6TH February

Today has been a much better day for me in every way, not least the weather
.I also managed to get a lot done.
I went over to the kennels to see Sandy which I did find it quite upsetting. I took her a walk and she was very well behaved and calm, but she has lost weight and her front paws are sore from where she is chewing them and she was shivering (it was very cold.)

 I wanted to scoop her up and bring her home there and then.


I need to make it very clear that this is not the fault of the kennels.
 They give the very best care and it is all overseen by the proprietor, unlike some kennels where all the daily contact is left to a couple of youngsters ( as in some care homes for the elderly.)
 I too struggled to keep weight on her and apparently she sometimes becomes upset by another dog and so runs up and down in her kennel, this is also when she chews her paws.
They are going to increase her food.


Staffords just do so badly in kennels. This I believe is for a number of reasons.


The first is:- they love/crave human company, and to be isolated from people in a kennel is torture for them.


The next is:- they have a short coats and feel the cold (and the heat) and they love their comforts.
 and the last is, 


they are not brilliant with other dogs especially reactive dogs and in kennels they are surrounded all day by other dogs throwing out challenges further exacerbated by 'fence rage,' because they cannot interact naturally.


We have many dogs coming out of kennels who are reactive with other dogs but calm down quickly once they can interact normally again.
There is the rub.

Happier days, in the river with Sam.

 As a rescue taking a dog out of kennels and into a foster home is one of the most satisfying things we can do but with Sandy it is the other way round. We have put her in kennels and until we can home someone, there she must stay.

The rest of the day , however, was very encouraging. We have received two substantial donations, very welcome as we are almost out of funds.
I just took Saffy and Chance with me this morning as I was going to the kennels. They were so quiet I had to keep checking they were still there. A big positive for both of them, 'Good in the car.'


More encouragement in this email from Nathalie :-


Hi Alison hope all is well with you and that you have not been too disrupted by the snow and cold weather. All is well here. Dolly has hated the cold, but loved the snow. She went mad in the garden yesterday, then returned to the safety of her bed by the Aga to warm up afterwards. We
celebrated a year since her arrival with us on Saturday....and what a delight she has been from the outset! Attached is a picture of her helping Emma with her piano practise....they adore each other and

whenever Emma plays, Dolly hops up too to 'help!'