Happy Endings

Earlier this  year, Martin & I became foster carers for our local greyhound rehoming charity, Gracehounds.  It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride, but worth every second as, 9 months on, both our foster dogs, Torres & Tar, are happily settled in their forever homes!

foster dogs, Torres (left) & Tar (right)

2 year old male ex-racer, Torres, lived with us for 6 months. He came to us in poor shape, with painful corns on his  paws & a lot of anxiety  issues. In conjunction with our local vets & dog behaviourist, we helped rehabilitate Torres, with particular focus on his separation anxiety.  Because of difficulties  encountered with our cat, Torres spent his final 2 months in foster care at another home, but he left us a much happier & healthier dog & we’re just glad we could help him in the journey towards his happy ending.

Torres & I

Torres is now happily settled with the Rees family in Peebles, along with his new companion, Holly, the family’s staffie-X. He loves all the attention he gets from the children in the household, & keeps  them entertained with his mischievous ways! The boys say they “love Torres because he is very naughty!” – I guess some things never change…

Torres with his new family

7 year old Tar lived with us for only a month whilst waiting for his forever home, but was a joy to foster! Having already been a well-looked-after pet for several years, Tar arrived in much better condition than Torres. An extremely easy going dog, Tar’s tail never stopped wagging during his stay with us, & he fitted right in with our own 2 dogs, Max & Molly.

Tar, asleep on my knee

It didn’t take long to find a home for laid-back Tar & he is now happily settled in his new home in Temple with owner, Sara, along with Tigger the terrier-X, Hutch the collie, 2 cats & a fish! Tar is more than happy to share the sofa with his new adoptive siblings, & animal lover, Sara, thinks Tar is “perfect & makes the family complete!”

Tar with his new family

Tar might not be living with us any more, but I still get to see him (& his adoptive siblings, Tigger & Hutch) at least twice a week, as Sara’s new dog walker! It’s heart warming to see the smile on Tar’s face & his “taggy wail” (as Sara puts it!) every time I collect him for his walks – I have no doubts that he couldn’t have gone to a better home.

Tigger, Tar & Hutch eagerly await their walk!

Still waiting for their own happy endings are Gracehounds‘ current foster dogs, Roddy, Marcus & Jackson. & I’m sure it won’t be too long before Martin & I welcome another dog into our home whilst they wait for theirs…

http://www.gracehounds.plus.com/hometar.htm

MISSING GREYHOUND, WEST CALDER

This is an appeal to help find wee Poppy, one of Gracehounds‘ foster dogs. She has been missing in the West Calder area of West Lothian, Scotland since Monday 16th November.

Poppy

Poppy is a small female greyhound. Her coat is black with a white bib and socks. She is very frightened of people especially men: PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH HER AS SHE WILL RUN. Poppy is wearing a collar & is microchipped. The police, dog wardens and local vets have all been informed.

If you spot her please call one of the following numbers:

Dogs Trust: 01506 873 459

Lois: 07989 963556

Rhona: 07954 213977

Location where Poppy went missing

Poppy, who I blogged about just one month ago (see this post) lived in her foster home for several months, but remained an extremely anxious dog & was fearful of most people & other dogs. After being assessed by a professional dog behaviourist, she was transported to the Dogs Trust centre at West Calder on Monday evening, where she was to receive expert help with rehabilitation. However, upon arrival at the centre, Poppy managed to escape from her harness & run away.

Both Gracehounds volunteers & Dogs Trust staff have been searching for her since & she was sighted in the area on Tuesday evening. However, being so fearful, Poppy will run from anyone who tries to approach her. Therefore, if she is sighted we are asking that Gracehounds or Dogs Trust are contacted immediately by telephone on the numbers above. It has been appalling weather this past few days (wet, windy & cold) but it is hoped that Poppy has found a safe haven to keep herself warm & dry. She has a high prey drive, so may have been able to sustain herself.

Tomorrow, along with other Gracehounds volunteers & their dogs, I am travelling to West Calder to help search for Poppy & distribute posters & fliers in the local area. If you or anyone you know lives or works nearby, please please keep an eye out for Poppy & pass the word on so that this beautiful but troubled dog can be saved.

Poppy

Congratulations to Colin!

