A Greyhound's Christmas Wish

Stevie's Christmas Wish
© Susan McKeon, All rights reserved

I was playing about on photoshop with a photo of Stevie and it struck me that many a greyhound's wish this Christmas, would be to find a forever home, which is why I came up with my recipe for a 'pawfect' Christmas (if you can't read the 'recipe' in the picture, here it is below):

The recipe for a 'greyt' Christmas

Take a greyhound (or 2, or more)

Add a sprinkling of reindeer dust

Place into a forever home

Allow to settle in

Look forward to a lifetime of love

As anyone who reads my blog will know I'm a greyhound nut. After being dog-less for most of my life, I fell in love with the breed seven years ago and after giving Mina a home, went on to give two more greyhounds - Stevie & Jasper - their forever homes.  I'd love more greyhounds but we'd need to sell the car for a van, buy a bigger house and I suspect, if I did sneak one home, I'd need a new husband!

Greyhounds make 'greyt' pets

Each year in the UK around 8-10,000 greyhounds retire from racing.  There are a number of charities that rehome greyhounds including the Retired Greyhound Trust (RGT), Greyhound Rescue West of England (GRWE), Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust (LGT), Greyhound GAP and all of them do a marvellous job. However, there are many greyhounds in rescue kennels and rehoming charities this Christmas who are still searching for a home to call their own.

This post is an unashamed plug to highlight the 'greyt' companions that greyhounds make, after racing.  There are so many myths about this noble breed that often put people off adopting them, so with Stevie, Jasper & Mina in mind (along with all the greyhounds currently looking for homes), I hope to bust some of those myths & encourage you to think about adopting a greyhound...

Common myths about greyhounds

1.    They must needs lots of exercise
Err, no! Greyhounds are bred for short bursts of speed not stamina. Most are happy with two 20 minute walks a day, which means they're often suited to homes that may not have the time for very long walks each day.  They can walk for longer but their stamina should be built up before embarking on a lengthy walk.

2.    You can never let them off lead
Whilst it's true that greyhounds have been bred and trained to chase, it's not true to say that they can NEVER be let off a lead.
Like any dog, training a reliable recall takes time and every dog is different. Some greyhounds may struggle with recall but many can learn it (check out Mina's video below).

However, it is always better to err on the side of caution. If you haven't trained a recall - DON'T let your greyhound off the lead and expect them to come back when you call them!  Also, if you've not worked on impulse control, you'll find it difficult (if not nigh on impossible) to call a greyhound back to you when they're in chase mode.

3.    They can't live with cats or other small 'furries'
Really?!? Someone better tell that to my 3 hounds!  In all seriousness though, not ALL greyhounds are suited to living with cats or other small furries.  For some the chase instinct is so strong that it would be dangerous to place them in a home with another small furry.

All rescue/rehoming centres can advise you whether a greyhound is cat-friendly, cat-trainable or can't live with cats.Many greyhounds, with careful training, can adjust to life with cats, chickens and even rabbits!

4.    They must be aggressive as they wear muzzles
Again, this is another misplaced myth. Greyhounds are generally one of the least aggressive breeds (Duffy et al, 2008*). Aggression and a successful racing dog don't mix.They wear muzzles in racing to prevent any potential injuries (their skin is quite delicate)

5.    They're picky eaters because they are always so thin
Most greyhounds have a good appetite and they're naturally slim dogs (you should be able to see the outline of the last 3 ribs). Some greyhounds may be picky eaters - but many breeds can be picky.

6.    You can't train a greyhound to do anything other than run
Whilst most greyhounds won't have been taught any voice cues or basic 'obedience' training during their racing careers, that doesn't mean that they are incapable of learning new behaviours post-racing.

Each of my three greyhounds are different in the way they learn and in their capabilities (just like us humans)...

Mina, sitting pretty on her wobble board

Mina is the one who seems to enjoy learning the most. She can sit, lay down, stand, wait (until released) and stay (until I go back to her).  She's had a go at agility (until her canine catastrophe ways meant she had to retire) and used her lovely long nose in scentwork.  She loves trick training and does a mean retrieve and recall.

Stevie & me in the Official
Ahimsa Dog Training Manual

Stevie is very food motivated (which helped with training). He was 'cat-trainable' when he arrived with us and I spent a lot of time working on his impulse control around food and then the cat.  For a dog that used to think nothing of snatching a treat out of your hand, we can now put treats on his paws and ask him to leave them (and he will) before we release him to eat them. Stevie came to us with great recall and like Mina, he's really taken to nose work.

Jasper & Tula

Jasper is the 'hardest to reach' of all my three hounds and although I've learned something from each of them, Jasper is the one who has taught me the most. His recall is improving, he's got a good wait and has grasped targeting.  I've also introduced Jasper to nose-work and he loves it too.

Greyhounds competing in agility & obedience

If you'd like to see how successful greyhounds can be in doggy disciplines like agility or competitive obedience, you really need to check out the marvellous Never Say Never Greyhounds blog.  Jennifer and her greyhounds excel at agility and the blog is a 'must-read' for any greyhound fan.

Greyhounds in the home

Most greyhounds adapt very well to life after the track. Their reputation as the 45mph couch potatoes is very true.  Most of the time they are very laid back (and could give Tula, the cat, a run for her money in the sleeping stakes). They're very affectionate and each have their own personality.

I can't imagine my life without a greyhound in it. To quote an oft used phrase:

"Greyhounds aren't my whole life, but they make life whole."

So, if you've ever considered offering a greyhound a home, I'd urge you to visit your local greyhound rehoming centre and go and meet some.  Be warned though, greyhounds are addictive and one is often not enough!

