Poppet a 3 year old terrier cross was brought into Hollycroft Vet,15 hours after being abandoned and had been in labour for most of them 15 hours.
Little did she know as she lay in an exhausted, dirty, collapsed state on the operating table…that she was about to find the love and support that most dogs and people can only dream of in the shape of the veterinary nurse on duty RACHEL YEARBY.
Poppet had to have immediate surgery and sadly all her pups died, as well as that her uterus was in such bad shape that they decided an ovariohysterectomy was the best possible chance for her survival.
She survived the operation, but they then found out that she could not move her back legs…further x-rays showed that she had a fractured pelvis and two broken hips. These breaks were not due to recent events – they were two or three days old.No one knows how she received this damage – but all our guesses would pretty much add up the same.
Because she has already been through so much, it was decided to leave them and to see if they would heal on there own with rest, it was also a case that the council could not afford the costly bills to bring her back to proper health.
Due to Poppet being on painkillers and antibiotics regular through the day Rachel offered to take her home for the weekend and care for her herself….
She never went back….
Poppet has gone from strength to strength in Rachel’s care, she has even totally re-trained her fear of other dogs and men in an amazing way – she is good enough now to take on any dog in an obedience competition!
Rachel said;“ Poppet is the light of my life, and has brought me so much pleasure as I watched her improve. She never complained about any of the treatment she has had to endure, although she must have been in a lot of pain. She is a very loving dog who absolutely adores people she knows. It just goes to show what dogs can go through and survive and still wag a tail given the right love and support.”
Theresa's note....I have seen Rachel work so, so hard on Poppet’s health and behaviour difficulties and she is an absolute inspiration to us dog owners and trainers. She has won on every ground by sheer hard work and dedication and in return, what Rachel doesn’t say and I know, is, she is the light of Poppet’s life – she has her self the best friend a girl could ever want.
Unconditional love, empathy, dedication and compassion like this, is a very, very rare thing...and a priceless gift to those who give it and to those who receive it.
POPPET NOW HAS HER BRONZE/SILVER AND GOLD KENNEL CLUB GOOD CITIZEN AWARDS
Sasha and Vikki
“Having Sasha was the commitment of a life time. The day I came home with her I knew I was committing myself to looking after her till the end of her days and that included making sure she was capable of making the right decisions in life to protect her from being labelled a ‘bad dog’.
When I first met Theresa, Sasha had been bored to the back teeth by traditional training methods at another club and she was only 9 months old! She was switched off from me and it was easy to tell she didn’t like doing any obedience at all, she was becoming reactive to other dogs’ and I didn’t know how to deal with it. So on Theresa's advice, I started all over again and introduced Sasha to clicker training.
There was no magic wand just persistence. Nowadays she is a different dog – because the clicker is positive reinforcement based she gets the best fun out of it and enjoys learning new things getting rewarded for it at the same time.
She now bounces round my feet at the site of the clicker and is sitting ready for the next command. The clicker has changed Sasha in to a dog that enjoys life and learning, now I have a generally obedient dog and clearly a very happy one.”
Theresa's comment: Vikki is one of the most sensible and dedicated dog trainers I have had the pleasure to work with. Sasha was going through a difficult stage when I first saw her and just needed the correct handling and input from Vikki to move her back in the right direction.....PLEASE READ MY "DOMINANT DOG" PAGE
Vikki took this on board and took a whole new approach at training a dog, as she felt uncomfortable with what she was doing before and could see Sasha regressing. Reversing reactive/aggressive behaviour takes time and lots of work from you - but it can be done and in cases where it cant, understanding why your dog is reacting the way it is and finding a good management programme makes a massive difference in your outlook to you life with your dog.
Sasha is now heading towards being an excellent ambassador of her breed and Vikki, who is also an excellent horse trainer, is a wonderful dog handler.
SASHA NOW HAS HER BRONZE/SILVER AND GOLD KENNEL CLUB GOOD CITIZEN AWARDS
"Woody"
Hello! my name is Woody and I'd like to tell you my story.
Some say Friday 13th is unlucky but for me it was the luckiest day of my life. It was on Friday August 13th 2004 that I came to live my new family.
I had been wandering in woods,hence the name for two weeks, being fed by a kind lady but I was too frightened to get close to her. Eventually she managed to catch me and after making enquiries I was taken to a rescue centre.
It was here that I first met Chris and Carol, my soon to be new mum and dad, and I was introduced to their daughter Rachel and her dog Poppet. you may have read about this inseparable pair already.
Over two weeks there were numerous meetings because Poppet needed to be sure she could cope with me.I was very energetic, no manners unsociable with other dogs and generally a handful, but on Friday 13th I went HOME!
During the next few months there were trials [many of them] and tribulations [very few].I hated the kitchen but I loved my indoor kennel. I hated being left while Mum and Dad worked, I would howl constantly but I loved being in the car. I loved going for walks where I could do my own thing but I hated any dogs I saw and then what was all this sit, down,off business.
It was a mystery to me but with much help from Theresa and Rachel I began to understand what was expected of me.
It was a huge learning curve for Mum and Dad as well.
They had been warned that GSDs could be difficult and I was no exception. Mum was in tears on many occasions. There were sore arms, shoulders and backs from my constant lunging at other dogs. There was frustration, confusion and at times anger on all sides.
It is now 2006 and I have just been awarded my Advanced Diploma for obedience and training. I still have my moments but it has been worth it to hear the pride in Mum and Dads voices when they talk about me, and of course the extra treats don't come amiss either!
Theresa's note..... Carol and Chris are an inspiration to all people trying to change a dogs behaviour - it can be done - but it is hard work and dedication that pulls it off.
