Sunshine, new friends and followers!

Sorry we haven't been on for a while I have had the lurgy!  I have lost my voice (no matter this is a blog!!) but feeling better so on to an update for all you Superman fans!

So last Saturday Clark came long to agility with us and was much admired by all, we hope to start some beginners classes with him soon, once he is a little stronger and has built up some leggie muscles. Talking of which he is doing really well on this front and his back legs are definitely showing more shape and gaining muscle. He enjoys his walks enormously and gets excited when we sees his harness and hears the girls falconry bells.  He has a collar and bell waiting for his use but he won't be sporting them until he has a reliable recall!! 

We use a falconry bell on our terriers collars as it allows us to hear where they are from quite a distance - we know roughly which direction they are taking and how quickly they are moving. Lakelands are notorious hunters and my two are typical Lakies!  They can cross a field or pass through a hedge, over a hedge or around a hedge more quickly than any dog I know when on a scent. They can cover extremely difficult terrain quickly and I find just knowing where they are can be the difference between out and out panic or knowing enough not to need to worry overtly. On the flip side when they do go to ground the bells fail as they usually get filled with earth and stop jingling!  The worse time we had with Sowena was when she entered a rabbit hole in a Cornish Hedge (made from stones and earth, it starts about 6 foot wide at the bottom tapering to about 2'6" at the top, often in a state of larrups and more often than not a labyrinth of rabbit burrows) She went in at the foot of the hedge and when we eventually located her (30 minutes or so later) she was about 20 feet further down the field in the hedge but almost half way up, so she had managed to wriggle her way through the burrows after the rabbit. Fortunately we got her out (the longest 30 mins of that day, week or month!) but there are many tales of terriers lost underground which we are all too aware of. With that said, terriers are terriers, and I will not stop allowing her free runs in the fields as her mental health needs that freedom to run and play. Instead we try to distract her from hunting with a lobber and ball which works most the time.........

Although WFT are not usually quite so tenacious when it comes to hunting Clark is definitely getting a nose for rabbits. He is enjoying his relative freedom on his long line and although reluctant to come in the right direction from time to time he is getting better each day. He loves to sniff the hedges and canter through the long grass.  He has no interest in balls as yet but watches keenly when the girls do zoomies.

Excited to go for a sunny walk!

We went for a stroll around Argal Dam on Saturday evening which takes about an hour or so, on are way around we saw one or two dog walkers and then we bumped into a friend who has been following Clarks story on here! Hi Claire!!!  He has a huge fan base already and it was lovely to show him off in the flesh to another of his followers! 

On Sunday we went up to Bude to meet up with TerrierSOS admin team member Hilary and her beautiful terriers, Monty, Molly, Winnie and Taffy. We also met Jane and her gorgeous Airedale Molly and SWD Carlo.  We had three Mollys - all black and tan terriers.  We had a lovely walk down to Janes beach and Clark enjoyed a roll in the sand and then a paddle in the river - he really excelled himself and was a very very good boy. He is a great traveller and curls up to sleep once on the move. He's happy in his cage on the back seat or in the boot.

Paddling in the river near Bude

Now on to the matter of pee's and poo's .........

Clarks leaking has not improved further and he is still wet overnight.  The Propalin is helping but not enough to prevent any leaks. He doesn't lose a huge amount but enough to cause him distress if not kept away from his skin. His little tummy needs to be protected against it 'burning' him so he wears a belly band and a Tena Lady pad - very fetching! He really doesn't mind though and is happy for me to pop it on just before we all go to bed.  

He has some wonderful sleeping styles...... the cats cradle perhaps or interlocking leggies!

We had a breakthrough on the poo front on Tuesday night - he woke me up at 3am and I thought he needed a pee so we went out to the back garden where he had a wee and I was delighted (I'll come back to that in a minute) We came back in but he just couldn't settle so off we went again but this time I wondered if he needed a poo so on went his harness and lead and off down our lane we went....now our lane isn't very long and the road is in full view (me in my dressing gown and slippers, coughing and sneezing all the way! Oh and a lovely moon was up and there wasn't a breath of wind) thankfully its a quiet road so we didn't encounter anyone to scare with my night attire!! We wandered about on the verge and lane but no poo was forthcoming so we went back to the garden. Still he wouldn't settle so I sat on the garden wall and he wandered about...... loe and behold he decided he did need a poo and went right there in the garden!  He hasn't poo'd in the garden before and I wonder now if it was just he was too scared to do so. Anyway small things please small minds and I was overjoyed he had gone!  Off we went back to bed and he slept through til dawn..... I however listened to the dawn chorus which began at precisely 4.08 am! 

So back to his wee....... I have come to believe that he may not have the sensation of needing to pee and when his bladder starts to fill I wonder if he can feel it? I have asked Siobhan about this and taking this into account she has recommended we scan his bladder and establish what going on in there if possible. He is keen to mark and pees frequently, both long ones and short markers, on a walk but he doesn't appear to 'need' to go. I am hoping I am wrong as if that is the case we may be at a loss to 'mend' him. Siobhan is doing some more research for us and if we can do something we will. I had nerves stripped from my lower back in 2009 and was told that nerves (not all) can regrow so IF his nerves have been damaged by the ruptures is it possible they will regrow and reconnect in time?  Questions I don't have answers for yet but hope to over the coming weeks or months. Certainly good food, good exercise, a warm soft bed and plenty of love and cuddles are working on all his other ailments and I am desperately hoping they might work on this waterworks too!  ;) 

Clark loves the sun and Cornwall has found its sunshine (for a few days at least) 

Clark is happiest in the back garden sunbathing with his pals Wena and Molly!

So within 23 days of being here in the UK Clark are altered dramatically into an entirely different dog. He is happy, clean, is less stained, smells good (unless he has rolled in poop, slugs or dead worms which he does almost daily!!) enjoys his walks, is eating well and generally improving in weight, looks and confidence daily. He has found his voice and barks at people coming to the house (not excessively though just as a dog should) which is again a growth in confidence of his place here in his 'pack'.  He is a treasure and we are so very glad he came all the way from Spain to be with us here in Cornwall.  

If any of you Clark lovers have room in your homes how about fostering or adopting a TSOS terrier and giving another 'thrown away' terrier the chance of love and happiness............... you too could have the same sense of pride and love we do for Clark and his transformation into Superman! Sadly there are plenty in need!