The Border Collie Spot

The Border Collie Spot

loving the unloved, homing the homeless

Success Tails

Stout

Dear Gill,

 As promised here is an update on Stout, as you can see life here  is very stressful for poor Stout and he likes nothing more that relaxing in front of the TV of an evening to unwind. He has gained a little weight and has settled into life here very well. He has been on  long weekend holidays and discovered the sea, it doesnt taste and enjoys romping around the woods and fields at the back of the house here playing hide and seek and fetch or as he calls it, you throw, I chase, you fetch!! He has made lots of friends, human and canine and lives for cuddles, his frisbee and licking our ears.  He has fitted into life very well and is very much adored by everyone he meets. He comes to command, is learning some road sense and retrieves said frisbee when he can be bothered, surprisingly not that often. Thanks for everything and we all very much appreciate the hard work and dedication you give these poor rejected souls. Stout has filled the remaining slot in our family nicely and we wouldnt be without him, even if he does hog the sofa.

 

All the best Grant, Adrian and Stout         

 

JAKE

Hi Gill,

Just a quick message and picture to let you know that Jake has made himself right at home and we all adore him .

Fleur

Hello Gill,

 

 Thought I would send another update and a photo of Fleur. She has settled in very well and has already become part of the family. We have taken her out on a few long walks and let her off the lead. She never goes far away, and always checks to see where we are. She loves to play with a ball, comes back to us on command so we are really pleased with her. She hasn,t been near any other dogs as yet but hopefully it will not be a problem. Her only strange trait is wanting to watch TV at close quarters, but she  will come away when asked so its more amusing than annoying. She really is a character ,and we love her to bits ( especially our grandson ) so we are all very pleased to have been able to give her a home.

 

Thanks for everything and keep up the good work at the "Spot" !  

 

 Best wishes.....

 

Phil Leete

 

Ben and Ross

Dear Gill and all at Spot

It is now exactly a year since we collected Ben and Ross from you.  They were two four month old puppies which you had recently rescued from Wales.  Although they had never been in a house before, they quickly settled in and made themselves at home.  Jasmine, our resident matriarch made sure they behaved themselves and got house trained!

Before Ben and Ross arrived, we had just lost Ash, one of our Collies.  Jasmine had become very depressed, but with the arrival of these two youngsters she soon cheered up (as did we) and the pack was reformed.  We were relieved when after a couple of weeks, we were able to take them out for proper walks, and slowly got them used to their names and to us, so that we were quickly able to let them off the leads for longer and longer. 

Their antics, energy and love of life is a constant source of please to us.  We love them dearly, and are so pleased to have been able to give these two wonderful boys a chance at having a happy, and safe life.

With our very best wishes

Martha, Steve, Jasmine, Ben and Ross

Katie

Dear Gill,

We thought that you may like to know how our Katie is getting on. Our picture shows her on a lead in a wood near her home, but her early morning walk every day includes her rushing around our local recreation ground, having fun with the other dogs, off the lead. Recently we have also let her off the lead in a small local wood during her afternoon and she behaves impeccably.

She has put on some weight, but we are keeping an eye on that, as she was spayed last week. (The vet gave her the post-operative 'all clear' recently.) She seems to enjoy life, but sudden strange noises still tend to spook' her a little and she doesn't like shadows much. She has settled in well, she is firmly part of the family and Danielle and I love her dearly.

Best wishes,

Simon.

Dee

Hi to everybody at The Border Collie Spot

I am writing to let you know how Diva (now called Dee or Deedie, when she's having cuddles) is getting on.

She has settled in really well and has made herself very much at home.  She has lost the excess weight that she arrived with and is full of energy.  We go for lots of lovely long walks in Sherwood Forest and she is extremely well-behaved.  I would love to know her training history as she is constantly looking for the next command.!

Thank you for letting us adopt Dee as she is the perfect loving and loyal
companion that we needed after Lulu, our old rescue dog, died in January.

My kindest regards

Liz and Nigel Huffen

 

Jenny

Hello Gill

These are two photos of Maizee, now called Jenny, one when she first arrived and the other a few months later. I remember phoning you two weeks after we collected her as we were unable to do anything with her because she was so terrified - of us and everything around her.  She ran and hid in the furthest corner away from us and no amount of tempting would bring her out.  Walking her was impossible as I couldn't get her to leave the house.  You advised us to persevere and are we glad we did!  After three weeks, she suddenly plucked up enough courage to pick up a tennis ball and from that day, we haven't looked back.  I used the ball to get her out of the house and into the car under her own steam and now, 6 months down the line, she is a joy to have around and can't wait to go out and get in the car.  She is a bit wary of strangers coming to the house, but as long as they ignore her, she copes. We are at the park or beach every day, playing football of course! Thank you for my Jenny, she's lovely!!   

