racindog

I am so sorry that Ernie had to go to the bridge. My heart is breaking for you. Perhaps he will send you a sign. He is healthy and pain free now- free and running, zooming, like the wind. Cancer is so limited It cannot cripple love It cannot shatter hope It cannot corrode faith It cannot destroy peace It cannot kill friendship It cannot suppress memories It cannot silence courage It cannot invade the soul It cannot steal eternal life It cannot conquer the spirit. -Anonymous

Dogs can be "funny" when in their crates. Always be on guard with them in their crates. Its just a dog thing. As long as there are no issues the best thing would be to simply ignore it. Its kind of like biting and barking etc-its just something some dogs do. In fact some will get aggressive-thats why I said be on guard with dogs around their crates. Working dogs can be positively violent about it(called kennel guard) but it is no problem and no issue-just something they sometimes do. It is a molehill so don't make a mountain out of it

Slim, another year has slipped by- that makes 15 years total! since your earth suit died and you went into spirit mode. And thats fine. One of the major things you have taught me is that you (and other bridge angels) actually have MORE power from the other side than you did when you were here in your earth suit. Still I think of you always-several times a day. It is impossible not to... *I see ChiChi's pictures, *or MWD Gabe's pictures - and I am reminded of the above lesson YOU taught me because they are achieving far more and spreading far more love now as spirit dogs than they ever were able to do when they were here. *I see one of the many signs that you send me that often have special messages embedded in them. I need that! Thank you so much Slim. Keep 'em coming! *I am keenly aware of your presence and can feel you watching and helping me as I team with other dogs-other very 'serious' working dogs- do serve our fellow man as you did. You know that I still don't know your whole story---I think that someday at the right and perfect time you will tell me. But perhaps not-there has always been a little bit of mystery with you and that's OK to. You did tell me that your name had been Ruthless and knowing your personality and character that tells me a lot and explains a lot. *I know-and can feel- you are protecting us just as you did before. *I have even encouraged a working dog: 'You got to do this. Don't worry Slim will help you. Ask Slim and he'll help you. Slim is a real deal warrior dog." As I said you are ALWAYS with me still. Never one day when you were here in body did we ever spend apart-nor will we ever now. *You are even now-even among police dogs- alfa. However, as before, it is no source of conflict because your true and good motive is abundantly obvious. You are a born leader and that is on full display. * I can't help but notice some of your working dog traits in my maligators K9 REBA & K9 Turbo. Turbo likes to lay in the big bedroom on the foot of the bed beside the window like you did. I told him how that was one of your favorite spots because you could keep watch there but he already knew. He is fiercely protective as you are as well. In fact you two are a lot alike and neither of you two would ever be out of the fight. He is like you quick to get angry and when faced with conflict will escalate-NOT de-escalate with an innate drive to guard and hunt and bite......all very valuable protection dog traits that are carefully and genetically selected for. Its why dogs like you don't really make it in the pet world but rather answer to a different calling. Which I just realized again that YOU PICKED ME Slim. Thank God you picked me. Another of your lessons you taught me: that dogs pick the people-not vice versa. Amazing how that all works out so perfectly! I & K9 Reba & Turbo work trying to find evidence to put bad people away where they can't hurt others-we are all sheepdogs like you. What a pack we have! And as I sit here just thinking on all this it still hurts so that you had to leave BUT what I just now am realizing is that you never really did. THAT is the reason I still think about you all the time-not everyday or every week or every now and then, but all the time. I think about you all the time because you really have never left!!! You are a part of me the same as my heart or lungs or mind or anything else. Your presence is unmistakable. I will never forget how with one little curl of the lip you could completely disarm and disable malevolent intent. Or how you would back that up violently if needed like the time a bad guy tried to break into our home while I was at work. You had even cut up your mouth trying to get to the would be burglar-there was blood and damage and clearly violence. The other greyhound was so terrified he had evacuated his bowels as he ran to the bedroom which is where I found him hiding. But you didn't run. You went on the offensive and drove off the bad guy- they did not gain entry thanks to you. You are inside my heart. Our souls are in fact together. Hence even after another 15 years we will still be together and I will be thinking of you always. And that is sooooo comforting to know. I will NEVER lose you. You know when we first came together it was so obvious that you were a great gift. But I had no idea. Here it is 15 years later and I am still leaning on you, trusting you, being taught things by you, and being loved and helped and protected by you on a real time basis-as are all the new dogs that have entered the family. I no longer have any concern or fear about 'losing' you or your memories! Now I KNOW that we will indeed ALWAYS still be together and even more you will remain our pack leader blessing the new dogs that follow. Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God every time I remember you."

Very nice! Greyt pics!

