selina

Amy does that mean we get to meet at long last, this is getting really exciting now. Cindy will pm you my mobile number

Lizzie is still doing well in this foster home, no night terrors at all, so it definitely looks like we've got things right for her, she just needs a specific type home and someone who is happy to keep her on a long line for walks, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that special home comes along soon for her, I can't wait to see her truely settled in her own home.

This is her peeking around the office door.

Thinking of both you and Snatch. lump go away, lump go away, lump go away.

Of course not Tilly. She won't be with us on the walk Cindy, cause she will be with her foster Mum up in North Devon and she won't be able to make it. I am very stubborn where dogs in my care are concerned, I absolutely refuse to give up on them unles they are medically/psychologically extremely unhappy and I know we have exhausted all routes, she is a lovely dog and I knew that although moving a dog around isn't an ideal thing to do in her case it was difgferent because we had to experiment to find her trigger so it worked for her.

See how he is Emma, I don't know Buzz story so can't really comment, again, if you feel he is secure enough to bring along we could always make it known to everyone he is new with you and needs to be treated with TLC etc.

Lizzie is doing well Lizzie is a dog that came into ESSW, she was found as a stray and we offered to take her in and rehome her, she was fully assessed whilst in kennels and vet checked, all was fine, off she went to anew home where by 2 days later she was returned as being severely raumatised at night, yes I admit, I thought they hadn't given her a chance, she had stayed with me in between kennel and new home and had been fine, but she proved them right and me wrong. She was showing extremely stressed and traumatic behviour at night, she wasn't just an unsettled dog, she was completely traumatised, we tried everything, a crate downstairs, a crate in the bedroom, loose with our other dogs, you name it we tried it all to no avail, she was so exhausted she was falling asleep standing up, falling to the floor and then waking herself up and jumping back up again, to return to swaying/ pacing backwards etc, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see. After two nights of no sleep on my part and falling asleep at the wheel of the car I knew I hd to take drastic action so off we went to the vets, he could find nothing medically wrong with her so we decided to try her on sedatives to get her into a regular sleeping pattern and to try and break the habit. I am usually dead against anything like this. It failed, as soon as we started to bring down the dose she returned to the really stressed dog at night, it was so odd because during the day she was the most loving, sweet natured, normal dog you could find. As a last resort before the inevitable I dmitted defeat in my own home and asked another of the ESSW co-ordinators to try her in her outdoor kennel in case this was what she was used to, so off we drove with lizzie in tow to her new foster home. It was so cold that night Sara didn't have the heart to put her in the kennel so she put her in her 'dog room', a large utility room where her 5 dogs sleep, Lizzie was fine, still minorly stressed and occasionally whimpered but she slept, she stayed with sara for a week and was absolutely fine, except she could escape from Sara's garden . We felt her ready to be rehomed, whereby the scared, distressed dog at night promptly returned. We were devastated. She went to a different vet for a second opinion and a brain x-ray, he gave her a clean bill of health mentally, we already knew she had ear problems, again she settled happily at night in the vets, we were very confused, including the vets Sara and I spent ages on the phone, making lists of the different scenarios and the common factors between the various accomodations, I spent hours on the phone speaking to the dog wardens, the lady that actually found her, the council kennels etc etc trying to gather as much info as possible. We set up a final scenario/foster home to test our theory out, was she scared of open spaces/doorways at night, her current foster home she is again sleeping in a large room, fully enclosed with other dogs, the same as at Sara's and at the vets and again she is completely fine and settled at night, The conclusion she was so scared of being outdoors at night while she was straying she built up a huge fear of outdoor spaces and for some reason she also relates open doors with this. So now she is up on The OC website and although we are looking for a very particular type of home for Lizzie she is rehomeable. Thanks Cindy for all your help especially with all your concerns with Snatch at the moment, you helped me to continue fighting for this girl and not giving up on her.

