30th January

Sadly Alison is not feeling well this evening and has taken herself off to bed.  Alison like me is a person who soldiers on not allowing oneself to succumb to being ill. So unfortunately for all of those who read the Blog I apologies if it is not up to Alison’s standards. I for one enjoy Alison’s blog and look forward to reading it, often having a chuckle relating to her stories and events of the day. Get well soon.

I love the weekends and today was especially nice with the sun shining no cold northerly winds biting through you. Although it does have its downside for dog walking, people who do not normally walk their dogs come out to take advantage of the sunshine. Those of us who walk our dogs regularly on the common call them fair weather walkers and extra care has to be taken. With dogs appearing from nowhere and the owner not in sight, then the owner will appear a few moments behind oblivious to what their dog is doing. Usually with a mobile phone glued to their ear or they are intensely involved in a conversation with their companion and the dog is running riot making the most of its freedom. On days like this our normal hour walk will take in excess of one and a half hours to ensure our dogs have their run otherwise they are all like coiled springs with the exception of Doris who will not give her ball up in demonstration.

For many people fostering is something that is not considered. It in it's self can be rewarding and enjoyable to know that they will go off  to a new home healthy, happy and healed and in giving them the chance for a new life is the greatest gift you can give.






Bullseye who is currently being fostered by Sally, Simon and not forgetting Saffy is one such dog who is blossoming and is becoming slightly less cheeky although he did manage to open the doors in their hallway cupboard and proceed to pull out and open a screw top dog treats container from about 5 foot up! They have no idea how it got the container open, it didn't have any teeth marks on it!! Needless to say they now have extra locks on the doors! The photos of Bullseye were taken after he'd been racing around the garden with Rufus, (Sally's Mum's dog). Sally's mother enjoys having Bullseye around as it keeps Rufus very happy and fit! Well done Bullseye. Rescue needs people like Sally and Simon and we cannot thank them enough for giving him a stable life whilst waiting for a home of his own.

It is always exciting to hear from anyone who has re homed one of our dogs. We love to hear how they are getting it is always so encouraging.

Some dogs find themselves back in rescue through no fault of their own. These dogs seem to take longer to re home as people think that there is a problem with the dog without enquiring about the circumstances

Gucci  was one such dog. She was homed to an elderly gentleman and came back into rescue when  the gentleman sadly had a fall and was hospitalised, it was decided that it would be better for him to move into a care home. Gucci was placed in kennels and waited until Alan came along and fell in love with her. Her first outing was on a boat going past the kennels where she had stayed but was now free and loved. Gucci is now called Bella and loved by all. Thank you Alan for giving Bella a second chance. She looks wonderful.

Valerie

27th January

Thanks to Val for sharing some thoughts on the meeting yesterday. I actually had another, unrelated meeting, in the evening, just in case you thought it had all been too much and I had to lie down in a darkened room!

Sounds like we both found travelling there challenging but as you can hear, very worthwhile. The things we do for these dogs!

It was actually very fitting that Val should report on the meeting, as she is a great supporter of Battersea and two of her dogs are from there.

I think it excellent that a start has been made and that the breed clubs are involved.

I actually viewed the dogs alongside "the person" and I think he was visibly moved by the undeniable fact that the majority were Staffords or had a large chunk of Stafford in them. Also I realised that he did not face the dilemma as we do, almost daily, of being asked to take in a dog and having to decide if it really looks enough of a Stafford or not.If we say "No" what happens to the dog then?

Sometimes there will be a perfectly pleasant young dog which is obviously not pure but you know would be easy to home but you still have to refuse.

I would also like to clarify a point I tried to make on Monday's blog 24th January. When speaking about training classes it sounded as if I was being negative about them. I apologise, that is not what I meant, I thoroughly endorse them.What I was trying to say was, if a Stafford is dog aggressive, I do not think you can train it out of them, although all training helps in controlling them, I do not believe that taking a puppy to training classes will ensure it does not become dog aggressive, and when a dog is, then the only way forward is with an owner who keeps the dog under control at all times. Mark is not the only Stafford owner who walks early in the morning and late at night!

Lastly today, we ran a caption competition at our vets like the one we ran online. Despite extending the entry date we only had three entries and one of those was the vet! Even so despite it being £1.00 a go we received £10.00.

I sent first prize (a £20 gift card donated by Pets At Home) to the first entrant and a 10% off voucher to the second (poor Jane the vet got nothing as I know she was only trying to help )

When I arrived home from the Battersea meeting there was a hand written envelope awaiting me. Inside was a card with a photo of a Staffie on and the message thanked me for the Pets At Home gift card and enclosed was a £20 donation!

The winner of the competition was a devoted Staffie owner who just gave her winnings back to us!

