Teddy - Diary of a rescue staffie

First topic message reminder :

If anyone wants to read how this started then this link will get you there https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t23065-dilemma-i-need-to-make-a-decisionnothing-bad

Teddy is home!

Came home with me tonight for the first time.

All seems OK, he has been for a walk with me and my next door neighbour, shown him where the garden is, had some dinner and he is now crashed out on my fleece dressing gown on the sofa next to me.

He is absolutely mesmerised by the TV, not sure he has ever seen one and I have a very large Plasma screen on the living room wall.

I will post some pictures once he has settled in.

Still got a waggy tail when I talk to him so I don't think he is too stressed by the change of home.

Just got to sort out tonights sleeping arrangements next

Regards

Simon

Fishguard, West Wales

Chase is gorgeous! Sounds like Teddy is going to have some serious fun!

Not the way I wanted to start Saturday.

I have had to go to the vet's for the first time since I came to live with Simon.

I had a poorly nail on my front left paw. Simon didn't know if I had something lodged under it because I would not let him anywhere near it without screaming the house down. There was no colour to the nail like you can see on a normal one.

The waiting room was the best part of the trip because there were people who wanted to talk to me and other dogs to talk to and start a singing session with.

Mr Vet (Ryan) was really nice and gave me an injection that made my legs go like jelly and I went sleep on the table.

Ryan got a good look at it once he was calm and said there was nothing under it and all he had done was bent the nail right back which had cut off the blood supply to it which is why it had no colour. He removed the nail which came out really easy.

Then he gave me another injection to wake me up and an antibiotic one so Simon doesn't have to hide any tablets in my food today.

My legs still feel like jelly and have had to have a big sleep on the sofa.

Simon & The Tedster

Ohhhh Teddy that does sound sore, I hope the nail grows back quickly so you can get back to all that digging in the garden.

Kathy wrote:Ohhhh Teddy that does sound sore, I hope the nail grows back quickly so you can get back to all that digging in the garden.

I think digging is how he damaged it in the first place Kathy.

He has dug the most enormous pit under under the blackberry bush in the garden to lie in.

It's funny to watch him digging it, he stands there digging with all four paws, growling at himself.

Anyway he seems OK, we have just been for a short walk, the sedative took ages to wear off, he was still unsteady on his back legs 4 hours after but is now back to his normal self.

Simon & The Tedster

Pixee sends licks to you Teddy. Hope you soon feel better Teddy.
And give your daddy lots of licks and hugs too.

Just an update for you all on Chase who is on page 4 of this thread



He has gone to live with one of the ladies who run CARIAD so I dont have to worry about him.

I got quite attached to him while he was in the rescue with us and walked him a few times.

I know the lady who has taken him on and I am fixing her tablet PC at the moment. He is being very good in his new home and I am so pleased he has gone somewhere good because I would have worried about him.

Definatly landed on all four paws.

Simon & The Tedster

Awww great news  

That is brilliant news Simon  , give that lady a big hug from me next time you see her  

Fantastic news

Playing Frisbee In The Park









And just to prove that I can be a good dog and play nice, I made a new friend in the park called Echo

Great pics of Teddy enjoying himself there Simon, must say his new friend looks a bit like Rocky   

Fab pics   

Aww lovely

I sent the pictures of The Tedster playing with Echo in the park to Yvonne who runs the rescue he came from and Caroline who is our regular walker. I trust Caroline 100% as she is very good with dog body language and training. One of the days I might tell the story here of what she did for both me and Buster who is one of the house dogs.

Caroline had a very bad experience with The Tedster when he was still in the rescue. You have to remember my poor little dog we think had been used as a bait dog. She took Teddy out with another staffie and Teddy attacked the other dog. Caroline came very close to choking him to death in an effort to get him to let go of the other dog.

You should know that despite everything Caroline is probably Tedsters favourite person. When we are at work if he sits on the first landing of the stairs he can see out through the front windows and he goes mad when he spots her

Anyway here is the reply I got from Caroline to the email I sent with the pictures

“Hi Simon,

these are great, so good to see Teddy being sociable and happy, you have turned his life around, at one point it seemed very bleak for him, stressed to the point he was biting his stump till it bled, he is very much a success story of a dog that was in a dark place, and his new life is down to your great work and stability you have given him!

well done xx

Caroline”


Simon & The Tedster

Goodness me that brought me to tears, how lovely

This is more an entry for myself than for my dog, The Tedster.

