Letters

Hi John and Di

Thank you for introducing us to the smart and affectionate little Poppy twelve days ago, she really is a wonderful dog. She has evidently been raised in a loving home so I hope her previous owner will be reassured to know that Poppy is happily settled with us in her new loving home, where she is having fun: playing with her toys; chasing after (and occasionally bring back) her ball; and helping in the garden (bush pruning and digging being her favourite jobs).

Poppy is extremely sociable and well behaved and is a joy to take 'out-and-about'. She likes the pub but prefers the scent of squirrel and rabbit to 'real ale'. Her adventurous spirit and tireless enthusiasm for tracking and observing wildlife is not only fascinating to watch but we are beginning to think that the hours spent trekking about the countryside with Poppy should have us fit enough for the next Olympic Games.

We're taking Poppy to The Forest of Dean for a week in May so will send you some photos and an update when we get back.

John & Ann (24-02-2014)

Hi to all at CAESSR,

Stump (now re-named Scamp) has now been with us for 12 days, and we are very pleased. Of course we are still getting to know each other, but he has settled down very quickly, obviously enjoys his longish walks off lead through local woods, and curls up quietly in his basket whether in our warm kitchen or in front of the wood-burner. He is very biddable, very good with other people and dogs, and so it is all very promising.

There are some things to sort out - and we are sure that we can do so - including a lot of pulling on short lead, huge acceleration when he comes across pheasant scent, and an inexplicable fondness for our porch and downstairs shower!

We will send a photo.

Tony and Pam (12-02-2014)

Hi Di and all at CAESSR,

Just wanted to send you an update on Sid who has now been with us for 5 weeks.

What a joy he is, it seems like we have always owned him. He has settled in very well, and is so affectionate (especially to Barry who he follows everywhere). He loves his cuddles which he gets lots of from all the family, our grandchildren adore him.

He is a real little character who gets up to mischief but he just looks at you with those eyes and all is forgiven! Sid has made many new doggie and human friends and is already well known in the village. He loves his walks and is getting better on the lead but he especially loves his runs with his two Irish Setter pals Finnegan and Paddy who he chases around with trying to keep up with them. We have to say he is a credit to his previous owners who obviously loved, trained, and cared for him making him the wonderful little dog he is today.

Please feel free to forward our comments and photographs attached onto them if they would like to know how Sid is doing.

Thank you for allowing us to adopt Sid he has bought so much happiness into our lives after being without a dog for over three years, our family is now complete once again.

Kind regards Maureen & Barry (22-02-2014)

Hi

Just an update on Roxie who I adopted last Wednesday.

She has settled in really well, eating (a lot) and sleeping (a lot) and enjoying the lovely Staffordshire countryside lots of long walks but still on lead at moment until I trust her to come back.

She is a real pleasure to have around, following me round the house with an ever wagging tail. Please let her past owner know she is doing great and well cared for and looked after.

Linda (22-02-2014)

Hi,

This is Lily with her new mum and cousins, Gipsy & Peggy.

She is ettling in well and enjoying her walks and cuddles with her new family and friends .

Gipsy in the middle is 13 and a 1/2. Peggy (Gipsy's daughter on the left) a puppy 10 year old all enjoying each other's company with out any arguments !!!!!!!!

Jim (09-02-2014)

Hi All

Ted here, just thought you would like a catch up.

I have been in my home since the middle of December and I am having a great time. I have two new friends, Jess and Jake, both black and white springer's, who play with me for hours! Especially Jake, Jess was a a bit stuffy to start with, but I soon won her round.

I have been to the vet for my little op and also had my dew claws done at the same time as they were quite big. I had to have a big collar on to stop me licking, but soon discovered that if you run at the wall it comes off a treat. Unfortunately I did crash a bit hard one day and opened up one of the wounds so back to the vet to have it dressed every day for a week, but what lovely people!!! Soon won them round as well.

They have good food here and because I was still a bit thin, and not being very old, guess what? Mum feeds me three times a day!!!!! Brilliant !!!! Jake and Jess think so as well because they have to have a snack to keep me company!!! I am not so skinny now and I am growing lots and lots.

Its sad that no one wants to know how I am from my life before CAESSR, but I am really happy now, and have put the past behind me.

I am nearly brave enough to go through the back door with J and J but much rather just check Mum is coming as well, just in case I get shut out. Mum and her son Richard think the world of me, and now I can revert to being a puppy instead of trying to look after myself, but they can make strange noises when I dash off with the loo roll ha ha !!

Do want to thank you all at CAESSR for caring for me, and helping me through the hard times and perhaps I have a bit of an admission to make, I thought CAESSR stood for Collie and English Springer Rescue and as I think I am a bit of both I would fit in perfectly. I knew you would be the very best people and so grateful the dog warden thought to phone you.

Oh Mum says I am rabbiting on and must leave you in peace, but she says to thank you all , and to wish you all the best.

Lots and lots of bouncy kisses

Ted (20-02-2014)

Hello everyone at CAESSR.

I have had Alfie for three months now and thought you would like to see some recent photo's. He is such a lovely dog. I am so happy to have him. He loves his walks, mostly off the lead. I am quite a bit fitter. I think he is happy, he looks it.