26th January 2011

Yesterday I picked up a member of Welfare from Kings Cross station who was staying with us for the night to enable her to attend the meeting at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. I knew that although involved with SBT Welfare she was also an eminent show judge for Staffordshire Bull Terriers. What I did not know was that she had twice won Crufts for Best of Breed in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier category. Driving home, my mouth ran away with it's self telling her that I did not care if my dogs were not a Stafford, they were mine and I loved them. I know that they are not show standard but there are two types of Staffords those that conform to show standard and those that do not. Many of the dogs that come into rescue are those that are not of show standard but are never the less a Stafford. She confirmed,  that she has two hats her show ring judging hat and a breed hat.

Alison and I knew that there was another person attending the meeting who we had heard only deemed a dog a true Stafford if it was Kennel Club registered so it was good to hear that this was not her opinion.

The day had come for Alison and I to attend Battersea Dogs and Cats Home for the meeting on the  Staffordshire Bull Terrier problems. After trying to put Alison at ease on driving to Battersea, I found myself slightly apprehensive about travelling there by train, albeit not that far, something that I had not relayed to Alison so this will be the first that Alison knows about it!

Travelling by train I arrived first, followed shortly by Alison's text to say she was not far away. I saved the seat next to me but in the next seat to her sat ' The Person'. I was worried by this and when Alison arrived I silently mouthed to her who it was!

The meeting was underway The Chair opened with an out line for the meeting stating that it was called to discuss the current situation with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and how those attending viewed the situation.

Members of Stafford Welfare, East Anglian Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club, The Breed Council and Battersea were of one voice. The overwhelming numbers coming in, rescues full of Staffords, the lack of homes, the situation exacerbated with people unable to find rented accommodation that will accept a dog and local councils and housing associations telling owners that dogs are no longer allowed in other words the dog has to GO!

The discussion proceeded to the identification of a Stafford and Stafford X's. I for one get confused when looking at Battersea D&C Home re homing website as some I would deem  a Stafford that they call a cross, some I would say are a cross and they deem them a Stafford! This was explained that if they come in as a Stafford or as a Stafford X they have to remain as per their description due to the data base enabling owners to re claim their dog. However, it was agreed that many X's would benefit from the omission of  'Staffordshire Bull Terrier' due to the stigma and perception of those who do not know the breed.

 I do not recall as a child or throughout my life until recently that dogs were called a X of a specific breed, only that they were a mixed breed or mongrel. In fact growing up in London it was always deemed that a mongrel was the most faithful dog you could get.

Ali Taylor of Battersea informed us of their education program with schools, on dogs and anti social behaviour with dogs, showing us a video that they have produced including interviews from various people that have been affected. It was effective and those that live in a large city situation would be able to relate to it. I for one have seen certain aspects of what happens with young youths meeting up with their dogs on my local common all of which have been Staffies or X's.

The outcome of the meeting ended on a buoyant note with all agreeing to work in partnership creating a Staffordshire Forum with those present at the meeting, on a regular basis to move forward with momentum. Smaller rescues do not carry the weight or the resources that Battersea have, thereby opening doors to a far wider audience. Agreement by all, of all dogs to be micro chipped as a legal requirement. This could be used instead of a dog license as most responsible owners automatically have their dog micro chipped and would not therefore be penalised if this was to become law, where licensing would inevitably be. Battersea will undertake to put an article together for their Paws magazine, which is distributed to people that have re homed a dog, donate and is available on their website. The Stafford problem is now on such a large scale it cannot be rectified all at once but if we can chip away bit by bit hopefully we will see a light at the end of the tunnel.

To end the visit we were taken for a tour of the Battersea site visiting the various dog areas. Dogs taken in as strays and those being handed in by their owners are kennelled in a separate block here.They spend the legal required seven days before they can be placed for re homing, during which time the police will assess any dogs that could come under the dangerous dog's act. As we were walking through the corridors of kennels  none were barking most were happy to see us with tails wagging, paws up on the bars with eyes pleading for a kind word and a stroke, a few were confused and withdrawn and unsure of why they were there. It seemed endless and this was only one floor, there were two other floors just like this one it brings home the enormity of their workload.

 Any euphoria that I felt quickly diminished, a category one notice (Dangerous Dogs Act) was on the door of the pen here was a puppy aged 3 - 5 months still with its milk teeth, eyes so bright and happy yet it had a death sentence. The only way this young puppy a Pit Bull was leaving Battersea was not in the arms of a new owner but a lethal injection and in a bag to be cremated. I could no longer hold back the flood of tears I know that this is the only option for the puppy BUT this should not be happening. This dog did not ask to be born but bred by those for money,  who have no consideration that in doing so they already sentenced the dog to death, who will go on breeding with the mother for as long as there is a market or she can no longer produce a litter. Anger at the people responsible for breeding her. I question, is the Dangerous Dogs Act working? I have never seen a Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino or Fila Braziliero. Pit Bulls, yes, with the Dangerous Dogs act it has increased the breeding of these, including crossing them with other breeds. Whilst they remain banned some will want one just because they shouldn't have one and thereby the Dangerous Dogs act has created a status dog.

