HeyRunDog

I forgot to add that the costs are the basic minimum. To keep costs down I buy food and treats in bulk, four 15kg sacks of kibble at a time from the Greyhound Trust, gravy bones (Pedigree Biscrok) in a 10kg box, dental chews in a box of 100+ when on offer and I buy biodegradable poo bags 1000 at a time. My entrance hall looks like the local pet shops storage room . After the initial outlay for one off purchases I estimate it costs me £1000 per year per dog, and I've got two.

It depends on what you are training him for. If you just want him as a family pet then his speed and endurance don't really matter and as he's looking like a healthy handsome lad you can't be doing to much wrong. If you intend racing him then why not see if your local racing kennels can give you some advice on training as most of the greyhound owners on here only have experience with retired greyhounds.

Greyhounds have as many different personalities as people do as you probably realise looking through these forums so there should be one to suit you as long as you are honest with the adoption agencies and are prepared to wait. Dogs are returned for many reasons perhaps like my Guinness they turn out not to be cat safe but otherwise is a lovely bomb proof dog. Also consider the costs involved. Are you going to take it on holiday with you or put it in kennels/get it looked after by friends or relatives? And to give you an idea of the basic ongoing monthly costs of owning a greyhound in the UK. Food £20+, insurance £30 to £40+ depending on the age of the hound, vet plan to include annual vaccinations, worm and flea treatments and a 3 monthly check-up £18. Plus the cost of collars, leads, crate, bedding, toys, raised food and water bowls etc. Non of us here are trying to put you off and we would love to welcome another greyhound owner to our world and yes I believe you would be able to give a greyhound a loving home. Just be prepared to welcome an adolescent into your life who needs a bit of guidance.

Guinness has stud tail but interestingly the vet said as he's been castrated a couple of months ago it should improve. Wiping with a soft cloth has helped too. Grace also has hair missing from a similar area of her tail but according to the vet that could be where she folds it under herself when laying down and the stiff hairs are getting broken. Spraying with a de-tangle spray used by dog groomers helps by softening the hairs although Grace gives me some funny looks when I creep up behind her and spray her

If he's not stressed and has a bed and can't come to any harm then it's not really a problem. My latest adoptee, Guinness, has been known to whine and whimper after I have left him and Grace to run errands but soon stops. It's as if he's just checking I have really gone. If you are worried or want to see what he's doing why not get a cheap webcam so you can check on him when you are away?

He's acting as an early warning system. If he gets up and moves away it's time you opened the windows

Guinness when meeting other dogs especially for the first time will bark and bounce around on the end of his lead but with his tail wagging and after a couple of minutes he calms down. If we see the same dog again he greets them with lessening enthusiasm until on subsequent meetings he ignores them. It's as if he's inviting them to play and when he learns he's not allowed to he doesn't bother. The usual advice is only let greyhounds off their lead in a secure area as their recall isn't the greatest verging on non existent if they get distracted. Only let them play with other muzzled greyhounds as they can play rough and have been known to gang up on other breeds. Be careful if there are squirrels or rabbits in the secure area. Grace has lost a claw chasing a rabbit which hasn't grown back and before I adopted Guinness he chased a squirrel up a tree and badly ripped apart his shoulder muscle needing several months of physio and medication.

Guinness is a bright lad and is almost becoming quite the gentleman. He lets Grace go through doorways first before pushing past her to stand in the way at the next one. He leaps into the car first to check there is no danger lurking in a dark recess but then stands in the way so Grace has difficulty getting in. He won't try and push Grace off their favourite bed under the window but as soon as she shows signs of moving he's there. Grace gives him a look and with a shrug of her shoulders she climbs onto the sofa.

Good news. Guinness only needed to be advised just the once not to help himself to Grace's food when she's eating it although he does a clearing up check once she's left the area Guinness is starting to learn that he doesn't have to compete for food and treats. Both dogs watch me as I get the food ready. I put Grace's down first saying her name and Guinness has learned that his is about to follow, and now 9 times out of 10 he won't make a dive for hers but wait for me to say his name as I give him his. He's also learning that when I give treats out Grace gets one first quickly followed by one for him and he doesn't have to try and get in there first.

I use it on Graces corns and she licks it off with no detrimental effects. Grace doesn't like her feet being touched either especially when laying down but will put up it when she's stood up. I also put a baby sock on her foot after applying Burt's Bees and then a boot. The sock also makes it easier to slip her foot into the boot.

