Greyhounds4me Ezine  

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Published twice a month, the greyhounds4me ezine includes:-

Ask a Greyhound Vet with Richard Torr MRCVS BvetMed of Caninesports, Shepshed, Leicestershire UK. End of month issue

Dog Behaviour with Pennie Clayton, of Horse and Hound School, a dog behaviour consultant, Bowen therapist and horse trainer. Mid month issue

Articles, features, interviews, recipes, special offers all relating to greyhounds and greyhound owners

Mid March Issue

Canine Behaviour with Pennie Clayton of Horse and Hound School

Pennie Clayton runs "Horse and Hound School" and is a dog behaviour consultant,
Bowen therapist and trains horses. She owns greyhounds and lurchers and is very
familiar with day to day problems with rescue dogs and rehabilitating rescue dogs. She is available for behaviour advice, training and problem solving for all types of dogs. Contact details :Email info@horseandhoundschool.co.uk or on 07910 720961

Riley - mad, bad or just playing?

About a month ago I was contacted by Riley’s owner. Riley is a greyhound and was rehomed by his present owners in January 2010.

Riley was settling in well and all was pretty perfect and ticking along nicely. The summer arrived and his owners decided to install a new kitchen. One day while this was being finished Viki (Riley’s mum) asked her father to go to the house to do something. Her father (who had a very good relationship with Riley), had a key and let himself into the house. Viki’s father reported that something strange had happened, Riley had jumped up and tried to get at his face.

Viki was quite concerned but couldn’t come up with any reasons for this and wasn’t quite sure that her father’s story was exactly right. There were no further problems of this nature so she put her concerns to one side and tried not to become worried about her lovely dog’s odd behaviour that day.

All continued well until early December. An evening out was planned and everyone had decided to meet at Viki’s house before they went out for the evening. Riley was present but in another room and Viki was in the kitchen, one of her friends went into the other room to relax and wait and say hello to Riley. There was a yell and when Viki went to see the cause of the outburst her friend was clutching his face and was in a lot of pain- Riley had jumped up and had caught her friends eye with his teeth (although there weren’t any noticeable marks on his face).

Viki was flabbergasted and very distressed and her friend had to be rushed to hospital. He said that there had been no provocation on his part and that Riley had just pounced. His injury (a scratched cornea) appeared very serious and he had ultimately to go to Moorefield’s eye hospital for treatment.

Not only were Viki and her partner very upset but they felt responsible for their friend and they were concerned, disturbed and very perplexed about Riley’s behaviour as they had never seen him display this kind of behaviour. This was obviously a very serious problem and something had to be done but they were dismayed as Riley was truly such an adorable dog.

Viki contacted me for any insights or thoughts that I might have. I normally like to visit clients when they have problems with their dogs, but as Viki lives in Oxfordshire, and I live in Kent this was not particularly viable, so we did a consultation over the phone. The reason I like to go to people’s houses is that the set up of a house can tell me so much about the lifestyle of people and their dogs, and it lets me see where the dog sleeps and this can give me vital information; but clearly this was not possible. However, Viki did a great job of telling the story giving me good details and didn’t hide anything, (which people often do as they don’t like to as they often feel so responsible for particular problems) her relaying of information though was so good that that it really didn’t matter.

We pieced together the story bit by bit and as Viki hadn’t witnessed either incident this part was hearsay, but the actual incidents became clearer and it was possible to put the puzzle together and the incidents started to make some sense to both of us, and traceable to particular things that happened during Riley’s day.

We discussed Riley’s routine in some detail and we found the following item of interest. Whenever Viki returned from work or from being out she has an unvarying routine- she comes in and pays very little attention to Riley apart from brief greetings, because she always has a million tasks to do- but her partner’s homecoming was totally different. Riley and he had a play time when he came in. They would roughhouse a bit and Riley would tear around and have a wonderful time rushing around and diving about with toys and yes he jumped up. He had never jumped up on Viki and neither had she ever invited it, but Viki’s partner had invited and enjoyed this interaction from the time they had taken Riley home.What I assume Riley had started to believe was that men were fun, they loved a game and being a young dog he loves to play. The one thing about play is it can cause over stimulation
and dogs do not always think straight when they are careering around this is especially true of younger dogs. Riley believed that men would always appreciate greeting when they came into the house, and not only did they indicate fun they also liked him jumping up to their faces. This fact was all very well when it is instigated it and people are ready for it, but it is another thing when they were uninformed of the Riley greeting procedure.....hence forth the routine of jumping up. Riley was not aware of his strength or how quick his reactions are and how slow we are! So the incidents were the result of Riley’s belief that all men enjoy fun and games as much as he did.

