16th October

Coming up we will be attending Pets at Home store in Godalming on Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday and Sunday this week. 10am/4pm  Do come and support us  .

The dogs were not enough, heating now on.
All dogs had a good run to make up for yesterday. It is going to be a busy week doing Pets At Home so hard to fit in long walks on the days we are there.



 The village event taking part in the field yesterday  was a scarecrow trail with a nursery rhyme theme. I understand it went very well.
 Before we took the dogs out Dave warned us that there were still scarecrows left up. The first was on a dark part of the path and was Mary,Mary with her cockle shells. She was dressed in white and the dogs were terrified!! Peppa eventually was brave enough to take a sniff and venture past.
One can only imagine the shock of someone passing at night especially if they were on their way home from the local hostelry!


 The next scarecrow was in the open and was a farmer figure with small mammals in his pockets. He proved less scary but was thoroughly investigated and nearly lost one of his pets. Peppa did glance back just to check he wasnt following us.
Next I couldn't resist taking Sandy to see what she made of them. She was much bolder, as I expected, but still hesitated. We met a very nice lady who admired her so I shared her story and tried to persuade her to consider giving her a home but she said she worked too long hours.

Altogether a very pleasant day.

15th October

Brrr gone a bit chilly tonight. Can't decide if we need to put the heating on or if the number of dogs in the house will keep the temperature up!
All is quiet here, which is surprising as none of the dogs had a really good walk today. I was working so Jade, Angel and Sapphire had to wait their turn for a run. Angel ripped the relatively new crate liner into shreds. Lots of green fluffy stuff all over the back of my car, renewing my resolve to never buy bedding with stuffing ever again!
The dogs at home had their walks curtailed by a village event taking place in the river field, how dare they!
Almost forgot an update on Lexus. He is fully recovered, bounding around full of the joys this morning. His smart blue bandage, disintegrated and fell off and apparently he insisted on going on the walk with everyone else and not just visiting the garden as I had expected. The nail looks clean and dry.

Hardly a day goes by without us being asked to take in at least one dog.
When we returned from Leicester Welfare meeting on Sunday there was a message asking for advice and if we could take a six month old male from Woking. I immediately thought it sounded familiar. Do you remember the puppy I had said I would see on a Monday about a month ago but when I rang they didn't answer? Well strangely enough when looking through the internet freeads for figures to take to the welfare meeting I came across an ad for this puppy Kye, they were asking for £200. I could only presume they had sold him over the weekend before I could get to see him.
The girl ringing me now how taken him out of a home close to her which she felt was unsuitable. Due to having a male dog with a medical condition she was unable to take Kye but her mother had him. However, after a fortnight he had destroyed the mother's house and they had advertised him and rehomed him only to get a call from someone warning them the family who now had him had had a dog taken away from them. She was on her way to get him back, wondering how they stood with that and also wanting us to take him in.
By the time I got back to her the family had agreed to hand the dog back and the girls husband was collecting him after they had eaten. I said I would make some calls and tried several rescue friends but no-one had any spaces.
With Sandy still in kennels I had a free crate. I rang back ready to offer a space even if it was for only one night. I felt so sorry for this puppy who had been shoved from pillar to post his whole life. When I rang the girl said her friend had taken the pup as she had two Staffies of her own. I left my number in case it did not work out. Only a few minutes later the phone rang again. The girls male Staff was attacking the puppy, could I take him?
Puppy coming, puppy not coming, puppy coming again...
By now it was late, I waited with the back door open, and went out to greet the new arrival. We lifted him from the car, the poor thing was terrified. As we tried to walk him down the road he dug his toes in. Suddenly the chap said,'Ican't do this, he has had enough i'm taking him home.'
The pup was only too glad to jump back into the landrover.
It turned out the man had lots of Stafford experience but just hadn't felt ready to take on another dog as they had three small children and the male dog but he couldn't see the pup be moved again. I leant them a crate and last reports were it was going ok.
This puppy is on his sixth home, one for every month of his life.
When they contacted the original owner the one who didn't answer my calls it turned out she was on holiday in Turkey, just a coincidence they needed the dog re-homed then.......

When I saw him he was a cross  EBT so we would have been unable to help anyway. Let's hope these people make it work.

14th October

We are at Pets At Home Godalming Store on Tuesday 18th October  Wednesday 19th October  Friday 21st October and Sunday 23rd  10am/4pm
All welcome!

This evening we have been working on our board we take to events, putting up fresh pictures and tidying it up.
I will drop it at Pets At Home in the morning before work so it is there for the start of their charity week.

We have also produced a poster for our Stafford walk on the 20th November which I am very excited about.

The puppy Val had overnight has been named Carlos and is now safely in the care of Ali Taylor who thinks he is great and will have no trouble finding a home.

Marley is doing well so far in the kennels and seems less stressed in that environment, we have forwarded an assessment to Epsom Canine Rescue.



our wounded hero



Lexus had his nail op.
He came out sporting a blue bandage to the top of his leg.
It was not straightforward and he goes back on Monday morning to have it checked.
Despite Jane looking after us as always it was not cheap! Ouch!

13th October

A very stressful 24 hours.
Glenn asked us yesterday if we could find somewhere else for Marley as none of the homes he had hoped would take him had worked out and he had already turned away a lot of work because of him but now other dogs were booked to come in. Marley stuck to Glenn like glue making it difficult for him to work with other dogs on the walks and Marley became very stressed when he was left behind. The situation had become unworkable.
Having nowhere Marley could go we reluctantly contacted his previous owner. Last night it looked like he was to return there and despite having some good personal news I spent a miserable evening and sleepless night.
This morning phone calls started at 7.30 am and after much to ing and fro ing Nikki, from Epsom Canine Rescue, who had first informed us about Marley, found him a kennel place and possible foster a great relief all round.
So best made plans, my day went in a different direction yet again and I eventually dropped Marley off at the kennels this afternoon (the whole trip took 3 hours.)
He was very good in the car and seemed ok in the very lovely, caring kennels. We will keep you updated.

