A Six Month Review

Sunbathing and asleep, Winifred in the garden a day ago

When he took one look at those big bloodshed eyes last autumn, Chris shook his head very slowly and said in his best exasperated Lord Grantham voice " If she blots her copy book within six months ..she's out!"
Well it's now six months later, and of course, she's not out!
She wouldn't ever be out,even  if she had turned out to be the bulldog version of Hannibal Lecter
That's the rule of rescue dogs
Once their feet are under the table
They are there to stay.
Like all of our re homed bulldogs, Winifred has blossomed in her new home.
Last week, I thought she had wandered off through the open garden gate and after several minutes of running around , I eventually found her sat hopefully in the back of the berlingo waiting for an extra car ride. Car journeys, walking amongst the pack and exploring the field with a lurid red plastic ball in her mouth are now highlights of her new country existence 
Now  although Chris remains vociferous in his " dislike" of everything bulldog, I do think that Winifred has melted one small tiny cold corner of his heart over the months.
Every night she will wander up to his place on the sofa, and will offer her big fat lips up to him for a kiss and every night he will give her a brief throwaway reply of " get lost fatty"
But I always catch him giving the old gal a brief pat on the head or a quick rub of the arse
Bosom friends they'll never be
But she's thawing the academic slowly and surely
....with her big goo goo eyes and her massive  lion sized heart


57 comments:

  1. My father went from saying that a kitten my sisters brought home one day should have been drowned, to calling for it in a high voice whilst making squeaking noises if it didn't turn up after dark. He was besotted with it.

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    1. Anonymous4:29 pm

      Yes, Tom. My father gave in grudgingly to my sister bringing home a kitten. A few months later the kitten had kittens. Oh dear. Yes, the drama. Still. What do you know: One of those kittens, an absolute beauty, a ginger tom, slept right next to my father. On his side of the bed. Not that my father would ever admit to it in the morning. But, yes, he too was besotted.

      U

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    2. Crusty old men like to be crusty
      Dogs understand this very well

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    3. It's a pack dominance thing, based on insecurity in numbers.

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  2. She's lovely John. X

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  3. I do prefer rescuing cats to dogs, but no matter, as long as there are those who do rescue animals. Your beautifully ugly bull dog is barely a token of your menagerie. I could take your sheep, but that's about all, because you need Albert.

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    1. The sheep are more hysterical than the runner ducks and that's saying something

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  4. She wormed her way into Chris's heart. Another six months and he will be sitting with her in his lap.

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    1. I doubt that.....but I think we will shed a tear when she eventually does leave us

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  5. Anonymous2:53 pm

    Who could resist that hopeful bulldog smile?

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  6. That sunbathing & asleep picture could be me... well, not quite, but you get the idea.

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    1. Send me a photo, you photogenic old gal you

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  7. A very sweet photo of her sitting and asleep in the sun next to the wall .
    She has found her place in the pack... even the human one.

    cheers, parsnip

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  8. It's unfathomable how anyone couldn't fall for her. She won my heart with ease from the very first time you showed her to us.

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  9. Hurrah for Winnie (and you and Chris - my husband did not like dogs at all, but when I picked up Sephora from a dog shelter 7 years ago, he dealt with it...at first he was a bit hands-off, but now he loves that dog more than me, I swear!)

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    1. I doubt that will happen with chris....
      I don't know if I would like it if he did totally

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  10. Lord Grantham ?? Must only be a life peerage, unless I was elevated without my knowledge

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  11. We rescued a dog 5 years ago. We'd always pups before and no problems. Oh boy, this rescue really was a challenge; kept running away every time we let her off the lead, hated other dogs, became really anxious every time anyone came to the house, and getting her into the vet's was nearly impossible. Well, she's still with us, love her to bits and we can't imagine life without her (even if she is still a bleeding handful at times!). And I can now give her a kiss on the head without her trying to break my nose!

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    1. The satisfaction of helping a dog through to some sort of normality is a cracking feeling eh?