Battersea assess the dogs suitability to be re homed, this is not by one assessment if found that they have problems they will work with them and a more senior assessor will assess the dog before a final decision is made. Sadly some dogs do have to be put to sleep and it is not something that is done lightly.  Battersea is no different to any  rescue, they have a duty to the public and those people and families that they re home dogs to.

The re homing block are those dogs ready for a new home, here the problem is evident with the majority being Staffords and Stafford X's, other  pure bred breeds are increasing at Battersea but the main influx are our beloved breed.

Raised to elation and then deflated we all have had enough and depart our separate ways. For me even as I write this I can still see the little puppy in my mind and will always remember her. This time next week she will no longer be here. God bless you little one.

Alison and I thank Ali and everyone at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home for arranging the meeting and their hospitality.

 Thoughts written by Valerie

25th January

A brief blog tonight as we are gearing up for our meeting at Battersea tomorrow and I have still not done my facts and figures which I promised to share with you and I will but it will be after the meeting now.

I am facing my own fears as I am "London phobic" and travelling alone (without even a dog) is quite terrifying whether I drive or go by train! I have opted to drive and have just found out I can use their parking, thanks Battersea, but this lady is going to be well out of her comfort zones tomorrow morning!

Sandy has improved tremendously on walks. Despite running really fast she now turns and comes back to me for a pat before she is off again. I am sure this is due to the agility

.Not that she is completely perfect as she proved yesterday. I let her run round a huge field of Kale, we were near the end of the walk heading up the field towards the bridleway, I saw a group of people walking on the bridleway, but hoped she had not spotted them. I called her back but instead of responding she took this moment to scan the horizon and spotting them, was off. My heart sank, not everyone was going to appreciate 20kg of Stafford appearing from nowhere and leaping around their feet! They may not appreciate my "Sorry she's a recue dog and has spent all her life in a flat......." explanation either! However, in no time at all she was tearing back across the field to the point where she had left me, although I had panicked and moved. Soon she was back by my side safely clipped on her lead and we were heading home.......for now at least all was well.

24th January

Thanks to Mark and Catherine for sharing Poppy's story, I am sure you cannot fail to be moved by it. I am so grateful to them for taking Poppy on and helping her reach her full potential, it could so easily have been a different ending.

One thing stands out to me, responsible ownership.

People often say it is the owner not the dog (true) but they also say Staffords are ok if they are brought up the right way and socialised. I am not so sure this is true,people also  talk about attending training classes, again good and right they should but I do not think you can train aggression out of them.

Like it or not Staffords were bred to fight each other, this is their heritage. Just as Labradors and Spaniels were bred to retrieve, border collies round up sheep the Staffords tendency towards dog aggression is innate.

Often those most loving to their family and brilliant with children are the most aggressive with other dogs.

Of course not all are and if you are the fortunate owner of one of these that is great,but please don't fool yourself that it is anything you have done or disown the rest of the breed.

Responsible ownership. This is what Mark and Cat demonstrated and Poppy's former home did not.

This is why it is so hard to home Staffords and why you cannot be too careful in vetting new homes.

Thankfully most of our dogs are not as challenging as Poppy, but having invested the effort, Mark and Catherine do not just have a well behaved dog, they have an outstanding dog!

23rd January

(continued from yesterday)

Once we got Poppy home we introduced her to our kitchen and the new bed and cushion which we had bought that morning. She laid down in it immediately without even being asked! In fact, Catherine and I couldn’t believe how calm and well behaved she was. We had to coax her out of her bed to join us in the living room, and whenever we ate she instinctively made herself scarce – it was like having a polite house guest on their best behaviour!