 

  Jean Waheed

Blue

Hi Gill

Just found your website and thought id drop you a line.
We got Blue from you some 5 years ago, He was quite a handful when we got
him but he came round
in the end, I have attached a Photo of him,He is such a handsome dog and is
totally devoted to our family
The picture was taken at Bisley Camp august last year.
Yours
Dave Nevatte

Marley

Hello Gill,

I thought I should send you a picture of Marley & Darcy together. Marley is a joy to have around & loves

going for a long walk! We've just been to the vets to register him and have him checked over (all is well) .He's much better with other dogs now and didn't take any notice of the Spaniel in the vets waiting room! I'm sure as time goes by he'll be get even better!!   

Keep up the great work!!

Harry & Carey   

We cannot thank Harry and Carey enough for taking this lovely boy on. When he arrived we were told he had issue,s with just about everything but this did not stop this lovely couple from adopting him and rising to the challenge. These dogs are breed for working hence they require regular exercise and stimulation and yes they can be strong willed but with the right training and understanding they are wonderful pets in the right hands.

Once again THANK YOU Harry and Carey for giving this boy a better life.

Pye ( was Poppit)

Hello Gill,

 

Just a bit of a update on Pye ( was Poppit ).

She is now best friends with Scrappy and they share toys, treats and chews.

 It’s been a bit of an up hill struggle with her but she had made good progress.  She’s called PYE now (don’t ask why) she’s clean in doors, off the lead in the woods with all the other dogs which is wonderful for her.  She does a huge out run which makes us a bit anxious, for some strange reason she doesn’t answer to her name in the woods, fine in doors comes back every time but not in the woods.  I expect her mind is on other things.  She’s getting over her fear of men, she almost goes up and sniffs them, women aren’t a problem.  So giant steps.

Thank you for bringing her to me , i never thought i would be able to love another collie.

Take care, chat soon,

 

Pat  and Maria

Piper

Hi Gill,

 Piper came home with us, aged two, in July 2011 having previously only lived a kennel life.  He was wary and shy of his new surroundings.

Stairs, carpet and television were clearly new experiences which he adapted to quite quickly. He was clean and housetrained within three days.

In the seven months that he has been living with us he has grown in confidence . It was a joy to see him first engage with toys and not automatically shying away from new experiences. His confidence has grown with love and understanding and he has surprised us how quick and willing to please he is with his training.
 He enjoys his walks and trips in the car,loves his food and is partial to raw carrots! He is becoming a great companion who is dearly loved.

 Kind regards

 Irene and David

Billie Jo

Hi Gill and team at the rescue.

 Just thought i would update you all on Billie Jo previously known as (Beth) progress since i picked up from the rescue on 30th December 2011.
She is coming on in leaps and bounds now, she was the quiet and the smallest pup of the litter who when we first met seemed unsure and a little worried you wouldn't think so if you saw her now she is a totally different dog with a huge personality and character.
When we first got home after our 4-5 hour drive to Scunthorpe North Lincs.she just flopped into our arms after having puppy milk and food she slept all through the night, the following day as for the 2 after she was reluctant to eat anything despite what we offered her.
The following week she lived on puppy milk and multi vitamins from the vet who we visited since then we have not looked back she eats very well enjoying her food and treats.
She has gone from strength to strength she is now a very confident happy little girl who loves people and other dogs,she is very playful with both people and my other 2 rescue border collie's Prinnie (9) and Chesney(4) she is full of energy, plays and wants to learn new things every day.
I own a pet care service business in Scunthorpe we look after many pets for my customers in this area, Billie Jo often comes with me to walk customers pets and mixes very well with those pets i look after.
She gets on very well with all dogs goes down on command both on and off the lead,waits at the kerbside and when getting in and out of the car, plays fetch and is brilliant at recall.
She is a very bright, loveable little girl who is adorable she sleeps on the bed cuddled up with me and my other 2 and loves nothing more than to be running in a field with my other dogs playing ball or hiding games.
 It is wonderful to see the change in her and amazing that she is developing into a beautiful happy outgoing and confident dog after what she and her brothers and sisters had to go through, i am sure that she will have many happy years to come with our family, she is such a bundle of joy.
it would be nice to meet up her brothers and sisters and their new families if this is possible.
Kind regards

 

Sarah

Kip

Hi Gill

Kip has settled in really well. She has put on weight, is now housetrained and off the lead. The boys love playing with her and she loves running with the other dogs on the common.

