I'll put up the pic I just took in the daily thread for you in a mo - she looks quite pathetic.

Wouldn't mind but, it was a VET who wrote that breed name in!

I am loving this thread - so here it comes up to the top again!

Interesting reading what you say about the oldies taking on the dogs of their youngsters Baxter. There was a thread on here back whenever more or less saying it was 'irresponsible' for quite old people to get a dog. I disagreed strongly with it at the time. Research shows, as I recall, one of the top 'reasons' given for dogs handed into shelters is 'divorce' and that's mainly younger folk not crumblies!

My current muttley is the first one I've ever bought from a pet shop. Something I vowed I'd never do and entreated everyone else not to do all my life.

However, I'd been two years without a dog and refusing all offers of dogs and refusing also to look in the shelters - all of which I am familiar with here - because I just knew I'd end up with the dog I felt most sorry for and not the type of dog I had more or less decided would best suit my current circumstances and lifestyle.

My daughter came in one day wailing 'oh mum there are these two tiny dogs in a cage in a new petshop behind Lazarus Church you gotta come and see them'. I held out until one day when we were walking round there. As soon as I saw these two minpin pups together in a small cage stacked on top of other cages I was done for.

And, naturally, I took the one that looked a bit sadder, smaller and had bite marks on its ears from where the other bigger pup had been having a go at it.

It ended up staying in the vets for 4 days less than 12 hours after purchase. Long story but cost me more for the vets than the 500 for the dawg. I had misgivings for a long time for buying from a petshop and I couldn't walk that way for ages afterwards coz people kept telling me the other one was still there.

But now I see it like this. My Bella would not still be alive if I hadn't bought her. So, to me, she was just as worthy a cause of my goodwill as any dog in a shelter. I doubt if me not buying just ONE dog from a petshop would have closed down any puppy farms.

Most here (happy to say) just rescue street dogs - Cyprus Poodles mainly and discarded hunting dogs.

I was over 60 and had owned a variety of breeds in my time and thought I deserved to have the type of breed of dog with the temperament, size, health reputation etc. that I thought would ideally suit me and it worked out very well.

My previous dog - a CKCS - was chosen with just as much thought in the UK. I had a 10 yr old daughter 'desperate' for a dog. We wanted one she would be safe with and able to handle and take out from the start and a dog people wouldn't be 'afraid' of. A dog that would be a delight for her to walk with everyone ooohing and aaahing and asking how old it was and can they stroke it and blah blah blah!

Am loving this thread too Success and love in abundance!!

Well Syd, Rio, Tucson and Phoenix all came from highly reputable breeders.
Frankie was up for rehoming by a member on here as he was being bullied by the resident dog. He didn't belong to the other forum member but to her brother. I was missing having a terrier presence in the house so off we went on a 300 mile round trip and brought the little Oike home.
Diesel belonged to my eldest Son and his then girlfriend, she decided at 13 weeks old she'd had enough of him and I took him on temporarily. The fall out from that split them up permanently eventually. That was 5 years ago.
Milan was another private rehome, I think we're her 5 home and she was 8 months when we took her in. She'd been bought along with her litter brother, rehomed on the advice of their trainer and passed on a couple more times until found wandering on the streets, filthy, starving and a massive lump on her back where she'd been shot with an airgun. She was picked up by Battersea dogs home, scanned and tracked back to her original owner. They took her back but couldn't keep her as they were about to relocate to Dubai. She came here around 5 years ago and here she'll stay.

I was asked to take Ty on at 18 months old by a lady who i work with as her niece gets puppies and after so long gets rid as soon as i saw him i knew i couldnt leave him so home with me he came. Cassie was a usual advert on the net cant cope with toddler and puppy again i fell for her and couldnt leave her at 6 months she had never been out the garden and didnt even have a lead.Both now have certain issues due to there early lack of socialization but def have better lifes than they had previously

Last November I moved down to Cornwall to look after my Mum who has Dementia. I had already decided that I would get a dog. Firstly for me to get me out and about and get a bit fitter and also for my Mum as it is good for elderly people to have a pet to interact with.
I was sure that I wanted a rescue dog so I could help a poor sad dog out and give it a good home.
I decided that I would wait until the New Year as I figured that there would be a glut of poor puppies that the shine had worn off and were now unwanted. I wanted a Springer Spaniel, as I looked after a friends for 7 months while he worked abroad and Bealesy was a brilliant dog.
So at the start of January I started checking out the local rescue sites. I couldn't see to many Springers but I rang a couple of places to see if there were any coming in.
I explained what I was looking for and why. One not too far from me said they didn't have a Springer but that they did have a lovely Lurcher called Jessie who they thought would be ideal for us and that they had put a video of her up on Youtube. I took a look at it and for sure she seemed like a lovely girl with a nice temperament. I did a bit of research on Lurchers online since I had only ever met one and he was a working dog that belonged to a very dodgy mate of mine from years back. So anyway after my bit of research I found that my assumptions about Lurchers were pretty much off the mark and so arranged to go and see her the next day with Mum.
She was brought down to meet us and arrived very calmy before jumping up to give me tons of licks and kisses. Then she met Mum for more of the same. Took her out for a walk for about half an hour and was already in love with her by the time we got back. After a good long chat with the staff and owner of the rescue centre they said that it was obvious that she was going to get a very good home and a lot of love. So after buying all the bits and bobs she needed to begin with and making our donation, she came home with us that day. She rode beautifully in the car and when she got home she had a little explore arounf downstairs and after an hour she was spark out asleep on her bed. So a happy girl from the get go.

This her after being home for just an hour.



She has been the best girl ever and so good with all the carers and everyone that comes to visit Mum.

As you can see here she is a very happy girl.



A few months later I was looking though a Lurcher forum I am on and there was a message saying that another girl Lurcher needed rehoming urgently due to an alleged incident with a Lamb. It was never proven that it was her but the farmer had decided it was and told the owners who are also farmers that either they get her put down or he would shoot her.
So i got in touch with them and we arrange to meet the following day in a park local to me to see how the two girls got along. Well all was well there and so we arranged for Lexi to come and stay with us for a week to see if they could get along over a period of time at home. I am happy to say she's still here with us.
I was looking for a companion for Jess and again was looking for a Springer and again took another Lurcher.

This is Lexi.



Jess and Lexi together.



I like to think they have a good life here with us. They're both very loved and get to out and about all over the place with me. Up Kit Hill, to the beach, nature reserves, woodland walks.

Bit of a long post but you did ask.