One Year On .....

This time last year I was in a dark place.  I was depressed, lonely, felt like I wasn't going any where and I'd never be happy.

The 18th October 2014 came round and my life changed totally.

Because of what happened on 18th October I am now walking 2km per day.  

Because of what happened on 18th October I am now walking with walking sticks and not a frame.

Because of what happened on 18th October I am now driving.

Because of what happened on 18th October I am now happy, safe and no longer feel alone.

So what happened?  In one word.....

MOLLY!

Who'd of guessed the one thing I needed in my life was a mad mixed terrier!?!  Since she came to live with us I have some one there 24/7 who will love me, cuddle me and make me feel needed.  She nags me to take her for a walk every day so I go out and my strength is getting better every day.  If you'd of told me this time last year that I'd enjoy walking and I'd be getting good at it I'd of laughed at you! But I am! I love getting out and going for a walk, come rain or shine, it's just nice to be outside away from everything for a while so I can clear my head.

I've still got some way to go but I'm hoping that the strength I've built up now I can keep going through out the winter and the bad weather.

I know Molly won't realise what day it is on 18th but I will.  It will be the day my life turned around and I could start to see a better life ahead.

And I owe all that to Molly.

and it's a good night from Molly xxxxxx 

 

Rosie and Molly!

Just before Molly came to live with us my friend lost her Lab to old age.  Merlin was the best dog in the world (well, second to Molly!!) He was soft (fur and head!) and he was so funny.  When he went it was devastating for them, even though they knew it was coming.  It was upsetting for every one who knew him.  He was a well known sight in the area, always out walking with his dad.  

6 months later they decided they were ready to get another dog.  I home check for Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary in South Bristol so I told her to check out their website.  My friend saw a gorgeous dog called Rosie.  She was originally a street dog in Crete but had been rescued by two Brits living there.  When they're jobs meant they had to move on they couldn't face leaving Rosie there so sent her to the UK for a friend to rehome.  My friend saw all this as a sign!  They had honeymooned in Crete many many (many!) years before, so this had to be a sign she was the dog for them.

Luckily Holly Hedge agreed and within a week she was home with them and their Spaniel, Willow.

Rosie is a big dog.  We've narrowed her breed down to Lurcher, Alsation and Labrador!  She's so sweet and playful.  She loved getting to her new home and playing with all the toys and she loved her new sister Willow but she was nervous around other dogs.  

Molly was fine with Willow, unless a tennis ball was around then she'd get mouthy! But she was a bit nervous around big dogs and they don't come much bigger than Rosie! lol!  So the first time they met Rosie was ok and wanted to play but you could tell they were both a little unsure of each other.  They got on but they weren't best mates.

I was talking to Rosie's mum and she said she wanted to join me walking.  So we arranged to meet up twice a week for a long walk.  I was over the moon to have some company but a little worried about how Molly would behave with Rosie.

I didn't need to worry!  It's now 3 weeks on and Rosie and Molly are best mates!!  Twice a week we meet up and go walking.  Rosie is more than happy for Molly to lead and Molly being a bossy terrier is happy with that!  I was so happy they were getting on.  It means if there's ever an emergency I can have Rosie and Willow or she can have Molly.

This week I saw each dog had got more than friendship out of the walks.  Until this week if Rosie saw another dog she'd hide behind her mum's legs.  If they came near her she'd get in a state.  She was really nervous.  This week she went up to another dog and said hello!!!  She'd come out of her shell and had over come her fears.

I noticed Molly had changed too.  She didn't hide behind me when a big dog came near.  She was much braver and even played with a big lab! Something she'd never done before!

As Molly's 1st 'Gotcha day' comes up I see a different dog from the one we took on who had been found lying by her dead owner.  She's braver, more outgoing, even funnier!  She now has silly little games we play at home!  Plus she knows when I'm not good and cuddles me or when I'm struggling and she pushes me just enough to get me going.  Both dogs are perfect examples of why you should always #AdoptNotShop.

When I got Molly it was because I felt lonely and trapped at home.  I never imagined all she'd do for me.  Now she's got something back from our walks, confidence.  Plus she's given Rosie confidence to be the dog we all know she can be.

Now every time we go for a walk Molly looks for her mate Rosie, and twice a week Molly and Rosie get hyper and nag to go out because they know it's long walk together day! Lol!

