Its hot hot hot!

What a wonderful week of sunshine and Clark has been loving it.....much more like his native home of Spain!  

We have had lots of lovely walks in the fields but sadly the Oat fields we usually walk through have Oat Rust so we are now restricting our walks to one side where the footpath is a little wider and has only one side of open to the Oats, this means we come home with a orange right side and a white left! Plus they all need showering off all over to get rid of the 'rust'. Far too many baths in the opinion of terrierists!

Here Clark is trying to become a red lakie having run through the Oat Rust! His little smile disappeared when he saw the shower running!

The stream is also drying up and the mud getting thicker much to Clark's delight! He always gets in to cool his tummy but as the river level drops so the water gets murkier.

Clark is still enjoying a good walk each day. He is getting stronger legs and is gaining muscle but his right leg is weaker than his left, I suspect this will always be the case. Siobhan, our vet, recently posted his story on the Rosemullion Vets Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rosemullionvets?fref=ts and included a copy of his x-rays showing his broken pelvis. Here is another showing the damage to the right hip and pelvis. (Remember he was lying on his back so the break is shown on the left here!)  The poor fella has certainly been in considerable pain and has suffered in his short life so far but he is on the mend now and is safe and loved. Rosemullion have been amazing in looking after his medical needs and he is well loved by all the staff there despite his barking!

With regard to his barking he hasn't improved in the kennels so we have tried a different approach and he has been in the kitchen in his cage. He has been much better and although we have had a few barking episodes he seems happier knowing I am not far away and I pop in for a quick chat from time to time. We hope to get to a point whereby he is back down in the kennels but whilst he is in the kitchen he is not in anyones way and as long as he stays quiet he is fine in there! 

He gets a 40 minute gentle stroll at lunchtime and then we all go together in the evenings to the fields. He loves to sniff out the moles and rabbits. He is really fitting in well with my two Lakelands and they are all pretty happy in each others company. He is still a little grumpy with Molly which is unusual as Molly is the most submissive of the two. He respects Sowena's status as 'boss' but I think he is still trying to muscle in above Molly and often has a grumble and even occasionally snaps at her. Molly, thankfully, usually just backs off. All in all though despite a few minor spats they all get along just fine.

Moles!!

All three enjoying a good sniff in the hedge and completely without need for me to supervise! 

 

All in all another great week with Clark and he is getting stronger every day so if you think you could be the perfect home for his great little fella then get in touch!

http://www.terriersos.com/download-our-adoption-form/

Thunderstorms, more foxie poo and happy walks

Last night we had a HUGE storm but Clark was fantastic and didn't get stressed or worried in the house at all. He didn't want to go for his final pee stop and we had an 'accident' in the night but no major problems and bearing in mind he was calm and settled in the house.....who can blame him for not wanting to go outside!  Another miles stone to tick of his ever increasing list of plus points! However....

Oh dear, 'Foxie Poo gate' has escalated to new heights today with a stealth rolling.....

"Clarkus Barkus here, now renamed 'Clarkus disgusting mutt, not getting cuddles from mum until bathed again, Barkus' I have had an AMAZING morning with a wonderful, awe inspiring 'STEALTH ROLL' in Foxie Poo moment which shall last in perpetuity as a most excellent moment in the history of Carnkie walks....... I spied a lovely spherical black liquid poo on the lane, glistening in the early morning light, calling to me to enjoy a perfect roll AND I knew mother hadn't seen it so my chances were shining for a stealth roll - short, sharp but oh so rewarding. Up I trotted nonchalantly showing no interest in this prize of all prizes and DIVED....a perfect 10 (that boy Tom Daly would have been impressed!!) a beautiful swan dive, head to the left, right side of face and neck extended gracefully and down on the deck and back up before mother could even blink let alone stop it happening!!!! Am I the MAN or am I the MAN!!!! Wena and Molly were, of course, jealous but highly impressed with my stealth rolling...........that'll teach mother to bath me. Wet, slimy, smelling like heaven we carried on our walk with mother moaning and then we got back home...........darn it she only went and bathed me AGAIN  why oh why when I had finally got rid of that soapy smell!!!!! Yours sadly, Clarkus, sad, soapysmelling Barkus............. "  

