greytpups

I'm so sorry. She had such a wonderful life with you during her last years.

Wow, Oct hasn't even ended and there's another pup gone today...this list is unbelievable. How terribly sad for everyone. I know how heartbreaking it is to have a pup on the "list".

i'm so sorry, how terribly sad this must be. Rest well sweetie.

Lindsay, all Chase will remember is her time with you, how much she was loved and cared for. You always put her needs first, and she had a wonderful life with you. I'm so sorry for your loss of Chase. Rest well sweet Chase, you will be missed but not forgotten.

She's very beautiful...soon you'll be asking why it took so long. Greys are an awesome breed for anyone who loves their gentle nature and soulful eyes that can melt your heart just by opening them.

Mary, I'm so sorry for your loss of Arlie. She is so beautiful, another sweet soul taken too soon. Jan

Here's hoping everything is ok

What are you using to teach stairs. They've never been an issue here, but I know some people use really yummy treats like hamburger, etc and it has helped.

aaawwwwwww, I didn't know poor Get Em was having surgery. for the Pirate for a quick recovery, B9B9B9 chants and for you Toni.

Hi and welcome! I'm so sorry for your recent losses. Doesn't matter how long they're with us, it's never long enough. Some things you might consider buying if you haven't already are some greyhound savvy books. A lot of people recommend Retired Racing Greyhounds - For Dummies (it's ok, jmho) and Patricia O'Connell's Other End of the Leash. There's also a book by Ryan Reed called Born to Run that may give you background info about their life before they retired. Also, a wonderful greyhound advocate who died suddently in February wrote the following and it may also be useful. This breed has never been asked to do anything for itself, make any decisions or answer any questions. It has been waited on, paw and tail. The only prohibition in a racing Greyhound's life is not to get into a fight----------------or eat certain stuff in the turn out pen. Let us review a little. From weaning until you go away for schooling, at probably a year and a half, you eat, grow and run around with your siblings. When you go away to begin your racing career, you get your own "apartment," in a large housing development. No one is allowed in your bed but you, and when you are in there, no one can touch you, without plenty of warning. Someone hears a vehicle drive up, or the kennel door being unlocked. The light switches are flipped on. The loud mouths in residence, and there always are some, begin to bark or howl. You are wide awake by the time the human opens your door to turn you out. A Greyhound has never been touched while he was asleep. You eat when you are fed, usually on a strict schedule. No one asks if you are hungry or what you want to eat. You are never told not to eat any food within your reach. No one ever touches your bowl while you are eating. You are not to be disturbed because it is important you clean your plate. You are not asked if you have to "go outside." You are placed in turn out pen and it isn't long before you get the idea of what you are supposed to do while you are out there. Unless you really get out of hand, you may chase, rough house and put your feet on everyone and everything else. The only humans you know are the "waiters" who feed you, and the "restroom attendants" who turn you out to go to the bathroom. Respect people? Surely you jest. No one comes into or goes out of your kennel without your knowledge. You are all seeing; all knowing. There are no surprises, day in and day out. The only thing it is ever hoped you will do is win, place or show, and that you don't have much control over. It is in your blood, it is in your heart, it is in your fate-- or it is not. And when it is not, then suddenly you are expected to be a civilized person in a fur coat. But people don't realize you may not even speak English. Some of you don't even know your names, because you didn't need to. You were not asked or told to do anything as an individual; you were always part of the "condo association?; the sorority or fraternity and everyone did everything together, as a group or pack. The only time you did anything as an individual is when you schooled or raced, and even then, You Were Not Alone. Suddenly, he is expected to behave himself in places he's never been taught how to act. He is expected to take responsibility for saying when he needs to go outside, to come when he is called, not to get on some or all of the furniture, and to not eat food off counters and tables. He is dropped in a world that is not his, and totally without warning, at that. Almost everything he does is wrong. Suddenly he is a minority. Now he is just a pet. He is unemployed, in a place where people expect him to know the rules and the schedule, even when there aren't any. (How many times have you heard someone say, He won't tell "me when he has to go out. What kind of schedule is that?) Have you heard the joke about the dog who says "My name is No-No Bad " Dog. What's yours? To me that is not even funny. All the "protective barriers are gone. There is no more warning before something happens. There is no more strength in numbers. He wakes up with a monster human face two inches from his. (With some people's breath, this could scare Godzilla.) Why should he not, believe that this someone for lunch? (I really do have to ask you ladies to consider how you would react if someone you barely knew crawled up on you while you were asleep?) No, I will not ask for any male input. Now he is left alone, for the first time in his life, in a strange place, with no idea of what will happen or how long it will be before someone comes to him again. If he is not crated, he may go through walls, windows or over fences, desperately seeking something familiar, something with which to reconnect his life. If he does get free, he will find the familiarity, within himself: the adrenaline high, the wind in his ears, the blood pulsing and racing though his heart once again--until he crashes into a car. Often, the first contact with his new family is punishment, something he's never had before, something he doesn't understand now, especially in the middle of the rest of the chaos. And worst of all, what are the most common human reactions to misbehavior? We live in a violent society, where the answer to any irritation is a slap, punch, kick, whip, or rub your nose in it. Under these circumstances, sometimes I think any successful adoption is a miracle. He is, in effect, expected to have all the manners of at least a six-year old child. But, how many of you would leave an unfamiliar six-year old human alone and loose in your home for hours at a time and not expect to find who knows what when you got back? Consider that if you did, you could be brought up on charges of child abuse, neglect and endangerment. Yet, people do this to Greyhounds and this is often the reason for so many returns. How many dogs have been returned because they did not know how to tell the adopter when they had to go out? How many for jumping on people, getting on furniture, counter surfing, separation anxiety, or defensive actions due to being startled or hurt (aka growling or biting)? So, let's understand: Sometimes it is the dog's fault" he cannot fit in. He is not equipped "with the social skills of a six-year old human. But you can help him.