Hopefully now I can concentrate on the dogs we have here. Despite being full they are quiet and we can give each one some quality time.

A phone call this evening from a girl whose sister had a 13 week old puppy who she wanted gone ASAP
Her partner was in prison and she had two small children, a puppy as well was just too much!
It was close to Valerie and we contacted Ali Taylor from Battersea who agreed to take him to foster and home him through Battersea tomorrow.

So Val and Stuart have an extra lodger tonight!

Lexus has had an early Bonio as he is off for his op in the morning........lets see what tomorrow brings......

12th October

We are at Pets at Home  Tuesday 18th wednesday 19th Friday 21st and Sunday 23rd October
Godalming  10am/4pm daily

Stafford walk for National SBT Day Sunday 20th November 11am




Peppa and Khan in the river

 All was quiet overnight and Sandy seems to have settled back into the routine, she also seems quite tired from the kennels.
Peppa is accepting her even wagging her tail when sniffing at her at one point. They all seem to have accepted their new bed arrangements.
It fell to me to walk all dogs today as Dave was otherwise engaged. The usual three, Jade,Sapphire and Angel came with me to the ponies. I opted to take Khan and Peppa together and Spryte and Sandy.
The Khan / Peppa walk went very well. She loves Khan. I walked round Steven's field to maximize off lead time,they had a great run, it is the first time I have seen Peppa really tired. They cooled off in the river on the way back. Peppa loves the river.
The Sandy/Spryte combination was fine but within seconds of entering the big field Spryte rolled in fox (covered) I felt so annoyed by this and the fact I would need to wash her when I got back that I didn't enjoy the rest of the walk.
Poor Lexus was the only one who didn't get a decent run but had to make do with a visit to the garden.
His nail does need sorting so he is booked in for Friday no breakfast for him that morning.

Daily paper of choice for our Welfare Advert seems to be The Telegraph, please read what Gareth wrote :-

Meanwhile, about advertising in the national press. Red-tops like the Sun and Star have a readership which are not the brightest; The Guardian doesn't like dogs, the Mail is similarly anti-everything, so that leaves the Daily Telegraph, which unfortunately, is the most expensive lineage advertising rates but would be an investment because of its A-AB readership (professional and tend to be caring)  OR the Times.  A small ad in either would be good - a display advert much too expensive - but ask.

Thanks Gareth that is brilliant! Does anyone else have an opinion?

11th October

Breaking news :- Stafford walk for National SBT Day.

Sunday 20th November  11am starting from Pets at Home Godalming.    1 hour approx lead walk. £2 entry

Walk Your Stafford with Pride      All welcome.

Sorry I am still so tired after Sunday and the AGM. I did feel I caught my breath this morning but it has been pretty hectic since then and I am struggling again tonight.
Having got Peppa settled in we have now brought Sandy out of kennels, Peppa and Sandy did not take well to each other with lots of growling, although Sandy was displaying 'calming behaviour,' as descibed by David Egan, so there may be hope. Not helped by the fact Peppa has been in Sandy's crate as it is the most cosy but still looking out on the kitchen thereby providing lots of stimulation. I just couldn't decide where would be best for Peppa. After a bit of trial and error, Sandy is back in her own crate, Peppa in Sapphire's and saff in the one that is most exposed, under the kitchen table. Despite a tense start this seems to have worked ok and all has been quiet for the past hour or so.
Things have been going very well with Peppa. Walking her it is hard to believe she is deaf as with her training but when she is asleep (sometimes upside down ) she does not hear . On Sunday morning when we came down early, it was several minutes before she realised we were there, despite switching on lights and even moving stuff on top of her crate!
Though we were one dog less for a week I never quite got that 'this is easy' feeling and now we are back up to full whack it seems overwhelming. I really need to be able to walk Sandy and Pepper together else I will have to do separate long walks.....we will see.

We thought we had a home for Boycie but they have now had to take their son's Stafford back, they kindly gave a donation.
The home we checked for Buster ( remember our memorable seaside trip?) has also gone awry and now we have two new dogs waiting homes.
Plenty of dogs, lack of suitable homes but excited about the Stafford Walk and National SBT Day in November.

10th October

SBT Welfare AGM yesterday.



That Dog!

 Some good things have come out of the meeting.

12th/13th November is National Staffordshire Bull Terrier Day or days.

We will be attending Discover Dogs at Earls Court on Sunday as part of this but I also hope to organise a Stafford walk on another weekend.

Welfare have agreed to fund a neutering & microchipping programme, we have been asked to find prices from local vets.
This will only be for full SBT's and dogs will need to be seen first.

They will also pay for each group to advertise in their local paper for a year and Welfare is to advertise in a National paper......suggestions for which daily paper would be best please.
.

We will be attending Pets at Home Godalming store on Tuesday 18th October/Wednesday19th October/Friday 21st October/Sunday23rd October 10am / 4pm each day to support their charity week.

David and Helen from Living with Wolves will be there on Wednesday 19th October and will work with Angel as her training session for that week.

All are welcome to join us at any time for these days.

Angel had her fourth training session with David today and we had Jade and her loose together in the field with Shadow walking past on the bridleway.
Then Shadow came into the field off lead with the girls on leads. Angel was fearful to begin with but settled down. David was pleased with her yet again.

Rhea continued her winning streak winning her first jumping competition. The dog in second place was 11 seconds behind! Well done Rhea!

Four phone calls today all asking for dogs to be re-homed, we were unable to help.

Lots of new dogs on the website.