A PUPPY who was illegally smuggled into the country has recovered from a traumatic life start.

Eight-month-old Maltese Terrier, Rosie, was one of six puppies that arrived at Dogs Trust in Evesham at just 15 weeks old after being bred in Hungary and illegally imported into the UK.

She was intercepted at the border after travelling almost 1,500 miles and taken into quarantine kennels before Richard and Helen Pye from Pershore adopted her in January.

Rosie was enrolled onto the dogs trust's new Dog School, a network of dog training classes providing fun, educational courses and advice for all dog owners.

Rosie has now completed her initial six-week Puppy course and passed with flying colours.

Mr Pye said: "When we first met her, she was a nervous little thing.

"We found out about the dog school classes during the adoption process and knew that her lack of socialisation and early experiences, as well as her nervousness could’ve potentially led to problems further down the line.

"We really wanted to learn the techniques needed to help us gain her confidence and in turn help her reach her full potential.

“We found the whole Dog School experience to be a really worthwhile experience.

"The small class sizes worked really well and we had lots of support from the coaches who were able to adapt the training to your dog if it was struggling with a particular area.

“Rosie has turned into a much different puppy than the timid puppy she was when we adopted her. She’s confident, mixes well with other dogs and settles beautifully when we have visitors.

"She does walk well on the lead, except when she knows we’re off to the park.”

Emma Rex, senior coach at Dog School West Midlands, said: “Rosie is an absolutely adorable pup who had a terrible start to life. Puppies who are smuggled into the country don’t have appropriate socialisation to everyday experiences which can lead to problems later in life.

“Rosie was a little star in Dog School and it’s great that we’ve been able to equip her owners with the skills and tools required to set her up to succeed as a family pet.

"Not only has she got the trust and bond with her owners she is much happier and confident in herself so it’s clear that her owners have practised what they have learnt in class in the home.

“Her owners found it so enjoyable that they have booked her into the next course for older puppies.”