Maxi Gallacher
SLEEP PEACEFULLY LOVELY BOY (6.4.2019)
On Saturday, 6th April, a very sad Ros told us “I’m writing to tell you that, sadly Maxi, aged 14yrs, passed away today after he was found to have a tumour.
We thought we had lost him a year ago (from a bad case of pancreatitis) but, thanks to some excellent dietary advice, he recovered and he enjoyed another happy and puppy-like year for which we are extremely grateful. We all miss Maxi very much as he was such a special member of our family”.
PAULINE REMEMBERS
I had a lot to with Maxi in the old days, bless him, when he was one of our foster boys. I was involved in his original successful rehoming which was fairly short lived and had to be terminated after a genuine family crisis suddenly came out of nowhere.
I clearly remember being absolutely delighted for him when he found his fantastic home in Scotland with Ros and family and I knew things couldn’t have been more perfect for him.
I was so sorry to hear the sad news about Maxi. I knew people would be saying “he was a good age” and “you gave him an extra year” but nothing could take away that dreadful pain of loss that his family was feeling.
I can only thank them all for giving him a wonderful home and doing what they needed to do for him to save him suffering. I know how special Maxi was to you all and how hard that decision must have been for you.
Go make your mark at Rainbow Bridge, Maxi and say “hi” to your first foster brothers for me.
ROS REMEMBERS MARVELLOUS MAXI (or MAXIMILLION)
During the Easter holidays (2009) my two sons and I went to Wolverhampton to meet Maxi for the first time at Val and Andy’s home. He had also spent a few days with Jane to fully assess him. The poor boy had had quite a few changes in his young life. Maxi was about four at the time and we quickly found him to be bundle of fun and energy. We took him for a walk to the park near his foster home and, well it was really a case of he took us for a walk!
When we brought him home to Scotland he was introduced to the rest of the family and Tiddles and Miranda our two cats. He settled in and Tiddles in particular let it be known he was not happy. However, over the next few years they learned to get along and even become best of friends – even going for walks together. Tiddles would run in an out of people’s gardens and then catch up with us. My son was walking with them both one day and another dog acted aggressively toward Tiddles but Maxi quickly stepped in and told him where to go in no uncertain terms!
ME AND MY SHADOW
Maxi was a healer. I well remember an episode was when I was out with Maxi and just returning home. I was at the junction and waiting to cross the street when Maxi just sat down and refused to move. Shortly after a young lady walked towards us whereupon Maxi rolled over onto his back and the lady bent over and rubbed his tummy. She was sniffing as if she’d been crying, then stood up, said ‘I needed that’ and walked on. Maxi got up and we walked home.
HOW CUTE DOES HE LOOK?
WATCHING TELLY
Maxi become a friend to our neighbours and friends, especially Polly who became his walker on the days I was working. He became part of a wee group of four legged friends who went to the park, the beach and up in the hills near our home. He was the poser in all the photos and, according to Polly, was the leader of the pack.
UP IN THE HILLS
AT LUNDERSTON BAY
LUNDERSTON BAY AGAIN
AND GOUROCK BEACH
IN THE GARDEN
We got some chickens at one point and after the initial anxiety about how he would get on Maxi became quite relaxed with them, he’d sit in the garden and supervise them from a comfortable distance.
HE ALSO LOVED TO JUST CHILL IN THE GARDEN
He would also, when we mentioned the word ‘fox’, scamper out into the garden and chase it away (whether there was one or not!). In fact, if I had to take him into the garden at night or especially early in the morning, I would take on a lead to stop him waking the whole neighbourhood!
THE RETIREMENT HOME
Miranda, who was ginger, eventually died of very old age in 2012. She was a sweet girl who was blind in one eye and very elderly. We inherited her from the previous owners of our house! She was Tiddles and Maxi were growing older together and were good company for each other.
My Mum, who is now 99 years, came to live with us last year. With a cat who was about 20yrs, a dog who was about 14yrs and Mum, we were now quite an old people’s home.
OUR VERY POORLY MAXI
During Christmas 2017/18, Maxi became very unwell with Pancreatitis. We reached the point when he became so bad, despite everything the vets tried to do, that we were literally about to take him for his last visit. I was googling ‘pancreatitis’ and came across Conor Brady’s website: https://dogsfirst.ie/health-issues/cause-of-pancreatitis-in-dogs/ With the help of one of my sons, we prepared a tiny meal based on Conor’s advice. At this point, Maxi was refusing, and not able to hold down, any food. Amazingly, he gently ate it.
We withdrew all meds and decided to hold on and keep trying this diet and Maxi rewarded us by becoming more interested and slowly regaining his strength. It was quite miraculous and although he was, by now, almost skeletal he began to return to normal, albeit a slimmed down version.
