# A new family member



## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

So a few months ago, I opened a work email asking for volunteers to foster a puppy.
A litter of rottweilers had been seized and were now 8 weeks old, and needed to be moved out of kennels and onto homes to start socialisation.
Having lost my old staffie and then had to make the heart wrenching decision to have my GSD x put to sleep, I was very keen on the idea, but also wary due to the breed. So I showed photos to my other half and children and they all asked if we were getting one.
So, I put us forward.
Thankfully, we were accepted to foster one. 
She has been an absolute angel.
On her first night with us, I put her in her crate, and just laid next to her watching YouTube on my phone. She went to sleep, I went to bed, and unbelievably, no noise. At all. None of the usual puppy howling at night.
She settled in and has been so easy to train and raise. 
Sadly, the breed has this awful nickname of Devil Dog. Mother Theresa was a devil compared to my pup so that really does say something! 😄
Due to a lot of legal issues, I was not allowed to say anything about having her on any form of social media.
However, I now have confirmation that the little lady I brought home is now mine, so here is Bonnie:


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Such a fearsome, dangerous breed....


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## elishacoombes9 (Sep 5, 2017)

I think the breed is Amazing. My dad had one and she was one of the best dogs and best trained dogs I’ve ever seen. And also my Nan (his mum) got one. Again she was amazing. 
Around us all when we were young and the little cousin and all. 
I personally have never come across a bad one. 
She’s a beautiful girl  
Congratulations!! Hope you enjoy her, she looks so lovely 🥲


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

elishacoombes9 said:


> I think the breed is Amazing. My dad had one and she was one of the best dogs and best trained dogs I’ve ever seen. And also my Nan (his mum) got one. Again she was amazing.
> Around us all when we were young and the little cousin and all.
> I personally have never come across a bad one.
> She’s a beautiful girl
> ...


Thanks.
She is gorgeous, and absolutely adores my granddaughter.
She is very headstrong, but so loving. 
I always make a point of reassuring people who back away from her that she literally just wants to say hello and play. When they see her sit on command and stay by my side they almost always make a fuss of her.


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## M1chelle (May 20, 2020)

I just love big dogs 😍 you have a very cute doggie.

My previous dog (small/medium size) use to boss about a rottweiler, it was funny

BEWARE OF THE DOG.... It will steal your heart💓


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

Ian, she is adorable.... tempted to ask if there's any more that need a nice place to live.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

LiasisUK said:


> Ian, she is adorable.... tempted to ask if there's any more that need a nice place to live.


No, thankfully they were all found foster homes as soon as they turned 8 weeks old to get them out of kennels and into homes to be socialised. They have now been formally adopted by the foster carers.
There was a second litter born, in kennels, from one of the seized adults. Genetic testing confirmed they were inbred (father x daughter). Of the 11 pups, 5 have been euthanized due to severe deformities and neural problems. The others are likely to go the same way. They are around 4 months old, and no bigger than a Jack Rusell, and constantly ill.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Sadly there has been a real downhill turn for Bonnie. She has been at the vets since Monday after stopping eating over the weekend. They initially thought she had an obstruction in her stomach but nothing has been found. She is refusing food, on a drip and losing weight rapidly. What's not helping is she is being a right cow when they try to examine her. Unless she improves over the weekend it's likely she will be PTS.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

ian14 said:


> Sadly there has been a real downhill turn for Bonnie. She has been at the vets since Monday after stopping eating over the weekend. They initially thought she had an obstruction in her stomach but nothing has been found. She is refusing food, on a drip and losing weight rapidly. What's not helping is she is being a right cow when they try to examine her. Unless she improves over the weekend it's likely she will be PTS.


Oh no...so sad....and not what you want a week away from Christmas.... Thoughts are with you and the family, and hope that a little miracle happens and she turns around...


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## M1chelle (May 20, 2020)

ian14 said:


> Sadly there has been a real downhill turn for Bonnie. She has been at the vets since Monday after stopping eating over the weekend. They initially thought she had an obstruction in her stomach but nothing has been found. She is refusing food, on a drip and losing weight rapidly. What's not helping is she is being a right cow when they try to examine her. Unless she improves over the weekend it's likely she will be PTS.


