....and we come to our last week.......

Each day that passes brings us closer to the day that Clark moves to Fowey and I am finding it increasing difficult to think about. These dogs from Spain, saved by Terrier SOS, who arrive here scared, scarred, poorly, thin, dirty, and lucky to be alive, thrive with love and care. Clark is a different dog to the one who arrived on 20th May. He is funny, cheeky, loving, trusting, and such a sweet natured chap....how lucky were we to be the ones chosen to foster him!?

My fears noted in my first post have mostly been unfounded and not caused the worry I had anticipated however one thing I didn't anticipate was just how much they wiggle their way into your heart! I didn't think I would be so sad but I feel real grief at his leaving us. I frequently end up in tears and yesterday on the way home from a lovely day at our agility club the radio played the theme from the 1970's Superman film written by John Williams (one of my favorite composers). I spent the whole 5 mins of the piece crying for a WFT Superman who has captured my heart. 

Despite knowing Clark is going to the very best home any of us could have ever wanted for him at present it gives me little comfort.  We are preparing a bag of comforts for him for his first few nights which we hope will calm him. He has an Adaptil collar, his beds have all been washed today so the are clean'ish when he leaves us but have plenty of both his and my smell on them. He will also be taking some Scullcap and Valerian to help his stress ....maybe I should take some too!! 

Gill and Lisa are also making lots of preparations to make the transition easier for him and he will be loved and cared for by them so very well. Fortunately they have offered to take lots of photos and give me regular updates...... I'll be passing on these to this blog too!

We are making the most of his remaining time with us and today went to our favorite place to walk with them all. Clark has grown in confidence so much that he and Wena now play chase and 'almost bitey face' ...he's not yet brave enough for full on 'bitey face'! 

Clark joining in a game of chase and fast moving 'bitey face'!

Sowena and Molly playing chase.

Clark's recall is getting better and better!

I have also had some fun with Clark this week making a Superman costume for Clark.....after all he deserves to be recognised for his true self! 

I'll be bringing you one more update before he leaves us but it may be tear stained and have lots of typo's!!

Off lead and recall!

Just a quick update....... we have been having some lovely off lead walks and today I had the camera at the ready! 

The first video does look like he is doing a runner but he was just off sniffing .......

This next one shows his lovely recall which has improved beyond belief - he arrived with no commands at all. Those he may have been taught in Spain didn't appear to have stuck or he just never had anyone to train him. So since arriving not only has he had to learn English but also commands he may have never been taught before. He is a little star!  Please excuse my ramblings at the end I didn't realise I was still filming and I can't work our how to edit it!

Wee tests, blood tests and food problems :(

This week has seen a disappointing result on Clark's wee test :( His pH is still too alkaline and not sufficiently acidic which has resulted in Struvite Crystals in his urine. As he doesn't like either the Royal Canin Urinary food nor the Hills CD food we moved him on to Uri-Balance which is an additive to a normal diet. We had hoped that this would lower his pH but so far his pH is still too high so more changes are afoot as we really need to get his pH lower. 

On a positive note his bloods all came back good and he also had a check up with our Ophthalmologist, Neil Wilson, who is very pleased with his progress on Optimmune. Its not all bad news!! 

From this sad boy..........

To this......happy, handsome and getting healthy!

 Clark loves his walks and has been spending more and more time off lead, mooching about the fields, sniffing in the hedges and rolling in poo! He also loves his snoozing and this week he hopped up to snooze with his pal Molly.......she was remarkably calm about this as normally she is a little wary of him. 

We are packing a little spotted hankie for when he leaves us and he has some jumpies and bandanas to take with him on his travels to his new home.  We loves Clarkus Barkus and want to make sure he has all he needs when he goes. His new mums have been making lots of preparations for his arrival and are very excited!  Not long now so we are all very sad he is leaving but so very glad he has a wonderful forever home.

Remember if you too want to help a terrierist in need you can foster or adopt via Terrier SOS! 

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

A soft new bed, a fleecy blankie and a window sill!

Clark has been spending some time here with his new mums Gill & Lisa. They came down yesterday and we all went for a walk up at the Dam showing off Clark's new 'off lead' skills and giving them an opportunity to walk with him and learn his ways.  He had the comfort and familiarity of me, Wena and Molly with him yesterday and enjoyed his walk both on and off lead. 

Off lead and having a jolly good sniff with his lakie girls

Today Lisa & Gill took him to the Dam on his own to bond and learn more about his need for confidence building. He did great and despite being a little reluctant to walk very far he went with them. They all had a rest and sat down for a cuddle mid way and their bond is developing. Building his confidence in them is vital and the more we can do before he goes to live with them the easier the change will be for him. 