Thank you again for letting me give him a home.

Shirley (18-02-2014)

Hi Ian

Following our adoption on Saturday of Coco, a 6 year old chocolate cocker spaniel, Diana asked me to send a few words and photos for the caessr web site.

He's a lovely dog with a kind temperament and is now lying quietly on the floor beside me as I type. He was completley relaxed on the 3 hour drive home (accident on the M6) and settled easily into the house, soon finding a warm spot in front of the aga, he also likes his new bed under the kitchen table (see photos) but he barks for an hour or so after we've gone to bed.

After a lot of initial pulling on the lead, he now walks well to heel and enjoys running around our yard and playing ball, but he will need to learn to avoid the horses hooves. He's a bit nervous with other dogs which results in a lot of barking and snapping, but once off the lead he tends to calm down, so we will be introducing him to more dogs as the days go by.

We were visiting some doggy friends on Monday and all was fine after the initial barking session was over, but as we were about to leave we were met in the drive by their postman. Coco went ballistic and I had to drag him back, but fortunately it was all bark and no bite and the postman was very cool about it. All part of their job I suppose.

We've now registered with the local vet and he was pronounced well and healthy. We hope to start training classes soon, so with luck his barking problems and aversion to other dogs can be dealt with.

Best wishes

Bruce (18-02-2014)

Hi John,

After a great deal of trying I have at last managed to photograph our camera shy young lady! As you will see Lexi loves to curl up on the sofa, she loves to sleep.Every day sees her settling in more and more. She loves her runs through the local woods and is fascinated with the stream, at the minute though she has not been brave enough to try and jump in. She loves running through muddy ditches, the more mud the better. She can still be wary of certain people especially tall, slim males.

Despite meeting lots of dogs when out walking she still remains very aloof and doesn't want to make friends. Lexi has only just started to play with toys, but is very good at finding socks!

Will keep you posted as to her progress. Once again many many thanks for letting Lexi into our lives we all love her to bits

Pat and family (17-02-2014)

Hi Ian.

Hope you are all well and not washed away with this weather.

Darwin is doing great, as you can see from the photos attached he has settled in fine.

He still has some issues, but who doesn't? As I said in my early Darwin update, he likes to go to the pub, the landlord of our local lets dogs in and Darwin thinks its wonderful. You have to book a 'doggy table' because they are so popular, Darwin get his own special treats.

He still loves the water and gets on really well with the cats, until he decides to 'mount' one, the cats do the usual 'hissing' and then he just sits next to them. Everybody he meets falls in love with him, its his brown eyes and his cool hair cut, he has been given a few nick names by our friends, Tatty Head, and Darling Darwin are just two of them.

I am his slave, if he wants something he asks me, Graham says it because I speak 'spaniel'. Please let his previous owner know Darwin is OK and is loved very, very much.

Janice. (13-02-2014)

Dear John & Co,

Danny is absolutely fine, he has put on a bit of weight but our vet is happy with him, I exercise him at least 2 miles every day, all weathers. Unfortunately the fields opposite our house are rather muddy with all the rain and he does not appreciate being showered, but he loves being rubbed down with a towel.

He never leaves my side around the house and garden, forcing me to throw his toys and then very quietly sneaking up behind me or hiding them under our cars. At least once a month we take him to the coast where he really enjoys being let free on the beach to run.

We never realised that a springer would be so quiet, he rarely barks, even at people coming to the house. Workmen all get greeted in the same friendly way and the post lady is wrapped round his finger, always has a biscuit for him! He ignores the doorbell and delivery people are 'just there', at night it seems to be different and strange noises outside are brought to my attention!

We have had virtually no damage either, in fact he took an unopened packet of biscuits off the worktop when we were out and the wrapper was still intact when we picked them up! His failing as the police were well aware is toys, he chews them to pieces, the extra hard rubber balls last 12 hours, he has chewed a Kong into two pieces, one of which he still plays with along with a complete new one. Our 'best buy' is a Kong on a rope which he knows is for his walks giving it up when he gets back home!

We really could not have asked for a better dog to suit our current circumstances, he is aware of our moods and will force us to play if he senses that we are in need of a `pickup'.

All in all he is a creature of habit, dislikes having routines changed, unless he is going off in my car then I am forgiven. We are about to try him in a kennel for a day as we are planning some breaks in hotels and need to see how he will react, there are still some confidence issues with him. We have managed to leave him for up to 4 hours with no problem, he takes himself upstairs and sleeps in our bedroom_ Not, I would hasten to add, on our bed he never gets on furniture without an invitation and even then rarely. He has his own pillow upstairs which he uses when he can.

Thanks again for pairing us with Danny, he is a lovely dog.

Tours sincerely

John and Judy (12-02-2014)

Hello CAESSR and Rebecca,

Its been a while since we collected Woody. An update is well overdue.

Woody came to live with us in Liverpool on the 12th October. He very quickly dived into the big dog bed full of toys and made good work of destroying them. Wow - he is the toy destroyer. Poor Duke looked on in disbelief.

