Whats your dogs story?

[Bossdog]

I love reading about how people have come across their dogs, how did you get yours? Not just rescues, if you got a puppy, why did you choose that breed?

I got Boss when I got a job at the local village pub.... he was meant to be the "guard dog" but this involved him being locked in the back yard 24 hours a day... if he barked too much and upset the neighbours, he was locked in the toilet cubicle. When I started working there I asked if I could walk him in the evenings after my shift finished. Then I started walking him when I had a spare hour between lectures. One night he escaped from his yard and we woke up in the monring to find him in the fish pond outside my house! He'd never been to my house so I guess he tracked me!! The landord said I'd better just keep him and the rest is history!

 

[SilverSkye]

Was out with work driving up a major A road when the traffic slowed to a crawl, was on my way home so not amused at being held up and was looking out my window to see what was going on. Noticed a small black and white dog running from verge to verge in the traffic pulled over and went to get out the car to try and catch it and as soon as i opened the door dog ran over and jumped in the car! ( absolutely filthy and making a filthy mess while jumping on every seat!)
Took her to the local police station and they scanned and conformed she wasnt chipped left my details with them and said i would take her to the rspca. Rang OH who announced we could not under any circumstances keep her!
4 years later she is still with us and is a fantastic dog that i wouldnt swap for any other.

 

[echodomino]

We had dogs before I was born but I'd been nagging mum and dad for a dog of my own for as long as I could remember. It was nearly my 14th though so I had had to wait forever LOL. Dad has always had a soft spot for Jacks and saw a litter advertised. There was only the one pup left so we went to see her. Pulled the car onto a very run down looking farm and a little black dog that had very obviously had a litter came trotting out followed by the farmer's wife. She led us through the farm, where a tri coloured JR was chained to his kennel (that was dad) and opened a barn door. It was pitch black and she reached around and opened a rabbit hutch. Out jumped this adorable hairy fawn JR pup. She was so pleased to see people!! Picked her up and fell in love straight away, and have never let mum forget the most stupid thing she's ever said: 'you don't have to have her if you don't want her' - duh! As if!

I got Mouse and Jim from having 2 litters from Mouse. I got my first Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla from mum because I do agility with him and got the 2nd one from a litter mum bred because she was the runt, we nearly lost her and I wanted to keep her.

I brought a lovely black Staff home once but we weren't allowed to keep him because his owner wanted him back - should have secured the garden then I wouldn't need to make sure he was safe, he was loose in the park - there was only me and a friend in the park. The same Staff escaped through his garden fence a few weeks later too when I walked past with one of my dogs. Shoved him back through he wasn't impressed lol

 

[Baileyhoss]

My mum worked in the office at a kennels which was partly boarding kennels & partly a GSD security company. A beautiful 2yo golden retriever arrived as a boarder, but was never collected. My mum took a shine to her and walked her during breaks & lunch, over the next few weeks, she got out to roam with the big gsd's and spent an increasing amount of time in my mum's office sleeping under her desk.

Then mum asked if she could take her home, just to spend one night

. My dad & I weren't keen as it had been such a heart ache to lose our wee jrt a year or so previously, neither of us wanted a dog again.

However, mabel arrived for a 'visit' and quickly charmed us with her beautiful blondness & big brown eyes. She was in poor condition with a starey coat. Big insecurity issues in that she followed you around everywhere and nuzzled for fusses constantly. She was an angel, so soft and cuddly, couldn't believe anyone abandoned her. Got her checked by the vets and were advised that she probably had been dumped as she had poor hips, although it didn't affect her at all just now and probably wouldn't for a long time, she wouldn't be show or breeding quality, although she has had pups at some stage :0

With a bit of careful feeding mabs blossomed, she grew the most beautiful coat and had a healthy shine, she came out in the woods with me every day, sometimes she came down to the stables and came out for a ride in the woods too. (although she LOVED to waddle in muddy puddles, smelly ditches, horse poo) so we kept those visit restricted to dry sunny days!.