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  12. Resces can be hard. My latest is a rescue and causes me a great deal of aggravation, however as you say, once under the table they stay.

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  13. Anonymous4:33 pm

    As much as Chris is my love rival as to your affections, therefore my feelings not so much mixed as scrambled, I do agree with him on bulldogs.

    Nevertheless, and I didn't think it possible: You, my dear John, have converted me over time. Every night I enclose in my prayers: "Please do let no one leave an orphaned bulldog on my doorstep. I might not be able to turn it away."

    Please do pass on my best to the mouser.

    U

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  14. Ah....Chris is starting to melt!! All in due course.

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  15. My friend holds a Bulldog walk at Delamere Forest or Marbury Park every month. It's funny to see 50+ Bulldogs running around together!

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    1. Let me know.....we'll join in!

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    2. The next one is on the 23rd at Marbury, but they have them every month and raise money for Bulldog Rescue and Rehoming Trust. Dunno if you can see this link (it's on FB) https://www.facebook.com/events/543168815780727/?ref=ts&fref=ts

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  16. good girl, winnie; keep on looking cute and chris will have you sleeping next to him soon!

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  17. Stop it, you are making my eyes water!

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  18. Never the twain shall meet! Winifred does have an uncanny resemblance to Ena Sharples. x

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    1. And George looks like Minnie Caldwell!.?

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  19. I suspect that Chris knew that once those feet had trotted inside Winifred was going to be with you till the end. A token protest.

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  20. Chris isn't fooling anyone....because dogs just know. She has my heart and I'm not even close enough to pat her on either end! She is beyond beautiful.

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  21. Winifred could melt an iceberg. She's an absolute sweetie.

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  22. Contentment personified or doggified...what ever.
    Jane x

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  23. She looks like such a sweetie, you were made for one another.

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  24. Anonymous9:19 pm

    Six month review...does she get a raise?

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  25. how can chris not be madly in love with that wonderful pup? she sure has melted my heart.

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  26. Anonymous10:31 pm

    "blots her copy book" I don't understand the reference, but I had to laugh. Winnie's irresistable bulldog power is bending Chris' resolve. Resistance is futile...

    Janet

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    1. It means " upsets the apple cart"

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    2. Ps
      http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blot_one's_copy_book

      X

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  27. I love Winnie . . .

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  28. Isn't it funny how animals instinctively know the one in the room who *doesn't* like them; and then that is the one they work on.
    I bet in another six months Chris just might be letting her sit beside him. :-)
    Have a wonderful week, all! ♥

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  29. How could you Not love her?

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  30. That girl knows how to soak up some rays!

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  31. Chris sounds like Carl--He told me today that he was glad that we had kept our boy Sunny who came to us in late June, so I think both he and Chris are melting, and that makes us both happy, doesn't it?

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  32. She's adorable! She will melt Chris' heart of ice!!;)

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  33. Our rescue pup George is a huge handful, but we love the crazy little monster despite all the trouble he gets in to. He has had all sorts of "shelter dog" issues, but we're slowly working through them. Once we commit to an animal, only the most dire circumstance could make us give up on it.

    I can't imagine dear Winnie being any trouble at all. I'm sure Chris is just putting on a show of disliking her. Deep down he's probably quite smitten!

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  34. I'm so happy she's found her forever home. :)

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  35. Winnie makes me smile

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  36. I doubt she would have been made to leave under any circumstance. Once they're in the animals are family and you just wouldn't put family out would you ..... !!

    Lovely Winifred and lovely Chris for giving her a chance.

    Our Rosy, the Jack Russell also hopefully hops into any vehicle that is left with an open door in anticipation of a journey. We've spent many hours waiting for her to come home only to find her fast asleep in the truck :-)

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  37. It sounds to me like The Grinch... I mean Chris... is softening up! How could he resist?

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  38. Anonymous12:48 am

    Couldn't find your email...I don't know how you pick your top 100, but I nominate Joanne Noragon. :-)

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