Viki, I am sure, will forgive me for saying that it was her partner’s behaviour that we had to reform rather than her dog’s! We decided it was best to implement a “no playing policy” when coming into the house and they also had a dog gate ready for Christmas visitors. This, I have to say, was not needed, although Christmas was very close at that point. Riley’s behaviour altered so much in only a few weeks, he had already learned to be calmer and Viki and her partner started to do some mental stimulation with him instead of boisterous play and took him on quiet walks in the snowy countryside, and he has to this point been a more informed and reformed dog. The friend’s eye has recovered and has completely healed. This is a salutary story which says it pays to stay calm as you come into the house, and to spend other ways of bonding with your dog-rough play is not king! More pertinently and most important this lovely dog has proved not to be aggressive or a danger to anybody.

Reginald Barker's Blogspot

Reggie is a retired racer who lives in Coalville with Robbie, Mikey and Vera

Sunday - Mommy went to the dog food shop to stock up on our meat and get a fresh supply of my glucosamine medicine for my doggy sciatica. Shock horror! They don’t stock my normal brand at the shop that opens on Sundays so Mommy has to look around for something else that is similar. I am so pleased she did ‘cos the new Vet’s Kitchen Active Joints is really yummy and tastes just like chicken gravy! I wrote to Joe Inglis, the inventor of Vet’s Kitchen to tell him it was great and here is his reply with a special discount for all my friends:

Thanks for your email, Reggie and I’m glad to hear that you are trying our Active Joints supplement – I hope you are getting on well with it.

We would love to help out with an offer for your forum and could offer everyone 20% off their first purchase from our website www.vetskitchen.co.uk which could include the supplement and our food – if they use the voucher code G4M20 at the checkout this will give them 20% off. The supplement is also available in Sainsbury’s and Boots so if you could highlight this on your forum that would be great.

Best wishes,

Joe

Joe Inglis

Veterinary Surgeon, Pets’ Kitchen Ltd

Readers Write

Kris Owen, Author of A La Bark Baking published by Troubador Books

Recipe book of dog treats, available on Amazon – follow this link

I am delighted that my book is being featured - 100% of the profit made from book sales is donated to greyhound and lurcher rescue - and any rescue/ rehoming group can buy them at cost to sell and make money for their cause www.alabarkbaking.co.uk Books can be bought through many charities or direct
from me via the web site. If any charity wishes to stock some - email me on this
email address and I can send the discount details kris@alabarkbaking.com

Hugs to you and your hounds x
Kris

Recipe Competition

A La Bark Baking - This is an example from the book

Chester’s Cheesy Chomps

Light, golden biscuits.

The dough is so easy to work with you can make double batches and freeze some of the biscuits for later.

• ½ cup (60g) wholemeal flour
• 1 cup (100g) oats
• 1 ¼ cup (100g) grated cheese (preferably cheddar)
• ½ cup (50g) grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ - ¾ cup (100-150ml) water.

Pre heat oven to 180C, 350F, gas mark 5
Cover a baking tray with baking paper.
Mix all of the ingredients except oil and water together in a large mixing bowl.
Add the oil and stir with a large spoon.
Add sufficient water to make the dough stick into one ball.
Place onto floured surface and roll out gently with floured rolling pin.
Aim to have your dough about ¼ - ½ inch thick.
Cut with a cookie cutter and place onto the baking tray.
Cook in centre of oven 25 -30 minutes or until they start to turn slightly golden.
Makes about 24 middle sized biscuits.

Store in airtight container and they may keep weeks, but they will probably be gobbled up long before then.

(If you have a good sized food processor – chop your cheese then add all other dry
ingredients. Pulse the processor and add the oil and water slowly. Stop as soon as the dough sticks into one ball. Roll out and cook as normal. Biscuits made in the processor have a smoother consistency as the oats will have been chopped but they still taste great.)

Chester, a special gentleman and sponsor dog from
Greyhound Rescue West of England.
www.grwe.com

Free to enter competition
If you would like to win a CD copy of the Great Greyhound eBook .....