A few years later I moved out to my own place and my dad took over the dog walking duties. by this time, mabs had slowed down a bit and was starting to get a bit stiff in her hips, it was quite funny watching to 2 of them bimbling along, sometimes he was stiffer than her!.

A few years later, we suspected she was getting a little deaf (although, she did always have selective hearing - she could never hear, 'come here, get out of that puddle, but if a biscuit wrapper made a crinkle, she was there!). Then gradually over next few years, she turned into an old lady, getting stiffer and working her way around the house slowly but surely, She survived a mini stroke. Then poor mabs developed cataracts. It was like looking after an elderly granny, you kept thinking, perhaps she might not last that longer, then she rallied round again. One day I had a call from mum, mabs had fallen in the pond, I rushed round and she was lying in the bottom of the shower with mum running warm water over her, we got her out, but she didn't want to stand, although she didn't seem in pain and could move her legs, I though she might have broken a leg or a hip, we rushed her to the vets, and she was treated for shock and given painkillers for the next few days and she made an amazing recovery from that. However a couple of months later mum phoned, quite upset reporting that mabs had woken them up in the night, she had obviously woken up and got disoriented & distressed. This happened a couple of times and we made the decision. It was one thing having to nurse her and keep her safe in her old age, but we couldn't let her be in pain or distress and that was starting. As hardbreaking as it was, we could do something for her, so the vet was called and she was pts lying peacefully in her usual spot by the radiator aged 16, not bad for a goldie.

So mabs thank you with all my heart for 14 years of unconditional love. You'll be in good company with Patch, sooty & ollie and many others. play nice.

 

[Baileyhoss]

Oh my god, I am sitting at work blubbering now!.

 

[Bossdog]

*blub*

 

[Bossdog]

I also have a very old lady called Meg (black springador) who is probably about 14 now.... I went to see a derilect farm three years ago that was up for sale and on the 2nd viewing, we found her in the coal shed. So I marched up to the neighbours house and demanded to know what the hell was going on! He said that the old boy had moved out a year ago and left her behind and that he just chucked scraps in to her once a day.... he was a Lincolnshire old boy and saw nothing wrong with keeping a dog in a shed.

He then told me that she was 11 years old and had lived there her whole life, that she had never been for a walk and that the farmer just bred from her. I got the estate agents to ring the vendor and ask if I could have her and said he didn't care if I did or not. So I went up there straight away and stuck her in the car. She was compltley souless, she showed no fear, affection or interest, she was just like an empty body.

In three years she has transformed into the most amazing dog I have ever met, she's a dream to have around. I got her checked out straight away by the vet and she was basically healthy but her ears are thick with scar tissue from years and years of untreated ear infections, her ear flaps feel like they're filled with little sausages, it's so sad. She couldn't walk more than a few metres at a time, she had NO muscle at all. With proper food and gentle exercise she has become fit, livley and still likes to bomb around now and again. The most noticable thing about her is her eyes, when I first got her they were reallly pale amber and now they are dark brown, I think it was just lack of sunlight.

I let her do whatever she likes, but to be honest, she is most content with a nice sleep by the radiator after her tea, at the risk of anthropomorphising, I think she's just grateful, she has never put a foot wrong (well, she weed in the hosue for a while but thats nothing). I am terrified of losing her and am starting to notice her finding it difficult to get up now plus she is totally deaf but as long as she remains the happy little sausage she is, I'm happy. She's had three good years out of us and I'm so glad I found her, just wish it had been earlier.

 

[woolly]

I think the only way I could do justice to Hazzie is print what we wrote when we lost him last year aged 5. We wrote it a few days later and it helped.

"To tell you all about Hazzie would take us a lifetime . . .

Our first wolfhound, and to say he was a teacher of all things canine is not strictly true. He thought himself above most canines and therefore human. He was tatty and a total swamp dog. He was exhausting and stubborn beyond belief, intelligent and independent to the point of snobbery. Comical, persistent and affectionate when it suited. A real champion of the underdog but hater of bullies. A companion of extreme expression and a defender of our lives against hedgehogs!!!!( He would go nuts if he saw one!)

