News for New Year!

Wishing you all a very healthy, safe, peaceful and happy New Year. I have had a strange couple of years - was in and out of hospital and pretty much confined to bed for 8 months. I was told that if I dropped any more weight then I would have to become resident in hospital just to feed me as my organs were on the verge of shutting down. Never got a diagnosis, not really back to full health but feeling a lot better (did not have too many problems putting the weight back on once the big lump in my side went away!) and trying to live life as best I can with attitude and gratitude - it can slip away so very easily! I lost my old faithful, Paddy, a few years ago due to a tumour on his spleen and decided to go to the Dog's Trust and look for a Greyhound or Lurcher once I was back on my feet. To cut a long story short all the breed types I was looking for had already been reserved (yeah, was really happy at the same time as being disappointed) but one little bitch caught my eye and I kept going back to have another look at her. Her card said she had medical problems and she was very stressed, jumping vertically at the back of her kennel. I eventually decided to ask about her and was told she was very difficult, could probably never be let off the lead, was destructive and very hard to train. I took her for a walk and she came home with me less than a week later! We have called her Poppy, she is a German Short Haired Pointer and has a pretty large hole in her heart. Within three days she had bonded with me and is, by a long way, the most intelligent dog I have ever known. She has had three homes before and was returned every time - she is beautiful, loyal, willing to work for a look and just awesome. I got her in July and decided a few weeks ago that she was so awesome I would like to rescue another one. So began the search for a dog that would fit in with her and work and I had decided on another Pointer, if possible. Again, to cut a long story short, I was directed to the Dog's Trust in Canterbury. They had an 18 month old German Wire Haired Pointer dog that was proving difficult to home. He had been found as a stray in Dublin, Ireland, at 6 months old. He was re-homed only to be returned when he was "too jumpy, barked at visitors and went, as if to bite, the ten year old girl in the family when she bent over him to tie her shoelace when he was asleep at her feet." He was in the home for less than two weeks and then spent a year in kennels. We took Poppy up to see him (a five hour round trip) three weeks ago today after numerous phone calls between the Dog's Trust in Canterbury, the Dog's Trust here and our vet to try and make it possible for us to take him straight away if Poppy reacted well to him. We brought him home. He has been very hard work, is a total baby with no training at all, wanted to eat the cat and the rabbit and was a complete nutcase. I called him Huffle because of the funny noises he makes and three weeks on we have two gorgeous dog that walk to heel beautifully, are at work with us every day and just relax on their bed in front of a classroom of strangers, sleep in the same room as the cat (cat's choice!) and are free running with other dogs at least three times a day. I am so proud of them and my family showing me how much the welfare of the dogs comes first. My son was home for Christmas from university and brought his two 15 week old kittens with him. I won't say it was without stress but we got there eventually and had a very peaceful and animal friendly Christmas (no tree!). I am so looking forward to teaching Huffle that life is good and people can be trusted - he is realising this and is very responsive compared to the dog that spent his first few days pretending we didn't exist. So - yeah, am looking forward to 2012 and I hope you are too. Count your blessings, however small, be proud of the good things you have because you deserve them and tell those that you love how you feel. Not a bad way to start a New Year! Have a good one xxx

Wow! So sorry you've had such a bad time healthwise, but glad you are on the mend! Goodness, no wonder you hadn't ben posting much! You have to remember to take care of YOU, okay?

Both dogs seem like great new family members, and I am glad you were able to take them after others had pretty much given up on them. Don't rescue dogs make the best pets? ;) Oh, and I love Huffle's name - it's perfect!

And how amazing is it that the little boy I met when I was visiting over there is now in college!!! Time does fly, doesn't it?

Hi Carrie,

I'm so sorry to hear that you have had such a rough time with health issues
I'm glad you doing so much better now. Having two dogs to
work with certainly takes your mind away from dwelling on unanswered
health questions. This is a good reminder to not take our health for
granted.

Do you think you could post pictures of your two pupsters? I like their
names, Poppy & Huffle.:)

Take care of yourself & Happy New Year to you & your family.:)

Thanks guys. Karen, that little boy you met will be 21 in March!!! Does time fly? It seems to be supersonic!!! Lizbud, I will get pictures up in the next couple of days - I will have to use the computer at work as my laptop is a bit rubbish. Happy New Year.

Happy New Year! Sorry to see you've been so ill, hope the future is much brighter for you.:) I'm sorry about Paddy.:(
I would love to see some pics of Poppy & Huffle!:D

Happy new year Carrie and kudos for rescuing Poppy and Huffie! I hope your health continues to improve and you and yours are all happy and well!

Thank you so much, pictures as soon as I can, I promise, they are like Lady and the Tramp! Poppy is very beautiful and elegant and graceful and Huffle is very very handsome but a bit rough around the edges. We almost called him Rhino as he just does not go around stuff!

I do hope you have a healthy 2012. It sure sounds as if you had a rough time in previous years.

That is wonderful that you have adopted two "dogs with problems" and they have turned out to be wonderful pets. Probably most of the problem was with the humans who didnt know how to train or relate to them. What a difference you have made in their lives! Good for you!! I'm looking forward to the pictures.

Glad to hear that you are feeling so much better after a very difficult health year.
Having been "owned" by both a short haired and wire haired pointer over the years all I can say is it's a good job you have so much experience with dogs because they are funny, energetic, intelligent nut cases and if my experience is anything to go by Huffle will keep you entertained and on your toes for years.
Having lost my Wire Haired Louie just over a year ago, I envy you.
Hope you have a healthy happy New Year.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...39408608_n.jpg



At last! Worked out how to get a photo up!!

Poppy is lying down and Huffle is sitting behind her. We had Huffle one day short of four weeks here.
Haha ha, look out! Now I know how to do it . . .

Awww, Huffle LOOKS like a Huffle, too! Give them each a hug and a bellyrub from me, okay?

They are both beautiful dogs.:) Poppy looks like a delicate, girly girl.:)
Huffle looks like a a big boy. My dog Maggie sits on her back leg like he
does in this picture.:)

I'm glad you're able to do pictures now so you can keep us all updated
on the goings on across the pond.

Carrie!!!! How wonderful to see a newsy update from you. I have missed being in touch with you. Sure would love to catch up sometime. I don't Skype, but I can still do the old fashioned email and Facebook. Please get in touch with me. Hope you still have my same email address that I've had forever.
My friend, I am so glad you are healthy again.
Life with pets has certainly changed for all of us in the 12 years we have known each other through Pet Talk. My original Goldens, Honey and Lilly, are gone like your Paddie, and my Mimi and Butter too. But I have two rescued male Golden Retrievers now, Ben and Apollo, both of them gimpy old men, but oh so sweet. And we also still have our 5 1/2 year old Mack, our English Bulldog. And 3 kitties are here now as well, Bo, Henry and Tillman, all rescue boys as well.
Let's do better keeping in touch, please!!!! :) This has just made my day.

Poppy and Huffle are beautiful and I'm sure they have a good home with you. Please post some more pics when you can. I dont think anyone will get tired of looking at pet pictures.