... all you have to do is email your Greyhound’s favourite recipe to me at
valcharman@greyhounds4me.co.uk

Put Recipe Competition in the header of your email and if your recipe is featured you will receive a CD copy of the Great Greyhound Book. Please be sure to include your postal address for your prize to be sent to you

Fundraising – Easily raise funds for your charity!

The Great Greyhound Book affiliate programme

Our Affiliate Program offers a unique way for anyone to raise money for their own
Greyhound Charity, Club or Group. For every Great Greyhound downloadable eBook you sell via your own unique affiliate link or ID, you will earn £5 commission that will be paid directly to you via PayPal.

There's no cost to join our affiliate program and you can start raising money in just a few seconds, and you will be paid for every sale you send our way! Simply create your account, place your linking code into your website and watch your account balance grow as your visitors become our customers.

Join now!

Visit http://www.thegreatgreyhoundbook.co.uk/affiliates/

February Feature

The Great Greyhound Gathering has announced the date for this year’s GGG at
Nottingham Racecourse, Colwick Park, Notts NG2 4BE

Saturday 17th September 2011

There will something there for every member of the family (and especially our four
legged friends) to enjoy, with trade stands, lunchtime entertainment, and of course
our ever popular dog show.

GGG 2011 is again being co-ordinated by Kim Holmes from Worcester RGT, and if
you need any more information, contact Kim on 0787 968 6563 or Email: greyhounds@retiredgreyhounds.co.uk

Greyhounds4me will be there with greyhound coats, snoods, knitted Rainbow
Hounds and knitting pattern books and Dog O’Nine Tails will be next door with Lisa
selling a huge range of fantastic greyhound collars. Last year was a fantastic outing!

   

Some pics from GGG 2010 – a great time was had by all !!

Classified Ads

Earn money from your knitted items! If you have been trying out the knitting patterns and would like to sell your finished items get in touch as I will purchase them to stock up the Greyhounds4me stall for the Great Greyhound Gathering at Notts Racecourse on September 17th 2011 valcharman@greyhounds4me.co.uk

 

Dog Walking and Doggy Daycare. Experienced lady offers dog walking in Wigston, Oadby, Glen Parva, Blaby, Countesthorpe, South Wigston and Aylestone. Areas slightly further out for dog sitting. Doggy Daycare in Wigston, dogs need to be good with other and smaller dogs. Affordable rates. All dogs must be covered by Pet Insurance for third party liability. Please phone for a quote 07725 911981

                                                                          raise funds for 10 Independent
                                                                          Greyhound Rehoming Charities
                                                                                Now available on CD
                                                                                Click HERE for details

 

 

End February Issue

Ask A Greyhound Vet with Richard Torr MRCVS BvetMed

Unfortunately Richard is away this week and unable to write his column.

Instead we have an article taken from GPA Salt Lake about adopting retired Greyhounds.

Find out more about them at their website www.gpasaltlake.org

THINGS THEY ALREADY KNOW…
AND THINGS YOU’LL NEED TO SHOW

This is one of the neatest aspects of adopting a retired racer! When your greyhound first gets to you, it will be sort of like bringing a puppy home in some ways. He will be curious about everything around him and everything that you do. He will have never seen things like mirrors, windows, stairs, slick floors, and household appliances before. You will have lots of laughs as you watch him cock his head to the side and stare in awe at that gorgeous greyhound looking back at him from the oven door, or as he trots up to the TV with his tail wagging, wanting to play with that strange barking dog in the box. The first few times he sees another animal besides a greyhound, you’ll swear that he thinks the aliens have landed. He’ll probably be your shadow, following you everywhere and looking to you to show him all around his new world.

On the other hand, there will be plenty of things your greyhound has had lots
of experience with. Walking on lead should be a breeze, although he won’t be
used to walking long distances. Greyhounds are kennel trained in their racing
environments, which makes housetraining a snap as long as it’s done properly.
They are used to being handled and will usually remain surprisingly calm and still
while being bathed, groomed, or at the vet’s office. Most greyhounds do very well
in crates if you prefer to use one. Many see the crate as a “safe haven”. Others
don’t like it one bit. One reason for this could be that the crates we buy at the store
are much smaller than the crates greyhounds are used to at the racing kennel.

