Been meaning to post this for a while so here it is:
Enjoy reading :)
There are two versions of it, each slightly different
Version 1
Barley means everything to
me and I can not imagine life without him. We got him from a farm about 20
miles away from our home and when we first saw him he was a scruffy and nervous
little puppy but we could see he would become a very different dog. Then when
we saw his Dad Vulcan who was a very gentle and multi coloured dog. We new then
he would grow up to be a big dog too. The owner of the farm said he was about 3
months old, but when we took him to our local vet to have a check up and
inoculations the vet said he was at least 6- 8 months old because he already
had his adult teeth so we are unsure of his exact birthday. The first few weeks
at home he was terrified of everything and it took us over a month to get him
out of the house because he was so scared. Slowly but surely we built up his
confidence with a lot of time and patience. Gradually we got him to go outside
the house and walking to our local park.
About three months after
we got him while, walking him on lead at our local park he was attacked and
bitten by another dog running off led this resulted in him having staples in a
wound on his leg, this was a scary experience and very worrying for the whole
family.
He was not a confident dog
but with training and lots of treats and rewards he came round to be a
wonderful family pet and best friend to me. All this training and spending time
with him worked wonders on both of us it built our relationship and now we are
practically inseparable. When we first got Barley we thought it would be a good
idea to enter him in a fun dog show as he looked very different and everybody
commented on how handsome he looked. The first show we took him to he came 5th
for best crossbreed puppy and I had a smile for days showing everyone the
rosette. Since that day me and my Dad have taken him to lots of local fun dog
shows, we now have a large selection of rosettes from 1st to 5th
and one best in show. We mainly enter
fun dog shows to support local charities and have come home with lots of
prizes, but even if he does not win or get placed I always take the best dog
home. I love barley so much and he loves me back I have taught him lots of
tricks and this has built up his confidence loads.
Tough times
The reason we got barley
was because of me as my parents thought that it would help me re-focus and
forget about school and feel better, but he done that and more.
When we first got barley I
was having a hard time at school with bullying and going through the process of
an appeal to move schools this was very stressful for all the family and barley
was an angel in a dog suit. He was the start of new beginnings and a happier
more relaxed me. When ever I came home he is always there waiting for me with a
smile on his face and if I was sad or upset he would sit with me while I cuddled
him and he didn’t want to move. When I am at home he follows me round like a
lost sheep and he is a shadow, but we have both given each other confidence and
he is certainly me best friend. Even if I get another dog when I am older I
will always love barley the most because of what he means to me.
He has a very gentle
nature but not the most obedient of dog; I guess that is what makes barley
himself. We did take him to puppy training classes when we first got him but he
did not see the point he would rather lie down and go to sleep. He has never
had any real enthusiasm but I would never change that. When ever we take him
for a walk everyone always comments on how well-behaved he is and how calm he
is and wishes that there scatty dog would take a leaf out of his book. When
barley is ill I hand feed him chicken and rice and just sit there with him
stroking him and he does not object he just lays there snoring on my lap.
I love barley and will
never stop loving him, he is the best dog in the world and nothing can ever
change my opinion of that. In the mornings we let him upstairs and he comes
into my bedroom and jumps on my beds and lays there till I tell him to get off
or the postman arrives! Barley is a very protective dog and he is very alert
most of the time.
I have got so many
wonderful memories of barley and I will be very upset when he goes but there
will always be a special place in my heart for him.
Version 2
Now my dog may not be the best behaved or a posh pedigree but he is a
very special boy to me. He has been through a lot and he has helped me through
so much and in so many ways it is indescribable. When we first got him at 8
months old, he had been living on a farm with over 100 other dogs, it basically
was a puppy farm. The 'Breeder' Told us that he was 3 months old when we went
to look at him, he also had a sister that was smaller than him, but his mum was
already pregnant again with another litter of puppies. he was terrified of
people and he had to be cornered so we could get a lead on him to take him
home. the first couple of days were a nightmare, he would wine and bark all
night, he would not come near any of us. it took about a week for him to gain enough
confidence to come to us and start interacting with us. Soon after this we took
him to the vets to have his first vaccinations, this is when the vet told us he
must be at least 6 months old as he had got all of his adult teeth. By the time
his second lot of vaccinations came about he was starting to come out of his
shell a bit and doing what puppies love to do, causing mischief. When the time
came for him to be able to go out for walks i could not wait, but there was a
problem with this, he was too scared to leave our drive way. We would get him
out the front door but that was just about as far as he would go. It took him
about 2 months after he had been given the all clear by the vet to take him for
walks before he gained enough confidence to go out for a walk, but his first
walk ended in disaster, a trip to the vet. We were at our local park letting
him have a good sniff around when a dalmation came over to greet him, he was on
lead and the dalmation was running free, it came over looking very friendly
with a wagging tail, but it then went for barley and flipped him on his back
and left him with two deep puncture wounds on his front leg. This incident took
us back to square one with him. But it only took us a week to get him out of
the house and lots of tasty cheese. Not long after this i had to go back to
school and was starting high school. I had a really horrible time at school. I
got bullied and things were just getting too much for me, but barley was there
for me, he was the light at the end of the tunnel, he was the one to keep me
going. When i came home from school and had had a bad day, he was waiting,
wagging his tail and smiling waiting for a cuddle. he would just sit there
while i cried in his fur, we would go for long walks and we would find somewhere
to sit and just sit there cuddling, and i would tell him everything, and he
just seemed to understand me. Yes my parents tried there best to comfort me,
but barley was something special and he helped me pull through this dark time.
when we were nearing the end of the school year, my parents had had enough and
applied to get me to move schools, but this got declined, then my parents set
up an appeal, and on the second to last day of school, i got a phone call at
lunch, with some very good news, i had been accepted and was moving schools.
When i got home barley could sense my happiness and wanted to play, so we
played then went for a nice long walk and he was just so happy in himself and
was all bubbly and happy. We have a very special and incredible bond together.
We spend lots of time training and we go to lots of shows together, and showing
him off makes me proud, from where he came from and what he was like at the
start to what an amazing dog he is now. This year he even went to crufts, for
the final of the scruffts family crossbreed dog of the year, we won the childs
best friend category, and that is exactly what he is, my best
friend. Although we did not win the overall title he is still the best dog in
my eyes and will always be nothing but that. But this loss was very upsetting
for me as we had worked so hard together and he meant the world to
me. This put us out of showing for a while as it knocked my confidence and i
just could not take it when people kept asking how did we get on and stuff like
that, but slowly we have made it back into the ring, and he has helped me build
my confidence back up. He has over 60 rossetts and 2 trophy's to his
name so far. We love going to charity fun dog shows as it is in aid of a good
cause and we have lots of fun. Even if he does not win we always take the best
dog home. barley is my rock and i don't know what i would have done without
him. My dad says that we bought the dog for our daughter but the dog bought my
daughter, he is like an angel in a doggy suit watching over her, and
always there no matter what. He has been through so much but he is my daughters
rock, and will stay there forever.
