Mrs Mop

This is why I am doing an auction for Rescue Remedies, they always step in to help dogs like Roxy.

Last week I received a phone call, would I foster a Maltese/JRT, he is biting everyone including his previous owners who have spent a lot of money on him bringing him across from Australia were they adopted him from a pound. Bertie, aka Billy, he arrived on the 4th anniversary of my husband passing away who was called Bill so couldn't call him Billy, the first thing I did was put a house lead on him so I could lead him out of situations. Bertie hasn't put a a paw wrong, he has been a really good boy, he does get worried at times, especially when being groomed but some very small pieces of cheese help with that. He is mixing well with my gang, at first Dolly was too rough for him but he is coping with her now. Dolly is smaller and lighter than Bertie He has started to hump Dolly, I just used the lead to get him off, no problems, this morning poor Dolly, her wouldn't stop humping her so had to up it to putting him out of the room, counted to 10 and let him in again. It only took 5 times of being put out to stop the humping. I can never understand owners punishing their dogs when something as quick and easy as this works better than punishment. The lady who had him before me gave me some really good information on him, she had been bitted quite a bit by Bertie so I was able to avoid these triggers, she isn't in a position to keep a dog that bites because she has children which is why he came to me. Some photos of Bertie. Dolly getting to the tugger before Bertie. Sniffing bums, Dolly is the black dog in front, Bertie in the middle and Tilly smiffing Bertie. Dolly trying to get Bertie to play

Rescue Remedies are a fantastic rescue, they have overe 80 dogs in their care at the moment, most in kennels, they are struggling with the finances at the moment but still giving back up to this dog. They are true dog lovers.

hope you have a lovely day Phebe

Try Rescue Remedies, they may be full though.

That is wonderful news Healing thoughts do work a lot better than people expect, you don't have to be a healer, just sending these helps because it is the intent that works.

I am running an auction for Rescue Remedies on 8th to 15th January, please don't have one at the same time. When I run an auction the people donating the items put them up themselves, they do have to put their board name and number the items when they post them. This takes a lot of work out of running auctions, they just need watching to make sure the items are put up right and are within the board rules. The work comes when the auction has finished because of getting the information of who has won up. Auctions do bring people to the forum, the last one I done for Rescue Remedies brought quite a lot of new members, many had never heard of them.

Reiki on the way and I hope he makes a full recovery. A big for you to help your through this.

You can take a pattern off a coat that fits a Staffy, I did this for Ellie when I make her coat, her coat went into the Rescue Remedies Auction a few weeks ago. If you are binding the edges you don't need to allow for hems.

I have lost my hubby, mum and dad as well as quite a few dogs, I don't know which was the worst because I grieved differently for everyone. Grieving is personal as well as being public, everyone knows you are doing this but not how you are coping. I found that Rescue Remedy and Star of Bethlehem got me through my husband and my dogs, for mum and dad I didn't know about them. Star of Bethlehem is in Rescue Remedy and is for grieving. I chatter away to my mum, dad and hubby as well as all my past dogs, when you talk to others they do the same but don't admit it. I take the view that is just their body that has gone, they are still with me in spirit and as they were all a big influence in my life, they are part of me as I am now. You are grieving, it will take some time before you can move on but you will be able to. The grieving process is healing eventually, it is how we learn to cope, if we don't grieve we don't move on, moving on doesn't mean we don't have them, in fact, they are still with us especially when I am chatting to them. If I was close enough I would give you a big hug, there is nothing better for helping you through this than hugs, I am having to send you a cyber hug instead,

Going back to when Maggie Thatcher was PM, many on the dole were put onto Incapacity Benefit to reduce the numbers on the dole, these people were kept on their instead of helping them to find work. We now have another Conservative Government who wants to get people off the sick into work but again their is no jobs so they are going to get them to sweep leaves up instead to reduce the numbers on the sick.

For and against, it depends on how it is done and if there is any payment to the people who do it. There should be some payment, it is why we go out to work to earn enough money to have what we want. When I was a child the men on the dole would clear the pavements of snow, it was quite common to see. They may have resented having to do this but when they were out working and talking it wasn't as bad as they expected and they got a small wage for this. What does bother me is all the scarmonging going on when new things are suggested, all parties do this, let out various schemes to see what the response is, they don't say how it will be done and in many cases they are never heard of again. This isn't governing the country, this is testing to see what will be acceptable and what won't. Were have all the men gone that could make a decision after they have looked into the facts.

Wish I had seen them, age doesn't matter it is how you feel that counts.

Had to vote, I have a Dolly as well.

Personally if I had a vet like that I wouldn't go back, I discussed the vaccinations with mine and found that they do give injections every year for those than need to be done yearly, the others are done as and when needed whether it is 2 or 3 years between. This is were good records are needed so you and your vet knows what your dog has had previously. For arthritis I use Cortaflex with my vet's permission, she thinks it is one of the best remedies on the market for arthritis, I use it on myself and know how much better I am. My dogs only go onto painkillers when they need them, other things are tried first. They are quick to take blood, xrays and MRI scans but I prefer them that way than the way many vets seem to work. My vet listens to me, they explain everything in a language I can understand and we discuss all the options before I make the decision.

Puppies are nice to look at and smell but give me mum any day, she is a real cracker.

At the moment I don't have any heating in the living room, the gas fire that was in didn't work so I took it out, bought on on Ebay to go in then Ellie ran up a terrific vet bill which I am still paying off, until this is paid no work is being done on the house so no heat in the living room. The fire doesn't look good but we are nice and cosy, it looks better than the carpet and suit I have Hopefully next winter the living room will have a fire in, this can then go in the conservatory then

I bought this gas heater off Ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270628334612&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT, you can see how much I paid for it and is only 12 months old. I only have it on the low setting and it is heating the living room, hall stairs and landing. I have an electric convector heater which was on 24 hours a day last winter, my electric bill from December to March was nearly £1,000 which is why I bought this. The convector heater was on low all the time. I prefer to pay monthly for the gas than to have another bill like that.

I would love to see that Merlin would walk round and round in circles, eventually he would leave his back legs behind while his front was still walking, his bum would then go down followed by his front. For some reason he didn't circle as much when told to go down, strange dog.

I didn't teach Merlin to sit, he couldn't, I did teach him to go down on command by waiting until he had gone down on his own, put the command on it when he was nearly down then praise and treat. It didn't take long for him to realise what down meant.

Complaining to the seller won't do anything because they don't care or they really think they don't hurt the dogs. What may do something is a muzzle being advertised as a dog can't bite in it, dogs can give a very nasty bite in that type of muzzle so this is miss information. You can really hurt his business by passing it round the internet not to buy from him while is is selling prong collars.

Phebe phoned me at 10.10pm to say she was nearly there and was going to see to the dogs then rest and bed. She is going to have an easy day today but knowing Phebe, she will be on here as soon as she can Have a lovely lie in this morning Phebe, yesterday was a long, tiring day for you, Polly and Whispa.

Well done, someone has to organise Phebe

Is it raining inside the house as well? Phebe was very tired when I spoke to her last night and was still working, she had decided not to drive today but to stay at a friends for the night so she will be fresh for the drive tomorrow. It will be better for her to drive as well as the weather will be better.

Thank you everyone who took part in this auction, it was a big success and £1,580 was raised, some lovely people have added extra so the final amount isn't known yet. I am over the moon, so much money raised to help the dog