Leanne
Sniffer Dog
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
I don’t talk about Leo so much on here because he is just... Leo, amazingly well behaved, if he misses a walk he doesn’t even notice... wouldn’t dream of demanding a cuddle but loves when it’s offered Leo.
I got Leo from a farm when my son (who is now 12) was 9 months old.. he was 12 weeks, no jabs, had never left the stable where he was kept. His Dad was a MASSIVE German shepherd.. like HUGE. His mum was this tiny Border collie.. Dad had apparently jumped his stable door to get to mum ? (yes I know) - we went to view the puppies and just have a look.... I was desperate for a dog and fairly sure that if I couldn’t convince my husband the kids would ?.
When we got there, there was 9 puppies and my god they were feral. They descended on my son like hyenas... tugging on his fluffy hood of his coat and pulling him around... H (son) burst into tears and then I saw Leo... he was stood back from the pack and had his head on a tilt and was just watching with a quizzical expression.
Leo came home with us.
It was hell. I had no idea how to cope with a high needs puppy and a high needs child (later diagnosed with ASD), leo ate EVERYTHING.. he chewed through my handbag and ate my mobile phone and my sat nav in one night.
We then did obedience classes and I realised just how clever he was. He was bored. Once we started training he was astonishing. You never had to teach him anything twice and he was (and is) my shadow. Never more than arms length away.
When I got divorced he was the only thing (apart from my children!) that I took with me.
When my mum died I took him for walks and we sat there and waited for the pain to stop.
We moved across country, we fostered dogs - on one occasion we fostered a dog who had a brain issue which meant she couldn’t walk - this then deteriorated and she went to attack my son - Leo flew for her (the only time I’ve EVER known him to fight) and whilst I was left with a permanent scar on my leg from her bite my son was unharmed.
When I got divorced again (I’m flighty it appears) again he was with me.
Up until now he has never been to the vets for illness, nothing has ever been wrong with him.
6 months ago he got very slow. Very tired. Hypothyroidism. Put him on the meds and we got him back.
I watch him now and I can see what’s happening - he’s going.. he’s not going yet... but the end is beginning, he can’t hear very well and his eyesight is deteriorating - he plays with Mas but it takes him 2 hours to recover from a 10 minute play session.
He has been with me through the death of my mum, the diagnosis of my son and the years of me being in pieces trying to cope. Two divorces and several house moves. He is literally the only constant in my life for the last 11 years.
I walked him this morning and he wandered off - he has never in 11 years wandered off. I was shouting for him and eventually found him. He was just sitting there looking muddled. As soon as he spotted me he was all tail wagging but in that moment I recognised that he’s old now. He’s nearly 12 and he’s not going to be here forever.
I can’t actually imagine a world that he isn’t in
He’s just always been so constant. He doesn’t play up, he is just there. The idea of one day him not being there is suddenly filling me with utter dread.
I got Leo from a farm when my son (who is now 12) was 9 months old.. he was 12 weeks, no jabs, had never left the stable where he was kept. His Dad was a MASSIVE German shepherd.. like HUGE. His mum was this tiny Border collie.. Dad had apparently jumped his stable door to get to mum ? (yes I know) - we went to view the puppies and just have a look.... I was desperate for a dog and fairly sure that if I couldn’t convince my husband the kids would ?.
When we got there, there was 9 puppies and my god they were feral. They descended on my son like hyenas... tugging on his fluffy hood of his coat and pulling him around... H (son) burst into tears and then I saw Leo... he was stood back from the pack and had his head on a tilt and was just watching with a quizzical expression.
Leo came home with us.
It was hell. I had no idea how to cope with a high needs puppy and a high needs child (later diagnosed with ASD), leo ate EVERYTHING.. he chewed through my handbag and ate my mobile phone and my sat nav in one night.
We then did obedience classes and I realised just how clever he was. He was bored. Once we started training he was astonishing. You never had to teach him anything twice and he was (and is) my shadow. Never more than arms length away.
When I got divorced he was the only thing (apart from my children!) that I took with me.
When my mum died I took him for walks and we sat there and waited for the pain to stop.
We moved across country, we fostered dogs - on one occasion we fostered a dog who had a brain issue which meant she couldn’t walk - this then deteriorated and she went to attack my son - Leo flew for her (the only time I’ve EVER known him to fight) and whilst I was left with a permanent scar on my leg from her bite my son was unharmed.
When I got divorced again (I’m flighty it appears) again he was with me.
Up until now he has never been to the vets for illness, nothing has ever been wrong with him.
6 months ago he got very slow. Very tired. Hypothyroidism. Put him on the meds and we got him back.
I watch him now and I can see what’s happening - he’s going.. he’s not going yet... but the end is beginning, he can’t hear very well and his eyesight is deteriorating - he plays with Mas but it takes him 2 hours to recover from a 10 minute play session.
He has been with me through the death of my mum, the diagnosis of my son and the years of me being in pieces trying to cope. Two divorces and several house moves. He is literally the only constant in my life for the last 11 years.
I walked him this morning and he wandered off - he has never in 11 years wandered off. I was shouting for him and eventually found him. He was just sitting there looking muddled. As soon as he spotted me he was all tail wagging but in that moment I recognised that he’s old now. He’s nearly 12 and he’s not going to be here forever.
I can’t actually imagine a world that he isn’t in
He’s just always been so constant. He doesn’t play up, he is just there. The idea of one day him not being there is suddenly filling me with utter dread.
