# Who are your dogs? What's your story?



## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

A couple of the threads recently have made me realise that I don't have a clue that some people own certain dogs! Am I the only one? 

I thought I'd start a thread about our dogs and our stories...

So for those who don't know, this is Troy.

He is a Whippet x EBT (we think). We saw him advertised online with his big ears that just do not fit his head and there was just no saying no. We picked him up from a kennel in Wiltshire where he was being kept after being handed into the vets as a stray.

I was worried he'd be so timid and would hate us but when they brought him out he came bouncing over us like we'd just come back from holiday to collect him.





So come on, what's your story!? Including those we don't see often!!


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## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

I have one dog currently. Most people will probably know her.

Her name is Io ( in my signature ) I have had her since she was 8 weeks old and she is now 17 months old.

I really wanted a Rottweiler... and I'd been waiting so long to get another dog.

To cut a long story short - I went to see a couple whom had 'Rottweiler' puppies. I saw the mum, whom was a rottweiler, but not the dad.

Turns out Io obviously isn't full rottweiler... but at the end of the day I have the most amazing dog ever! and I have certainly learnt from my mistakes and plan to do things correctly next time.

Io is very intelligent, a little crazy, still a bit mouthy and loves cuddles! She also loves everybody and all animals.

We also go to agility / obedience at the weekends and hydrotherapy once a month.


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## Freddie and frank (Mar 26, 2012)

my three are my first dogs...don't do things by halves 

We had Freddie from a breeder when he was 8 weeks old. He's now 7 
He was such a good puppy and grew into a wonderful gentlemen. 
We've succeeded in KCGCDS bronze and silver. We do a one to one session once a month to work on anything we want. He's done scent work, rally, been my training partner through a few half marathons. 
He has reoccurring ear problems, is 90% deaf in one ear, can't see perfectly in one eye, is totally food orientated, but he's my big bear. :001_wub:


We had Frank 6months after Freddie.  Freddie was so good, that we decided to have another....They're totally opposite. 
They have the same dad and a fantastic bond. 
Frank is my little bit of trouble. He's quite a stressy, reactive dog, but after 6.5 years we're getting somewhere. and I'm so flippin' proud of him.  We go to bronze classes once a week and have had one to ones. No one is allowed to walk him...I won't allow it. He's my 'special' boy. :001_wub:


Then we come to Bella. :001_unsure:
Someone I know called me up and asked if I wanted an 8month old lab puppy that was on the way to the rspca cause their sister in law couldn't cope with. 30 mins later she was in my car on the way home. 
She was HUGE when we had her, weighed more than she does now, had no training whatsoever, had been left all day, most days, never walked....the list goes on.
We took her to hydrotherapy, put her on a diet and exercise regime, and started training her. 
I've never been told her real birthday, so we take it as March 1st. She's been with us just over 2 years now and will be 3 next march. 
I didn't bond with her to begin with, but she is my little princess now. She's a star at training class, and anywhere we take her. She ignores other dogs, walks like a dreamboat, has a fantastic recall, she's my shadow. 
I do silver class once a week with her and have a one to one once a week where we do scentwork, general obedience and have started the basics on agility. 
She's such a good sound dog and I'm so glad she came to us. :001_wub:


Phew...sorry for the essay.


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## Lauren5159 (May 28, 2013)

Hmm, where to start... Okay. First off, I have Dexter  He's a rescue Border Collie who is four years old.

He's a very sensitive soul who has a lot of issues that result in him mostly living with my aunt on her land, where he is most comfortable. What is normal for other dogs, Dexter can't cope with... Walks etc and we think it stems from his previous home who neglected him pretty horrifically. Not to mention, he's probably not that we'll bred.

I love him to the moon and back... He's special and my boy 

Here he is:




























And then there's Skipper Dipper Doo Dah... He's a Parson Russell Terrier and turns two on January 1st :yikes:

He's my little Lostboy... A manic, fun-loving and barmy bundle of joy 

He keeps me on my toes and although he's been hard work, it's paying off now and he's turning in to a well-rounded, well-behaved little toerag  He's my first ever breeder pup and makes me smile every day.

Here he is:


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

This is Apollo, he's 3 in january and a border collie x gsd

He's a very special boy he loves his 'people' and is the sweetest most soft cuddly dog with me, my friend and our LO's, he also loves little babies. but he doesn't like strangers they worry him it takes him a while to trust people they have to come on walks and things with us if they want to be his friend and unfortunately most people aren't willing to do that, so he just loves his people he's known since he was a pup, he also has 2 best friends a staffy x lab called Bella though she's moved away so he doesn't see her often any more and his kitty Nyx who thinks she's a dog, his favourite place is the beach and swimming.

Oh and he loves having his picture taken and will pose for me :lol:


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## Blaise in Surrey (Jun 10, 2014)

WhippetyAmey said:


> A couple of the threads recently have made me realise that I don't have a clue that some people own certain dogs! Am I the only one?
> 
> I thought I'd start a thread about our dogs and our stories...
> 
> ...


I LOVE the look of your dog - I smile every time I see his pictures .


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

BlaiseinHampshire said:


> I LOVE the look of your dog - I smile every time I see his pictures .


Thanks 

Do you have a dog?!


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## CallieWag (Nov 2, 2014)

I have Callie, a 14 week old Westie. She's my first dog and I got her from a breeder at 9 weeks. She is the most adorable cuddly wee soul, but also a bit of a diva!  

She started puppy training classes on Monday and was an absolute rascal, barking at the bigger dogs and basically just being a pain in the ass. She's fine when we meet other dogs while out walking and with my sister's dog though. I'm hoping she'll be a bit better behaved next week. 









Showing off her new bandana. 










Saying hi to the bunnies in Pets at Home










:001_wub::001_wub:










With my sister's Westie, Misty.


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

Buster 9 year old cairn cross that I really need to get better photos of . He was ftgh from an accidental litter. We went to the house and he was straight over for a fuss, what were we meant to do? Loves everyone and most dogs and is scared of my rabbit


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

Well I think you might now my lot.........................

Cian the Wee Un or Donkey Doots, or Donkeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy my baby boy... We have had him from 8 weeks, and we didn't intend to get him  then the breeder miscounted the number of boys and we weren't getting him, then someone dropped out and we were again and I love him to bits can't find fault in him :001_wub: he is not perfect by any shape of form, but there is not an ounce of badness in him, we show him, and do a bit of obedience we generally just love long walks and holidays together.. 




Then we have KT cowbag.............. 

Well well well!!!!!!! I am still to this day shocked I have her, I've never had a bitch and said I never would.... Till KT... I went to stay with a friend in England for a week, and KT had been returned from another show hoome at 8 months  my friend was unsure if they should keep her as she did need a lot of work  I fell in love with the little cow, I just could not live with the thought of her going somewhere else so I flew back from Friend on the Sunday night, by the Saturday morning we were on the ferry to Scotland, we drove down to London stayed over night and were back in Belfast with KT Cow in tow on the Sunday... She is bouncy, everything is done at speed of light, she rarely has more than one foot on the floor, she's gobby, she is nosey she is generally a pain in the bum, but I love her to bits, she is the sweetest cleverest girlie on earth and I still can't believe someone gave her up :001_wub: she is my baby girl ( well my OH's really lol ) we have show KT lightly and once we build up confidence hope to try fly ball or agility..


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

CallieWag said:


> I have Callie, a 14 week old Westie. She's my first dog and I got her from a breeder at 9 weeks. She is the most adorable cuddly wee soul, but also a bit of a diva!
> 
> She started puppy training classes on Monday and was an absolute rascal, barking at the bigger dogs and basically just being a pain in the ass. She's fine when we meet other dogs while out walking and with my sister's dog though. I'm hoping she'll be a bit better behaved next week.
> 
> ...


Im not really a little dog person but she is sooo cute and fluffy :001_wub::001_wub:


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## Guest (Dec 4, 2014)

Buddy is a 2 year old westie. Mum said she would buy me a dog once my gallbladder was out. We first looked in leigh cats and dogs home and found a gorgeous spaniel but sadly she was already reserved, then we went to manchester dogs home. Nothg suitable there as we were looking for a small dog. Sister told me just get one from dogs4us so I put my foot down and said no I'm not getting one from the bad place, her reply they are proper breeders so I said yeah proper puppy mill breeders with pups in very bad housing, if you can call it houseing. Then we looked on the pets4homes website up there.^ We saw some westie puppies and phoned the breeder. Be was 12 weeks old then. Used to be friendly with other dogs now he is dog aggressive which is the moron who let his 2 dogs offlead and attack him fault. Not his 2 dogs fault, his fault.

There was one boy left so off we went to see him. He was on a dairy farm. There were other dogs but asked if she bred those as well and she said no she only breeds her 2 westies. Hip scores vet checks, everything she should have done she did. Mum and dad lovely temperaments, very gentle. Then she brought Buddy to us and he put his head on my shoulder. We knew then he would be coming home with us.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Dexter. He's 12 early next year. Got him when I was 14 and still at school which seems a million years ago. He really was the start of getting properly into dogs and spent most of my teen years walking, training and doing classes; aka going from someone who was social (ish) to a total dog bore.  Fab dog, so easy, your classic dependable Lab temperament; laid back, adaptable, phased and scared by nothing and biddable. Now prefers eating, scavenging and sleeping in that order.



Tilly. 5.5 year old Yorkie. Dad and sister came back from a holiday in Greece baring tons of pictures with a little Yorkie that had made themselves at home in the apartment they rented. My sister said "I want one" and a week later they came home with Tilly, despite that fact Bo would arrive in a month and had been a year in the planning. I was fuming as I knew I'd end up doing everything for the dog, but that was that. Sure enough after a couple of months, the novelty of the dog wore off for my sister and I somehow resumed 100% care and financial responsibility for her.....as predicted.

LUCKILY.....she's no trouble. Easy peasy little dog, totally undemanding and problem free. The only thing she does have is allergies which are a nightmare to manage.



Bo. 5.5 years old. Wanted something active as I'm fairly active and Dex, bless him, wasn't overly enthusiastic about doing 'stuff' when he hit middle age! considered lot's of breeds, mostly HPR's, and stumbled upon a litter of Slovaks. Truthfully I'd never ever heard of them but I knew the breeds that went into them and LOVED the look of them.....and the rest was history!

She's a bit bonkers, very chase driven, likes to please herself, is MEGA highly strung, has never mastered walking on a lead nicely, very aloof with strangers, has a loathing of people in fluorescent gear and especially hates joggers and bikers.....but she's also gorgeous, fun, mega clever, inquisitive, loyal and has taught me loads  she's a spoilt cow and she knows it!


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## SLB (Apr 25, 2011)

Can't get pictures up at the moment, but they're in my signature. 

Sadie (Collie x), who I lost this September just before her 13th birthday, was my first dog. However she wasn't really. She belonged to a neighbour of my parents and I walked her from the age of 11 (me, she was 1) a few years down the line, I started looking after her when they went away on holidays. She came with me on my paper round, she came with me fishing with my Dad. She came to my Nans with me and to see my Granddad when he was in a home. Every Sunday we'd bike around Rother Valley. She taught me loads. When I met my OH she'd come up with me some weekends to his house when I visited. Then when I moved in with my OH, we had her every couple of months for a week or two. 

She helped teach a number of puppies that belonged to other neighbours that I also walked, she helped me bring up my own two pups as well. I could talk about her all day but I've just started to tear up. She was the best fiver that her owners have ever spent. 

Benjie (GSD x) is my OH's childhood dog, he doesn't live with us due to him being a family dog, although he was mainly for my OH. When I met Benjie, he was horrible. He had no manners, he charged me as soon as I stepped through the door. He'd lunge at people, dogs, lorries, cyclists - anyone. For 3 long years I helped try to change this and whether age or training has done it, he's got there. He could no longer care less about other dogs, people, lorries or cyclists any more. Last year at the age of about 10, he contracted cancer in his jaw. He has had half of one side of his jaw removed and so his tongue lols out at one side at times. 

Louie (Springer x Lab). 4 Years ago this dog came into our lives. It shouldn't have worked as I was still doing A-levels and still at my parents, neither of us had jobs. My OH dropped my engagement ring on the beach, we found a farm with a litter in and we thought we'd go an have a look. Whilst we were talking to the breeders, my OH fell in love with this bruiser of a pup that I almost stepped on because he was always under my feet. And that's how we got Lou. 

Since then I've done gundog training with him, been on one shoot as a beater with him. I've done obedience classes with him. And recently we've started dryland mushing - of which we hope to compete in next year. Louie has taught me so much about training and nutrition. His constant ear issues and recently his feet issues have me looking into diets in more depth. I've changed to raw feeding - something I wouldn't have done if I hadn't looked into foods.. 

Pennie (Springer x Lab). 2 years ago, I got puppy broody. We knew that Lou's breeder had a litter in again and this time there were B&W pups in. Apparently the B&Ws were bitches. I wanted a bitch this time around. I wasn't going to get a pup but needed to have a look anyway. There were 3 pups left. One bitch. She was the brown one. So I didn't really have much choice with her, but I wouldn't have it any other way now. Pen was a perfect pup, house trained quickly, picked up things really quickly. 

She'd make a hell of a gundog if she wasn't gunshy and sensitive to certain things. I've not done much with Pen as she is a bit scatty brained and whilst she is smart it does take time to get her to grasp what I want.. Or maybe I'm not trying hard enough. Along with Louie, we are training up in dryland mushing, hoping to compete. 

Jack (GSD x) came to me at 7 years old. I've known him all his life though. Jack belonged to a friend of mine who fell on hard times, when things got better she felt it better if he stayed with me or found a home where he'd have company as he's always lived with other dogs and she wasn't going to have another dog. So he stayed. Jack is a perfect gentleman. Apart from destroying my house in the early days, he's fab. Unfortunately, he doesn't understand how to learn new things so I haven't done anything with him other than teach him what I need him to do. 

Over the past few weeks, Jack has shown that he likes pulling with the other two so he has joined our team, however if/when we compete he will not be involved due to restrictions in the rules and lack of equipment. (I need a rig to run 3 dogs in comps.) 

So those are my dogs and their brief stories. I could talk about them for hours but this is long enough already


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## Gemmaa (Jul 19, 2009)

Freddie is our almost 9 year old Jack Russell/Collie, from working parents at a stable.
