Best Wishes

The Thurston family

Wilson (was dancer)

 Gill,

Thought I would drop you a line to fill you in on news of Wilson (who was Dancer). He has settled really well, is affectionate, potty trained, knows his name, loves Tuna and loves his toys and treats. He loves chasing his ball up the corridor of our home and bringing it back and he absolutely loves helping me polish the table by pulling the rag the other way and jumping up onto the table to help!

He goes to Richmond Park every single day for a nice long walk and is very sociable with other dogs and especially people. He tends to love running after joggers, I am sure one of his herding instincts!! He has a doggie friend in Rolf a cockapoo and they absolutely love playing together and walk in the park together often. We are absolutely besotted with him and the best part of our day is when he climbs up for a cuddle and lays in our arms like a baby…. Would be really happy to get him together with his brothers and sisters as I notice one of his siblings new owners mentioned it, more than happy for you to pass on our details.

Kind regards and thanks for giving us our very special family member, we all adore him!

Mel x

Taff (was spice)

Dear Gill
I thought I,d let you know how Taff is doing since we picked him up in early January. He is a complete joy to us and he and Flynn have bonded really well. He is almost completely potty trained with just the occasional accident , usually after one of his never ending bouts of play with Flynn. His favourite game is to pounce on Flynn as he can,t catch him yet. His recall is excellent already. His lead work is coming along and he is an extremely sociable puppy with other dogs and people.We would love to hear from any of Taffs litter mates to see how they are fairing. He had his first introduction last week to agility, just watching Flynn. I can,t with till he’s old enough to start himself. It’s obvious he has come from working stock since he loves to crouch down and pounce on Flynn as Flynn charges by.
As you can see from the photos, he is a happy and contented little puppy

Best wished to you

Hazel and Keith

Feliz

Hi Gill,

I thought I would drop you a line to let you know how the collie puppy is doing.We have called her Feliz which means happy in Portuguese.
She’is into everything, very clever and is now showing great interest in agility stuff. We have a tunnel that she thinks is great fun and is already manoeuvring in and out of poles, legs and anything else available.
Sultan adores her and in the beginning if not stopped, was prone to wander about with her in his mouth, now we have persuaded him to carry a toy Bugs Bunny instead. They play together sleep together and generally get up to much mischief together. I used to have a wonderful herb garden in the yard at the back of the house. Now it is just a soggy mass of soil and huge holes where the two of them have been digging. I have abandoned the idea of a herb garden for the foreseeable future!
They get to play on the downs, the beach and in the sea. They love playing ball, Sultan is much faster at the moment but Feliz is not far behind and is good at cutting him off. It’s great to watch.

Many thanks

Nikki

Nutmeg

Hi Gill,

A quick update on this little dog who had a lot of problems Just look at her now.
Shows what can be done with patience and love.
She really has turned into the most wonderful pet, I couldn’t ask for more,
but then I always knew she would. If I can get the accuracy sorted in
agility, I think she will go far, she is very very quick and loves it so
much, but gets a little hyped at the competitions. I have attached a of picture of her doing what she does best.

Bouncer

Dearest Gill,

I found your web sight the other day and thought you might like to see a picture of another of your success stories. We’d lost our dear old border collie at the great age of 18 years and after quite a few months life seemed so empty without a four legged friend around.
Then we came to see 3 year old Bouncer and it was love at first sight. As you said at the time – he chose us! He’s a lovely dog and travels well when we go down to our house in Crantock, where we spend at least 4 months of the year. He has never lost his fear of guns and all similar noises but at least just looks for reassurance these days that everything is fine.

You do a brilliant job,
and 4 years on I just wanted to say
‘Thank You’
and Merry Christmas,
Lyn Prosser

Poppy

Hi Gill,

We have had Ruby (renamed Poppy) for 1 year now. If you remember we already had a cat called Ruby and as we saw her on Poppy Day on our first visit, it seemed appropriate to call her that. She is a beautiful dog, and has settled in very well with our lives. The grandchildren love her as does everyone who comes into contact with her. She enjoys her holidays in our caravan, and loves to go for long walks,the sea is another wonderful place she loves visiting. Thank you for making our lives so special, with this friendly, loving dog. Keep up your good work, it is so worthwhile.

