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!
:)

OMG check out Betty at the end of the list. She looks so much like Billy it's unreal. Another family member?

linky

No someone linked to him on the LGT FB page.

Betty is gorgeous, and Hugo has the same dart up his muzzle that Sprocket does :o

Hi Betsey, Yes we watched the fireworks last night - v impressed that's your "manor". We enjoyed having a little look around the area when we were up in April, on the DLR. I love Canary Wharf - try to go there whenever I am in London.

It's next weekend that the boys come over - should be interesting. There's been five shagfests today - they slept through most of the cycling and then it was "Yeah, baby" time.. Ho hum.

Quick update: took grey girl to the vets this morning and she's lost weight , not surprising as despite the shiney coat, bright eyes, wet nose, you can see every rib. Still, she's now up to date with her worming, vaxes and her rear end is no longer dire (a combo of settling-in and mega-sized pigs ears were prob the cause). Anyway, vet advises to up her kibble allowance even more, spread over three meals a day to see if that helps and we'll get her weighed regularly from now on.
cunny yeah, her dad's a stunner - she must be a rarity not having Top Honcho or Head Honcho in her pedigree! The local grey rescue have a dog by Westmead Hawk in at the mo - the idea of a half-brother for my little girl is very tempting but totally out of the question (according to DH!).
Greyhounds are addictive, aren't they?

Hi, NCOT, glad new girl is settling in. American greyhound owners have a very useful term - "chipping". This refers to American potato chips (our crisps) and is in reference to the fact that you can never just have one. So grund owners will often refer to "chipping" when another hound joins the household. It's a lovely phrase and very useful. I think your DH is fighting a losing battle. It's also worth reminding him that greyhounds in their racing lives are always with other dogs - they are never alone, so it is a real stretch for them to make the transition to a pet home where they are alone. For this reason, much more than with other pet dogs, I think there is a very strong welfare case for keeping more than one hound.

With regard to the diet, think the small third meal is a good idea. Rather than kibble, I'd substitute sardines a couple of times a week, and I'd also consider tripe - ours love it, and it really seems to be good for their condition. Also, don't rush the weight. I work on the basis that a dog will take six months to get into optimum condition from point of adoption and I would far rather see a greyhound looking lean but healthy and muscular, than slightly plumper but with less muscle definition or coat shine. You also need to factor in that previous worming regime may not have been perfect and as you've said her tummy has been a bit unsettled. With weight, although ours are weighed every time we go to the vets, I prefer to go by visual cues and look carefully at diet and overall condition/musculature.

As a matter of interest, which kibble are you feeding?

Hmm, you have a very good argument re.homing another grey scuttle - DH can't win this one!

She's on Burns fish + rice kibble at the moment. I've heard that tripe is a top dog treat, but where do I get suitable tripe (and which is best? Beef, sheep, pig? - I feel a Harry Hill debate coming on ) and how do you prepare it for dog consumption? Do they eat it raw or cooked? Is the tinned stuff ok or full of additives and other nasties?

These are questions I never imagined I'd ask... Dog ownership has alot to answer for!

We get the frozen bags of tripe chunks and the frozen tripe mince from the freezers at PAH though as we now raw feed completely we get a load delivered directly to us every couple of months from the company and have a freezer in the garage. It smells vile, but all you have to do is defrost it and pour into bowl - probably the wimp's way of dealing with it.

Burns is a great kibble - good choice, though lots of people do find their dogs are lean on it - though I don't see this as a problem at all. Most vets are usually delighted that a dog is not overweight.

Keep working on DH - I'd suggest taking him to lots of greyhound events at the charity such as walks, fun days etc (as letting your grey socialise with other pointies is v important) - he'll get used to seeing lots of happy multi hound households. Then you could ease into fostering, and before you know it chipping successfully accomplished!