He's a nervous, epileptic, neurotic wreck  but just about the sweetest dog you could meet. He's come such a long way from the dog who wet himself when a stranger spoke to him, he just needs time and space .
He's been really hard work, but I absolutely adore him and wouldn't be without him.

Danny is nearly 5 years old, he's a combination of several obnoxious terriers and a poodle AKA my little Bitsapoo .
He's from some really intense working farm dogs and is a real "character"  he's basically Honey Badger . 
























He's a mean little bully - a proper little wolf in lambs clothing, but as much as he makes me want to pull my hair out at times, he's hilarious, affectionate, he makes me laugh several times a day, it's impossible to be annoyed with him (though he tries hard!).

Which leads us to Bradley - the squishy pig.
He was a 45th (or 46th) wedding anniversary present for my Mum from my dad. He's a 2 year old Old Tyme Bulldog.

























He is just a complete clown. Spends most of his days playing football or mucking around with a coconut. It's like having a baby elephant.
He's probably the most 'normal' of the bunch, which doesn't say a lot for the others .

So that's my lovely bunch of misfits 
ETA: This was lovely Pip who sadly passed away this year. He was the ring leader, a truly amazing dog


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Hi, I'm Isla and I'm a Golden Retriever. I'm now 18 months old, but I came to live with my human when I was eight and a half weeks. My human tells me that she spent a long time looking for me and made sure my mum and her family were nice dogs before she took me home. 
Here is me when I first came home.









I love everything! Food, people, dogs, running, rolling, playing, digging holes just everything.
I have a great life with my humans. They don't do this thing called work and can be with me all day, but not at night it seems, don't know why. We often go to another home in Suffolk and I can go swimming in the sea, which is another thing I love. Sometimes we go off in this funny big car thing which has beds in it, my human calls it a motorhome. We drive for ages and end up somewhere completely different for a while. Confusing, but great fun.
Here is another picture of me as a big girl.









From the human.
Isla is the light of our lives. She is such a good girl and so sweet natured and a joy to live with. She takes everything in her stride and is happy so long as we are there too.


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## tabulahrasa (Nov 4, 2012)

I post about him a fair bit, but, that's Brock.

He was 2 in September...I got him from his breeder from health tested parents at 8 weeks old.

At 4 months old he developed elbow dysplasia, he had arthroscopy for that at 6 months, it didn't heal as well as we would have liked and he was about 10 months old before he could get out properly, so he missed a huge chunk of socialization and he was on permanent restricted exercise and metacam.

At a year old he suddenly became reactive to strangers, both humans and dogs...then cars, bikes, random objects, certain trees...lol 

Turned out he has a problem with his spine which a mixture of painkillers helped lots and he is slowly improving behaviourally.

This spring/summer he developed an ulcer which none of us noticed (including his pain specialist as he saw her the day before collapsing, lol) it was masked by his painkillers and caused by his metacam...he had part of his stomach and intestines removed and came fairly close to dying.

He's now fully recovered, his behaviour is slowly getting better all the time, but, without the metacam his elbow is stiff and he's back on tiny walks and limping so we're right back where we were at the beginning of all that and trying different drugs for his elbow.

He's a sweet, funny, enthusiastic wee soul who has had the worst luck and unfortunately will probably be muzzled in public for the rest of his life and locked away from visitors in my house as he gives very little warning that his back is painful except aggression.


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Alfie - he was the result of my searching for a companion for my old dog. I wanted something smaller (than him, old dog was a Bernese) but I didn't quite have a breed in mind. I stumbled across an ad for a litter of Westies, it all looked perfectly legit so I rang up and arranged to view. I was absolutely horrified by what I saw when I turned up and went about everything in totally the wrong way. I done everything we generally advise people not to do, let my heart rule my head and brought a sickly five old week old Alfie home with me the same day. I love and adore him but bitterly regret purchasing from where I did. We've ''paid'' for it in numerous ways - he's a sweetie with us but hugely aggressive towards strangers, was plagued with awful skin diseases when he was younger and is totally blind with hereditary cataracts. He's now 12 and despite everything, I wouldn't change him for the world. We have that very special bond that only comes with owning an old dog.

Jake - we were keen to take on a rescue dog and wanted a breed that was in a dire situation rescue wise, so had the choice of staffies or greyhounds really. We opted for a Greyhound and came across Jake when an acquaintance spent the evening out at the dog races and passed onto us the details of a trainer looking to rehome his greyhound that was coming up to retirement. We contacted him and Jake, then 4, came home a week later fresh off the track (a couple of months later we went onto adopt his littermate brother too, who we lost back in 2012). Jake is 11 now and a quiet, sensitive soul who appreciates the simple things in life and his home comforts!

Harvey - our much awaited baby who came to us at eight weeks old, four years after the loss of Benson, our previous and very much missed and adored Bernese Mountain Dog. He had a hard act to follow but from the second he came into our lives we fell in love with him and he's just been the most amazingly happy and joyful dog. He's 4 now and an absolute pleasure, the type of dog who loves everyone and can be taken everywhere.

Ozzy - came to us at 3 years old, straight out of a five month stint in quarantine, he'd been brought over from Egypt by his previous owners but they had to return unexpectedly and didn't want to take Oz back with them. He was described as such a placid, easy going, laid back boy - but turned out to be anything but! He's been a struggle, and will probably always remain so, but we're now two years down the line, and it's as if our darling problem child has always been here! He's now 5, a real sweetheart and makes us laugh every day.


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## Vicki (Jul 28, 2009)

I have had dogs since I was 9 years old. I have had a Swedish Laphund called Lita, a Collie cross called Lollo, a Belgian Tervueren called Mindy, an Australian Shepherd called Myrrha and a Collie/Retriever-cross called Lyle. I have been interested in training dogs all my life and I started competing in obedience with my first crossbreed. When I split up from my OH it didn't feel enough to have only one dog to train and compete, so I decided to get a Malinois puppy.

I contacted a breeder and waited for the puppies to be born. But when they were born there wasn't a bitch for me, because there were many others who wanted bitches. I was offered a male puppy, but after some consideration I declined. Then, six weeks later, the breeder contacted me and offered me a bitch puppy because someone had backed out. I said yes on the spot, even though the timing wasn't the best. I had just moved to a new flat, I had no time off from my three jobs and she would come home just a few days before Christmas.

I actually had a lot of doubts before I got her, but when I picked her up from the breeder when she was 8 weeks old I felt that she was absolutely right for me.

She is lively, intensive, impulsive, intelligent, energetic, funny, crazy and absolutely wonderful :001_wub:


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

I have my terrible twosome, that are brother/sister/cousins  I lost my beloved dog 11 years ago and was very scared to get another as she broke my heart when I lost her, but I was looking at puppies like you do and had contacted a few people about their litters but nothing ever felt right and then I saw his ad and his picture and fell in love, went and met his breeder who was lovely and then I had to wait 5 1/2 long weeks before I could bring him home, but he is amazingly great, he is as thick as two short planks but his beauty makes up for it as does is hilarious high stepping trot that make people comment on him  Hilde came along when Hector was 10 months old, I had sent his breeder an update on him with some pictures and she commented that she had had a litter from Hectors Mums Sister/littermate and that she had used the same stud as Hector, but she had a little girl that was nearly 9 weeks old and that no one was interested in, so being the sucker I am I went and met her and brought her home and they have been inseparable since, Hilde lacks Hectors good looks but she has all the brains in the partnership and is a troublesome little minx but I love the bones of them, they are 3/4 Cavalier and 1/4 Bichon, Hector is now 14 months old and Hilde is 6 months.

Hilde sulking after a bath



Hector and Hilde together showing off her new collar



Hector just generally being beautiful


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## Mrsred (Oct 23, 2013)

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This is Shadow, my 15 month old black lab girly.

She was bought from a breeder who seems to run on a litter when he wants a new pup, her mum and granny were moseying about the place and in our naïveté we thought this was perfect set up to get a pup from.

However, shadow is the most wonderful dog, she is loyal, clever and the perfect companion in any setting. We have been incredibly lucky with her and she and my husband are each other's worlds. She has just completed her silver and will be heading for her gold and I genuinely never have a worry about her.








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This here is Russell Nash. After having shadow and not totally making a ham fist of dog ownership, we started to think about another dog far, far in the future, probably a working cocker or an ESS.

We were near a rescue centre and thought we would go in for a look. You can see how this story pans out!

A litter of springer x collies had literally arrived. another smaller rescue had been given this box of puppies but already had two bitches in whelp and no room at the inn so they ended up there. We were the first to see them and Russell was the only boy. If, dear reader you do not want another dog DO NOT GO AND LOOK AT A BOX OF PUPPIES!

We provisionally put our names down, a lady came to do a home visit and Shadow charmed the drawers off her and that was that!

Russell is, at times a difficult dog, skittish, nervous, unaffectionate, there are times I look at him and tell him, 'it's as well I love you son as you haven't much going for you'. He was bounced a class at training and should have taken his bronze but has been relegated as he has taken one of his notions. He is extremely active and there's never a dull moment when he's about, he has a tendency to pick on Shadow as she is so soft but relies on her when we are all out and about. He is ten kinds of nuts and would live a very happy life running in a field all day playing ball with a human minion to throw said ball and feed him when he's hungry. And thems ma dogs!


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

This is Ziggy, I've had her 10+ years and she was a rescue (Collie x Jack Russell). She's a nut for ball games. Now 13-ish and retired from agility, she got to Grade 6 and qualified for the national finals of the rescue dog agility league twice. She has her gold agility warrant, and gold good citizen.


I got Kite as a puppy. She's now 5, agility grade 6 and needs just another 7 points for her gold warrant. She also has gold good citizen which she got just after her 2nd birthday. She's a Welsh sheepdog, I had to go to Wales to get her.


This summer, Kite had a litter of puppies and I kept 2 of them. This is Flossie and Fly - Fly is the darker, less fluffy one. Their dad was a border collie, another agility dog. The pups are very different; Flossie has inherited a strong border collie type herding style. She's always on the far side of the group and watches the movements of the other dogs when we're playing ball, rather than the ball itself, with a lowered head and usually in a down. Fly acts more like what she is, half Welsh/half border collie. Both will be doing agility when they're older - currently 21 weeks old.


The gang


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## missRV (Nov 9, 2012)

This is my baby Rosie.... she's a 2 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Bichon Frise. I got her in October 2012 when she was just 9 weeks old.

When we went to see the litter, we had a choice between 3... they brought her siblings out first and as adorable as they were, we didn't bond with them... they brought her out last and it was love at first sight.

She has had problems with timidness growing up, she is very soft natured. She is a very much loved member of the RV household


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## Canine K9 (Feb 22, 2013)

This is an awesome thread!!



That's Bailey. I suspect most know him. He is a 2 year old Westie x Papillon. I went totally against everything and got him from a BYB. Shameful, and something I won't be repeating. 
However he is my perfect dog in some ways and not so perfect dog in others! 
He's an independent boy and I like clingy dogs  Obviously nothing to the degree of separation anxiety!! 
He can be difficult at times, he particularly likes blowing me off in agility and sometimes is DR. 
But he is mine and I wouldn't change him for the world


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## tabulahrasa (Nov 4, 2012)

Mrsred said:


> Russell is, at times a difficult dog, skittish, nervous, unaffectionate, there are times I look at him and tell him, *'it's as well I love you son as you haven't much going for you'.* He was bounced a class at training and should have taken his bronze but has been relegated as he has taken one of his notions. He is extremely active and there's never a dull moment when he's about, he has a tendency to pick on Shadow as she is so soft but relies on her when we are all out and about. He is ten kinds of nuts and would live a very happy life running in a field all day playing ball with a human minion to throw said ball and feed him when he's hungry. And thems ma dogs!


Rofl...I far too often tell Brock that it's a good job he's nice in the house as he hasn't much else going for him.


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## Dogloverlou (Dec 8, 2013)

I suspect most know my lot now. But I love threads like this, because it's a great way of familiarising yourself with everyone's dogs...even if you think you know them fairly well 

First we have my Missy. A very loveable, affectionate, happy, busy little bee. However she does NOT like other dogs. As a result she has been extremely challenging over the years, but she has taught me so much in regards to training and understanding behaviour. She makes up for her challenging dog behaviour because she's otherwise very well trained and no hassle whatsoever around the house. Although the little sod barks something rotten in the garden and is very noisy in general! That has also been somewhat challenging. I used to do a bit of fun agility with her during the time we was working with a behaviourist and trainer, but ultimately with her dog issues, it wasn't the ideal environment for her. Love her to absolute bits though! :001_wub:










If you love people dogs then Missy would make you smile. She just LOVES people. Her ears go flat down on her head, tail wagging a mile a minute and she is just so happy to see someone. Her tail rarely stops wagging in general actually.

Then we come to my special boy Tyler. He is my heart dog I believe, I just feel so deeply bonded to him it's hard to describe ( although I'm sure you guys can relate ) He's pretty much the opposite to Missy in all areas. He's VERY quiet...has never once barked at the front door or outside noises etc. He's deeply affectionate and gentle and sensitive. Just a truly soft natured soul who is definitely one of a kind IMO. He's always had a wise head on his shoulders and has always been aloof with strangers. You have to know Ty on the same level I do to truly appreciate his greatness.










And last but not least we have Cashy pants. He's silly and goofy and affectionate. You sit on the floor and he's IN your lap haha  He falls asleep in the air while you stroke him, he paws at you to continue stroking him and he's a big love bug. However, he has some challenging behaviours I guess. He is obsessed with Ty! and not always in a good way. He stalks him, he attempts to play VERY rough and he steals toys. He's generally a brat around him and it takes an awful lot of supervision and time-outs to keep things fair. He's also a bit resource guardy ( I know that's not really a word  ) and again, this takes careful management so as not to upset the apple cart. He is literally brimming with potential and is super intelligent and handler focused. He's passed his CGC Bronze already ( at only 7 months ) and when we get the time we'll work towards his silver. He's in ringcraft classes and we're starting WT training on Monday hopefully. I'm hoping he matures with a little more confidence as he's quite a sensitive, nervy, kind of boy. But as he's a slow maturing breed there is plenty of time to work on building his confidence.










While I love all three of them, I certainly won't be in a rush to have three again! So much hard work, but hopefully things will settle more as Cash calms down some 

Oh, and just wanted to say Troy is SO handsome!! Love him and his ears!