Don't forget to say if you are meeting at Exeter Services, Travelodge car park at 11AM or at dawlish warren main car park (under the little railway bridge on the left) at 11.30 - 11.45. Please make sure you have someones mobile number so if you're running late you can let someone know and we will wait for you.

Thanks Michelle I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas as well, may The OC continue to get bigger and better in 2008.

Good Luck Elmer, you are a smashing little dog and i really hope someone snaps you up soon.

That is a beautiful story, I think a few of us can relate to that urge.

Titchy is looking worried

I'm getting really excited about this now, haven't met up for an OC walk before, it's usually 20 Springer's causing chaos and mayhem (only kidding) on my meet up's. We'll have to do a South West summer walk as well, perhaps we could organise a doggy beach party.

She looks lovely. Oldies a re a joy to foster, as the others have said she may need softer food and will definitely need regular loo breaks, some of them can be a bit insecure or a few days especially if they have always lived with the same person/family and this is a sudden change. Apart from that lots of cuddles passed on from us of course.

Phoenix the decision is ultimately yours, you are obviously well on top of the situation and know his triggers, if you think he could cope with lots of other dogs and we are all aware of what to do and not to do in Max's space I don't see why not, I'm happy to keep my dogs away from his space if that helps you and am equally happy to do some training with you on the day with regards walking my dogs at his happy space if you think it might help you and him. All I know is on these doggy meets up before we have been able to iron out some minor problems and help dogs with confidence problems, if you think we can help then all you've got to do is say. The decision is ultimately yours, you have to be happy that he will be OK amongst lots of dogs? Of course this isn't 'my' walk everyone else has to be happy to.

Rufus and Titchy aren't oldies and they will be coming for the interaction. I find with naughty dogs it can be the best socialisation for them as there are to many dogs for them to know what to do with . There's always a spare pair of hands if you need any help with leads etc as well. Ollie will be on a flexi until he's said hello to everyone cause he feels he needs to inform everyone he's the boss until he knows everyone and what I usually do on these many dog walks is when everyone meets, if anyone has a dog with 'issues' they feel they need to tell people about, either let me know so I can inform everyone or speak up, that way we all know what to look out for and can avoid any potential problems and work together. You'll have to exscuse my mini speech reminding everyone to carry poo bags and be aware of there dogs at all times, it goes with the responsibility of being a rescue rep, sorry. can we start two seperate lists, copy and paste and add your name as to who is meeting where. Exeter Services Travelodge Car Park at 11AM Selina, Rob, Ollie, Rufus and Titchy Dawlish Warren main car park (edge of green) at 11.45 - 12noon

Ollie is so excited at meeting other OC dogs he's exhausted himself and gone to sleep

A few of us are getting together for a dog walk along the beach, Cindy will be there, as will I and a few other mad Springer people can anyone else make it? We are starting a convoy at Exeter Services at 11 AM for those who don't know how to get there so I expect we'll be at Dawlish Warren beach for 11.30 - 12 noon by the time any late comers arrive at exeter. Hope to see some of you there.

My thoughts go out to you. Run fast and free Tuppence.

I just checked our paperwork and saw that our Emma was a B/W and the same age, didn't think there for a minute there could have been two How wrong was I?

Breckin is a beautiful name, thank you for giving him such a wonderful home.

Is that ESSW's Emma? She is beautiful.

ermmm except I already knew about him before he made it onto the website but because I thought he was younger I thought he'd get a home quickly so didn't grab him before he got onto the website. Actually with all the above posts that makes me feel pretty good, at least I let him get onto the website before caving in

Looking forward to this, off to rummage around the piccies.

My boy Welshie Ollie of course. I persuaded myself not to ask more about him when we thought he was around 8 years old but when The OC got his paperwork through and it turned out he was 11 and had severe seperation anxiety I pictured him sitting on the shelf for ages and I just couldn't bear it so I made the call and he arrived at home just a week or two later. Yes I adopted someone else's foster dog. I think he was just meant to be here. Don't let this kid you He does far to much of this and even more of this and then pretends to feel old again but we just don't fall for it anymore.