Are you a Greyhound, Whippet or Lurcher owner? Come and have a seat on another new Pointy Hounds cushion!

[TheCunnyFunt]

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 :o).

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Silver Peacock

Come The Day
Come the day I take that final bend,
Can I count on you to be my friend?
To see I?m treated just and fair,
It means so much to know you care.

For, what the future holds in store,
Now that I can race no more,
Should be addressed for every hound,
Who parts the punter from his pound.

Tell them I don?t ask for much,
A kindly word, a gentle touch,
Somewhere warm to lay my head,
A meal each day to keep me fed,
Not just life- but quality,
This is how it ought to be.

Do not see me swept away,
I long to live another day,
With peace of mind, tranquillity,
And those who care surrounding me,
So tell them all- you have that choice,
I beg of you to be my voice.

By Denise Dubarbier.

Just phoned him, his response was I don't another dog that I'm clearing up after and paying for that I don't feeling anything for. I said I will be with him most of the time doing most of the work so he said that's it then get the one you want, what I want doesn't matter and hung up on me :(

This is so much harder than it should be, should be lots of fun and excitement!

Well you clearly need to find a dog that you can both agree on.

He really is being unreasonable...

Chances are that whatever dog you get will favour you as the main care giver (although that's not worked in our house - mistlehound started out being a Daddy's girl, fretting if he went out etc, even if I was there - but now she gallops off the sofa to greet me when I bring DS home from school as though she's been on her own all day

I worry we will never find one we both love as we are clearly looking for different things! I want to go for one that's slightly smaller he wants as big as possible with big ears apparently!

I do wonder what would have happened if I'd won the toss

If he's looking for big ears he needs a saluki cross or a podenco or similar. Not a greyhound. Or perhaps a basset? Now there is a big dog with big ears.

Can you do a longer session with both of them at the weekend?

Is he going to give you any say in the matter?

He had a basset hound when he was a teenager and said it was his favourite dog ever until he met me and found greyhounds.

I don't think a longer session will help, his mind's made up. He texted to apologise for putting the phone down. Should be home by 5.30 and we can discuss more hopefully! Thank you so much for being my sounding board I appreciate it

If you can't agree on these two, perhaps neither of them is the right one for you as a couple?

I'm glad he's apologised about putting the phone down! (I don't think so badly of him now!!!).

It is such a hard decision to make, but its not fair for him to give absolutely no weight to your thoughts or concerns! (And if he dares to complain about picking up the bill and having no say in the matter, say you'll pay the bills and start charging him for childcare and household duties.... )()

Cinnamon, it sounds very hard. I'm afraid I have to agree with mistle and say, I think your dh is being both unreasonable and very unfair on you - especially as it's you that will be spending all day every day with the dog, but that doesn't help you at all does it? Sorry.

Is there any chance you could perhaps just call a halt, have neither and just take a break from looking for a while - then maybe spend some time looking together online at dogs that are available through other rescues etc so you at least have some consensus of opinion before you go to meet them?

We decided not to go for the pup dh wanted and actually I was quite taken with him as well by the time we made the decision, but I can't help feeling somewhere out there is the right dog and we will just know. I could be deluded of course, but it's always worked for us in the past and I do feel like I have to trust, iykwim.

Lurcherboy has been good as gold today. Mum had him all morning, as she was babysitting dd while we took ds1 to his secondary orientation morning. So, Mum had to do all the exit malarky and put down the kongs and treat toys I'd prepared him for two school runs, which she did brilliantly and he was fine.

The new treat ball is a big hit with him, seems to be keeping him occupied far longer than the other toys and has a larger capacity, so doesn't run out as quickly. He's also - finally - started bothering with his kongs now I'm using large biscuits to jam in the end instead of something squishy.

Ooh Moose can you tell me which one you got from where please? Mistlehound likes her treat ball but its rather too easy - and we've got kibble that would be fine in one and it would give her something to do that's a bit more active (for those evenings where she's restless but I can't take her out for whatever reason)

It's this one off ebay mistle.

It's got a decent capacity in one half of the ball and you can adjust the internal holes to make it easier or harder - and it's rubberised so doesn't sound so loud when he's batting it about.