Greyhounds are so smart! They may fool you sometimes with unimportant things(like getting their treat out of the water bowl it dropped in) but when it comes to the important stuff like texting and like getting what they want on demand-they are genius

If you are in Ontario you are in the perfect place! In the U.S. many of us that need the type of food you describe import it down here from Canada! It is very good food, high calorie, and dogs love it. It is safe as it is NOT one of the grain free varieties that have been linked to heart trouble. And it is very reasonably priced. It is used mostly by professional canine owners and trainers that have hard working dogs that need the best in nutrition and energy and maintaining weight etc. Check it out-here is the link: https://www.inukshukpro.com/

My deepest sympathy.

I am sorry that happened and stressed you like that. If you continue with dogs in your life you will get used to it. You should not feel any guilt whatsoever. It is sad the little dogs owner didn't think enough of him to keep him safe but there sadly are a lot of owners out there who just don't care enough about their dog to keep it restrained and safe. Most likely it gets no vet attention either which makes it a health threat to the healthy dogs in the neighborhood. Nor is it surprising there was no info on the microchip. I was an Animal Control Officer in a large city-Louisville, KY- and I can tell you there is nothing for you to worry about. He came into your yard-end of story. And no, you cannot train out prey drive. Prey drive is a good thing. It is genetics. Your guy just did what dogs do-thats how they stayed alive and obtained food. And just so you can be prepared for other possibilities a muzzle will NOT protect 'prey' no matter what it is. Greyhounds know to MASH the prey to kill it when muzzled since they can't bite/grab it. They will catch it and then mash it into the ground until it is dead so a muzzle won't protect you from seeing the kill. It is still thankfully pretty quick also. Now if you can catch up to the dog as soon as he makes contact you might be able to pull him back off and the prey escape before it gets mashed but that is a definite longshot. Just put it behind you and don't worry about it. You had, and have, no control over such acts of nature. Dogs are dogs and prey is prey and nature is nature. If you continue to have dogs-especially dogs like greyhounds with good prey drive- then most likely this won't be the last time something like this happens. In fact you should be watchful your guy doesn't bite off more than he can chew as sometimes the prey can hurt and kill the dog. For e.g. racoons are extremely dangerous, have been known to kill even greyhound sized dogs, and often carry distemper. Possums carry lepto so you wouldn't want them to get a hold of them either.

Aiden is a lucky dog! Homemade treats! Quite a delicacy Generally speaking nobody (not even me) gets anything homemade at our house. All store bought stuff. The only saving grace is that they are raw fed and my processed food is so UNappetizing I don't eat enough of it to get fat hehe.

Wow. Amazing. Thanks for posting!

I'd get a second opinion but thats just me based on my experience. I presented my greyhound to an evet one day drop dead lame and in significant pain on his right rear. Evet did NOT even do an exam or take xray or anything but told me "I watched you bring him in and it is his knee. I will need to refer you to an orthopedist." It was obvious to me there was something far more sinister than a bad knee with the pain level he was enduring etc so I begged the orthopedist to see him early and thankfully he was a caring vet and did! When I presented the dog to him it took him all of a minute to do a quick exam in the waiting room and tell me that there was nothing the wrong with his knee, but he would find out what the problem was. Less than 10 minutes later he rushed into the waiting room and told me HIS LEG WAS BROKEN!!!!! I shudder to think what could have happened if I would have trusted that 1st vet and let him have a broken leg untreated for the weeks required before being able to see the specialist. I was further advised that it is extremely rare for a greyhound to have knee issues because of their excellent muscling etc. and the evet should have known that. So I have learned ( through even sadder experience as well) to NEVER trust a vet-especially just one. People get 2nd opinions for a reason to and I figure my dogs deserve the same consideration-especially in view of some of the horrid experiences I have had with vets.

What a wonderful-and powerful- picture!!!! "For love is as strong as death.... Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised." -Song of Solomon 8:6-7 "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller

Give him some scritches and love from us after he gets home and gets settled. .

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR CELEBRATING ROCKETS SPOIL YOUR HOUND FRENCH FRY DAY! It was so much fun and so nice to enjoy a little extra hound spoiling and to remember our bridge angel french fry lovers who have crossed. GTalkers are the greatest. Thanks again and love to all the houndies and their peeps PS- God willing we'll meet here again next year

It's ALWAYS a good time for french fries!

Mario thanks for joining the international spoil your hound french fry day extravaganza! OhCanada French Fries sound YUMMY!

Rocket I lOVE LOVE LOVE that picture of you mesmerized by that french fry! Thats a million dollar picture

I love it to! I love everything about it. Rocket picked a hit when he selected french fries as the spoil your hound delicacy of choice!

Look at his mouth watering when he sees them! Greyt video and pictures!!!!!

SPOIL YOUR HOUND ON FRENCH FRY DAY IN HONOR OF ROCKET IS HERE!!!!!!!TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!!!!!!! I will be going to the store on the way home and getting Octane, and honorary houndies (though not by blood) K9 REBA & Turbo, a more than sufficient quantity for a french fry feast . Love and kisses to all the french fry eating happy houndies!

Tomorrow is the BIG Day!