I agree, growling is a form of communication and although our pups rarely growl, when one does the other one usually deserves it. I let them work it out, but it never comes close to escalating. If Brooke growls at another dog, I remove her from the situation because something is upsetting her. We may need to step back a few steps or I may need to stand in between them. Again this is very rare, but usually there's a reason for it. Brooke growled at me once when I took something out of her mouth. That was the only time. A quiet but sharp no did the trick. Sometimes I will take something she's eating away to examine it but always give it back if it's safe or leave it if it's rabbit poop They both are extremely good at letting me do that.

Hoping everything is ok and the pain meds don't mask anything. that's what I always worry about. I'm sure she'll be fine. Hang in there.

Mary Pat, even though you miss your bridge babies, they will always be in your heart bringing wonderful memories. Gone but never forgotten and always loved.

She obvioulsy had a wonderful life with you. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Judy, Mike and Kevin, my heart goes out to all of you. I am so so sorry it was time for Gee. Rest well sweet Gee.

My heart sank...Judy, Mike and Kevin, I am so sorry. My thoughts are with you at this very sad time.

I'm so sorry. Dube was was in a million and will be missed. Thank you for sharing him with us. Good Bye sweet Dude.

and sending positive vibes for a quick recovery

what a beautiful tribute...I'm so sorry for your loss.

Wonderful news Hoping pinky425's pups is ok too.

Ben's not a big cuddler, but he loves to rub his face on us and get rubbed by us. I think it just plain feels good.

Glad she's feeling better today.

I am so sorry you received this bad news. I truly hope one day soon, cancer will just be another word rather than a sentence.

Sometimes when I post in remembrance I wish I could think of more comforting words because I, like others, have felt pain that seems overwhelming and leaves you barely able to function. I really truly am saddened by each and every post in remembrance and have shed so many tears for those who have left us. Steve Jobs once asked if you were living each day as if it were your last, because some day it will be. My sincere condolences to all of the families...I'm so sorry it was your grey's "last" day. And for those of us who've lost a grey to cancer, my greatest hope is cancer will eventually become a word rather than a sentence.