Never ill but always injured. A prolific hunter and this is what he lived for. A phenomenal exerciser finding sleep a necessity rather than a pleasure. Lived life on the edge when he could escape the watchful eye of us, his neurotic owners.

A rogue, a king, an irreplaceable pain in the backside. There will never be another Hazzie puppy. He was our life.

If there is a Rainbow Bridge, he will be sat underneath it in the skanky water waiting for everybody's pet furries to cross over . . . with devilish intent . . . rather like the Troll in the
fairytales!"

His ashes are scattered in the river on his favourite walk deep in the woods and there used to be a lookout point he favoured off the path where he would watch for deer. We planted 200 daffodils with the land owners permission (all native species) and they form a path in Spring to his lookout point and are the only daffs in the woods. Nailed to a tree is a little sign that you would only see if you knew where it was and it reads...
"when the fox and deer run, know that a happy wolfhound hunts here still"
Over sentimental maybe, but it's no less than he deserves. He was the best dog ever.

 

[BBH]

Well my little dooglie ( British Bull Dog ) was bought over the telephone on the wed with the breeder describing the markings, as she had advertised in wed paper and 7 had been sold by the time I rang at 10.00am. I was in London and she in Leeds and there wouldn't have been any left if I had waited till the weekend to drive up there.

So I reserved him and zoomed up at the weekend to pay my deposit and meet him. He was like a little guinea pig and soo cute. I wanted a small dog but not a lap dog, something robust around my ponies.

Went to collect him 4 weeks later and he cried all the way home.

He is my first bully and I will never be without another one ever, I would recommend them to anyone.

So no tales of abuse or neglect, he is having a charmed life and I will make sure it stays that way.

 

[BBH]

Thats beautiful, am now at work crying, how did he pass away at just five.

 

[samstar]

decided to go to the dogs trust to look for a dog after ours had died 2 yrs earlier and was now ready to give another dog a home.
I'd been going down there every week to see what they had in as I wanted a medium sized dog,every dog I liked weren't good with children or cats.(I have 2).Then one week decided to go down the new arrival block which I hadn't considered before as the trust didn't know the temperament of any that came in. There in the middle kennel was this tiny,thin and looking very scared JRT, couldn't take my eyes off her, she was so pretty looking, and the expression on her face was saying please help me. So you can guess instead of a middle sized dog I ended up with a tiny one. The going was hard to start with, as she disliked cats and for the first month the cats lived upstairs why she lived downstairs with a muzzle on. Eventually they did settle with one another. Now she lets the tabby clean her face not knowing she has to do the same back.
Hadn't seen a horse before, so I started taking her up the stables where my daughter was having lessons, she was so nervous of their size and would try to go for their legs, but after a few weeks of this accepted if she stayed well away then she wouldn't come to harm.
She now runs off the lead in the field with them and is part of our family now to her dying day.
She will still try to go after rabbits and rats but then thats in her breed and I don't think you'll ever get that hunting instinct out of them.
If whoever decides to have a dog please don't forget the ones in the many homeless kennels who are looking for homes.
I'd definately rehome again.

 

[woolly]

Thank you Secret Santa... He died of Osteosarcoma, cancer of the bone in the leg, unfortunately it is the number 1 killer of Wolfhounds especially big neutered males around 5 years old.... The year before we had taken part in a programme of dna testing to help the Animal Trust gather information about bone cancer.... Haz was healthy at that point. 5 is getting on for a Wolfie as they usually live until around 8 ....We could have gone down the amputation and chemo. route but he loved exercise so much and hunting that the recovery period would be too much as he became depressed and refused to eat on 'box rest' we booked him in for x rays on 29th August 2007, the vet rang us when he was still under and told us the leg must come off to alleviate the pain and even then we could only buy time. We decided that this was not for him and told the vet to let him go whist he was already under...We had a 'scattering' party of his ashes and 20 friends and their dogs came and we did it at sunset and then had a torch lit walk through the woods as he loved to hunt at sunset/night...and a big party afterwards!!!! Over the top but it really helped us....