Rocket rocks the look, Mark's thinking "not again" and LaVida can't believe that you would put yellow with her colouring.

Guinness is starting to really settle in. Roaching, zoomies and eyeing up the sofa although he hasn't yet tried to get on it...that's Graces privilege. But yesterday he blotted his copy book by deciding to help Grace to empty her food bowl The two of them have been eating side by side ever since Guinness arrived and until now he has never shown any interest in Grace's food while she's been eating. Luckily for Grace I was there to "suggest" to Guinness that inhaling Grace's food was not gentlemanly conduct, especially while she still had her head in the bowl You've got to love a tryer

And the leads are the same colours as the collars so I know which one has tied my legs together

Grace and Guinness are like an old married couple. They respect each other's space, sleep in separate beds but will travel next to each other in the back of the car are happy to do things together like sniffing the same tuft of grass at the same time. Not that I mean old married couples sniff grass Guinness has fitted in with Grace and I extremely well. No sleep aggression, no separation anxiety and he isn't a valcro dog but will come up to me, or anyone else for that matter, for the obligatory ear rub etc before returning to his crate for another nap and is house trained. He's starting to learn that not all treats are for him and that Grace gets her food bowl put down first. He's also making good progress in learning that wanting to greet another dog in a friendly way doesn't mean lunging at them and barking whilst wagging your tail and that putting your front feet on visitors shoulders is not good manners

This morning (18th March) Grace, Guinness and I took a trip down to Hall Green Greyhound Trust kennels and, after signing various forms and handing over the required donation, I officially adopted Guinness.

Well done Buddy. An excellent choice for a holiday and for being generous enough to take your humans with you

It could be as you and 1Moregrey say he's starting to test the boundaries but also make sure he hasn't got a niggling injury. Run your hands all over him with firm pressure and see if he flinches even slightly. Greyhounds are notoriously stoic. Also a lot of dogs don't like being loomed over from the front so approach him from the side when putting his collar on, kissing his head etc. Usually with a greyhound a stern NO and making him get off the sofa is sufficient but also remember to praise him when he gets on his bed. You don't want him to think of his bed as the naughty corner.

It might be another corn on one of the other pads. They don't always show up to start with. Try gently brushing his pads with a damp toothbrush and the corn will show up as a small dark dot.

The Lamb Chop makes her nose look big

Respect. I've only just learned greyhound two lead macramé

I don't think she's depressed but anxious and possibly what is known as a spook. Others on here will know more about that than me. She probably got frightened to her wits end when she ran off and it will take a lot of time to bring her confidence back up. Don't force her to do anything and walk both dogs together on leads so she can get comfort from her sister and being attached to you. I know it's great to see greyhounds enjoy running free but a brisk walk on a lead a couple of times a day won't be detrimental. My Grace is an anxious dog and she wasn't let off the lead for the first 2.5 years and then she's only let off in a secure field with no other dogs around. I've had her for nearly 4 years and she's still spooked by noisy children and the sound of a football being kicked.

I know, I watched it A greyhound won the first Best in Show in 1928 so fingers crossed for a repeat this year. Anyone else playing spot the greyhound?

I have had the same experience with Grace but as I had a box full I stopped for a week and then slowly reintroduced the dental chew. I gave her half a one every other day and steadily increasing the frequency and amount until now she can have a whole one every day without any detrimental effect. It's learning the hard way to introduce diet changes gradually and one at a time to give their digestive systems a chance to adapt.

Wednesday's update. Guinness and Grace aren't interacting with each other...yet, but both will travel together in the car with no bickering and last night they both slept within 6 feet of each other. The green frog in the second photo is just one of a pair. Grace has two for some reason but she doesn't play with any toys apart from when they are new and then only for a couple of hours so I gave Guinness one together with a red dinosaur stuffie. He started to squeak it while laying in his crate. Grace looked up with interest so I gave her the other one. Later on Guinness came out of his crate saw the second frog laying on Graces bed, went back to his crate and reappeared with the red dinosaur, put it on Grace's bed and took the frog back to his crate. As I haven't officially adopted him yet and he's on a foster agreement the number 17 tags on his collar is because he is dog number 17 at the re-homing kennels, the other is yellow with a R because he's reserved.

Here are some photos of Guinness.