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Hi From The Uk


Guest equestrianerd

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Guest equestrianerd

Hi all,

 

I'm contemplating adopting a greyhound. :) Our dog is 12 and is supposedly a german shepherd/black lab mix but we've noticed a lot of greyhound-y traits in him, so we're looking at the real deal now. We're a bit hesitant to get a second dog (especially my husband), simply because our boy is SO easy (only vice is occasionally chewing paper, and eating carrots if he has access to the weekly box of veg), but everything I've heard about greyhounds points to them being pretty easy/chill.

 

We're going to go to a local rescue on Saturday to meet a 2yo female - we'll see how it goes! We have a pair of cats, so will need to find the right grey who can handle our menagerie (and hopefully not boss our boy around too much, he's already getting his bed stolen by the cats).

 

I've read Retired Greyhounds: A Guide to Care and Understanding and am waiting on a couple of other books from the library. I think if we can get over the hurdle of "here's how to live in this household", we should be in pretty good shape. :)

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Once you fall in love, you'll be hooked. They are wonderful. An FYI: A 2-year-old can/may still be very puppyish and full of energy. Try to determine her current demeanor. It could be an older hound may fit in better with your household.

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Guest equestrianerd

Once you fall in love, you'll be hooked. They are wonderful. An FYI: A 2-year-old can/may still be very puppyish and full of energy. Try to determine her current demeanor. It could be an older hound may fit in better with your household.

 

Thanks! We'll definitely have to see what she's like in person. I got our boy when he was 3 and he was just as laid-back/chill as he is today (just a little faster for his brief sprints than nowadays).

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It could well be that an older retired racer (4-5) and especially one that his been fostered, might fit in with your setup better at this time. My Peggy from 18months to about 24 months was still in puppy/late teen mode.

 

You need to be totally honest with the resuce that you need the kind of dog which is cat and small dog friendly, not just in the home, but away from it and also has the kind of personality that likes to please humans and enjoy cuddles and sofa etc.

 

Enjoy the journey of finding a Grey... sometimes they 'choose' you.. other times you'll spot a behaviour characteristic that makes you smile.

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Guest equestrianerd

It could well be that an older retired racer (4-5) and especially one that his been fostered, might fit in with your setup better at this time. My Peggy from 18months to about 24 months was still in puppy/late teen mode.

 

You need to be totally honest with the resuce that you need the kind of dog which is cat and small dog friendly, not just in the home, but away from it and also has the kind of personality that likes to please humans and enjoy cuddles and sofa etc.

 

Enjoy the journey of finding a Grey... sometimes they 'choose' you.. other times you'll spot a behaviour characteristic that makes you smile.

 

Sadly the rescue in our area doesn't do fostering, though some of their available dogs have been returned so they have had exposure to home life.

 

We've described our situation in detail to the rescue, and they'll meet our (not small!) dog this weekend when we go meet this 2yo to see what she's like. We're prepare to wait however long it takes to find the right dog for us (even if that doesn't happen to be a greyhound, though I have a feeling it will be).

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Guest equestrianerd

Here's a couple of photos of our boy, Ace. (They should link to the- larger versions if you click on them.)

All dressed up at our wedding (he was the ring-bearer, also acting greeter and general people-pleaser)
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Usual position (dressed up or not)
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Zoomie face
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And here's the girl we're meeting this weekend. Her expression looks eerily like Ace when he's curious/nervous.
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Buzz is 2yrs old and a dear little soul who looks older than her years and needs to gain some confidence. She will be fine once she gets to know you and would love to find a home to relax and enjoy home comforts.

 

She's been cat tested, so that's a good start. Will need to see what she's like in person, and how she gets along with us and our boy. Super excited! (Even if we don't end up with this girl, the more I read about greyhounds the more I like the sound of them.)

 

Also, reading the forum I've learned our boy's training has a name - Nothing In Life is Free. It's always just seemed like the "common sense" method to me, but it's nice to know other people follow it as well! (Not that Ace is perfect, far from it - he probably only knows 4 commands, and when he doesn't understand something he cycles through all four to see if any of them will work. He does try, at least, even if he is rather dim and getting more so with age.)

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Welcome from Delaware. We had an older dog when we first met greyhounds at a pet store. I thought it wouldn't be fair, to our elder collie, to bring a new dog into the house. After he passed we adopted a greyhound. When we realized their demeanor, I was sorry that I didn't bring our grey in to keep our collie company, in his later years. Also, the grey would have had company and maybe not separation anxiety. Good luck and keep us informed as to how it is going.

Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware
Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine
Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com
Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds

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Will keep fingers crossed that you find a wonderful new member of the family quickly. That little girl sounds sweet.

 

We often joke that goofy, energetic greys are labs in a greyhound suit. It sounds like Ace could be a greyhound in a lab/shepherd suit.

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Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey

remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter

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Guest equestrianerd

Welcome from Delaware. We had an older dog when we first met greyhounds at a pet store. I thought it wouldn't be fair, to our elder collie, to bring a new dog into the house. After he passed we adopted a greyhound. When we realized their demeanor, I was sorry that I didn't bring our grey in to keep our collie company, in his later years. Also, the grey would have had company and maybe not separation anxiety. Good luck and keep us informed as to how it is going.

 

Thanks, that's reassuring to hear. Ace is pretty relaxed with other dogs, so I'm hoping a doggie sibling would be good for him. As long as they don't kick him out of his bed (or at least let him take their bed in exchange) it'll be a better deal than the cats right now. ;)

 

 

Will keep fingers crossed that you find a wonderful new member of the family quickly. That little girl sounds sweet.

 

We often joke that goofy, energetic greys are labs in a greyhound suit. It sounds like Ace could be a greyhound in a lab/shepherd suit.

 

I think he is! I got him as a rescue when he was 3, and he's never exhibited any lab/shepherd tendencies (other than being a total people-dog). He doesn't fetch, doesn't herd, and is scared of water. And he doesn't really understand dog games (like wrestling), the only one that clicks with him is "run really fast". His usual walk is an amble to the field, potter around and do his business, then maybe zoom in circles 2 or 3 times, and then back to the house to sleep (repeat in the evening). From what I can tell, that's fairly greyhound-y.

 

He's met greyhounds before at the dog park - they definitely outdistance him on the running front, but at least they speak his language - either we run fast somewhere, or we hang out with the peoples for cuddles.

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I've seen Buzz on the kennel's website and she looks like such a love :wub: . She looks so unsure of herself that I just want to scoop her up and look after her. Do let us know how you get on. :)

Edited by Hawthorn

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When a relationship of love is disrupted, the relationship does not cease. The love continues; therefore, the relationship continues. The work of grief is to reconcile and redeem life to a different love relationship. ~ W Scott Lineberry

Always Greyhounds Home Boarding and Greyhounds With Love House Sitting

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Your dog looks very sweet! I adopted Charlie, my Greyhound, 3 yrs ago this month :-) ) I have a German Shepherd who was 10 yrs old and missed my other guy who had passed the year before. She doesn't love all other dogs so i brought her (Rhea) to meet Charlie. It was instant friendship and still is. Let us know how it goes!

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Guest normaandburrell

My husband and I both had dogs all our lives, 7 years ago got our first greyhound, and agree that now we would never want another breed. Congratulations on your decision!

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Guest equestrianerd

So, we trekked out to meet Buzz this morning. Public transit and non-canine friendly taxis aside, it was fairly uneventful.

 

We walked the dogs on the lead in a large field and Buzz was fine - pulled a tiny bit on the lead but no big deal. We moved into a fenced in paddock to let the dogs loose. Nothing happened (Ace was tired from zoomies this morning on his walk, so not inclined to run, and Buzz didn't seem to want to move much at all, let alone zoom.) The dogs both ambled about for a bit - at one point Ace approached Buzz near the gate and she nipped at him. I don't think she made contact, but the muzzle went back on after that. We let them wander a bit more after that, both on their own and with us in the paddock. When we were in the paddock with them, Buzz seemed more interested in us than Ace (and he's always more people-oriented than dog-oriented). When left to their own devices, they both noodled around doing their own thing. Buzz kept an eye on Ace whenever he was moving around near her, mostly appearing unsure about what his deal was.

 

The kennel staff seemed pretty happy about how they interacted - as Buzz wasn't wearing her muzzle when she nipped at Ace, she could have made contact and/or done damange, and she didn't. He seemed to react to it as well as possibe - he's super submissive so in the past he's dropped on his back to show his belly immediately at any sign of dominance. Today he backed off but didn't seem nervous around her afterward, so that's a good sign. :)

 

The kennel suggested we take Buzz for a weekend and see how she does for a longer span of time with us, and see how she and the cats react to each other. I'm sure our bossy cat is not going to be a fan of another canine sibling, but if she can set the "leave me alone" standard, with luck that'll stick in Buzz's mind when our clingy cat decides he wants cuddles (I don't think he'd try and cuddle a strange dog, but he's very dim so you never know).

