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

[WhenSantaGotStuckUpACunnyFunt]

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 stories, advice and shopping tips!
AK Creations
Dog O Nine Tails
Doggy Bags Bakery
Kitsch Collars
Meggie Moo
Milgi Coats
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.

Thanks for the tips. Ideally he would sleep downstairs (it's laminate downstairs and carpet upstairs so much easier to deal with accidents!), I have no idea if he will be happy to stay in a crate all night though! I guess we'll have to see!

I'm going to sign up for obedience classes, I'm a dog novice (always had cats, though DH has had dogs) so will be as useful for me as him. Hopefully that will help with basic commands/recall etc, though I have taken him for a couple of walks at the rescue and he certainly seems to be fine on lead.

I agree Cinnamon - mistlehound went to an osteopath about 6 weeks ago and since then has been much more inclined to run - she was keeping up with a saluki lurcher yesterday - albeit only for short stretches, but he is taller than her - and is a saluki cross!!

Whilst she's not particularly good on speed for any length of time, she can carry on going all day at a decent lick...

Which HM Cinnamon? PM if prefer. We are hoping Blue will be keen on running. I think he will be. He's certainly got the engine for it. The muscles on his back end are ridiculous!

I think we are going to get some of this lurcher bells. Think they will be useful for both dogs.

Those with two, experience of two, did you take your current dog with you to collect the new dog?

I didn't, didn't want their first period of time together to be stuck in the boot of the car peanutpatty. HM is this one

Lola's coat :)

We already had Lurcherboy in the car, as we were coming back off holiday when we collected Pip.

Our intention was for him to travel with me, but the rescue won't release them unless they're harnessed or crated. As a result we had to empty all our luggage and repack it under the dcs legs in the back of the car, fold Lurcherboy's crate up and put it up against the back-seat and rush to a local petshop to buy Pip a tiny crate which he then only fitted in for two weeks.

So, we ended up with Pip snuggled in blankets in his tiny crate on one side of the boot and Lurcherboy - looking thoroughly appalled - squishing himself up as far away as he could from the offending puppy, on the other side. Far from ideal, but it went ok.

We stopped every couple of hours and I sat in the boot fussing them both each time.

I already had his crate all set up at home, so after proper introductions, Pip slept in his crate in the living room, with me on the sofa and Lurcherboy had his usual bed in the kitchen.

Pooch would be in the passenger footwell and Blue in the boot. That was my thinking.

How gorgeous is Lola?!?!

Lola looks great in her coat. That was the one I would have gone for if I hadn't got two boys.

I need a bitch so I can buy pretty coats and collars!

Dh has agreed we can do temporary fostering when I'm over this relapse (although there's still time for him to renege). I think I'd probably only foster bitches anyway, having two male dogs in the house is more than enough.

Lola looks gorgeous, but so worried, bless her. I hope she gets used to it. Did you know the collar can be turned back quite easily, on non rainy days?

That particular design has been selling like hot cakes, I'm ordering some more fabric tomorrow!

Moose, our huge black male has the most stunning collar from MeggieMoo which is a Liberty floral. They can carry it off.

Scuttle I agree, some male dogs can, but Pip gets mistaken for a girl all the time anyway - I guess people don't look at his undercarriage and Lurcherboy doesn't need a coat with his great shaggy mane.

Not surprised the raincoats are selling so well - they're fab.

Need some advice! Been to collect Blue and they've forgotten to give us any food for him. We feed Pooch raw. Obv this is not ideal to give him today. They said he will eat anything. I'm at a loss as to what to do!

I did gold it back for a bit once she laid down in it, she'll be fine, loves being under anything :)

Why isn't raw ideal now? Can one of you not pop to the supermarket and grab a 3kg bag for the next few days if you're worried?

I wondered if it might be a bit much what with going to a new home? But ultimately he will go on to raw. Only trouble is I've nothing thawed only frozen.

3kg bag of? Sorry if being dense. Feeling a bit stressed.

A bag of any kind of dry food. And maybe a tin of sardines as a 'welcome to the house' treat

Lola looks gorgeous in her coat

Sardines! Great idea. Thanks!

Ps He's adorable.

Anything but bakers complete!! Most supermarkets are pretty good, pedigree always goes down well in our house when we run out if our big bag before we are going near enough to buy another :)

Yay, so glad he's home.

I'd say sardines or some scrambled egg - both are pretty gentle on the stomach.

No reason you can't just switch him to raw, as long as you don't go straight for red meat or offal, especially if he hasn't had kibble this evening, as there won't be any hanging around in his gut to slow the transit time.