Back in May this year, Colin, Lynne, Katy & I completed the 10K long Great Edinburgh Run in aid of Gracehounds, our local greyhound rehoming charity. Subsequently, Colin set his sights on another challenge & decided to run the 2009 New York City Marathon to raise further funds for the charity.

Roddy & Sophie ‘help’ Colin with his training

Since May, Colin has been hard in training (the rest of us took the more greyhound-like approach & relaxed on our sofas!) & on 1st November, joined by friends & family in New York, he completed all 26.2 miles of the marathon. He has raised a total of almost £3000 for Gracehounds!

17 down, 6 to go: Colin at 17 miles

Colin says,

“Well, I did it. It was not the fastest time – 4:24:41 putting me in 23,797th place but, with 43,741 starting and 43,475 finishing, it means that 19,944 runners crossed the finish line after me!

I’ve been amazed at the support I’ve had and the money you donated. It will be a great help to the dogs in the coming year.

All money donated will go to the charity to look after the dogs and none to the marathon or travel.  Thank you for your support.”

25 miles & still running

You can still sponsor Colin via his Just Giving page & see more photographs of the event here.

a proud moment

In other news, Gracehounds has recently found permanent homes for both Torres & Snowflake, & welcomes latest foster dog, Jackson.

Meet Tar

Tar is the beautiful dog that my partner & I are currently fostering for  Gracehounds, our local greyhound rehoming charity.

Tar

Tar’s racing days are far behind him, having been a pet for several years now. However, due to an unfortunate change in his previous owners’ circumstances Tar is now looking for a home again. But until that special someone comes along, he’s going to stay here with us.

He has the most adorable face, with a cute up-turned nose & long, velvety soft ears. Martin thinks this makes him look like a cross between a cayman & a rabbit, but I think he is cute as a button!

Tar is cute as a button!

At 7 1/2 years old, Tar’s  muzzle is starting to look distinguished, but he is a young dog at heart, with a playful streak & a super-waggy tail! He’s a very easy-going boy, & loves nothing more than a scratch behind the ear.

Tar acts younger than his years

He gets on with other dogs of  all shapes & sizes, is good with children & is even ‘cat-safe’! He’s settled very quickly into his foster home, where our own dogs, Max & Molly, have made him most welcome, even sharing the furniture with him!!

Molly & Tar share the sofa

You can find out more about Tar & Gracehounds’ other foster dogs here. I’ll be posting updates to let you know how Tar is getting on.

Looking for Forever Homes

Gracehounds is currently searching for permanent homes for 6 beautiful greyhounds: Torres, Poppy, Roddy, Marcus, Tar & Snowflake.

Torres

Torres (who my partner & I fostered for 6 months), is a 2 year old male ex-racer. During his time in foster care he has blossomed into a lovely natured, affectionate, handsome boy. He enjoys the company of other dogs & well-behaved children but is not suitable to live with cats.  Torres loves to play, & is also quite content to curl up in bed or stretch out on the sofa & just relax!

Torres loves his teddies!

Poppy

Poppy is a 2 1/2 year old female ex-racer. She is a beautiful girl, who is still quite shy. She’s just starting to come out of her shell & is curious about everything she has not seen before. A lovely sweet-natured dog, Poppy gets on well with the other dogs in her foster home, & is slowly being introduced to the world outside it.

Poppy is a very pretty wee dog

Roddy

Roddy is a 2 1/2 year old male ex-racer. He is a very handsome boy with a coat as soft as cotton-wool. Full of affection, Roddy loves to play, especially with his brother, Marcus. He also loves to snuggle in bed. He gets on well with most other dogs & may be suitable to live with older children.

Roddy relaxes

Marcus

Marcus is a 2 1/2 year old male ex-racer. Like his brother, Roddy, he has a beautiful white & black coat. Marcus is full of fun & adores playing with everybody & everything! His long tail is always wagging as he investigates the world around his foster home.

Marcus is very playful & curious

Tar

Tar is a 6 1/2 year old male ex-racer. He has a wonderful comical face with big ears & a wee bent nose. A very laid back dog, Tar is at ease with other dogs, cats & children. Until recently Tar was living with his friend, Snowflake, but due to a change in their owner’s circumstances is now looking for a new home.