Due to an unfortunate incident between one of the dogs and one of the cats that left Yvonne unable to handle dog walking and also Caroline, our regular walker having an operation on her knees my involvement in the rescue my own dog came from has become much more than I have ever done before.

So I thought you might all like to hear about my new friends. They can all be viewed here http://pembrokeshirestaffies.webs.com/dogs and there are some video clips that I shot. Yvonne can be contacted from the above web site.

I look at my own dog, The Tedster and realise just how lucky he is to have a nice warm home, nice bed and everything he needs to be happy. The rescue dogs get as much time and attention we are able to give them but it’s not the same as having a nice stable home and sometimes it shows. At the same time we see the changes in the rescue dogs some of whom may have not come from ideal backgrounds, its no wonder they retreat into themselves. We work very hard to rehabilitate them so that they are sociable and ready for new homes, which is all they really want.

So at the moment I have 4 dogs I walk every day. I have to say, I don’t see this as a job or a chore because I really enjoy doing it and changing the lives of these dogs so that they see that not all humans are bad and teaching them new things is reward in itself. For all the work we put in when you get something back it is fantastic.

Duke

Duke is an American Bulldog and the biggest bundle of fun you could hope to meet. He is quite unhappy in kennels and would be a very different dog if he had a good stable home with an owner who is prepared to show him love. I have seen massive changes in him since he came to us. He is neutered which has calmed him down a lot. He is now used to me showing up at roughly the same time each day and we go for some great walks. Everything is an adventure and I have allowed him to meet as many other people and dogs as I can. He is learning not to chase traffic which is an ongoing process. Caroline taught him “sit” and now with me he does it without being asked if there is a treat in it for him. We always stop at the turn round point on our walks and I get down to his level and we talk. Sometimes I am rewarded with affection which is  a great leap forward for him. I almost have him walking to heal when asked which he will do if there is a treat at the end. I am trying to get him interested in the car so I can take him to the beach which I know he would love as he likes water. So far we are up to putting front paws up into the boot space of my estate car but he is yet to jump in, one day he will do it when he is ready and from then on it will be easy when he realises how much fun it can be. For such a big powerful dog he can be quite silly sometimes when he is not sure of something and I find him cowering behind me tucked up against my legs. Reassurance  that whatever it is will not hurt him and allowing him to take a look in his own time works. I can see past his unhappiness and know he could be a great dog with the right owner and the right home life.

Duke Video


Bobby

Not a Staffie but with some Staffie in him. Currently residing in the des res that is the mobile home he is the most fun loving dog you could meet. Always happy with his tail in the air and ready to play. The ideal home would be as an only dog as he is not keen on his own kind but he loves people. He is very attached to his green rubber ring. You can throw it, play tug with him with it, hide it under his blanket as long as he has it he is happy. He loves to run around the field and play ball. His recall is great and he will do “sit” and “stay” every time. He has the most beautiful coat  which is gold when viewed from some angles but which has black in it when viewed from other angles. Very affectionate and always up for fun. Happy to jump in the car although I have not taken him anywhere in it. He walks beautifully on lead and loves to explore his surroundings when we are out on walks. Fun with a capital F is what this boy is all about; the right owner would find him to be the most loyal friend you could want. Bobby is not cat safe.





Maisie

Again not a Staffie but with Staffie in her. We think she was used as a breading bitch and was a very shut down when she came to us. Not anymore, she is now full of fun and interacts with me with her tail up and ready for adventure. I had to take her to the vets which involved a car ride. This she absolutely loved, she spent the whole time looking out of the windows and she still goes for the doors of my car when we walk past it. She is very similar in looks to Bobby and is a very beautiful dog. Good on the lead with some freedom to explore her surroundings but strong on a short lead. Another dog who would give the right owner huge amounts of pleasure and affection. Probably the most changed dog of all of them, she didn’t interact when she first came to us but now she is attentive and generally walks around with her tail up in the air ready for whatever game we are going to play next. Her ideal home would be as an only dog and she is not cat safe.



