Stilesmeadow Dog Sanctuary

Help in the early days...

Dedicated to rehoming

Home page Pets for rehoming Notice board The early days Living happily every after... All about us... Barking mad.... Thank yous In memoriam

_{earlydays@stilesmeadow.co.uk}

_{Rehoming a rescue dog can
be daunting, but, with a little work and effort, can be thoroughly
rewarding - these dogs become eternally grateful, faithful and wonderful
companions.}

_{If you do have problems
with your rescued dog in those first few months please ring or e-mail us and we will be able to advise you
- there's nothing we won't have come across before and that can't be sorted!}

_{Below we have recorded
some of the experiences of our rehomers, the highs and lows of the early days:}

_{Introduction to Summer's life

Little Summer found herself in Stilesmeadow Dog Sanctuary in Bosley
Cheshire at the young age of 9 weeks - it was probably the luckiest day
of her life because from there she was sure to find a good home and
begin a long and happy life. It was very important that a home was found
for her as soon as possible as the first three months of a puppy's life
are the most important in terms of socialisation and development of
temperament - not that she was short of cuddles and company at Stiles,
the volunteers scrambled to give her attention and affection. But still,
nothing can beat a puppy growing up in a stable family environment where
she can feel safe and learn to cope with all that life throws at her -
protecting her family from postmen and paperboys (who keep coming back
every day despite being told repeatedly to clear off and not come back),
the family cat who is good fun to pounce on from behind the sofa, the
beds to sleep on when mum and dad have gone out (they'll never know -
the muddy paw prints could have been anyone) and a warm lap to curl up
on after a hard day.

When we talk to friends of Stiles who have adopted puppies and young
dogs they always tell us the same things - about the housetraining, the
mischievousness, and the dreaded puppy teens! Summer was adopted in
summer 2006 and her new owner has kindly volunteered to keep a puppy
diary so that subsequent new puppy owners can read of her experiences,
picking up tips and reassurance that they are not the only ones with
those problems!}

_{Summer's
Mum's Puppy Blog}

_{Click
here to enter blog}

_{Chester
is a big boisterous dog who loves life but, when he was with us, had had
absolutely no training at all and consequently jumped all over us and
dragged us up and down the road on his walks! His new owner e-mailed
us to tell us how he got on in the early days with Chester:}

_"_{To
be honest Chester has been very little trouble at all. I would advise
anyone who was adopting a dog to spend as much time as possible with them
in the first few days and try to study where they seem the most
comfortable. We had a pre-conceived plan to keep him in the kitchen at
night and during the day whilst at work but there was no way that could
have happened once we got him home. His ears were back and he started to
pant when we closed the door on him. We allowed ourselves to be flexible
and he now has the run of the front room and the kitchen and to date(touch
wood) has not made a mess, chewed, cried, barked or broken anything.}

_{We give him 4 walks a
day and that is enough for him because after just one walk all he wants to
do sleep. He gets one walk before work, one at dinner, a long one after
work and one before bedtime. People have a habit of just getting a dog,
locking him in a foreign environment, offer little attention, training and
walking and expect them to fit in with their way of life. This, as we know
will not work."}

_Benni,
_{"Benni has a
strong character and is a determined little sod at times, but he is
brilliant in the house, has never chewed or destroyed anything and still
enjoys his cuddles. He is obedient when out and very quickly learnt
to come on command but he is still a little nervous of strangers.}

_{We are starting
training next week at Gunmoor Kennels, really that is just to get him over
his occasional over the top reaction to people who frighten him - joggers
being top of the list! He loves other dogs and my husband and I
thoroughly enjoy having him. He has a penchant for the logs and we
have carefully put in the back borders for the frogs to hide in, but the
frogs have had to hope it as he likes nothing more that to furtle one out
of the border and attack it, then race around the garden barking at
nothing in particular and stopping periodically to dig a hole. He
would not, as you quite rightly said, have suited a family with children,
but his suits us brilliantly. He's a quick learner and in honesty
easy to train, so I think he'll enjoy his sessions at Gunmoor and if he
doesn't come top of his class I'll eat my hat!}