 

Buzz herself seems like she'll be pretty calm, and she seemed very sweet. When I kneeled down near her she came right over and put her head in my lap (awww). She's in a bit poor condition, she only came to the kennel 3 weeks ago and her hindquarters are bald (apparently from lack of bedding before she arrived). She could probably also stand to gain a bit of weight, you can see all her vertebrae and her ribs - she's gained a bit of weight already at the kennels.

 

So yeah, exciting! There are still some unknowns as far as temperament/personality match, but nothing we can figure out without jumping in and seeing how she does with us. The kennel's on board with taking her back if she doesn't suit, and we're fine with waiting for the right dog, but I hope Buzz works out 'cause she seems super sweet.

 

16605082047_37d61a559a_t.jpg

 

Oh yeah, her racing name is Ryecourt Buzz - not very inspiring as far as picking a name for her ("Buzz" doesn't really roll off the tongue or sound very feminine to me, and we already have a boy cat with a girly name so it'd be nice to avoid confusion). Will have to see what name seems to fit her after we've spent more time with her (assuming next weekend goes well).

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Your old guy Ace looks super-sweet and laid back! I'd be a tad concerned about Buzz nipping at him, but it could simply be that's she's a bit of a nervous girl and not used to other breeds. She's only two, so once she comes out of her shell you'll probably begin to see some puppy behaviour. Probably a good idea to have her in your home for a while to see how they deal together on his turf, but if it doesn't work out, don't feel guilty. The right dog is out there!

As to the bald thighs, don't be too quick to assume it's due to lack of bedding. Bald Thigh Syndrome is a well-known 'problem' among greyhounds and appears to have a genetic component. Some people find omega oils or vitamin supplements help, others find that nothing helps but that the dog is otherwise perfectly healthy and happy - which is why I put 'problem' in inverted commas. It's not really a problem at all, just cosmetic. It's rare for it to be a sign of a real problem. :)

I see she's in Essex, quite near to where my husband was born and brought up!


Oh, and I do agree about a second dog being quite helpful to many oldies. Sometimes it gives them a whole new lease of life!

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The plural of anecdote is not data

Brambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop

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Guest equestrianerd

Your old guy Ace looks super-sweet and laid back! I'd be a tad concerned about Buzz nipping at him, but it could simply be that's she's a bit of a nervous girl and not used to other breeds.

That's our hypothesis - if it turns out we're incorrect, then we'll act accordingly. Most dogs seem to take a little while to realise how not-into the dominance thing Ace is, once they do they're happy to leave him alone as he's not challenging their position. (It took my parents' dog about 3 weeks due to mixed signals - she would rear up and put her forelegs on him to assert dominance and it would confuse him and he'd just freeze. It eventually sunk in to her that he wasn't trying in any way to reject her top-dog status and they got along great after that.)

 

As to the bald thighs, don't be too quick to assume it's due to lack of bedding. Bald Thigh Syndrome is a well-known 'problem' among greyhounds and appears to have a genetic component. Some people find omega oils or vitamin supplements help, others find that nothing helps but that the dog is otherwise perfectly healthy and happy - which is why I put 'problem' in inverted commas. It's not really a problem at all, just cosmetic. It's rare for it to be a sign of a real problem. :)

Thanks for that info - I won't worry too much if we can't get her to grow hair then. Our dim cat has allergies so he's constantly removing/regrowing hair. It'd be nice if he's the only one we have to obsess over coat-wise.

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Thanks for the update - how sweet that she put her head in your lap. :wub:

 

Chronic stress is another thing that can contribute to bald thighs (from the excess cortisol) so this may improve once she's settled in a relaxed home environment, but either way it's not usually anything to worry about as Silverfish says.

 

Hoping all goes well next weekend! :goodluck

 

PS: I agree about her name - really doesn't seem to suit a sweet girlie like her.

SunnySophiePegsdon.jpg

When a relationship of love is disrupted, the relationship does not cease. The love continues; therefore, the relationship continues. The work of grief is to reconcile and redeem life to a different love relationship. ~ W Scott Lineberry

Always Greyhounds Home Boarding and Greyhounds With Love House Sitting

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Guest equestrianerd

So I don't think we'll have Buzz this weekend after all. :( We'd forgotten we're going to a comedy show on Sunday night, so we'd be out of the house from about 5-10pm. It might be fine to leave her in the house for that period (especially if we can tire her out during the day), but I want to set everything up for success as much as possible, so we'll see if the kennel can bring her the following weekend.