 

[BBH]

OMG, your story mirrors mine with my previous gsd / lab cross. He contracted cancer in his leg and I was given the same options as you and like yourself I decided to let him go as the vet said amputation would only give him another month or so, luckily he was 12 so he had a longer life.

Someone once said to me that the only thing wrong with dogs is that they don't live the same life span as us and we have to accept that loving them also means losing them.

What a lovely send off he had, you did him proud.

 

[ihatework]

I got mine completely unplanned.

He was bred by someone I used to stable my horse with, I met her out hacking and she was telling me how her lab bitch had a litter of 12 !!! and that she still had 1 left to sell, at this point he was 4 months old.

I loved her lab bitch so went to look at the pup and bought him

I was living in a small maisonette at the time with 2 cats and working full time!

But he is the most amazing dog, and I have started working him with his breeders small shoot.

Here he is this summer just turned 2

 

[woolly]

and honestly Secret Santa.... I take my hat off to you.... Although some dogs do well with amputation, to buy so little time and put them through it is wrong in my opinion and you were incredible brave especially after 12 years....your dog was incredibly lucky to have you as his owner!

 

[CAYLA]

I have alot of dogs, so alot of stories to with them

BRAY-my 15 year old whippet x greyhound was found and handed into the RSPCA when she was 4 months old with 2 broken fore legs, as my mam was head nurse of the vets, where she had her splints put on, she brought her home for me to look after her, I fell in love

she was such a fab little puppy, even with 2 big pots on her legs, the day came for her to ge to her permanant home, and I secretly sobed

, but she was only given to me to foster, and we already had a lot of dogs, so I could not keep her.

2 weeks passed, and the lady from the RSPCA got a call to say, they could not manage bray, she was scared of the hoover

amongst

other thing, hence she was returned, and has been with me since

BUBBA-my Akita, was taken to my mams vets to be put to sleep, as her owners had spliy up, they had a doberman too, and the parents said they would take the doberman, but not the Akita

as they where dangerous

, my mam asked if I would foster her, and I ended up keeping her

, with a little training and a few manners installed, she is easily, the best behaved dofg I own

REGAN-my rotti, was also taken into to the vets to be put to sleep, by a lady, who claimed her husband was beating the dog, she was outside with no shelter, and their 5 kids where tormenting the life out her her

, my mam took her home, she was a nervous wreck, very sad and depressed little dog.
I lost my Gsd, so decided to take Regan, as I work lone night shifts, and she is the most fab loyal dog anyone could ask for, Im so glad I choose her

BLUE- my evil little whippet, was handed into the greyhound rescue, as the numb owners had the brother and sister, and the bitch was in heat, they though her might have caught her, so wanted her gone or put to sleep, I took her on to foster, awaiting signs of pregnancy, so we could spay, no pregnancy, spayed anyway, kept by me

FLINT- my lurcher.....OH wanted to keep him, as they seemed to bond the instant we got him on a lead.
We where called by another kennels to say, they needed a dog removed from the kennel block, as it would not let anyone into it, they where throwing food in, and not able to clean him, he was only 10 months old

.
We went down, the kennel staff gave us some chicken and legged it

, he was bearing his teeth, and looking like her wnated to kill us, but we managed to get him, took him home, good feed and bath, and her stayed

.

BUDDY-German Wirehaired pointer, had a crap life, shut up in a kitchen, no walks, lots of kickings, and he turned rather aggressive, the idiotic ovner placed an ad in the advertiser to get shot, so I got in there and took him before he ended up in a body bad, he stay

d, I think he is safest with me, he need a firm consistant hand, and lots of exercise

FLICK-my newest whippet, was found sleeping under a car on someones drive way, I was called because my number was given as whippet rescue

, I collected a rather boney, stinking dogs, with a fair few wounds, as I cannot resist a whippet it seems, he stayed.

KAI-my OH 11 year old deerhound, was a puppy from a heavily pregnant deerhound bitch that was handed in the day b4 she dropped

, 2 puppies where kept the rest put to sleep, my OH kept one, Kai.