A racing greyhound has essentially never been alone his entire life. Greyhounds live in the company of many other greyhounds continuously while at the racing kennel and, before that, at the farm. For this reason it is important to teach your greyhound that it’s ok to be alone. He needs to learn that when you leave, you will return. Some greyhounds experience some fear or anxiety at first, but by taking some simple steps in the first days and weeks you can help ease those feelings. Start the very first day you bring him home. After he has settled in somewhat, put him in his crate or leave him alone in a room and walk away for just a minute or two. After doing this a few times, try leaving him alone in the house while you walk to the mailbox or take the garbage out. The next day, try leaving him alone while you go to the store for milk or to the gas station to fill up your tank. Slowly increase the amount of time you leave your hound alone. Pretty soon he will realize that he is not being abandoned and that you will always come back. To aid in alone training, follow these words of advice:

• Don’t make a big deal when you leave. No big hugs goodbye, no dramatic
  farewells.
   
• Try giving your greyhound a Kong toy with some treats in it every time you leave. When you get back, take the Kong and put it away. Not only will this help to keep your dog occupied while you’re gone, but he might even look forward to his alone time!
   
• If you don’t see any signs of bad behavior while he was alone, make sure to reward him with lots of extra affection and happy talk when you get back. If he did do something destructive or had an accident in the house while you were absent, punishing him for it after the fact won’t do much good and may in fact increase his anxiety or destructive behavior.

These first days are a wonderful stage for learning and bonding with each other. It is also the best time to show your greyhound what kinds of things are allowed and what kinds of things aren’t. Praise is the best and most effective way to show your hound he is doing something that’s ok. Greyhounds are very sensitive and will respond to your tone of voice. Never, ever punish your hound by hitting or slapping him. The “happy voice” goes a long way, and a firm “no” is usually all it takes to teach a greyhound that what they are doing is not acceptable. In more urgent situations, a quick tug on the leash will usually do the trick. Greyhounds are very intelligent dogs and want to please you, and in most cases it takes only one correction and he won’t try that behavior again.

A good idea is to keep your hound on lead in the house for the first few days. You’ll be able to stay close to him and keep your eye on him. Let him explore, show him his toys and bed, talk talk talk to him all the time in a tone that says you’re HAPPY! Take him outside to “do his business” every few hours, and if he tries to go in the house stop him in the act with a firm “no!” and take him straight outside. Stay outside till he goes again, even if it’s 20 minutes. It’s very important for him to learn that he’s not in trouble for relieving himself; he’s in trouble for relieving himself in the house.

Greyhounds are quite easy to train. Since they are kennel trained during their racing life, it’s easy for most to become completely housetrained with very few, if any, hardships for their new family. Once a greyhound learns that the whole house is now his “kennel”, he won’t want to relieve himself there. Greyhounds respond best to training when they are rewarded for correct behavior rather than being punished for what they did wrong. The best way to avoid bad behavior is to take away the temptation…don’t leave food out within reach, put a secure lid on the garbage can, don’t feed him bites of what you’re eating. If there is no reward in doing something, your greyhound won’t do it. Patience and diligence on your part will ensure a successful transition for your hound.

Reginald Barker's Blogspot & Caption Contest

Reggie is a retired racer who lives in Coalville with Robbie, Mikey and Vera

Saturday Mommy was recruiting for photographic models again and I was chosen to show off her latest creation for ebay. This is the pic That didn’t make it to the listing.

 

Caption Contest – A Greyhound coat knitting pattern will be emailed to the person
sending the best caption before closing date Friday 11th March. Email your caption
to: valcharman@greyhounds4me.co.uk

Recipe Competition

"Green with Envy" No-Cook Doggie Stew

By: Andrew Kaplan

From: Pet Friendly

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup cooked broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup cooked rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded and meat coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (Reggie’s favourite!)

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients and serve.

****************************************************************

Free to enter competition

If you would like to win a CD copy of the Great Greyhound eBook .....

... all you have to do is email your Greyhound’s favourite recipe to me at
valcharman@greyhounds4me.co.uk

Put Recipe Competition in the header of your email and if your recipe is featured you will receive a CD copy of the Great Greyhound Book. Please be sure to include your postal address for your prize to be sent to you!

Fundraising

Coming soon! the exciting new affiliate programme which will enable everyone to raise funds for their favourite rehoming charities and shelters.

