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Help - Advise needed!

As some of you may know my Lilly turned 2 on saturday, ever since she has become a frustrating fussy eater.  She is refusing to eat "doggy" food and will beg for sausage rolls or toast (of all things!)  I know she has a secret love of all things buttery but surely this is not a good thing for her stomach!  I know Staffs have a rep for cast iron stomach but don't really want to test this thoery out.

I was so frustrated with her this morning I was left a blubbering heap on the floor!  I really need some help, I can't afford to keep throwing food away because she refuses it!  I even cheated this morning and pretended to eat her food on a dinner plate and then put it on the floor so she thought she was getting "People" Food instead - did she fall for it NO!  I've now tried all the supermarket available tinned and dry dog food and am honestly loosing hope!  Even her favourite treats have not been taken - any advise would be greatful.

UPDATE - it seems my little princess has eaten an enitre box of Marrowbone treats and she may be little bunged up!  I'm off to the shops to buy chicken breast and liquid parrafin!  Will keep you all posted!

Just a quick update from me and Lilly!  We were out on our usual nightime walk and I know I keep saying it but I am sooo proud to be a Staffy Owner!

Lilly and I were on our usual route and Lilly turned a corner seconds before me and started pulling on her lead - I quickly followed to see an elderly gentleman with his Westie looking decidedly worried.  I quickly assured him that Lilly meant no harm and simply wanted to say hello, the man nerviously smiled still pretty unsure.

As sure as my word Lilly scooched down as low as possible and gently approached the Westie, had a quick sniff, licked his ear and moved on.  Both Man and Dog stood amazed!  As I walked past his quietly said he'd never judge a book by its cover again and she was a lovely dog - I couldn't stop grinning with pride all the way home!

Just thought I would tell everyone how proud I am of my Lilly!  On Thursday night I had an SOS call from a friend, she had forgotten to arrange kennels for her Lhasa Apso Travis and began to beg me to take him in for the weekend.  Me being the sucker that I am agreed and around they came. 

Luckily Lilly and Travis know each other and I was so proud of her for not getting terratorial or angry that he had suddenly moved in!  She has been brilliant and so patient with him.  He is a cheeky little monkey and keeps stealing all her treats and food when I am not looking, but bless her she doesn't retaliate she simply comes and gets me (he's not a quick eater of theres always evidence in his bed).

I really think that this is a testament to what Gentle Giants our SBT's are and had to share how proud I am of my baby!  She is getting a huge treat when he goes homes tonight!

Hi All,  Another update from me, after reading rainbow23's blog about the dreaded Dyson attacks just had to tell everyone about the latest Lilly Hate.

She has decided all things aerosol are BAD, I only have to pick up my can of deoderant and she's going MENTAL!  Its the only time I ever hear her barking.  I don't even have to take to cap off or woe betide I actually spray something out if it I think she would have a flying fit off the bed!  Why has this absurd behaviour sprang up No A Clue!  But I love her so now if I want to make myself smell pretty I must lock myself in the Bathroom and gas myself.  The things we do for our doggy babies! 

Any thoughts .. .. .. cause dusting and polishing is now becoming an Olympic Speed Sport!

Well, my little Princess is a nutcase!  I came home from work one day to find her playing in the garden as normal, when she spotted me she of course bounded over for her obligatory cuddle.  OMG she was limping and holding her front left leg at a very strange angle!

After keeping a close eye on her overnight I thought enough was enought, straight to the vets in the morning.  After hobbling into the Vets we sat patiently for our turn, luckily Lilly is one of those animals that LOVES going to the vets and all the nurses are greeted with big smiles and love.  She had sprained her leg - poor baby!  After an injection for the pain and anti-inflamitory tablets, I had strict instructions to keep her quite and calm, no jumping on the furniture or walking up and down the stairs!  HA like any of that was possible!

So after a week or arguments (most of which she won!), Lilly is back to her bouncing nutty self and it still makes me smile to think about my instructions from the Vet.

When I brought Lilly home it was one of the most exciting and traumatic evenings EVER!  2 days before I had no intention of getting another pet! 

