All about Caesar

Caesar in his Lord of All I Survey stance.

Love for a dog is not usually a long drawn out process. The human looks at the dog, the dog looks at the human and instantaneously...we connect.

That is how I fell in love with Caesar.

I drove 129 miles to 'view' this boy, when I met him he had just recovered from a nasty operation on his leg and had spent quite some time in his cage to prevent any further issues with what was a truly nasty scar. He was , by all accounts an adorable puppy, pictured here with his litter brother

he had a life ahead of him that was filled with challenge and disaster as he became severely injured. The Vets performed an operation on his leg which left a huge scar, but before he could learn to walk on it again, he would spend weeks in a cage for his own protection which has, to this day, left its mark on him. 

You cannot cage him at all, he is completely unable to be handled if you try to give him a respite of any kind, such as travelling or space away from Jake by introducing him to the safety and quiet of a cage....he will rebel. The day I sold the cage on , was one of total relief for him. He could see the cage leaving the house and from that moment I had a very different dog to contend with. Prior to the cage being removed, it had 'lived' in the large hallway, he passed it every time he moved from one room to the others and would skirt the cage with a wary eye, almost as if he expected me to gaol him. Here is an image of him in his cage before I brought him into my life. Once the cage was gone (inside the first week) he was also the subject of local gossip. Thanks to a friend who was unafraid of controversies, I was told questions were being asked. Was he a Pit Bull ? was he a half breed? the very fact the local policeman made it his business (after not saying more than Bore Dah to me for three years) to say hello to the dog, to walk up to him and pet him, had my defence buttons all well and truly pressed. I had made an appointment for Caesar to see the Vet for a health check, now it was time to up the need and I made a phone call and explained my fears. I was told to bring him into the vet immediately.

Thank gods for a decent Rural Vets. No hysteria, no apprehensions, no  judgements were passed, Caesar walked into the room, genuinely apprehensive but was such a sweety with the vets nurse that she called in her superior to note his wonderful desire to be loving and well behaved. He stood calmly and allowed the usual uncomfortable procedures of a full check over. To keep him safe from Defra Determinations, to make sure he could never be accused of being anything other than his own truth, the Vet was unusually thorough. 




He decided that Caesar was a Full Staffordshire Terrier and recommended he was castrated to ensure he remained calmer than his natural nature intended. That he was prevented from suffering a variety of ailments common to the uncastrated dog. He also decided to remove some of his eyelashes which had ingrown and would investigate his various marks and the scar, and give him a top up to all his injections worm him and treat him for anything else that was needed.

Caesar had no pigment in his skin, the needs of repair in his recovering body were not met by a normal diet and he was given a large variety of many different food types and put on an 'eat when you want to' regime. His colour finally faded from bright Barbie Pink to a more natural colouring, his fur grew thicker, he developed the traditional black markings under his coat, he grew muscle and his skeleton strengthened. He wore the Cone of Shame for two weeks...but at the end of it, we had a very healthy, safe and secure and very excited Caesar. 

He was ready...to see the Sea, meet the Forest and generally investigate his new home. 

One strange occurrence took place. Whenever I took a photograph of Caesar, it looked as if a beam of light followed him everywhere. It shone on him in forests, at the beach, even on occasion in the home. This image is probably the clearest and those who would say its sunlight through the trees overhead...no, it wasn't ...I checked.

It was a very clear white light. I have lots of images to show but this one, is my best. 

He learnt to be free of his training harness on occasions, but the harness was an advertisement that he was 'training' and it did ensure that people approaching gave him enough room, understood the excitable dog howling to come over and meet them, had issues.

He remains at present, unable to meet other dogs without having problems in being the friendly playmate. He still needs to dominate other dogs to ensure his Pack Leader status and that is a difficulty I am addressing with him, but in the main, he is friendly, approachable. If you gave him a treat he would be your slave for weeks.

If you gave him attention, he would flirt with you forever. If you give him a toy he is convinced you are the canine equivalent of Father Christmas!

If your a child then you are safe, you are protected. He loathes adults shouting at children and during training I raised my hands as if to slap my grand daughter...he leaped to her defence immediately, mouthing my arm and pulling it down. He received a lot of praise for that. Instilling in him he had made the right decision, because he also has had training in defending me, his Pack Leader. He had to decide if he served me, or defended what was, to him, a vulnerable member of the family...he made the right choice. Good Lad Caesar.

Now he is a very different dog from those first few months. It took months before he felt safe, before he would sleep in perfect peace, totally relaxed, but he did get there eventually.

It took a year for his weight to balance, castration causes a fat dog if your not careful. He is sturdy, not fat I can still feel his ribs under his coat, but he has a fine set of muscles, and a strong skeleton.

He isn't too happy with cold, and will snuggle under a duvet as fast as any human.

he loves silk and velvet and fur rather more than cotton and wool...so he has taste. He is a happy lad, bouncy, beautiful , my friend. Caesar.

He has had lots of adventures of his own, caused or created by him being exactly what he was meant to be as a dog. he discovered a Deer, or the Deer discovered him, either way he ended up with Musk all over his back, sprayed their by a very determined beast.

It stained his skin and coat for months, no amount of shampooing would sort him out...but he smelled divine, he relaly did.

His love of the sea became part of his actual personality, he will dive into waves, over and under, totally fearless. he actually taught Jake to face his own fears and become fond of a paddle too. Jake was naturally inhibited, had , just like Caesar, never been anywhere near the sea before.

Slowly, Caesar would 'play' with Jake, and then run into the sea, barking encouragement. it took about five or six visits, but eventually Jake too began to love a paddle. He won't dive in like Caesar but he does like that splish splash moment.

Ceasar loves to snuffle,

to meander, 

to investigate, he gets very excited with forests and deep drifts of leaves,

he is at this time of his life, now 3 years old and very strong, very healthy and very active...a happy lad. This final image is of Caesar now , 2015, three and a bit years old, happy, healthy and fearless. He is my best friend alongside Jake. He is quite literally, my little lad.