pate
Full Member
member is offline
óèð¨!±·µ ð$¶ ©
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female 
Posts: 141
Karma: 6 |  | Missy's Story
« Thread Started on Feb 11, 2009, 11:51am » | |
Missy had belonged to an old lady and lived with her in her apartment for the last five years of the old dear's life. When their mum passed on, the kids couldn't cope with Missy so they put her straight into Battersea.
There she lived for the next two years.
We went along to Battersea after the death of our darling Spotty, passed the interview and were told we could have any one of their jacks. We said Spotty lived to 18 so we were prepared to take an older one as we know they lived a long time.
The rehomer told us they had two 7 year olds. Missy and Mitzi. Mitzi had been given up by a pregnant "lady" who thought it best to get rid just in case the dog wouldn't take to a baby - and Missy you've already read.
We asked how long they'd been in Battersea and were told Mitzi one month and Missy two years. We couldn't believe our ears.
We opted to see Missy. the rehomer tried to put us off, she told us that Missy had lots of problems, she was in the rehab unit - we told her - tell us the problems, if we can't cope, we'll tell you.
Apparently she hated her collar held, hated having a fuss, had to be muzzled for vet and groomer and was possessive over toys.
We asked to meet her. Again the rehomer tried to put us off, telling us she had very little training and was possessed of a full tail.
We said we'd meet her, and if we didn't like her or thought she was too much, we'd come back and ask to see Mitzi.
And so we met her - our darling Missy. She did have a full tail - and its glorious ![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/smilies/smile.gif "[image]")
She didn't have much training, but that's not hard to do.
She let me hold her by the collar and she jumped on to my lap for a piece of schmacko and let me give her a huge fuss.
The rehab lady thought it might be because I reminded her of the old lady! Gee, thanks, I was only just passed 40 ![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/smilies/blink.gif "[image]")
So I tossed a piece of schmacko to Paul and said, go on dear, you do the same. And he did. The lady was astounded. Then Paul put a bit of the treat in his mouth and offered it to Missy. The rehabber screamed "no" but it was done - and Missy took it from his lips so gently - just as Spotty used to do. We were sold.
It took us three more visits before we were allowed to take Missy home, and we had an envelope of notes on her behaviour problems and how to deal with them.
We didn't have this honeymoon period with her, I hear so many talk of, she came home and she was scared. On a walk she found a lamb chop someone had carelessly tossed aside and when I took it from her, she bit me. She cowered as if expecting a blow, but I never did. She looked so worried that morning, that decided to teach her something to take her mind off her misdemeanour.
I taught her "lie down" We practiced all afternoon, she got little treats every time she did it - and by the time Paul came home, she had it down pat.
I started giving her daily massages to help her bond with me and to help her relax. It was then that I found a muscle so stiff and tender, that I knew without a shadow of a doubt this girl had been struck, and more than once. It took me a year to get that muscle back to normal - and that was working on it every day. ( I'm not amateur in massage, either, I do that for a living!) In the process of doing that, Missy learned to trust me and now she never strays far from my side.
Before I started the massage, Missy's tickle spots on her rump would not react at all, once I got her relaxed, and then tickled her, her whole rump will wiggle with happiness.
She knew one command "sit" when I got her, she now knows a further 25 more.
She loves people and makes a fuss of every single person she meets. She loves her agility and all the time she does it she wears her trademark grin. When she met her first little person, she let the child hug her and squeeze her and all she did was lick them to pieces. My darling girl. She'd be your best friend too, if you'd let her.
A footnote to this story is that after we adopted Missy in March, we took her to Battersea's reunion in Sept.
We met her original kennel hand and I asked her if she'd like to see Missy do some tricks - so Missy did a sit, lay down, play dead and took a "tickle on the tum" Once she had done them all, I placed a treat in between my teeth and she took it from my mouth. The kennel hand gasped. I smiled and said, "you think I was chancing my face?" She said she had wondered if Missy was still a bit bitey ![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/smilies/nowink.gif "[image]")
So I let her do the same, and when Missy took the treat from her lips, she started to cry. She said she never thought she'd see the day Missy got a home, let alone be so happy. She said in the 2 years, approx 20,000 passed Missy by.
I'm really glad they did - and really glad Battersea kept her so long, whilst she waited for us.