**********************

The Greyhounds4me auction held on the forum during February raised £250
towards the cost of Ted’s operation. Ted was rehomed by Portsmouth RGT and

unfortunately broke a leg in the garden of his new home. Being an older dog his
owner had been unable to obtain insurance and had to bear the full cost of the
surgery. Grateful thanks to everyone who took part in the auction to raise the much
appreciated funds.

February Feature

Dash – Bitch of the Year By Andrew Dilger

Dash: Bitch of the Year - Buy Now From Amazon

How Dash the greyhound wrecked my home but made my marriage wonderful By
Andrew Dilger

Dash was standing panting feverishly on the table. It was 2am. We’d been dog
owners for less than 24 hours and our new pet, a retired racing greyhound, had
caused devastation in our conservatory. The door was scratched, the chair-backs
gnawed, a plant pot smashed to pieces and an electric flex bitten in half.

Dirt was strewn all over the floor. A standard lamp leant precariously against the
wall. The table and chair legs were covered in a rash of tooth marks, with several
chunks completely missing. The scratches on one side of the door looked like they’d
been made by a sabre-toothed tiger. Or a dinosaur. It took just an instant to take all
this in, as my eyes were so wide with horror and fear.

As a boy, I had always wanted a dog. Dogs were freedom, a passport to running
through the fields and staying out all day. They were friends, but also toys;
something you could mould into the perfect playmate, a feral bond with the outdoors
and what really mattered in life. Obedient and faithful from first to last. Tail going

like a windscreen wiper, tongue a pink strip, wet-nosed, bright-eyed — what boy
wouldn’t want such a force in his life?

But what about a 37-year-old man? And an ex-racing greyhound? Well, I was about
to find out.

It was Sarah, my girlfriend of two years, who’d first seen the poster for the
greyhound. It was Sarah who wanted to help me fulfil my boyhood dream to own a
dog.

The symbolism of taking on such a shared commitment wasn’t lost on me. We were
already living together, and now a dog and even — gulp — marriage. Not that I had
anything against marriage.

It’s just that I’d managed to reach the ripe age of 37 without it ever happening to me. But I was beginning to quite like the idea — especially the idea of getting married to
Sarah.

Sarah and I met when we both worked for Oxford University Press and it was on the
work notice board that Sarah spotted a handwritten poster seeking a home for an
injured racing greyhound.

As I read it, I got the kind of tingle you get when destiny calls. We’d already agreed
we wanted a pedigree dog, and a rescue one at that. The idea of rescuing rather
than buying a pet had a philanthropic feel.

It was also free — which was handy as I’d just left my job as an editor to work from
home as a freelance. We’d even thought of the name we’d call our dog: Dash.
Two days later, Peter, the security guard at the greyhound stadium who had written
the poster, was perched on our sofa showing us photos of Beautiful Energy — a jet-
black greyhound with a stripe of white on her chest like the freshly whitewashed line
of a football pitch.

Peter was her co-owner. He had watched her compete many times over the
years, but now her best racing days were behind her and she was in need of a
new home. ‘Bitch of the year,’ he said proudly. ‘I’ve got the silver plate at home. I
should’ve brought it.’

When we next saw Peter, it was trackside with the dog — or rather, the bitch, as he
insisted on calling her. Beautiful Energy was much longer than either Sarah or I had
guessed from the photos.

As if to show she could do ‘tall’ too, she promptly rose up on her hind legs and rested
her front paws on my chest. Quite a greeting — if she’d tried it with someone shorter, she would have knocked them over like a skittle.

But as we walked her around ‘to get the feel of her’, as Peter put it, I found myself
asking ‘Well then, madam. Are you our Dash?’ and as I did so, her smile widened
into a grin and her brown eyes blazed.

Leading up the aisle: Dash acted as ringbearer at Emma and Andrew's wedding
She then nudged her nose into my hand and licked it delicately, as if licking a stamp.
We made our final decision to keep her later that evening over dinner, and I rang
Peter the following morning to say yes, we’d like to take the champion greyhound off
his hands. Her track days were over; the adventure had begun.

The first challenge came sooner than I thought. I’d decided she would be comfiest
lying on the back seat of my Ford Ka for the journey home; but when I said ‘sit’
and ‘lie down’ she gave me a blank look and stood bolt upright, her head touching
the roof.

I thought she was bound to settle down once we were under way, but as I took the
first left turn, I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw her slide over to the right. After a series of little prancing movements, she regained her footing.

