31st August

A quick update for the last day of August.
Cedric has not been there for the past five nights. Does anyone know about spiders? Has his cycle finished and he has moved on? Has he been eaten? Or blown away? If you are a spider expert then let me know.
Lexus is still rumaging under the hedge for windfalls every morning instead of getting on with what he should be doing!
I have some Sweet Peas eventually bloomed providing a late splash of colour, I hadn't realised I had planted them so late. The veg garden has been a disaster this year with only a few courgettes and now the plants are rotting where they stand, last year we lived off them for months.
Sandy and Boycie have become good walking companions. They seem to have reached a truce, though he appears to back down to her, they run very fast shoulder to shoulder across the ploughed fields which is good exercise for both.


Boycie looking well.

 Boycie's tum has not completely settled so a stool sample has been sent to the lab for testing. He is back on Royal canin sensitivity control and has also been wormed with Drontal for tapeworm. He is very well in himself.
Out of the three dogs we took on Sunday Sandy was the most admired. People commented on how pretty she was. She has now been with us ten months, a sad reminder of the state of affairs for staffords at the moment.
I have heard of a one year old white bitch, local to me, whose family are moving on the 9th September and cannot take her with them. We cannot possibly take any more in but I have found her a kennel space at Spangleberry kennels (where Sandy went when we were away) I am going to see her tomorrow a nd as long as she seems suitable we will take her in. Spangleberry have kindly agreed rescue rates but it still costs a lot of money!

29th August

Dave and i discussed last night how we could have a bit of a lie in this morning, having both been busy with things recently. However,it was not to be.

Lexus woke me at 7.30 am with his demented goat noise. I went downstairs to find he was alerting me to the fact his buddy, Khan, had messed in the living room! Deep joy! That sorted I then had to take our three out  which upset Boycie who has been going out first. His protests threatened to wake half the neighbourhood let alone the rest of our house.
Back in, fed, now Boycie's turn. He quickly "perrformed" then ran to the gate, I picked up the mess and followed him to he gate but horror of horrors he had squeezed out of the edge and was gone! No sign by the back door, I ran up the drive, just as he crossed running head down,full pelt ignoring me, I ran into the street, he had stopped to sniff at something I crouched down and called him, he tore back into my arms, thank goodness!
Inside, heart thumping, still shaking I put his dried food in a bowl on the table and went to get a tray of chicken and  rice, he jumped up knocking the dried food which scattered across the kitchen and is still being found by the dogs tonight!
So much for a restful Bank Holiday morning!

28th August

We had a great day at Picnic in the park which turned out to be a very well run and fun day and was well attended, although the showers dampened peoples enthusiasm.

Boycie was very noisy and would not stay in the car, he also found all the other dogs upsetting but was better by the end of the day.

There were lots of Staffies there including several that looked similar to Boycie.



Highlight of Sam's day meeting huge American Bulldog, Zeus.

 There were also three puppies, all brindle. Two girls of about five months and a male of three and half months, they all looked pretty similar.
One is Pepsi who will soon be on our website. She was handed in to rescue as her owners were moving or going away and said they would be back for her but they have not been in contact.


Pepsi

 The other girl was bought privately and is K.C. reg. Her owner said she hopes to breed her, despite having visited our stall several times and read our literature.
The boy was born in Battersea Old Windsor and has been adopted by a lovely couple.
Three very different scenarios.

We were busy on the stall, selling quite a few bits and pieces as well as having good conversations and handing out our leaflets. We raised almost £47

My daughter recently described Glenn as "Immense" referring to his dog handling skills, not his stature!


The Immense Glenn



And equally immense Anna

 Well done to Anna and SOS dog rescue for organizing it.

27th August

We are looking forward to and preparing for PICNIC IN THE PARK......TOMORROW!

Thanks to Gareth and Colin for their suggestions for the poster. What to put on it and how to promote it best!
Gareth suggests we need a glamour girl to pose with Boycie! Well one of our owners used to be a glamour model  perhaps there is some mileage in that!!
Colin Wood suggested :- If a registered pedigree,
                                        You don't see,
                                        DON'T BUY!  A?????? of unwanted Staffords a week are destroyed.
                                       Don't let one be yours. A dog is for life.

Does anyone know the figure of Staffies/Staffie crosses put down a week?
Please let us know your ideas for the poster/campaign.
We will take some posters with us to the Picnic in the park show tomorrow.


