Written by our guest columnist Lynn Sharp:
Today was another trip out for one of my absolutely favourite SHAK girls, Honey. Honey was a bait dog down in Birmingham when she was picked up with horrific facial injuries. The idea behind a bait dog is not for fighting but for effectively 'dangling' in front of the fighting dogs to wind them up before they get set on each other. Somebody obviously didn't do their 'job' properly with Honey though and let one of the fighting dogs get hold of her and then they just decided to throw her out as an injured dog is no use to them. She has been at SHAK some time now as she was a terrified wreck when she came in (especially with strange men) but is now just a spoilt, loving bundle of joy.
She came home with me saturday afternoon after calling shotgun on my mate Sally's seat in the car but unfortunately the weather wasn't good enough to put the roof down and have a proper girly road trip! Bearing in mind Honey has probably never been in a house before I took her home for a weekend a few months ago she actually coped much better this time. Last time she was at home with me she wouldn't settle, not in a distressed way but in a rescue dog, constantly looking for attention before you disappear kind of way. Last night she seemed to get the hang of normal behaviour and chilled out on the floor on the living room (after the indignity of the obligatory bath which involved me getting far more wet than her!). The only area she will need a little work on is toilet-training-wise. She hasn't quite got the hang of taking advantage of being outside and was so distracted by being somewhere different she didn't go to the loo while we were out and so she had a little accident overnight. She looked suitably horrified this morning though and if you don't live in a flat and have a garden (I am not set up to do this!) I'm sure she would get the hang of it quickly enough.
Today (Sunday) we joined Sheena and Hope, John, family and Blue, Carly, Amy and Brodie, Ben and Bear, Joan, Sonia and Cole at Hillheads Dog Show (apologies if I've forgotten anyone but there were a lot of us there!) to see if we could build any interest in Honey Bunch and maybe find her a home. She responded really well to what must have been a pretty daunting situation for a dog that's only ever lived in barns and kennels.
She was letting people pat her quite happily and doing what dogs do when they meet each other! You could tell she was nervous and there was the odd vibration coming up the lead (I couldn't actually hear the warning growls) when a dog that was too big for her got a little bit too friendly!
The afternoon finished with me entering Honey into two of the classes - most appealing eyes and best rescue dog. During the appealing eyes class she was as good as gold and her eyeliner pretty eyes managed to win her a fourth place rosette.
When we came to the best rescue though she decided she was bored and just as the judge arrived to hear her story she decided to throw a 'diva strop' and started rolling on her back and showing off her tummy! While the other dogs were telling their stories she took a wander off into the long grass, found a patch of sun and curled up as if to go to sleep! Maybe a life in front of the cameras isn't for her!
Despite the petulance Honey bagged second place (beaten only by SHAKs own Hope so we'll let that one go) as best rescue dog and got a 'shout out' by the organisers telling people she's looking for a new home. After all the excitement Honey headed off back to the kennels with Sheena, Roger, Hope and her rosettes to show off. I have since been informed mind you that on the way in to the kennels she managed to find a puddle to roll in and get rid of that 'horrible' clean smell. Really glad I put all that effort into bathing her...
It is one of the hardest things in the world to have to take the dogs back to the kennels after I've had them away for weekends but it helps us to know what kind of home we're looking for for them and any foibles they may have so it is hopefully worth it if someone comes forward for them. It was particularly difficult to watch Honey disappear up the road in the back of Sheena's car because she really is the most loveable little dog and we all desperately hope someone decides to give her the home she deserves. Trust me, with a bit of work you'd have an amazing companion there. There's nothing quite like her standing on her back legs to give you a little cuddle when you crouch down to say hello to her.