Then, when we stopped at the lights, I felt a paw on my shoulder. Dash was panting
and her tongue lolled out. The rest of the journey continued in the same haphazard
fashion as I monitored her progress in the mirror like an anxious parent.

For the rest of that first afternoon, it was like I had a canine shadow. If I made a cup
of tea, Dash stood and watched; if I went into the lounge and sat down, she followed.

Later, when Sarah and I started to make dinner, Dash stood on her hind legs with
her front paws resting on the worktop, nosing the ingredients and vacuuming up
scraps that dropped to the floor……………

Buy it now from Amazon

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Mid February Issue

Canine Behaviour with Pennie Clayton of Horse and Hound School

Pennie Clayton runs "Horse and Hound School" and is a dog behaviour consultant, Bowen therapist and trains horses. She owns greyhounds and lurchers and is very familiar with day to day problems with rescue dogs and rehabilitating rescue dogs. She is available for behaviour advice, training and problem solving for all types of dogs.

Contact details :Email info@horseandhoundschool.co.uk or on 07910 720961.

Aggression in dogs

Social aggression (dog-dog/dog-people), food aggression, toy and play aggression, sleep aggression.

Oh our poor dogs! They get lots of labels fixed to them and aggression in dogs is often featured in the media so it is a highly charged topic.

All the above “aggressions” get talked and pondered about whenever our dogs relent to using their voices and do something weird or unexpected. Over the last 2 months we have looked at calming signals, so it seemed logical to look a little at this subject.

Aggression can be very real and very dangerous, and it can also be an instinctive and defensive behaviour sparked by the flight or fight reflex. There are very few cases that are truly life threatening to either a dog or another person when you think how many dogs there are in the country and how many dogs we are in close proximity to on a regular basis.

For instance we all know that our greyhounds have the potential to kill (usually small fluffy animals and dogs) but we are also aware, especially when they have raced, that there are times when we have an almost loaded gun on the end of a lead.

This is not “aggression”, we are seeing a predatory behaviour which is honed and instilled into our dogs by genetics and training. The result may be similar if we are very careless - a dead animal that was targeted by a greyhound need never occur if we are aware of when our dogs should be kept on leads and/or muzzled; at least until their behaviour changes and their instincts become almost “dulled” and our greyhounds are truly socialised to other breeds. Each greyhound is different but a careful owner will work to rehabilitate and reform these trigger instincts.

Aggression like many other problems can be bought on by stress. Stress produces hormones that accelerate particular responses including aggressive/defensive behaviours. Often stress is a result of lack of proper rest and sleep. It is very important that you observe your dog so you become familiar with his normal behaviour patterns so you can track any changes.

Stress can also be the result of aches and pain, changes to lifestyle (either your dog’s or yours) lack of food, or too much food, firework night, Christmas, holidays, offensive fragrances and smells; yes your dog can become ill and stressed if subjected to powerful scents from household plug in perfumes and car air fresheners. I know the smell of lilies is unbearable to me, and it gives me a headache - so how much worse would a synthetic or powerful perfumed smell seem to your dog’s very sensitive nose?

Why I am making these points id because I would like you to look at the reasons behind so called aggression in our dogs. It has become a very popular label for dogs.

Dog-dog aggression
Scenario - your dog lunges and barks and tries to bite another dog. Have you ignored his discomfort when you see other dogs and forced him to meet dogs he would otherwise choose to ignore? Or has he, in the past, been attacked by another dog?

Either scenario will start to produce defensive behaviours that look very aggressive, but they are meant to be! Your dog is doing his best to keep the other dog away. Remember that our dogs are ultimately very social creatures and do not choose to shun the company of either us or other dogs so there will always be a good reason for any very vocal or loud barking.

Dog-person aggression
Scenario – dog tries to bite or actually does succeed in biting someone. Dogs do not instinctively like every person they meet (and neither do we). Forcing a dog to say hello to someone he is backing off of and who they instinctively distrust should not be practiced; and this practice is not going to result in an outgoing social dog that is happy to smile politely and approach every person he meets. This practice may actually make him aggressive and defensive. In fact I find that many dogs distrust me, it may be that I smell funny (often a weird mix of dog and horse smells!) and I often venture into their houses as a stranger, and a stranger that often their owners are a little unsure of too. (I have to say I never dress like Victoria Stilwell though, god forbid, that would be scary!!). In fact this is a good point as many dogs are frightened of people in hats, uniforms or people who have walking sticks; the list could be endless, your dog is not colour prejudiced he is startled!

