Clover

I first met Clover when she was 1 yr old. A black Labrador. She used to be a gundog but was rejected by the owner because she was too frightened of the sound of the guns. The owner beat her up really badly. She has 6 scars on her head and a big scar on her nose which was caused by a cigarette burn. She has never got on on well with men. She was frozen with fear when we took her to the butcher's shop and doesn't like smell of meat. It must be bad memories. After we brought her home, Clover's howls woke Mum up every night. The nightmares didn't fade for a while.

We stayed at Cliffe, North Yorkshire for 1 week. Her trainer was Lisa who taught her to obey the alarms, doorbell, etc. She was the cleverest dog there at the time, probably because she was always hungry and wanted the treats!!. She touched my lap with her paws and let me know and showed me where to go. Her claws always left lots of bruises on my legs as she was so enthusiastic!!. I had to use a cushion as protection!! She responded well to everything except the doorbell, she would just bark and race round; too excited at the thought of a visitor!.

Clover has often made us laugh, especially when she steals raw carrots from the veg. box and takes mugs and cutlery down the garden. She once dragged a whole chicken down the garden.

Last year, men came to install our new bathroom and left the door open while they smoked outside. Clover saw her first big adventure and wandered around in the street. Our neighbours saw her stood in the middle of the road!!. Luckily, she came to her senses and walked back home! Phew! We were horrified when we found out from our neighbour. We were totally unaware of it.

She has enjoyed her retirement since last year. Aged 13 now. Still limps a bit because of arthritis but is still guarding the garden every night. Watching out for the cat and fox. We adore her and can't imagine life without her. Everyone loves her, she is such a funny, gentle dog... Oh and she has she even got confident around men!

From Jane Porter