Anna the dog

[Mendip]

The starving puppy's been with us for a week now and is coming on in leaps and bounds.

She's finding her way around and has already discovered that if she sits by the back door my daughter will occasionally pass out tidbits through the hole in the fly screen.

Although she's looking a bit nervous here...



And here's why! The others get a bit boisterous before their morning walk.



Meanwhile Max and Yogi have been preoccupied with the litter of five we brought in a few days ago.



It's amazing how quickly these have settled in. They're already bullying Yogi...



Auntie Max continues to show his feminine side. He would make a wonderful mother.



But it was a sad day today... The puppies' last meal here and now they are already on their way to the new home in Chaiyaphum.



And the starving puppy ate separately from her trusty Fray Bentos pie tin. Love or hate the pies, you can't deny that the empty pie tines make fantastic puppy food bowls.

Just about all she will eat at the moment is fish but I'm hoping as her digestive system sorts itself out she'll be open to a wider diet.



Her wounds and bites are healing up nicely and it's great to see her trying to get accepted by the other dogs. She always sits on the periphery without being intrusive. To me she seems to be doing everything right. She follows me everywhere round the garden, like a... dog.



And she seems to know that the key to the whole thing is boss Dan (apart from the Commandant of course) and she makes extra effort to make sure Dan gets used to her.



And she spends a lot of time in "Yogi's hole", as we call it. Although that won't make her popular with Yogi at all... this is his special place. One thing that I can't help wondering when I look at these pics... what the hell am I paying a full time gardener for?



So before the puppies left today my daughter spent a bit of time with her favourite. This one may have been offered a home here if the starving pup hadn't turned up last week. I think she will be staying now... even my darling wife wouldn't be heartless enough to refuse her a home now that we've all bonded and she's been given some hope.

While the daughter was giving the pup a last cuddle, Max came along and nuzzled the starving one... that was nice to see.



Good luck to you and your four brothers and sisters! (Who needs a full time gardener, by the way?)



Of course my little girl was a bit upset at the puppies leaving. We've had them for a few days and have become a bit attached. I explained that she should be proud helping to find homes for 11 puppies over the last couple of weeks, and that we can't keep them all... in a few months they won't be so cute. And besides, they all had a good home to go to, all together... the starving puppy has nowhere to go and has no brothers or sisters... I said all of her love needs to go to this little pup now!



Looks like a name is needed... I can't keep calling her 'the starving pup'.

Minx, Yoda? My daughter has come up with Clara, Emily and Helen (which seem a bit strange for a dog). My thoughts are Missy or Fish (all she eats is fish). I'd still prefer a name to remember this lock down by... maybe Locky?

[NamPikToot]

^ if you all get through it, then its "Lucky".

[helge]

Looks like a name is needed..

Name her after the Gardener

Ava is a nice name(and she was one sexy lady)

[Mendip]

Ava... I like that!

[Mendip]

There was something of a breakthrough tonight and you could see that the starving pup had been accepted. It was just different... she was comfortable around the others and they just treated her as though she's always been there.

I think part of it was that Tommy and Yogi have been giving her a good sniff and have finally realised that she's a girl and may be some fun one she's matured. I wonder if it's taken a week of good food to get her female hormones working again?



I've discovered that she not only likes fish, but also roast lamb. Her diet is going to need working on.

Here she is, tummy stuffed with lamb, preparing for her first night in the workshop/gardener's kitchen with the big dogs.

Good luck! Although she already looks quite at home.

[Mendip]

I had my morning cup of tea with 'Coco', our newest addition to the pack. She must feel at home... already started sitting on the furniture!



Coco's spent two nights sleeping in the workshop with the resident pack with no mishaps, and she's now part of the family.

The wife hasn't actually 'said' anything, but she spoke to me this morning and I'm taking that rare act of affection to mean, 'yes, the dog can stay!'.

I'm taking her down the vets this morning to get her checked over and maybe start the jabs. (Coco, that is... )

[Shutree]

I had my morning cup of tea with 'Coco', our newest addition to the pack. She must feel at home... already started sitting on the furniture!



Coco's spent two nights sleeping in the workshop with the resident pack with no mishaps, and she's now part of the family.

The wife hasn't actually 'said' anything, but she spoke to me this morning and I'm taking that rare act of affection to mean, 'yes, the dog can stay!'.

I'm taking her down the vets this morning to get her checked over and maybe start the jabs. (Coco, that is... )

Fish and roast lamb every day. Free medical package. I'm jealous.

[Mendip]

^ But in a few months you may end up getting rogered senseless by Tommy and Yogi...