_{He has been
castrated. The vets, unfortunately he took an almost instant dislike
to, as he got very bad kennel cough shortly after we had him which took
several weeks and several trips, involving injections, to the vets to
clear. He then got an ear problem which involved drops and people
poking in his ears. At this point he decided attack was the best
form of defense - still the vets ought to do something special to qualify
for the extortionate charges they make.}

_{Anyway, many thanks to
you all for the excellent work you do and marrying us up with a wonderful
little dog who has already wound his way around our hearts"}

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_{Introduction to Summer's life Little Summer found herself in Stilesmeadow Dog Sanctuary in Bosley Cheshire at the young age of 9 weeks - it was probably the luckiest day of her life because from there she was sure to find a good home and begin a long and happy life. It was very important that a home was found for her as soon as possible as the first three months of a puppy's life are the most important in terms of socialisation and development of temperament - not that she was short of cuddles and company at Stiles, the volunteers scrambled to give her attention and affection. But still, nothing can beat a puppy growing up in a stable family environment where she can feel safe and learn to cope with all that life throws at her - protecting her family from postmen and paperboys (who keep coming back every day despite being told repeatedly to clear off and not come back), the family cat who is good fun to pounce on from behind the sofa, the beds to sleep on when mum and dad have gone out (they'll never know - the muddy paw prints could have been anyone) and a warm lap to curl up on after a hard day. When we talk to friends of Stiles who have adopted puppies and young dogs they always tell us the same things - about the housetraining, the mischievousness, and the dreaded puppy teens! Summer was adopted in summer 2006 and her new owner has kindly volunteered to keep a puppy diary so that subsequent new puppy owners can read of her experiences, picking up tips and reassurance that they are not the only ones with those problems!}	_{Summer's Mum's Puppy Blog} _{Click here to enter blog}
_{Chester is a big boisterous dog who loves life but, when he was with us, had had absolutely no training at all and consequently jumped all over us and dragged us up and down the road on his walks! His new owner e-mailed us to tell us how he got on in the early days with Chester:} _"_{To be honest Chester has been very little trouble at all. I would advise anyone who was adopting a dog to spend as much time as possible with them in the first few days and try to study where they seem the most comfortable. We had a pre-conceived plan to keep him in the kitchen at night and during the day whilst at work but there was no way that could have happened once we got him home. His ears were back and he started to pant when we closed the door on him. We allowed ourselves to be flexible and he now has the run of the front room and the kitchen and to date(touch wood) has not made a mess, chewed, cried, barked or broken anything.} _{We give him 4 walks a day and that is enough for him because after just one walk all he wants to do sleep. He gets one walk before work, one at dinner, a long one after work and one before bedtime. People have a habit of just getting a dog, locking him in a foreign environment, offer little attention, training and walking and expect them to fit in with their way of life. This, as we know will not work."}
_Benni, _{"Benni has a strong character and is a determined little sod at times, but he is brilliant in the house, has never chewed or destroyed anything and still enjoys his cuddles. He is obedient when out and very quickly learnt to come on command but he is still a little nervous of strangers.} _{We are starting training next week at Gunmoor Kennels, really that is just to get him over his occasional over the top reaction to people who frighten him - joggers being top of the list! He loves other dogs and my husband and I thoroughly enjoy having him. He has a penchant for the logs and we have carefully put in the back borders for the frogs to hide in, but the frogs have had to hope it as he likes nothing more that to furtle one out of the border and attack it, then race around the garden barking at nothing in particular and stopping periodically to dig a hole. He would not, as you quite rightly said, have suited a family with children, but his suits us brilliantly. He's a quick learner and in honesty easy to train, so I think he'll enjoy his sessions at Gunmoor and if he doesn't come top of his class I'll eat my hat!} _{He has been castrated. The vets, unfortunately he took an almost instant dislike to, as he got very bad kennel cough shortly after we had him which took several weeks and several trips, involving injections, to the vets to clear. He then got an ear problem which involved drops and people poking in his ears. At this point he decided attack was the best form of defense - still the vets ought to do something special to qualify for the extortionate charges they make.} _{Anyway, many thanks to you all for the excellent work you do and marrying us up with a wonderful little dog who has already wound his way around our hearts"}