rescue - what to expect page2

Here are some more stories to help you understand what it is like to take on a rescue Springer and hopefully they will inspire you to consider a rescue yourself.

"My name is Rosco; I’m a 4 year old black and white ESS. I had a lovely home with a loving and caring Mum who thought the world of me. She trained me well and told me I was a good and obedient dog. I did get lonely though on those days when she went off to work and I was left alone at home. Then Mum’s health restricted her ability to give me lots of long walks.

A man and lady came to my home to see me, and he sat straight down on the kitchen floor so that I could jump all over him and have a good sniff whilst he cuddled me. He then they took me for a walk in the local park. He seemed very sad at times because he had only recently lost his own Springer. He seemed to like me very much and wanted to take me out in his car. We went to his home and he showed me around, gave me a nice meal, and then took me out for another walk. He didn’t take me back to my home but gave me another walk before bed, then put a mat beside his bed for me to sleep on. I liked it already and slept soundly, dreaming about my walks, and the new cat that seems to live here.

The next day the man made lots of fuss of me all day long, stroking and cuddling me, rolling me over to rub my tummy. How did he know I liked that so much? I went out for 4 long walks and spent much of the day asleep as I was so tired. This is a bit like doggie heaven! The cat came and sniffed me today, but ran off when I wanted to play with her. At bedtime I slept on the bed between the man’s legs, with the cat sleeping near me. I hope this holiday goes on for a bit longer!Every day seems to get better and better, lots of attention, lots of exercise, exploring new fields and woods. I wonder how long he will let me stay?

The cat comes to sniff me every time she comes in from the garden, and I go to look for her every time I hear her collar jingle. She sleeps cuddled up to me now. I enjoy having the man home with me continually, and he takes me out with him if he goes in the car. He talks to me all the time and I have learned lots of new words. He has even learned some of my words because I twitch my ears when he uses them. The other day I heard him say “up”, and I begged, which is what I was taught before. He now uses that word sometimes, along with the others that I knew and have learned since.

My Dad, that’s what he calls himself, seems really pleased with me. We have learned an awful lot about each other in a short space of time. He tells me that I’m very clever, obedient, and well mannered, and that seems to please him. I like to please him! I really hope that I’m going to be allowed to stay here! He keeps saying something about a ‘for ever home’, whatever that is. I love all the walks and have got a good routine going. I learn something new every day, and Dad says he is going to train me to the gun, whatever that is! But I like learning new things, especially if it pleases Dad!" (Rosco with a little help from Terry)

"My family had had Spaniels when I lived at home, an Irish water spaniel - from breeder and later on a tall (show strain) Springer who Dad took when he had failed as a gundog.

So when I left home what other breed could I consider myself? I have always believed in rehoming so approached my local Springer Rescue. After several letters and phone calls, I was put in contact with a lady who ran private boarding/breeding kennels but took in rehoming candidates.

I was invited to meet a young dog (approx 14 mths) who apparently lived with an older Springer and a boxer but couldn't get on with them so had been given up for adoption. At the appointed time I duly arrived and was shown outside to the kennels area while Lynn had to drag Sam down the path to meet me. He cowered, wet the floor and hung his head and looked at me out of the top of his eyes as only a Springer can.

I considered carefully but heart-wrenchingly decided that I wasn't experienced enough on my own to take this little mite on and do him justice. I had just drawn breath to say this out loud when suddenly Sam seemed to sit up a little and placed one of his paws on my arm and looked deep into my eyes. Well I melted and decided I could but try.

In the first two weeks he chewed one of every pair of shoes I possessed - except the ones I walked him in - clawed a hole in through the carpet and underlay to the floorboards (after someone told me I should just walk out of the house ignoring him and not looking back) and howling from the minute I left to the minute I returned.

Every time he met someone - not necessarily for the first time - he threw himself on the floor and wet himself. Women he would come round to quickly but men took ages - sometimes months for him to stop wetting. Once this fear lessened, I took him to the local shop one afternoon and as I tied him up outside he started to shake, wet and tried to claw through the concrete as if to get away. I just sat in the middle of the path and cried! Whilst loving water - when I got the hosepipe out to water the garden it all started again.