[tomcat]

^ But in a few months you may end up getting rogered senseless by Tommy and Yogi...

...which one is the gardener?...

[Headworx]

The wife hasn't actually 'said' anything, but she spoke to me this morning and I'm taking that rare act of affection to mean, 'yes, the dog can stay!'.

Told you that a wink and slap on the butt would get you in the good books

Follow me for more relationship tips and advice

[hallelujah]

What do you call a pop star with a biscuit on his head?

[Mendip]

^ Ha ha!

In fact that wasn't a very easy photo to take cos me damn phone kept focusing and putting the 'square' on Lionel's face instead of Coco's. I had to put them the same distance away.

[Mendip]

I took Coco to the vet today to get her checked out, and she was as good as gold. It's amazing to think we've only had her for 10 days.

She was 7.2kg, meaning she's put on over a kilo, or increased her body weight by around 20% in that short time.

Blood tests showed low red blood cell count and reduced platelets, both of which suggest a blood parasite, quite possibly from ticks. She was absolutely covered in them when I found her. A further test result tomorrow should confirm the type of parasite. In the meantime she's on antibiotics and a supplement for both red blood cells and platelets, exactly the treatment Headhunter described in the ongoing 'TICKS' thread elsewhere. She also had an injection to get rid of any further ticks, although that is only any used if our four other dogs also get injected as they will keep resupplying her with ticks. I've never known a year like this one for the amount of ticks we've had.

She was the best behaved little dog at the vets!

[helge]

Nice to follow this rescue

She was the best behaved little dog at the vets!

She's beginning to trust you.

Depending on the traumas she is carrying around, you could be best buddies in the future.

Next time that you'll return from working, she'll punish you for your neclect

[Mendip]

^ Helge, it's been very rewarding to bring her in.

At the vets, when I tried to put her down on the table she clutched my arm with her two little front paws. I think she's worried about being dumped again.

She doesn't leave the home at the moment, and when the other four dogs returned from the walk this morning she ran around, dancing about, tail wagging and treating them like long lost buddies... and that's only after a few days. The other four dogs were wagging their tails back at her. One week ago she shit and pissed herself out of fright every time the other dogs came near her. It does make you wonder what trauma she's been through.

It really is great to see her becoming happy and confident.

[Mendip]

The interview tonight... I hope she passed.

[hallelujah]

Yet more St Mendip of Somerset brilliance.

[NamPikToot]

Great news Mendip, did the vet suggest if he'll grow into her ears

Her head has something of the Dachshund about her

[Mendip]

The vet thought she was a bit older than the six months I'd put her at... which means she's gonna probably be a small dog but who knows how much the starvation has stunted her growth.

She's certainly got the Dachshund face, but skinny long legs...

A dog with unknown parentage on both sides... I guess that makes it interesting to see how she turns out. Her temperament can't be faulted though and that's all the really matters to me.

[NamPikToot]

^ i thought from the first moment she'd be a keeper, lovely little dog.

[Mendip]

^ Yep, she's won us all over... even the resident pack. That's taken some doing.

i even think the wife has a soft spot for her!

[NamPikToot]

Fingers crossed for her, if i was in country i'd have taken her in a heartbeat from the first pics i saw. I've had 12 dogs over the years and never had a pure bred, always mongrels - i reckon they are more intelligent, have less physical issues (generally) and if you get them as strays/rescue dog are unbelievably loyal - the most i have paid for a dog is £100 and that was a donation to the rescue centre, they still get £500/year, its the only donation outside RNLI i make.

Anyways, good on you, i think she'll bring as much happiness to the family as love she'll get back - she's a lucky girl finding the Mendip house.

[NamPikToot]

I think this says it all

[Mendip]

It took a week for this little dog to wag her tail, now it never stops.

We've had Coco for two weeks and she's started to play with the big dogs... such as a paw swipe to the nose before running off.

She's improving by the day as the antibiotics kick in to hopefully rid her of the tick borne blood parasites. She now cries when I take the others for their walk as she hates to be left behind. I want her to start her vaccinations before she leaves the house, and also I don't want anyone round here recognising her. It doesn't matter how ill-treated or neglected she's been, owners can suddenly materialise when they see a farang with 'their' dog and want some recompense. That happened with Max, but of course they received nothing.

Now that she's become established, Coco started her training today. First up, the chickens. It really was quite remarkable... she walked through them as though they weren't even there. Not the slightest bit of interest was shown.

She really hasn't put a paw wrong.

[Jack meoff]

Do they bark and howl all night?

Who cleans up all that dogshit around the house?