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DocsDoctor

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  1. That's very cute :wub:

    None of mine have ever watched TV, but Doc my first greyhound was initially very puzzled by the sounds mine produced. There was a bird flu outbreak on I think, so lots of news footage with the sound of shut-in chickens in the background - he would wake up and try and peer round the back of the TV to find the birds each time! :lol:

  2. Thanks to genetics I think there's some variation in coat type, as with humans - some greyhounds will have finer softer hair growth than others.

    That said, I have owned two brindles - Doc my first greyhound was a red brindle, Tiger my current one is silver brindle, and Ken in between was solid black. All three ultimately grew nice soft, shiny coats which I put down to:

    • a daily fish oil capsule
    • a small tin of sardines with dinner twice a week (always very popular :chow)
    • daily grooming, first a brushing and then a 'polish' (i.e. light rub down) with an old silk scarf
  3. :f_whiteMy condolences on your sad loss. She had such a lovely life with you; all those beautiful countryside walks. And you were both blessed to have so many happy years together, even if they're not feeling enough right now.

     

    Run free dear Peggy, once more and forever young and swift and strong :gh_run2

  4. :lol: 

    Tiger is all in favour of lying down for a rest while we are out and about. To be fair, not while we are actually walking, just when we stop for a coffee, or get on a train. He believes in taking up the maximum amount of space available, too - as here, on a recent group walk he was supposed to be helping me lead!

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  5. Good idea about the plant sprayer and I may even try filling Tiger's shark toy with an icy as opposed to an empty bottle, as above!  I must say I'm not looking forward to tomorrow/ Tuesday here in London, when the heat is set to reach its peak. I had planned to visit an art exhibition with friends on Tuesday, but the gallery (which is top-lit by skylights) has announced that it is going to stay closed and we've also been advised to avoid travelling on public transport unless it's essential. Yesterday *did* feel very hot, but it's been cooling down at nights so walks in the early morning are still pleasant. And Tiger is canny about finding himself cool spots and just resting when it gets hot later on. I suspect Monday night is going to be everybody's biggest challenge, with the temperature set not to drop below the mid-20s.

  6. When Ken came to me with very grotty teeth I found  ProDen Plaque Off helpful. It's sprinkled onto food rather than added to water - the active ingredient is some kind of seaweed extract. After we'd finished the pot his teeth were clean enough for just daily tooth-brushing going forward.

    Tiger's teeth were also a bit grotty on arrival - we sorted that out with rawhide bones, which he still gets occasionally and regards as a great treat :chow

  7. Doc and Ken both came to me straight from the adoption kennels - I doubt they'd ever seen the inside of a house before. Yes that meant a bit more work for me but it was rather fun introducing them to such things as mirrors, stairs, and nice soft beds :). And also to a big wide world that included parks, streets, other breeds of dogs, squirrels and cats :omg and adventures on public transport :offwall.

    Doc was my first dog in adult life, so we were both learning as we went along. The thing that he found hardest was being left alone in the house, having always been with other dogs 24/7 and with humans around as well, much of the time. The trail of destruction tested me too, and it took him several months to work out that I did always come back again, and that meanwhile he could enjoy the normally inaccessible chaise longue!  While I had to learn to manage his high prey drive, and familiarise him with other kinds of dog - some good mixed-breed obedience classes helped with both those. The plus side was how closely we bonded - he came to me a big happy confident dog, had always been well-treated I think, but such a close and caring relationship was a new thing for us both. He became my heart dog :wub: and I became his - well, who knows? Something very special, anyway, I could see that in his eyes as he lay on his bed looking at me. 

    Ken on the other hand had had a harder time before he came to me - he came into the adoption kennels with raw and bleeding nail-beds which it took them, and then me, a long time to sort out -  initially thought to be a recurring infection, but ultimately discovered to be an immune system issue. Initially he was quite shut down, institutionalised even - fine to be left on home at his own, a bit fearful of the world outside the front door and even of people. I remember one of my friends commenting on how he cringed away from her at a doorway, as if expected to be shoved out of the way :(. But with time, care and love he blossomed into the sweetest-natured dog you could hope to find: quiet and gentle, happy to help me lead WI walks but happiest of all I think when he'd just nicked one of my abandoned slippers for the umpteenth time, and carefully placed that for me to discover on the living room rug :lol:. It still hurts that he had to leave me because of those health issues aged just eight.

    Tiger, my current dog, is the only one who had been in a home before - and that actually meant that he presented much more serious issues than the other two. He was a bounce, who'd started guarding his bed; his body language was hard to read and even as an experienced dog-owner I ended up getting bitten myself earlier on, more than once.  He is a much happier and more relaxed chap these days, loving towards myself and always friendly towards new people - but also still a tougher character than either Doc or Ken.

  8. Good luck! This happened to us in London, some years back; despite people's moans about high vet charges I think even then it was becoming hard to impossible for solo practices to cover running costs - business rates, professional insurance, equipment updates etc etc do not come cheap.  Judging by what happened to us the old owner will have been contracted as part of the deal to stay on for a while and provide a reassuringly familiar face (not that reassuring in your case, evidently!) but may well then move on to pastures new. Sensible to have a look around at your other local practices, in any case.

  9.  

     

    7 hours ago, HeyRunDog said:

    I don't know which country you are in but I'm in the UK. He was taken by the Greyhound Trust to the physio before I adopted him. I was told about his shoulder because I had to wait for a couple of weeks as they had to get him signed off fit for adoption. The racing kennels are next to the Greyhound Trust Hall Green site at Shenstone, Lichfield. I don't know who the physio is or any contact details but perhaps you could enquire at your nearest track if they know of someone near you?

    I think OP is in the UK too, as there is a reference to £s in the original post. Here in London I know of someone who specialises in greyhound physio, if that is any help? There are no tracks left in London, but she is a qualified vet physio who helps out at a greyhound rescue, and has her own retired greyhound.

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