We have been trying to tire out the dogs today, the ones who aren't coming with us tomorrow and the ones who are!
We are taking Jade, Sandy and Boycie.
Jessie and Sam are coming with me and Kathy and Alan are meeting us there.
We are taking the famous gazebo for anyone to use, I have a feeling it may be useful again!

I am hoping Dave may bring Lexus later on as there is a competition for best doggie goalie. He is bound to win!
The plums have finished now but he is keeping up his five a day by finding windfall apples from my neighbours trees.


I saw a car advert which read "Lexus....The pursuit of perfection......"  well maybe..



Is this what you had in mind Gareth?



26th August

PICNIC IN THE PARK..............The Day After Tomorrow

Thank you to all who have commented or emailed with encouragement over the poster.
Will think about the newspaper idea, do you think they would be interested Gareth?
I thought I would take the idea to the Staffy Forum we are part of, made up of members from Battersea and  the breed council as well as rescues.
I also wondered about contacting Boris Johnson and see if they could be displayed on the underground and around London as the "Dogs as weapons," must be of concern to him.
What do you think the message at the bottom should be?
"PLEASE DON'T BREED, SELL OR BUY UNREGISTERED PUPPIES."?

"STOP BREEDING NOW"  ?

 Let me know your suggestions.
Somewhere on there you could put how many are put down each day/week.......I know I have seen that written down.
My idea for the tv ad would be the little abandoned dog trotting through the streets in the rain, looking at people, then lowering his head and walking on with a voice over speaking the words. Then when it says "But they aren't looking for him." Cut to a scene of a family enjoying a cosy Christmas lunch, then a child reaches down just out of shot and scoops up the new puppy. Then the bit about rescues being full and then the message...finishing with dog trotting off dejectedly into the night......

I think Boycie is perfect for this as he looks enough Staffy to be instantly recognisable, is enough Staff to keep the breed snobs quiet but also mutt enough to look the part (helped by being thin)

Thanks to Sally who was the inspiration behind the idea by asking if I still thought Boycie was lost.

Walk was much better today and Boycie had a lot of off lead running with Spryte and Sandy,he can be a bit rough! But otherwise good.
His tum seems settled.



Boycie on his photo shoot

 9 calls or emails from people wanting to rehome their dog this week.

25th August

Don't forget PICNIC IN THE PARK  2 days to go.

Here is a lovely link  enjoy 

Staffies.....A tribute to the Nanny dogs vol 2 x

www.youtube.com

Not had a good day with dogs today. Angel charged a dog on the bridleway, luckily there was a fence inbetween, i had the end of the longline and nearly lost a finger.

Jessie Sam and I headed out with Spryte, Boycie and Sandy. We passed a collie with problems and all did the right thing crossing the road, keeping ourselves between our dog and the other dog etc but they all reacted badly (including the Collie)

Then we joined up with my friend with her lovely working cocker but when we tried them off lead Spryte held her down and Boycie played too rough resulting in her making a horrible yelping screaming noise as if he was killing her! We didn't try Sandy as she had disgraced herself a few days previously.

Here is 2nd draft of poster

24th August

3 Days to go to PICNIC IN THE DOG PARK      SEE YOU THERE!

Have felt rather untogether today after yesterdays excitement with the poster.
Need to thank every member of my family their help. Sam,as mentioned yesterday, painted out the collar and lead, Jessie took the photos, Dave formatted it and Sara edited it in 30 seconds flat before going to bed!
Have not yet put in her suggestions.
Had no help walking dogs this afternoon so had to do two long walks, one with Sandy on her own and then with Spryte and Boycie. Boycie had an "unpleasant" poo which means he may still need antibiotics and Spryte rolled in fox! Angel had also rolled earlier requiring a bath,the result being I am exhausted!



Happy Days, Lexus on the beach.

 Had phone message late yesterday from lady saying she needed to re-home a 5 year old male staff as her 6 month old daughter was allergic to him. It seemed a genuine case.
It was too late yesterday to return the call but she rang again this morning. On further investigation it turns out she had only owned the dog for 6 weeks having got him from an advert. The family who advertised him had him and a Malamute and were only allowed one dog in their property! They wanted to keep the Malamute as they had had him from a puppy.
I asked how long they had owned the Staff and she said they told her they had rescued him from Battersea at 6 months!! She had tried to contact them when she discovered her daughters allergy and........could not get a reply.
So what started out as a straightforward, genuine case ended up being nothing of the sort.
The dog sounds nice and I am hoping John laker will take him when he returns from his holiday as it is in Kent, and we really have NO SPACE at all.
I will check with Battersea to see if he is one of their dogs, but it is probably not true. Unbelievable!