Tar is a very easy going dog

Snowflake

Snowflake is a 6 year old female ex-racer. She is a gentle, sweet-natured dog with beautiful markings. Although she’s quiet, she likes to play & is happy around other dogs & children but not cats. Like her friend, Tar, a change in her owner’s circumstances means Snowflake is now looking for a new home.

Snowflake has a lovely white coat

All the dogs are currently in foster care, while they await the arrival of that special someone. You can find out more about the dogs, as well as the adoption process, on Gracehounds’ website: www.gracehounds.plus.com

brothers Roddy & Marcus groom each other; Snowflake & Tar relax in the sun

You can see more pictures of some of the foster dogs here.

A Fun Run for The Dog Aid Society

Yesterday I took part in the Big Fun Run in Dundee. Together with my Mum & my greyhound Molly, I ran the 5K course around Camperdown Park in order to raise money for the Dog Aid Society of Scotland (DASS). Between the 3 of us we raised over £150 in sponsorship for the Edinburgh-based charity, whose objectives are:

• to defend dogs against injustice & cruelty of every kind
• to find homes for dogs who cannot be maintained in their present homes & who might otherwise be euthanased
• to give information on every aspect of dog ownership
• to provide veterinary help for those in need
• to help reduce the number of unwanted dogs by providing a low cost neutering scheme
• to make awards not only to persons who gallantly rescue dogs but to dogs themselves for bravery & sagacity

Mum, Molly & I make our way round the course

Mum & I tackled the run at a leisurely pace, with Molly trotting along side us with ease.  Although I often take my dogs running with me, I’ve been so busy with fostering & getting my dog walking business off the ground lately we haven’t had the chance to go for too many runs together.

some of the other dogs taking part in the Fun Run

Molly seemed to thoroughly enjoy the Fun Run, & she was in good company, with several other dogs also accompanying their owners round the course.  My other greyhound Max joined us for the last 500m as well. (I didn’t want him to run the whole course on account of his recent toe amputation!)

Molly looking very pleased with herself at the finish

Thanks to everyone who sponsored us to complete the run. There is another Big Fun Run being held in Edinburgh on 3rd October, which some more DASS volunteers are taking part in. I wish them the best of luck & hope that together we contribute to the charity’s continued support of dogs across Scotland.

with the dogs at the finish

You can see more pictures from the event here.

Most Beautiful Bitch!

Yesterday I spent the day at the foot of Edinburgh’s magnificent Arthur’s Seat helping to man the Gracehounds charity stall at  the annual Holyrood Park Fun Dog Show. A fun, if rather wet, day was had by all!

the volunteers take shelter under the Gracehounds gazebo!

There was an agility course, lure coursing for whippets & deer hounds &, of course, the dog show itself. All events were free to enter & ‘just for fun’, with many entrants choosing to donate to one or both of the two charities supporting the event: PDSA, for pets in need of vets, & Gracehounds, finding better lives & permanent homes for greyhounds & lurchers.

Torres with Lois (Gracehounds’ founder)

Although not participating in the lure coursing, all the Gracehounds dogs were dutifully entered into the various dog show classes. Our foster dog, Torres, picked up 3rd place in the ‘Most Dashing Dog’ category, & I was chuffed to bits when my own dog Molly won the ‘Most Beautiful Bitch’ category & then went on to win ‘Reserve Champion’ of the whole show!

Martin & I will Max, Molly & Torres

A huge thank you to the Holyrood Park Rangers, who organised the whole event in this beautiful setting, & in the middle of Edinburgh Fringe season as well! Hopefully both PDSA & Gracehounds have raised not only money but awareness through their participation.

You can see more pictures of the event here.

Separation Anxiety: Making Progress

Like many dogs who perhaps haven’t had to the best start in life, our foster dog Torres came to us with anxiety issues, particulary Separation Anxiety. In conjunction with Gracehounds, the charity for which we are fostering Torres, we have used various methods to try & combat this & I am happy to say that Torres is now a much less anxious dog than he was.

