A new Cushion for Pointies!

[SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud]

Pointy hounds include-
Greyhounds (Grunds)
Whippets (Whippys)
Lurchers
Italian Greyhounds (Iggys)
Salukis
Afghans
And any others I have forgotten. If you are a new pointy hound owner, an old and experienced owner or looking into getting one of these fabulous creatures, come and have a seat (that's not taken up with a hound).

Share advice, stories and shopping tips!

I didn?t really want you,
I wasn?t really sure,
And I?ll admit I had my doubts,
When you first came through that door.

Not small, or cute, or fluffy,
With big, soft puppy eyes,
But tall, and thin, and bony,
With bald, pink, bulging thighs.

You weren?t the kind I had in mind,
Not in any way,
?Perhaps it would be better if I took you back today,
Before we know each other,
It really won?t be kind,
To keep you here for one more day,
And then to change my mind.?

But against my better judgement, I decided you could stay,
And quickly I discovered you were kind in every way,
Your gentleness and patience, they really stole the show,
?Why these dogs are wonderful, I must let others know!?

For you?re my gentle giant,
Who just needed the chance,
To show us all what you could be,
To wipe away that history,
And dispel our preconceptions, which put us all to shame,
And so we come to know and love,
What lies beneath that frame.

And now I?ve come to understand,
What I missed right at the start,
That greyhounds need that great deep chest,
To house their great big hearts!
:)

I will indeedy rainy! Infact I keep meaning to bring all my photos from my old name over to my cunny one. Have you seen pictures of Sprocket? If not, I think SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud is still clickable in the OP, there's hopefully some photos of him in my profile in that NN. If not, his racing name is 'Recovery lad' if you fancy a nosy at him and his history, and check out his dad 'Brett Lee' you'll see what I mean about his puppies!

Just had a call from the jewellers, it's there now!

Hope you are doing OK, Scuttle?

We had a scare earlier where we were in danger of losing lurcher girl. Once again due to numpties with off lead dogs, this time the guy had a beagle, an indentifiable fluffy type and a golden retreiver. We were walking a good way from them, but all three dogs decided to run over to us. Somehow once they were running in between us, the dc's and the dogs, lurcher girl slipped her collar (it's a martingale which was specially made for her, but she managed to somehow still back out of it). Two of the strange dogs then decided to chase her and because they were chasing her, she did what sighthounds do and started to run, only now she was without a collar in an unsecure area. Thankfully she ran only in large circles around us and eventually once dp had got rid of the two chasing dogs, she quickly stopped running and came back to us, a little shaken but otherwise OK. The owner of the three dogs of course said it was our fault because our dogs were on the lead .

However, the incident did teach us that we need an additional tag collar in addition to their martingales (they have house collars for their tags at home and tags on their martingales when out, but their house collars are too big to wear in combination with their martingales). So, can anyone recommend and nice, not easily lost tag collars, preferably not more than 1 cm wide?

Sprocket is indeed lovely, cunny (as is your lovely little DD ). I am waiting for my registration email for greyhounddata so I can have a nosey...

Magrat, that sounds worrying. Thank goodness lurcher girl came back to you. I thought martingale collars were meant to stop them from slipping out!?

Scuttle, hope you're getting by okay.

Ooh, stick a pic on of the ring please!

Tent drying out in front room. Need I say more?! It has to be out before we fetch Billy tomorrow or he'll drag it into his bed for his own. We did falconry while on holiday and the falconer had greyhounds in his family - wasted no time telling us what thieves they were and how with a combination of the hounds and the birds he had all the meat he could eat... One of the other ladies on the course had a pair of whippets she said hunted together! I felt very urban at not letting his Lordship catch and kill stuff!

Good she came back Magrat . She must be well bonded to you all by now.

Rainy you are a geek (and I luff it!)

Ring porn please!!!!

We had our website photo shoot today. It all went very well, mainly as it wasn't raining. Missed our darling girl terribly - when I was packing the coats and bandanas, I had to leave behind all the ones in her size. I've put a couple of the fun pics/out-takes on FB. Andy spent most of the time looking for squirrels and Boola decided after a while that it was so tiring, he would lie down on the grass and have a little nap.

Betsy - sounds like you had a great holiday. I wonder how much game Billy will catch on Hackney Marshes. Can imagine it must be an amazing sight to see greys and birds of prey working together.

Magrat - You must have needed a very stiff gin when you got home.

Ooo, yes, I want to see some ring porn (esp as dp and I are double your age and he still won't get married, despite the two dcs. Bitter moi?).

I was certainly in need of stiff gins today - I thought the idea of a martingale was the inability to escape. Obv she proved us wrong. She is the most relaxed, calm and submissive dog you could imagine, but, understandably she didn't like being chased, so she ran. I am so glad she kept close, a couple of weeks ago she would not have done and we may have lost her. I just don't know what else we can do but keep them on lead and take them to obedience classes.

I'll put one up as soon as I can get on my laptop to do it. Don't think you can upload pics via iphone. I won't be going public (ie, facebook announcement) till next sunday which is when all relevant family members will know.