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## LouLatch (Jul 2, 2012)

I have Mitzie she's a staffie I rescued, she is 8yrs old this month we adopted her at 2yrs old. She came to me as a foster as I volunteering at the rescue. She had a big op on her knee and needed recovery time. She became very ill when she came into season so stayed with us longer than first planned and we fell in love with her and couldn't give her up.

Tyler I got as a pup, I'd always wanted a Cocker spaniel and when I saw the ad for his litter l had to go and see them. I fell in love again he was the most adorable pup ever so he came home with me. He's now 5yrs old and my baby.

Pics are in my sig can't upload any on my phone.


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## CockersIndie (Dec 14, 2011)

I love this thread! This is Indie. She's a 3 year old show cocker spaniel who I got at just under 8 weeks old and my first dog of my own- although we'd had s cocker as a family previously. She was a terror of a puppy and I didn't sleep for the first 7 months or so. She'd attack my wellies on walks and was generally quite naughty! So we started getting her to work more on walks and engaging her brain more at home. At 14 weeks or so I started feeding all her meals from activity balls etc and her mouthing and nipping almost disappeared and she greatly improved all round. She was then attacked by two border terriers whilst on lead and she became lead reactive/aggressive. This is something she has greatly improved with but still have odd issues. Off lead she started bugggering off on walks hunting so I used a longline for about 5 months or so. She has moments but generally recall is spot on now. Then she seemed to lose confidence with dogs off lead and would bark at them. Again this is something that we've done a lot of clicker work with and just recently she's done really well. Anyway despite all of that she is the most affectionate cuddle monster and I absolutely adore her. We do agility every week which she loves and has hugely helped with her lead reactivity. Sometimes I wish she was 'easy' but then I don't think I would have become so interested in behaviour or diet as I am now- and I am hoping to train as a trainer/behaviourist in the not too distant future. I currently work at a rescue centre which has certainly been inspired by Indie.


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## missnaomi (Jun 4, 2010)

Hanwombat said:


> I have one dog currently. Most people will probably know her.
> 
> Her name is Io ( in my signature ) I have had her since she was 8 weeks old and she is now 17 months old.


How do you say her name?


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## VickynHolly (Jun 23, 2013)

Holly is a 6 year old Border Collie. I got her from an ex sherperd when she was 7 weeks old, she was the last girl left, saved the best till last.
She loves to play fetch. She loves people, from the old to young to screaming kids and people dressed up, she does not care, she just loves them. She is not a dog fan, she normally gets over it after a couple of minutes.
She is vocal. When me and her play fight she growls really loud, but she is just playing. When people come round she does excited barks and woooo woooo. 
She hates loud noises, it can take her hours to come out of her hiding place .
Oh and she loves water as long as it isn't in the bath!. She is my water baby.



Ted is a 1 year old Shih Tzu. He was a private rehome, we rehomed him when he was 10 months old. We was asked if we wanted him on the Friday, by Monday afternoon he was ares. He fitted in straight away. Holly had one grumble at him and then let him stay. It's feels like he has always lived here. He loves his people, and loves to sit on laps and have cuddles. He loves to come on long walks with me and Holly. He likes to find stuff on walks and carry it. He doesn't mind going in puddles, but is scared of the sea .
If you leave stuff lying around Ted will have it, socks, pens, paper and knickers are his favourite.


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## Canine K9 (Feb 22, 2013)

missnaomi said:


> How do you say her name?


I think it's I- O (I oh) ?


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## sunshine80 (Jan 25, 2010)

I am pretty sure that most people know my two.










First off I have Sonny - he was my first dog as an adult and I got him at nine weeks old from a not great breeder. He is a cocker spaniel and is now 5 years old. He is a sweet dog he is too intelligent for his own good and has a way of getting me to do things. He does have a few issues with other dogs and for a while I did not fully trust him as he has bitten me a few times. In the past few months I have thrown a house move at him which meant he was left while I was at work for the first time (he had always had Dad before) and then a new annoying little dog to put up with but he has taken it all in his stride and settled well.










Next I have Buddy - I have only had him about three months. He is 16 months old and a Cairn Terrier x Bichon Frise who I saw advertised on facebook twice within a few weeks (by different owners) and I knew I had to get him - he also shares my birthday. After a quick introduction he arrived at my flat zooming around the sofa and sending Sonny crazy - I got told he was a chewer and that he was possibly not fully toilet trained but I decided to take him on anyway. He has a fantastic personality even if he is not very bright  He loves everyone and thing and is more in tune to feelings than Sonny but he is a chewer and he does not like being left (just discovered this and am working on it).


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## dogkrazy (Aug 5, 2013)

*Amber* is our first dog and we brought her home in 2010. We spent lots of time planning and waiting for her, so it was one of the most exciting days when she became part of our family  She's so special and has taught me loads about dogs, and it's because of her that I am such a dog lover! I do the odd bit of showing with her and am hoping to have a go at obedience and agility maybe next year, but mostly we just do fun stuff at home, like trick training, hiking in the forest and she likes helping me clean out the goats (by rolling around in their hay and eating poop ). She's loyal, clever, joyful and so gorgeous!



*Cody* is Amber's son (she had a litter in 2013). Cody is still really young and a total puppy for the most part, I'm hoping he'll get more sensible soon haha  He loves food beyond belief and would do anything for a bit of dried animal lol. He's been a very easy dog in some respects, nothing fazes him when it comes to new enviorments/sounds and he is really adaptable. However he is very shy with new people approaching him and doesn't like other dogs in his face, so sometimes that brings it's challenges. Saying that, he's got a lot better over the last few months. I had planned to show him like Amber but he had his own ideas about that and really doesn't like it, the whole point is it's for fun so we're not doing that right now, I'm thinking of trying Obedience with him, but we'll see! He's faithful, gentle, fun-loving and playful.



*Holly* is a big dog in a small package. Holly came in 2012, just before a foster dog we had, had for a year was due to leave. She is a Papillon X Cavalier. The two little dogs belong to my sisters so I don't do as much with them, although I still love them lots! Holly barks a lot, any noises she hears then it's woof, woof, woof ! She is obsessed with playing fetch (hence all tennis balls banned in our house, although when visitors come over she tricks them into playing with her for _ages_ lol!) She does not like meeting new dogs, thank you very much  but is really sociable when it comes to new people and especially likes toddlers  Holly is feisty, crazy and very unique!



*Wilson* Wilson is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and was born in March 2013. He is actually only 4 months older than Cody which is way closer in age than we'd planned to have two puppies  but you know what it's like, the day we brought Wilson home, Amber came into season (earlier than we'd expected) typical! Anyway both the boys get on brilliantly and we managed fine. When your out Wilson's always on the go, got to check everything out, he'd keep going all day. He has a really strong chase instinct when it comes to birds which means it is quite limited where he can be let off leash. However he's very lazy in the house, other than chewing stuff left lying around. He is cheeky, adventurous, curious and a cuddle monster!


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## Crystal butterfly (Nov 2, 2014)

I have a cocker spaniel (working type I think as he's quite tall) I got him at 7 months old from pets4homes, me and my oh had decided that next year we'd get a cocker spaniel or springer spaniel puppy to come join our family, I had even emailed a few breeders doing my research lol Riley popped up on morning when I was searching for cute cocker spaniels that I couldn't have (window shopping I suppose lol) he was black like we wanted and the as said a lot of things like well trained and cage trained wtc. So we thought fab and I rung the person, I was then told that there was a few people interested and were going to veiw him that afternoon to which I then ended the convo my oh then told me to ring back and say we could go get him now (the girl was doing a first to come can have kind of thing) so I rung her and my oh went to get him. He came back with a skinny dog you could see his ribs and he was literally just skin and bones however the girl rehoming him was a single mother and my oh got the impression she was struggling to feed him etc. the well trained dog I thought I was getting was the most in trained dog in the world! He was so naughty and with 2 small children I must admit the stress got abit to much for me which meant I struggled to bond with him at first however about a month after getting him something just clicked  I love him so much now, he is becoming better behaved and were always teaching him something new. He does have never ending energy though so needs a good run about off the lead during his big walk every day and we have to play games with him in the house to keep him mind occupied or you can guarantee he turns very mischievous he's like a toddler he knows doing wrong gets him attention... My daughter obviously taught him that one   he's now 9 months old, here's a few pics none are particularly good as he never sits long enough for you to take a picture lol


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## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

missnaomi said:


> How do you say her name?





Canine K9 said:


> I think it's I- O (I oh) ?


Hehe you have no idea how many people ask  Everytime I ring the vets they ask and once they thought her name was 10!! haha

Yes Canine is right - its I O as in I-OH


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

Jed is my 'first born' and the first dog I was solely responsible for after growing up with family dogs. Well, technically he wasnt mine, my ex bought him when we got our own place. However, the novelty soon wore off and ex was too busy mucking about with cars so I ended up doing all the walking, training, feeding and buying of things, even vets bills in the end. So, when I left I took him with me 

He came from a BYB, I was clueless at the time but we did see mum, dad, and grandma. He has lots of quirks - very independent and aloof, even with me, noise phobic, gets upset easily and once he does there is no winning him round, very lazy and low energy, not good with strangers but excellent with other dogs and highly intelligent. We have dabbled heavily in mainly agility and obedience but competing was never on the cards as he doesnt have the drive needed. Lots of outdoor workshops are out of the question because of his noise phobias. Also limited to where we can walk as he is terrified of gunshot, birdscarers and traffic and gets worried by new walking places 

He will be 9 in February (DOB exactly unknown) and i've had him since he was 7 weeks:


Flynn was next on the cards. He was from an unethical but KC Assured breeder and is a GWP x Slovak, one of her many accidental litters. He is highly strung, highly impulsive, stressy, noisy and highly driven - quite a lethal but entertaining mixture of traits. His main area of training is gundog work. He is completely unsuitable for life as a working dog as his anxiety comes out in noise and a hard mouth but we used to compete in various gundog competitions. It was unusual if we came away without a placing but we usually got a third or fourth never a first, even if we didnt get a placing we were always towards the top. Shame really as he is an excellent gundog in every way except the noise and the hard mouth! 
We have dabbled in obedience and working trials but the fact he has weak cruciates and suffers from seizures (often triggered by excitement or stress) means I retired him from gundog competitions and I keep from physically challenging him too hard. He has seen both a cardiologist and neurologist about his seizures but both were baffled so I simply manage them without using medication as they arent serious or frequent. We stick to low level WT training now and the odd scent based workshop.
He is a big cuddle monster and only good with dogs that he knows well, or that leave him alone and he has a high prey/kill drive. He is 7.5 years and i've had him since 8 weeks. Despite being a major pain in the backside he will be one of those 'lifetime' dogs:


Jessie is a rescue and was brought over from Ireland. She was a hand in so some of her background was known. She came off a farm although not sure what kind of farm as she is terrified of farm animals! Like Jed, she is noise phobic but can generally be won round with a toy and she gets over upset easily. She is generally quite timid but has come so far in the 6 years I have had her, I dont think she had seen much life outside of the farm yard before I had her and it took her at least 3 years to fully fit in with us and start to enjoy things like training sessions at home, training classes, going new places etc. She is very much a one person dog, most often choosing to ignore even people she knows very well, and other dogs. She is quiet, loyal, well behaved, gentle and seemingly a little angel. However, she is quite fearless of the outdoors and will tackle the thickest brambles and gorse if she can smell a rabbit, has endless stamina, isnt phased by water and is toy obsessed. She will generally blank other dogs but get on the wrong side of her and she becomes a total bitch and wont give in on a fight.
She has just turned 9 and i've had her over 6 years:


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## Fluffster (Aug 26, 2013)

I'm sure everyone knows my girls but any excuse to show them off 

This is Daisy, a 19-month-old working cocker who we've had since she was 13 weeks and she is my first dog. We got her not from the best breeder I suspect, she's not health tested or anything like that but she's an absolutely wonderful dog, fantastic temperament, gentle, silly, loving. She doesn't have a bad bone in her, she loves people and other dogs and will even let other dogs take food out of her mouth with not even a grumble (our other dog can be a tad rude sometimes!). She's extremely nosey and likes to be involved with everything you do and she's a total thief. She will steal socks, tea towels, whole duvets sometimes and take them to her bed for "safekeeping". She can be a bit excitable in new places, though, but I wouldn't change a thing about her, she is honestly perfect to me. Although she can't walk nicely on the lead at all  but offlead her recall is fab.










And this is Belle. She is 14-years-old and deaf, and we have had her since September. She was my OH's mother's dog, but sadly she passed away a few years ago, and since Belle's litter sister died, she has developed SA so could no longer live with my OH's stepdad, so she came to us! She's the reason we got Daisy, really, and why I fell in love with cocker spaniels as a breed. Like Daisy, she has an extremely gentle temperament, takes a while to warm up to new people but becomes very affectionate and likes to rest her head on you. She's got arthritis but is still very sprightly for her age, and we do weekly hydrotherapy with her 










I'm totally biased, but I think I have the most gorgeous girls in the world


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Most of you will know mine from my signature.

This is Colt. He is a german shorthaired pointer, he has been with us 5 years and must therefore be about 6. He is a rescue from Many Tears, brought over from Ireland because he is a failed working dog. He is terribly gun shy/noise phobic and his disgusting owner was going to shoot him because he was no use. He is a lovely boy but does have issues with resource guarding and does try to push the other two about a lot as he always wants the best place on the sofa or the bed.



He loves to run more than anything and just got over an achillies tendon injury which resulted in almost a year on the lead



This is Arthur our English Pointer. He is also from Many Tears, has been with us 3.5 years so must be about 4.5 years old although I have a feeling he might be older. He also came over from Ireland where he was a stray who ended up in the pound and was saved on his last day before being PTS. He is a sweet sensitive boy but an absolute nightmare to have off lead as his hunting instincts are very strong and his recall can be very hit and miss. Sadly he spends most of the time on lead apart from a few times a week when we can get him out to the forest for a safe run. He loves swimming too.



Its rare we get a photo of his face as he is always looking out to see if there is anything worth chasing



This is Indie our 2.5 yr old rottie, she also came from Many Tears having been handed in by her first owner at 8 weeks of age because they found her too much with a young baby so we have had her since she was a puppy. She is the light of my life and I love her so much it hurts. She has been through so much having had 5 orthopaedic operations in a year between the ages of 1 and 2 (both cruciates, both elbows and a luxating patella). She is our 5th rottie and by far the most friendly and affectionate loving people so much. She is a bit anxious with dogs but will do anything for a fuss from humans.