This morning on his walk in the fields the girls took off up the field and Clark decided to follow, he had a little canter and caught them up at the top. I had visions of him disappearing over the hedge but he stopped and just sniffed around the hedge until I caught up with them all. He is getting fitter and walking, trotting and cantering in the fields daily now. His right leg is quite a bit thinner than his left but he is using it, even though he does limp on it a little he is getting stronger.  His recall is still improving as you can see in this short (but loud!) video!

We had a lovely walk at Kennall Vale this afternoon with friends and Clark had a lovely time sniffing and peeing on every available leaf. He was uncertain of the water running over the paths but enjoyed himself enormously.

He was great with another male WFT and was happy to be out in the fresh air having a great walk again.  Another wonderful day with the cutest, happiest little WFT in Cornwall! 

Fox poo, muddy paws and bath time!

Clark is the archetypal boy of the household.............he needs regular baths and dislikes his face being washed intensely!  Bless him, he loves to roll, particularly in smelly poo (birds or foxes) or dead snails and slugs if there is no poo nearby. This morning it was mud, I think, as the smell wasn't overpowering but he had a brownish smear on top of his back....yuk! He attracts dirt like most boys and revels in digging in the fields and coming home with a muddy beard and paws as shown below!

Bathing him is an easy job as long as I don't use the shower on his head, he really freaks about water running over his head so we do his body first with the shower and then we have a flannel to wash his face and beard. He tolerates this well and actually does enjoy having his face 'rubbed' with a wet cloth!  He is bathed in Malaseb as he is quite greasy so whilst we wait the 10 minutes necessary for it to do its magic we wash his face and give him a gentle massage all over from his toe tips to his ears! He really enjoys that and his body relaxes and he makes little groaning noises. Bless him.

Be assured he doesn't have a stainless steel tail arched over his back... thats the tap but it is well placed in this photo, hey!

As you can see from the before and after photos today..... he is actually quite white under the grime of a weeks worth of rolling in fields and lanes!

What a handsome fella he is!

On Monday we all went to Stithians Show as we were competing with Sowena in the agility.  (We were eliminated for running about mid way through the first round, whoops, but we had fun!) Clark was very good with all the crowds and dogs. He walked nicely on his lead through the fairground and it was noisy, dusty and crowded but he took it all in his stride and received lots of pats and cuddles. He also waited in the car, whilst we were running Wena, with no barking or concerns at all.  He really enjoyed being out with us whilst we stopped for a cuppa at the car, he lay down and had a nap with the girls!

We have also been leaving him at home for short periods on his own and he is coping very well with that. He is no better at work with his barking sadly and we are going to have to address that as I can't keep taking him with me if he is going to disrupt patients recovering from procedures.  Its a really hard situation but we have some help from my mum and mother in law and hope we can arrange some time with them too. 

Clark ideally needs a forever home with someone home most of the day, happy to have a few short walks a day of about 30 minutes each, and spend as much time as possible cuddling him!  They need to be happy to manage his leaking, which is minimal now and mostly only occurs overnight, controlling it with Propalin Syrup has helped enormously and will be needed life long. They also have to be prepared to keep his Optimmune Ointment up twice daily (again something he will always need) and have regular vet checks for crystals in his urine and eye health checks 3 monthly as a minimum. We know this is a big list of requirements for this little Wire Fox Terrier but I can assure you that if you become his forever family you would reap so much more from him than the cost of the above..........he is worth every penny! 