If only a hug could fix it all…

1 month agao, Torres was assessed by  local dog psychologist, Maxwell Muir of Action 4 Dogs,& my partner & I, with support from Gracehounds, subsequently implemented a tailored behavioural training program over a number of weeks. Following his assessment, Maxwell’s recommendations for Torres were:

• Keep a diary recording all Torres’ ‘bad’ behaviour (e.g. whining, barking, chewing, soiling) including when, where & any obvious triggers.
• Very gradually increase the time Torres is left alone (at first just in one room of the house), starting with seconds & using ’stay’ command.
• Use assertive body language, hand gestures & a low calm voice to deal with Torres’ excited behaviour (e.g. jumping up, nipping, barking, whining).
• Try a long lead on walks to encourage sniffing & toileting.
• Do not leave Torres alone (even in the company of other dogs) at all, unless part of the above gradual increase.
• Check food for any E numbers & try to eliminate from diet.
• Upon adoption, transfer to his home will have to be very gradual (e.g. over several weeks) & there is a chance that progress made with his separation anxiety will slip at this time, with the new owner(s) having to continue the process. (He must go to a home where he will not regularly be left alone.)

4 weeks later, Torres seems generally more relaxed for more of the time. He pants less (excluding times when it is due to heat, of course!) & spends less time pacing the way he did before. He is far more likely to go & find a quiet spot in another room to us or a corner of the garden where we are not directly within sight, & he seems to seek this out without any (conscious) intervention on our part. He also settles much more quickly upon transferring him between my own care & that of Gracehounds or my partner, which has had to happen more frequently in order to ensure that he is not left without human company for prolonged periods.

Torres looking handsome

While I have to admit we haven’t stuck rigidly to the incremental increases suggested, we have gradually increased the duration of time which Torres is left in the company of my own dogs over the past 4 weeks & he seems to have tolerated this well. The ultimate test was when I left him at home with Max & Molly for a period of 2.5 hours  – we set up a video camera to record the dogs’ activity for the entire duration we were absent. I am very happy to say that, with the exception of a 5 minute lapse in the middle of the tape where Torres & the other 2 decided to ‘play’ with a box of tea-bags (click here to see the hilarious footage of this incident!), Torres spent the whole time resting peacefully (apparently asleep) on the sofa.

Torres’ behaviour towards other dogs has improved as well – he seems to wind up my own 2 dogs less so than previously (I think because he is calmer & less attention-seeking) & has interacted positively with several other greyhounds / lurchers who he has been introduced to via Gracehounds. In addition, I have been walking him with some medium sized non-sighthounds (e.g. labradors) on a regular basis as part of my dog walking business venture &, to my surprise, he has actually been a calming influence on them(!) & not reacted negatively in any way. He is generally less boisterous with other dogs than he has been in the past.

Although still on a mix on kibble, meat & cereal, we are trying Torres on a lower protein kibble. While I’m unsure if this has had any direct effects on his behaviour, it certainly doesn’t seem to have made anything worse & he appears to like it just as well as his old food. He will now toilet on (familiar) walks, which he would never do before (preferring to save it all up for our garden!). We have also tried using a (slightly) long lead with him, as well as ‘coupling’ him with our other male dog, Max, & both these seem to have encouraged him to take time to sniff & toilet whilst on walks.

In addition to the dog behaviourist’s assessment & recommendations, Torres has been seen on several occasions now by local complementary therapist, Margaret Campbell. Although the technique that she uses is not one with which I was previously familiar (or had any faith would work), Torres has definitely responded positively to the Bi-Aura therapy that she has been doing with him: he becomes calm & relaxed during the treatment & this calmness seems to last for several hours afterwards as well. It remains to be seen whether this therapy will have a lasting beneficial effect on Torres’ anxiety.

An altogether more relaxed Torres plays in the garden

Torres has really come on leaps & bounds, &, after an initial period when I was filled with fear & worry that he would never be re-homeable, I am now much more confident that, when the right person / people come along, he will make a fine pet. I am also amazed by how much has changed in just a few weeks with, what seems like, relatively little work on our part. We have by no means conquered all Torres‘ Separation Anxiety, but we have certainly made a lot of progress.

You can read an article which Maxwell Muir has written about Stress in Dogs here & find out more about Gracehounds‘ dogs available for rehoming here.

Hot Dogs!

Last weekend, Gracehounds hosted their second annual Hot Dog Show & Spring Fair at Vogrie Country Park, Midlothian.  The greyhound gods must have been smiling on us because not only was it dry, but the sun shone all day long & there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!