Maggie

Maggie is the most beautiful little black Staffie girl I think I have ever met. She is not very big and we don’t think she is much more than 18 months to 2 years old. She was not well when she came to us as she had kennel cough. Because she was a little under the weather she didn’t really want to play and when let off lead she would stay very close, constantly checking you were still there. Oh how that has changed now that she feels better. Superb on the lead and with very good recall off lead. Charging around the field at 1000mph either with or without a ball is her favourite thing. She knows “sit” and is very gentle when taking a treat. As this is the Staffie forum I know I can say that when excited those little Staffie front teeth can be very sharp (sure you all know what I mean.) but she is in no way a biter. Cats, we don’t really know as it’s better to be safe than sorry but she doesn’t see the difference between the real thing and artificial cats, We have a porcelain cat which she took great delight in growling at the other day. An open car door is an invite to jump in and she has been out in Yvonne’s car without a crate and she was fine. She is happy despite being in rescue and being greeted by that little black tail wagging back and fourth is one of the highlights of my day.

Simon & The Tedster

18-2-2014

An update on my rescue exploits.

Maggie has now gone to a new home, I left the details of this forum with Yvonne so maybe her new owner will pop up on here.

Duke is the biggest piece of news. I have been trying to introduce him to the car every so often. Up until now he has been a little reluctant but today he did it all by himself      
He sat on the back seats with me in there as well with the door open and was fine. Once he discovered the driving mirror he could't stop looking at himself. Now the best bit, he let me close the back door and get in the driving seat and start the engine. Again there was no panic or sillyness so we went for a short drive. Passed with flying colours   

So now as long as he remembers he has done it once and will do it again we are going to the beach ASAP which I know he is going to love because he likes water.

Very proud of my big silly boy.

Duke 1

Duke 2

Duke 3

Duke 4

Aww teddy you big clever boy, well done you are looking mighty fine

Great to have an update, he's looking gorgeous   

Ermm

That's not Teddy in the pictures above, they are of Duke who is one of the rescue dogs I am working with!

Simon

Oh I thought he was a foster!

Me too sorry

Oh Saz I would foster him tomorrow if it was practical.

He is my personal project while I am filling in at the rescue until Caroline has recovered from the Op on her knees.

He is a very beautiful dog, a little head strong and is very silly when I go to fetch him in the mornings but once he has calmed down he walks fine and we explore everything.

The other day he decided we would go a different way on our walk that involved climbing over a 6ft high bank to follow the path. This was fine until we came back and he discovered he couldn't climb the bank from the other side. Trying to lift half a ton of reluctant AmBull is like trying to swim up hill in custard.

Now we have the car thing cracked we are going to have some serious fun

X

Simon

 Sounds like he keeps you entertained!

i just discovered this thread as im a newbie, and i had to read it from start to finish including all of the links, videos and photos, hence its 12.25am..great read..lovely story..youre a great bloke Si, and The Super Tedster is a lovely lad. Enjoy every moment with him.

 Well done you Simon. Lovely to see Teddy play and just being himself, all thanks to you. And wow, those dogs in the kennels are so lucky there are people just like you to take them out walking, loving them, and getting them ready to go to forever homes.

Not Teddy but one of the rescue dogs "Crazy Maisie"



Just a really nice picture of me and Maisie who gives the very best kisses and cuddles.

We do this every morning when we go for a walk, we have this special place at the top of the field where we stop for a bit of one to one time.

This poor little girl was so shut down when she came to us. I think this picture proves this is not the case now.

Come on, someone give this girl the home and love she deserves

XX

Simon & The Tedster

Aww Maisie looks gorgeous! Hope she finds a loving home soon.

Aww how sweet, she's a beauty   

Not updated The Tedsters diary for ages but feel this is worthy of an update.

It’s only now 2 days after the event that I feel I can write about it as my nerves are still in tatters.

Ted loves the car and loves sticking his head out of the window.

Friday, on the way home for some reason I still don’t understand he decided to jump out of the car through the open passenger side window while I was doing something like 35 – 40 mph.

I emergency stopped, truly believing he would be dead or seriously injured. I saw him roll and bounce at least twice. Luckily it was onto a wide grass verge and he didn’t hit anything.

Got out with my heart in my mouth and he trotted over to me, shook himself and ran back to the car.

Took him to the Vets even though he seemed OK apart from a bit of blood around his nose where his chin hit the deck.

Our Vet said he is very lucky and if he wasn’t a Staffy and built like a brick toilet he probably wouldn’t have got away with this stunt. Vet could find nothing wrong but gave him an anti inflammatory and anti biotic shot just in case.

