Monday 30 March 2009

Walkies!

Many of the greyhounds at the local retired greyhound trust kennels are super on the lead. Somehow they just seem to KNOW how to walk to heel.

Others are not so good. Last post I mentioned Becky who had been in the kennels for months because she pulls when she first goes out with a new walker.

In fact she is pretty good on the lead once she gets to know you, and she's a joyful little girl which makes her quite a pleasure to take for a walk.

There are a few tricks I've been taught to get dogs to behave on the lead.

The first is simple. Talk to them. OK you may feel like a bit of a nutter - although what's more natural than talking to your dog (NB I lost it years ago) - but it's a lot less embarrassing than being seen with the dog taking you for a walk.

There is another trick, and this is to hold the lead in your right hand, and have the dog on your left hand side. You can then press the palm of your left hand onto the lead to bring them back to heel, whenever they start to strain.

This is the method I used to teach Becky to walk to heel - and you only have to use it until they get the idea - and it also worked for my big girl Ava.

Sometime neither of these methods work, but there is another solution and that's a harness. These take a bit of getting used to - you don't have control of the dog's neck - but thankfully I had plenty of practice with Nicky (who couldn't walk on a lead for a while because of a wound on his neck).

Harnesses are pretty good for controlling the big powerful boys like Becker, with one reservation. You have to watch the dog's body language quite closely, because if they're on a harness it's easier for them to have a leap at unsuspecting squirrels, or cats, or other dogs. Just be ready to grab their collar!

Friday 27 March 2009

Rehoming, rehoming, rehoming

Well it's all rehoming, rehoming, rehoming, at the moment, which is nothing short of excellent news.

Just last week at the kennels we were bemoaning the fact that Becky does herself no favours when she first meets someone - she PULLS and PULLS and PULLS when she's taken out by a stranger.

It's a real shame because she's actually super on the lead - once she gets to know you - however, the result of her PULLING so far has been that she's been overlooked time and time again.

Until now that is. I visited the kennels earlier this week to discover Becky was no longer there.

I found this a bit puzzling and thought that maybe she had been moved to the kennels just down the road (and are sometimes used if the girls who haven't been spayed yet go on heat).

I questioned one of the kennel hands later in the day to discover the great news that she'd been rehomed with another of our rehomed rescue hounds who had been feeling lonely by himself. Brilliant.

Further rehoming news is that Emma is on home trial. Ava went to the rugby last weekend and is now reserved.

I feel this is a fitting event for my darling big lass - if she were human she'd play rugby and probably be a prop!

Wednesday 25 March 2009

Guess who's back?

Just a quick one today as I'm about to go and walk the hounds. Guess who I'm going to see? Yes, Nicky's back. I am contemplating calling him boomerang dog.

I actually saw him next week and he was looking happy and relaxed. He's currently kenneled with Emma (another boomerang dog) - and it's a really nice pairing.

I had a wonderful greeting from both (well if you count being whipped by tails wagging a wonderful greeting that is), and Emma made "take me home" eyes all the time she was out.

They also decided it was a good idea to glue themselves to my legs when it was time to go back to the kennels - very amusing!

I haven't got to the bottom of why Nicky has come back - maybe I'll find out more today - but Emma was returned because of a change in her owner's circumstances.

And, I think this is another brilliant thing about our local retired greyhound rehoming kennels - they'll always take a dog back, and this means the dog will ALWAYS have a safe and happy home.

Monday 23 March 2009

Laurel and Hardy

The good news is that there have been plenty of rehomings over the past couple of weeks. And the great news is that Nobby is one of the dogs that has gone to a new home.

This means that Ava has a new kennel mate, he's Dumbo - an older white-and-tan boy - and if Ava could be described as "wider-than-average" Dumbo is on the skinny side. They make quite a funny pairing, as they are about the same height in the shoulder... but Ava is roughly twice the size of Dumbo.

Brings to mind the classic comedy pairing of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into," although more likely to be Nobby saying it to Ava rather than the other way round.

Ava IS much less mischievous with Dumbo than with Nobby, although I wouldn't like to point a finger at Nobby and say he's the naughty one... they're both as bad as one another.