It will be hard for him when he leaves here as it will be a wrench to leave, not only me whom he has bonded so deeply with but also my lakies whom he enjoys being with....he is one of the terrierist gang of Carnkie! 

Clark with his best pals, keeping a close eye on the comings and goings in the village!

In the last week he has started hopping up on my bed both during the day to keep an eye on the goings on in the village and also at night to cuddle up to sleep - neither of which he has done before. He has stopped leaking completely and we have even started to alter the dose of Propalin he is taking as we want him to be on the lowest dose possible without causing any leakage. We have therefore reduced the dose to twice daily but increased, slightly, the volume of each dose, this way we can assess whether the timing or the dose is more important. If he continues to stay dry on a twice daily routine Siobhan may recommend we reduce the volume of the dose slightly but it will be trial and error until we find the minimum dose he can cope with. As with all long term medications ideally we take as little as is necessary.  

He is also developing the naughty terrierist personality we all knew was hiding when he first arrived. This morning I was amazed to find him sitting on the window sill watching the world at as close a range as he could! I have no idea how he managed to hop up there as he has very little bounce in his back legs and it is a narrow space for any dog to climb on, let alone one with a smashed pelvis!! 

Wena - "Nothing to do with us mum".... Clark - "They told me to!"

Good view from here....right out to The Lizard and the sea!!

Gill & Lisa brought Clark a bed and blanket for us to use - again this will help the transition in November, so we are ensuring they are well and truly 'Clarked' and he loves them already. As soon as they put them down he climbed in, sighed and fell asleep! A good omen. 

Snuggly and warm ZZzzzzzzzzzzz

So as the days pass by too quickly it will soon be time for us to say goodbye to our dear Clark, tears are regularly shed when I dwell on his leaving but I can honestly say he is leaving us 1000% better than when he arrived. He has achieved so much more than we ever expected him to. When I think back to the day he arrived here and how much he has changed it really is mind blowing. He is now the naughty terrierist as described in the title of this blog, exactly what we wanted him to become.....cheeky, happy, funny, silly, sweet, and very lovable. It has been a pleasure to have him in our lives and he will always be part of our family even after he leaves our home.  

Remember there are lots of Terrier SOS terrierists in need of a loving family, a warm bed, and with a tummy ready to be tickled, have a look at the adoptable pages....... they will make your heart melt! Duke has arrived in the UK and is very handsome!

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

Off lead and loving it!

So we only have a very limited time left with the handsome Clark and we are making the most of it! We have been on some lovely walks, had plenty of cuddles and generally enjoying our time with him.

He is doing really well with my mum and mum in law on the days he spends with them (when I am at work) and is getting better at going for walks with them. His aversion to walking with anyone but me is reducing and Rob, mum and mum in law are all managing to get him to go further and for longer. He is too good at getting out of his harness by refusing to walk forwards and then disappearing back out of his harness but bless him he doesn't run away he just stands there looking about!  He is doing really well and will have to get used to walking with out me for when he goes to Gill & Lisa. 

On Thursday we met up with some lovely WFT's called Sid and Sally and their 'staff' for a walk and meal at a local pub. We had a lovely time and Clark was very good. He came into the pub with us and sat happily for a while. The noise and people began to worry him a little so we put him back in the car after 30 mins or so. He loves the car and happily settled down in his crate for a snooze. 

We have also been up to the Dam for quite a few walks as the levels have dropped and left a lot of grassy space to gallop and play. We decided it was a great opportunity to let Clark off his lead fully for the first time and it went very well, he really loves to chase the girls for a short while so after we had let them have a real gallop about and were a little less feisty we let him off. He did nail poor Molly but after grabbing her he let go and ran on, dear Molly is already worried about him but she is better with him whilst he was running about after a bit. 

He is keen to run about but today after chasing about yesterday he was happy just to amble about today, his mind is willing but his body less so. :( He had a dose of Metacam last night to aid his aches and pains but he was still stiff today, poor baby. 

This week Lisa & Gill are coming down to take Clark out for some walks and spend some time with him in readiness for their adoption in November. We shall be preparing them and him as much as we can in order that he settles in quickly. We all know it is going to be hard for him (and us) as he is so bonded to me but he will get there with patience and love. Gill & Lisa have plenty of that to give and will make the transition as easy as they can for him. 

There are many other Terrier SOS dogs in need of a loving home so if you have been inspired by our blog then please take a look at the website........ lots of wonderful doggies! 

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