As we are winding down for the Christmas holidays I am still trying to find time to catch you up on all our walking fun from the last few months. Hopefully next year I will have the internet up and running again in my home and be able to get back on track with making these blog entries a more regular and consistent event!

It will seem a little odd looking at fairer weather photos now considering how awful the weather has been here in Edinburgh the last few months. Winter has hit us hard, cold and wet weather pelting us at every turn making our walks a soggy affair. Perhaps a little reminiscence therapy of milder days gone by is exactly what we need right now! Though if I am honest I absolutely love Christmas time! I am a huge geeky Christmas fan at heart! I wish I could fill this blog posts with snowing dog photos haha. Sadly we have only had rain and sleet here, no snow as of yet. I live in hope we have some snowy days in the not too distant future.

To start us off, a beloved handsome face. No one ever believes that this stunning boy could be a rescue. Truth be told, Winston much like my own Molly-dog, stands as a testament as to how amazing rescue dogs are. You should never make snap judgments about why a dog has ended up needing a new home. Rescue dogs can carry a stigma that something is ‘wrong’ with them or that they are a ‘bad’ dog and is quite simply the biggest pile of dog poop! Take from someone who has worked in rescue centers both here in the UK and abroad, the vast vast majority of dogs given up for re-homing has nothing to do with them as individuals at all! It does however have everything to  do with the people who hand them over.  Some have genuine heart braking reasons for why they can no longer care for their pet. But all too many just lose interest, can no longer be bothered with the effort involved or did not seriously consider the costs behind owning an animal. Many many rescues like my Molly or Winston here are quite simply just a bit behind on their training due to previous owners not putting in the time required, that’s all!  With training, patience, understanding and a great deal of love and affection you have quite simply the most amazing loving loyal companion! Who after having a rough start with ahem, ‘dodgy’ humans, thinks you fart rainbows. 

Rescue dog are without a doubt the most fantastic dogs, I can’t stress this enough. Perhaps as it is the Christmas season I feel the need to talk about the amazingness of  rescue dogs even more. I really hope that with this following story as an example you will understand more fully as to how many dogs end up in shelters especially around this time of year, and how they are truly just innocent victims of circumstance. This weekend a man tried to buy Gus my French Bulldog in a pub because his daughter, ‘…wanted one of them for Christmas…’ like he was some sort of fashionable toy. It was a horrific experience especially as the man proceeded to become angry and insulting when my partner refused asking him in return which of his family members he would like to sell for a Christmas present! He even waved cash in my partners face and seemed totally perplexed as to why we wouldn’t jump at the chance to sell our beloved Gus for cold hard cash. As if ANY amount of money would make us part with our heart and soul. When I volunteered for the SSPCA Boxing Day would greet us with dogs and puppies being abandoned in droves, the result of children and adults already bored or overwhelmed having not thought carefully enough about the care or attention a dog would actually require. Some poor souls were even tied to the gate waiting for us before we had even opened the center. I have no doubts that an individual who thinks it is acceptable to try and rudely haggle a dog from clearly horrified owners in a pub, just because his teenage daughter fancies the look of one for Christmas, would also not hesitate to dump said dog again as soon as the novelty wears off.  Safe to say, as I clutched Gus closer to my chest, we were not very polite in letting the man in question know that Gus would never EVER be for sale! But with so many puppies being punted on gumtree as ideal presents for the big day, I can’t help but think what ever pooch that man does get his hands on for Christmas will not be long destined for the local shelter. So my last parting word on this matter would be that if you are seriously considering introducing a dog into your family, please please take your time, do your research THOROUGHLY, and don’t shop, please adopt. There will no doubt be many more confused and frightened unwanted Christmas pups waiting for new loving homes as soon as the day is over.

On with the photos! You know I love my group shots!

Help! Half my face is melting! lol Brother and sister, my inseparable pair…

Miss Tia! 

Also known as Miss Tia ‘Frog Legs’ haha! 

Giorge. 

But I wanna sit up front!!! Waah!!!

More Frenchies, I can just never get enough!

Just a little reminiscing about the beautiful summer forest foliage.  Sigh… 

Ready for home! Biscuits first please, of course!This summer I took a few lovely beach trips. I was joined by Stephanie Parker who owns and operates Pawfect Therapies here in Edinburgh. If you haven’t already checked out Stephanie’s site I highly recommend you take a gander! She also offers walking with the city center and I couldn’t recommend her highly enough! (http://www.pawfecttherapies.co.uk/)

Miss Stephanie dishing out treats, Molly in the background doesn’t yet realize she’s missing out hehe 😉   

One last photo where we had a freak spell of, yes you guessed it, snooooooooooooooooow!!!! It only lasted about four minutes though! 

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone, lots of love from Gus, Molly and Andie xXXx