Seriously though, people often worry about a second greyhound, and subject to the necessary stuff about affording it, it really is no more bother than having one - you still have to do the same walks etc and they are usually delighted to keep each other company, snuggle up on hte sofa, fart gently and generally look adorable.

Oooh a

Hello again everyone, I was on the thread earlier this month as RainySmallHands getting over excited about rehoming a grey. Well, we are picking up a black bitch on Thursday and I am utterly beside myself!!

So, now I have a million questions...

1. What do we need?

We have a couple of dishes (with a stand) on order, and another dish for outside water.

We have a large bed and a donated memory foam topper which I might cut to size for the car and to pad the existing bed out a bit. Will that be puffy enough for sensitive hound limbs, do you think? And we have singled out a place for the bed which is in the corner of the dining room - so not too lonely, but can be strategically tucked behind the highchair as some protection from marauding toddler DD (DD2 is 18mo, DD1 is rising 5).

We get a lead and collar with her. And a muzzle. But we need to get a dog tag.

Erm, we have a few toys, but the RGT lady said just have one to start with so she doesn't start thinking all the Dcs toys are fair game. So we need to pop to the charity shop for a soft toy.

And I have a few treats and will get some pig's ears tomorrow...

Now, is there anything else I have forgotten?

1. Food?

The RGT lady feeds them a working dog mix which she pays £6 a bag for (wholesale) although she neglected to say how big the bags were. She says a working dog mix should be fine, but which one? And my greyhound book says keep protein down to less than 20%. Is that necessary? And, aren't dogs supposed to eat wheat-free, but the wheat-free foods look mega expensive.

Also, at the first RGT kennels we went to, the chap there said to give them something for breakfast - cheap cornflakes or something like that - but is milk okay for them? And how many meals a day?

Aaargh, so many questions...I'm bound to have forgotten something. I think it is the food I am most concerned about, so any advice would be appreciated.

And congratulations, NCOT and Scuttle on your new additions (even if they are leading you a merry dance!)

Congratulations! So exciting isn't it? I was recommended CSJ CP xtra when I got Sprocket, it's low protein and wheat and gluten free, just over £20 for a 15kg sack and lasts roughly 6 weeks. It costs us 0.5p per day to feed him :o this one. They have a list of stockists on the website too so you can see if there's any places near you that sell it.

Ooh, how exciting. We want pics as soon as new arrival comes!

Collar and lead - make sure it is a proper sighthound collar, not a narrow one. And NEVER use an extending lead with a greyhound.

Food - it's usually recommended that you keep your dog on whatever they have been fed in the kennels, while they are settling in with you. It is absolutely normal for them to have slightly upset tummies when they move home (all the stress) so a new food won't help. Also, check with kennels when they were last wormed.

Once they've settled in, you can then move to your food of choice. There are a myriad different options including various kibbles and variations on raw - much depends on your preference, your budget, and what suits your hound - this will emerge with time. Take a look at some of the food threads on here to get an idea of some of the options. Basically, avoid the really cheap kibble like Bakers - it is stuffed with crap.

Whatever the diet, supplement a couple of times a week with things like sardines, or mackerel in oil - terrific for the coat/condition.

Feeding - whenever you feed should be organised round when you exercise - if you feed too soon before exercise there is a risk of a condition (fatal and painful ) called bloat. So, to give an example, our default daily routine is to walk the dogs in the morning, return home and they eat breakfast. This is usually followed by intense snoozing. Their second meal of the day is at 6 p.m. - many greyhounds do well on twice daily feeding, and some even do well on three (especially if you are wanting them to gain weight or they are fussy feeders).

They enjoy routine, and like having a pattern to the day.

Don't forget poo bags, and you'll find she will also enjoy being groomed - get a hound mitt. This is a terrific bonding experience and will also help her lose her "kennel coat" and soon develop that luscious shine that a well cared for black hound can develop.

You might want to get her registered at local vet, and possibly take her in for a once over and to introduce her to the practice.