Nobby has some older children in his new home, so I'm he'll have tons of fun getting into trouble with them.

Friday 20 March 2009

Shawn maligned!

I have to hang my head in shame, I've maligned Shawn. Poor boy, I accused him of blotting his copy-book and having a contretemps with Kenny.

I take it back! I walked Shawn and his white-and-brindle girlfriend Missy today, and when I came back Kenny, and partner Lass were in the paddock. I braced myself, and put both Shawn and Missy on a very short lead.

I walked the two dogs quickly past the paddock - at this point Kenny was barking his head off and leaning against the fence - to reciprocal barking and growling from... Missy. The little tinker!

I was quite surprised because if there's any arguing to be done - and to be honest, there's not an awful lot that goes on - it's usually between the male dogs (3 or 4 usual suspects). And Shawn will growl occassionally, although again, he usually growls while leaning heavily against my legs. In the previous incident one of the dogs had leapt at Kenny - and I just assumed it was Shawn. I feel SO guilty.

Anyhow, I took both Missy and Shawn a distance away from the paddock and gave them a good fuss. Every so often Missy would turn around and bark at Kenny. Kenny returned the favour.

Meanwhile Shawn cuddled in close and looked deeply into my eyes. "See I told you it wasn't me".

Wednesday 18 March 2009

Twitching with greyhounds

Well spring is well and truly upon us... for the moment. The birds are really active and as there are no leaves on the trees yet, this offers a ton of bird-watching opportunities.

Certain greyhounds are the best possible bird-spotting companions imaginable. Take Becky for instance. Not a lot gets past her. As soon as she sees movement in the trees she homes in on it, and it means you get to spot some really interesting little birds.

The other day it was a woodpecker - we often hear them around the kennels - but they are tiny little birds, so quite difficult to spot.

Not for Becky - although she gets bored as soon as she realises it's not a squirrel! And then really bored when I spend five minutes watching the bird and telling her all about it.

"C'mon, there's squirrels out there," she says.

Monday 16 March 2009

Spring is in the air?

We were away on holiday last week, and I didn't get to see the hounds. So, with great excitment I checked the website of the local retired greyhound rehoming kennels to find out which, if any, dogs had been rehomed while I was away.

Guess what! Guess what! Guess what! I am soooo excited. William is on the reserved list. Can I say it again? I am soooo excited.

A reservation is just the first step in the rehoming process, so I have to keep everything crossed for this lovely boy. This sweet lad just isn't very good at selling himself to potential owners, and actually when you get to know him he is a delightful boy. I really hope everything goes well.

Another long-term resident name on the reserved list is Ollie, a big beautiful softie of a blue boy, who is more horse than greyhound.

All thrilling news, and I can't wait to hear more when I visit the kennels later in the week.

Wednesday 11 March 2009

Steam-train dogs

Some of the greyhounds, like Nicky, seem to instinctively know how to walk on the lead and trot happily to heel from day one.

Others, like Becker, don't know their own strength, and can be difficult to handle, until you try a different tack and put them on a harness. Suddenly they realise that they have a human companion, and actually it's quite nice to walk by your side.

Then there are others like Becky, who'll pull like a steam-train the first few times you take them out, completely ignoring you and straining to get ahead. Then, there's a change.

I don't know whether it's because they get to know you, or whether they are a bit more confident that they'll get a good walk, but all of a sudden they become a delight on the lead, and happily trot by your side.

It means that dogs like Becky often get overlooked as potential rehomers opt for a more genteel dog... so I guess a plea is, if you have the time, visit the local rehoming centre more than once - you may be pleasantly surprised how some of the dogs change once they get to know you!

Monday 9 March 2009

Duck!

I guess ducks look fairly strange if you've never seen one before. Frank, a handsome big black-and-white boy certainly thought so.

We'd just finished eyeballing the chickens - there's a chicken run down one side of the paddocks at the local retired greyhound rehoming kennels - which was great fun for all. Actually, the chickens were in a fairly feisty mood, so I'm not sure whether they, or Frank, won the staring competition. (Later on in the walk the chickens were standing, regimented, on a raised plank in their pen - looking for all the world as if they were guarding THEIR home from those pesky hounds).

