Post by babybean on Apr 21, 2011 21:27:47 GMT 1
(Actually it is Monday, but as we’re taking them away to Devon for the weekend we’ll have limited internet access! I know I recently did an update in Jan for her birthday, but thought I’d do another one as it was her first proper gotcha day!)
Well today we have had my gorgeous Holly one year! For those of you who don’t know, Holly came to us in an awful state. We got her off a not so nice breeder, who didn’t care for her. She’d just reached the age of 7, they’d got the last litter off her in February and now wanted rid of her! (This was her 4th registered, whether there were more unregistered we are unsure!)
When we first got her, the condition she was in was appalling. After we’d driven the long 5 ½ hour trip from North Wales, back down to the South Coast (not a peep from Holly bless her!) we took her straight to the vets for an MOT and ensure her jabs were up to date as we didn’t completely trust what they said due to her condition.
Here are some of the first photos we had of her, a few days in just learnt to play with the toys:
Our vet was horrified at her condition, and said she was one of the most skinny dogs he’d seen in a while. Being 19” she was just 8.3kg! Now she’s put on over 2kg since then! Not only was it her low weight, she also had the most disgusting teeth! You could literally smell her breath from metres away, poor baby. She had to have 2 out a molar and her one of her big canine teeth, there were a few others that were a bit iffy, so a strong dose of antibiotics was needed and managed to save them. The rest needed a good scrape and polish done under a GA to get them clean again. Her teeth horrified our vet too, as they were the worse he’d seen in a while, and was surprised that the infection hadn’t got into her blood yet! Just goes to show she was being fed the cheapest dog food, and very little of it at that.
Here are some photos of her teeth before:
And After:
Also her nails were in a good need of a trim, she had scars on her body which still remain, one fairly large one from a dog bite the vet reckons that wasn’t dealt with and just left to heal by itself. Finally she had an eye infection that she must have had for AGES. As although the infection itself has gone, it has damaged her eye permanently and left her with a weepy eye. But we think she’s beautiful just the same!
That was just her physical appearance. Physiologically she was seriously scared of EVERYTHING. She was a shadow of what she is today. If you called her name, and asked her to come to you, even when you were down on the ground with treats being less threatening, she’d crawl to you her back end collapsing, head down so as not to make eye contact. She’d obviously been called to them hit, or treated not nicely at all. You couldn’t make any sudden movements at all, as she’d flinch and run a mile. Toys, they were confusing and a bit scary at first. But eventually she learnt to copy Sparks and now adores them and chucks them about like there’s no tomorrow!
Training wise? She hadn’t been trained, but was the easiest dog EVER to train. SO willing to please, considering she’d lived outside and never in the house, she had one wee in the house then copied Sparky and used the dog flap. Personally I think that’s an amazing achievement in itself.
She also learnt that in order to have dinner, she’d have to sit and copy Sparky. (Along with other basic commands such as lie down, ‘in your bed’ paw, spin, speak, stay etc)
After a week or so we took her to Manor Farms enclosed dog field, and had someone stand by the gate so it was only us in there. We let her off to see what her recall was like; due to her ever so submissive, clingy nature she didn’t leave our side. So she was a dream offlead from the day we got her really. Although other non sighthound breeds are still a bit scary she won’t bolt off, just distance herself, but eyes on us the whole time bless her.
Of course without Sparky this couldn’t have all been possible, at first she was like a toddler (and still is really bless her) and had to learn to share. Was never nasty though and accepted her into our house without any problems whatsoever. Within a few weeks they were perfectly fine (with strict supervision) eating side by side (bowl by bowl) their dinner!
Sparky’s favourite in the family was really my mum all along. So when Holly lolly came I was so pleased when she favoured me, due to her insecurities it was a careful balance not to allow her to become too fixated on me, to ensure there were any SA issues. But apart from the first few weeks where she’d run around the house crying when I left, she soon learnt I can back and there was no need to make a fuss. However she’s managed to fine tune herself to me, and can tell during the night whether I’m having a hypo (I’m a type 1 diabetic) and will jump on my bed and wake me up by nuzzling me and wining.
Here are some up to date photos of my bear:
And finally some photos taken today of the Birthday girl and Sparky:
She genuinely is the most lovely, mellow easiest going dog you can think of. She is my baby, and one in a million. I cannot even bare to think to what might have happened if we hadn’t have had her. She is such a gorgeous girl and we all love her to pieces.