23rd August

Don't forget to come to PICNIC IN THE DOG PARK   we will be there!

Boycie is well. We walked him with Spryte and Sandy again and let him off the lead. He can run pretty fast!
He behaved exceptionally throughout.

He has also been the inspiration for an idea. Above is a mock up of a poster but the idea has grown and I am now thinking BIG and wondering if we could make it into a TV ad!!!!!! One of our owners produces music videos/adverts and we have the SBT forum. Lots of people produce the youtube videos but I was thinking more of an education thing against breeding and to really inform people about what is happening to Staffies as so many people still don't know, maybe we could even get government funding..........
I have had trouble getting this to publish, will try and make poster bigger.
Thanks to all my family for helping with poster especially to Sam for his painting!

22nd August

PICNIC IN THE PARK> WE WILL BE THERE!        PLEASE COME AND JOIN US!

Boycie is a lot better.
We kept him quiet on Sunday, giving him several small meals divided up through the day, as suggested by James. He was very hungry and dreadfully thin so it was quite hard to stick to.
I gave out wrong information about what I am feeding him. It is in fact Royal Canin chicken and rice sensitivity control. Our vets always provide us with a tin after an op in case the anaesethic upsets their tum, but I picked up several tins from the Pets at Home charity bin.
He has now passed two normal stools, is very hungry and full of energy but still extremely thin!

Today we walked him with Sandy and Spryte, although we didn't let him off the lead. He seems fine with other dogs.
Sally asked if I still believed him to be lost.
I would say it is looking less likely. Less likely that is, that someone has lost him and is frantically searching for him. He has been put on Dog Found, with no response and he has very distinct white markings which would make him easy to identify. That is not to say that he is not lost, he looks at people who approach us on walks as if he is looking for his old owner. Pricking his ears in anticipation, "Here they are!" Only to be disappointed,lower his head and walk resignedly on........

20th August



Picnic in the park. We will be there!

 Angel is helping me write this tonight, lying beside the bed. She is of course, breaking all the house rules by being there! She had a good game of ball earlier today at the ponies followed by a potter round the yard, she alarmed me when she disappeared but returned when I called only to disappear again, I found her in the crate in the back of the car, she had put herself away!

Cedric span a splendiferous web again last night ( not walked into by daughters boyfriends!) No sign of him yet tonight. Cedric that is not Sara's boyfriend!

I am sorry to report that Boycie is not at all well. Despite perking up and eating last night, this morning he had terrible diarrhoea. James at the vets said it was unlikely to be the vaccine or the advocate so given the fact he has been in kennels for four weeks, has not had a formed stool since he came, is underweight and hungry I should think we are dealing with our old friend, Campyla Bacter. This is rife in kennels and almost impossible for the kennels to be rid of even with good practise. Our garden is infected from all the dogs we have had from kennels in the past.
He may overcome it as he is an adult, if not he will have to have a course of antibiotics.
This is another sad fact of rescue. Not only are the rescues overflowing with unwanted dogs, the dogs there are likely to get a good dose of kennel cough and Campyla. Even if they overcome it it can return when they become stressed and have a change of environment. It is my belief many rescue dogs out there are suffering from this often being wrongly diagnosed by vets and sometimes having  unnecessary treatment that costs a lot of money!

I had a phone call today from a lady who is local. She has two dogs a mother and two year old son. The mother got into the next door garden and attacked the neighbours dog. The dog is to be put to sleep on Monday, and she has until 31st August to re-home the son. She says he is good with children ( it sounded as if she had several) and other dogs and is neutered. I have not seen him but if anyone can offer a home or foster home to help in this desperate situation please let me know.

19th August

What a different day! Glorious!
Boycie was good over night, but of course everyone else is unsettled and upset, hard when you can't keep everyone happy.
10'clock Boycie was at vets having general check and first vaccination. Jane the vet thinks he is about three. He is muscled but underweight.
He has had upset tum so I have put him on Science diet chicken and rice just to ease him through the change of environment.
Back at the ponies he had a walk. Again trotting along not too interested in anything. Once home I presented him with more food but he wasn't interested which sent me into a panic. I left him quietly and I am pleased to say he has eaten well this evening and shown more interest on his walk.
I am beginning to think it is less likely that he has been lost.
Taz, formerly Marley was neutered on Tuesday. He had his follow up today and is healing well. He is now chipped.