Oh no, I hope Bonnie improves & soon 🤞


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

M1chelle said:


> Oh no, I hope Bonnie improves & soon 🤞


She came home today massively improved, and is now eating so hopefully she will now make a full recovery


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

ian14 said:


> She came home today massively improved, and is now eating so hopefully she will now make a full recovery


     🤞


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Malc said:


> 🤞


Thanks Malc. She's eating boiled chicken, and apart from one tiny piece has taken all the antibiotics put in with her evening meal. 
She's far from being her old self, but miles from being on deaths door when I left her with the vet.
No idea what caused this, and honestly, I don't care, so long as she pulls through.
When I last saw her she was literally at the end.
The vets stated that they would only call us over the weekend if she deteriorated and choices had to be made.
I truly expected to be having her PTS she was that bad.
Heart in mouth moment when they called today.
It was to say she was ready to come home.
She is now back where she belongs, looking 100% better, alert, lively and into everything. She is on a course of 3 different antibiotics for 5 days, and being treated like royalty.
Fingers crossed she is now on the road to full recovery.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

ian14 said:


> Thanks Malc. She's eating boiled chicken, and apart from one tiny piece has taken all the antibiotics put in with her evening meal.
> She's far from being her old self, but miles from being on deaths door when I left her with the vet.
> No idea what caused this, and honestly, I don't care, so long as she pulls through.
> When I last saw her she was literally at the end.
> ...


That's so pleasing to hear, as you say, not out of the woods yet, but its all moving in the right direction. Pleased for you and for her, she's defo a fighter and survivor.


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## GT2540 (Jan 31, 2012)

Strange question, you haven't got lilies in your house?


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

GT2540 said:


> Strange question, you haven't got lilies in your house?


No. I did have a lily flowering in the garden in the summer, but it's died right back including the leaves.


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## GT2540 (Jan 31, 2012)

Thought it may have been a poisoning or possible bloat. We had a mastiff that was intolerant to various foods took ages to find the right one. Best of luck with her


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

GT2540 said:


> Thought it may have been a poisoning or possible bloat. We had a mastiff that was intolerant to various foods took ages to find the right one. Best of luck with her


Poisoning has been a thought. Especially when I took her out in the garden and had her desperate to get to behind the bushes at the end of the garden. Found some bits of fresh bread there.
She's eating well, I'm going to add rice to her chicken tomorrow. Thankfully she's also eating all of her meds. Her strength has DEFINITELY returned!









A week ago, she was literally a walking skeleton, head hanging, with serious talks with the vet as to how long we would carry on.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

It's amazing how quick they can bounce back. - has she go over the "oh no I look like a lamp" complex 
Seriously, she's looking good, and the sheen on her coat is normally a good sign of heath.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh yes. Driving us mad with her collar, catching it on legs, heads, doorways.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

A little concerned as she has yet to have a shit.
That said, she hasn't been trying to, or straining, or showing any pain or discomfort. 
She does have over a week of not eating to make up for, so I'm hoping that's why.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Shes had a dump!!


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

ian14 said:


> Shes had a dump!!


Wonder who was more relieved... you or her 

Sounds like she's making excellent progress


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Malc said:


> Wonder who was more relieved... you or her
> 
> Sounds like she's making excellent progress


I think its safe to say it was me!
At least now I can get her back onto a balanced diet without the smell of boiling chicken 🤢
She is starting to fill out slowly again. I took her out for her first walk since being hospitalised, only short as it was raining and she has a few more days for the stitches to safely dissolve.
I think her strut said it all!


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Post op chill out


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## M1chelle (May 20, 2020)

ian14 said:


> Poisoning has been a thought. Especially when I took her out in the garden and had her desperate to get to behind the bushes at the end of the garden. Found some bits of fresh bread there.
> She's eating well, I'm going to add rice to her chicken tomorrow. Thankfully she's also eating all of her meds. Her strength has DEFINITELY returned!
> View attachment 357194
> 
> ...


She is looking so well, I hope she continues to improve 🤞

My best is she caught something on her walk. I can't remember what they are called but there are several toxic plants out there that can really harm and even kill dogs.

