Lynne’s Pack!

Kane – Staffie x Labrador – the inspiration

A ‘problem dog’ originally, Kane became Dog Borstal’s number 1 stooge dog.  Lynne discovered that once his behaviour had been modified he then needed extra mental stimulation.  This came in the form of Working Trials which is a dog sport.  Not a natural, Kane did well and competed until he was nearly 9 years old.  Qualifying through numerous stakes he then retired from competition. Kane enjoyed swimming, fun agility and searches until old age prevented such pastimes.  In June 2011, at the grand old age of 17, the decision was made to put Kane to sleep as his quality of life had deteriorated.  He is sadly missed however will never be forgotten.

Zeke – German Shepherd x Labrador

Zeke was bought as a puppy and trained from day one with Working Trials, demonstrations and stooging in mind.  Zeke was extremely high drive which means he had to do something mentally and physically stimulating otherwise he would have been a nightmare pet.  He regularly competed in Working Trials and did very well qualifying CDex, UDex, WDex, TDex and PDex despite Lynne not spending enough time on his training due to commitments elsewhere. He was a great dog who was always willing to please although he could be extremely sensitive at times.  Zeke led a full and happy life until, at the age of 12, in August 2016, the decision was made to have him put to sleep as his quality of life had deteriorated.  Zeke leaves a big hole in Lynne and her wife’s hearts.

Alice – Rottweiler

Lynne always said that she would never have three dogs, never have a bitch and would only have X breeds – then along came Alice! Being fostered by someone training at her school, she needed a home. She had a fantastic temperament and was a shining example of the breed.  There were no plans to do dog sports with her,  however Lynne then discovered Cani-cross.  Cross Country Running with Dogs!!.  Lynne hated running at school and would need to sit down after about a minute, but there is nothing more exhilarating than running through a forest with your dog on a bungee and harness.  It’s a great way to get fit too.  Lynne was sticking to short courses with Alice as she got older. Not sure who liked it most, Lynne or Alice.  A cancerous growth was found in her mouth in April 17 and Alice was put to sleep after having one last fantastic holiday which she enjoyed with no signs of discomfort.  Cani crossing, running through the forest and sand dunes, swimming in the lake….all of her favourite things.

Freeway – Siberian Husky

Freeway is a Siberian Husky who was born in December 2010.  Why did she get him?  Not because he is pretty, not because she likes the thought of having to install a ten foot fencing with an overhang around her back garden, not because she could have had a serious problem with recall, or because she fancied having her garden landscaped by a digging machine!!!!  Freeway was for Cani-cross.  Unfortunately it “wasn’t for him”! He has a fantastic temperament with both dogs and people and considers himself a “social butterfly”.

Fraggle – Korthals Griffon

Fraggle ended up in a rehoming centre through no fault of his own, or his owners.  Lynne fostered him initially however that quickly changed once she realised what a lovely dog he was.  He fitted in fantastically with her other dogs from day one and she fell in love with his endless enthusiasm and happy demeanour.  Fraggle never stopped wagging his tail, in fact his whole body wagged!  He enjoyed Cani-cross, swimming, agility and searches as well as long walks in the countryside.  Very smart, he needed plenty of mental stimulation and physical exercise.  Sadly, after a very short illness which required an operation to investigate a problem with his liver, inoperable cancer was discovered and the decision was made to let him go.  In September 2016, within two weeks of losing Zeke, Lynne and her wife lost a very lively member of their pack.  His short life (7 years) was however full of exciting things and he lived life to the full.

Hazzard – Boxer

Lynne met Hazzard first as a ‘problem dog’ who came along with her owner to an intensive training session to address aggression towards other dogs. That seems like an awful long time ago now and as her owner is now Lynne’s partner, Hazzard is now part of her pack. Once Hazzard has been introduced to another dog correctly she is fine but is still not reliable around dogs that she does not know. She lives happily with Lynne’s other dogs and has lots of other doggie friends!

Denzel – German Short Haired Pointer

Denzel is Lynne’s wife’s dog and was purchased as a puppy to do Cani-cross. She wanted a dog with whom she could run, that would be strong, fast and full of energy. Denzel certainly ticks all of those boxes! He is a lovely dog, with a great temperament and loves to run, more than anything else in the world. Being a GSP, if he was not physically and mentally exercised on a daily basis he would no doubt cause chaos.

Humphrey – Siberian Husky

When Lynne contacted a friend who runs a rehoming charity to let her know that she and her partner had lost two of their dogs in a very short period of time and that inevitably, in the near future, a new dog would be a welcome addition to the pack, it was to ask her to keep Lynne in mind should she get a young Husky, Pointer or a cross of either. The news that a Husky mum had been brought in a few days prior with two young puppies, was a surprise to say the least, and despite the emotional turmoil of the past couple of weeks it seemed like fate! Humphrey keeps Lynne and her wife on their toes and gives the rest of the dogs something to keep an eye on!

Reddington – German Wirehaired Pointer

Born in the beginning of April 2018, Reddington is fitting in well and is on course to be a great all rounder.  Confident and bright, he enjoys Cani-cross, Bikejor and Swimming.  Extremely active, he needs to be physically exercised and mentally stimulated on a daily basis.  He is a running machine!

Gladys – Boxer

Gladys was born in April 2021 and came to live with us at 8 weeks old.  A typical boxer, she keeps us laughing on a daily basis.  A complete clown, she loves getting up to mischief.  She loves cani-cross and loves running alongside Denzel, Humphrey and Reddington. She is very sociable with other dogs and is everyone’s best friend. We are really pleased to have a Boxer back in the pack.