Can I just say HI to all regular followers and welcome to Janey who has just joined taking us up to nine.
Please feel you can comment, I know it is more one way than some groups but it would be intersting to hear from you...

18th August

Boycie is here! Meeting went as planned despite torrential rain. Laura (Basingstoke Dog Warden) commented that I "Did not look like someone who was into Staffies," I took this as a compliment!
Laura is a great girl who loves her dogs and does her best for them, fightig her bosses for more time for them and spending herself on them, not all dog wardens are like her.
We took Boycie back to the ponies, he threw up his breakfast on the way. Once there we took him a walk. He trotted along steadily not a bit like a dog who has spent the past four weeks in kennels. perhaps he is used to be off the lead or else he had been wandering for some time before he was picked up.
We gave him a bath in teatree shampoo and then took him home.
More torrential rain. Both the girls were in the kitchen, sara preparing for work, Jessie cooking pasta. Dave appeared and took Khan and Lexus for a walk in the rain. It was chaos even by our standards. Poor Boycie, what a welcome!
He seems to have settled well and is lying quietly in his crate.

On closer inspection he has very distinctive white markings so if someone has lost him and really cares he is going to be easy to identify

17th August

Driving back from dropping no 2 daughter at the cinema tonight,I saw a man waiting to cross the road with his dog. The dog ( a Labradoodle) sat at the kerb side. The man, middle-aged, bespectacled, balding, held a ball thrower in his hand, it was about 8pm. Despite all my negative bias against this breed it was obvious dog and man enjoyed each others company. Taking the dog out was for him not a chore, but possibly the highlight of his day, you could see it in his face. The dog was well mannered, eager, sure of having a good run chasing his ball.
Man and dog in harmony, it was a cheery scene.


Boycie


I am picking Boycie up tomorrow. Meeting Laura (Basingstoke Dog Warden and enthusiastic Staffy lover) at a halfway point, Bowenhurst Kennels just outside Farnham.
He will be moving into the below kitchen table appartment here at Eton Cottage.
We will continue our search with Dog Lost to make sure there is not someone missing him out there......

16th August



Happy birthday Dolly.

 No need to have worried about Cedric he was there again last night in the centre of a very impressive web. However, the second time I went out he had gone and then I spied him making reinforcements to his web on the front of the garage. I watched with interest until I got a cough. Bam! that was it he shot into a crack and lay as if dead, he did not move again during my following visits with each dog. There you are all spider haters all you need to do is cough!
We have agreed to take the male stray from Basingstoke dog warden, well at least we had....there was just something about the way he was found and the fact he is so nice...........so spent the evening scrolling through Dog Lost and maybe............just maybe......... you will have to wait and see!

I heard it was Dolly's birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday Dolly! From all of us. Apparently she had a lovely day on the beach.

16th August

Cedric Spider was sitting in the centre of his web feasting on a moth when I took the dogs out for their last visit to the garden last night. i had left the gate open so he made his web between the garage and the washing line. Dave "collected" his web across his face this morning when he took Khan out first thing! Hopefully by then Cedric was safely tucked away wherever he spends the day and he will be back in the middle of a new web when I go down after writing this.
I changed the message on the anwer phone on our return from holiday. Last week alone we had twelve requests to take dogs in. Today we had two calls and one email plus another call from a rescue in Sheffield who had six Staffies desperate for places. That is twenty dogs in a week.
A Mastiff was tied up and left at Guildford railway station on Saturday with a note saying they could no longer look after him and a bag of belongings!
When this was posted on a national networking site someone asked why they had not taken it to a rescue.

I explained that all rescues are full. If you are genuine what are you supposed to do?

14th August

I don't thnk I ever got round to telling you that it became impossible to walk across the rapeseed field because it was so tangled. Our walks had to change but because Sandy is so improved we were able to do a loop below the Chantries with no mishaps. Now the rapeseed has been harvested making it easier to see if anyone is coming and enabling us to walk across the fields should we choose.
I vary my walks according to the dogs I have in and the seasons.(The seasons, not their seasons! Sorry couldn't resist. )
Angel is happy to play ball at the moment ( she is not interested when she is not settled ) so she can have a good run playing ball in the field at the ponies.