I know Ho how damaging they can be as my dog picked something up on holiday, she was fine after a few days of medication but very said she was lucky. This was many years ago and she is now deceased (unrelated).


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

M1chelle said:


> She is looking so well, I hope she continues to improve 🤞
> 
> My best is she caught something on her walk. I can't remember what they are called but there are several toxic plants out there that can really harm and even kill dogs.
> 
> I know Ho how damaging they can be as my dog picked something up on holiday, she was fine after a few days of medication but very said she was lucky. This was many years ago and she is now deceased (unrelated).


Its still a mystery.
There was a shadow in her stomach xray that came to nothing.
When she came home after the operation, I woke up in the morning to blood and diarrhea on the floor, with three small hard objects including a sliver from a Christmas bauble.
During the operation, nothing was found in her intestines. 
They suspect that she swallowed something, which infected her small intestine, but passed it.
The only thing we can think of is that two days before she became ill, my stepson put her bed in her cage as he thought she was cold. She ripped this up (this is why she has no bedding in her cage as she will eat anything). The packing material was odd, almost like hair.
She threw up what looked like a mass of this when I walked her the day before she went to the vet.
I'm as sure as I can be that this is what caused the infection.
Ultimately, she has made a full recovery. 
And I now know that when she goes to be spayed, she will benin a very secure muzzle as its clear she doe not like the vets.


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## bluerain (Jun 7, 2008)

ian14 said:


> Its still a mystery.
> There was a shadow in her stomach xray that came to nothing.
> When she came home after the operation, I woke up in the morning to blood and diarrhea on the floor, with three small hard objects including a sliver from a Christmas bauble.
> During the operation, nothing was found in her intestines.
> ...


Hope she continues to improve, they steal our hearts that's for sure.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Chilling on the sofa!
Love her to bits, she is my 4 legged daughter


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

M1chelle said:


> She is looking so well, I hope she continues to improve
> 
> My best is she caught something on her walk. I can't remember what they are called but there are several toxic plants out there that can really harm and even kill dogs.
> 
> I know Ho how damaging they can be as my dog picked something up on holiday, she was fine after a few days of medication but very said she was lucky. This was many years ago and she is now deceased (unrelated).


Giant hogweed ??











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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

GT2540 said:


> Strange question, you haven't got lilies in your house?


Mmmm. ...yes .. Lillies ARE known to induce headaches and migraines ..


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## GT2540 (Jan 31, 2012)

Zincubus said:


> Mmmm. ...yes .. Lillies ARE known to induce headaches and migraines ..
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Often fatal


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thought I'd share this. My granddaughter and Bonnie are absolute best mates, Bonnie has known her since she was tiny. They have pretty much grown up together. So much for an evil, aggressive devil dog.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Bonnie is getting big now - filling out too. 

Juke has two TV programs that he watches, Paul O'grady's for the love of dogs and his favourite Hudson and Rex - never misses an episode


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Malc said:


> Bonnie is getting big now - filling out too.
> 
> Juke has two TV programs that he watches, Paul O'grady's for the love of dogs and his favourite Hudson and Rex - never misses an episode
> 
> View attachment 359542


Isn't she just!
She's being a proper little madam at the moment as she's heading for her next season. I cannot wait to get her spayed.
Hard work but worthwhile!


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

A very contented young lady


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

She's grown a bit....


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## colinm (Sep 20, 2008)

She's a lovely dog. In t6ge right hands and properly trained they are a great breed.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Hasn't she just !! - Love the way her paw is over the leg


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

colinm said:


> She's a lovely dog. In t6ge right hands and properly trained they are a great breed.


Thankyou.
Yes they are. She still has her moments, but she is still a pup. She's calmed down massively though, loves my grandchildren, and apart from one of my cats gets on with them too. That one she just wants to chase, as he has never stood his ground and put her in her place. It's play, but she has no concept as to how big she is!
Every walk, though, there is always someone who drags their children or dog away despite the fact that she just wants to play. That said, i also get regular compliments on how obedient and well behaved she is, so I think I'm getting it right with her!


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