Jimcoted

I would think understandably, we were very worried about how Max who we found tied to a bench, would react to Ted's two grandsons. After all we knew absolutely nothing about him and he had snapped at a couple of people who had put their hands out towards him. I have already documented how well it went when he met them and how he now looks forward to the weekends when they are here. Well here is a couple of pictures of just how close he likes to be to them. Dillon nearly 9 is sitting in the chair playing on the PS2 while Ryan who is 4 and a half sits on the bunk bed watching and waiting for his turn. Max has wrapped himself almost around the base of the chair not being able to get any closer if he tried. If the kids go out on their bikes he prowls the flat going Ohhhhh, Ohhhhhhhh, Ohhhhhh till he hears them come back. This was the skinny howling snapping lunatic of just thirteen weeks ago. Jim

We sent this cart to France and her owners sent me this which I thought was nice of them

When our vet looked him over that first day he said that he had been well cared for at some point in the not too distant past and he felt that his caring owner was either in hospital, a care home or dead and that he had been taken on by somebody who didn't care other than to have him looking nice. I suspect security work and the job came to an end so the unwanted "tool" was thrown away. Pathetically thin and would eat anything, young Dillon didn't fancy his breakfast so I offered it to Max just to see what he would do and he scoffed everything, sausages, bacon, fried egg, beans fried bread. Offer it now and he turns his nose up so I think he had been tossed scraps as and when. I also found several scabs underneath him. Half of me would love to know his history but the other half doesn't.

For those of you who remember Max who we found tied to a bench almost thirteen weeks ago. Our vet felt that in the not too distant past somebody had loved and cared for him. Well this morning on the Common we found out that he could "speak" so somebody taught him. Here are a couple of pictures taken this morning plus a video on You Tube where you can hear him, and then see all three on the common. In the second part where you see them walking alongside the bushes, there is first a bin and then a bench then another bench it was that second bench that we found him tied to.

It is very much down to the design of the cart. There are some absolute horrors out there. The lady in the wheelchair I put on You Tube recently had bought one, the dog could not use it because it caused her to tear her paws to pieces dragging along the ground. There is another than causes bad chafing underneath the dog to the extant that one lady had put a nappy between the harness and the dog to stop this. This design is great which is why I am building them. I can put a GSD into one of these in about 30 seconds so very little time for the dog to get stressed out before it learns what this thing can do for them. If you go to my wesbite Jim's website and download the pdf from the About Us page you will be able to see what other rubbish is out there and it ain't cheap. What absolutely sickens me is that some dogs end up being put to sleep through this rubbish with the owner mistakenly thinking that the dog just will not use a cart never knowing that it is the cart and not the dog that is the problem. I have done hundreds of dogs in these ones.

He was a pleasure to help and just so happy once he was able to run around again. Bent down to say goodbye to him and got a massive kiss like he knew what I had done for him. They were taking him to the woods this afternoon, they live absolutely opposite them, literally just cross the lane or walk a few yards past my car( the green one in the picture) and the woods start. I bet he sleeps ok tonight. Jim

Where's me picture of Molly Bassett!!!!!

Ben suffered a herniated disc and had not walked unaided since last October. There had been signs of recovery with him having hydrotherapy but sadly although he was getting some movement it wasn't graduating to a full recovery so his owners ordered a cart from me. We built if but I was still somewhat sceptical as to how long it would take for him to actually use it. From past experience Labradors can be either gung ho or lazy. I was uncertain as to which slot Ben would fit. I put him in it, adjusted it and Ben stood there. Paula, his owner said "Come on Ben" and Ben was gone. Here he is in photographs and on You Tube Click to view Jim

So I see somebody spotted my clip on You Tube. I was just so amused seeing the two of them ridning through the park that I had to post it. We had to take a rest with poor old Beauty because she hadn't been out for over two months. Her owner had bought her a Dogmobile walking frame which was totally useless for her because she has arthritis and was just dragging her back paws and scraping them the alternative from them would have been even worse because Violet being alone and disabled would never have been able to manage to put her into it alone. I loaned her the one she is now using. We finally got a website up, well I say we, it was a mate who did it because I am useless with websites. We are now sorting out building a cart for the dog in Spain, second in a few weeks.