Bloody hell Magrat! Good job she came back to you, just shows she must feel safe with you.

Scuttle I loved those pictures :o especially Andy and Boola hugging :) and Andy in the lake :o

Hope your tent is dry now Betsy love the idea of hounds and birds hunting together, that must be amazing to see.

RING!

Got a bit of tourettes there Betsy?

I've gorn on evil FB now. DS1's school is having a few massive issues and there's been a parents' forum set up; I've reluctantly signed myself up to the darkside. No photos on my profile (is that what it's called) but as I'm signed up is it rude to ask again for yours?

We picked him up from kennels today. That was one happy dog.

Well ring then? When exactly?

I may just join Betsey in the RING chant

Argh, I must stay off fb. Have just had a lovely bit of banter with J the lady who runs the greyhound trust we got Sam from. She is (jokingly perhaps) trying to persuade us to adopt a 9 month old black small greyhound girlie. Non chaser as she broke a hock and was unable to race thereafter. Apparently she is shy until she gets to know you and would benefit from a home with a calm, laid back dog....
According to J it is only a matter of time before we get our second pointy so we may aswell give into it now...

Will not be tempted, will not be tempted...

That said, have told her that if Mia is still available on the Great Greyhound Walk on the 24th of June that we would love to walk her and let her and Sam sniff eachother (and that I would then forever hold her responsible for us getting a second pointy...)

Betsy, sorry, no second e....

Hi Betsy, were you gooey at the kennels? Whenever we've picked ours up after being away, I am a big jessie, while the dogs are completely fine and Hey-ho, oh it's you.

As soon as I get time to get on the laptop I'll do it, I promise, guides honour! Or if I don't get on before sunday there will be a pic on FB.

Ha ha Lock it should have two 'e's as that's how it's spelt in David Copperfield. I just forgot when I did my username!

We all went bonkers at the kennel Scuttle. He was vv excited and the kids couldn't stop cuddling him. He's being vv affectionate and leany too and had a lot of chicken leftovers tonight! I mentioned in passing all I needed now was a nice little girl to take home with us now and Johanna the kennel owner's wheelchair almost sped up of its own accord to where a suitable candidate was asleep... I could see the veins in DH's forehead begin to throb so thought I should leave it for a while!

Are you going on the Great Greyhound Walk on 24th June then, Lock? We were thinking about it, but worried Whippetty will get "short dog complex".

Go on though, Lock and Betsy, you know you both want a second one... It makes a house so much more waggy.

Aww we'd love to go on the Great Greyhound Walk but we're off to see the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra and we're vvvvv excited!

Don't worry about the short dog thing - Whippety will find himself small and perfectly formed, I'm sure!

I know Magrat it's just my DH that needs convincing!

In all seriousness, we found taking on a second dog very easy. Making the jump from two dogs to three was much harder. Now we are back down to two it seems eerily easy.

Obviously there are financial considerations, such as insurance, food, collars but it's not generally any harder to walk two than to walk one and most pointy owners are resigned to no longer calling their sofas their own, anyway. Also, given greyhound's uniquely social upbringing, they are a dog that really flourishes with canine company in a way that isn't necessarily the same for "ordinary" dogs who have been brought up in a home type environment.

Betsy, once you get DH on to a few grund events, he will succumb. I promise it is only a matter of time....

Haha Betsy, that is the way it is in this house... I am tempted but worried about adding another pointy, Jane at the kennels knows I want one and keeps teasing me, DH would quite like one but is being sensible and looks worried whenever I am fb messaging with Jane.

We did the Great Greyhound Walk last summer, we borrowed a grey from Jane, this was our first foray into the greyhound world. That day we saw and reserved Sam at the kennels and the rest is history.
Jane is organising our local GGW again this year and wants as many volunteers as possible to take a kennel grey in addition to their own dogs. (for a small financial fee, she is fundraising after all!)
Last year there were all sorts of dogs there, even a teeny three legged Jack Russel. So Whippety need not feel short

We loved it last year, Jane had organised a CCGT refreshment tent near where we were walking so we all stopped, put picnic blankets down and socialised for an hour or so at the end of the walk. It was really lovely and we are already looking forward to this years' (as long as the weather behaves itself...)

Magrat wrt thin collars, how about taking them both to pets at home or another petshop and trying out different collars with their martingales?

Scuttle could you recommend some nail clippers that aren't too expensive please?

Unfortunately not. I'm a complete wuss and we have ours done at the vets, by the nurses. Much less stressful. Because the quick extends such a long way into the nail with grunds, I am v nervous about cutting. If you do decide to cut at home yourself, you will need one of those little styptic pencil type things in case you need to manage any bleeding.

The other option which is what a lot of American owners do, is to use a Dremel, which is a little motorised file (like you see at the podiatrist). Much less stressful. Many American hounds get used to having just a little bit filed while lying down, it's done quite often but is never too stressful then. If you go on Greytalk there's masses of info about it on there.