K27 Whisper, Darling Shar-Pei, in need of TLC

[Baglady]

Shhhhhhh, please keep the noise down folks, we'd like to introduce you to Whisper.



She is a little fragile at the moment. Ever since she was brought in by a member of the public who said she found her, Whisper has been afraid of her own shadow. She is spooked by anything that moves, and she was so petrified when her finder left, the staff couldn't get near her. Staff member Becky has spent almost two days solid, sat in Whisper's kennel, trying to soothe her, to help her understand that no-one is going to hurt her... and today she came out for the first time....

Auntie Shelley took Whisper outside to explore her new surroundings, and to take some pics for her rehoming profile.



Whisper's skin is in a shocking state, she must be so sore....



Shar-pei's, although short coated, are not low maintenance dogs. Their skin and fur needs constant attention and regular bathing is a must. If anyone is considering adopting a shar-pei, it's worth doing a bit of breed research first. They are expensive to insure, and due to generally poor breeding from a very limited gene pool, many shar-pei's suffer from a number of inherent health problems.

But that's not to say that Shar pei's in general, and Whisper in particular, are not the most amazing, loyal, affectionate and rather beautiful pets!



After spending the day in the office with staff and volunteers, we began to see Whisper drop her guard a little. Curiosity and a penchant for mini muffins (thank you Aunty Jo) helped Whisper overcome her fears....

Whatcha got there Aunty Sooz?




Cakes for kisses! Fair exchange is no robbery....



Whisper is soooooo gentle, we're sure she has teeth, but there was not a hint of them near our skin. She took the most exquisite care to ensure no fingers were harmed!



Shar-pei's sometimes have an unfortunate and undeserved reputation for being a bit 'particular' around other dogs, but she and Bas hit it off immediately. 


And after an exhausting 'first day out' of her kennel, the staff decided to appoint Whisper 'office dog', and she was last seen relaxing on her blankie, with her toys, and a tummy full of muffins...



Whisper is available for rehoming from 14th October, and if you'd like more information, or would like to meet her, please phone the Dogs' Home: 029 2071 1243 or visit Cardiff Dogs' Home, Westpoint Industrial Estate, Penarth Road, open 7 days a week, 10.30 - 4pm.

For more information about the rehoming process at Cardiff Dogs Home, please click here

[belle]

Poor girl Thank goodness she obviously has the most lovely nature, and I hope she won't be too long in kennels. xx

[Sian A]

Gorgeous little Whisper has come such a long way since she first arrived at CDH. I'd spotted her a few times in the office and was very happy to see she was finally on the walker list yesterday morning. The staff warned us that she might be very nervous around new people, which is completely understandable, and to just go slow with her. Luckily Whisper seemed comfortable enough when she first came out of the kennels, though she did try to head back a few times as we made our way down the lane. With a little encouragement (though she wasn't quite confident enough to go down the overgrown lane) we managed to get her out onto the estate and stopped for some pictures and to let her get more comfortable with us. She wasn't overly keen on being fussed at first but when I knelt down to take photos, Whisper took it upon herself to give me a good face wash. She was incredibly gentle and as much as I could've happily sat there with her the entire day, Whisper needed to stretch her legs. We weren't sure how she'd handle the traffic and while, for the most part, she was okay, the louder trucks did startle her a little. We went a different route than usual, down to the Ely picnic trail, so we wouldn't be as far from the Home if Whisper felt nervous. She trotted along happily between or just behind us, not quite sure enough to lead the way but still happy to explore a little.

At the bridge we encountered an off-lead husky with no owners in immediate sight. I tried to send him away but he seemed far too eager to say hello to Whisper and trotted towards us. Whisper reacted calmly while he had a quick sniff and behaved wonderfully, though the same can't be said for the husky. When his owners appeared we asked them to call him off but he ignored them, and even gave them a little growl when they grabbed his harness to pull him away. Thankfully the husky was dog-friendly, though it winds me up when people have off-lead dogs who don't respond to their owners

After that excitement we stopped further on for a rest and some water. The staff said Whisper wasn't allowed treats at the moment, so we couldn't test her sit/paw skills or her treat taking, but based on her behaviour during the walk I doubt she'd be anything but gentle. We made sure to talk to her often and give her encouragment, but Whisper seems to be growing in confidence by the minute. She was very eager to get back to the Home when we turned around and picked up her pace considerably, but she was still very patient at the crossings and stopped every now and then to get a quick pat or fuss. We were greeted by a few staff on our return and Whisper's tail was working overtime. It's wonderful testament to the care the each dog is given at the Home, seeing how much the dogs love the staff.

Whisper is a beautiful little lady with impeccable behaviour and such a gentle nature, despite all that she's been through. She's coming along so well, both physically and mentally, and will make the perfect addition for the right family. Hopefully she won't be waiting too long.

[Sian A]

We couldn't resist taking gorgeous little Whisper out again this morning. She's coming along so well and, though still needing a little reassurance around the noisier traffic, is showing so much more confidence away from the Home. She was sporting a very fancy little coat for our walk - courtesy of the staff so she wouldn't be too cold - and drew a lot of admiring glances from passing walkers and motorists as we wandered slowly down to Grangemoor Park. Away from the main road Whisper picked up her pace a little, obviously happier to have some peace and quiet. When stopped for some water and a cwtch Whisper didn't seem as sure about joining us on the bench, so I sat on the floor to keep her company and she instantly clambered onto my lap for a cuddle. She's so incredibly gentle and sweet, and quickly set about giving me soft little kisses.

After a nice long cwtch we carried on and encountered a family of joggers, complete with off-lead but fairly well-trained dog. He came over for a quick hello but was called away when we asked, and Whisper showed no concern or even much interest in her four-legged friend. Instead she seemed more interested in getting attention from people - though not from cyclists! Anything with wheels is still a little unnerving for poor Whisper at the moment. On our way back we passed a few more vocal dogs from the Home but once again Whisper didn't seem all that fussed. Not even by the stray swan who'd decided that the lane was a perfect place to have a rest, and the poor dog warden who was trying to wrangle it so the queue of waiting walkers could get past!

Back at the Home the staff told us that Whisper has a place waiting for her at a Shar-Pei rescue, where she'll get all the love and specialist care she deserves while waiting for her forever family to find her. I'll definitely miss this wonderful little lady. Her future family are very lucky indeed!

[Baglady]

Whisper got all the TLC she needed whilst in the care of CDH! We are especially grateful to Claire, of RAW PET SUPPLIES for sponsoring Whispers diet, which helped Whisper's fur growth and general welbeing enormously.

The staff felt it was in Whisper's best interests to start her new life outside of Wales, and she has been taken in by a fabulous shar-pei rescue in England.

She left CDH with staff member Rob yesterday, and we are looking forward to getting news and updates as she settles into her environment.

Good luck little lady, it was an absolutely pleasure knowing you