Rhianna Staffiex DOB 2005 - 2019 South London

In loving memory of dogs that have passed
Liv500
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2014 13:23

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by Liv500 »

Big family lunch.
Fifteen people.
All the family dogs.
Where's that whole round of Brie gone from the table?
RHIANNA!!!!!!
image.jpg
Liv500
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2014 13:23

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by Liv500 »

Rhianna and I love this time of year - gives us a chance to go cruising with the roof down.

We're so cool! :cool.gif:

Rhianna convertible.jpg
Liv500
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2014 13:23

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by Liv500 »

Rhianna has decided that she is in charge of everything. Everything. She is just in charge, and its not up for discussion.

She has this super annoying habit of every time you go near water, she drops her tennis ball in, then looks at you and barks and barks and barks for you to go and fetch it. She is perfectly capable of getting it herself. She loves water. If you throw the ball into the water for her she jumps in and fetches it. But if she has put the ball in the water, then you have to get it for her. No, I dont understand either.

She did this on Wimbledon Common the other day, and as it was the 500th time I just walked off and told her to get it herself. I was a little way away (the plan being if I didnt keep repeating this action of fetching for my dog when she threw the ball for me, then she would learn that this is the wrong way around and my dignity would be restored) and Rhianna had remained behind shouting at the ball. I was holding strong. 'No Rhianna, get it yourself.'

Then this lovely man, on a bicycle, stopped as he was going past. He saw this 'poor' puppy in distress. He got off his bike and clambered down the bank, and helped her get her ball out of the river. I went back to explain to him, and to thank him. He said that he was just so heart-broken for her that she had lost her ball. SHE HADNT!!! So now Rhianna is not only in charge of me, she is also in charge of the general public. In the picture that is actually Tabitha 'helping', you can see Rhianna's tail in the picture, actually at this point standing in the river shouting at him to lift her ball out as it had sunk a bit.
Rhianna getting ball out of the water.jpg
MandaTK
Posts: 2744
Joined: Tue 10 Jun 2014 12:09

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by MandaTK »

Laura (MrsP) said to me to read Rhianna's thread from start as it was amazing. I had previously read Tabitha's. Indeed it is an amazing story what a girl. Obviously loved and obviously so in charge!!!! As mentioned by someone else on here you REALLY should start up a dog column your writing about her exploits are absolutely hilarious. You have made me laugh so much and even though I dont know Rhianna I love your girl for making me laugh so much too!!! :D
Liv500
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2014 13:23

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by Liv500 »

My lovely girl is still doing brilliantly.

She rules my life with a rod of iron.

I tried dating recently - it didn't work out. She didn't see the point of him. She was horrible to him. I have never seen a dog be 'passive aggressive', but she was.

She'd sit next to him on the sofa, stretch out and then have an 'accidental' sudden leg twitch, booting him really hard causing actual pain.

On a walk she would pick up the biggest muddiest stick she could find, and drop it for a little chew as he walked past so she could overtake again a moment later, thwacking him with it as hard as she could spreading mud up his legs and causing bruising. Over, and over, and over. Never me. Just him.

She would jump in the river just so she could shake, specifically on him as she nonchalantly strolled past.

She would wedge herself in between us if he ever sat next to me on the sofa and then sitting up would look him square in the eye and push him with one front paw until he moved away.

Anyway, Rhianna and I talked and we decided she was right. So we got rid of him.

This is my beautiful girl - much happier, now that shes got her own way. Well apart from the Halloween costume - she thought that she looked like an idiot. :biggrin.gif:
Rhianna halloween.jpg
Rhianna mist.jpg
Rhianna tabs mist.jpg
Bertie and Pippa

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by Bertie and Pippa »

That's so funny. My old dog pushed someone I was dating out the way as he was making his way to sit next to me on the sofa. He flew passed him at 100mph and took a flying leap on to the sofa next to me so my date could not get anywhere near me. The date actually asked him to move so he could sit there, but we both just sat and stared at him, not moving. He then sat down on the other sofa and actually sulked! Needless to say, I didn't see him again, not after all that sulking - and my boy had spoken :D It's nice to read how Rhianna and Tabitha are doing - glad they are just fine.
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SarahW
Posts: 3326
Joined: Sun 01 Jun 2014 10:57

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by SarahW »

I have just read Rhianna's whole thread too after reading Tabitha. Your updates made me cry with laughter so again I have now fallen in love with Rhianna as well as Tabitha. I offer to be their internet/forum aunty even though they never asked or wanted one! Liv500 you have made my night writing so well the exploits of these wonderful girls. :thanks.gif: :thanks.gif:
Would you like to walk our lovely dogs too?
Dog walking volunteer form
Liv500
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2014 13:23

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by Liv500 »

Rhianna worried me again recently.

