So, Ruby has now been living with me for just over a week and, as you can see, she has made herself very much at home. It’s been lovely to see her relaxing just a little more each day and she is much less jumpy than she was initially, when she was startled by feathers, pigeons, rubbish, people, pretty much everything. Now she seems much more grounded and secure, though she is wary of some men the first time she meets them. She’s a super quick learner and remembers everything from one day to the next to a really striking degree.

Here she is practising turning in a confined space. I want her to get used to the new shape of her body so that it feels completely familiar to her and she doesn’t get caught by surprise.

Meg was seven when she lost her leg, and although she was certainly an active dog, dealing with a one year old is quite a different ball game. Ruby is really desperate to play with other dogs. Prior to her amputation, she had a number of ultimately unsuccessful surgeries trying to save the leg, so she has had several months of crate rest and has a huge amount of pent up energy. I have been trying to direct this into brain games and puzzles along with physio and core strength training. i don’t feel i can let her play off lead until she is stronger, especially as dogs play so much by standing up on their hind leg(s). I have contacted a physio and want to get Ruby thoroughly assessed so we know where we are and what to work on and what sort of play and exercise is appropriate for her.

In the meantime, I must try and exhaust her as best I can, with this remote control game, for example, which she mastered extremely quickly.

Or the Bob-A-Lot, which she helps dispense treats by throwing it off the sofa.

Incidentally, Ruby has a habit of resting her back leg on the sofa and standing with her front paws on the ground. I heard from someone else that their rear-legger does this and I’m assuming the stretch feels good, but I’d be interested to know if others have experience of this

That’s the remains of a carrot you can see on the floor. Ruby seems to love all fruit and vegetables. So far, she has eaten apple, pear, blueberry, banana, watermelon, carrot and sweet potato all with apparent relish. Her skin condition seems to have settled too, which `i am delighted about. She is also strongly visual, and loves watching TV, and will respond to photos and drawings of animals, usually by barking. None of my dogs have done this. She is also an absolute cuddle MONSTER. Literally, the cuddliest creature I have ever encountered.

Thank you for reading. I will update again soon, when hopefully Ruby will have had her physio assessment.

So here’s a bit about Ruby Tuesday and how she came to be living with me.

She was born on 2nd June 2022 in Liverpool, UK. I know very little about her first home but in September 2023, she sustained a complicated fracture of her right hind leg and was surrendered at the vets, who referred her to The Dogs’ Trust. The fracture was repaired but failed to heal properly and further surgery also failed and so on 23rd November, Ruby became a Tripawd. She was fostered throughout this period and has clearly been very well cared for. She is a tremendously affectionate dog.

I spotted her on the Rehoming Centre’s website, and was initially attracted to her photo because of her beautiful, gentle expression. When I clicked on her profile and discovered that she was also a Tripawd, it seemed it was meant to be. My last dog, Meg, lost a front leg to a bone condition at the age of 7, and died last April at 14 and a half.

Ruby has been through a hell of a lot in the last four months. She has also spent a lot of time crate resting and is absolutely bursting with excitement and energy. My first task is really to calm her down. You can see how excited she was in this video from our first meeting at the rehoming centre

At only seven weeks post amp, she appears to have healed really well, but has not had any physio etc so I am really keen to start working on her core strength etc and I think she will enjoy this as she is extremely responsive to any sort of positive input. She really is a lovely dog.

She has only been with me for two days but already she has settled extremely well. We have been doing puzzles and games as a way of starting to get to know each other. Here she is playing hunt the biscuits…

Thanks so much for reading.

A few weeks ago, Angel Billie called a conference at The Bridge. ‘Listen,’ she said to Pie and Meg, ‘Stop squabbling and listen to me. It’s time we found another dog for Mum.’

‘But she’ll never love anyone as much as me!’ said Pie and Meg exactly together, and they immediately started squabbling again about who had been loved more.

‘Oh for goodness sake!’ said Billie. ‘Really! Listen to yourselves! When I had to leave Mum to come to the bridge, before either of you were even born, it totally broke her heart. I’ll never love another dog like you,’ she said.

‘Yeah, right,’ said Pie.

‘Whatever,’ said Meg. ‘We all know she loved me…’

‘Enough!’ said Billie, and she sounded quite fierce for such a mild mannered dog. ‘She loved us all totally and completely and each in our own individual way. She’ll never love another dog like any of us, because there’ll never be another dog like any of us, but that doesn’t mean that Mum doesn’t need a new friend.’

There was silence as The Pie and Meg considered Billie’s words, trying and failing to find an objection.

‘I s’pose,’ muttered Pie eventually, but so quietly you could hardly hear.

‘I’m sorry?’ said Billie.

‘I said, I suppose!’ said Pie.

‘But how are we ever going to find a dog to follow me!‘ said Meg. ‘They’re bound to be a disappointment’

‘Well,’ said Billie, equably, ‘How about we start by each coming up with one thing Mum loved most about us, and then we try and put them all together? Why don’t you start, Elsie Pie? What did Mum love most about you?’

‘Everything!’ said Pie.

‘And you, Meg?’

‘Everything,’ said Meg. ‘More than everything!’

‘No, she didn’t! That’s impossible! No, she didn’t!’

‘She did!’

‘She didn’t!’

‘She did!’

‘She didn’t!’

‘Stop it!’ Billie said. ‘Listen, here’s what I think. Pie, Mum loved your determination, and the fact you made her laugh, and all your opinions…’

Pie looked pleased.

‘That’s three things!’ said Meg.

‘And she loved your spirit, Meg, and your smartness and the way you embraced every challenge life…’

‘And what about you?’ interrupted Pie.

‘My gentle nature,’ Billie said.

‘This is stupid,’ said Meg. ‘We’ll never find a dog that combines all that.’

‘As a matter of fact,’ said Billie. ‘I’ve already found one.’