Cedric

 When we returned from holiday next doors plum tree had dropped plums in our garden, a hazard for wasps, and the dogs eat them! Lexus in particular has to be dragged away,one can imagine the result if he eats too many!
Another seasonal happening is a spider who spins his web between the garage and the garden gate.
Each night when I take the dogs down the garden last thing, there he is in the centre of his web breasting the breeze like a galleon in sail. Each morning he is gone and often so is his web. At first I thought it was us crashing through but now I see even if the web remains, Cedric, as we shall call him, is gone, but each night he is back again.
I am not adverse to spiders as many are, neither am I phobic, about the only phobia I don't have! But I would not say I like them but he (probably she) is very attractive, a brindle!
So I have learnt how it works, web and hunting all night, hiding and sleeping all day new web spun afresh each evening and manned throughout the night!

13th August

Ok you have waited long enough, about time I 'fessed up about that fish slice!
Some of you probably know that at home we have to watch things between Spryte and Lexus.
 We also have Khan.
 Khan was here first, adopted at four months from a local rescue. At the time we had my elderly Staff Joshua, a Patterdale terrier Marney and an elderly crossbreed lurcher type called Compo, all rescues. Gradually all the oldies died off and Guildford SBT Rescue was born. We bought Spryte from a litter a friend of one of my daughters had, we also helped to home the rest of the litter but the owner would not sign them over to rescue.
So Spryte has always shared her home with rescue dogs.


Khan and Lexus

 We then adopted Lexus from the rescue. Initially he and Spryte got on fine but at trigger moments when Khan would bark, Spryte would jump at his face as if telling him to stop. He would! But when she did it to Lexus he would not back down and there would be a "set to" and they would have to be parted. Sometimes both sustaining injuries. A few moments later they would be best friends again and she would be licking the very wounds she had inflicted!
We have learned to live with this,. keeping one or the other crated at trigger moments.
Incidentally, Khan and Lexus ADORE each other, lying together and gently mouthing for hours at a time, so much for never having two males together!
Anyway, back to the demise of the fish slice!
 It is the fourth year we have taken Lex and Spryte on holiday together and we were just marvelling how well they were getting on... until Wednesday afternoon when we were having a barbeque, I had nipped to the shop, (of course it would not have happened had I been there) Lexus was playing ball with Sara's boyfriend, suddenly Bam! Spryte jumped on Lex biting his head. Dave shot over fish slice in hand, he struggled to part them, Lexus trying to bite Spryte's legs!
The result :- Lexus mullered ears, Spryte unable to put paw to the ground, Dave a gash to the thumb and one broken fish slice!!


Best friends again!

 It took a whole morning, a tank full of petrol and visiting a dozen shops to replace the fish slice......of course a few minutes later Lex and Spryte were best friends again...

11th August

I must tell you about our holiday before it becomes an even more distant memory.

We take Spryte and Lexus with us. This started four years ago when Lexus was still a rescue. He had come in in early January and remained in kennels until we eventually had a space for him in the June. I had been very worried about how he would settle, but was pleased with his progress. Soon it was time for our break and I could not bear to put him back in kennels, so he came with us. This was our first year at Seagull Cottage, before then we had stayed at the caravan site. It was because that week went so well that we decided to keep him.

We put Khan into Burntwood kennels. He finds any change of scenery upsetting and taking him with us would be stressful for everyone. Plus my husband would prefer not to have any dogs on holiday, something I strongly disagree with as I enjoy having time to enjoy them, also I find it quiet enough as it is! Without dogs I really would go mad!

So that first year Lexus came, his paws still sore from the concrete of the kennel. He has come again each year since but this year was surely his best!
Seagull cottage is a converted railway carriage on the beach at Pagham harbour. It backs onto a lagoon with a stretch of pebble covered land lying between the garden and the lagoon ( v.popular with dog walkers)
Out of the front, turn right up the road then left and you are on the beach, with rock pools at low tide.

There is a pleasant garden where Lex spends most of his time playing ball (and trying to persuade one of us to join him )
The only drawback are the stones which hurt his feet. The first night we walked to the beach and on the way home he suddenly speeded up along the road. We realised he remembered the road was kinder on his paws and he was making a break for it!

The gate at the bottom of the garden does not fasten securely. On Sunday we waved goodbye to Dave as he left for church. Lex seemed unconcerned that his master had left without him. Ten minutes later we looked up from breakfast preparations and he was standing on the wrong side of the gate looking in! I shot down the garden, just in time to see a huge red and white male Staff taking his constitution beside the lagoon.
Another evening we were watching tv when there was a huge crash! Lexus had knocked down the box containing his food!