Please, if you or any one you know is ever looking for a dog check out your local sanctuary.  There's so many dogs and puppies out there that need homes, you don't need to buy a puppy to get a good dog.  A rescue will love you forever because you saved it.

#AdoptNotShop 

Terriers, Media, The news and relationships (in other words, a mixed blog post!!!)

Some of you may of heard about the 15 day old baby who was killed by the family Terrier.  Yes it's very sad but there are a few things that bother me about the story.

Please realise I'm not blaming any one.  I was bitten by our family dog when I was 8 so of all people I know a trusted dog can do stupid things!!  To this day I still blame myself for that.  It was a total misunderstanding and in hindsight no one (or dog) was to blame.

HOWEVER!  A family dog does not live in the shed!  Especially one as small as a terrier.  I can get a large dog being shut somewhere at night so they don't do damage etc but a 12 inch high dog can be easily put in a room somewhere if needed.  A dog who spends a lot of time shut away in a shed isn't going to learn to socialise with people and by the sounds of things this dog was only a year old so that would of been the crucial time for it to socialise.

Poor Foxy is squeakless and legless now!

Also, think about what a Terrier was bred for. Believe it or not it wasn't to be a small, handbag dog!  Honestly, dogs used to be bred for a reason and not fashion!!!  A Terrier literally means Earth Dog. They where bred to hunt in tunnels and dens, to work alone and keep themselves safe and to hunt small squeaky animals.  That's why they are such independent dogs who have appalling recall.  They can look after themselves so why bother coming when you call? You have nothing to offer!  It's also why Molly removes the squeaker from every toy she has!  It drives her nuts as it triggers her hunt instinct.   Any one who has seen her with her toys knows she grabs them and shakes them just like she would a rat in the wild.  

That's why no breeder or Dog Sanctuary would ever in their right mind home a terrier with a baby!  Just think of the pitch of a baby's cry.  Now compare it to a squeaking rat.  It's the same tone and no amount of training etc will breed out the natural instinct in a terrier.

This is now going to give Terriers a really bad press and people are going to panic.  Which for the 1000's of terriers in sanctuaries is very sad and in some cases fatal.  Like I said I don't blame any one but as a general rule of thumb you never leave any dog alone with a baby.  No matter how much you trust them you can never tell how they'd react.  I love Molly to pieces and trust her (accept when it comes to walks, she stays on the lead or we'd never get her home!!) but I'd never leave her with a baby as I don't know how she'd cope.  

Terriers aren't dangerous dogs but they have become a bit of a fashion dog.  People get them because they're small and think they're easy.  To be honest the smaller the dog the more work they need.  Compare Molly to a Lab.  The lab would happily just have one quick walk a day and sleep the rest!  Molly on the other hand would go spare if she didn't have 3 good long walks a day at least!  I just hope that this doesn't cause terriers to be victimised.  It's not their fault people get them and don't look into their background.

Ok part two of this blog post!  Totally different to the first part but I didn't want to post two post in one day!!

Last night I was on Facebook for the first time in months and some one I've not seen or heard from in over 15 years popped up on another persons post (I'm not going to say who for obvious reasons).  To start off I was hit with a pain in my heart because I missed this person a lot.  Then I started to think about things and I realised I'd tried to contact this person a few times since then but they chose not to talk to me.  Then the more I thought about it the more I realised that the person I knew and cared about didn't exist any more.  They'd moved on and become some one else and if they decided they didn't want to talk to me then that meant I'd moved on too and getting upset about it wasn't worth it.  Yeah I still miss them but as I said I miss the person I knew, I don't know the person they are now so how can I miss them?

Then at stupid o'clock my mate popped up on my messenger and made me realise that those who choose to be around you are those that make you who you are and make you happy.  Next thing I knew the picture above appeared on my FB page so I took it as a sign to stop dwelling on the past and move on!

And so ended my FB visit for another few months!!  Sorry if I missed you on there (found a friend request that could of been there months! Oops!!) I really only use it for games.  Social media and mental health aren't a good match!  If you want to chat to me it's probably best to message me or post on here.

So to all my NOW friends and family.  I love you all and I'm glad you like me enough to put up with me!!!!

Bye from Molly and Me! xxx