Tuesday 9 October 2012

Letter from Louis and family

Hi Sarah/Paul, we have missed each other on the phone.....
To give you an update Louis is just delightful, very loving and we are so lucky to have him as part of our family, we are working with him to reduce his stress/instinct/desire to chase cars inside the car and on the road which will be challenging, any tips or advice you could give us would be appreciated (specifically roads). Of the many different walks we have done this week, there is one nearby that requires us to cross a road, Louis can hear a car 500+ meters away, i.e. not in sight and you can physically see him change... Again any tips would really help...
Warm regards Andrea



Letter from Jack, Merlin and family

Hi guys
Had a really good weekend.
He and Merlin seem to be hitting it off see photo of them lying together.
We really enjoyed seeing you all again so soon.
Thanks for jack we love him to bits
Andy





Letter from Darcy & family

Dear Paul and Sarah

We can't believe we've had Darcy for a year today - she is so much part of the family now we can't remember a time without her.  The grandchildren have been round today spoiling her with new toys for her year birthday with us and we all had cake including Darcy who just loved all the extra attention. Her tail is so much better now - we have been policing her to make sure that her very waggy tail is not hitting against anything. She can't understand why we are obsessed with her tail and keep holding it still when she is excited and now tends to roll on the floor instead for a tummy rub! We took her to the beach for the first time last week and her face was a picture. She loved the freedom of the sand, which she kept burying her face in, but wasn't sure about the sea even though it was like a millpond. We are sending a few pictures of her so you can see how she looks now. She has a beautiful glossy black shiny coat which you can't see from the pictures.

Best wishes

Phil and Jackie Mellish and Darcy





Letter from Wilfie and family

Hi Auntie Sarah & Uncle Paul,
                                                   I nose u fink Im a speshel chap but I bet you didnt nose that I is Magic !Yep I 'ave Magic Ears the foto I 'ave put wiv this letter shows u both my Magic Ears - he he .  My ears gets all Magic wen I is getting excited + 'speshelee wen I is waiting for Mummy to get me breakfast ready .I also do "The Wilfie Bum Shuffle"  which is me getting all excited and wiggly me back + botty along Mummy + Daddys wooden bed .The other day I spotted the end of a loaf of bread in a bag in the bin ,it looked sooooo scrummy I decided to help meself :)) laughing  them Mummy caught me 'running' off into the garden with it .She wasnt cross or anything she just didnt want me to eat the bag so she was trying to catch me  :)) laughing  I was holding that bag real tight and then mum told me she would give me a nice treat if I dropped the bag so I did .
 
 
                    Sending you both lots of Wilfie Love  
                      xxxxx
 
 

Letter from Fred Pup and family

Dear Wiccaweys,

Just wanted to give you an update on how puppy Fred is doing since he moved in with us in Bristol 2 weeks ago - where does time go?

The journey home was fine - after about 5 minutes of whining, Fred settled down quite happily. We stopped to check on him several times, and despite one bout of car sickness, the journey went well.

Once we got him home he settled in really quickly. His first night was eventful and he kept us awake most of the night,  but since then he's slept through brilliantly (with the requisite 2 nightly 'go pee' stops being accepted with grace and dignity, and pretty much being carried out in the manner of sleep walking!). He's recognised his crate is his little haven and he retires in there most days for a short 'chill-out'. The garden has also proved popular - I think we have a digger on our hands with this one!

He's met a number of people these last 2 weeks - the postman, gas man, neighbours and friends. He's been brilliant with all of them and everyone is met with a big smile and a very waggy tail! We've taken him to the local Pets at Home store a couple of times now to get him used to different places, short car journeys and lots of people. He's proved a real hit and the number of small girls who come and ask if they can pet him is ridiculous - he's a real ladies man already!!

He's booked in for his next injection this weekend, so we're starting to get him used to the idea of having a lead attached to his collar in preparation for his first big outing! We're very excited about showing him the local neighbourhood in a week or so.