I joined Up'n'Over DTC, a fun agility/obedience club in Oxfordshire - and slowly he started to improve it took about 18 months and lots of patience from others as well as me! Trips home to see the family were accompanied by packets and packets of vanish carpet wipes - I was careful about the situations I put him in always being positive and he gradually learnt that nothing bad would happen. In fact to this day if I need to admonish him for anything I just stop smiling (not always easy) lower my voice and disappointedly say "oh dear" and anyone would think I had given him a true roasting!

Sam is six now and every second was worthwhile he is the sweetest natured dog I have ever met. Whilst it is just us two at home, I have a large extended family with lots of children of various ages and he is as good as gold. If the babies are asleep in he lays beside them and won't move - unless they wake up when he comes to find me. With toddlers he walks slowly round whilst they put a hand on his back to steady themselves and with the kiddies (4plus) he fetches a ball that they throw, which has fallen inches away with as much enthusiasm as if it had been thrown halfway across a field. He still has small niggles, like a Liverpudlian accent in a certain tone will upset him, the hosepipe we have never got over and some builds of men.

With love and a reasonable amount of patience a rescue Springer is worth every second of time and trouble spent settling them in!" (Jo)

Poor Flo spent the month of November wandering the streets. At night she sheltered wherever she could find cover. Infested with fleas & tapeworms & hobbling on arthritic legs she was in a state of exhaustion when picked up by the Dog Warden. He knew if he took her to the Irish dog Pound she would be PTS immediately so he took her to Chris at Irish Springer Rescue, Ireland.
She spent the first week in rescue sleeping & eating. A visit to the vet revealed she had a hernia & a growth under her tail. She obviously had had quite a few litters of puppies.
Chris and Irish Springer Rescue spent six weeks building her up for her first operation, repairing the hernia. This went very well & meant that she could now poo properly.
She then came into season!
The second op to spay her & investigate the growth under her tail had to be brought forward as she began to loose more blood than was normal: she was operated on for a second time in less than a few of weeks, this brought lots of worry with it because of her not being in the best of health and because the op was quite invasive recovery would take longer.
She had multiple large growths & cystitis.
There was very little more that could be done except to hope that the antibiotics worked and that she wanted to recover. The next fortnight was crucial.
FACT: If she had been spayed at an earlier age these problems wouldn't have arisen.
Her huge character soon shone through and she soon recovered from this op and was showing everyone how great she felt by rolling around on her back and pinching Chris’ chair at every given opportunity.
Chris knew that despite her loving and huge cheeky character she would never find a home for an old dog like Flo in Ireland, they just weren’t wanted over there and as her progress continued and through the It’s a Spring Thing forum she made it known that Flo would quite like to come to England to live, I had taken quite a shine to her and was regularly checking up on her story and had also phoned Chris a couple of times just to casually enquire as to how the old girl was doing, and so it was to be, she arrived in England on April 1^st 2006 to live out the rest of her days taking gentle walks and keeping warm by the fire and now even on chilly evenings she can keep snug in her England and Irish coats made by the K9 knitters (http://www.k9knitters.co.uk) , thanks all of you.
Only this weekend Flo entered a Best veteran competition at a local dog show where she won 1^st prize, she’s the best April Fools joke I‘ve ever received.
Thank God she was found by the Irish dog warden who knew of Chris and Irish Springer Rescue otherwise her story may never have been known, she would have been just another dog left to die in the cold without anyone with her.
If anyone was interested in taking on an Irish dog it really is very simple and not expensive at all, it costs approximately £65- £70 to transport a dog over on the ferry, there are several dog couriers that help bring them over in one of there adapted dog vans, the Irish dog rescue can usually help sort this out for you, if they can’t if you put word out here on ItsASpringThing then someone will help you. All you have to do is meet the transporter at a pre arranged time and place to collect the dog from them. I had to pick Flo up at about 4.30 in the morning, due to ferry times, but this does vary according to tides etc, approximately 2 hours drive from where I live, but lets be honest it all added to the excitement of getting her. Then there is the donation to the rescue to help cover there costs with both this dog and other dogs in there care, which can vary, but overall it works out no more expensive than adopting a dog that is already in this country and you get the pleasure of owning a dog that might otherwise have been PTS." (Selina) - if you are interested in finding out more about Irish rescue please check out the forum , join up and ask any questions you might have.

Sad Flo Update - Flo passed away at the end of July 2006, she did not suffer and went to sleep with Selina beside her, knowing so much more love than she had ever known possible. We all loved Flo and she was very special, run free at the bridge Flo.