He said they had a similar incident with a spaniel last year and the dog shattered it’s elbow and although it was fixable the Vet bill came to over 3K

Please all be careful as I would hate this to happen to anyone else.

And before anyone says he should be restrained, I agree and I am looking at ways again to do it but we started out with a restraint that slipped through the seat belt and he chewed through the seat belt to free himself. For now he is not allowed to have the window wound down too far.


Simon & The Tedster

Hiya simon maybe for teddy try one of thesehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00422L5AG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1438531897&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40&keywords=Window+guard+for+dogs&dpPl=1&dpID=41UxaC0ZFAL&ref=plSrch its a dog guard above car window

Oh My God, that's just terrifying. They live to give us heartfailure, I swear.

When Gizmo's in the car, he goes in the boot section with a grid to stop him from leaping onto the back seat. It's not ideal, and he whinges but at least he's (reasonably) safe. Like yourself we did have a seatbelt restraint but he gleefully chewed through it in no time.

Or alternatively try this http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00HCH25TS/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr2_2?qid=1438532206&sr=8-2-fkmr2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165&keywords=Anti+chew+seat+belt+for+dogs

OMG how lucky was he !!... We learn by mistakes let's hope he has too. Flo is unrestrained but we have a seat in the boot which she sits in like lady muck and gas never tried to get into the front with us though I'm sure if she had a window she would be hanging out of it too

Glad to hear he's all ok though

Eek that's got to be stomach wrenching when that happens. Staffies will do stupid things tho.

A couple of months back I got a call from the wife while I was in the pub asking if I had Bart with me, I'd come straight from work so hadn't gone for the dog. She's panicking because she can't find the dog anywhere in the house or even the garden. After much searching she found a window upstairs wide open (one of those upwards tilting ones you get in little upstairs windows. Seems the idiot had jumped up onto the window sill, nosed the partially open window wide open and jumped out of it.

After discovering the open window she saw the Bart shaped hole in the garage roof and soon after found the dog in the garage, wagging his tail and looking a bit thirsty. After a trip to the vets he was poked and prodded and the vet gave him the all clear. He clearly didn't learn from his failed flying lesson because a week or so later while we were out he managed to get the window open (which was closed this time) and was hanging half out of it when one of the neighbours saw him and rang the door bell to distract him.

We locked the window when we got home and it's not been unlocked since.

Vehlin wrote: Staffies will do stupid things tho.

Sadly I don't think he has learnt anything from it.

Been watching him like a hawk for the last few days just in case but apart from a friction burn on his nose he seems 100% OK

Simon & The Tedster

Today I do be a naughty dog !

Hello everyone, I have not written an entry in my diary for ages because I am not allowed to play with the laptop since I broke the screen on the last one daddy had - oooops

So let me explain why I am not in daddies good books today.

Daddy has to take the post from work to an alternative post office at the moment because our normal one is closed for a week. I normally go to the post office as well and help but I am not allowed in this one because it is also a food store and butchers and daddy says there would be far to much to interest me in there.

Daddy came back to the car with 2lbs of minced beef which was on something called special offer. It was hidden in the postal sack which was in the boot space of the car.

When we got back to our town daddy had to leave me in the car while he went to get me some dog food and some other bits n pieces for himself. I am used to being left in the car sometimes and normally I am good.

Today though the smell coming from the post sack was much to good to not explore. Being a Staffie chewing a hole in the bottom of the postal sack was not really a problem, apparently there is an open end that would have saved me the trouble but I didn't know that and didn't have time to learn how to open it anyway.

Having created a head size access hole imagine the Staffie smile on my face when I found another bag with 2lbs of prime minced beef in it. It was very tasty and I didn't leave any mess for daddy to clean up so I dont understand why he was not very pleased with me and I have no idea what Spaghetti Bolognese is anyway but apparently it contains minced beef. If you ask me it was fine just the way it was and I must say thank you to Mr Butcher next time we go to the post office.

Teddy - AKA The Tedster

Well done Teddy! Misty is very proud of you and says your daddy must have left it as a treat for you. It's not your fault, that meat must have smelt good and like the famous saying goes.   Staffies can resist anything except temptation..or something like that!

Uh oh I think you did a great job not leaving any behind though

Good job, Tedster! I do like to hear of a dog being thorough!

Duke now thinks you are his hero !