Picking Up After Our Dogs

should be every dog owner's mantra. Not only is it a part of being a responsible pet owner, it is also showing respect to our neighbor's/other people's property, it prevents the spread of worm infections to dogs and kids and just keeps the environment a lot cleaner for everyone. These bags are supposedly (well, the package claims) biodegradable bags neatly rolled into individual sets like these so you can pop one into the canister and attach it to your leash or just grab one & put it in your pocket before your walk (with the dog ;) )...pretty neat, huh!

Feeling safe

and secure with your leash is very important. In the case of greyhounds (which are sighthounds), their lives depend on it. Last December, I had several unclipping incidents from a well-known leash brand (despite the leashes being relatively new ). So I attached a second clip using a plastic tie. A friend recommended a key ring instead to attach the second clip so our leashes. Note that the leashes are rather new (the leash company replaced my defective leashes but despite that, I had 2 unclipping incidents just recently). This way, I can be less worried that my dogs will just get unleashed, suddenly bolt, get lost and get into an accident.

Reality Check

Having 2 adorable pups (a 68 lb and a 73 lb) is life altering, in good terms, of course. They bring us so much unconditional love & loyalty and feel-good moments. But like anything else, dog ownership requires work & dedication and it's not all peachy all the time...


:) They are so excited to see us anytime of the day. Hanna chatters and Louie snaps with tail wagging.

:) All they have to do is look cute and all hardwork in keeping them is forgotten.

:) As long as we bring them out for their "bathroom walks" and leisure walks, we're fine. We don't have to play frisbee or drool-soaked balls all day long. Though, they appreciate fetching a ball and getting treats for it for around 5 minutes.

:) We take them for walks and people mostly admire how sleek and regal they look. Kids and people not familiar with the breed are amazed at how thin and big they are.

:0 Having to go out for walks in snow, sleet, rain, or heat or even on bad allergy day--thank God for Cetirizine!

:0 Having to pick-up poops and clean accidents.

:0 Having to wake -up at a decent hour because we have 2 wet noses poking our faces & feet.

:0 Having to smell their gassy emissions every now & then...

:0 Having to yell occassionally when they decided to make a racetrack out of our living room or decide that it's time to play with the cats.

:( Having to deal with a sick pup when their digestive systems are not doing well.

:( Having to poke Hanna's butt and express her anal glands every month or so.

:( Having to deal with injuries because I forgot to clip their nails before I allowed them to run on hard snow.

:( Almost suffering a heart attack when the leash unclipped and suddenly, my grey is running in the opposite direction.

:( Going away on trips and vacations and leaving my babies behind (with friends or sitters, of course).

Raincoats

Husband bought these really nice and very good raincoats for Hanna & Louie. There is ample coverage. The lady who made these used quality water-resistant fabrics and unlike raincoats with velcro fasteners, ours have buckles. She even added reflective strips for easy visibility during rainy nights. Louie looks like Astroboy!

I bought a cheap raincoat (before we found these new ones) from one of the online pet stores for $14 and I got my money's worth. It was a very poor quality raincoat and it really "stunked" & reeked of that vinyl smell (which is not good for our health) for months. I threw it away.

Next Post

I am thinking of writing about the "tools of the trade"--instruments/stuff that make dog caring easier. Some items you only hear from other greyhound owners, others you only see from catalogs...or eBay and Amazon. That'll be my next post. So other greyhound owners can also have an easier time caring for their 45mph couch potatoes!

Neat Collars

Husband bought cotton collars for Hanna & Louie. He read somewhere that cotton collars are more hound neck (skin)-friendly than nylon. I just think they are adorable! We got them from a lady from Washington who makes custom-made collars.

Sentinel

Our vet warned us that they've been seeing many cases of worm infections locally. I have both hounds on Sentinel. I also practice paw wiping after each walk. If I can Saran-wrap both hounds before walks, believe me I'd do it--just to protect them from all nasty bugs and worms lurking all over.

Hookworm eggs are everywhere. They thrive in moist conditions (moist soil, grass, sand) especially. So it really frustrates me when I see poops left behind by some dog owners.

Hanna's New Nail

That's Hanna's new nail, 2 months after she lost her toenail (long nails and running on ice don't go together, now we know!).

When to get a second dog/grey

They say, it is better to get a second dog as soon as the first dog/grey gets settled in so the acceptance-bonding phase for these dogs will be easier and faster. Some say, take your time, when you're ready, you'll know it...

We got our Hanna September 9th, 2007. We got our second grey February 9th, 2008. Just 5 months apart and it worked perfectly for us.

A second grey in our household was a remote idea until my dear husby asked me Christmas Day 07 what I think of a second grey since Hanna is obviously happier when she sees her good grey friend, T. I knew my husby was seriously thinking about it and it also appealed to my common (but sometimes, too practical) sense--greyhounds are pack animals, they've always been with other greys and although Hanna is happy with us, she'd be happier if she has a brother or a sister, especially when I start working again...Several minutes later, we got an update call from our friends (who were babysitting Hanna for Christmas, we went out of town to visit family out west and we can only entrust our baby to our friends who also have greys). Apparently, she was having a blast spending Christmas with her other good grey friends, C & P, and her foster parents, K & J. Talks of a second grey came and next thing I know, we were applying for fostering a straight from the track grey.

Time flew fast and by first week of February, we learned we were already "profiled" and we are fostering a boy. We specified, low energy, cat-safe, not too dominant either male or female...we were both excited for Hanna...

Fostering is a good way to get to know (and of course help the greyhounds adjust from kennel life to pet life) your potential adoptee. The adoption group worked hard to match a family with the right grey but sometimes, it just doesn't work out.

Morning of Feb 9, we waited for the adoption ladies and their 3 newly received greys...fresh from the Florida track...one of the ladies, a good friend of ours, informed us earlier that our "rent-to-own" boy is a fawn and his track name is quite long so somebody suggested naming him Louie...We really didn't care about the color or gender--as long as he/she is catsafe and Hanna will like him/her...Then we saw him, all 67 lbs (in a frame that should be weighing 75 lbs)of him--oh, I don't believe in love at first sight but--I know he is ours...He is big, nervous, hungry and tired but very handsome (George Clooney handsome)...

Welcome home, Louie!

Pics to follow

My camera has been "on loan" to my husby who had a long business trip (out in Asia) so I haven't been able to upload pics here so I will do it as soon as I get my camera back.... ;0