However all that changed whenever we went on a walk. She would pull on the lead so hard that she would choke herself, and any attempts to restrain her were met with even more force and determination (and even louder choking noises!) Whenever she saw another dog – regardless of how far away it was – she would snarl and growl like a rabid wolf. If we passed another dog she would lunge for it. We reasoned that she had been in kennels for so long that she was over excited by the walks and would settle down as she became more accustomed to them. But progress was painfully slow and taking Poppy for a walk became a chore as opposed to the pleasant walk in the woods that we had envisaged. The prospect of meeting another dog was unbearable, especially one off lead with an owner unprepared to recall it because (..and these are quite possibly the most frustrating and irritating words a rescued dog owner can hear…), "don't worry, he/she only wants to play!" Sometimes, my dry response "unfortunately mine doesn't and will probably bite" had the desired effect with the owner chasing after it to grab its collar or put it back on the lead. More often it would result in an argument. Sadly, as a young male with a snarling out of control staffy at the end of a lead I wasn’t really doing my bit for breaking down stereotypes or improving the image of the breed. There just never seemed to be the opportunity to say “She’s a rescue dog with a troubled past and we’re doing our best to rehabilitate her and would be very grateful if you could just hold onto your dog for a few seconds as walk past…?” I used to take Poppy out first thing in the morning (6am) and last thing at night (10pm) in the hope that we wouldn’t meet anybody. I dreaded walking her.

2 weeks after owning her, following a particularly nasty incident involving a small black Labrador, we realised that if we were going to keep Poppy we needed professional help. We now realise how fortunate we were in contacting Marina Timms and Chris Baker who run K9 Matters dog training. From the initial phone call between Catherine and Marina (which lasted well over an hour discussing our specific needs) we knew that we’d found the right people to help. We regularly attended obedience classes twice a week and practiced what we had been taught on her daily walks. At this point Poppy wore a muzzle. We didn’t like it, but we didn't want to take any chances and hoped that anybody coming towards us with a dog off lead would realise that our dog didn't want to play and bring theirs under control.

A few months later, Poppy had made significant progress and was now walking on the lead nicely and followed basic commands. She proved herself quick to learn and soon became a star pupil, although her attitude towards other dogs remained confrontational. But as we became more confident as we learnt how to deal with situations, Poppy learnt that she could trust us and we wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. This was the key to eliminating her aggression towards other dogs (which was diagnosed as ‘Fear-aggression’). She needed to understand that as the ‘pack leaders’ it was our job to deal with any dog that came towards her, not hers.

It didn’t take long for the muzzle to come off. We’ve not needed it since. 3 and a half years later, Poppy has achieved her bronze and silver kennel club awards. She regularly attends ‘Working Trials’ and Agility classes which she clearly enjoys. It’s slightly surreal being told what a well behaved dog we have by other dog owners meeting us for the first time! But despite her progress, meeting dogs out on a walk can still be difficult. These days however it’s a momentary inconvenience as opposed to the traumatic event which used to spoil the whole walk! We have come to accept that this is just something we have to deal with; some baggage can never be left behind.

We’ve worked hard with Poppy but she has responded amazingly well to us and her training. We will always be grateful to Alison for being so patient with her and giving her so many chances. We also recognise that without the help and support of Marina and Chris we would not have the wonderful dog which we have today.

Below is some footage of Poppy on the agility course.

Mark, Catherine & Poppy

22nd January

Disclaimer: Please note that the views in today’s blog are my own and are not necessarily shared by Guildford and District Rescue.

I’d grown up with family dogs. Our first, ‘George’, an Alsatian cross, was a 2 month old puppy when my dad first brought him home. A lady he was installing a telephone line for in a block of flats couldn’t cope, and pleaded for my dad to take him. George led a long and happy life so we didn’t get our next dog until I was into my early twenties. ‘Marble’, a ten week old staff and the biggest of his litter, had been advertised in the local paper when we bought him. Having such an abundance of character and intelligence, it was Marble who began our fondness for the breed - my mum even gets a staffy calendar every year for Christmas. Marble, now almost 14, is still with my parents in our West London family home, although he is far less sprightly than he used to be.

Now into my early 30’s, a homeowner with a stable job, a reasonably sized garden and surrounded by woodland and country walks, it was time to get a dog of my own. There was only going to be one breed that I’d consider. My wife, Catherine, had never owned a dog before and was less keen! However I managed to talk her around. Because we both worked it wouldn’t have been right to take on a puppy, so we decided on a rescue dog. We contacted Battersea who sent a nice old man who took one look at us and our house and decided that we were perfect candidates to rehome a 3-4 year old rescue. He gave us lots of useful advice about how to settle a dog in and what to expect. I took a day off of work; we drove down to Battersea; fell in love with a red Peckham staff called ‘Roy’; and waited excitedly and anxiously for our interview. And we waited… After 2 hours (which felt much longer) our ticket number finally appeared on the screen and somebody saw us. We were assessed against the dog we had chosen and told that our 8 out of 10 'score' wasn’t high enough to rehome him. We lost points on the grounds that we both worked and would leave the dog unattended for too long, and also because we hadn’t ever technically owned a dog in our own right before so had no experience with the breed. The computer said ‘no’. We were told that occasionally they get older staffies which might be more suitable for us, but the lady who deals with them is on holiday and would call us when one became available. We never received that call. Curiously, we were offered a 4 year old Bullmastiff…

We left disappointed and confused about why we had been given false hope by the home-check. We also felt frustrated. As everybody knows Battersea is full of Staffordshire Bull Terriers and staffy crosses. However if you want to give one a home you would need to be permanently at home , not have kids (or at least no youngsters in the majority of cases), not have other pets, have a home with a garden (preferably outside London) and have previous experience with the breed. We wondered how many people walking through Battersea’s doors could match those expectations, and we felt that we understood why their kennels are wall to wall with staffies.

