Laura and Jakob adopted Seppi as a puppy and brought him home to Germany. They thought they were welcoming a fairly typical Labrador-sized dog. Seppi had other plans and grew into a much larger character, in every sense.
After being rescued by Mayday, Seppi spent five weeks with Svenja from Happy Buddy. The stay gave him structured help with dog socialisation and walking on a lead. It also gave him time to demonstrate an impressive enthusiasm for chewing shoes, socks and, on one memorable occasion, a sofa.
The sofa phase is behind him, but socks remain difficult to resist, especially Laura's. It is one of several habits that make Seppi unmistakably himself. He has no great interest in water, but he loves sunbathing on the balcony and monitoring the neighbours with the concentration of a dedicated security guard.
He also likes to sit directly on people, apparently unconvinced that chairs are separate objects. Van trips are another favourite, giving him the chance to survey new places from his preferred position as king of the road.
In Potsdam, Seppi has a regular dog group and continues to go out with his sitter and trainer from Hundeschule Dein Hund. Woodland walks, training and time with other dogs give his energy a positive direction and help him keep practising the skills he learned after rescue.
Seppi's family did not get the dog they predicted. They got a larger, funnier and more individual companion, one who fills their home with stolen socks, close contact and a great deal of personality.