Hope all's going well peanut!

Scuttle - that was the fabric I particularly liked of the raincoats - but it really won't suit my strawberry blonde... Turquoise looks stunning on her but I am veering more towards the other flowery one!

He travelled brilliantly in the car. He cried when MrPP got out at the services. He didn't make a peep all night. Unlike SOME!

I've walked them both this morning. Blue was cool about Pooch going off lead. He was very good. A little keen on the lead at times but relaxed as the walk went on. He was fine in his muzzle too so not sure why he was so bothered about it when we went to meet him initially. Some interest in furries in the woods but not pulling my arms out trying to chase. More curiosity created by their movement.

He is such a cuddle monster. He is so very sweet. Typically he prefers Pooch's bed to his own. He has kissed everyone this morning! Including the minis. That will save on bathing them later.

I'm going to switch him on to raw. Last night half way through his pilchards I realised I'd put his bowl on the floor. I didn't want to interrupt him in case he got cross. I get cross if I get interrupted during my meals.

I am being very sensible and remembering we are definitely in the honeymoon period with him but so far so good!

Of course he likes Pooch's bed rather than his new one - it smells reassuringly of dog, and he wants to smell of dog too so that he blends in and 'belongs'. Our mistledog, on the first walk we did with her from DogsTrust (NCDL then) spent the time bumping against the person's legs that wasn't holding the lead - she always liked her lead on as it meant she was safely attached to her people, a sort of comfort blanket!

I think it was sensible not to move his bowl. I really wouldn't worry that it was on the floor - there seem to be pros and cons of higher feeders and he's not greyhound height is he?

What sort of muzzle has he come with?

Peanut, sounds like it's going really well. We need photos you know!

I think we had a discussion about whether or not a raised bowl was necessary a couple of threads ago. Scuttle linked to some research that suggests it doesn't reduce the risk of bloat. My two both have their food on the floor and Pip has a green feeder because he will inhale a full feed in about 30 seconds without one and it takes over 10 minutes with the feeder.

Some info here] [[http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2009/july/raised-bowls-and-bloat-ratcheting-controversy-risk-gdv-dogs-6861 and here.

Re the muzzle, had he just been brought out when he was bashing it about at the rescue? Quite a few dogs bash and rub the first few minutes and settle down when they have something to distract them. It would still be a good idea to do the peanut butter thing, as the more positive associations he makes with it the better.

Measured Pip again last night. He's gained another inch in less than a month and is now just a smidge over 27" tts. I thought he was slowing down! He still has quite a bump on his wrist joints as well, so he's not done growing yet.

He towers over poor old Lurcherboy now, but weighs a couple of kgs less, as he's such a narrow chested, lightweight. Although Lurcherboy has gained weight again while I've been ill and dh has been walking them, also through all the parks and fields being covered in stagnant standing water, as he didn't get as much off-lead running as he's used to. So he's on short rations and upped off-lead exercise for a few weeks. I think if Lurcherboy was at the right weight they'd probably weigh roughly the same.

Mine eat from the floor and peanut is not small! In fact I took him to the vet today and he's now 34.3Kg. I think he's 31"tts. Glad you had a good night peanutpatty and hope pooch gets used to him and stops barking soon! Enough of this chatter anyway where's the photos?!?!?

Took peanut to the nurse for his nails to be clipped today and she was really surprised how upset he got. She did one foot without a grumble but he then very quickly was snarly and snappy. She took a small amount off and said to come back in a month to see if a little bit often will teach him it's ok and won't hurt. She said if do that a couple of times and he's more distressed then it may just be better to take a load off when they really are too long and make it as infrequent as possible. He ran upstairs when we got home and when I went up he turned away from me :( I did preschool run at 11.30 and he bounded up to say hello when we got home so I think I'm forgiven!!

Poor Peanut. My Wheaten absolutely hated having her claws clipped. When you think they tests pups for pain response by squeezing their toes it makes you realise how sensitive some dogs feet must be.

It's a real pain, because the best way to get them so you can keep them short is to take off a sliver each week. That makes the quick shrink back so you can keep them short. If their claws are long for a long time, the quick will be nearer the tip and frustratingly that makes it more likely you'll nick and hurt them.

Lurcherboy has almost half his claws that are jet black and really touch. I hate doing his, but do it weekly now for the above reason. Pip has almost transluscent nails which makes it so much easier and of course having had him since he was little, he got used to it very young and doesn't bat an eyelid when we do them now.