She loves standing on picnic tables and posing on rocks



I'll stop now before I bore you all to death


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## missnaomi (Jun 4, 2010)

I have Rosie, a beautiful Black and Tan, short haired German shepherd bitch bought from a breeder and now aged 4 and a half. She has her KCGC Gold Award and we're learning agility and TD Rally. She loves to spoon with me and makes a weird noise like how I imagine a dinosaur would sound when she is excited. She loves water and I'm pretty sure I could hire her out to find it during droughts. She is obedient, tolerant and I love her. When she's not out and about she loves to relax and snooze and shed hair all over everything.

I also have Ringo, he's nearly 5 and he is a jack Russell cross (with a pug). He's from a rescue and we were supposed to be getting a big dog. He's clever, funny and nearly always bossy, except with Dusty, he keeps me on my toes, loves fetching and running, flyball and scent work - we aspire to be an accredited Talking Dogs Scentwork handling pair... He is always a second away from being 100% ready for action but he loves to sleep against my legs behind my knees and snuggle in a blanket on the sofa.

Then recently we have Dusty, a terrier/shihtzu puppy from a rescue. She seems to be the love of Ringo's life and is feisty, funny and it's pleasure to watch her grow up. At the moment she loves everything and everyone and has a Mohican!










I love them all very much.


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## penguin (Jan 2, 2013)

Meet Dexter and Lexie!



This is Dexter he's 3 1/2. He was a private rehome and I found him on Gumtree after we lost our dog after a short illness. He was advertised as a full staffy but he's most definitely not. He is absolutely gorgeous. Loves everyone and is so lazy! He loves a cuddle.



Lexie joined our family in January 2013, she is about 7. We adopted her from a local rescue centre where she had been for 10 months. Nobody wanted her as she barked at other dogs. It took a few visits to get her used to Dexter but we were determined that she was coming home with us. Dexter suffers from SA and bonded with her instantly. She has lots of issues and is very high maintenance, lie ins are now a thing of the past! We have made good progress with her reactivity but she'll never be great with other dogs. She is very bonded with my OH. 
She's been a great playmate for Dexter and they'll play for hours!!


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

Spencer, 3 and a half year old Labrador. He's my 4th dog.



We wanted another dog after losing my beloved Rupert Bear to kidney failure, had a disastrous attempt to adopt a dog from the local tierheim and decided we'd look around for either a good breeder or see what came up on the local rehoming groups. British Forces don't exactly have a good track record when it comes to keeping pets and there are always loads being rehomed for no good reason.

Anyway, I kept an eye on the local FB groups and for some reason responded to an ad about a year old Lab being rehomed. No idea why as I've never wanted a Lab although I used to ask Rupert when he was being an arse why he couldn't be a nice, friendly Labrador lol. Long story short, we went to meet him and he came home with us that night. He's been here ever since.

Spen came with a few issues. He was terrified if he thought he'd done anything wrong or you raised your voice, he just went belly up and peed everywhere  Especially if my husband raised his! He'd had no real training at all, was rarely walked and when he did meet other dogs was allowed to just run riot. And he HATED Turkish people. Apparently he'd run up to one as a pup and they'd hit him with a stick. His resulting fearful barking and growling was encouraged and seen as him being protective. He still doesn't like them now but we can pass them in the street without him turning into Cujo.

Spen is pretty much my perfect dog in most ways. He's a little too sociable and we're still working on not meeting and greeting every single dog we encounter. However once the initial excitement of encountering another dog is over he's not actually that interested in most of them. He's intelligent, enthusiastic about everything we do, friendly, able to go all day if I want but content with a 15 minute leash walk if I'm not feeling well. He's just a fantastic dog really


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## PawsOnMe (Nov 1, 2012)

Jasper, he's my big soppy boy. He's a 2 year old Springer x collie. Loves cuddles and playing with his toys. He's a bit of a nervous nelly and can be quite anxious at times. He's most confident when he's doing training, he loves helping around the house and I can't put things on the floor that don't belong as he'll pick them up and bring them to me or drop them into the bucket thinking he's tidying up. He tries to help a lot, recently that has been helping me wrap presents (his idea of helping is keep giving me the sellotape and lying on and nibbling the paper  ).


















Izzy, She's a 17 week Lakeland terrier. She's a cheeky lil thing, really feisty and vocal and loves shaking and 'killing' her toys and playing tuggy with Jasper and us. She adores Jasper, they're always cuddling and she follows him around on walks, they're also always getting up to mischief (she's a terrible influence on him!). She's a heat hog and at just 8 weeks we couldn't take her out for wees without her lying down and sunning herself in the sun, now she loves lying in front of the fire or on the electric heated blankets.


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## Zaros (Nov 24, 2009)

I should think that the majority of PF's members know this dog

all too well by now. But for those who don't. He's a 5 year old 'Sarplaninac' called Oscar aka 'Dopey Joe' and his ancestry/heritage is a mixture of myth, legend and political controversy.
Oscar is a giant Guardian standing 80cms at the shoulder and weighing in at around 78kilos AD. Just recently he's successfully recovered from his second life saving hip replacement. The first was carried out when he was ten months of age.
He's an extremely gentle and loveable clown and is always on the lookout for a bit of mischief. If he can't find any then he'll make some.

Which means he will come torment me.

Oscar also has a more sinister side and one that could easily be provoked if he thought we were at risk of danger from a would be assailant.

His soul mate/companion is this dog:

*PHOTOS REMOVED DUE TO MALICIOUS INTENT*
She's also a 'Sarplaninac' and two months Oscar's senior. Although much smaller than he is her feisty character and temperament compensates her for what she lacks in stature.
She's a serious, no nonsense dog. Forever vigilant, always an eye on the horizon. Zara is not a dog that can be intimidated and is afraid of nothing and no one. Despite her callings she's very gentle and loveable with us. Oscar too. The pair are each other's shadows.

We chose to keep the Sarplaninac because we wanted a dog that would prove a challenge for us.

Sarplaninacs are life altering experiences.

Well, Zara and Oscar certainly changed our lives. :wink:


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

I love all of these so much!! It's so good hearing about all the dogs and there's so many I haven't seen before etc and so many breeds that I haven't seen before either!



Vicki said:


> I have had dogs since I was 9 years old. I have had a Swedish Laphund called Lita, a Collie cross called Lollo, a Belgian Tervueren called Mindy, an Australian Shepherd called Myrrha and a Collie/Retriever-cross called Lyle. I have been interested in training dogs all my life and I started competing in obedience with my first crossbreed. When I split up from my OH it didn't feel enough to have only one dog to train and compete, so I decided to get a Malinois puppy.
> 
> I contacted a breeder and waited for the puppies to be born. But when they were born there wasn't a bitch for me, because there were many others who wanted bitches. I was offered a male puppy, but after some consideration I declined. Then, six weeks later, the breeder contacted me and offered me a bitch puppy because someone had backed out. I said yes on the spot, even though the timing wasn't the best. I had just moved to a new flat, I had no time off from my three jobs and she would come home just a few days before Christmas.
> 
> ...


OH and me have been talking for the last week about a second dog (not any time soon!!) and he has been going on and on about Malinois - can't believe someone on here's got one!!


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## silvi (Jul 31, 2014)

Over the last few years, we have had quite a few dogs because we ran a small rescue in Spain.
Some of our dogs (Spanish and English) are in my album here on the forum.

But the dog I have here with me in the UK is Sophie.

Sophie was abandoned on our doorstep in Spain in early April 2011. The vet said she was, at most, 6 weeks old.
Spring (even in Spain) was taking a long time to get started, and it was still quite chilly and wet, and the local children, knowing that we took in dogs, had wrapped Sophie in our door curtain. And of course we took her in.

The children told us who Sophie's mum was (we took her in as well quite soon after). Her mum is a border terrier cross (who is now living with a lovely family and their other rescue dog in Scotland). And it was obvious who her father was, as he was the only chihuahua in the village  (and she looks just like him apart from the border terrier coat and being a tiny bit bigger).

Sophie has always been our smallest dog, but she got on well with 'the pack' and soon learned who to boss about and who to be subservient to .

When I came back to the UK, Sophie came too and has lived with me here ever since.

Here are some pics:

Sophie when she was a puppy April 2011:









Sophie's first sight of snow January 2013:









Sophie dressing up 









Sophie posing:









Sophie is at times exasperating, but she is very cuddly (although only with me  ) and my doggie companion. And I wouldn't want to be without her.


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## Crystal butterfly (Nov 2, 2014)

dogkrazy said:


> *Amber* is our first dog and we brought her home in 2010. We spent lots of time planning and waiting for her, so it was one of the most exciting days when she became part of our family  She's so special and has taught me loads about dogs, and it's because of her that I am such a dog lover! I do the odd bit of showing with her and am hoping to have a go at obedience and agility maybe next year, but mostly we just do fun stuff at home, like trick training, hiking in the forest and she likes helping me clean out the goats (by rolling around in their hay and eating poop ). She's loyal, clever, joyful and so gorgeous!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wilson is beautiful! Cavalier King Charles spaniels are my number 1 favourite breed and I have literally fallen in love with yours :001_tt1::001_tt1::001_tt1: my oh think their a girly dog though so said no when I suggested we get one when we were planning our first dog


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## Jackie99 (Mar 5, 2010)

This is my whole world Rio Roo




























He's a nearly 11 (January) year old Terrier. He is my absolute world and more.

He came into my life when my childhood Terrier passed away and I was heartbroken and it was overall a very difficult point in my life which I felt a dog would help with and he did, he's enriched my life and changed it a lot.

I considered all types of breeds, I looked into different breeds a lot but my heart lies with a Terrier

A relative had 'heard' of a litter of Terriers quite locally and I was quickly eager to go meet them

I am ashamed to say it was a back yard breeder, at this point I shamefully knew no different although something didn't 'feel right' I brushed it aside at the time. I never seen the parents, when I first met the litter they were only 6 weeks and already Mum was no where to be seen.

After getting Rio and wanting to be the best possible owner it was only then when doing loads of research/joining up here etc I learnt so much about dogs and realised my big mistake. I'd never again touch a back yard breeder again now I know better but wouldnt be without my boy for anything.

Hes challenging, he is stubborn, he is fiesty but he's loveable and my closest companion.


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## Dogloverlou (Dec 8, 2013)

VickynHolly said:


> Holly is a 6 year old Border Collie. I got her from an ex sherperd when she was 7 weeks old, she was the last girl left, saved the best till last.
> She loves to play fetch. She loves people, from the old to young to screaming kids and people dressed up, she does not care, she just loves them. She is not a dog fan, she normally gets over it after a couple of minutes.
> She is vocal. When me and her play fight she growls really loud, but she is just playing. When people come round she does excited barks and woooo woooo.
> She hates loud noises, it can take her hours to come out of her hiding place .
> ...


Your Holly sounds so much like my Missy in many ways, and your Ted, well, he has the most gorgeous, adorable, little face ever!! I always melt a little whenever you post pics of him :001_wub:



dogkrazy said:


> *Amber* is our first dog and we brought her home in 2010. We spent lots of time planning and waiting for her, so it was one of the most exciting days when she became part of our family  She's so special and has taught me loads about dogs, and it's because of her that I am such a dog lover! I do the odd bit of showing with her and am hoping to have a go at obedience and agility maybe next year, but mostly we just do fun stuff at home, like trick training, hiking in the forest and she likes helping me clean out the goats (by rolling around in their hay and eating poop ). She's loyal, clever, joyful and so gorgeous!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cody is very much like my Cash too. He's also very environmentally strong, but shy of strangers.


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## Dobermutt (Jan 22, 2014)

My dog is Harley - he is 20 months old & is Dobermann cross Labrador. I got him at just over 8 weeks old, from a couple that had purchased two puppies from a litter, but had decided that three dogs would be too much.

He came into my life at exactly the right time - I was suffering from depression and my life was a right mess, it was a really rough time and I was convinced it wasn't going to improve but the second he came into my life, it changed (for the better)  It forced me to think about something other than my own life and focus on his  Sounds so silly that a dog can change your life so drastically but he really has. He gave me back my confidence, my independence and a real reason to get up & enjoy life 

He hasn't been an ''easy'' dog (if there is such a thing!) - he's a challenge, but I like a challenge, never gets boring I guess   There have been lots of genuine tears over the problems I've faced with him, it has certainly been a challenging journey and I don't expect it to get any easier anytime soon, but he's improving every day and I'm so proud of him. He can often be defensive toward other dogs but we're slowly overcoming & he has come on leaps and bounds. He won't tolerate very bouncy/excited dogs, tense dogs or ''dominant'' dogs but he does have a small handful of dogs that he gets on very well with - including our neighbors lovely Staffie girl.

Those are the negatives but there are still plenty of positives  He *loves* his ball usually won't walk calmly unless he has it in his mouth  but has a habit of losing them - so we've worked up a collection of about 20 different balls  He's full of energy, absolutely loves his walks, loves people, and *loves* food. I don't think I've met a greedier dog as of yet 

He truly is my best friend, as sad as that may sound to some & he will never be ''just a dog'' to me. I put all of my spare time, energy & money into him and I don't regret it one bit - he repays me by making me smile every single day with his silly antics 

He really is such a happy dog, so loving & affectionate in his own special way  He's not the waggy, jump-all-over-you, lick-your-face type affectionate, but he'll just come over and rest his head on you  

Apologies for the essay 

Puppy Harley 









A slightly younger him & neighbors Staffie after the fence got blown down


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## Thorne (May 11, 2009)

I've been here so long that most people must know who my two are!

First we have Scooter, who is 12.5 years old.


Scooter came to live with us in summer 2002 as a 9 week old puppy. He's technically mum's dog but is really a family pet who's been a loving friend and total pain in the bum since he arrived.  My parents were originally looking to get "a small dog without too much hair" after Dad's Welsh Sheepdog died, but head ruled heart and mum ended up choosing a black Lab as she'd always wanted one.
He's from working lines and working parents so was a handful as a youngster, but is now a fairly easy-going and happy old gent. We've made lots of training and upbringing mistakes with him and he's had a few behaviour problems over his lifetime, but somehow things have worked out!  
He's feeling his age now and has a few "old dog" health problems so we're making the most of however long he has left with us. Love him to bits!