He bravely ventured into the sea, barking furiously and attracting lots of attention! When the tide was out and the water lay in a calm pool he would bark madly and venture in just far enough to retrieve some seaweed which he would pull ashore, rip up before starting the process all over again!
One day Dave swam when there were big waves. Lexus tried to follow barking all the time but would not go out of his depth. Now and then a huge wave would crash over him. I was worried he would be swept out to sea but he held his ground with true Staffy determination, just shaking the sea water away with a disgruntled look on his face.

All this exercise and sea air resulted in the need to crash out.

How that fish slice got broken.......had better wait till tomorrow.....

9th August



Jess

 I am sorry I am finding it much harder getting up to speed than I thought. It is already the tenth, though this is really the blog for the ninth!
I had no lessons today and was looking forward to spending the majority of the day catching up on some much needed paperwork. Alas! This was not to be as I did not get home until 7pm still with dogs and family to feed! My poor toes having been healed by the sea last week are sore and aching once again and I was too exhausted to start any paperwork promptly falling asleep!
David and Pat brought Angel back today. They have kept her for twelve days, really helping us. I cannot thank them enough. They have driven from Oxfordshire twice to collect her and bring her back and Pat was in tears as they said goodbye and then on the phone at the first opportunity to see how she was!
I didn't have much to report as she was very quiet. Possibly she was resigned or depressed but I think she was quite happy to slot back in to a familiar routine despite the fact she had more comfort and freedom with them. This is in fact a huge achievment as this is a dog who does not kennel, yet she appears to have taken these changes in her stride.
 I saw a video of her eating next to their dog Jess. On finishing first Angel helped herself to Jess' food. A stern word from David and she backed off and SAT DOWN!Unbelievable!
They cannot keep her as Jess is very unhappy with another dog in her home but we have found out more about her, that perfect home must be out there somewhere!



Angel

 Just to touch on topical matters. Dave had to drive to Dorking this evening to collect Sara,our eldest daughter, from the station where she had waited in vain for a train, severe delays or cancellations on trains from Redhill due to the riots!!

8th August

Thanks to Val for her blog while I was away. As you can hear thet are not having an easy time, our thoughts are with them.
We did have a lovely holiday. Thanks to David and Pat Bennett, Anna and Glenn Browne and Spangleberry kennels for looking after the rescue dogs while we were away, also Burntwood Kennels for caring for Khan.
Lexus and Spryte came with us and thoroughly enjoyed themselves though it was not without incident which I will share once I am fully back in the swing of things! How did that fish slice get broken!!

Meanwhile meet Luke and his dogs....

Luke, aka Mr Noisy, has been back at the farm laying much needed concrete in the yard, and installing a drain.

His dogs have a wonderful life wandering round hunting or "helping" him while he works.


Here he is with Rex helping in the digger cab!

The Labrador looking on is actually half Staffie. She didn't like being left out but he said two of them in there at once was going a bit too far, even for him!

5th August

Alison has struck lucky on her holiday with the weather and has even been in the sea swimming! Lexus has been up to his tricks, and Alison has been walking around Aldwick today trying to buy a fish slice!!!!!!  I am sure Alison will share this all when she comes back, it will be quite an interesting read. She does seem to have recharged her batteries and is enjoying the lazy life away from the endless phone calls and feeling of helplessness. I am sure that will not last long once she is back but I do hope so. It can be such a thankless task and hard to carry on when you have perfectly good dogs that stay with you for so long, with no offers of a home.
We are currently looking after my mother-in law at home who is terminally ill having district and Marie Curie nurses in on a daily basis. Not easy when you have four dogs as well but they are being superstars adjusting themselves to the coming and goings. Some nurses are afraid of dogs and then they have to be put into our bedroom or garden untill they have gone. Oscar has become wise to this and will now run half way up the stairs not coming down even for a treat. When we go up to get him he runs down standing halfway ready to go up the stairs again. So now we have asked the nurses to telephone so we can get them away before they come to the door. Those nurses who are OK with dogs cannot believe how good they are.
At most times of the day one of them will lay at the side of the bed just keeping an eye or so it seems.
One visitor who came to see my mother in law sat down on the settee and Oscar made a beeline for her and promptly plonked himself on her lap not bad but he weighs 25kgs and is white. She was dressed in dark designer clothes, saying "that's fine I like dogs", when all the while we knew that she liked things just so and this was not her style. needless to say there was a small twitter of  laughter coming from the kitchen by members of the family knowing that this was not 'fine'. Oscar got down and Honey then decided that the visitors face needed a wash and promptly set about licking it!!!! The downside is that she still visits but not in dark coloured designer clothes.
Valerie