If a dog backs off from someone they should be allowed to make that choice, they are far more likely to relax if they are able to make their own choices. It is relatively easy to formulate a plan for this dog and to explore possibilities to help him feel more secure and confident around (strange) people.

Toy and food aggression
Taking something away from a dog, particularly something that he sees as a valuable resource will often provoke a strong reaction from many dogs. I would be pretty cross too if someone took a book away from me if I was reading, or took my dinner away when I was eating. Taking resources away from dogs, especially rescue dogs, will very often prompt a strong reaction. These dogs may have had to fight for resources in the past. Even dogs that have been bought up in the same home from puppies can have a very strong opinion about things being taken away. If your dog is reactive in these types of situations leave him alone.

If you are worried about your dog’s behaviour around children, do not give him a high resource item when they are around, and teach children to respect the dogs around them. Always give your dog a quiet place to retire to if there are children around too. Do your best to help your dog, and do not try to prove that you are boss in your house - he already knows this and does not need continual reminders, he is not vying to take over the world - why would he???

If you insist on bombarding him with demands and taking things away he can become more reactive, defensive and then aggression may well kick in. Alternatively he can become “shut down”. Shutting down is a name given to a dog who becomes almost blank and non-reactive in what he perceives are stressful situations, and it is not a good place for a dog to be. This would make a good topic in itself for the future.

Sleep aggression
Ok, so why would you march up to your dog and plonk yourself down next to him when he is sparko? How would you react? I would certainly jump and may well be a bit cross if I was woken up abruptly, why should our dogs be any different?
Respect your dog’s space when he is fast asleep and do not try to wake him up by patting him. If you really need to wake him wave a piece of sausage under his nose...the reason for this is that his sense of smell is the one thing that does not close down when your dog is asleep. (You don’t need me to tell you this; it is something you already know!!!)

This is not an extensive article but I hope it has given you some food for thought; I am definitely not saying that aggression does not exist in dogs, but when it is found it may well be caused by many factors including stress, lack of choice and security.
The way that stress works is to promote and elevate the flight or fight instinct and this is a “dog of another colour”. Stress issues and triggers should be detected and resolved before anything else is done. Most dogs that snap are not aggressive and have many reasons why they react as they do.

 

Reginald Barker's Blogspot

Reggie is a retired racer who lives in Coalville with Robbie, Mikey and Vera

Tuesday was my 11th birthday. I had birthday cake which I very kindly shared with everyone and we all had tripe sticks and dried liver at snack time. Mommy bought me a wonderful memory foam dog bed that is huge! Here is a photo of me snuggling down in it with my fave duvet.

Danish Design Pet Lounger Dog Bed Black (Large)
Available Now at Amazon.co.uk

Readers Write

Today Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust are rehoming Bolly Mactaz (Pob) to his new home near Grimsby and he will become the 900th different greyhound to be rehomed by LGT.

Many on here have helped in different ways and some of you have some of the 900, but it really has become an excellent team effort and one all those who have contributed to should be very proud of.

Kev Stow, Director, Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust

Competition

Congratulations to Rachel Hopple of Ohio who wins a copy of the Great Greyhound eBook on CD for this lovely photo of Ellen in her favourite place to sleep, the tub.

Free to enter competition
If you would like to win a CD copy of the Great Greyhound eBook .....

... all you have to do is email an amusing photo of your Greyhound to me at valcharman@greyhounds4me.co.uk

Put Competition Entry in the header of your email and one lucky winner for every issue of the Greyhounds4me ezine will have their photo featured, winning a CD copy of the Great Greyhound Book

Fundraising

Coming soon! the exciting new affiliate programme which will enable everyone to raise funds for their favourite rehoming charities and shelters.

**********************

Debbie Buxcey of G4U rehoming charity writes………We are pleased to announce that our new candles are available for sale. Currently available in Orchid (pink) or Blackberry (purple). They are strongly scented and coloured all the way through. Each candle is unique in decoration. They are £5 + £2.50 p & p for 1 or £15 + £5.50 p & p for 4. Each candle weighs around 450g. They are all handmade by myself and I have to say mainly Pauline, who has put a huge amount of work into them. We are happy to post them out or you can collect from any forthcoming G4U event. I hope you like them!

