Doggy Tails

As you may have guessed from some of my previous posts, I'm a bit of a dog lover. In fact I'm on a bit of a canine high at the moment and I thought I would share some dog-related anecdotes with you from the last month or so.

One of the main reasons for this is that not only did my girlfriend's parent's dog get involved in Christmas; he stayed with us as the hotel her parents were staying in didn't allow dogs (cretins). It was absolutely wonderful having a dog around all the time. Although my girlfriend makes a mess and moults it's not quite the same! He seemed to enjoy himself too, especially as he knows we're stupidly indulgent when it comes to him. As such he had the run of the sofas, chair and bed naturally. We did try to get him to sleep in his basket for the first night but the big eyes staring at us over the edge of the bed soon melted us. After that he was on the bed (although slightly put our when he found himself scruffed and relocated to the bottom of the bed from my pillow... we do have some standards).

The doggy feeling was enhanced over Christmas when I received a copy of, "It's All About Treo" as a Christmas present. This tells the story of a British Army explosives search dog (and his handler) on tour in Afghanistan. The book is moving and exciting in equal measures. It is also unintentionally funny. The image of loads of huge, hairy-arsed squaddies in full battle kit going all gooey over a dog is a wee bit amusing.

The local animal sanctuary where I volunteer has also provided me with a couple of laughs. I was out with one bug staffy who did NOT like getting her paws wet. Under normal circumstances this would not be a huge issue but given my local area had been suffering from severe flooding there was a lot of water around. About 90% of the area I was in consisted of thin mud. For the most part, bribed by treats, she deigned to tiptoe round most of the walk but then we came to a big obstacle. A local stream had buts its banks and flooded over the path and up to the wall next to it. To make matters worse, the flood included a fence and style crossing. I went through the flood first making a big show of walking through it and not getting wet above my ankles to show the dog how shallow it was but did she move? Not a chance. A few firm tugs on the lead did nothing to move her and treats only managed to get her to the first step on the style. Further she would not go (apparently she was afraid of heights too). Eventually my only option was to pick her up and heave her over myself. At first she looked a bit perplexed to find herself in the air but quickly she got the hang of the idea of being carried. By the end of the manoeuvre she was really rather enjoying herself.

The dog in the next story suffered no such qualms about getting wet. In fact she rather enjoyed it; that was the problem. No puddle was left un-jumped in. When we arrived at the local stream she went nose-first in. This was to be her undoing as the normally shallow stream had morphed into a good-going river with the flood water. Quickly the dog found herself significantly out of her depth and was none too pleased about it (well if the expression on her face was anything to go by). Fortunately yours truly kicked into David Hasslehoff mode and dragged her out by the lead before she had properly realised she was in trouble and she was back on terra firma in no time although she did look rather bedraggled.

My final doggy story, and probably the best one of all, also comes from the sanctuary. I know one isn't supposed to have favourites but I have one. He's a big bull mastiff cross with an eye condition and a bald spot. Despite his brutal looks, he is a big softie. I joke that he's so gentle he barely bites his food so as you can imagine he's great with people. One of his favourite activities is being cuddled. This dog and I have formed a real bond over the last couple of months. We have spent a lot of time exploring the local woods, fields and streams. His stock rose even more when he was introduced to my girlfriend and got on famously with her. Just before Christmas I found out that he had been adopted. While I'm more than a little sad I won't be seeing him again, I am absolutely delighted for him. I am so pleased he is going to a home where he can be loved (and spoiled) until his heart's content. The last time I saw him I think he knew what was happening. He made even more of a fuss of me than usual. It was a truly fond farewell.

Right, that's all my canine news Sorry if you're not a dog lover and found the last few paragraphs dull.

JR

Update from the Animal Sanctuary

I know I've written a lot about the animal sanctuary where I volunteer but here is yet another post about it. I haven't been for nearly a week due to a combination of job applications and a trip up home. Now that I've made it back, things have changed quite a bit.

Firstly some bad news. Henry, the yellow lab I wrote about in 'A Sad Story' has died. He was found to have kidney failure and cancer. From the moment he came in I knew he wasn't long for this world. As I wrote before, he was obviously old and poorly however since he came in to the sanctuary, he blossomed and his true character shone through. He was quite a personality and quite the man about the courtyard. I am deeply sorry he has gone and I shall miss him greatly. It is however some comfort to know that he lived out his last few weeks in the sanctuary where he was universally adored and fussed over (even if he did sometihemes mistake my fingers for treats!). He is the first dog I've encountered at the sanctuary that isn't either still there or been re-homed.

Now for some better news. Jack and Barney, the Jack Russell and Corgi cross who I have developed a particular soft-spot for have been re-homed. The lady in question decided on Jack then was sold on Barney not long afterwards. Jack is another old boy (he is 15) and is unlikely to survive all that much longer although you could never tell from the way he acts. I am so pleased that he will be able to see out his days in a loving and caring home. He will be a spectacular pet for his lucky owner and I hope his owner gets as much pleasure from him as he will get from them. Barney has form for being a bit of a hand-full. Butter wouldn't melt most of the time but sometimes he can just turn and become snappy. Fortunately the lady who adopted him is experienced in handling difficult dogs (although I still wouldn't call Barney difficult, tricky at best) and I have no doubt he will be called to heel soon. When that happens he will be a lovely pet. He's fun, fluffy and, for the most part, loving and I thing has the potential to give years of fun, amusement and love. I'm just really, really sad I didn't get to see them and say goodbye before they left. (I know complete sop).

Two of my other favourites are still around though. There's Westie, the giant boxer cross who is the biggest softie on the planet. A bald-patch and eye condition combine to make him a bit of an ugly brute but he is such a loving dog and has a wonderfully warm and friendly personality. He is a truly gentle giant and loves to be fussed over. I saw him today and fed him some treats through his pen. I did get the impression that, much as he was pleased about the treats, he would have far preferred to be out and being made a fuss of. The other one is Maddie; part-huskie, part-horse. She's huge, fluffy and packed with personality. She loves going out for long, long, long, long, LONG walks and generally being the centre of attention.

Once again, the work the sanctuary does is amazing. All the animals are fantastically well looked-after and, beyond that, although they are housed in kennels they are loved as individuals and looked after as part of a big family.

JR