After a couple of weeks and nearly giving up on owning a dog, yet believing we could provide a good home, I thought I’d try again. I discovered Staffordshire Bull Terrier Welfare’s webpage and got in touch with John Laker who sent us some forms. We completed and returned them, and shortly afterwards were contacted by Alison at Guildford & District SBT Rescue. She did a home-check but also had concerns about how long a dog would be left alone. I assured Alison that I worked locally and would go home every lunch time (a promise which I maintain today). We made appointments to see two dogs which were available. We felt that the first, a brindle bitch called Nettle, was a bit too old and wouldn’t benefit from the long walks which we had planned. Catherine went to see the second dog, Poppy, who had been in Kennels for several months and reported back that she was ‘mad’ and ‘out of control’…but if I was to see her I would probably fall in love with her!

After a weekend of hard work putting up 6 foot fences to secure our garden, we met Alison at the kennels, paid a donation and put Poppy in the car. She was as good as gold in the car during the journey home… 

(Continues tomorrow)

21st January

Today and tomorrow we are featuring Poppy.

Poppy was one of the first dogs I took in after I started Guildford Stafford Rescue in Oct 06.

Poppy came on the 1st Nov

She was brought in by a couple though she belonged to their son and daughter in law. Their son was in the Navy and away from home a lot. The daughter in law could not cope with Poppy as she had a young daughter and was expecting another baby. The family were experienced with Staffies but the lady explained she had never come across one like this! Poppy was a nightmare on the lead and the lady had a plaster on her wrist where she had fallen over whilst trying to train her! The son and his wife had bought her from an advert at approx 18months old and the lady was exasperated by Poppy's behaviour, concerned for her daughter in law and thought she would just be able to take Poppy to the RSPCA and leave her there!

She was 2 years old and already on at least her second home.

At this time I used kennels to board the dogs, so Poppy started her stay in kennels only being walked when I could take her.

She was a nightmare on the lead, running to the end of it and dashing around, so I could only walk her for short distances.She was very hyper and liked to tear a log apart in the paddock. I began to introduce some lead training and basic commands and she was very bright and quick to learn.

Then I homed her to a young couple who had just bought their first house.

She had recently had a season so we could not spay her but I discussed this with them and gave them the date when it should be done.

This was early days and I do things very differently now.

It was when I tried to contact them for the spay that alarm bells began to ring and I could not get hold of them.The man was supposed to work from home but I had always suspected she was being left for longer than they told me.Eventually I asked the local dog warden to call and she found all well but the girl was still ignoring my calls.

Then we received a call from a girl who said she was a friend of the owner and had been looking after Poppy but couldn't keep her any longer as she did not get on with her dogs so she was returning her to the kennels (I think she had rung the kennels, not even me) What a mess! Thank goodness we got her back.

It turned out the couple had split up and poor Poppy was the victim!

So she was back in kennels again. During this time we had her spayed and she had a stomach upset and became very thin. Incredibly she remembered everything from our training sessions picking up where we had left off.

Then I had a call from a lady giving a reference for her friend who wanted to adopt a dog. I home visited the lady in question and her flat was immaculate as her friend had said, though it was obvious she had some problems and had had her previous Staffie stolen! As I have said these were early days and I am a lot wiser now. I drove her to the kennels (as she had no transport) and she chose Poppy, I then drove them back to her flat some ten miles away. She could only give the donation in monthly installments. I told her she must not let Poppy off the lead to start with. She rang me later to say Poppy was wonderful,very quiet in the home and that she had already had her off the lead.

Then apparently she was in trouble with the dog warden because she had taken Poppy into town and tied her up whilst she went into a shop and someone had come out of a building opposite with a dog and Poppy had bitten it.

Then the dog warden had said she must keep Poppy on a lead but she said she needed to run and she was not prepared to.

Then I drove over with a muzzle for Poppy but a few days later she said that she couldn't have a dog with a muzzle where she lived as people assumed it was vicious. I drove over again this time to bring Poppy back.

She even asked for the donation money she had paid,  not the full amount, back, and several months later contacted me to adopt another dog! Needless to say she didn't get one.