Have a look at the Terrier SOS adoptables as if Clark Kent is not right for you there is bound to be one that is....... take Nando little legs, a little pocket rocket, perfect for an agility home or someone that loves to go to the beach or fields and play with a ball, or Sidney who needs a forever family who will love and cuddle him, walk with him, play ball with him and perhaps to be a companion with another family dog......there as so many dogs in this world who just need love and affection, Terrier SOS have some of the best! 

http://www.terriersos.com/dogs/clark-kent-3/

http://www.terriersos.com/dogs/nando-young-terrier/

http://www.terriersos.com/dogs/sidney/

Flapper Feets and Chasing Balls

Another 'first' occurred this morning when Clarky started playing with a ball, something he has never done, here, before. Wena is ball mad so invariably there are balls in the toy box and in almost every room. This morning he found one in the bedroom and started to play with it on his own. 

I gently encouraged him to play and we went down to play in the Dining Room......

He really uses his feet, like most terriers, to 'catch' the ball and is so very sweet. He did tire quite quickly and was soon lying down resting but he really enjoyed it and its evident that at some point in his past he has enjoyed playing as he was quick to retrieve it and happy to give it up..... after a few grumbles! 

Another major improvement is his recall when out in the fields, whilst he goes 'deaf' if there is a rabbit to sniff, when he is in the fields wandering around with no distractions he will come back quickly for a treat and is improving all the time. We don't ask him to come back when he is intent on a smell or if he sees the girls rummaging in the hedges as that would just be setting him up to fail, so we only practise when we know he has a high chance of success. Every day is a day closer to the time that he will come back even if there is a good smell or activity he values highly. That time will come with patience and practice!

'That pesky wabbit is in here somewhere!'

Clark has been a joy to foster since arriving just 57 days ago and watching him develop and gain confidence has been uplifting.  He has found plenty of love and cuddles and nothing is more enjoyable for him than .........

a cuddle in with Rob,   

a tummy tickle with me,

or snuggling in his bed next to my feet.

We love Clarkus Barkus and there are many 'adoptables' on the Terrier SOS website.... have look and see, you may find your new best friend there!

http://www.terriersos.com/rehoming_status/in-foster/

Less barking...marginally...... and celebrity friends!

This week has seen some changes to how we are dealing with Barkus Clarkus whilst he is at work with me to try and curtail his barking and yipping. We have tried Calmex and Zylkene, we tried ignoring him, we tried moving him around the kennels with more or less view but to no avail. Rachael, one of our great nurses, who has been putting up with the noise thought about him all the way home on Tuesday and came up with a new theory. We are lucky to have such great people to work with who have so much compassion and love for animals.....even noisy terrierists!!  

 Snuggles 

Rachael thought that maybe Clark was frustrated as he felt we couldn't hear him despite all his barking and was not going to stop because he is a tenacious terrier and can't give up on something until the desired result has been achieved i.e. attention.  By everyone ignoring him and me being the only one to go in when he was quiet to take him for a wee she thought maybe he is saying to him 'why can no one hear me?' & 'If I bark loud enough surely someone will hear me'.  So, with this in mind, we have changed tactics and now whenever he is quiet someone in the prep room goes in and gives him a treat - kibble, milky bone, anything tasty but when they need to go in the kennels and he is barking they say 'no' and walk away. We had some success with this on Wednesday and he was getting quieter throughout the day. He was praised for being quiet and told 'no' for noise.  Also the nurses and care assistants are taking him for wee breaks so he knows he doesn't have to rely on me and that anyone one of us will give him cuddles and take him out.

It will not be a quick fix but we have all decided he is not stressed about the environment he just wants to be acknowledged. The noise is a shout for attention not from fear or anxiety so we are trying to help him understand that we are all his friends and we will all chat to him and give him treats and he doesn't have to rely solely on me. 

On another positive note today I have left Clark at home for the first time and gone out for about 40 minutes, he was left in the dining room with his bed and the baby gate closed so he could see the girls in the front room but was safe. I peeped in the window when I got back, I couldn't hear any barking or whining and there he was sleeping on his bed without a care in the world! He is developing so much confidence and is a fantastic boy! 

He loves his bed!

