Secret Agent Scorpio !

Well, my life may be stressful at times but it's certainly never dull, friends have often said I should write a book about my exploits but I never seem to have the time.

Anyway, back to the story, when my friend Jill let me down big time about me and the dogs going to stay with her if the house sale and purchase didn't tie up timewise, my other friend June stepped in without hesitation and said I wasn't to worry as they could all go to hers.

Recently June has been talking about getting an Irish Red & White Setter but she didn't want her hubby to know as he had already told her they couldn't have any more. They've got in excess of 20 dogs already, he is in a wheelchair and June has recently broken her hand so cannot drive them anywhere, thankfully their son still lives at home with them. June had already asked me if she got the pup could it live at my house until she got round to broaching the subject with hubby, what could I say, she knows my situation, that I really don't have any time to take on another dog at the moment, it is 6 months old apparently so should be able to live with Bradley but I don't know anything about it's temperament etc., what if it's nasty to him? I don't want my little man being upset by anything. Unfortunately I feel a bit obliged as she was so generous in her offer and this is only one dog, I also feel very uncomfortable about the deceit as this is not the first time I've had to pretend I've bought a dog and can't cope so she's taken it on.

Where does my secret agent training come into the equation?, well I got a phone call this morning, a whispering voice saying could I phone her back at 10 o'clock and make out I wanted her to go out somewhere with me. So I phone back when told, and ask her if she can come somewhere with me. "I think that will be ok", she says, "where are we off to and what time?", what?, you know where we're going and you told me to collect you at 12.30, I'm thinking, so I make up this long story about looking at fencing for the new house, blah blah blah, and she's chatting back as if it all makes sense. When I pick her up I always pop in to say hello so I'm going to have to face hubby and look all innocent, then he's going to get some sob story in a few days about how silly I've been yet again. If I were being secretive for the good of the country I would be proud of myself, but it makes me feel really low to be hoodwinking someone I know so well.

I just hope this poor little pup is ok, she's coming all the way from Wales and we are meeting in Grantham. June is aware of all the health tests the parents should have but I haven't asked if she has checked, it's up to her, I suspect she is getting her at a good price, the chap must be pretty desperate if he is driving her all the way here.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will be a typical setter so will adapt to living with us immediately and will become a good friend to Bradley during her stay. Please remind me everyone that she isn't mine and she isn't staying as I always treat visitors as my own and it will be so hard giving her back when the time comes.

Oh Sheree - that is pushing the boundaries of friendship isn't! But what a friend you are!

Hopefully Bradley will welcome the company of another youngster - and here's hoping they dont teach each other any new tricks and the new girl keeps her old tricks (if any to herself).

How long will you have to have this little girl?

You being you are an amazing lady so you'll be fine but I do feel for you Sheree!

Take care flower - and let me know what she's like! The red and whites can be beautiful - not that familiar with their temperaments etc. hopefully he is coming from a good home though.

xxx and hugs to EVERYONE there!

p.s. edited just realised its a girl!!!

All I can think of is ........lets hope the hubby doesn't read Dogsey

Hmmm! I think she is being rather unfair to you and to her husband. Dogs should be chosen and wanted by ALL the family. If she already has in excess of 20 dogs, her hubby is in a wheelchair and she has broken hand ... should she really be taking on another dog?!

How many is too many?!

She has put you in a difficult position where you cannot say no, and I just hope the pup settles in ok and that your friend actually has the time to spend looking after all her needs when she does go home.

Hi Sheree Your so soft hearted and such a loyal friend. I do hope it works out and that the little girl and Bradley get on okay. May be a match made in heaven, let's hope so, then Bradley can forget all about the little Westie. Like Pod I only hope your friend 's hubby does not come on Dogsey and see this. Hope all goes well. Eunice

ROFL....My thoughts exactly!!

Thanks everyone.

I did think about being found out before I posted but fortunately Junes husband is not computer minded at all, June goes on it now and again but isn't too good with finding new sites, she asks me to look for things for her although I didn't help her find this little pup. She wouldn't be interested in anything like Dogsey, she doesn't keep in touch with many people and wouldn't be one for chatting or anything.

Although June has so many dogs and a lot of them are kennelled, she spends a lot of time with them and they are treated well. She breeds gordon and irish setters, I don't know if she is thinking along those lines with this one but she should have researched the breed more thoroughly than she has done. Her son helps her with the dogs and they are all walked a couple of times a day aswell as having a compound beside their kennels to play in, but I do think the timing is all wrong for her aswell as for me.


I suppose I feel particularly out on a limb as I've started the little job and, although I'm only out for a few hours at a time, mine are used to being left. I got called into work at short notice last night and, although I'm not supposed to be in tonight, I can't afford to turn down the chance of some work if it's offered. That means the little lass would have to be left for a while in a strange house with dogs she doesn't know. I know that Bradley and any of the others would be kind to her, but it's not the same as having the reassurance of a human being nice and talking gently to her.

Never mind, I mustn't get myself all worked up about it, it might not happen tonight and then she'll have all day tomorrow with me aswell before I go to work tomorrow evening.