So Poppy was back again, by now I was using another kennels where the dogs were walked twice a day by the staff. I would try and get over two or three times a week.She was starting to become really wound up by the other dogs and I used to take her out of her kennel by a back way so we didn't have to pass them. She found another log to tear apart but remarkably she remembered our training and despite everything was improving.

It was now nearly ten months since she had first come into rescue, she was on her third stay in kennels,she had had four homes and was beginning to get a reputation.Was there a future for her? Could she be rehomed?.................Not too far away a couple were looking for a Staffie to adopt........

20th January

Next Wednesday 26th January Stafford Welfare members are attending a meeting at Battersea Dog and Cat Home to show SBT breed club members how bad the situation with Staffies is and how many end up in rescue.
In preparation I am going to go through all my forms of dogs taken in, logging the circumstances and how many were KC registered. I am looking forward to seeing an overview, I will share my findings with you.

Yesterday we received five requests to take dogs in! Two were through emails and three by phone with messages being left despite my answer phone message which still states we have no spaces.

The first by email was for a mature dog, neutered, chipped, vaccinated. The owner had lost their business and were now having to work such long hours the dog was being left on its own all day and they wanted him to go to a home where he could have his needs met, something we would all like to see but there are no homes out there. We were unable to help.

The next email the dog was not getting on with the owners other dog. They had tried everything!
You cannot pass on a problem dog to another home. If we cannot home straightforward dogs we are not going to have a chance of homing one with dog aggression problems. This sort of owner is not likely to listen to advise and just wants a quick fix, throwaway solution, poor dog, but we cannot help.

The first phone message was from a veterinary nurse who had met us when we were collecting outside Pets At Home last year. This was a one year old brindle bitch who had been brought in to the emergency vets having been punched and kicked and dragged across a railway line by her drunk owner!
Having received initial treatment she was now fully recovered but still at the vets with no-one taking responsibility for her.
I felt we couldn;t ignore this one and another rescue agreed to take her and she went last night!

Another call, this time from Helen from Leicester SBT rescue regarding a six month old white female.Owner had health problems, Helen felt it was genuine.It was slightly closer to us than Leicester. Despite many attempts did not manage to contact them until this evening only to learn the owner had found a home for the dog!!

Then one I picked up when they started to leave a message. As it was a private number I knew I would never be able to take down the number correctly from the message, I was trying to eat my lunch despite the fact it was nearly four o' clock , then, whilst I was pre-occupied with the call, Khan came in and snatched my toast off the work surface!
This was a lady ringing on behalf of a friends daughter who had inherited a nine year old dog when her father died. Now, having just had a baby, she could not cope.
The lady ringing was very nice with experience of rescue but convinced she was the only one and that a rescue space or home would be forthcoming soon.
I passed her on to John but offered to put the dog on our website if he was unable to help. As yet I have heard no more, from her or John......

So ends another long day at SBT rescue.

19th January

Sandy attended another Agility session yesterday and did brilliantly, it is so good for her as she has to focus on something and most of the time she just does not know what she should be doing and how she should be behaving. She is now fine with the tunnel and the shute, jumping on her own, getting the hang of the weave and even managed the see-saw. She is one clever dog!

However, our real stars tonight are Val and Honey, "On the sofa," with Marc the vet at Discover Dogs see the link below:
http://www.marcthevet.com/2011/01/advice-on-adopting-a-rescue-staffie/

Didn't they do well?

Also the RSPCA have produced a video promoting Staffies:
http://www.staffordwelfare.com/news.aspx

17th January

Any self respecting blogger in the South today would have to mention the weather! This morning was dreadful! Heavy pouring rain, garden under water. We had to drag the dogs out, then they couldn't wait to get back whether they had done their "business" or not, so we were in danger of having accidents in the house.

I love talking about the weather, after all it affects everthing in my life. My father worked on the land so I grew up with an obsession with the weather and watching the forecast.

Last night I found myself, unusually alone, sitting in front of the television watching Countryfile and awaiting the weekly farming forecast, no other distractions,nothing else I needed to do, no teenagers wanting to watch an obscure channel I didn't know we could get! I had even found my glasses!

I watched Puffins diving, a Spaniard in the channel Islands prising some kind of mollusc off the bottom of a rock. A strange gentleman who never went in a supermarket and had a herd of Japanese cattle who produced delicious,expensive meat and who was, despite his lofty ambitions, very strange, and it was obvious, although the presenter covered up well, that he was not the kind of chap you would choose to spend an evening with down the pub!

Then at last the moment I had waited for, the weather...........then "Next on Countryfile...." "What?!"