Then we have Breeze, who's 11.5 years old.


She's my first dog, as opposed to a family pet, and has been a bit of a labour of love. Five years ago I rehomed her directly from the puppy farm she'd lived at from 12 weeks until she was 7 years old. To my knowledge she'd never left the kennel grounds in that time. She'd never been walked, never had toys to play with, had no housetraining, and had only been in a house to have her puppies. Suffice to say that she found almost everything frightening when we first brought her home and she spent a few weeks hiding behind the sofa. She was petrified of my dad, terrified of traffic, and was incredibly noise-phobic. She'd bolt in blind panic if she saw someone with a broom.
Lots of time, patience and positive reinforcement has thankfully resolved most of her issues.  She's still a sensitive soul and is scared by loud, sudden noises, but she's turned into a happy, settled, and clever little dog who seems to have a sense of humour! As I said on a recent thread, she's growing old disgracefully.

Both of our lovely Labs: :001_wub:


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

Some of you guys may know who my little munchkin is. This is Scully, shes just over a year old now and we have had her since she was 7 weeks old. I always wanted a dog since i was small so when i moved out with my OH it was a perfect opportunity to get one. I had fallen in love with Chinese Cresteds long before and knew this was the breed i wanted, but i wanted a hairless one. However, OH not being a dog person said the only condition on me getting a dog [other than doing all of the general care for her] was that she had to be the powderpuff variety. After a bit of thinking it over i agreed, and the search for her began.

OH had told me when getting her she was my responsibility [which was fine] that i had to clean up after her and look after her and generally he didn't want anything to do with her care. He was adamant he was not a dog person, didn't really like them or find them interesting, and he was adamant about it right up until the day we brought her home  
It was love at first sight, well for him she was was petrified of him tho haha.

She is without a doubt the laziest dog ever. She would happily sleep all day especially if its cold outside. Shes a people dog, and other dogs dont really seem to interest her all that much. Loves to play, and loves a good training session as long as something tasty is involved. We are lucky really as she is such a easy dog and nothing really bothers her all that much.



















Major poser too haha


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## speug (Nov 1, 2011)

So four and a half years ago this little cutie came to live with me



since then he's grown into a handsome boy who loves to pose



and lives for playing around in water and agility



and is generally my soulmate and the main focus of my life.

Then at the beginning of this year I began to look for a companion for Angus - originally I was looking at getting an older rescue pup but after a couple of possibles fell through at the last minute I ended up with my first ever pedigree puppy at the beginning of October



Angus wasn't exactly impressed at first but they now get on not too badly except when Cuillin overdoes it and forgets that puppy teeth hurt.
They go on walks together



and have been known to share the settee when they need a nap


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## hells85 (Feb 10, 2014)

I have Calvin, staffy from RSPCA. Calvin was found as a stray when he was just a pup and had been in the shelter for 4 months. He is my first dog and was chosen as he was suitable for a first time owner and I just fell in love with his adorableness when I saw him. He is a playful boisterous cheeky chappy. His favourite things are playing tug, playing with sticks, wrestling, running and ripping things to shreds, he particularily likes to peel leather footballs like an orange then rip apart the skins. He is also a huge cuddle monster and follows me around like a shadow 

I also have Maya who is also a staffy from the RSPCA. I had told my Oh that I would ideally like to have two dogs. He was working as a HGV driver and his depo was opposite an RSPCA shelter, one day he was a little staffy that looked abit like a mini Calvin being walked by a volunteer. He pulled over and asked about her, then went to see her after work. He then visited her every day on his lunch break and a week later we took Calvin to meet her. They got on well and we were allowed to take her home for 1 day to check they would get on OK in the home. All went amazingly and when we brought her back they asked when can you take her home? I was due to have 8 days off work but it didn't start for a week so unfortunately she had to go back to her kennel which was heart breaking but I did not want to leave them home alone unsupervised on day one. Maya was also a stray but had been rehomed and brought back in a few times by people who could not cope with her. She is very very excitable and does pull a lot but she is also well behaved for the most part and extremely loving. We have had her since April and she has finally learnt to play which made us really happy. She enjoys tug and likes to chase after balls but never picks it up to bring back. She is happiest when snuggled up on your lap and her next favourite thing is eating. She also enjoys to wrestle and have mad zoomies. She is a funny girl who makes me laugh daily, she loves to sprint full pelt and then do somersaults and wriggle around in the grass.

Lastly I have Sasha. She is my puppy given to me for my birthday. Her dad is a Mastiff and her mum an American bulldog x, we have no idea what the cross is, mum looks like a huge staffy. My vet wonders if there is Sharpei in her as she has some wrinkles and my Nan reckons there is ridgeback in her as she has a thick tuft of fur that goes all the way along her spine and down her tail. She left the litter quite late aged 12 weeks and had not had any socialisation yet. She was a very nervous shy pup but has made huge strides and is no longer terrified at everything. She likes to play with her paws and reminds me of a cat when she plays with balls, she likes to rag her toys and throw them around and swat them with her paws. Recently she has started to join in the tug of war games with the others and engage is light wrestling but becomes scared if the staffs become overly boisterous. She likes to bark at the others when they are wrestling and she adores people. Her other hobbies include chasing leaves, digging, chewing, eating, kissing people and washing the staffies ears.

Calvin








Maya








Sasha


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

I have just the one- thankfully - dont have enough hands for more!!! Dexter Staff X Hippo, Captain of the Ginger dogs, approx 5 in March. I got him at 12 months from a rescue. My first owned dog and my word what a baptism of fire...... hes reactive, gobby, needy, generally PITA, over excited, wary of some men, can pull like an absolute Tank, lays in ALL/ ANY water, and is generally a grubby boy- and has me wrapped firmly round his giant ginger paw!!!

Sits on the sofa, sleeps in the bed (because he winged SOOOOOOOOOO badly about it)- not ideal whan your OH is 6ft 5 and ya dog is 30kg's...... BUT he is blumming cute- and loves his mammy!!


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## Dimwit (Nov 10, 2011)

I have one dog, Sprocket (AKA dimwit or gitdog). He is 4 years old and a spaniel/terrier cross who was bred by a friend of mine.
He is reactive to dogs and people, is scared of more things than I can count, hates vets, is very energetic, demanding and attention-seeking. He is also a little clown who makes me laugh (mostly at his ridiculous ears and tail), he does the best welcome home/happy dance, and can be very cute and affectionate.
I love him to bits and though I still struggle with him a fair bit he has taught me so much and he is just the best little dog ever! 

I post far too many photos of him but here he is:

from cute puppy:









to handsome boy...


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2014)

McKenzie is my everything.

I got her at nearly 8 weeks when I was living in the UK, and brought her back here to NZ when she was 16 months. She's 4 now.

She's practically perfect I think! Her crazy prey drive can be a challenge, but otherwise she's such an easy dog. She loves 'her people', but is otherwise fairly uninterested in both other dogs and people.

Her favourite thing in the world to do is training, because she gets treats (I never feed her, don'tcha know ) We do Freestyle Heelwork to Music competitively and as part of a display team, and she's a little star. We also dabble in Rally-O and have done competitive agility in the past.

She's such a character. She's always making me laugh with her ridiculous antics. She's just the love of my life.


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## 2Cats2Dogs (Oct 30, 2012)

Most of my life I have been a cat person. My grandparents were cat people, though the grandparents on my Dad's side had a standard poodle and he was lovely. My first animal was a cat. Nicky. Me and my brother were 6 and 9 at the time we had him and he sadly passed away in 2000. We got another cat in 1994 a female and she was a tabby named Whinge. She passed away in 2005 2 weeks before I moved house . My new house with my Mum and then partner was quite empty. So in May 2007 we got Alfie our cat. He was unwanted and about to be taken to the RSPCA. He is a quite a nervy fella, but none the less loving to us. We felt he was a bit lonely and we got Charlie a Black SH in October 2008 as a kitten. They both got on and it was delightful to see them play together and it felt like the family was complete.

Though I had an itch. I like to go for walks and the most common theme was seeing dogs. I felt envious of the owners. They had company on walks and I didn't and I always wanted one of my own. My Dad tried getting one before he divorced my Mum. It was a disaster and the poor dog ended up in my Auntie's care and it was the best thing for her. My Mum has never been much of a dog person. So that influenced my decision not to get one at that time.

Everything changed in January 2011 when I was signed off work and diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder I. It changed my life. It was then I decided I wanted a dog. Spoke with my Mum and partner and we researched. After much research and speaking with breeders online and the phone we decided on a Westie. We found a breeder about 20 miles from where we live and they were truly amazing. They gave us the puppy diary and everything. So we visited and we wanted a male at the time, then this little bundle of fluff warmed to my Mum when we visited.

View attachment 149421


We fell in love with her and we christened her Maisie. We brought her home in July. The cats at first were bemused, but warmed to her. We got through the playing and nipping phase before we decided that Maisie being on her own needed more canine company. So again we researched for another dog and decided on a Bichon Frise. Before we sought breeders nearby we were alerted by a mutual friend of a family in a not so pleasant area wanted rid of their Bichon. So we went to the house. He was hiding behind the sofa and was a mess. They didn't care for him at all and he was a mess. We paid them and took him. He was called Buddy and we kept it. He is unique unlike the other animals in our family who's names end in *ie* this is a pic of him the first day we got him in August 2011. He was 6 months old.

View attachment 149422


Despite him taking time to settle and destroying the lino in my dining room :nono: we love him to bits. We love our animal family to bits. :001_wub:

Since then they have made our lives much richer. I couldn't imagine my life and home without them.


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2014)

Bates is the brains behind this username









And Breez is the beauty









Bates is a mutt-dog, often mistaken for a black lab though if you put him next to a lab he looks nothing like one. Hes a big guy and also gets mistaken for a daneX of some sort, but I think that may also be because his side-kick Breez is a dane. 
Bates came to us in January of 2009 from a friend who had originally rescued him but couldnt cope with his behavior. He can be a challenging dog in many ways, but for us and our family he has turned out to be just about the perfect dog.

Breez is our great dane girl who also came from a rescue situation. She too has turned out to be a great dog for our family, super with kids, enough of a guardian-breed personality to suit our needs out here in coyote country, but not so much to complicate things. 
Breez came to us 3 months after Bates which in hindsight was not the best timing, but thats often how rescue goes. Two large/giant adolescent dogs in a home with two young kids is not for the faint of heart, but we managed (still not quite sure how really), and we ended up with two great dogs in the end


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## KellyNelly (Sep 26, 2012)

Hello all, I am a long time lurker, very occasional poster!

This is Nell.

She is about 3 years old. I got her from the Dogs Trust in September 2012. She was picked up as a stray so no history &#61516;

Lexiedhb  literally everything youve written about Dexter I could write about Nell, apart from shes a girly and only 22kg &#61514;

Nell is my first dog as an adult and it has been hard at times. Ive come back from walks in tears from where shes been so reactive to other dogs.

But she is getting better and calming down (just a bit, shes still pretty bonkers).

And of course, I love her to pieces.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

KellyNelly said:


> Hello all, I am a long time lurker, very occasional poster!
> 
> This is Nell.
> 
> ...


Awesome- Dexter has a ginger sister!!! Its a good job they are cute ...... :crazy:


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

Sherlock's a working cocker, now 3 and a half years old. Ever joyful - tail always wagging (even in sleep), and desperate to please. After a demanding puppyhood (living up to his pedigree of 45 field trial champions), he's grown into the most loving, understanding, affectionate, sensitive and clever dog, whom I love to death. My soul dog.




























And since last Saturday, we also have a little spaniel poodle cross puppy living with us. She belongs to my mum, who can't have a dog in her home due to an allergic husband, so she's living with us. Sherlock has been utterly patient and kind to this little bitey croc who's barged into his life and steals his toys and bites him, and I'm so proud of him. The pupster is called Bron, and she's adorable - very feisty and fearless, but already so much easier than Sherlock was as a pup - for one thing, she actually sleeps! She's lovely, and I know Sherlock will love having her around, and will take good care of her. He has enough love for everyone!


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

springfieldbean said:


> Sherlock's a working cocker, now 3 and a half years old. Ever joyful - tail always wagging (even in sleep), and desperate to please. After a demanding puppyhood (living up to his pedigree of 45 field trial champions), he's grown into the most loving, understanding, affectionate, sensitive and clever dog, whom I love to death. My soul dog.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Bron is gorgeous. Is she crossed with a Golden?

There's a Goldendoodle in the village who is a lovely little dog and has a wonderful silky soft curly coat.
PS. Always loved the colour of Sherlock


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

This is great - some seriously lovely dogs and love hearing all their antics! 

Ouesi - I've never seen pics of yours but they are lovely, Breeze is beautiful!! 

Also soo many dogs have been rescued it's lovely


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## BlueJay (Sep 20, 2013)

I'm pretty sure everyone not only knows mine, but are pretty bored of them by now :lol:
But I don't care because they are mine and I love them more than anything 

Ripley is a fox terrier. She came to me beginning of 2012 at 9 weeks old, being born December 2011. Technically she is my mum's dog; we saw the litter, we saw the eye patch... went to visit and the rest is history!
She's super cuddly, is the lickiest dog ever and loves being all cosy and warm.
No trouble at all (well, until she thinks ALL the toys are hers), she's a little princess 


















In late 2012, I had to have my other dog put to sleep. He was my absolute world; my shadow, my baby, my friend. 
I wanted a companion for Ripley since she'd never been an only dog. Went looking for another fox with the intention of breeding (shock horror). Found a lovely one, waited for puppies, waited for puppy to come home!
So this is Rory (short for Rorschach), born Nov 2012, got him at 8 weeks.
He's really stoopid. He's also really happy, playful and affectionate though so it's ok! He loves everything except bin bags, which are terrifying for some reason. Flirt poles are the best thing in the whole universe and he occasionally does scootering/canicross with me, not competitively.
My little moonbeam :001_wub:


















Frodo Baggins. Collie x greyhound. He was a horror of a pupster, always into mischief! Only 6 months-ish between him and Rory, oh dear. He's 18 months old now (born May '13) and is turning into such a good boy 
He loves playing fetch, is so good with other dogs and people. He's a right mummy's boy and acts like he's never been fed ever. Too clever and very gobby... he does canicross and scootering with me too. 
I'd always wanted a lurcher, my mum got him for my 21st birthday present at just under 9 weeks old 


















Borzois are my favourite breed. After two consecutive pay rises at work - high five! - I spied a litter from a lovely breeder... So Samwise came to live with us at 8 weeks old
He's such a sensitive boy. Loving and gentle when he's not having his mad puppy moments. He's eight months old (April '14) and is massive. 
We do ringcraft, but he doesn't seem to enjoy it anymore so I'm not sure how long we'll continue. Hopefully he can come scootering when he's older too. I adore him.


















