I'd like to talk about Lincoln a bit more today, he's gate-crashed a few posts over the last couple of years but I want to give him a full one all to himself for a change.
Lincoln is our Staffordshire bull terrier boy, he's about 5 years old and we got him from a rescue centre over two years ago. When we lost our first dog (also a rescue dog), I was so upset I wondered whether I would ever want another dog at all, even though we've always had a family dog from day 1. It felt a bit like we were looking to replace our original, which sat uncomfortably with me for quite a while but after a couple of visits to local rescue centres it gave me that little lift I needed, making me see that each and every dog is different and can only ever add to your life, not fill a carbon copy printout of a previous experience.
I had a look at this particular rescue centre's website and found three dogs that looked of interest; we had our heart set on a staffie for many reasons. Old Comet was part staffie, he was a good dog with a heart of gold. We took my initial choice out for a walk up the road. As we walked by all the cages of dogs with a dog which looked more like a rhino than a staffie (but was as placid as could be) most of the other dogs were going crazy for attention; barking and jumping around like wild things, with the exception of one little boy, who sat at the bars with ears pricked; just watching quietly. That little lad was called Lincoln. We took him for a walk next and found him to be a rather happy lad. The third dog we walked was a younger staffie who although walked most politely on the lead, was just so affectionate that it was a little overwhelming. We took a day to talk over what we should do, knowing that we were only having one dog yet kind of falling for both. We chose Lincoln, a quiet little lad who had been found straying and nobody had claimed; such a sad story. Imagine losing your dog and not trying to find it.
We don't really know what happened to Lincoln before he was found straying. Somebody had obviously taken the time to train him the basics of sit, down and give paw, he was already very obedient on those things when we first got him. Somewhere down the line things went wrong, why did nobody try to find him?
The RSPCA alone receives calls about 33 abandoned animals a day.
There are sadly many, many unwanted Staffordshire bull terriers ending up in rescue centres every year because they are bought as cute puppies, brought up badly or naively (not realising how much food/attention/space they will need), or worse still just getting bored of them and getting rid of them. From what I have seen, I would say they are the breed most often turning up at rescue centres. Staffies get a bad press and I for one find it disgusting and disgraceful. The media will merrily attach the term staffie to any unconfirmed butch breed or mix breed dog, seems to hunt down any incident to report on and fails to report on many other dog incidents with the same depth.
I wrote about staffie love before and once again, I would urge you to think very carefully before taking on any dog. Puppies are no picnic and there are many rescue centre dogs who deserve your care who have so much love to give. My advice is to go to dog training classes even if your dog is obedient and well behaved. By working together you will strengthen your bond and get to understand your dog as well as learning how to be a better dog owner.

As I've been writing this, Lincoln has been sleeping by my side sharing his warmth and snoring gently. I can feel my eyes pricking with tears with love for this little guy.

Sophie
This post was written as part of the #RehomingAngel campaign with the RSPCA which includes a featured link. All content and opinions are my own, as always.

There is something both comforting and relaxing about dog walking. Lincoln enjoys heading out for a trot along, not at the crack of dawn mind though, mid morning would be his preference. He can't decide whether he wants to jump straight into his harness or to 'woooo' and run away in an excited game.

It's great the way that he has such an enthusiasm for mooching along and sniffing around the same old routes. I love the fresh air and gentle exercise, spending a while with my husband and our favourite little guy.

For those of you less familiar with Lincoln or staffies in general I'll tell you this; staffies are awesome company. If you're thinking of getting a dog I would suggest this: research! There are thousands and thousands of dogs in rescue centres in need of loving homes and f you think you're cut out for a puppy then you're most likely cut out for a rescue dog. Puppies are no picnic.

The great thing about rescuing a grown up dog is that they stay just as cute as the day you set eyes on them. The camera doesn't seem to love Lincoln anywhere near as much as my eyes do, none of the photographs capture his cute, soft and affable nature, instead he looks rather serious and aloof but honestly this is not the case.

Staffies are a hugely misunderstood breed and for this the fault rests with both the media and the bad owners who train their dogs to behave badly. It's not a breed problem.

The kennel club recommends the Staffordshire bull terrier as one of the precious few breeds entirely suitable for families. RECOMMENDS.