Bear in mind Lurcherboy is a lazy so and so, who gives up easily if things are a little too hard for him, but so far he's kept at it and the last recording revealed he was still chasing it around after 17 minutes (when I arrived home) and it was half full when I checked it afterwards.

I'm filling it with the kibble we use for holidays and when he goes to kennels (although they've started to do raw for him now) and chucking in a couple of cubes of home-cooked garlic chicken as well to keep him interested. (I slow cook the chicken until it's really dry and I can chop it into clicker training sized treats.)

I had another dog book arrive today. Honestly, my reading pile is massive at the moment. I'm currently reading:

Life skills for puppies
Gwen Bailey's Perfect Puppy (re-reading)
Turid Rugaas' On Talking Terms with Dogs (re-reading)
The Genius of Dogs
In Defence of Dogs (arrived today)
Walking Ollie

The last one has me laughing out loud several times a minute - which cheeses dh off no end!

Anyone got any other good dog book recommendations while I'm on a roll?

Decision made! We had a long chat decided I didn't want to say no to both just because I couldn't get my way. Dh said he wasn't sure if he could love Barry if he came here and I know I will love any dog we have. Phoned the guy and he told me Barry is going to Homefinders tomorrow :( at least he will have a lovely home soon. I will link to him when he goes up on the website!

Aw cinnamon, I'm so sorry for you - but pleased at the same time that you'll have canine company again very soon.

I know a little of how you must be feeling, because I had to console myself that Seren is bound to get an amazing home and that that's ok - even if it's not with me.

Picking him up Friday afternoon, had a few tears for the dog that never was but looking forward to a doggy house again.

(((hugs)))

My cat just came home after three weeks who knows where. She's lost weight but looks pretty healthy otherwise! Just eaten her way through what all four normally have for one meal!

Very pleased she's fine. I hope she sticks around.

I'm in love!! A few hours home and peanut is so lovely. He's ignored my crazy hissing ball of cat, done very well at dinner time, not followed me every second but very keen on cuddles. He hasn't laid down apart from in the car but he's eaten alreay and has the most amazing tail that is like a propeller, going round in circles. Haven't managed to take a photo that does him justice yet :)

That's lovely cinnamon. Here's hoping her settles in smoothly.

He's just had a massive sniff of one of my cats and done nothing else!! Such a relief. Have posted a few pics :)

Stunning boy!

Good luck with him.

He's gorgeous Cinnamon. So pleased he's ok with your cats as well.

My oldest cat has just wandered over to peanut and they sniffed each other he then started a playful bounce around so she retreated to the window ledge! She the smartest of all 4 and has realised he's not going to do her any harm the others are still wary.

We took him to the park yesterday and he did so well, got lots of attention from kids and adults! He loves to chase a ball but when he gets to it won't pick it up, any tips for playing? He's not fussed with cuddlies or the rubber ring we have.

We have a beautiful sunny morning here, hope everyone else is as lucky and can enjoy some lovely doggy time :)

I am so happy for you - and of course Peanut ... and the cats - that it's going so well.

Not sure what to suggest about the playing. I have heard of people using clicker training to teach some dogs to retrieve, but not sure if that would work with a greyhound.

Lurcherboy got a present yesterday - a thundershirt. He wore it for a couple of hours, had a good go to see if it came off when he did his usual back-scratching routine on the living room carpet and then went to sleep. Going to put it on him again this morning and then take the dcs up to the park for a short visit to see if it has any impact at all on his howling.

He was doing really well until I stuffed things up by misjudging the time yesterday when I went to the school summer fair. Thought I'd been out just under half an hour - turned out it was 35 minutes and he screamed the place down for most of the last 10 minutes I was out. Really hoping it hasn't set us back too much, as he was doing so well. So cross with myself.

Sounds as though its going really well with Peanut!

(Are you keeping the name?)

I've just seen an update on one of the dogs in foster for the rescue I got mine - she's started playing after 6 months or so - so the fact that he's not playing much now doesn't mean that he won't in time.

Yes we are keeping the name, he seemed to know it well and ds's like it :)