrived, Jodie took him to be castrated as he still had his balls and it’s much better for dogs living in a pack to be castrated. He loves playing with Jeff and lets Jeff bite him playfully. He’s also a bit in awe of Hope. He needs a lot of training as he’s quite a handful but we are sure we will get him there. He’s a lovely boy who has so much love to give and already he’s melted everyone at Fripps.

Hope is an Illyrian shepherd. She was found dying at the side of the road in Macedonia. Someone had thrown her out a car into the snow and she couldn’t even stand up. A wonderful charity got a call about her and went to rescue her. Once she had had a long stay at the vets and was all better, Jodie saw that she needed a home and offered to take her. We think she is about 3 years old. She’s a “guardian of livestock” and her favourite thing is to be out with the animals in the field all day. She’s amazing with all the animals and really does look after them. She doesn’t like it when they get separated, for example, when the pigs were little she would herd them all to keep them together. She’s an amazing guard dog for the farm too as she won’t let any strangers near the place! She’s an intimidating dog but so good at her job and such a big softie with Jodie and friends. She loves a belly tickle! She’s food aggressive so Jodie has to feed her separately to all the other dogs otherwise she’ll fight them. Hope arrived not long after Ralph the Rottweiler passed so she helped to fill the massive hole he left.

Jeff and Wendy were found tied up in a barn with bits of string with no food or water. They had been abandoned. Jodie got the call that they had been found and was then told that nobody wanted them so she immediately offered to have them. When they arrived an hour later she rushed them straight to the vets as they were covered in fleas and ticks and were so starved they were emaciated. Jeff settled in straight away. He’s a dwarf Jack Russell and like every typical JR, he thinks he’s a big dog. He barks at everyone and thinks he’s guarding the farm but he also wants to chase everything that moves so Jodie has to manage him carefully so that he can’t get to the smaller animals. He’s a terror but he’s amazing. He loves cuddles and often sleeps in Jodie’s bed, where he tucks himself in and doesn’t move until the morning.

Jeff and Wendy were found tied up in a barn with bits of string with no food or water. They had been abandoned. Jodie got the call that they had been found and was then told that nobody wanted them so she immediately offered to have them. When they arrived an hour later she rushed them straight to the vets as they were covered in fleas and ticks and were so starved they were emaciated. While Jeff settled in straight away, Wendy was terrified. She was so scared that even though she was starving, she wouldn’t eat. It took a few weeks for Jodie to gain her trust and then it took about 3 years for her to trust other humans. When people would arrive at the house, Wendy would run and hide behind a shed and shake with fear. Today she is the happiest, most confident dog ever. She’s a totally different dog to when she arrived. She loves everyone now and is such a cheeky little flirt with everyone she meets. She has every single person tickling her belly within moments of meeting them. She’s adorable and a firm favourite. Those who saw Wendy in the first few years love her even more now as they know what she’s been through. They were both treated terribly before Jodie rescued them and Wendy has come such a long way. Jodie did a DNA test on her to find out what breed she was and it turns out she’s half staffie and half chihuahua. Amazing!!

A few days after Rosie the Rottweiler passed away, a woman contacted Jodie to say she had had a litter of Rottweiler puppies born on the same day Rosie had passed away. The scan showed she was due 8 puppies but a 9th popped out. She said she’d like to give one to Jodie as it was fate that they were born on the same day. Jodie couldn’t say no so Enzo arrived at the farm approx 10 weeks later. Enzo has been around all of the animals from the moment he arrived. Jodie’s plan with him is to train him to be a guard dog for the farm and animals but also to be a much loved family member. Enzo is wonderful with all the animals and he loves everyone, however Rottweilers are naturally very protective of their owners and friends, which makes him the perfect dog to watch out for all of us. Enzo regularly sleeps cuddled up to Jodie either in her bed or on the sofa. He’s a lovely, soppy boy but already showing signs of the protective dog he will end up being. He loves playing with the baby lambs and also loves all the goats. He will be a real asset to the farm as we will be able to leave him in a field for the day guarding the animals, knowing that he won’t ever hurt them. It’s wonderful to have him grow up around all the other animals. It’s something we would never have had the chance to do without the lovely lady giving him to Jodie as a gift. Jodie would never buy a puppy so this really was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Manic is a protection dog who was gifted to Jodie and Fripps Farm by the amazing Darren from Guardians K9 Training Centre in Ipswich. Darren and Jodie became friends when Darren started training Paxton (an unruly rescued Dogue de Bordeaux). When Darren found out about Jodie’s stalker (she has an unhinged obsessed fan who doesn’t leave her alone) he decided to gift Manic to her. Manic is a 4 year old german shepherd and has been in training since he was a puppy. He’s trained to protect Jodie and the animals of Fripps. He is the biggest soppiest dog ever with Jodie but one word from her and he attacks. He follows Jodie everywhere on the farm and never takes his eyes off her. Manic is worth a whopping £20,000 and Darren even has a dog worth £70,000. He supplies dogs to celebrities, footballers, MPs and the police. Darren works closely with the police both in the UK and USA, training their dogs for them. These dogs are better than any burglar alarm, CCTV or anything else. They’re on high alert at all times for anything off key. Jodie has never felt safer than since Manic moved in. He’s an amazing dog and is very much loved by all the Fripps team. He’s as much a worker as all the human staff.