Happy first gotcha day Berry Bear, we love you lots!
xxxx
Well today we have had my gorgeous Holly one year! For those of you who don’t know, Holly came to us in an awful state. We got her off a not so nice breeder, who didn’t care for her. She’d just reached the age of 7, they’d got the last litter off her in February and now wanted rid of her! (This was her 4th registered, whether there were more unregistered we are unsure!)
When we first got her, the condition she was in was appalling. After we’d driven the long 5 ½ hour trip from North Wales, back down to the South Coast (not a peep from Holly bless her!) we took her straight to the vets for an MOT and ensure her jabs were up to date as we didn’t completely trust what they said due to her condition.
Here are some of the first photos we had of her, a few days in just learnt to play with the toys:
Our vet was horrified at her condition, and said she was one of the most skinny dogs he’d seen in a while. Being 19” she was just 8.3kg! Now she’s put on over 2kg since then! Not only was it her low weight, she also had the most disgusting teeth! You could literally smell her breath from metres away, poor baby. She had to have 2 out a molar and her one of her big canine teeth, there were a few others that were a bit iffy, so a strong dose of antibiotics was needed and managed to save them. The rest needed a good scrape and polish done under a GA to get them clean again. Her teeth horrified our vet too, as they were the worse he’d seen in a while, and was surprised that the infection hadn’t got into her blood yet! Just goes to show she was being fed the cheapest dog food, and very little of it at that.
Here are some photos of her teeth before:
And After:
Also her nails were in a good need of a trim, she had scars on her body which still remain, one fairly large one from a dog bite the vet reckons that wasn’t dealt with and just left to heal by itself. Finally she had an eye infection that she must have had for AGES. As although the infection itself has gone, it has damaged her eye permanently and left her with a weepy eye. But we think she’s beautiful just the same!
That was just her physical appearance. Physiologically she was seriously scared of EVERYTHING. She was a shadow of what she is today. If you called her name, and asked her to come to you, even when you were down on the ground with treats being less threatening, she’d crawl to you her back end collapsing, head down so as not to make eye contact. She’d obviously been called to them hit, or treated not nicely at all. You couldn’t make any sudden movements at all, as she’d flinch and run a mile. Toys, they were confusing and a bit scary at first. But eventually she learnt to copy Sparks and now adores them and chucks them about like there’s no tomorrow!
Training wise? She hadn’t been trained, but was the easiest dog EVER to train. SO willing to please, considering she’d lived outside and never in the house, she had one wee in the house then copied Sparky and used the dog flap. Personally I think that’s an amazing achievement in itself.
She also learnt that in order to have dinner, she’d have to sit and copy Sparky. (Along with other basic commands such as lie down, ‘in your bed’ paw, spin, speak, stay etc)
After a week or so we took her to Manor Farms enclosed dog field, and had someone stand by the gate so it was only us in there. We let her off to see what her recall was like; due to her ever so submissive, clingy nature she didn’t leave our side. So she was a dream offlead from the day we got her really. Although other non sighthound breeds are still a bit scary she won’t bolt off, just distance herself, but eyes on us the whole time bless her.
Of course without Sparky this couldn’t have all been possible, at first she was like a toddler (and still is really bless her) and had to learn to share. Was never nasty though and accepted her into our house without any problems whatsoever. Within a few weeks they were perfectly fine (with strict supervision) eating side by side (bowl by bowl) their dinner!
Sparky’s favourite in the family was really my mum all along. So when Holly lolly came I was so pleased when she favoured me, due to her insecurities it was a careful balance not to allow her to become too fixated on me, to ensure there were any SA issues. But apart from the first few weeks where she’d run around the house crying when I left, she soon learnt I can back and there was no need to make a fuss. However she’s managed to fine tune herself to me, and can tell during the night whether I’m having a hypo (I’m a type 1 diabetic) and will jump on my bed and wake me up by nuzzling me and wining.
Here are some up to date photos of my bear:
And finally some photos taken today of the Birthday girl and Sparky:
She genuinely is the most lovely, mellow easiest going dog you can think of. She is my baby, and one in a million. I cannot even bare to think to what might have happened if we hadn’t have had her. She is such a gorgeous girl and we all love her to pieces.
Happy first gotcha day Berry Bear, we love you lots!
xxxx