She still has this lingering cough - I've been fobbed off with an ongoing susceptibility to kennel cough (never believed it), pulling on the lead (she doesn't pull and anyway she's really lead aggressive, I NEVER have her on the lead - we drive to the park - she runs about), but the last time I took her to the vet (this has been going on nearly 2 years) they said that they thought that it was her heart. Her coughing has been getting worse.

So this time they took xrays and a scan, and her heart is still ok. She still has the murmur but no other abnormalities. Its apparently age related bronchitis. Which I've never heard of.

Anyway, she has more pills - I swear she will rattle soon - joint supplements, heart supplements, pain killers, vitamins, minerals, anything just to give her the best support I can to make her live forever.

Hopefully the coughing will stop a little. Its defo not her heart, there is a slight thickening in her lung lining. No real known reason. We'll see if the pills get rid of the cough.

Some photos of her over the last few months - my favourite pain in the bum

Rhianna tennis ball wimbledon.jpg

Rhianna shades car.jpg

Rhianna and Tabitha pigs ear new forest.jpg

Rhianna and Tabitha New Forest massive stick.jpg

Rhianna and Tabitha beach.jpg
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xxlynne
Posts: 11858
Joined: Sun 01 Jun 2014 09:01

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by xxlynne »

Fantastic pictures Olivia of your fantastic 'gals' Thank you and hope Rhianna's cough resolves with time and lots of good weather a spoon full of honey a day helps the immune system
Liv500
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2014 13:23

Re: Rhianna Staffiex DOB 05 South London

Post by Liv500 »

Thought I would give an update on my lovely girl.

She's suddenly getting old. I mean truth be told shes been old for a long time. Its just that the oldness is catching up with her.

At the beginning of June we went down to our favourite place Saunton Sands, and she did brilliantly. Walking happily for and hour a couple of times a day with lots of resting in between. Just living her best life. We went with Hannah and Bailey - Rhianna loves Bailey (weirdly as shes never thought much of staffies)

But this August life has caught up with her.

Dont get me wrong - Rhianna's attitude to getting old doesnt help her. She will hurt herself doing stupid things. Like jarring her arthritis using the oven door as a foothold to climb up onto the work surface to steal chicken (successfully). And the fact that she still tries to go at the same daft speed through the door but her co-ordination is a bit off so she will fall over. That she wants to follow me upstairs every time I go, even if I am just nipping for a wee! The fact that she still bashes Tabitha in the face with balls and sticks to make her play tug of war, even though her legs, neck and back get ruined by it. The fact that she still takes tennis balls to strangers to throw, as they dont know shes not allowed because of her joints.

Rhianna has asthma, that was what the cough was in the end. She takes steroids which help with the cough and so she can breathe. But these make her susceptible to pancreatitis (she very nearly died 4 months ago). So she has to have a special diet, and we try and keep the steroid dose as low as we possibly can. The steroids also mean she cant take some painkillers, and the ones that she can have although they make her happier, do mess with her co-ordination sometimes, which means that she can fall over more. The steroids also make her hungrier, so I now keep my bin on the side all the time, as she will happily knock it over and empty it even if I am standing right there, telling her not to. Because she knows that even if I am pretending to be cross that basically she can do whatever she wants as I will just clear it up, and nothing will happen to her.

We've been to the vet a lot recently, hes a really lovely chap, and he said to me the last time 'you do know that now it doesnt matter what is wrong with her, the treatment will always be the same. Make sure she is happy and not in pain.' It made me sad, but I do know.

Rhianna has lived with me for 9 years this month, and its been a rollercoaster of a nine years. No one will ever say that Rhianna is a good dog, because she 100% is not. She's very naughty, insanely demanding, a little bit grumpy, not affectionate and she doesnt care and never has. Rhianna only loves me - she cant see the point of anyone else, but she really loves me. She always has carried the neurosis of a dog who's been abandoned once too many times in her life. But shes a good heart (despite the advancing murmur) and is my absolute best friend in the world.

I hope I have lots of time left with her, because I dont know what I would do with out her. What ever that time is I will make that time the best it can be. I carry her up and down the stairs, and sometimes back from the park (luckily I do Olympic lifting in Crossfit, so I can still heave her about), I have orthopedic beds in the house, and a buggy so she can be pushed and Tabitha can still have her long walks. I have baby gates so she cant go upstairs when I am not there and possibly fall. I do whatever she tells me to do (which is a lot of things, shes very opinionated) and I hope I can keep her happy for as long as possible.

Here are some pics.
Rhianna.jpg
Rhianna2.jpg
Rhianna3.jpg
Rhianna4.jpg
Rhianna5.jpg
Rhianna6.jpg
Rhianna7.jpg
Rhianna8.jpg
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