I would also recommend doing a basic obedience class with her - something like Kennel club Canine Good Citizen - very useful skills and you will enjoy the bonding of doing the training together.

Toys - most of ours don't do toys, not like other dogs. One will occasionally play with a squeaky, and has a Father Christmas that lives on his bed that he carries around sometimes. Greys simply don't "get" things like retrieve, or fetch - they will look at you with withering contempt if you suggest it.

And lastly make sure your garden is secure, and think about training ALL the family (including all adults) in door security - you CANNOT leave front door open, garden gate etc. It quickly becomes a habit but it's really important you start thinking about this (unless you have the luxury of living in a walled castle!) .

Oh, and forgot to mention the car. Think about where in the car your hound will travel, and how they can do so safely. If in the boot, you will need to fit a dog guard. Other options are a cage and a dog safety harness clipped to rear seat belts.

Oh heck, will we need a dog guard when we go and pick her up? I was naively assuming that she would be okay in the boot if I stayed in the back seat for reassurance/just in case.

Poo bags - check. Will add fish to our shopping list. And a grooming mitt.

We're lucky in that we have a wall round our garden and two lockable gates. And we haven't lost a child yet only once, so fingers crossed we should be okay on that score.

I have briefly looked at training classes, but thought I'd wait for her to settle in first.

Thanks so much for your help, will check out Cunny's food suggestion now.

BTW, her racing name is Foxy Chiquita but I can't find her on greyhound data. What does that mean? Actually, I am only assuming that she actually has raced. She was born in 2008 and I'm not sure what her ear ID is - if he has one.

she

Most greyhounds travel very nicely in the car, as they are used to it while racing. But that isn't the issue - it's safety. In the same way, I'd guess you wouldn't want to let your DC travel without a seat belt/child seat. 35kg of dog flying through the car in an accident could do a lot of damage to you, apart from the dog's own welfare and safety. I think it's sensible to get a dog guard fitted in advance - one less thing to worry about once she's here.

There are several possibilities. Go by the ear tattoo rather than the name, or check on the database using the partial name. I found a grey called Foxy Roxy using your description, born in May 2008 in Ireland, who finished racing in April of this year. Do you know what track she raced on?

The other possibilities are that she raced but on a flapping track - still some of these left in Wales and the North.

Thirdly, she was possibly a working grey rather than a racing grey - again, what have you been told about her history?

Fourthly, and v unlikely, there is a tiny population of "show" greyhounds in the UK - could she be one of those?

To be honest, if she is from an RGT kennel, then she is almost certainly straight off a GBGB track - which branch is it, or do you know which track is nearest to you?

Hi Scuttle, good point re. the dog guard - I will look into it.

We haven't been told anything about her history, just that her two sisters have already been rehomed. I will ask for more details when we pick her up. We are in the north (NE England) so you could be right about the flapper track.

here she is!

Hi BlueGuinefort - can I vicariously share your excitement? Grunds are wonderful, particularly shiney black girls. My new girl is also developing a very strange habit - she's just stolen her fourth spoon from the kitchen. Not interested in toys (just confused). No other piece of cutlery will do, it has to be spoons (plastic or metal, she's not fussy). No idea what that's about. (maybe she was fed from them as a pup?)
BTW - we got a great dog guard for the ferrari Fiesta from Halfords, £30-ish.

Awwww, she is scrummy. Looks like she ran at Pelaw Grange track. She's almost certainly in the database somewhere.

We've got a cutlery/implement thief here too. He stashes them around the house in strange places, or takes them to his lair. We still haven't found a potato masher that he snaffled.

Ooh she's lovely! Are you going to keep her as Cheeky?

Scuttle I saw something that made me think of you the other day, I was taking Sprocket out and about 30 racing-looking cyclists passed the end of our street, and I immediately thought of your fondness for bulging cyclists thighs :o

Blimey 801 posts! We're getting through this thread at a rate of nots!