Yes, I had managed to fall asleep and miss the whole thing! I may have heard something about temperatures lower than average, then again I may have dreamed it, I was asleep after all!

14th January

Despite our many successes with re-homing some dogs just "stick" for no obvious reason.

One of these is Sapphire who we have had with us now since April 2010

She is approx 6 years old and lived with a girl who worked with horses, she is used to horses and happy in a stableyard environment but she would be equally happy with a reasonable sized garden.

She is ball obsessed but this is a positive thing as she is happy to play ball getting her exercise that way.

She is good in the car and happy to be left for a few hours.

She is good with dogs she knows and o.k. with cats.

She is settled and quiet in the house, enjoys eating raw carrots and drinking tea.

She can walk well on the lead especially the extension lead although she can be strong at times and a bit of a "tank" on occasions!

Like all Staffies she loves people and cuddles.

She is approaching middle age and deserves a home of her own for her "mature" years.

Could you offer Sapphire the home she deserves?

13th January

I have recently spoken to two of our owners, both had dogs with certain issues which they have patiently worked through. They keep in touch providing me with regular updates and it is both encouraging and moving to hear how much they love their dogs and the lengths they are prepared to go to to solve their problems.

I am pleased to report Riley has settled well into his new home. Apparently he is more like a 10 year old than a 1 year old.

Thank you Sarah and family we wish you many happy years together.

12th January

Some of my ponies got out of their field again last night, waking everyone at 4.45 am eating pig nuts from the metal bin in the barn. This resulted in me shelving whatever plans I had and patrolling the whole of the fence in the top field.

Hammer in hand, staples in pocket accompanied by Jade and Dolly I strode around patching up here and there.

The field is huge and curves round up the valley, bordered on both sides by woods and on one by a bridleway( so you cannot completely relax re other dogs) but all was quiet, it was warm and both dogs were running free and I realised I was enjoying myself and the dogs were having a great time too.

As we returned to the farm two men were walking around outside the house, one with a clipboard, I almost put Dolly back on the lead but they walked back towards the back door so I thought it was ok but too late Dolly had seen them and made a bee line to say "Hello" despite my calls. It was obvious they were not dog lovers but this was lost on Dolly as she skipped around their feet......then......too late! Yes she jumped up depositing mud all over one man's jeans. He was obviously furious and pushed her down and back in my direction but he also managed a sly smack before she bounded back to me. Seeing this I decided not to apologise! It turns out they were architects! At least they were not from the council!

Later on we had another visitor, a large male labrador who strays when his owners are abroard. He was a regular when the farm Spaniels were un spayed. I remarked to someone he never got bitten or attacked by another dog.

He appeared again when Sapphire was having her run so instead of putting her on a lead I left her. She dropped her ball and charged up to him........nothing! He drooled, delightful! Then they just parted, who knows what was said, what a shame you couldn't get that reaction every time!

11th January

Word must have got out among the dogs here of Dolly's blogging activity, because this morning Sandi disappeared only to be found cavorting on the bed! Oh no don't tell Dad! We definitely DO NOT allow dogs on the beds in this house!

Dolly has now extended her repertoire to helping with the college run and going to the bank.

I wish I could have taken a picture of her as she watched the hordes of sixth formers passing the car oblivious of her sitting gazing inquisitively at them. I am sure she would have given them a true Staffie welcome if she could have.

Then on to the bank where she checked out the Guildford Stafford Rescue account with Nigel the bank clerk, just to make sure all was in order.

After all that hard work she relaxed by having a good, long, muddy run at the ponies. Ah it's a dog's life!

Whereas Sandi has also had an exciting day, apart from discovering the bed. We took her to a session of Doghouse naughty dog agility.

She did really well and is very bold getting the hang of the tunnel straight away. It is so good for her to learn to focus on something especially with other dogs around, we have signed up for a course and will keep you posted of her progress.

10th January

I have a confession to make. Recently I have not been writing my blog alone!

Quite often one of the dogs will keep me company but one of them really likes to get involved.........that's Dolly our Christmas Eve pup.

Here she is "helping" tonight.

Making a mess! What me?



In the river meadow



Please note we never allow dogs on beds!

You too could have Dolly help you blog!  Ask me how.

8th January

Thanks Sam for your comment (7th Jan) and Happy Gotcha Day to Harry!

What a great day that was when he finally got out of kennels after so long. Do read Harry and Trix's story (blog 24th December) and thanks to Sam and Jim for giving Harry and Trix a wonderful home as I know it has not always been that straightforward especially once Harry arrived but they stuck with it.

7th January

What a horrible day! Wet, cold dark! Oh no that was yesterday! It seemed, here we go again but then at lunchtime it stopped raining, the sun came out and more importantly it had warmed up by about ten degrees!