So all in all everything is going great guns. Sadly he he can't join the local puppy training group until mid November so we're really working at teaching him the basics at home - he's got 'sit' and 'wait' totally nailed - especially when there's a food bribe at the end of it! He;s also a very clever pup and has set up a twitter account - @plfbristol if you wanted to keep an update on his daily antics!

Hope all is well with the other pups and that they are all finding their forever homes too.

Sian, Ben and Fred




Letter from Minnie Kelpie and new family

Hi Sarah and Paul,

Just thought I would let you know that Minnie has had a fabulous first 24 hours with us. She travelled home in the crate like a dream, looking out at everything going on around her. She has settled into her new home well, likes her new bed which she goes to if she needs to feel safe. She and Storm have become firm friends and she looks to him for reassurance, if Storm thinks it’s ok to come to greet you then she will too. They relax together in the evenings which means I now have 2 dogs in the kitchen helping me with tea.
She has been on a couple of local walks now and rushes around on her long lead ,tail up and nose down taking in everything around her. She has been busy meeting new dogs and owners at the training school and will start there next week. Everyone there thinks she is fabulous and they are right of course.
Thank you taking the time and trouble to find the right dog for us, I’ll keep you posted on her progress.
 
Sara Holmes



Letter from Alfie (nee Glen) and family

Dear Paul & Sarah,

Alfie (previously Glen) has been with us for a year now & we thought that you might like to see how he has changed from skin & bones at 14.5kg on his first visit to the vet to our ‘Fat Boy’ at 24kg!  When he first came to live with us he had 5 or 6 small meals a day & went each week to the vet for a weigh in.  Now he just has breakfast & supper with step brother Max & only gets to visit (what he thinks of as the biscuit dispenser) every couple of months, just to check that all remains well.  When he first was able to be let off the lead we had to put a muzzle on him as he was a terrible scavenger and had frequent upset stomach issues as a result. Once he took on some weight he no longer needed the muzzle. He has stopped eating most of the disgusting items and will usually ‘Leave’ most things when asked to (Although only in exchange for a nicer treat!)

Alfie didn’t really want to go on walks for the first couple of weeks and walked behind us with his tail down. Now we have no chance of keeping up with him!  Fortunately, he always comes back when called… with only occasional brake failure which can result in a crash into either us or a tree!   All of his little cuts & scabs healed very quickly, he is now a confident chap who is absolutely sure that every dog he meets wants to play with him & he has a special squirrel bark, reserved for those pesky little things that run up trees instead of joining in a proper game of chase.

Everyone in the local woods knows Alfie and we are always being told how good he is looking now. We hope you agree.

Best wishes
Penny, Ian, Alfie & Max





Letter from Pip (nee Poppet) and family

Hi Sarah & Paul
 
I thought it was about time I gave you an update on Pip's (Poppet at Wiccaweys) progress.
 
It is now just over 3 years since we adopted her, and we can't imagine being without her now. She really enjoys agility, and has come 2nd in the Large Grade 2 category in the Agility Club, winning a lovely trophy which will be presented at the end of November! She has also qualified for the Pro-Plan final at the end of October. She won out of Grade 2 into Grade 3 earlier in the year. She is also the top rescue dog and top Wiccaweys dog in Grade 2 at the moment and we are 2nd in my age group in the Senior Agility League (these leagues finish at the end of the year)! I have really had fun doing agility with her.
 
Pip has given us a couple of frights when she has been spooked in the park (twice by the attention of a friendly but young and very boisterous Great Dane!) and has bolted. She heads for home, but this involves crossing quite a busy road! We now put her back on the lead at the slightest suggestion that she might run off!
 
Pip still has a thing about cars, although she no longer lunges at them, but tries to get into any car with the boot or a door open. She is always desperate to get back to the car after a walk, or even at a show after her run! As she was found as a stray, we wonder if she was 'dumped' from a car.
 
I wasn't too sure about taking her on originally - I wouldn't have chosen her from her picture - but I am so glad Paul suggested I consider her. When she jumped all over Peter, my husband, when we first met her, there was no longer any doubt in either of our minds! I am so grateful to you both for letting me give her a home.
 
Shirley Carton (and Pip)