There is no magic wand to training a dog, especially one with behavioural problems as Woody had - the tools you need are patience, time, dedication, understanding of how the dog is feeling and why he is reacting as he is and correct guidance.
Carol and Chris also love Woody unconditonally - as a dog does us, what ever the outcome he was home to stay.
WOODY NOW HAS HIS BRONZE/SILVER AND GOLD KENNEL CLUB GOOD CITIZEN AWARDS
Mark and Harvey
Hi, my name is Harvey. I’m a five year old GSD and I have been living with Mark and Angie since September 2006. Before this I lived with my other mummy, Kirsty, in Birmingham. Unfortunately my other mummy couldn’t look after me as much as she wanted to because of work. Luckily for me though she managed to find Mark and my new mummy , Angie.
I was very stressed out to start with. I missed Kirsty and I missed my little playmate Alfie, a little terrier. I had more energy than I knew what to do with and took a long time to settle down. It was around this time that Mark and Angie realised that I don’t like other dogs. Mark spoke to Kirsty, who told him about me being attacked as a puppy and I haven’t forgotten about it
Mark and Angie decided to get me into training. We started at Millennium Hall with a whole bunch of other dogs. Can’t say I enjoyed it but Mark and Angie were determined! Once we finished with the hall (too stressful, too many dogs) we tried the field. MUCH BETTER!! I learnt loads of knew things and I began to enjoy it! As I was enjoying it, so were Mark and Angie! Everyone’s a winner! So, after much hard work, a bit of grouching at other dogs and a few frayed nerves (particularly Marks! Got to keep him on his toes!) I was put forward to do the Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze award. I worked so hard, so did Mark and at the end of a long evening mark gave me the good news.. I GOT IT!!!! Mark even gave me a doggy beer to celebrate!
So, where now? Well, I’m on my way to doing my Silver award and I’ve got all four paws crossed that I make it. I’m better with other dogs, particularly those I’ve come to know. I’ve come a long way in the past couple of years. Tempers frayed, tears shed. But it’s been worth it!
Now, MARK!!!!! IT’S PLAYTIME!!!!!!!!!
Theresa's Note: I am extremely proud of the work Mark has put in with Harvey - they have both come a long way and looking forward to seeing them achieve their Gold good citizen one day next year! A big well done also goes to his mum and dad - Carol and Chris with Woody and his sister Rachel for helping them achieve what other people would have thought impossible.
Dedication at its best between them all.
HARVEY NOW HAS HIS BRONZE/SILVER AND GOLD KENNEL CLUB GOOD CITIZEN AWARDS
Louise & Billy
Billy had 3 different owners by the time he was seven months old, this is his mummy and daddy’s story……………………..
My Partner and I have had Billy for 3 years now; an old work colleague of mine gave him to us. From what we were told we could tell he hadn’t been treated very well at all, an example of this appalling treatment he received was to be locked in a shed for hours on end and fed a cans of Pedigree chum as a snack to “shut him up”. The previous owners even let Billy (then Buster) run away and eventually the police caught him and left him in a cell for hours until they could think of what to do with him. Luckily a local rescue home took him and that’s when Mark and I became his new parents.
He had no collar or lead, when I went to collect him, so I knew in the back of my mind this might not be a good idea and I was right he was a hand full to say the least! He was such a live wire and after only a few days I didn’t want him any longer. It was Mark, my partner who convinced me, we could be good parents to Billy and help him. Upon advice we had Billy neutered as soon as we could at Hollycroft vets hoping this would help to calm him down.
Over the following months we took Billy to puppy training with an APDT member in Barwell and we saw massive improvements. It had become quite apparent that Billy had never been socialized with other dogs or even humans. He was always overly frantic to see new things and we found it hard to keep his attention on us. At the end of the puppy training Billy won an award for “best improved dog” and we finally felt some reward for all the efforts we had made.
In March 2005 Billy had a major operation at Hollycroft vets because he had swallowed a soft ball when out walking. He’s now made a full recovery and still managed to get up to mischief. He has escaped from our garden on several occasions resulting in us having to put up new fencing around the boarder to our house. I also had an accident, tripping over him on the stairs, (in Billy’s usual fashion he stormed down the stairs after me). This ended up with my foot in plaster for months because I had broken my foot and had extensive ligament damage.
After my accident Mark and I decided that Billy still needed more time in training. We felt there were still more improvements that could be made as walking out on the lead was still a problem when there were other dogs around. We decided that one-to-one training was the way forward and that’s when we met Theresa Franklin. After 3 sessions with her, Billy, Mark and I had learnt so much and we understood that what he does doesn’t necessary mean he is a naughty dog, it’s just he hasn’t been taught any other way.
Although he is not still the perfect dog the changes that have been made in the last 3 years are amazing. Billy is very intelligent and I think that’s why we’ve had so much heartache with him, he has so much going for him now I just hope we can continue to help him learn and be a happy dog.
When we first had Billy one of the first friends he made was our friends’ Boxer, Jade. They’d love to play together for hours on end, wearing each other out! Recently Jades Mum and I decided that due to our love of our babies we would focus some time and money into our passion.Having experienced difficulty when searching for trendy collars, leads & beds for Billy we thought there was a niche in the market to offer dog owners’ accessories that are that little bit special but also suitable for larger breeds. . Billy and Jade are now the faces of our new venture ‘Billyjade’ which is an online canine boutique offering trendy accessories for dogs including larger breeds.
that she had a fractured pelvis and two broken hips. These breaks were not due to recent events – they were two or three days old.
“Having Sasha was the commitment of a life time. The day I came home with her I knew I was committing myself to looking after her till the end of her days and that included making sure she was capable of making the right decisions in life to protect her from being labelled a ‘bad dog’. 
Billy had 3 different owners by the time he was seven months old, this is his mummy and daddy’s story……………………..