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)