Rachel - I have been told that some of the Irish Red & Whites can be a bit snappy, that said, I know of people in the show circuit whose dogs have the most wonderful temperaments, I'll just have to wait and see, if needs must she will have to go into the puppy pen but still be in Bradleys room so she's got company but can't do anything to him. He is a bit of a softy, if Gracie tells him off for sniffing her his little face looks petrified and he runs outside and puts just his head back in through the dog flap until he knows it's safe to come back indoors.

I've got to go and pick June up shortly but I'll update the thread asap.

you are such a nice person, I just don't think it is fair that you are being put on like this.

I can understand your feeling of obligations, but I think if she was my friend I would be sitting her down & explaining just how uncomfortable all of this is making me & that whilst I was still her friend & would do anything I could for her, I would really, really appreciate it if this was the last time she asked me to 'pretend' to get another dog on her behalf.
If she is a good friend, she should understand (and if she isn't, it could well be that the offer of you staying would have evaporated if you had needed it anyway).

Good luck, hope it all works out.

We will have to recruit you on one of Toby's 007 escapades next! Good luck.

Thanks everyone, what an absolute nightmare today was, I also got called into work from 4.30 to 9.30 and couldn't turn it down so was even more panicky than I would have been.

We met the chap in the car park and he was wandering about with a dog, I said that I thought it was a bit big for a pup and June said that he was bringing an older sister for her to see for comparison. We walked over to him and the bitch he had with him is 16 months old and very sweet, albeit just skin and bones. He brought Junes pup and her litter sister, they had been given ACP for the journey, or so he said, what he meant was that they had been drugged so that they were no trouble. They were so pretty but really tiny and very, very frightened, we couldn't get near them in the cage but he said it was because they'd had the tablet.

I could feel my eyes welling up at this moment and told June I was going to sit in the car, it just breaks my heart to see these poor babies so skinny and so afraid. The next moment the older bitch "Claddagh" had jumped into the back of my car. I turned round and spoke to her, told her she was a bit cheeky getting in my car and got out to give her back to the man. It was then that June let me into another secret that she had been keeping, she was also having Claddagh and "hoped I didn't mind" another one. It was all to much for me, I'm afraid, I realised that I was getting a migraine, I couldn't see straight, I was so cross and kept thinking that I had agreed to go to work and now I had two more dogs to settle in before I could go, I just felt really put upon and upset that June could do this to me.

June had to drive my car back, despite her broken hand, otherwise we would have had to stay in the car park for an hour or so until my eyes cleared up.

We got back to my house and I could see again by this time, I ran indoors and let my lot into the paddock then we got the new girls out of the car, well we got Claddagh out of the car, the little puppy "Tara" was so scared she was running about in the car and really didn't want to come out. I got hold of her very gently and lifted her out, she was about the size of a skinny cocker spaniel with really long legs. Suddenly, as I lifted her out and closed the tailgate she went beserk and bit me really badly on my hands and up my arms, I didn't dare let her go as she would have run off, I just had to shout at June to get the back of the car open so I could put her back in. By the time she was safely back in the car my hands and arms were pouring with blood. I don't know if it was the shock but I turned to June and said that there was no way this pup was coming into my home and savaging my dogs. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the puppys fault at all, I don't think she is vicious, she was just so scared that she lashed out in the only way she knew how, her only aim was to escape from this stranger that had hold of her. I told June that she would have to phone home now and tell the truth, I don't have the time or the experience to deal with something that has been so badly deprived of human contact and any basic training, so she came in and phoned her hubby. She didn't tell him about Claddagh though and all she did say is that we'd bought a pup in partnership but that she didn't get on with mine so she would have to bring her home.

I fed my lot and Claddagh, you would think she had never eaten to see her gobbling the food into her. I then had to go to work and, after taking June home, realised that Claddagh would not stay in any of the rooms that I tried to put her in, she just kept hopping over the dividing gates. All I could do was shut her in the house and hope that everything would be ok whilst I was at work.

I got home having done a full shift as I was the only driver in tonight. I was scared as I drove up the lane, not worried about tiddles or anything, just wanted to know that she was ok and, more importantly, still there, how awful if she had escaped somehow. Anyway, Bradley had opened the front door (I had shut the dog flap but totally forgot he can use the handle), so they were running around in the front garden. She seemed quite pleased to see me, not scared or anything and she is now laying at my feet, she won't stay out with the others now that they have gone to bed. I don't think she has seen or heard the TV before as she is quite fascinated by that, but she does like Pizza

I phoned June once I had sorted the gang out with some cookies and changed their water, she didn't have much to say, she said that the pup had been in with them but wouldn't let them touch her, she had eaten a couple of biscuits but refused food, and she did have a little game with Junes 4 month old Irish Setter puppy. I asked her what hubby had said and she said he was cross that she hadn't told him, not that she had bought the pup, but that she had gone behind his back. I asked what he had said about Claddagh and she said she still hasn't told him about her Surely tonight would have been the ideal time to come clean about the whole thing.

Hopefully, June is coming to get Claddagh tomorrow, she isn't being any trouble but I really think June should take her as Tara will probably settle in a lot better if she has a friend that she has already lived with.

So June is at home with a hubby that has forgiven her and a puppy that she can't get close to, I'm here with a dear little girl that just wants to be with me and very sore and swollen hands and arms. Not sure who got the worst deal here.

At least one good thing has come of all this, June has told me to stop her from ever doing anything like this again and, rest assured, I'll make sure I do.