A PET dog, which was rescued by the RSPCA as a puppy, has been nurtured and trained into a show winner, after his owners gave him a home, after seeing an advert in the Bucks Free Press.

At the age of nine, Izzy Harris pleaded with her parents to get a puppy and after flicking through the newspaper they saw the perfect new addition.

After years of training, Izzy has helped turn five-year-old Patch into a star, with the Collie- Labrador cross winning two awards at the Beaconsfield Country Dog Show last month.

Izzy, 13, said: “When I was younger, about five, my mum said to me I could have a pet dog when I was nine, so I was upset when I still didn’t have one at that age.

“So when I went through the paper and saw the advert for Patch, I asked mum to go and see him.

“After we saw him we knew he was the one we wanted.”

Patch, who had his birthday the day before the country show, will have been with the family for five years, next month.

At the show, Patch won best rescue dog, top open over 12 months and came second in the waggiest tail competition.

Izzy, who lives in Holtspur and attends Beaconsfield High School, said: “We only entered the competition because our neighbours were and they said Patch definitely should.

“We weren’t really expecting much, mum said because he wasn’t pedigree he may not win, but we were really happy he did so well.

“We used to take him to puppy classes and then for Christmas I got a dog training book, he can do a lot of tricks now, but he won’t do anything if he doesn’t get a treat too.”

She added as well as Patch we also have three chickens and Patch likes to round them up.