Update on Toby the Bodeguero

Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
Some of you may remember little Toby from 'that other forum'. I fostered him for a couple months in Spain before he went to his forever home in the UK. I mentioned on another thread here that his family in the UK has decided they can no longer keep him. Words were mentioned about taking him to the vet for a permanent solution to a temporary problem (if you know what I mean) and I got a tearful and angry phone call from my contact in Spain for whom I'd fostered Toby. Suffice it to say, no one was happy.

A lot of messaging and WhatsApp-ing later and the wonderful Bodeguero rescue group in the UK who placed Paul (Carbon's cage buddy at the kill station and then the shelter in Spain) has agreed to take Toby in as a foster. Yesterday the head of the group even told me that she would be taking him herself as Toby will need some behavioural rehab before he's ready to go to a new home. She doesn't have space for the next month, so I asked Toby's current human if she would keep him. Otherwise I said I'd pick him up myself (he's about six hours drive north east). She's agreed to keep him until his new foster home is ready. Though I would have been more than happy to have him with me for a little while again, we thought it would be much better for Toby to stay where he is to minimise the number of moves. Like all Bods, and maybe more than most, he gets very attached to his people. The move will be tough for him, even if it is for the best.

Unlike my friend in Spain, I don't think Toby's current human would have had him killed. I think it was a very unfortunate way that the build up of stress and feeling hopeless with the situation came out. It was her way of ringing the alarm bells so that the only help she felt she had (the rescue contact in Spain and myself) would immediately sit up and listen. Well, it worked...and I'm hoping she'll calm down now that she knows the cavalry is coming and that she has much better options. I made it very clear that she can change her mind about the next month - all she needs to do is call and I'll pick him up.

I can't even say how grateful I am to Bodeguero UK for stepping up to save the day. The really understand Bods and I have zero doubts they will get Toby where he needs to be. He's still a young (3 years old) dog who has a long life of Bod goofiness and cuddles ahead of him. Let's keep the lambie power coming that he'll thrive in his foster home and find a wonderful and truly "forever" home.

:thelambiesarecoming:
 
Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
Jen said:
I thought you meant getting his balls chopped off 😱

I’m not sure where in the UK Toby is but if he’s north east and she can’t cope I will go & get him and he can stay here until you can get him Emily xx
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Thanks, Jen. I think you've got your hands full at the moment, but I really appreciate the sentiment behind the offer. :)

And no, she wasn't talking about neutering him (they already did that in Spain).
 
Charlie

Charlie

Location
Argyll & Bute, Scotland
That's a good result for Toby even though he may not think so as he will hopefully be placed with his forever family that understand him and his breed, continue with his behaviour blips also his training. I wish the little boy well on yet another journey, he so deserves it. xxx Well done Emily we need to get you some wings and a halo! Until then you can have a big :star: xxx
 
Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
Kelsey&Axel said:
At least he knows you and Carbon so if you do end up getting him sooner it will still feel like home to him I’m sure ❤
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Toby was my Bodeguero foster from two years ago, so he doesn't know Carbon - though I'm sure he and Carbon would get along like old buddies in short order.

Carbon's Bodeguero buddy Paul that I fostered along with Carbon last year is a very happy boy with his family in Wiltshire. In fact they are 'paying it forward' in a rather amazing way by getting their third Bodeguero foster from Spain next week. The first two of their Bod fosters have already been adopted. :)
 
A

Aitch

Location
Buckinghamshire UK
He is just such a lovely little chap. :inlove:
Do you really mean that they were going to kill him??? I'm having trouble understanding what went wrong with his owners. My own crazy little Bod needs a lot of attention and brain games to keep him happy. Were they unable to provide this for Toby?
Seeing that little video of him I can't understand how they could let him go after so long.
 
Kelsey

Kelsey

Emily_Babbelhund said:
Toby was my Bodeguero foster from two years ago, so he doesn't know Carbon - though I'm sure he and Carbon would get along like old buddies in short order.