References:
*Duffy,D. Hsu, Y. and Serpell,J.A. (2008) ‘Breed differences in canine aggression.’  Applied Animal Behaviour Science 114 pp.441-460

The Greyhound Agility Diaries - Pt I

Back at the end of January I wrote a post about Mina's first agility 1-2-1 (Jumping at the Chance: Greyhound Agility).  Since then we've had two more 1-2-1s and I've invested in some agility jumps and a set weaves to practise with at home.

Now, here comes the tricky bit... by February 2013 both Mina and I need to be able to complete (note: I say 'complete' not 'compete') a grade 3 agility course - yikes! It's all down to the Advanced Dog Training module of my university degree.  I did have the choice of other doggy disciplines such as gundog, obedience, scent work, working trials and flyball - along with the college tests (which are a mish mash of everything), however none of them really appealed to me as much as agility.  So agility it is for both Mina and I.

We both have so much to learn and I have a rather hefty training plan and schedule to produce to illustrate how we're going to get from complete novice to completion of a grade 3 course (double yikes)!

Before Crufts I had been looking at agility equipment on Ebay and 'watching' several items - deliberating whether to spend my birthday money on them (or not). When I arrived at Crufts I was pleased to see that one of the Ebay suppliers I'd been watching - Jesse Jump Agility - was there. So, I took the plunge and bought three 'deluxe' jumps and a set of 6 'deluxe' weaves.

I tried out the jumps - which are three quarter width - with Mina and she loved them, as the video shows.



Since buying the home agility equipment, I've attended an Agility Training the Trainer Course. I plan to incorporate elements of agility into my dog training classes and really wanted to learn how to do it properly.  The course was run by Kim Hunt who runs Derbyshire Agility Centre.  Kim is a qualified animal behaviourist and has over 20 years' experience as an agility judge and competitor.

The course was jam-packed with information, practical demonstrations and the chance for us to undertake short training sessions with volunteers. The focus was on pre-agility work and introducing dogs and handlers to the equipment safely.

I've come away with some great ideas of how I can help Mina prepare for each piece of equipment and more importantly, how I can incorporate this into my training plan.  Also, as an added bonus, the exercises are easy to incorporate into my training classes and 1-2-1s and will help owners and their dogs with focus and bonding.

So, what's next?  Well, we've a long list and to get to the stage of completing a grade 3 course feels like a mountain climb. I'm going to be putting the work in on the basics like targeting, establishing a solid wait and working on forward focus (amongst other things) and working on my coordination!

I'll share details of our progress along the way and if you've any agility tips to share, please don't be shy - I need all the help I can get!

Finding my 'fido fix'

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I recently started working in London, which means that in the week I'm living away from my husband, hounds and Taz, the cat.

Most weekends I plan to come home to Lincolnshire as I really miss the hounds in the week and by the time the weekend arrives, I can't wait to see them again (and hubby of course)! It also means that I can't help the Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust, the charity which I work for on a voluntary basis.

Last weekend, I spent the weekend 'down South' and by the Friday, I was really missing my 'Fido Fix.' So, thanks to the power of the Internet, I Googled to see if there were any local dog rescues nearby who allowed volunteers to come and walk dogs. Luckily I came across the wonderful Stokenchurch Dog Rescue and after a quick phone call on the Friday I was all set to walk Echo, a four month old Collie/Lurcher cross, at 10.30am on the Saturday.

So, Saturday morning - with the sun streaming down -  I found myself travelling down the M40 to Stokenchurch Dog Rescue. Despite all the years I lived down South and travelled this route, I'd never really noticed the rescue until now, or maybe it's just my memory playing tricks on me! After introducing myself, and filling in a volunteer form I was introduced to Echo - a four month old, Collie/Lurcher cross - who'd been found as a stray pup.

As you can see from his picture, Echo was a little bundle of absolute loveliness.  I was asked to walk Echo for 20 minutes, as being a pup they didn't want to overtire him.

I checked whether I could use treats before we set off and then we started our walk together. I'm generally used to walking dogs the size of my greyhounds and a bouncy puppy was certainly a different kettle of fish.  Echo was very excitable, but soon calmed down and took everything in his stride.

When he didn't pay any attention to the cyclists or the fire engine that passed, I made a big fuss of him and gave him a treat. However, when he showed too much interest in some of the other dogs (I'd been warned about this), we just walked calmly by (well I did, anyway) without a word from me.


At the end of the walk, I handed Echo back to the centre staff and was asked if I'd like to walk another dog. I readily accepted and was then introduced to Ben.

Ben was a 2 year old Patterdale Terrier, who had been rescued from his abusive owners. I was informed that Ben was afraid of men with deep voices and was wearing a muzzle to prevent any mishaps.

Ben was lovely but I could see how fearful he was, particularly of men. He'd obviously been trained to basic commands as he knew "sit" and "wait" but at the beginning of the walk he had a tendency to stop, drop to the ground and flatten himself out; not wanting to move or go on.

With gentle persuasion, and the use of some tasty treats, Ben became more accustomed to me. I used the treats as a reward for him coming to me when called and ignoring cyclists (there were a lot of cyclists out that weekend and apparently Ben's terrier instincts generally kicked in when he saw cyclists)! By the end of our walk, I felt I had gained a little bit of Ben's trust as he did allow me to stroke him without tensing up, or showing signs of stress.

The next weekend I stay down South I'll certainly volunteer my dog-walking services again. It was the perfect way to get my 'fido fix' and to build on my studies,  but more importantly it gave these rescue dogs the chance of a good walk, time away from the kennel environment and the opportunity to socialise with more humans.

Many dog rescues can't survive without the help of volunteers and if you have a few hours a week to spare, why not consider helping a local rescue centre? There may be no pay, but the satisfaction of knowing you've helped a dog in need is worth its weight in gold.