Well Mirk had a lovely Christmas day .

He started it with a walk in the snow and then by trying to steal the cooked beef off the side proving that yes he can stand on two legs. Then he had his roast dinner which he clearly loved, the smell had been driving him mad for ages. And then he over indulged some more and had some more raost dinner for tea. He spent most of the day sleeping it off , we all did.

He is clearly feeling a lot better. His back legs are straightening out ( I wondered if he had hip problems) but I think it was perhaps lack of muscle as they seems to be improving each day. And he is coping better and better with his walks.

He is proving quite a houdini now that he is feeling more at home and more energetic. I left him in the kitchen, instead of his cage yesterday, to walk the others and he escaped, pee'd up the tv and got all the vegetables out. He can also open the garden gate and has also had a few goes at opening the kitchen door!

Today, he set off for a wander around the village by himself having escaped from the garden next to the village shop where I usually leave my dogs for the few minutes I go into the shop! All of my dogs have stayed there each day, as has Mirk until today, but not so Mirk, not today! Off through a stable yard he went, across a few fields, through someones garden and off down the lane - DOGS they always seem to do something you don't quite expect.

Luckily he was picked up still wearing his lead, and a good dose of fox poo, a few minutes later. I will certainly have to watch this escaping malarky. I have never owned an escaping dog before. Perhaps it is because he is entire and has been used as a stud dog? I think maybe all the sniffing and escaping of the last few days means there is a bitch in season somewhere?

He still smells bad, though it is improving. Either that or I am just getting used to it. Most of his lugs are brushed out and he has been dry shampoo'd again.

Cloud still doesn't like him and both of my dogs seem much happier when we leave him behind for our longest walk of the day. I do hope that this begins to change soon. I hate to think that their life has been made less happy, by bringing him home. . He has started sleeping in Clouds bed, which she has moved out of, and she has moved onto the other bed. I do hope that she is ok with this?

Of course I still feel that this was the best thing to do and wouldn't have it any other way, but I do hope that he ceases his persistence at escaping from things. And most of all I hope that Cloud comes to accept him, and see's in his presence, some kind of positive benefit. Fingers crossed.

Just caught up to date with the latest Mirk news. I am so pleased to hear he is home and safe with you Denise He looks such a gorgeous old man. I wonder if I ever met him in the past "in person" before. My memory is not great

Especially good news about his blood tests, but not so good about the weeing in the house, and the escaping Hopefully you will be able to fix both problems. I am sure your other dogs will come around to the fact he is now part of the family. It always upsets the balance for a short time when you introduce a new dog (especially an older dog) to your current pack.

Give Mirk a gentle cuddle from me. What a sweet old man.

Christmas day sounded wonderful, even a Mirk adventure in there too!

A real heart warming story.

Well done xxxxx

Sounds to me like you have the patience to "ride out" Mirk's little foibles, and I hope Cloud can do the same.

It also sounds like his character is shining through...... nothing quite like a norty oldie.....

What a lovely boy he is, well done you for taking him on and giving him a forever home .

Is Mirk a "sheepdog" name?

Wys
x

When I brought Jessie home Flynn was far from amused. He made her life a misery for the first few weeks and took every opportunity to show her she wasnt welcome. They are as thick as thieves now and have a very strong bond. I do realise however that Cloud and Flynn are different kettles of fish but i'm sure in time she will not feel so put out by Mirk's presence in your lives.

Thank you all for your encouragement about Mirk.

I rally do hope that things get better with the other dogs soon. I dont mind too much how much my life gets messed up, but I DO mind how much Cloud and Connors does. I need to find ways to make things better for them.

I know these things take time, I know that, but I have had some horrid thoughts today and begun to dread a return to the horrible state I had when there where two dogs in my house that just didn't like one another. In that case it was fighting bitches and life was awfull for years. I know it could never get that bad between Cloud and Mirk, but nonetheless I really want everyone to be happy about this.

Its early days. And I didn't sleep well. Hopefully tomorrow will be another day and a new dawn.

Mirk, oblvious to the concerns he is raising around him, sleeps on at my side. At least HE is happy. Bless.

Yes I Believe so. As is Merc.

Im nto entirely sure which spelling is correct, but I dont suppose he will be bothered if we spell his name differently.

It's lovely to hear he is now so much better off than he was before.

I expect he will smell even better once the fox poo smell goes

It's funny but although it sounds exactly the same to me Mirk makes me think of a very down to earth, one syllabal, working collie name, while Merc seems entirely different, like a diminutive of "Mercedes" and so rather up market and more pampered pet

In this chap's case maybe that difference is particularly apt, given his recent improvement in circumstances.

Wishing you all all the best, hopefully the problems are just temporary settling in issues.

The correct sheepdog spelling is Mirk. It has been a popular sheepdog name since about the 1920s, if not earlier. I have never known it to be spelled "Merc". That, to me, is just a short name for a Mercedes Benz car

We have had a Mirk, and one of his pups has also been named Mirk by his new owner It is a great sheepdog name.