My darling, darling girl.
this was her photo after she'd been with us only 3 months
![[image]](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/PatElliott/th_2006_0725Image0032.jpg "[image]") click to enlarge
and this is after one of her massages!
![[image]](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/PatElliott/th_missymassage.jpg "[image]") click to enlarge
We've had her three years now - she's a darling still . We're both smitten to this day.
| |
|
jem
Guest
| | Re: Missy's Story
« Reply #1 on Feb 11, 2009, 12:26pm » | |
Bless her,
Her story brought a lump to my throat and im so glad she found you xx
| |
|
ciaraone
Full Member
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss164/ciaraone/striderandchann3.jpg "[avatar]")
óèð¨#±µ·² â$ ðþ¶µ¬¶´¬¶³ ©
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 342
Karma: 8 | | Re: Missy's Story
« Reply #2 on Feb 11, 2009, 4:52pm » | |
Yea well done pet
| |
|
iantaylor
Full Member
member is offline
óèð¨!³³µ â$ ðþ¸ ©
Joined: Dec 2008
Gender: Male 
Posts: 118
Karma: 3 | | Re: Missy's Story
« Reply #3 on Feb 11, 2009, 6:14pm » | |
Great story... and a bonnie little lass she is too
| |
|
Trixy
Moderator
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/cavlars/jasmine2009avatar.jpg "[avatar]")
óèð¨#³°·µ â$ ðþ³²¬²±¬³±¬¶³¬¶²¬·± ©
![[yim]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/yim.gif "[yim]")
Joined: Jan 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 745
Location: Staffordshire
Karma: 10 | | Re: Missy's Story
« Reply #4 on Feb 12, 2009, 10:25am » | |
Lovely story and she's so lucky to have you 
She looks so happy in her pictures x x well done x x
|
|
|
Luz
Ordinary Member
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/laurakirkham/DSCF0047.jpg "[avatar]")
óèð¨!³·µ â$ ãþææ°°°° ð$¬³²¬¸¬³° ©
Joined: Jan 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 92
Karma: 15 | | Re: Missy's Story
« Reply #5 on Feb 12, 2009, 11:45am » | |
Awww Pat that is a lovely story and brought a tear to my eyes. Well done for helping Missy become the lovely girl she obviously had hidden away.
|
|
|
zb
Guest
| | Re: Missy's Story
« Reply #6 on Feb 21, 2009, 12:19pm » | |
I cant believe they tried to put you off her, she is just so special, Hun you are a very special person to take her on, you were meant to be, I believe there is a dog for everyone, whether they know it or not, the old lady would be so proud of you and Missy she looks like she is laughing in the top pic, well done you and a hug for Missy.xxx ![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/smilies/biggrin.gif "[image]")
| |
|
pate
Full Member
member is offline
óèð¨!±·µ ð$¶ ©
Joined: Feb 2009
Gender: Female
Posts: 141
Karma: 6 | | Re: Missy's Story
« Reply #7 on Feb 24, 2009, 1:38pm » | |
I wondered about them trying to put us off, ZB, so I spoke to my friend who used to work for Battersea - and she said they would only have been testing how committed we were. Especially as they wouldn't want Missy coming back again after spending two years there. She also told us that once we were out of the rehoming room, the lines would have been buzzing that Missy had interest - they'd have had their fingers crossed, but wouldn't have told us that
I can see the logic and for Missy's sake I think it was right to do it - it would have been too easy to fall for her looks. xx
| |
|
![[Home]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/bonehome.png "[Home]")
![[New Topics]](http://s2.images.proboards.com/menu/topics.png "[New Topics]")
![[Help]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/bonehelp.png "[Help]")
![[Search]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/bonesearch.png "[Search]")
![[Login]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/bonelogin.png "[Login]")
![[Register]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/boneregister.png "[Register]")
![[Search This Thread]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/SEARCH.gif "[Search This Thread]")
![[Send Topic To Friend]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/sendtofriend.gif "[Send Topic To Friend]")
![[Print]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr245/thedogspot/bone%20buttons/print.gif "[Print]")
Author![[image]](http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/PatElliott/?action=view¤t=2006_0725Image0032.jpg "[image]")
![[image]](http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/PatElliott/?action=view¤t=missymassage.jpg "[image]")
Logged![[image]](http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/cavlars/jasmine2009.jpg "[image]")