George’s Page

George was what is known as a "poundie".

Local authorities have a duty to keep stray dogs for seven days while waiting for them to be re-claimed. If they are not re-claimed, or lucky enough to be rescued by a charity, they are killed, at the rate of about one an hour every day in this animal loving nation of ours.

Fortunately George was rescued by The Little Dog Rescue and immediately christened "Gorgeous George". Nobody could understand why such a lovely dog was not re-claimed by his owners, unfortunately he did not have a name tag and was not chipped.

George went to a lovely foster home in preparation for being re-homed. The fosterer came very close to keeping George but personal circumstances made that impossible and I was lucky enough to adopt George in September 2011.

After the handover from the fosterer we set off on the journey home, a 3 hour drive (M25, say no more).

The first thing I did was to take him for a walk round the gardens which he seemed to love, he walked a bit then trotted a bit and had a good sniff around.

I then brought him into the house and he had a good sniff round the kitchen and lounge, there will be the scent of two previous dogs in the carpet etc. I put his blanket on the settee but we had a right old tussle about who was sitting where. At first he was on my lap, then next to me then a bit later he decided his blanket was a good place so he settled there.

Then a neighbour came to see him, he acted like a big sloppy mutt and she thinks he's fabulous.

I took him for a last walk at about 10:30 and then said "are you coming to bed?". He wasn't completely sure but when he saw me go up the stairs he came with me. I'd made him a bed of blankets but I will get him a soft bed or bean bag (the one I have is too small). While I was sorting things out he jumped on the bed, first dog I've had that is big enough to do that. So I explained to him that he has his own bed and lifted him off my bed. He tried a couple more times but I held my hand out in a "stop" gesture and said "no" and he's now settled in his own bed.

On the second day we went for a walk "in the park" - actually part of Salisbury Plain.

I am knackered, he walks much faster than I'm used to and I didn't want to let him off lead yet, I thought I'd give him a couple of days. He was brilliant though, when we got back to the car he just sat and waited then jumped in and had a big drink. He was slightly unsure when we got back here until he realised it wasn't a different place again.

He slept all through last night, in fact he was still asleep when I woke at 6:30 but I took him out for a wee in case I went back to sleep and over slept. The little toad jumped on the bed while I was getting my dressing gown off but I told him he had to go back in his own bed and he did with a gentle push.

On the third day a neighbour bought him a squeaky toy, he loves it but I think I'm going to cross her off my Xmas card list as I'm now deaf in one ear!

I left him on his own for an hour or so I was out and he was as good as gold, when I got back he was lying on the kitchen floor and he didn't go mad when I came in, he waited for me to speak to him THEN he went mad! Fantastic welcome.

On the fourth day he went off lead for our walk and was brilliant. We walked on lead away from the parking area and then I un-clipped him, he absolutely loved it and he always kept me in sight. I managed to lose his tennis ball in the long grass so we carried on back to the car so, I could get his football, when we got there he jumped back in the car. I said "shall we go round again?" and out he jumped and we went round with his football which is too big to lose.

He has discovered a massive puddle in the "park" which he runs up and down in. He is brilliant off lead, he did start running off down a track but stopped and came back as soon as I called him.

He does twitch at some things but seems to get used to them quickly. I walk him in our bit of woodlands in the grounds and after dark it disturbs the pigeons, that spooked him (and me a bit) at first but he is getting used to it and pretty well ignores it now. The boys have been playing with their big toys on Salisbury Plain for the last couple of days and it sound like distant thunder. At first he stopped each time he heard it but again he seems to have got used to it.