Over the next year, everyone remarked how well he was and so much like a puppy despite his age. He continued like that until, one day, after he’d been out with Polly with his pals as usual, he came home and collapsed. After a visit back to the vet, the first for over a year, we had to prepare to finally say “goodbye”. We were so grateful to have had an extra year with him.
We’re now in God’s garden
And he loves us too
We’re healthy and happy
All you told us was true
You said God would love us
You said we’d be free
Together forever
But we are now three.
Miranda is with us
She’s young again too
It really is good here
Though we’re all missing you
You set free our spirits
And ended our pain
Now we sing in the breeze
Then dance in the rain
Remembering great times
As we fly in the sky
We are not far away
And this isn’t “goodbye”
Fly high with the angels, Maxi and Tiddles and give Miranda a hug from us too.
MAXI and TIDDLES TOGETHER AGAIN
Maxi was a much loved boy by us as a family. Tiddles missed him terribly and he, too, left us a month later. I still creep about first thing in the morning to avoid waking him and then realise he’s not there anymore. We definitely have a Maxi (and Tiddles) shaped hole in our home!
MAXI HAD, SADLY, NEEDED REHOMING BECAUSE OF A FAMILY CRISIS
Maxi had been living happily in the Midlands for 6 months in a lovely forever home but, sadly, he had to come back into our care as his owner needed to go to Australia indefinitely because of a family crisis.
He was, then, 2yrs old and was a very active dog who liked nothing more than playing with his ball. He really adored water and it was hard to keep him out.
Because he was very strong, we decided he would be much better with older children (probably 10+) unless they were really dog savy.
His owner said of him: Maxi loves being with other dogs and would be very happy living with another one. Unusually for a rescue dog, he also adores men.
His only faults are being extremely strong on the lead and getting excited on his outward journeys in a car (anticipating fun & great walks) but he settles really well on his way home again. He would benefit from a car restraint (harness or crate) and then he will be perfect both ways in the car.
He is very intelligent and has successfully tried his paws at agility a couple of times. His recall is usually very good as long as you have a ball to throw for him but he can be distracted by and wants to go and play with other dogs when the ball game finishes.
He can be left for 4hrs or so with no problems at all during the day just settling down quietly with his kong or nylabone. He sleeps in his bed in the kitchen at night and has been known to sleep through to 8am without a sound even though he is usually fed (James Wellbeloved) at 7am and then again at about 5pm to 6pm.
REPORT ON MAXI – 12/03/09
Maxi is around 2 years old. He has been micro-chipped and wormed
Maxi can be a bit aloof at first, but as you get to know him, he’s just a big boy who loves the attention, especially from the girls! 🙂 He also likes to have treats, a couple when he’s walking, a few when he’s been good and about 4 or 5 just before bed! He’s a spoilt thing!
He is very strong on the lead when on walks and likes to take control because he thinks he’s the king of the village (as he has a broad chest which he seems to puff out) but we usually put a harness and a halti on him so he doesn’t pull. He doesn’t like squirrels and when he meets other dogs we have to keep him on a tight leadas he wants to pull you over to play with them.
He loves having a fuss off people but when he wants more he taps you with his paw and he doesn’t realise that it can be quite rough. He sometimes does what he’s told but he has got into a habit of jumping up at you and does not respond to “down”. We have overcome this by turning our backs on him. Apart from that he is a gorgeous dog and we love him to bits!
Maxi will love anyone who has got a ball or a Frisbee and will play all day, if allowed to. He tends to run away with the ball so two balls are helpful to get his attention back.
We don’t let him off the lead but when we play ball, he’s usually on a training lead which is quite long so we can throw the ball a bit further.
As you can see from this picture, Maxi likes to be nosey!
FURTHER UPDATE ON MAXI FROM JANE
Maxi has been doing so well in foster that we decided to try him out in a few other situations so he was moved a couple of miles down the road to Jane’s where he would be living with 2 dogs and, probably more importantly, with two cats. The result was absolutely brilliant. Jane reports:
Maxi was greeted by Tess and Harvey and there were a few grumbles but all is now fine. He met our two cats and slept on the rug in front of the fire with one of them yesterday evening. He slept well over night in a crate with all his own bedding in the kitchen amongst the 2 dogs and cats and we never heard a peep!! He was fed, watered and walked and then took himself back in the crate with the door open and went fast asleep. He is now sitting outside happily watching the world go by.
MAXI HAS GONE TO HIS NEW FOREVER HOME
Ros said. “I’m sitting watching the car racing in China at this moment – not something I usually do but who cares!! It’s very peaceful with Maxi curled up on the sofa beside me. I was up at crack of dawn as usual to feed the hens before they wake the neighbours with their crowing. I took Maxi out in the garden again (I’ve done this each morning) to do a wee and test him with the hens without resorting to barking at them. He was great and didn’t pull away from me this time. He also had a brief unexpected encounter with the cat who we’ve had to keep away from him to begin with. Maxi and Tiddles inspected each other for a few minutes then I took him away for his breakfast and Tiddles to his safe haven upstairs for his food. I then made a cuppa and Maxi & I came into the living room to chill out with the tv. James or Danny will probably take him out for his morning walk when they do their newspaper rounds shortly.