In conclusion, I have terrible impulse control and I'm lucky they are all such good pals 
I never did breed, by the way.


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

BlueJay said:


> I'm pretty sure everyone not only knows mine, but are *pretty bored of them by now :lol:*
> But I don't care because they are mine and I love them more than anything


Noo!! I love your dogs, but oh my Frodo is my absolute favourite - he is so super gorgeous!

Lurchers are the best  :crazy:


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## StormyThai (Sep 11, 2013)

Most will know Thai (I post enough pictures of him anyway :lol, he is my true soul mate.

I was told about him a couple of years ago when him and the resident entire male had a huge scrap and then wouldn't get on after that, so his owners set about sending him to be PTS.
A friend of mine managed to talk them around and said she would help find him a suitable home, and promptly sent a pic and a write up about him to me so that I could share him around to see if we could get him sorted...

After a couple of months and still no luck his vet appointment was getting closer and closer so I showed my OH his picture, told him about his story and left the seed to grow!

4 weeks later we made the 6 hour round trip to go pick him up and bring him home with me 

First day in his new home with his very first toy


And 2 years later out on a walk


He is a giant pain in the arse on occasions, is DR and hates strangers unless them come out on walks with us (which most people cba to do) but I worship the ground this dude walks on and wouldn't have him any other way


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Any one else imagining baby Rory's teethies?????


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## BlueJay (Sep 20, 2013)

Lexiedhb said:


> Any one else imagining baby Rory's teethies?????


My Rory??


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Well.

This is Kilo:



He is a four year old Rhodesian Ridgeback and is exceptionally hard work. He has always been very sensitive and then, following an attack the summer before last, he became very dog reactive and also could be pretty mistrustful of strangers. We have made amazing progress and that is all I will say on this score as I have written reams on here about it all . Prior to this he used to accompany me pretty much everywhere, including work, and slotted into my life very easily. I absolutely adore him :001_wub: - he has seen me through some really, really big life changes and rough times and is so, so loving and sweet and a real velcro boy.

This is Rudi - he is two years old:



Rudi is the total opposite to Kilo - confident to the point of obnoxiousness if allowed, rambunctious, always on the go. He is a total, total velcro dog in the house and follows me everywhere I go - and is asleep on my lap right now!! I didn't know if I would ever be able to love a dog as much as Kilo but I love them both as much as each other :001_wub:.

Their totally different personalities end up complementing each other and they have a great time together - we go on some great walks and runs and they pay together a lot too.









Little video - click to play


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## westie~ma (Mar 16, 2009)

My chap Monty ... 7 years old, first laid eyes on him when he was just 3 weeks old, brought him home at 12 weeks of age.










Typical cheeky terrier, loves nothing but mischief ...



















and snuggles  ...










adores sunbathing ...










appreciates a view ...










even if he does like to go a bit closer than I'd like :nono:










and rolling of course :










can take him anywhere ...



















He likes his comforts ...



















but most of all, I love him to bits :001_wub: and can't imagine my life without him.


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## Dogloverlou (Dec 8, 2013)

Amelia66 said:


> Some of you guys may know who my little munchkin is. This is Scully, shes just over a year old now and we have had her since she was 7 weeks old. I always wanted a dog since i was small so when i moved out with my OH it was a perfect opportunity to get one. I had fallen in love with Chinese Cresteds long before and knew this was the breed i wanted, but i wanted a hairless one. However, OH not being a dog person said the only condition on me getting a dog [other than doing all of the general care for her] was that she had to be the powderpuff variety. After a bit of thinking it over i agreed, and the search for her began.
> 
> OH had told me when getting her she was my responsibility [which was fine] that i had to clean up after her and look after her and generally he didn't want anything to do with her care. He was adamant he was not a dog person, didn't really like them or find them interesting, and he was adamant about it right up until the day we brought her home
> It was love at first sight, well for him she was was petrified of him tho haha.
> ...


Your Scully is so cute! She is one of the reasons I could see myself owning a CC powder-puff in the future maybe. They just seem like such happy little characters


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

westie~ma said:


> even if he does like to go a bit closer than I'd like :nono:


   Oh my god, even that picture terrifies me, let alone real life!!


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## Jackie99 (Mar 5, 2010)

Lexiedhb said:


> Any one else imagining baby Rory's teethies?????


I ADORE Rory, what a beaut, I say it a lot haha


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## cravensmum (Jun 28, 2010)

Craven came to me in March 2010,he was a private rehome and all I knew about him was he was a 1 year old Foxhound.
I then did some digging and found he had had 7 previous homes in his first year.
He is now coming up to 6 years old.










Ever since I got him I thought about getting another dog,Craven is such a friendly dog that I thought he would love another dog in the house.After 18 months of checking the local rescues website almost daily looking for the right dog I spotted Flint.He had come in as a stray and was still serving his 7 days,I went the next day and reserved him.They gave his age as 5/6 years old,which would put him at 8/9 now.










And then there were 2,which is how I intended to keep it................










Until the summer of 2013 when a 'friend' of a 'friend' needed someone to look after her Romanian rescue youngster Goldie for 2 weeks.
That 2 weeks lasted 3 months,when the owner then turned round and said she was going to have to rehome her.As she had slotted in with my 2 very well I said I would keep her as I wasn't sure where she would end up.
I changed her name to Bodhi,and she is now nearly 2.










So now I have 3.


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

cravensmum said:


>


That last picture made me LOL in the office OMG if looks could kill Craven and Flint would have you dead a million times over in this picture.. Brilliant lol


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2014)

This thread is making me want a small scruffy terrier! 

Gemma, love your Bradley, he sounds like such a character!

And Thorne, you know I have a major soft spot for Scooter


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

Siskin said:


> Bron is gorgeous. Is she crossed with a Golden?
> 
> There's a Goldendoodle in the village who is a lovely little dog and has a wonderful silky soft curly coat.
> PS. Always loved the colour of Sherlock


Thanks Siskin, he is a beautiful colour :001_tt1:

Bron does look retriever-y, doesn't she! But there's none in her - her mum's a springer/poodle cross and her dad's a working cocker (by coincidence he's related to Sherlock actually ) We don't know what her fur will be like when she grows, but silky soft curly sounds lovely!

This thread is so moving. I just shed a tear reading that Craven had had 7 homes in his first year  Thank god he found you, cravensmum. There are some heartbreaking stories here, but heart-warming too.


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## evel-lin (Jul 1, 2010)

So many beautiful dogs and lovely stories on this thread. Very envious, we're not getting a dog for another year, unless we win the lottery


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## westie~ma (Mar 16, 2009)

WhippetyAmey said:


> Oh my god, even that picture terrifies me, let alone real life!!


Shan't put up the others I have then, would scare you more :lol:


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

westie~ma said:


> Shan't put up the others I have then, would scare you more :lol:


Ohhh now I'm interested!! :blink:


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## Canine K9 (Feb 22, 2013)

ouesi said:


> This thread is making me want a small scruffy terrier!
> 
> Gemma, love your Bradley, he sounds like such a character!
> 
> And Thorne, you know I have a major soft spot for Scooter


One small, scruffy terrier free to any home good or bad 

I'll even ship him over to you


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## Paula07 (Aug 23, 2010)

This is my special boy Nicky(lab x greyhound), I got him from the rescue when he was 4(now 7). He came home the day i got my first house at 17 years old, he was my first dog and real challenge! He is dog reactive and a sensitive soul. He is a very happy, loyal and loving boy too. He is great with cats and dogs once he gets to say hello, loves people, especially kids. I love this boy a ridiculous amount, he is my soul dog. He makes me smile everyday and i cant imagine my life without him.

My beautiful boy -







And my old boy Tig who we lost very recently. A very sweet, wise old man.


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

Dogloverlou said:


> Your Scully is so cute! She is one of the reasons I could see myself owning a CC powder-puff in the future maybe. They just seem like such happy little characters


You would not be disappointed! They are the silliest little dogs, but they also have the biggest hearts!


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

My boys 

Harvey 3 year old staffy who is 4 next month, and our first dog. Got him at 8 weeks old and he is a staffy through and through he IS the worlds biggest tart and has an ear fetish  loves everyone, anything and everything. There's not a bad bone in his body despite being badly attacked a couple of months ago. An absolute treasure to live with and his very much a daddies boy and a grunting machine!

Chance 4 ish year old American bulldog we don't know his exact age so it's a rough guess. We got him from a rescue centre at 18 months old, after being lied to by the centre regarding a number of things. He was a pathetic, scrawny, starved little lump with cigarette burns on his head, ears and muzzle, and was terrified of the world. He screamed and wet himself when I had the broom to do some tiding up  but with a bit of time and love he did come out of his shell, him and Harvey were inseparable and the best of friends and that's when his problems surfaced. His guardian side came out which is a natural trait of the breed, but he hates the majority of people especially strange people and is human aggressive with a bite history, he is also DR but this has lessened massively over the last couple of years and he gets on amazingly with dogs of all breeds both male and female, and we have with some digging found out about his past or some of it anyway, and learnt he was kept in a tiny crate so he slept sat up and chewed the bars through boredom naturally so has a lovely set of chipped front teeth. But he is my baby, my sole mate and although people call him the tazmanian devil for good reason I wouldn't change him for the world.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Paula07 said:


> This is my special boy Nicky(lab x greyhound),


I was so sad to hear about Tig, how terribly sad.

I just wanted to say that Nicky just looks like a soul dog, his face, ears - don't know but it just comes across in your photos.


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## diefenbaker (Jan 15, 2011)

Diefenbaker.. AKA Boo-Boo Bear... AKA Doo-Doo... AKA Monkey Boy... AKA The Sausage Enforcer...










My first... my last ( maybe )... my everything...

I was 46 when I got him.. far too late.


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## Paula07 (Aug 23, 2010)

MollySmith said:


> I was so sad to hear about Tig, how terribly sad.
> 
> I just wanted to say that Nicky just looks like a soul dog, his face, ears - don't know but it just comes across in your photos.


Thank you, it's very sad and happened so quickly. We miss him very much.

He certainly is. I'll never have another like him. He's the biggest pain in the butt but I love him so very much!


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## foxyrockmeister (May 30, 2011)

Branston Pickle and Piccalilli, AKA Branston and Lily, AKA The Pickles!

They are littermates of unknown origin and will be 4 on Sunday 

They were rescues although we have had them since they were 8 weeks old. Their mum was picked up as stray in Ireland and was rescued from death row, she then went to a foster home in England, where the puppies were born.

I don't really know where to begin describing them, they are my life and make me laugh every single day. They are both extremely loving and when anyone says that dogs don't like cuddles then I would invite them to sit on the sofa with the Pickles!!

We've had (and still have) our problems, Branston is very highly strung and very sensitive, he suffers from redirected aggression in certain situations but we manage it as best we can and in the main he is a happy, lovely mummy's boy.

Lily is like no other dog I have ever met, she has so many hilarious quirks but she is also a sensitive girl, she is terrified of loud noises and can be quite nervy around other dogs. Oh and of course, she loves nothing more than a roll in a nice big pile of fresh fox poo!!


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## Goldstar (Nov 12, 2011)

This is Lucky my little Jack Russell Terrier. She will be 5 next March. I got her from a breeder when she was 7 weeks old (although looking back I think she may have been younger).

She is an amazing little dog, I couldn't imagine life without her.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

Inca is my soulmate. I got her at 4 months old from a local rescue. She literally threw herself at me as I got through the door and that was it, she was determined she was coming home with me. I was fully mobile when I got her. She learnt to alert me minicom, doorbell and smoke alarm, saved my life once when some oven gloves caught fire and the alarm actually failed to go off and them learnt to do more things to help me round house when I started with mobility problems. She's helped me get through severe depression and loss of family members in her 13 years as my loyal companion.




























JJ I got in 2012 at 8 week old to train up to take over from Inca. The bond wasn't as instant, not to same level as it was instantly with Inca. I was aware that I'd only got him cos I needed a solution to stay independent or be left dependent on carers when Inca couldn't help me anymore. As he's grown though and been there for me whilst coming to terms with Inca ageing, and he's so affectionate and sweet I've fallen more and more in love with him over the first 2 years I've had him.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

I think Molly is pretty known but here's our story.

We used to have a cat, Shadow and after he passed we had 7 pet free years but helped with the care of my gran's dog. When her dog passed away, we thought about getting our own but infertility treatment and miscarriages meant that I spent a lot of time in and out of hospital even though my husband was retired. We have naturally come to the end of our search for parenthood having exhausted most avenues. I had a period of mental illness that affects me still mostly as a result of child loss. My gran suggested a dog as I was missing her dog an awful lot.

We visited two rescues - we were always going to have a rescue, all our family dogs have been - and Molly was our third dog we saw. We took her for a walk through the woods, she sat on my OH's foot and that was it.

She arrived home on my dad's 70th birthday in April 2012. We told nobody about her which was very hard as the night before we picked her up, we took my parents out for a meal and my mum wondered about a doggy bag..!

We've had a few unsuccessful training sessions with some unexperienced people but luckily met Wuff from Cambridge and she's a friend for life. We owe her loads as Molly knew sit. That was it.

Molly is my absolute world. I knew dogs were amazing but I had no idea what a difference owning a dog of my own would make. She's my dog and my husband's partner in crime. I genuinely suffer less with her around. I used to wake up each day and mourn my losses and cry each night. I still cry at night but I have my dog with me and in the mornings I get hugs from my husband and my Molly. Nothing in the world beats that. We love her so terribly much and I hope she knows.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

11 years ago, we asked my father in law to source a mixed colour litter in Hereford, where the OH is from. We wanted springers and we wanted the size and shape he grew up with. He found us a fabulous working bred farm based breeder and picked two pups for us. The pups were amazing, we adored them. They were easy dogs, the type you could just let run round, they never went far, stayed in sight, never had an issue. Then aged 7, Jake, the OH's dog, suddenly couldn't walk. We thought it was arthritis from his ACL operations. It wasn't. An MRI showed tumours in his spine and his stomach. We called the vet who'd looked after him for years and sent him to rainbow bridge.