Dealing with many dogs that have CDRM this is a problem I have often encountered. Try Googling Pro Active Paws they are a company in Ireland whose boots fasten high on the hock and seem to be quite good. I first saw them on a GSD in Scotland and was very impressed with them. Avoid Mikki they are stylish rubbish which will last about ten seconds.

Oh those Kathy, last seen on an Ostrich!!! Maggie still wants to know where her Volvo is, she said the Citroen has been ready for collection now for ages and is nicely "dogged" now. You would adore Max he is an absolute cracker, the slag that dumped him lost a lovely dog. Nothing would part me from him now. Jim

By chance two Parks policewomen stopped us this afternoon to ask which one was the GSD left tied to a bench and we pointed him out. One of them said "He would have been pts at Battersea because Ricky ( the policeman who arrived just as we freed him) said he would have had to say that the dog was snarling and snapping at everyone so he was relieved when GSD Welfare said they would have him and absolutely delighted when he saw days later that you had kept him. He really is the nicest dog you could wish to meet only a few minutes ago a neighbour passing stroked him through the fence and Max went mad barking as he left, he wanted more fuss!! I would not part with him now for anything. Him and Zack are like the terrible twins. Jim

7 weeks ago I posted the story of how we had found Max tied to a bench on the Common, we are now reasonably certain the poor old soul had been there all night, nobody but us would go near him and we finally got to keep him via GSD Welfare having said they would take him and then fostering him back to us. This is him when we found him, he is on the left with the blue lead on [/img] In the seven weeks, a fraught time where he went through snapping at anyone who tried to touch him, barking at everyone, especially cyclists and joggers, hated people in uniforms (possible security work, starved to keep him mean? or so these silly b*****d's think) and absolutely deaf to recall but fabulous with kids, loves them to bits. To how he is now, great with everyone, even people in uniform, Comes back straight away when called and is now in the routine along with Maggie and Zack of Cheesy biscuits, ginger snaps, Vanilla Ice cream and finally a mini pork pie before bed!! Here he is, extreme left at Fryant Way Country Park yesterday in order Max, Zack, Leyla and in the pond, as ever Maggie. All rescues. Leyla is Audrey's. [/img] Jim

We let him off the lead for the first time yesterday. With some trepidation because he has shown "an interest" in joggers and cyclists while he has been on the flexi, we have the professional massively long one. We need not have worried because he has been an absolute angel, running around with four other dogs, visiting others and even crossing to a bench where two men were sitting (my heart was pounding at this point because it was the next bench up from where he was found) but he just nuzzled his head between the two of them for a fuss and then came trotting back. I will remember the camera over the weekend and get a couple of pictures of him I tend to agree with those who felt his future would have been bleak to non existent had we not copped for him. He was presenting very badly when we walked up, barking and snarling as I approached but I called my old Maggie over and she is so laid back. Huge black long coat bear. She lay down by him so I was talking to her and him alternatively. "Isn't he noisy Maggie?" "You could come with us if you shut up" etc and he did calm down considerably BUT had we not been there and a copper approaching in a uniform I think would have freaked him so his 'capture' would have been mechanical and the report given to Battersea negative. Big dog, unknown quantity, screaming at people. Thank god we arrived at the right time and that the angel Jeane was at the other end of the phone.

We were talking about this the other day and there are actually only two of us who would have approached him. Us and our mate Peter who has GSD's and is in no way worried about them in fact the first time he met Max, which was that very afternoon as he approached the car Max was screaming and snarling at him but Peter just opened the back door grabbed Max's lead and snout and said "Oh shut up" they have been mates ever since. As for settling in he now waits for his thin cheesy biscuits, ginger nuts, Vanilla ice cream and mini pork pie of a night with the other two. It still dumbfounds me who anyone can just tie him to a bench and then walk away. The Mayhew Animal Home is only up the road they could have left him outside there at least knowing he would have been cared for but clearly they didn't care about him. I am so pleased it was us who found him because he has a forever home here and I think he now knows this. Jim