Now on to our celebrity friend, Waffle Bennett who has appeared on The One Show this evening!!  Our FB friends Sarah and Sally organised a sponsored ball find as Waffle has an amazing nose and finds balls regularly. Well, Waffle found 23 balls in a week and has raised more than £3200 for Terrier SOS. Without Terrier SOS Clark would be dead and without financial support Terrier SOS could not save these sweet terriers.  Waffle is an inspiration and we are very proud she is our friend!  If you would like to donate you can go to her 'Youcaring' page, every penny counts ......

http://www.youcaring.com/other/waffle-s-sponsored-borlee-hunt/196611/update/189424


Your support for Terrier SOS is invaluable and without our amazing supporters the abused, ill, old and unwanted terriers would not have a chance of life, and a good loving life at that, so thank you!!!! 

http://www.terriersos.com/rehoming_status/in-foster/

Eyes tests and vet cuddles

This week has seen no improvement in Clark's barking at work sadly and today we gave in and I took Clark to my mums for the afternoon, bless him, he only wants to be 'doing' and not watching but his yipping was getting deafening! He loves mum, everyone does, and she is great with him so it was a good solution to a noisy problem. 

Despite all the noise he had been making he then enjoyed having cuddles with our vet, Siobhan, whilst she examined his eyes and gave him another general health exam. He is doing great and is now 11kg, he is muscling up and is definitely looking in better shape.  His eye exam went well and you can see Siobhan here testing his tear production with a strip in his eye, this measures the moisture over a timed period and I am happy to report the results are good and the Optimmune is really helping him. 

Clark is such a good 'patient' and is relaxed and calm when he is being examined, here you can see Siobhan handling him with no need for a nurse (or me) to be there as a comfort or to restrain him. He is very happy to be handled by all the staff and is often taken out by the nurses and animal care assistants for a wee break or just for a short walk. He has a real soft spot for one of our nurses, Maria, and greets her with his flapper feet going mad...... he is well loved! 

   

Clark is gaining confidence and strength all the time, he is also developing a nose for rabbits!  He enjoys sniffing in the hedges and is often seen with his bottom in the air and nose as far down the hole as he can go!! Fortunately, unlike Lakelands, he is too big to actually get down the hole but is very keen to put his head down as far is it will go, snorting and blowing away.

His back legs are getting stronger but he still tires after about 35 mins of a walk, he is keen to go though and really enjoys the sights and smells. His recall is improving and he now responds to my commands more quickly and with an understanding of what I want from him. He is happy little chap.  

This morning we had a bit of a breakthrough with Sowena when Clark greeted her with flapper feet paws....... this means he is VERY happy to see you!  He does this to me, Rob, my mum and Maria, the nurse he loves at work, and now to Wena too so he is evidently gaining confidence around her. She was snooty and ignored his attempts to say good morning but she often tries to engage him in play so hopefully they will continue to develop a friendship. He is still a little growly with Molly which I find odd as Molly is the least confrontational dog I know, I think he is just pushing her down the pack hierarchy and getting in above her but below Wena. Molly doesn't mind being down the bottom as long as she can be with me on my chair and bed so we are letting them work that out between them. Molly will always give way to him and just removes herself or turns away bless her. She really is a sweet little dog. 

We have been taking regularly walks to the dam and paddling in the shallows as he loves to lie down in the water for a bit whilst having a drink. Today I am hoping to put him in Wena's buoyancy aid and I shall wade out a short distance to get him swimming in, this should help strengthen his legs a little more too. I will try to take some pics...... whilst handling three dogs, in the water up to my knees and with a camera in one hand...... could be a disaster waiting to happen! 

  

Superman is flying high and enjoying every minute of it!  There are many dogs both in the UK and abroad who need foster places and forever homes.....if you can offer them a life changing home please consider it. We love every minute of our time with Clark and cannot recommend fostering highly enough - it might be scary and tiring, like yesterday morning at 6.00am when I was bathing Clark ready for his photo shoot at work and could have done with an extra hour in bed,  I can honestly say he is worth it!  Go on, you know you want to.......