Maxi has needed a lot of attention as he’s been settling in – especially as he’s needed to become socialised with the others in our menagerie – however he is becoming much more settled; he joins us on any trips in the car with the promise of even a short walk when he gets there. We’re having no problems with ball obsession – he loves it when he gets it and seems content with just a walk at other times. James has been the best at helping him to get used to the other dogs in the neighbourhood, one by one he tells me about this dog or that one which Maxi has become friends with! He does seems to find little dogs harder to be nice to – a little unfortunate for his little cousin Dougall (Bishon Frisse or however you spell it!). However James in his way is making progress there too. The main thing which has been so good is that although in his way Maxi is quite demanding, he is becoming the hub of love in this family – everyone wants to be with him at some point and visa versa. It will be interesting when the holidays are over after this weekend and all go back to school or work. It’ll be good for me as I can spend time properly socialising him with the cat and the hens without interruption.”
UPDATE MAY 2009
Brian’s getting regular walks with ‘you know who’ who is becoming very used to us each taking our turn.
Danny now takes him off early in the morning on her newpaper round, then comes back and we all have breakfast then off to school . . . that’s the children of course. Maxi is starting his school this Wednesday as we’re off to obedience classes (that’s because I need to learn probably more than he does!). His behaviour is really very good. His best is when told to go to ‘bed’ at night, when we all turn in he goes straight to his mat and sits down.
Maxi and Tiddles have developed a sort of Cat/Dog understanding…
i.e ‘you toucha ma food I scratcha yer nose’… so far he has remained scratch free! They sort of sidle past each other with a respectful look.
Maxi is becoming much more relaxed with other dogs on our walks and there’s less fuss now. Still a bit touchy around males though but it was great when I could walk with my sister in law Ella and her Dougall the Bichon Frise without any fuss at all. Very companionable!
PREVIOUS UPDATES FROM HIS ORIGINAL FOSTERER
MAXI is a handsome golden boy. He is approximately 18 months old and is neutered. He was fostered in Ireland for 7 weeks by Mary who says, “Maxi is a beautiful, sweet, affectionate pet. He does obey some commands like sit, always comes when called and he is, of course, toilet trained. My family, neighbours and kids in the area are all very attached to Maxi. He loves all of us and we are going to miss him greatly especially me. I am sad to let him go but I think it is for the best as he needs to develop his full potential with some training and will make some family a wonderful pet in every way.”
“He is a very strong dog and I have found it a bit difficult to train him as he is a bit too strong for me. He will play ball non-stop, if he is allowed to, with all the young men and kids in the area and is extremely good at rugby & football. He needs to be kept active and loves his walks. He chases cats but will not harm them.”
We were told that he was not good with other dogs but Mary said, “Sometimes he barks at other dogs but he just tries to make friends with them. I never had a problem with him in all the time he was with me and there were always other dogs about which he played with. As far as I know he spent a night or two in the Dog Pound in Ennis, Co Clare, after rescue, then spent a night with a lady who had other dogs. It was she who said he did not like other dogs but I never found that to be the case and I made a point of involving him during play on most occasions to test him. He also spent three nights in kennels while I was away for a weekend about a month ago. Again, absolutely no problem with the other dogs but the lady told me that he might be a little shy of some dogs at times but no barking or biting of any description. In summary, I do not believe there was any incident of bad behaviour or biting. He always wanted to make friends.”
IN FOSTER IN SOMERSET
Maxi is now in foster in Somerset with Pauline and settled in immediately. She says, “He is a very, confident, friendly dog who is extremely responsive to commands and has a good recall as he wants to be with you. He loves his ball even more than his tummy so this will make training him fairly easy. We were told he could be a bit food aggressive at times but I have seen no sign of that. He takes treats very gently and patiently when with the other dogs and he has been fed, in his separate cage in my van, surrounded by all my other dogs, with no problems.”
“He loves to be brushed and combed and was extremely good, very patient and well behaved, when being microchipped. His biggest fault is being strong on the lead as he was probably never been taken for walks in his original home but this is improving all the time. He gets on well with my other dogs, especially Rhani, but, like my own retrievers, he enjoys playing very rough so I suppose this could be mistaken for aggression if people don’t know the breed. He is just very young and playful.”
“He is a bit of a “Hector the Collector” and loves to gather toys up in a big pile around him. He probably could be pushy if allowed as he desperately craves affection and loves being in the thick of things but I can see why Mary found it so hard to part with this gorgeous boy”.