Jake and Brig (Brig is hale and hearty at 11, top dog and takes no nonsense from the youngsters!)









In a haze of grief and really stupidly, we went out and bought two pups with zero thought, no research two weeks afterwards. It was the first litter we'd seen and my only criteria was that they looked like Jake. They did. I went through the litter of ten looking for the one with the right sized stripe. The only pup who'd learnt to climb out of the pen jumped at the OH and that was it, Zak the naughty, dog aggressive, most cuddly dog ever. I chose Bear, the Jake lookalike. In some pictures, I can't tell them apart. They will escape the garden and go off hunting for twelve hours without a backward glance, despite wanting to be on a knee by default. They've taught us an awful lot, like that I'm not afraid of the dark or being alone in woods for hours or that I can drag myself round the streets even though I'd just got out of hospital after losing half a lower leg to look for my escapee dogs. I adore them despite the frustration and time, money, sweat and tears of training Zak to be a good dog! They are undoubtedly substitute children, I'm a dog bore, I love them to pieces.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

MollySmith said:


> I think Molly is pretty known but here's our story.
> 
> We used to have a cat, Shadow and after he passed we had 7 pet free years but helped with the care of my gran's dog. When her dog passed away, we thought about getting our own but infertility treatment and miscarriages meant that I spent a lot of time in and out of hospital even though my husband was retired. We have naturally come to the end of our search for parenthood having exhausted most avenues. I had a period of mental illness that affects me still mostly as a result of child loss. My gran suggested a dog as I was missing her dog an awful lot.
> 
> ...


Thank you for sharing, a very moving post.


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

MollySmith said:


> I think Molly is pretty known but here's our story.
> 
> We used to have a cat, Shadow and after he passed we had 7 pet free years but helped with the care of my gran's dog. When her dog passed away, we thought about getting our own but infertility treatment and miscarriages meant that I spent a lot of time in and out of hospital even though my husband was retired. We have naturally come to the end of our search for parenthood having exhausted most avenues. I had a period of mental illness that affects me still mostly as a result of child loss. My gran suggested a dog as I was missing her dog an awful lot.
> 
> ...


I agree, this made me properly well up and means a lot you sharing your story, especially at the moment. 

Molly is absolutely lovely and now I know why Troy wanted her to be his girlfriend  He's sending loads of licks to her right now, especially in the ears cos licking ears is the bestest thing in the world xx


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## Darkwolf23 (Mar 6, 2014)

I just love this thread! 

Harley is my first ever dog  
For years and years of asking "can we get a dog?" and the answer always being "no" or "when you're in your own home" I was surprised on my 21st birthday (July last year) with a chew toy, small bed, food bowls and puppy collar and lead set as my presents! Somehow my aunt had managed to persuade mum into letting me get a dog!! My aunt didn't want to pick a puppy and just give it to me though, she wanted me to be able to choose it.

So months and months of researching breeds and searching breeders and many arguments - mum didn't want a big dog...I did, mum didn't want an active dog...all dogs are active? we ended up finding an advert on pets4homes for Cockadors (cocker spaniel cross labrador)

So one exciting day in November we drove all the way to Swansea and had a look at these puppies - I wanted to take them all home! We came home late that night with my tiny 10 week old gorgeous little girl 

She turned 1 on the 6th September this year 


She is so eager to learn, will do anything for food (has the lab appetite)
We're currently working towards KCGCDS Silver - she's doing so well!
We have done 2 fun agility courses which she absolutely loves  Planning on signing up to more when the weather is nicer!


We've got lots of training to do (Gold and Dog Tick Geeks) and many, many walks to go on and it's going to be the best adventure!



She's a crazy, full of beans, pain in the bum, snuggly, sweet, gorgeous little girl and I can't imaging life without her!


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## Phoolf (Jun 13, 2012)

I have my predominantly black (and white) bitch Kes who is an American Bulldog x (designer name = Campbell Hush which sounds like a soup name) who I've had from 9 weeks old.

I also have an 8 month old Tornjak boy called Targ who is jointly the love of my life with Kes. He's the most beautiful boy in the world in my humble opinion and I cannot wait to have more Tornjaks around 

See sig for pics!


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2014)

Canine K9 said:


> One small, scruffy terrier free to any home good or bad
> 
> I'll even ship him over to you


Dont tempt me! Were down to two dogs which is a record low for us. I keep vacillating between loving the ease of just two dogs and wanting to take on another challenge!


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

Phoolf said:


> I have my predominantly black (and white) bitch Kes who is an American Bulldog x (designer name = Campbell Hush which sounds like a soup name) who I've had from 9 weeks old.
> 
> I also have an 8 month old Tornjak boy called Targ who is jointly the love of my life with Kes. He's the most beautiful boy in the world in my humble opinion and I cannot wait to have more Tornjaks around
> 
> See sig for pics!


How awkward... all this time I've thought Targ was a collie.....


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## Phoolf (Jun 13, 2012)

WhippetyAmey said:


> How awkward... all this time I've thought Targ was a collie.....


:lol: Not quite


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

Phoolf said:


> :lol: Not quite


 Oh my... not quite indeed!!

He is absolutely beautiful though!


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Thank you for sharing, a very moving post.





WhippetyAmey said:


> I agree, this made me properly well up and means a lot you sharing your story, especially at the moment.
> 
> Molly is absolutely lovely and now I know why Troy wanted her to be his girlfriend  He's sending loads of licks to her right now, especially in the ears cos licking ears is the bestest thing in the world xx


Oh thank you so much, that's really lovely (not that I made you well up WhippetyAmy  ).

We've had the most lovely girls day today. I study so much and my OH does so much walking but each month I do a girls day where me and Molly go out to a new place, usually when my OH is at the football. Today we discovered a new walk, did an old walk and saw our trainer (Wuff) unexpectedly so Molly had a play with her dogs. Then we saw my parents and visited my grannie. She was so good. Pre-Molly I would have sat at home really miserable and upset on my own, often hugely overwhelmed. At times just going out and seeing everything geared to families would upset me.

She's not a 'fur baby' - I detest that phrase used in relation to me - but a huge comfort. Even my husband sees a difference (bless him!) and has been agreeable to a life with dogs in it always which is huge thing for him to say. We had reached a point where something had to change as life was entirely focussed about having a baby and I had no safety net in my life. Molly is one of many things that catch me when I fall.


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

Can't believe I just found this thread tonight.  Great idea ... I was just thinking of doing a similar thread myself, so I'm glad I've come across this one.  Please excuse me for not going through all the replies. I've just come in from work, and my bed is calling me...

First of my 2 is 11y/o Max. He joined our family when he was just a year old, and we were his 3rd home already. :frown2: Their loss - our gain (or should I say - my gain?) He helped me overcome my fear of dogs once and for all, and taught me about canine body language and the difference between play and aggression. His hind legs aren't as good as they used to be, thanks to a sudden, heart-stopping incident on New Year's Day this year, when he suffered sudden nerve damage. Now he's getting on in years, he's a typical cantankerous old git  especially around dogs, and loves nothing more than sleeping beside me, or under my feet, or otherwise generally keeping an eye on me ... but, at the same time, he's still up for a 2 hour long walk, and/or exploring new places.





Next, we have Milly. She's about 4 and a general PITA.   Another rescue who was apparently a year old when I got her (that's debateable). She's a cuddle monster of a sweetheart, which is fortunate because she's also a major PITA. I always know when it's a full moon because Milly's behaving herself. 

She's no doofus - there is a brain in there, but she wouldn't excel at academic ability if she were human (unlike Max). Her intellect lies in being sly and cunning - I can't leave her loose in the passage while I go to the toilet, because she'd be in the kitchen looking for whatever she can steal from the counters or the bin. She knows what she wants, and she knows how to get it ... and how to wind me up at the same time. She keeps me on my toes, and forces me to raise the bar so when I'm checking out new walks, or new tricks/games, it's usually with her in mind.





And .... that's my 2... I'm sorry I haven't read all the replies yet. I will do that tomorrow, but it's time for me to hit the hay... Goodnight. :Yawn:


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## babycham2002 (Oct 18, 2009)

Lovely thread 

First up is Willow, my pride and joy. My best friend and everything. 5 year old Golden Retriever I was on a waiting list for and pretty much picked out from two days old (she was darkest in litter). 
She is intelligent, clumsy, adorable and loving. She has her Gold Good Citizen award and is in obedience display time. We love to go camping together. 
She has epilepsy and apart from some weight gain as a side effect of the meds we are currently beating the illness and working on the weight. 2kg down. 






Next, Percy 5 year old Chinese Crested. My main man. He is funny, stubborn, bright and always loving. He has qualified and competed at Crufts including a third place in a large Junior Class at Crufts which was an amazing moment. 
He loves running and playing fetch. Tennis balls are totally his thing. His next favourite thing is people and he adores being on the Discover Dogs stands and we call it his 'meeting his people'. 








Then there is Dillon. Dillon is a three year old Chinese Crested. He is a bit more shy than Percy but arguably more intelligent and definitely more biddable. He has his Gold Good Citizen award and has also qualified and competed at Crufts with a fourth and fifth place in 2013. 
Dillon is and always will be the baby of the family. He likes his home comforts, like to be tucked in blankets, sleeps under the covers and likes the best things in life. 








Tallulah, ah Tallulah. Technically she belongs to the rescue. She is a lifetime foster. Due to her health and unpredictable temperament she cannot be rehomed and will live out her life with me. She has a massive cataract in her right eye, arthritis and recently had mammary tumours removed. When she came into the rescue (Feb 2013) she was a right skinny mess. But don't let looks fool you. she is an old battleaxe. She adores me, I adore her. She loves her walks. She loves to run and she loves to play with her best friend Rocky. 
At 13 years old she is living life to the full. 








Then there is my mums gorgeous two rescue Chinese Crested Powderpuffs. Rocky is 5 and Bomber is 4. 
Bomber

Rocky


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## Nitas mum (Jan 17, 2013)

Blooming marvellous idea for a thread! As I don't get on here often, it's been great to pin down so many user names and gorgeous canines - I feel a bit more familiar now!

I have just the one - although rather large and hairy, with dinosaur-sized poo, so maybe I can pretend I have two 

My awesome Nita moved into my home at 7 weeks and 6 days old - I know, I took her before the 8 week period, bad mummy!

She's now 2 years, 4 months and 7 days old. An absolute dream around the home, could not wish for anything more. She makes me smile every single day, and she also has the biggest smile herself.

Outside the home she's generally good, although hates bikers, joggers and lorries. She's wary around people she doesn't know, but once she remembers you then she's a friend for life (as long as you don't mind being licked to death and being on the receiving end of a Lean-on-berger cuddle!)

She has the best vocals ever. Hardly ever barks, but makes the most awesome noises that sound just like Chewy from Star Wars!

She's my first "own" dog. And I admit it was a struggle in the beginning ("what on earth have I done?!"), and a challenge since with her shyness. But I adore her, she's taught me lots and am sure she'll teach me more as we go on. Now she's old enough, I'm aiming to involve us with a specialist Leo group, learning carting, water-work and scenting.


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## Pupcakes (Jun 20, 2011)

Aaaaaw what a brilliant idea for a thread! I'm gonna make another cup of tea and read all the stories back to back (at work slaving away as you can see!)

Well heres our stories 

We got Dorothy (Dottie for short) in 2009, me and my mum went out and bought Dottie on behalf of my sister who seen her on Gumtree and "had to have her". I drove me and mum out to the town over where we met this crazy plain white puppy! These owners were selling her on after they bought her from ANOTHER town, they were wanting a JR for their 3 other dogs but they were too rough for her. They said she was kept in bad conditions in her first home (in a crate on her own in the garden) and "they couldnt leave her there". My mum said "what do you think? Should we have her?" I nodded my head quickly! As I did, the lady had a call enquiring about Dottie.

Long story short we bring her home and my sister did FA with her and she was rarely walked as no-one wanted to walk a dog with no recall and was scared of other dogs and people (which resulted in barking) well I moved back to Bath after half a year and started training Dottie and learning about dogs (I hadnt a clue!) we attended classes together, went on adventures and this was my first step into the world of dogs.

Her "issues" made me unpopular down the local park and we faced bullying on a daily basis which reduced me to tears. I was told to give her away, shes too dominant, she cant be trained etc. Well skip forward a few years and Dottie has taught me so much about dogs and whats "normal". I so desperately wanted for us to be "normal" and she taught me to accept her for her. A dog who is nervous by nature ,likes her own space, doesnt like other dogs that much and is a perfectly normal canine.

I love Dottie so much, everything from her beautiful markings and stocky little body to the way she will play tuggy until her teeth fall out. She has endured some sh*tty "training" styles from me over the years and still loves and trusts me. Dottie may be a little bitch, but she is my little bitch and I love her!



I then decided I wanted another dog. They had to be a male, long legged JR. I almost got another bitch but decided to have one last browse online to see if I could find a dog to meet this criteria. On Preloved their was a male, long legged JR going for £125 in Wiltshire (40 miles from Bath). I rung up my mum and said "Can I get another dog?! I look after Dottie well etc etc" she said ask Dad, I ring Dad and he says because I look after Dottie so well I can. So after a couple of days of faffing, I go collect this smelly little puppy, the last of the litter with fur missing all over his face.

At first Dottie didnt want to be near him, he had always been with other dogs and she didnt like dogs...go figure! After much dog swapping and no sleep, I left them downstairs together and found them sleeping (almost) in the same bed.

Another long story short, after Charlie went through his a**hole adolescent stage which made us even more hated down the dog park, he grew into a cool cucumber. With the help of an amazing behaviourist I learnt Charlie wasnt a scared dog like I thought, he was in fact very confident and able to read dogs very well. If there was ever a boss amongst the dogs, its him! Dottie, Brenin and Esme know hes the king pin. He loves fuss and will roll on his back for a baby to stroke him and gives me and Dottie a lot of confidence when out walking, he recalls well, food driven and can be taken to dog fun days, fetes, elderly peoples homes - he was in fact my right hand man when I did face painting at the BCDH dog day and helping one 3 year old boy overcome his fear of dogs. If an OTT friendly dog comes over or just a curious dog comes over, I'll let him meet them whilst Dottie is leaded up and watches.

