Smudge Bolton

A TRUE GOLDEN ANGEL (NOVEMBER 2014)

Andy tells us “I am sorry to say we lost poor old Smudge a few weeks ago, thankfully it was very quick, and she didn’t suffer.

She is very much missed and we are forever grateful to IRR for bringing her into our lives”.

We know Val and Andy both loved this special lady to bits but, sadly, she was getting very old and it was her time to go.

Smudge was so perfect in every way that she became their first “failure” after an enormous succession of foster dogs who were all helped on their way to very happy lives due to their devotion and care. IRR is indebted to them both and we all feel their pain at the loss of such a lovely lady. She was an angel on earth and is now flying high with all the other Golden angels.

SMUDGE’S HISTORY

Smudge is a female Golden Retriever who was nine years old when she came into IRR care . She had lived with Oz for 7yrs. After arriving at Simon’s house, as Oz wouldn’t give poor Smudge a moment’s peace, we decided it would be best to rehome them separately.

Their male owner had died about a year and a half before and their female owner moved out so, apart from when being fed, they had no real contact with people for quite a long time. Their very kind neighbour took pity on the dogs and has been walking them for 3 months. She says they are lovely dogs and she has walked and spent time with them every day but, sadly, is not in a position to keep them. They had shelter and a dog run but she felt this was not sufficient so she suggested to their owner that rehoming them would be for the best.

The neighbour says that when she first started walking Smudge she seemed a lot more withdrawn and quieter. She also seemed to be very thin which made her think that Oz was eating a lot of the food. Smudge loves to go for a walk and does pulls on the lead but is easy enough to correct. She is a quieter dog generally than Oz. She loves water. She craves human contact and just wants to be near a person and to stay with them. She will probably need a lot of reassurance.

FOSTER REPORT

Smudge was fostered by Simon and his family in the West Midlands. He said: Smudge is a very affectionate girl, craves human contact and dislikes being left on her own. In the first few days she would constantly bark for you to pet her but I’m pleased to say that this is no longer an issue. However, I would imagine that this could re-occur for a day or so while she settles into her forever home and all that would be required is patience and understanding. In order to speed up the settling process we tried letting her sleep with us in the bedroom but found that she would not settle if the door was closed and would bark at the door to be let out. Therefore, the simple solution was to leave the door open so that she has run of the house which has worked. She now sleeps on the sofa in the lounge and will occasionally come up stairs and check that we are still asleep and have not sneaked off and left her alone….. It’s very sweet. Lol

Since being separated from Oz, Smudge has really come out of her shell and seems to be less anxious and more relaxed and a much younger dog. She gets on very well with Freddie and our other dog Candy (Shih Tzu) and is quite happy to play with Freddie, normally this involves her stealing a toy from him. She then loves to carry the toy around but is not interested in playing tug-o-war but will pull the stuffing out should there be the slightest hole.

She enjoys her walks and is quite happy to be on a lead and only pulls occasionally, normally if she finds a scent that interests her. She has shown no signs of aggression towards any of the dogs we’ve met on our walks and is more interested in greeting the owner than the dog. We’ve been told that she loves water but I have seen no evidence of this but that could be a different matter if she was allowed off her lead. As she is slightly under weight we are giving her extra portions which are all scoffed down and she’s filling out nicely. She will growl, but does not snap, at Candy and Freddie if they come too close when she’s eating. Smudge enjoys all the treats we’ve offered and never refuses any titbit, a typical GR!

Smudge has been brilliant with all our children, although we are having to teach Chris (12) and Emily (11) that when she sits quietly and waits to be fussed that they must give her the attention. She has been very gentle around our youngest Thomas (3) and will happily let him touch her nose, eyes, mouth and ears. Thomas thoroughly enjoys petting her and this is probably because of Smudge’s lovely soft fluffy coat.

To sum up , Smudge is lovely girl who for a 9 year old girl is very spritely, full of energy which belies her age and very affectionate. We are thoroughly enjoying her company and she is a pleasure to care for.”

WONDERFUL NEWS

Smudge moved on to live with Andy and Val. After years of successfully fostering dogs for IRR, they have joined the ever growing ranks of “failed fosterers” and have given Smudge her forever home.

Because Andy & Val definitely wanted to go on fostering, they had been looking for just the right dog who would not only welcome all and sundry to their home but who would also take nervous new arrivals under her wing. The delightful Smudge has proved to be just perfect and is exactly what they were hoping for.