Our thanks again

Hilary and Brian deHavilland

Cracker

Hi Gill,

Cracker being Cracker, there was drama in the vets. On thursday night he managed to get out of his cage, got into one of the consulting rooms, switched a tap on at the same time as knocking the paper towel dispenser into the sink and flooded the surgery! By the time the night staff caught him, the place was pretty wet! (This may go some way to explain the enormous vet bill!!!)

Other than that, we are doing really well. He continues to be a handful, but an absolutely delightful handful. He is better on the lead now but we still have a way to go. He now likes the car and is happy travelling which is a big relief as we can go out into the hills for long walks without stress at either end of the journey.
Take care Gill and all the collies at the spot.

Best wishes Jill Caress

Misti

Dear Gill,

I would like to send you a couple of photos of MISTI who now dominates the Cannon home.

She has been a fantastic dog and the 3 weeks we have had her she really hasn’t put a foot wrong. After the loss of our last dog in February 2011 she has breathed life back into the house. She adores the beach and mountainside and will chase and retrieve a ball all day every day. We all love her. Here you can see MISTI waiting for the ball on Porthcawl Beach.

Kind Regards Paul.

Scooby and Jack

Hi Gill ( my saviour)

Its been a year now since you let take that scared and bruised Scooby home, what a difference a year makes. It was hard to give him the space to build his confidence but not really as i was still grieving my little one. Hopefully the demons have gone now !
He loves anyone who will throw the ball or give him a treat and he very much loves the kittens he was so terrified of in the begining.
Jack ( was Zinzan) who you chose for me this august has bonded so well with Scooby and after about 6 weeks learn,t not to chase the cats! He is still scared of strangers especially when they walk past the car but i hope in time he will heal as well.
I can,t thank you enough for caring for these poor lost soles and giving them hope.

All my love
Michelle

Freddie

Hello Gill,

Lovely to meet you yesterday and to meet the pups and Freddie.

We got him home, gave him a brush, a walk and he’s been exploring the house. He’s full of energy and character and we all love him to bits ! He wolfed down his dinner, and slept by our bed all night so I think he’ll be ok !

I’ve attached some pictures for you. We’ll be in touch again and give you a further update.

We’re delighted with him, and I’m confident once he gets familiar with a routine he’ll be absolutely perfect.

Thanks again for all you help.

I’ll be in touch again soon.

kindest regards

Julie and Andrew Hickey

p.

Crystal (Tilly)

Dear Gill,

We thought you’d like an update on Crystal (now Tilly for short). She has gained in confidence and no longer lies down on her back when approached. We discovered she could bark after a month of silence and she lets us know when the postman has been. She is still alarmed by sudden noises but has now thankfully become accustomed to the toaster and the microwave! However her sweet nature shines through and she is a thoroughly lovable member of the family. She is now off the lead in the park and has a really good run around. In terms of life in the bookshop she has settled in well to her new career and likes nothing better than calling in the local newsagents first thing in the morning for the daily paper and a treat. She has just returned from a brief holiday in Northumberland where she watched sheep through the gate with great interest, but has adapted to life with us really well.

Thanks Gill and hope all is well at the Spot

Carole and Richard Knowles

Moss

Moss has grown into a great character and we love him very much, his idea of showing affection is to come and lean on you and offer you his rear end! Although he is great with other dogs if anyone takes liberties with him he tells them in true collie fashion! He is still a worrier and will suddenly decide he’s frightened of something – for no obvious reason but that’s just how he is, and when he’s confused or thinks he’s being ignored he gets very vocal.

He is pretty obedient these days and we do agility for fun which he loves and is great at, he took part in two displays in the summer and did really well – totally focussed on the job in hand and ignoring things he’d normally be bothered by.

Best wishes to you and all at the spot

Tricia, Peter & Moss

Reggie

Hi Gill,

Just to let you know how Reggie is. We have just come back from seven weeks touring in our caravan. Reggie had a great time he seems to take every thing in his stride and people are always stopping us to ask
about him and where we had him from. You were right when you said he is happy as long as he has a ball to
play with, he also likes going into the sea and no seagull is safe when he is on the beach.

Regards Ann/Brian Darvill

Merlin

Merlin

Hello,

We thought you might like a recent picture of Merlin who has been such a joy for the last three years. We are so lucky to have found him at the Border Collie Spot. He loves lying in the sun, but as he is deaf in one ear, if he is lying on his good one he can’t hear you call! His walks are full of delightful scents and he loves a game of catch the ball.

Good wishes from Gerry and Delphine