After an early start, to give time for all the tents to be erected, stalls set up & dogs walked, the event opened at 11am on Sunday & drew in crowds of people & dogs for the rest of the day until close at 4pm. The main event  was the Hot Dog Show, with categories taking place throughout the day. There were both sighthound & non-sighthound categories, including Prettiest Pooch, Dapperest Dog, Littlest Hobo, Golden Oldie & Best Rescue Dog.

Best Dog in Show – both sighthound & non-sighthound categories

Max, Molly & Torres were duly entered into all the relevant categories, but none of them any luck picking up any rosettes. However, when it came to the Happiest Family Group category, the 3 of them won the judges over & took home first prize!

Besides the dog show itself, there were many stalls run by Gracehounds volunteers, as well as some from outside companies, selling home baking, plants, jewellery & refreshments to name just a few.  There was also an Art Show, displaying work for sale by several local artists, including some of my fellow Etsyians & my partner Martin’s phography. & of course I was there with some of my hand printed goods from The Dog House.

Setting up The Dog House stall

The event was very much child-orientated, with numerous games, quizzes & activities  for the little ones, including a ‘pin the tail on the greyhound’ competition! The dogs were kept well entertained too, with a fun agility circuit to keep them active, a chill-out tent where they could relax & cool down, & professional dog trainer, Maxwell Muir, on hand to answer any doggy questions their owners had.

2 of Gracehounds most recently rehomed dogs, Daisy & Rosie, with their new Mum in the Art Tent

It was wonderful to see many of dogs which Gracehounds has successfully rehomed there with their families. The charity has found loving homes for 19 dogs since starting up in 2007.  The charity’s current foster dogs (including our Torres) were also present & able to enjoy the event. All in all, a great day was had by all & the total sum raised was over £2400, which will go directly to caring for the charity’s foster dogs whilst they await rehoming.

Martin, Max, Molly, Torres & I win Happiest Family Group!

You can see a full set of the photographs that were taken at the event here.

Torres: An Update

Martin & I have been fostering Torres for Gracehounds for 10 weeks now, so I thought it was about time for an update…

Torres relaxing in the garden

The poor boy’s not had an easy time of it really – shortly after we took him on he developed a limp & our vet diagnosed corns on his right forepaw. Apparently this is a relatively common problem in greyhounds but often needs repeated surgery to remove the corns. So we’ve been back & forth to the vets like a yoyo these past few weeks & poor Torres has been off his feet for most of the time.

His paw is finally starting to heal now though & he is back to enjoying walks with our other two. This has all been a huge set back for him really, as it has put a hold on the whole adoption process. Fingers crossed though, now that he’s fit & well, a forever home is just round the corner.

All this enforced lack of exercise has left our Torres a bit restless & full of energy, but he’s been very stoical about it all really. He loves stretching out on the sofa on his back (in that particularly ungainly way that only greyhounds do) & having his tummy rubbed, but also likes quiet time & we’ll often find him lying peacefully in a little ‘nest’ he’s made among the long grass in the garden, just watching the world go by.

Torres makes himself comfortable in the garden!

He adores being outside, especially if there’s a game of frisbee involved! It’s so weird because neither of our own two dogs have ever shown the slightest bit of interest in a frisbee, but Torres is just fascinated by them – it must be something about the way they move. He will chase after it, then ‘play-bow’ & pick it up, parading it around the garden proud as punch, before (somewhat reluctantly) bringing it back to be thrown again!

He has also developed a love of water, & takes any opportunity to immerse himself in it! Our little water baby can’t wait to wade into streams & rivers when we’re out for walks, & even did a spot of swimming in the sea when we were at the beach the other day. & he’s happy to improvise with whatever water’s available – he frequently lays himself down in the puddles we pass on our daily walks!

Torres & I at Gullane beach

Torres is a gorgeous dog, who is very easy to fall in love with. We don’t think he is suitable to be homed with cats (on account of his high prey drive) or young children (at only 2 years old, he is still a boisterous young thing himself), but he is so affectionate & eager to please, & just desperate for someone to give him their undivided love & attention. Let’s hope that special someone is just round the corner…

If you or someone you know might be interested in adopting Torres or one of the other Gracehounds dogs waiting for their forever homes, please see this website for further details.