I could go on and on about Charlie, but he is a little gem and charms his way into the hearts of all that meet him. Hes cheeky, hes cocky, he's hilarious, he's an ass, he doesnt suffer fools, hes laid back and he's a heartbreaker. Hats off to my boy Charlie, you are a star.













*Taken this week.*


Sorry for all the photos and rambling but when I first joined this forum 4 years ago! (coming up) I was a mess and didnt know what the hell I was doing and what to do with these 2 dogs (read my first thread which got locked! :lol: ) over the years we have done things I never would have imagined us doing. Like walking around the dog park without 50 leads trailing off them, mixing with "the norms", meeting other dogs, going to places when they are busy...they have taught me more than I can ever thank them for, including my Veganism. Nowadays all I take with me is poo bags, a ball, Charlies toy and treats, before I carried at least 15 items in a bulging rucksack inc flexis, long lines, long leads, about 5 different toys, clickers...you name it! Not to mention being a quivering wreck!

Anyway, I could write a million pages on how amazing Dottie and Charlie are and still need a million more pages. I would cut all my limbs off for them. Stupid bloody dogs making me love them so much. Dottie and Charlie, I love you and I can never, ever thank you for what you've taught me


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## Jackie99 (Mar 5, 2010)

Nita's Mum she is just stunning, wow.


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## Tyton (Mar 9, 2013)

Most folks probably know my three big boys - I spend enough time spamming you lot with gazillions of photos of them anyway  But here they are in summary:



Tyton (aka Tyt-bum/'the big fellah') is a 4 and a half yr old newfoundland. Technically he's OH's dog - he met and picked Tyton at 4 weeks old, the very same weekend that he and I first met! We've had him from a pup and at 9months he had a serious injury to his hindleg, sufficient to have the vet want to proceed to an amputation or even PTS. £4k later and 18 months of garden rest/very restricted exercise and now hes a lovely, if somewhat anxious big boy. he loves cuddles and leaning into you, is a bit of a scaredy-puss outside, but has an endearing habit of running to me to hide behind... err 'protect' me if anything spooks him. He really is a 'gentle giant' and one can't help but smile when you look at him!



Then there are the 'boys' Beau (black) and Kahn (landseer), they are full littermates, 21 months old and also newfoundlands. A patient of mine had a litter and asked if we were interested. OH has always wanted a landseer since he was a wee boy, but the only male they had left was a wee black pup; Beau. We collected him at 9 weeks, but 5 days later had a call from the breeder saying Kahn had been handed back in and would we like him.... the rest is history!



Their heritage is dubious, I've since found all sorts out about the breeder and we've had fallings out over breeding dogs with dodgy hips/inherited problemse, etc. but I wouldn't swap our two tearaways now! Beau has matured into a loving friendly dog, still very much a handful, but also a delight when he does work well. After some recent training classes the bond between me and him has deepened and I'm very very proud of him.



Kahn is a much easier dog than his brother, brash, clumsy, food-mad but straightforward. A delight to walk as he is much more people focussed than either of the other two, affectionate in the house and very striking with his white and black colouring. More OHs dog than mine I'd say. He and Beau achieved their Bronze KCGC awards last week.



And the baby of the pack. Wee Ronin. We got him last Monday at nearly 9 weeks old. He's a Caucasian Ovcharka as we wanted to move away from newfies for a while. Already he's a big character in a wee body - bosses Tyton when he gets too bouncy, has appointed Beau as 'nanny' - throws himself upside down on his feet and snuggles up to him at every opportunity. He's a bright wee spark, already learning to walk to heel, sit and come and loves zoomies with his 'big brothers'. Very much a work in progress as he's so very new to us, but I'm sure I'll regale you with his development and adventures as he grows in stature and integrates with the rest of our big fluffy pack.



All four together


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## WhippetyAmey (Mar 4, 2012)

Nitas mum said:


> Blooming marvellous idea for a thread! As I don't get on here often, it's been great to pin down so many user names and gorgeous canines - I feel a bit more familiar now!
> 
> I have just the one - although rather large and hairy, with dinosaur-sized poo, so maybe I can pretend I have two
> 
> ...


We saw a 10 month old Leo the other week and I have to say, they are gorgeous!!!!

And she is very very pretty little (or not little!) girl!! x


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## Nitas mum (Jan 17, 2013)

Jackie99 said:


> Nita's Mum she is just stunning, wow.


Thank you! She's a fluffy great lump of gorgeousness (and she blooming well knows it too!)


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## Nitas mum (Jan 17, 2013)

WhippetyAmey said:


> We saw a 10 month old Leo the other week and I have to say, they are gorgeous!!!!
> 
> And she is very very pretty little (or not little!) girl!! x


Thanks! I love seeing the transformation from pup to adulthood. Her colouring changes slightly each time she blows her coat, so she may end up pink with purple spots in a few years 

She's very jealous that her ears aren't a patch on yours though (well, not you personally!) I love pointy dog ears, don know why but they make me smile!


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## clairesdogs (Aug 10, 2011)

Few will know me as I normally just read! But here are my guys

Ollie, Jess and Islay









Ollie is a 4 year old Working Cocker, My heart dog I'd say and my only one from a pup. I did wonder what I'd got my self into when he first came home (he terrorised my late German Shepherd Skye) But he has grown into the most handsome, loving, sweet little man I could ever wish for. We compete in agility, flyball and play at canicross. I loves him!









Jess is another 4 year old Working Cocker, I visited Ollies breeder when he was 9 months, the breeder had run on his sister and Jess (who was 10 months at the time) to see who shwe would like for trialling. She had decided to concentrate on Ollie's sister as Jess was so small and said she may be looking for a new home for her, I jumped at the chance! Jess loves a cuddle and would lie on your lap all day. Out on a walk she is a completely different dog, she doesn't stop! We compete in flyball and she loves to canicross, We try agility but she doesn't really 'get' it!








Islay is a 16 month old Springer who has been with us for 2 months now. She is a rescue having come in due to the previous owners work schedule. She is coming out her shell and is a lovely addition to the family. The other two adore her! She has started her flyball training and canicross. We will start agility in the new year!


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## Jellypi3 (Jan 3, 2014)

Wow this thread has made me super dog broody! Can't wait to finally get one of my own!


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

BlueJay said:


> My Rory??


Yes - little tiny bundles of joy (if you had bred) with giant Dino teethies!!!


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## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

Lovely thread! 

First off we have Muffin. She's technically my family's dog, but I live on the family smallholding and do most of the looking after. She was born on 28th August 1998, so is now 16 and a quarter years old. 

She's a Sussex Spaniel x Border collie, from working strain parents living on a farm. She's the soppiest, loveliest dog in the world, not a bad bone in her body, completely bombproof and great with people, dogs, kids, other animals, you name it she really doesn't care about it as long as she can have a cuddle.

She's gone a bit deaf in her old age, and is on supplements and NSAIDs due to quite bad arthritis in her back legs and spine, brought on by the sudden cold weather. So she spends a lot of her time snoozing nowadays, though I make sure she goes out and stretches her legs a few times a day to avoid too much muscle loss.

We love our Muffin-bum to bits :001_wub:









Then there's Nooka. The first dog of my own. I was going through some tough times personal and career wise, and was looking for a lurcher puppy for my Dad when I came across a local small rescue. I saw a picture of some wrinkly puppies and fell in love :001_tt1: Their Mum had been picked up by the dog warden and was heavily pregnant in the pound. She gave birth on a Friday and on Sunday her and her 4 baby hippos were winging their way down the country to safety. 
(Playing with Mum)









So I couldn't help myself. I applied, was homechecked, and went to see the 2 bitch puppies being fostered 5mins down the road by a Vet Nurse (the 2 males were being adopted by their fosterers). I fell in love with the small, timid fluffy one, and took her home a week later.

She has always been wary of strangers, even when I met her at 7 weeks she was timid. She is very distrustful of people she doesn't know, and it can take a long time to gain her trust, but once you do she's a complete softy who will sit and take as much stroking as she can get. She's been attacked a couple of times making her wary of strange dogs too, but we are slowly working on that. She's clever, almost too clever. She generally only does as much as she needs to rather than trying to do more to please, and not being food or toy motivated really doesn't help matters. But when she puts her mind to something she's great, especially agility where she would rather play with her doggy friends most of the time, but when focussed does really well.

I love her to bits, she's hard work but that almost makes me love her more as I have to actually really focus on working with her. 
(Doing a lovely sit-stay)









And not forgetting our first family dog Bramble, a working strain PRT who we sadly had pts last year. He was a typical terrier, hunting small furries outside, but being a complete lazy-bones inside. He loved everyone and visitors had to be sat on and given kisses when they came to visit. I still miss him


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## tattoogirl73 (Jun 25, 2011)

my two are opie, five year old dobermann, and tricky woo, two year old apriot poodle. we fetched opie and his littermate brother jax home when we decided to move to the country to look after oh's mam. unfortunatley the boys fighting got that bad we took the heartbreaking decision to rehome jax. a year later we started discussing getting opie a female playmate. i'd always wanted another poodle so a few months later tricky woo came home.

before geting opie and jax i didnt have a clue about dog training. now i take tricky to agilty, and she's training for her silver gcds while opie has just started training for his bronze. they totally adore each other


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## Maria_1986 (May 15, 2011)

We have Chevy who is around 9 years old. She is our first dog, having previously had cats, however when my OH's cat allergy got to the point of triggering asthma attacks we had to rethink cat fostering.

We have had Chevy for almost 2 years and she came from a small staffy rescue in Wales and has had many homes before us, she was a poundie saved at the final second by one of the nurses at the surgery used by the pound to PTS. I had known a few staffs as a child and loved their fun gentle natures and had always said that if we got a dog I would have liked a staffy. The hunt was then on for the right dog - needed to be happy in a flat, good with other dogs and good with guinea pigs. Spent lots of time talking to to the rescue by email and on the phone, passed the home visit and then finally made the 5 hour drive to meet Chevy and take her home and it was love at first sight.

She is arthritic in three legs, the worst being her hip so she is a bit lame and often 'skips' a step but we knew there was a joint issue when we adopted her. She goes to hydrotherapy and has physiotherapy sessions, plus we do physio and have a EMS machine to use at home.

She has been a wonderful first dog, she can be stubborn and will ignore if you can't convince her that learning something new is worth her while - touch was easily taught with fish4dogs treats, spins are a cheese level trick, 'sit up' is smoked salmon level  We loved our training classes and after a fun class trying a bit of rally we now mess about with little rally courses at home for fun, we are sloppy and don't always get it right first time but we enjoy it.

She loves everyone, is a Pets As Therapy dog and is helping my brother overcome his fear of dogs. I love her to bits and can't imagine my life without her now.


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## ciarasmum (Aug 21, 2013)

My girl Ciara is now 6 and a half. My mum begged and begged my dad for another GSD. We previously had a very stable WGSL GSD called Sasha, think my mum just got lucky with her breeder as she certainly didnt know much about it and I was too young to know. We got Ciara from what turned out to be a BYB.

They pushed her on us at 5.5 weeks but we waited until 6 (great right!). There was only one other pup left so no idea how early they were gone, and they were kept outside with little interaction. Over the years weve had various encounters with other pups from the litter, all nervy and met some people who have slated this breeder. You live and learn though.

So for the first few months of her life I was off work and waiting to go to Holland for an internship. I took Ciara to classes and did all her walking. She was always a little nervy, but when it came time for me to go to Holland she was 8months. I came back 3 months later to an even more nervy dog. Fear aggressive with dogs and worried by people. I went to uni for a year to do my masters and when I came back I realised she had become too much for my family with her issues and aged 22 I took her on as my own (though I still lived with my parents).

Noticed her bunny hopping when running with other GSDs and took her to get xrayed when she was 2. She has arthritis and both hip and elbow dysplasia. Thankfully it all seems mild and she was re- xrayed last year when she was under GA for an ultrasound, it doesnt seem to have progressed much at all. Aside from limited/no ball throwing, she lives a healthy life and were always at the beach, up the moors or on some other adventure where we have peace and quiet.

Weve worked through her dog issues and she is mostly fine now, but unfortunately despite lots of work and trainers specialising in BAT coming to work with us, she is still worried by people. Thankfully she prefers to move herself away rather than actively use aggression to warn people off, but she will still give a low grumble if worried. Ive never discouraged this, only used it as a lesson to make sure she isnt in the same situation again. Id never want her to stop warning me she was worried and feel she needed to bite.

Anyway, in June I moved to my own house and she came with me. Settled in beautifully, accepts all people that come and go who I was too nervous to introduce her to before I had my own house.
Enough waffling, here is my beautiful girl (sorry if the pics are huge, can't edit them at work)

hiking in the lakes



Playing in the sea



Waiting for me to throw a snowball



I love this!


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## Jellypi3 (Jan 3, 2014)

Ciarasmum you photo's are gorgeous!


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Not one for images so will use older ones...










Starting from left to right...

Emma, old english bulldog, a private rescue. Emma came to us through an advert in a web site. The previous owner only had her for three weeks but unfortunately their existing dog didn't like her and kept attacking her, having several severe fights. Owner was very concened about finding her the a family home as up to when we contacted them only puppy farms and breeders had shown interest.

Benny, hovawart, a rescue from a "pension", a rescue where dogs normally live out their lives. Benny is blind having been blind from birth.

Daisy, an american bulldog. Rescue from hungary. Had her from around 7 months old. Handed into the rescue as, according to the breeder she had the wrong coloured eyes.

Nelson, a beagle/cocker mix. Had him as a puppy. Our first dog we were lucky with the breeders. They still hold a yearly event getting all the dogs together and keeping in touch.

Then we have Cooper (below), another american bulldog, private rescue. Cooper was excessively thin and was being kept outdoors, despite freezing weather until he was rescued by an intermediate family who couldn't keep him. His life was made more complicated by the Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) here in Germany. In parts of Germany he's a banned breed, other areas there are restrictions. Luckily where we live is free of BSL. Have had touble with him as he will eat anything, not necessarily chewing it first. Almost lost him as he swallowed a bra and several knickers. Just a note.. trying to figure out what a bra is on an X-ray is interesting.


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