As I'm writing this, Lincoln is dozing on the sofa, where he's been for the last 45 minutes and where he would stay for the next two hours if left to his own devices. He's friendly to everyone he meets and loves affection.

Staffies are absolutely amazing dogs and I honestly would plead with you to give them every consideration if choosing to take on a dog.

Sophie

It's finally happened, I've found a puffa jacket that doesn't make me look like the Michelin man! I came by this jacket by fortuitous accident really; my brother, a conscientious shopper indeed, bought a coat online for his girlfriend to wear out while it's cold. How thoughtful. It's from Adidas and it's either goose or duck down (I forget which, but it's the better type).

Anyway, after it arrived it turns out it wasn't for her so he offered it to me instead of returning it. As it was my size I tried it on and from the second I got the zip pulled up to my chin it was always coming home with me. Due to the thin nature of the jacket I was distinctly dubious about how warm it would actually keep me but BLIMEY it's a good coat! The down filler is working brilliantly, it's kept me super toasty evening when it's around zero degrees outside (frost out and ice on the road). The length is perfect so no cold derriere either, plus the padded hood is a perfect alternative to a hat. The fluffy trim is removable but it's staying for sure.

The reason I would never have bought this coat myself is that firstly it's snowy white and therefore it's only a short matter of time before it gets wrecked and secondly it cost more than the £35 I gave my bro for it.

I'm not sure just how well it will cope in rain but it's my go-to choice for the cold. It details how to wash it (and tumble dry – with 6 tennis balls no less!).

Since I squirrelled it away home for my own wearing pleasure a couple of weeks ago I've barely worn anything else to go out walking the dog in. I'm so chuffed with it! Naturally I do look like the fifth member of East 17 in their Stay video, but that just makes me seasonally appropriate, non?

Baby if you've got to go away,

Don't think I could take the pain,

Won't you stay another day?

Sophie

Christmas wishlists are everywhere at the moment and while I'm not so fussed about myself, Lincoln has been pondering what he's asking Santa for this year.

Last year we got Linky a doggy chocolate advent calendar so that we all had something to open each morning, it was really sweet actually and I hope we can get him another for this December.

What would Lincoln like to find in his stocking on Christmas morning?

He says he wants TREATS! There are plenty of tasty morsels that he takes a fancy to but it's specific dog treats that suit him best as they're safe to eat and especially tasty. While the chocolate bar for dogs is making him happy, the Wagg Tasty Bones have really got his attention. I'll be honest, I don't really understand why people would want to feed their dog faux-chocolate (real chocolate is poisonous for dogs, they should not ever eat it) when surely something meaty flavoured would be more desired? Who knows.

Something that I always overlook about Lincoln is that he's never understood how to play with toys. We got him from a rescue centre aged 3, 18 months ago and he' always been the same; never knowing how to play games. While he'd clearly been taught obedience basics, the concept of fetch and playing with toys is lost on him. This squeaky sweet shop sweetie bottle certainly made him stop and stare, bark at and sniff but he's not actually picked it up let alone chewed (which is just as well or I suspect he's get carried away pretty quick). This lobber space hopper toy equally got his attention but he hasn't picked it up yet

The main thing Linky wants is a new bed and while this quilted mattress is soft and comfy, it is a little bit small for his main bed, he likes to cosy up with it on his own armchair (it keeps him off the sofa sometimes).

Of course what a pet will value most at Christmastime, especially in the cold weather, is a roof over their head, a place in a warm and loving home. There are no more deserving candidates for getting their wish come true than dogs in rescue centres. If you're considering a pet as a present – please be responsible and wait until after Christmas and make a well researched choice, not just bringing home a cute puppy.

Thanks to Feedem Pet Supplies and Pet Supermarket for sending Lincoln some early Christmas presents, he was genuinely really excited about his goodies! I've had a good browse on the site and the prices are REALLY good, his usual food is cheaper than we've found it anywhere else – he eats Skinner's Field and Trial Maintenance and there is free delivery if you spend over £39 or £4.99 delivery if under which still works out well if you're buying a few bits as the prices are so keen. I'm really impressed.

What is your pet asking Santa for this year? And have you tried Feedem? (I would).