Anyhow, turn the corner into the paddock (marsh is a better word for it at the moment) proper, and what should we see, but a pair of mallards - male and female - waddling back. Frank was mesmerised, what on earth was that with a strange gait and funny shape.

Waddle, waddle. The ducks came towards us. Frank jumped backwards, kindly landing on my toes, and then started to creep forwards. The ducks spotted him and took off quacking as they flew, which Frank found even MORE surprising.

He turned to me and looked quizzically. "Funny type of greyhound," he said, before continuing on his way.

Friday 6 March 2009

Nicky news

I've heard news of Nicky - and apparently he was nervous at first, but settling in well. I am so pleased for my sweet little darling, and I really hope that things continue to go well for him, and we will have another happy doggy ending.

I thought this would be a good chance to have a review of all the dogs that I've walked that have been rehomed since I started this blog (nearly 6 months ago). These aren't all the dogs in the kennels (I reckon I write about around 1 in 6 of them). Forgive the self-indulgence.

So, from the most recently rehomed we have:
  • Nicky (fingers crossed! fingers crossed!) a sweet little black dog and my special boy
  • Crafty old black girl Angie, who had been in kennels for a number of month
  • Ditzy blonde bombshell Kelly
  • Beautiful intelligent black girl Topsy
  • Kennel clown with a jumbo appetite Josh
  • Scardey-cat Joe
  • Lovely, but growly, white and brown Chas
  • Darling, beautiful, black-and-white Pretty
  • Another white and brindle growler Mark
  • Jay who likes to chase ANYTHING
  • Poppy who pulls like a train
  • Mischeivous black boy Mikey
  • And Pete (just recently) of the bald thigh syndrome
  • Finally, Sal, who likes to chase things too
So that's 14 dogs rehomed since October. Bearing in mind that I probably don't meet 4/5 of the dogs at the kennels, that's a heck of a lot of dogs that are in new homes thanks to greyhound rehoming (If I only meet 4/5ths, I estimate around about 50-70 will have been rehomed from the kennels in total over that period).

That's a lot of happy waggy tails! Bless them all - such loving dogs, who expect so little, but give so much.

Wednesday 4 March 2009

Sweet William

I have a bit of a soft spot for William, one of the white and brindle boys who has been at the kennels for a number of months now.

I wasn't always so fond of him. The first couple of times I took him for a walk I was a complete nervous wreck. William can be a growler and a barker, and he'll growl and bark at some other male greyhounds. He's quite a big boy, so you have to make sure you hold on TIGHT.

After he's gone to the toilet he'll gouge the ground raking up piles of earth. You can tell when William's been out, because there are deep scratch marks all the way down the sprint and around the paddocks.

I think, however, that William is just a bit confused, and all he needs is someone with patience, love and understanding to bring him out of himself. (And I hope they walk through that kennel gate sometime soon).

I came to this conclusion when I noticed that William wags his tail madly at a dog while barking and growling. A mixed-up boy if I ever saw one.

I've also discovered that you can usually calm him down by stroking his head and speaking calmly to him.

If there's one thing William loves is love, cuddles and attention. So, if you can find a quiet place to wait-a-while and have some cuddles and tickles, you'll be rewarded by just about the most vigorous tail-wagging you've ever seen.

There's another thing that he loves as well, and that's treats. William likes to do something akin to kangaroo-jumping for treats - he bounces up and down on his back legs just begging for you to give him something.

How could you resist?

Monday 2 March 2009

Counting hounds

You know what it's like. You wake up in the middle of the night and your mind starts ticking over.

Soon enough you're wide awake and worrying about the STRANGEST things. Did I shut the fridge door properly? Or are the cats, at this very moment, feasting on the remainder of today's roast chicken?

I wonder how I can solve the international financial crisis? Will the tubes be running properly tomorrow morning?

You know the sort of thing...

Anyhow, I have an excellent solution, which gets me back to sleep in no time at all. It's called "Counting hounds". The idea is you go through the alphabet and think of a dog that you've walked for each letter.

A is for Ava, B is for Becky, C is for Chas. You get the idea. You rarely get further than G for Georgia. And I defy you to get past M for Mikey.

Zzzzzzzzzz.......