The first few months of my life are a bit of a mystery to Master and I am not able to tell him exactly the details.

I began my life as a bomb disposal dog in the army.  I am not sure how old I was taken on or whether my mother was in the forces also.  My name originally was Max and I was with a handler.  The army checked me out later and found that my hips were not very sound and hence I was rejected from service.  My handler took me home as a pet but was later posted to Germany leaving me with the family in, I think, Colchester.  Being young and a bit mad I soon became too much for the family to keep, there being young children and also living in town.

Somehow I was taken to Animal Care at Swanton Abbot by someone.  Auntie Jane [Armiger] looked after me very well and I had a kennel of my own in a block of about six.  

In early January 1998 Master and Missus contacted Jane to see if she had any Springer spaniels.  Sam had been sent to the kennel in the sky in December 1997 and another dog was needed to make life bearable.  Jane had said she had me and would they like to come and see me.  They duly arrived and Jane said to them follow me and I will show you Max. Missus immediately looked at Master and grinned.  They took me for a walk along one of the country paths near the kennels and I scampered around and came when I was called.  Impressed them I think.  Must have done because they said they would like me.  Jane said that they ought to take me home for a day to see if the surroundings were OK with me.  Missus was going to Portugal for a week and so Master came over one Saturday and collected me and took me home. I sat on the passenger seat of the car and rested my head on his lap. In fact I crept so that I was nearly right on his lap.  I stayed the day and the house and garden were fine.  Master took me back that evening and it was decided that I would be collected the next Saturday and taken back to Sheringham for good. Missus came home later on that day and that was it  -  except for one thing.  They changed my name to Rex.  Similar enough to Max for me to understand.

On 9th February I went to the local vet’s surgery and had all the injections required to keep me healthy.  I soon found my way around the house and garden and Master and Missus very quickly let me know what the house rules were by correctly me firmly when I did something not in order. A name tag was made for my collar -   I had arrived.  

It is unfortunate that the army did not [would not] release details of myself.  There is therefore a doubt as to when I was actually born and my early history.  However it was decided that my first birthday should be 1st June 1998.  I think though it may have been in reality perhaps my second one.  WE shall never know!

Taken in 1999