He was more interested in Duke, his cocker spaniel friend, than Duke was interested in him initially. Fortunately Woody is such a laid back boy he was able to shrug off the grumbles. I'm pleased to say that the grumbles didn't last too long (as you can see from the photos). It's quite funny watching the two of them on their walks - Woody is usually off somewhere ahead, behind, above us and Duke tries to follow him to see what's going on.

We live in a semi rural area so Woody gets lots of off lead walks. As a result he has been renamed Bonkers boy!! He is such a typical springer. Our previous springer was also a rescue and he only had three legs. We now know what a four legged springer is capable of. :-) He loves the open fields and is always chasing the birds. It is a safe environment and a few toots on the whistle will get his attention back. We need to work on it more to make sure when we go away with him we know he will respond quickly.

We are 6 miles from the coast and we all love going to the beach. Woody is excellent at playing fetch. He could play for hours and hours. In and out of the sea. You can tell when he is starting to tire. But does he stop? Oh no Bonkers Boy just keeps going and going. :-)

Ken spends more time with the two spaniels and it shows. Woody likes nothing more than cuddling up on the couch with Ken and getting stroked. The spaniels both get the full run of the house and its good to see that Woody is independent. Although he has the choice to sleep on our bed, he sometimes likes his own space and will stay in his bed downstairs. I can appreciate it must have been so difficult to give Woody up. I understand that the surrender of Woody was the only available option. Rest assured - he is very much a part of our family. He has fun every day and the company of another dog when we are not at home.

We hope we make Woody happy. When we see that waggy tail attached to the waggy bum we know we are doing something right. :-)

Kind regards

Sue, Ken, Duke & Woody (Bonkers boy) (11-02-2014)

Hi all at Caessr

Jamie has had his first Christmas in France. He didn't wear a festive hat or a Santa suit but thoroughly enjoyed his Christmas meal and the remains of ours!

The weather was kinder in Normandy than UK, normally the same give or take a day or two, so was able to work outdoors wrapping up well and bracing the wind. Was weeding one day and heard a swishing noise, looked round and Jamie was sat bolt upright, very proud, tail wagging furiously and grinning - yes he really does do that. Dirt on his paws almost up to his knees, on the tip of his nose and small heaps of soil on the bridge of his nose - I wish I'd had the camera to hand - he looked so comical. I saw the reason for such joy as he had dug up the flowers at the end of the bed, also the spring bulbs I had planted in Sept; I replanted those and luckily the flowers were annuals which would have died or dug up ready for new to be planted in Spring. But if he'd been my apprentice gardener I would have sacked him on the spot.

Back in UK he has finished his 8 week training/obedience course. I took him for socialisation really given the information I had when rehoming him, he has been excellent, not having a problem with others, wanting to play in between tasks and his obedience skills are very good, except when there is a smell more interesting than my voice! Especially when the puppy class has been there before ours - lots of lovely smells there. Jamie can be hired out at a small charge for vacuum cleaner duties - always nose to the ground and tail sweeping the floor.

When at the ferry port I saw a man walking an orange roan spaniel, so even though I had taken him for his final walk on dry land for a number of hours, curiosity got the better of me and I deliberately walked him towards this man. The dogs were fine and I would have walked on but the man stopped and chatted but after a while he must have sensed a reaction in his dog and dragged him away, made his apologies and walked off. Poor Jamie was left there very forlorn wondering where his new playmate had gone. I can't understand where this accusation of aggression is with orange roans.

Again he was good on the ferry, settling well in the car and had his reward at the end with the remains of our self service meal.

I am hoping to get him into flyball training classes as he is very quick and agile, catching the ball although the one he plays with has changed shape and doesn't bounce in the right direction any more. It was described as an indestructible hard smooth rubber ball = not any more, looks like something that has fallen from outer space.

Hope more spaniels have been lucky this year.

Jennifer & Jamie xx (07-02-2014)

Hi John,

Sorry it has taken so long send you a little note to let you know how Billy is getting on!!

Well what can I say, he has settled in very well, to anyone that didn't know, you would think he has always been with us. He has been fantastic in the house from day one, the only issue we seem to have is food mysteriously disappearing from the kitchen work tops, so far he has helped himself to some chicken and sliced gammon steaks!! (needless to say that all food is now well and truly out of sight of naughty springers called Billy!!!

Out on walks he is fantastic, always comes back when called and thoroughly enjoys running around in the open chasing after his ball, and if there is any water around for him to splash around in, so much the better as far as he is concerned!! He has settled very well with the other dogs, especially the little Jack Russell we have, they appear to like sharing the same bed, as every morning they are snuggled up together on the sofa.

He is doing quite well at the vets with me at work everyday, it has taken a little while to realise that people are in and out of the clinic all day, and did have a tendency to bark at everyone, but as time goes by he is settling better and better and the barking is a lot less often now. All of the clients have all commented on what a handsome boy he is.

I have attached some photos of him so you can see how well he is doing.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to have Billy in our lives, he is such a lovely lad, we adore him.

Kind regards,

Louise & Grahame (03-02-2014)