Sophie

Lincoln has been nagging to make an appearance here for ages now, he loves being the centre of attention. These pictures were taken on a cool morning in August, I must have been chilly if I was wearing my jacket on that day. You can see that Lincoln is wearing his muzzle (which is a Baskerville muzzle – it's humane and comfortable. Dogs can eat, drink and pant while it's on). It was really sad that people thought it was because he was vicious when in fact the little lad only had to wear it to avoid any shoe grabbing incidents which despite going to training and working on better behaviour had not evaporated entirely.

In the last six weeks or so we've since stopped walking him muzzled and instead, carry a sports drink bottle of water and the muzzle, just in case. Very occasionally he does still pounce on a shoe of mine (it's always mine!) but a quick spray of water and he stops immediately – he really hates water.

We've stopped going along to dog training classes but have kept up his repertoire. He loves it.

The red check trousers make me feel really tall, which is no mean feat especially while wearing flats, I have to make sure they get worn more this Autumn along with my new boots and leather jacket. Rock on.

That's right, red trousers and a coral top, got to love a little clash!

Lincoln has been part of our lives for a a year and a half now, he's such a possum. As I write this he is gently snoring on the sofa by my feet where he will stay for the evening, sound asleep. The thing about staffies that I just don't think many people 'get' is that they are the softest dogs, they really are. Bring them up right, give them enough exercise, socialise them, plenty of really tough toys, a low protein diet and bob's your uncle. I honestly can't imagine how any dog could be better company than Lincoln, he's a sweetie.

An enthusiastic greeting when I get home, kisses (I try to avoid these), cuddles, easy walkies, far better obedience than I've experienced before and he rarely barks at all. One happy little lad who adores human company and makes our family complete.

Sophie & Lincoln x

 

It’s been far too long since I featured little Lincoln over here and believe me we've been busy. As you know Lincoln started some anxiety related lead and shoe grabbing back in summer, so we started seeing a dog behaviourist to work on smoothing things out. We've been getting to grips with working together. The first thing I learned about 'dog training' is that the name is that the name is distinctly misleading; you can teach a dog in no time at all that by doing what you ask it gets rewarded. It is in fact the owner that gets the training by an instructor; the commands, your reactions whether it be quick to reward or prompt to correct and most importantly the need to be consistent and patient. We've not been working on tricks as such, but more a general emphasis on good behaviour, getting Lincoln to pay more attention to us and take direction from us instead of making his own plan. Importantly, we've been working on mitigating bad behaviour, how to avoid obvious triggers and what to do to get things back on track. We know that by nature staffies are easily excitable so we try to keep Lincoln nice and calm, he doesn't need us egging him on into a fizz. Lincoln is a really chilled out dog 90% of the time and that's what I think people don't expect about staffies: they react to your behaviour! If you're chilled out then they're chilled out. If you get them wound up then guess what? Excitement!

As part of our training, we have been muzzle training our little lad. This is so that if he starts redirecting excitement or anxiety to the lead (or my shoes) then at least we wont have a stand off as he can't get hold of anything. To start with I really thought the muzzle would be something that would cause more problems than it would solve. As a greedy little boy, Lincoln is always up for treats so getting familiar with Mr Muzzly (aka Muzzolini, 'Mr Muzzle-loves-the-dogs-you-hate) wasn't too difficult, but at first we couldn't get him to take a single step wearing it. He would stand completely rooted to the spot, almost like he was made of stone even with the lure of more cheese (we use soft cheese in a tube, which is gross but he really loves the stuff) just a couple of inches away wasn't enough to persuade him to take the smallest step. One biff of his paw would get the darned thing off before we could stop him too. I really thought we were wasting our time.

Nevertheless, we persevered despite the s.l.o.w start and now several months later Lincoln is happily wearing his muzzle for the duration of his dog training. I thought that he would find it too much of a distraction and would get into a right tizz trying to get it off his head, but conversely, he's found it very calming and he's not once had a burst of excitement with it on. After a couple of months of individual sessions we've finally made it into a group class, yay! Linky was so well behaved, I was so proud of him. To be honest, if Lincoln wasn't a staffie people would say he's a bloody good dog. It makes me sad that some people can't get passed the prejudice against the breed. I just hope that our little chap can help spread a bit of positivity around. We'll be checking back in here with news of what we've been getting up to so keep your eyes peeled. For now I'll leave you with some pictures I took of his little face. Cuteness!

Sophie