Carbon's Bodeguero buddy Paul that I fostered along with Carbon last year is a very happy boy with his family in Wiltshire. In fact they are 'paying it forward' in a rather amazing way by getting their third Bodeguero foster from Spain next week. The first two of their Bod fosters have already been adopted. :)
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Ohhh I definitely confused the two :$ but you’re right, they would get along wonderfully.
 
Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
Aitch said:
Do you really mean that they were going to kill him???
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Yes. Like I said, I don't actually think his person would have followed through on taking him to the vet to kill him. I have a hard time thinking that of her because I like her (we've been in contact online for 2 years and I've met her in person) and it makes a disconnect in my brain that she could actually kill him. I prefer to think that she was desperate and feeling alone and panicked. But it was a statement that certainly got our attention and an 'all hands on deck' response. Better to take it seriously just in case. People do weird things when they feel backed into a corner.

Aitch said:
My own crazy little Bod needs a lot of attention and brain games to keep him happy. Were they unable to provide this for Toby?
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Atemas said:
Can I ask why they can’t keep him?
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He has nipped people three times now, with the last incident just this week. To be clear, he had no history of this prior to coming into rescue, nor at the shelter, nor with me. He was particularly good with children and other dogs. He was very reactive to bicycles and some men (usually older men wearing hats - there's likely a history there). However with LAT he had made lots of progress in the two months he was with me. After the first incident, we recommended a behaviourist or training, but I don't know if this was followed through. My Spanish rescue contact and I were assured he was doing better when we asked. That was probably a case more of his person wanting it to be true than it actually being true.

When he was with me, he needed 2 hours of jogging or hunting or games (combo) a day to keep him happy. He was already not getting that with his new family, and after the first nipping incident the children weren't allowed to walk him any longer. Then his person had to go from part time to full time work outside the home. While she hasn't said, I'm guessing that meant Toby was home alone with their other dog (much older and very calm) all day. Apparently things got worse until this last nipping incident, which was the last straw for her.

Aitch said:
Seeing that little video of him I can't understand how they could let him go after so long.
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I think it will be very hard for the whole family. I absolutely adored that little guy after only two months, I can't imagine after two years. I honestly don't understand the PTS threat as it seems so out of character. But the important thing now is that everyone agrees getting him into a specialised Bod foster home is the best for Toby. The foster person has multiple Bods of her own and runs the rescue from home. Once he gets over the shock of separating from the family he knows, I bet he'll flourish.
 
A

Aitch

Location
Buckinghamshire UK
I know from my experience with Alex that the biting can be trained out. He went from regularly drawing my blood (little vampire!) to the sweet happy soul we have today. It takes patience and a hell of a lot of work but you can't give up if you have committed to a dog.
Hopefully he will find his forever home very soon. Cases like this are heartbreaking. Bods just give their whole hearts to their people.
 
Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
Aitch said:
I know from my experience with Alex that the biting can be trained out. He went from regularly drawing my blood (little vampire!) to the sweet happy soul we have today.
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Thank you, hearing that really gives me hope.

Aitch said:
Bods just give their whole hearts to their people.
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Yes, this is the truly sad part. He was so attached to me that I'll never forget his face when I left him for the transport to the UK. It broke my heart. This is going to be much worse for him since he's been there for so long. But it's the best for him and I've got to think he'll find the home he was always meant to have.
 
Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
We've had word from Bodeguero UK that it looks like 5 June for the big move for Toby to his new foster home. He'll be staying with the head of the rescue and her 6+ Bodegueros. I know he'll miss his family, but he certainly won't be bored and learning from the other happy and well-adjusted dogs will be a real life-changing experience for him.

His current human is back to posting sweet photos of him and saying that she loves him. She feels badly that he's been home alone so much and that it has contributed to his issues. She's really wanting to do the best for him, so while it will be hard for her to say goodbye, I do think this story will have a very happy ending.
 
Rosie

Rosie

Location
South Wales
Just picking up on this now! Sounds like you've averted a really bad situation - poor little Toby, but I am sure you are right and that the story will have a happy ending. Lambie power to all of you...
 
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