Grasped the opportunity and took Spryte and Sandi for a much needed run bumping into a friend on the way, so both dogs had a really good run and Sandi was very well behaved.

The rain did come back again but at least the temperature held.

One or two enquiries coming in along with the "need to be rehomed "calls. Followed them all up, one family have decided to get a new house instead of a new dog which was a bit of a surprise but nice to hear of someone doing well in these hard times.

Spoke with John Laker chairman of SBT Welfare, it is always encouraging to talk to John.

He is about to take in a young bitch who has spent all her life in a cellar.He is already planning her recovery.

At the same time he is facing losing one of his old dogs who has an enlarged heart, she is sixteen and her companion Henry is eighteen, apparently he is fine physically but suffering from "old dog disease" and is lost in his own world.

Also spoke with a lovely man who had recently taken on a very nervous little Staff, having had two rescues before. A member of Welfare he declared he loved the breed and talked extensively about the virtues of all his dogs.

Overall, quite a cheery day for the beginning of January.

6th January

What a horrible day! Cold, wet, dark! Not a good day for Staffies a "Oops no thank you," when you opened the door, sort of day, and it just kept on so no real exercise for anyone here.

I do hope you have enjoyed our twelve dogs of Christmas. It has been great to tell their stories.

I especially enjoyed sharing about the Staffies that have inspired me as it helped me remember why I love the breed so much, my view had become a little jaded of late. You may have noticed a recurring theme in these dogs, I do love a character.

Thank you too for all your comments, which are such an encouragement.

Thanks to "anonymous" for their comment today, you don't know how encouraging and pertinent that was for the day I have had. Maybe I should write it all down and send it to the Times after all........

Tuesday we had three phone calls from people desperate to re-home their dogs. I did pick up the phone to one but two left a message despite my message saying we were full.....and so it goes on.

Tara the Croydon Dog Warden said they had six unclaimed Staffies in and a friend told me of a newspaper article saying a rescue had received a call every eight minutes.

5th december

Our Twelth night dog is Boris.

Boris was re-homed when his owner and partner split up. It was a private arrangement done through an ad in a pet shop.

He was taken on by a couple who had recently lost their Staffy.Whether it was a case of he was too different to their last dog, or he didn't get enough exercise, or just the wrong dog in that home, I don't know, but they came to us with a whole list of problems most of which he has never shown any sign of since.They certainly would have done better going to an established rescue instead of answering a private advert. They finally handed him in when the wife had to go into hospital.

We had a full house as usual but Sandi and Graham offered to foster him with their dog Kassi.

He soon settled down and loved being told he was "a good boy".

He loved Graham but Graham was already ill, Boris sensed this and would not pull on the lead when Graham walked him.

Boris was fostered by Sandi and Graham for six months until in January Graham sadly died.

I went and collected Boris on the 16th of January and took him a long walk, in the slowly thawing snow before he began his stay in kennels.

Not too long later we had an enquiry from a couple wanting to adopt a dog and Boris seemed to fit the bill.

They met him in the kennels and fell in love with him! I couldn't wait to tell Sandi!

She was trying to organise Graham's funeral, I carried on organising Boris's adoption to Jenny and Simon.

Eventually we agreed on a day and a time, I let Sandi know only to find it was exactly the same time as Graham's funeral! At first I thought "O no I won't be able to go to the funeral." But quickly realised Graham would far rather I took Boris to his new home.

So on the 28th January with Graham and Sandi in my thoughts I collected Boris from kennels and drove him south to his new home at Cherry Tree Cottage, meanwhile the vicar speaking at Graham's funeral, told them how Boris the foster dog was at that exact moment on his way to a new home.

After all that time being fostered he only spent 12 days in kennels before finding a home! Now tell me that wasn't meant to be?

Boris is very happy with Jenny and Simon who have done a great job with him working through one or two problems but I know they would not be without him.


                                          In  Memory  of  Graham Beeton-Caird.

  

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4th January



Before he lost his leg



Max

Max was another "approaching Christmas" emergency. He had suffered a shattered elbow from some kind of fall in his home at only four months old. The details of his accident, his home and the relationship between the ladies who handed him in and his home remain very vague. The ladies who contacted us had made sure he received treatment from the RSPCA but could no longer look after him and so he came to us. After a few days his injury broke down and we had to make the decision to have his leg amputated. It was a very emotional time. Recovering well from his operation we took him to the riding school christmas party. One of my daughters friends fell in love with him. They adopted him on Christmas Eve and he travelled up north with them for Christmas, instead of remaining in our overcrowded house.

He has gone on to make a full recovery and is well known around Godalming, promoting Staffie rescue wherever he goes.