 

On the plus side, it'll give us another weekend to tidy the house, dog-proof it some more (Ace ignores all our mess), etc.

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Guest equestrianerd

:) I feel a bit bad making her wait another week, but it's not like she knows she's missing out (and I imagine if you asked her if she'd like to transition to a scary new place with weird/sometimes dumb animals, she'd say no thanks!). (Though it would free up a kennel spot for another dog, but no sense doing that if she's going to get stressed and need to go back anyway.)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest equestrianerd

No go for Buzz. :(

 

Spent the week prepping for her arrival and was really looking forward to having her around the house.

 

She arrived this evening and spent about 45 minutes with us - she seemed pretty nervous (understandably so), though she handled the stairs like a champ. Ace was oblivious to her (and vice-verse), as he was quite happy to mooch for belly rubs. ;)

 

Things got interesting when we introduced the cats. At first she seemed fine, they politely sniffed noses and she wasn't bothered by them. Once they started to move around the room a bit, though, she lunged after them. We couldn't tell whether it was fear- or chase-based behaviour, but she was very reluctant to turn away from them, especially our girl Reia.

 

Given that we're not in a hurry to get a dog, and the stakes are pretty high for our cats if we get a dog that's not actually cat-safe, we decided that it was best to send her back to the kennel and wait for a different dog. I feel a bit guilty because we don't know if she would've settled in time, but especially since we work during the day (so can't observe everyone 24/7), I think we made the right call.

 

She's super cute/sweet, so I'm sure she'll find the right home soon. Now to wait on our end until we find the right grey for our menagerie - the only trigger we're missing is children (which we won't have, so at least that's one hurdle we don't have to deal with!).

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Sorry it isn't going to work out for you and Buzz, but better to send her back right away instead of 'hemming and hawing' for several days.

She will find the right home ..... and you will find a greyhound that will not bother your kitties :)

 

Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi.  Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie),  Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge.

 

 

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Guest equestrianerd

Sorry it isn't going to work out for you and Buzz, but better to send her back right away instead of 'hemming and hawing' for several days.

She will find the right home ..... and you will find a greyhound that will not bother your kitties :)

 

Hope so! :) At least we don't have to be paranoid about how she'll behave (and what it means) all weekend.

 

Just wish all the adoption listings didn't say "would suit any family" when they mean "any family that doesn't have a dog or a cat". Finding ones that say cats are OK is proving challenging! Good thing we're not in a rush (and now we have supplies on hand, so that's one less thing to worry about).

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Guest Amber

Hi there, I'm in the UK too. I agree with what others say about trying to find a greyhound who has previously lived with a cat in a foster or home.

 

I'm not sure how reliable short cat tests are. They're probably a good indication of whether a greyhound is trainable around cats. My greyhound who came from RGT kennels tested as cat safe and apparently went into a home with cats for a few days but was returned for other reasons. Nothing that I have seen since i adopted her would lead me to think she is cat safe! She is very interested in cats and would chase. Maybe she is ok in an indoor setting, but when she sees them outside i wouldn't trust her at all. So it's a bit of a mystery to me why she passed a cat test (i don't have a cat but neighbourhood ones come into my garden, which is why I wanted a cat safe grey).

 

So it may be that any new dog even if pronounced cat friendly will need a bit of training and acclimatisation around your cats and to be kept separate if you're not there. I believe by degrees owners can ease up on this, as the new dog settles.

 

hope you can find yourself an ideal, cat friendly

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Guest equestrianerd

Interesting, thanks for that info Amber.

 

I don't expect a grey to just walk in and be completely chill with the cats. The kennel staff seemed very surprised by Buzz's reaction, though - in their experience the dogs either react right away to a cat or aren't bothered, whereas she gave the impression that she wasn't bothered and then reacted quite strongly to the cat. (She did the same with Ace when they met - initially seemed completely unfazed by him and then snapped at him.)

 

Hopefully we can find one that's "proven" with cats. Have sent an e-mail about an older gentleman (who seems a clone of Ace - same age, same markings, just less hair!) who's come from a home with cats, so we'll see - not sure how I feel about having two elderly dogs, but I'd hate to pass up on someone purely because they're "too old".

 

Like I said originally, we're prepared to wait to find the right grey - just hope we don't have to wait too long. (Though on the plus side, it gives my husband a chance to learn to drive, which would make outings to/with a grey much easier!)

Edited by equestrianerd
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