TIA-staffi x whippetx bull type, was found tied to a lamp post, and taken to a horrible stray kennel, I collected her, after my boss beggeg me too, she has proved difficult to place, because of her breed and also needs a firm hand, she has stayed.

RUFUS- a little x breed shaggy boy, was a puppy from a heavily pregnant tied up female, he was rehomed, but manged to slip his collar the day her went, whilst on a walk, he ran off terrified, as he dd ot know his new owners very well

, (the worst 3 days of my life, spent looking for him)

it effected him pretty badly, he is now scared of strangers and clings to us like his life depends upon it, having him since the day he was born, I obs feel more worried/concerned for him, and don't have the heart to let him go again after his experience

so I think he will also be a keeper

 

[_Acolyte_]

My mum breeds cavaliers

so all the time I was living at home I wanted a proper dog

When I was 17 I was allowed my own dog - a whippet, called Isobel (sorry SN

) At that time I was still young and impressionable and thought I wanted to show dogs (noooooooo!!!!) and it turned out that Isobel was rubbish from the show point of view, so Sian came along two and a half years later from a different breeder.

Fast forward 14 years now....the whippets were getting very eldery and Isobel in particular was frail. I had always wanted a lurcher - saw some advertised in H&H, went to look at them with no plan to buy, came home with one

That was Macallan:

Then we lost Isobel

due to heart failure - I had always intended to get another whippet, but we saw a flag day in Gloucester raising funds for GRWE, and I knew I had to have a greyhound

So along came the beautiful Jura:

We lost Sian at 13 and a half with a nose tumour, so I suggested to my OH that three dogs were really no more work than 2.... so Talisker came along just before Christmas

And finally we were at a GRWE dog show and there was a parade of dogs looking for homes...I had always wanted a black greyhound (for some reason they are hard to re-home) so we got Ellen

As you can see from the pic, Ellen lost her hind leg due to a localised infection but became a very happy tripod

I was devastated and very very angry that when OH and I split he refused to have any of the dogs "because he didnt want any ties" so Macallan and Ellen had to go to GRWE for re-homing (I couldnt cope with 4 on my own). They found lovely homes, but I will never ever forgive my ex-OH for being such a selfish b*stard

As you probably know I lost Jura in April

so got Islay a month later

Another black one as I love them, who behaves like Tigger on speed most of the time

Sorry its so long with so many pics

but I am sad and love talking about my dogs

 

[Bossdog]

Crikey CALA, what a brave girl you are!!! That sounds like a right handful but what a wonderful job you are doing! Do you have a pic of them all together?

 

[mattilda]

We got Matty (Mattilda) to keep our rotti (Holly) company and I wanted a dog with a tail. With no research or plannng we went for a Rhodesian Ridgeback and Matty came home with us. We sadly lost our beloved Holly very suddenly in July 2006, I found her dead under a tree in the garden (still makes me cry). We wanted to let her breeder know as she adored all of her puppies, but she had moved so we rang a friend of hers, who also breeds rotties, for her new number. They by chance had a 6 month old bitch who they were looking to rehome. They had intended to show her but plans had changed. We lost Holly on Thursday afternoon and Sage came to live with us on Saturday. She is completely crazy and helped our grief enormously. We will never forget Holly but Sage wouldn't allow us to dwell on our misery she is just too full of fun. I would love to see her in a show ring, she would cause chaos! 12 months later her full brother Dexter joined the pack. I love them all and wouldn't be without any of them. We nearly ended up with one of Dexters sisters who needed a new home due to problems at her existing home and, yes we said OK. Unfortunately (or fortunately maybe), she found a new home nearer to where she was which meant her old owner could still see her occasionally.

