Mr Brinkley, who adopted Layla from the Dunedin SPCA about a week ago, said the pair were still settling into a new routine.
The Otago Daily Times reported on Layla’s transformation last month after she was found sick, scared and severely malnourished.
Further to rehabilitation efforts, male volunteers worked with Layla after realising she had a particular fear of men.
"But when they introduced her to me, brought her out to me, she just came straight up to me and licked me," Mr Brinkley said.
Mr Brinkley said Layla was pleased to have a big backyard and beach nearby, although "she’d rather be on the couch".
When Layla was first brought to Dunedin SPCA in November, she was so scared she urinated as soon as she saw a person, centre manager Laura Vander Kley said at the time.
She was recovered after reports of dumped puppies, found to be from her most recent litter.
The SPCA made the difficult decision to separate her from her puppies due to the damage to her mammary glands, caused by significant mastitis.