Late one Tuesday Evening my sister informed me that some friends had 3 little puppies left.  (I almost got a pup from the last litter and had been pining for ages).  So around 9pm I was sat on a kitchen floor playing with 3 of the cutest little pups, and fell in love with all of them!  There was 1 brindle bitch and 2 reds; a boy and a girl.  I instantly decided on the timid little Red Bitch that was not as brave as her brother and sister.  The deal was made and it was decied that "Dashy" as she was then known would be coming home with me - little did I realise that would be in less than 24 hours!  I frantically spent Wednesday Lunch time buying her food and bowls and bedding.  I borrowed a childs playpen from a friend and then I was set.

7pm Wednesday evening I knocked on the door and went to get "Dashy", so after saying goodbye to her Mom and Dad I set off on the short walk home again with my new baby wraped in a blanket with Mommy and Daddy's scent on it.  As I opened the door I was greeted by 2 curious if not slightly miffed cats, I put Dashy on the floor in the living room and let her explore her new surroundings and meet Theo and Drustan (whom both ran in differnet directions!).  Dashy and I spent the night getting to know one another and deciding a new name her my little princess, After going through all the names I could think of that I used to like it was decided the name should be choosen from the same source as Theodoric and Drustans, so after scouring the pages of a book called The White Raven and studying familiy trees - INSPIRATION - Tryphellia jumped off the page!  It was shortened to Lilly and that was it, that was her name!

Bed time came and I placed her in her new bed inside the playpen and covered the bars with blankets and after a little exploring she settled into her bed and off to sleep she went, she didn't cry or whimper once and never has.

The next few weeks were fun to put it mildly, Theo and Drustan getting to know there new sister was a joyful and scary sight, they would walk along the top of the playpen and taunt there new "rival", slowly one at a time they decided she was Ok and she was no threat or danger and things settled down.  After a month Lilly moved out of the Living Room and into the Hall Way, the pen was left open and she was free to roam the lower half of the house, the Cats still owned the upstairs bedrooms.

Lilly's confidence grew and grew and soon she discovered she could jump and then the house was hers!  Stair gates were no longer of use so they were removed and suddenly the upstairs was claimed!  She still slept in her own bed in the hall and she seemed happy with that; for all of 4 months!  As soon as she discovered Mommy and her brothers slept upstairs she wouldn't settle for her own bed anymore.

It was decided that Lilly would be socialised with other dogs; namely Ford my parents Staffy and Poppy my elder Sisters Staffy. Who incidentally is Lilly big sister from another Litter.  Lilly and Poppy met and snarled but after 5 minutes it was all playing and running around; I think they knew that were related and instantly formed a bond.  Ford however (or Moody Mary as she is affectionatly known) was a different challenge.  Ford has never liked other dogs and had a definate hate for other Staffs.  There first meeting was in neutral territory and Lilly was in my arms, incase Ford took an instant dislike.  But things went OK and after a few more meetings Ford and Lilly struck a happy compromise and they would walk together happily; as long as Ford was in front!  As Lilly's confidence grew so did her desire to play and luckily Ford seemed to enjoy the rough play that Lilly thrived on.  The they found a stick!  After 45 minutes of tugged at either end Mom and I said enough and tried to distract them, but No, the Game was afoot.  So now it is happily a weekly meeting and Mom, Ford, Lilly and I go for a walk every Sunday morning, Lilly and Ford play and exhaust each other nicely ready for sleeping all afternoon.  Lilly occasionally stays with Ford over night and they love it.  Lilly has adopted Ford as her Doggy Auntie and her word is final and LAW.  Ford even seems to have softened to other dogs thanks to Lilly's influence, well almost.

Lilly was born with an Umbilical Hernia (forgot to mention that) you can see it on some of the photos of her when she was younger; as time got on the hernia grew and shrunk and January this year enough was enough and it was decided it was time to operate.  After a lot of soul searching and deciding what would be best for Lilly it was decided she would be spayed at the same time as removing her Hernia.  So she was booked in on March 3rd 2008, as usual she bounded in the Vets to have her play with the nurses but was not happy when I left without her.  She came home same day and slept until midday the day after, but the stitches healed quickly and now shes completely recovered, and no longer looks like a Boy from a distance!  Saddly there will be no Puppies for Lilly.  The Vet disclosed on a later visit that the Hernia was close to rupturing and she had a damaged reproducitive system so pregnancy would have been traumatic and dangerious anyway.

So now Lilly is happy to be the eternal Puppy and her Feline Brothers love her as much as they can and it is a happy household