 

[Keltic]

Daisy May.. I had nagged my oh for nearly 10yrs to get a dog and he always said no! Then the day after we moved house he said ok!! A friends patterdale had a litter 2 days earlier and i popped to see her (well the pups really) as i knew both the bitch and the dog and both temprements are fab. They were tiny weeny little black furry things but one stood out! she was white, her grandmother was 1/4 JRT 3/4 Patterdale so she was a throwback!! Anyway i had pick of the litter so we waited a couple of weeks and went back with oh, everyone was saying let the pup choose you, when we walked in the door the pups were all playing but one left the others and came to investigate us... yep the white one!! She came home in the 10th June 2006 and our lives changed instantly... she is special, everyone laughs as they say she doesnt know she is a dog, we changed our car to a 4x4 with blacked out windows so it does not get too hot, she wears a seatbelt and has the back seat all to herself, she sits in the back of the car like lady muck with her paw up on the arm rest, ive changed my job so just work part time so i can pander to her every whim, she sleeps with us but when we move about too much she goes and gets in her own double bed in the spare room aka Daisy's Room!! Not a day goes bye when she does not make me laugh, my oh who has never had a dog often says are all dogs like this?? No dear she is special

 

[BBH]

Do you know i'm loving these doggie tales, I think TBH I will be more devastated when my dog goes than my horses, probably because he is in the house and we live a lot closer together than the horses. Also one of my horses is so difficult we really haven't bonded too well.

 

[zippo]

DD1...JRT from a long line..17yo,liver and kidney problems,well controlled..ish with medicatian and regular vet checks.
DD2..JRT/KELPIE..I think,dumped as young dog...still puppy teeth,then,teethed on the leg of one of the kitchen chairs,also came with health problems but ok at the moment.
DD3...THE NAUGHTIEST PARSON JR IN THE WORLD,,,,rehomed at10mos,piddling,pooping inside,ravenous,chews doonas,sheets etc but was from the first the most devoted and loving" wee"dog
Long may they rule and reign
Vixen.Quinnie and the very Lucky Lucy

 

[MurphysMinder]

There are some wonderful stories on here, makes me feel a bit inadequate posting about my doggies. Nearly all have been home bred over the years, currently have Buffy and Saffie who both go back several generations of my line. Then there is Evie, who I didn't breed, but who carries the same lines. I lost my old and incredibly special dog 2 years ago and am unable to breed from her daughter (Buffy) due to high hip score. Evie carries the same lines (her breeder had his first bitch from me) and I have been waiting more than a year for him to breed a litter. Had to be strong willed when other puppies came available but she has been worth the wait. She was born the day before my Mum passed away, I like to think Mum whould approve of me having her. It was she who gave me my love of GSDs, she bred champions and judged here and overseas. She had a special dog called Evita so we are sort of keeping the name going.

 

[Bossdog]

There's nothing to feel inadequate about, if more people bred repsonsibly there would be less dogs with health problems being dumped on the street and in rescues!!

 

[Oneofthepack]

Aren't we a soft bunch!

My collie cross Dillon was one of 10 dogs removed from a flat where the dogs NEVER went outside, not for wees/poos or walks. (Eew, can you imagine

) For the first 3 weeks he was comletely unhousetrained and went wherever he was standing at the time. He climbed on the drainer to drink from the sink and jumped on the cooker to eat food cooking on the hob. Now he's the cleverest, most devoted and best behaved dog I've ever had (but then I've only ever had lurchers!)

Alf was kept in a shed because he was 'too bouncy' at 6 months to have in the house, and there he stayed until he was rescued at 18 months. He was so filthy that after 2 baths all his hair fell out because the dirt was the only thing that was holding it onto his skin. He was so weak and thin he couldn't stand for 4 days and couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes for a month. He still has some physical problems with his back legs which are a bit deformed and he's as nutty as a fruit cake but he's still number one mummys boy

Indie is ancient and was dumped from a car in Bristol and left standing on the pavement looking bemused. She's a knackered old thing but funny and sweet as can be. This is Indie and Alf doing what lurchers do best..nothing

Little Pie was passed on via a friend of a friend who had split up with her husband and couldn't find anywhere that would take the dog. She is a sweetheart and settled in so quick, she sleeps under the duvet and nothing beats a lurcher to warm your feet on in this weather.