  

You can place an order and find out about events by going to the facebook group http://www.facebook.com/Greyhounds4U

February Feature

Fishy Oaty Biscuits

200g cooked rice - cold
200g rolled oats
200g plain flour

3 tablespoons cod liver oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
Water

Mix dry ingredients together. Beat in egg, oils and enough water to make to a dropping consistency.

Spread mixture onto large baking sheet and bake for approx 45 mins at gas mark 7, 220 degrees C or 425 degrees F

When golden brown mark into squares and allow to cool. They freeze well so will last a while

Handy conversion chart for oven temperatures in gas marks, degrees F & degrees C

Classified Ads

End January Issue

Ask A Greyhound Vet with Richard Torr MRCVS BvetMed

Richard Torr of Canine Sports Ltd is a vet with a special interest in Greyhound Sporting Problems. Richard is happy to answer questions through the column but cannot enter into individual correspondence of directly comment on the work of other vets. Also advice given should not be considered an alternative to a proper examination with a qualified Vet. If you have a dog you wish him to see you can contact the Clinic on 01509 507080 but he is unable to give advice over the phone. His main area of interest is lameness but the clinic can deal with more routine work eg Dental. Canine Sports Ltd also supplies flea & worm products and joint supplements (www.caninesports.co.uk) and is proud to support Hathern Dog Rescue and The Retired Greyhound Trust.

This month Richard was asked about worming..........

I have heard it recommended to give wormer tablets to Greyhounds every 6 months. Is this really necessary? I dont like giving medications unless there is a real need and only worm my hounds if I actually see worms in their faeces. Can you advise please?

If your dog has been wormed as a puppy, never goes out, never sees other animals, never eats raw meat and lives in a hermetically sealed box then you don’t need to worm it!

For the rest of us Round Worms, tapeworms, hookworms & lung worms all affect greyhounds. Tapeworms are transmitted mainly by fleas (and these obviously jump between dogs) the flea larvae eat the tapeworm eggs and because the tapeworm then causes the flea when it eventually hatches to be “brain damaged” it moves slowly and this allows the dog to catch it and eat it hence completing the cycle. Dogs also pick up tape worms from eating mice, rabbits and other wild life some of these tapeworms, especially from eating raw or scavenged sheep can rarely be dangerous to Humans.

Round worms can be picked up more directly from eating dog faeces licking paws etc. It is very wrong to only treat dogs when you see worms, parasites like to live in their hosts and much like fleas if you can see worms then you have an infestation, some of the worms encyst in the dogs intestines and can travel throughout the dogs liver and lungs, most dogs are fine with this, after all a good parasite doesn`t kill its host but a worm burden will cause a small amount of blood loss, can decrease immunity and cause physical obstruction of the gut especially in puppies.

Good greyhound trainers will worm dogs every 3 months, if they see worms they are advised to worm and then repeat in 14 days, track dogs will often show a marked improvement in performance and this speaks for itself I think and it is worth remembering that greyhound trainers will not spend money if it is not necessary. Picking up dog faeces is also equally important.

Aside from the health benefits there is a wider social responsibility for Dog owners to worm their dogs so that other peoples dogs (especially puppies which can die from worm related obstructions) are not infected and also to reduced risk of transmission of worms to vulnerable Humans.

Some dogs (very few) may have adverse reaction to wormers but this is normally linked to giving them at the same time as vaccination, or that the dog is so badly infested with worms that when treated, the sudden death of many worms can cause an immune reaction which can make the dog ill, this is then often blamed on the wormer and used as an excuse not to worm again. This is unlikely to happen if you worm your dog a couple of days after a vaccine and then do it every three months in between. If you still suspect a wormer caused illness use a different type, your vet can advise but, in interest of fair play, please then consider buying your wormer from the vet rather than off the internet, as the website won`t be much help when your dog gets hit by a car at 4pm on a Sunday!

One last thing, if you do buy from the internet/back of van/boot fair make sure the drugs are UK licensed, and genuine, there are a lot of fakes out there, at best they do nothing, at worst they could make your dog very ill.

I will talk about hookworms and lung worms next time........................as lung worm seems to be causing a bit of panic recently don’t worry it is not as common as some may say and is easy to prevent

And remember that parasites are one of the few things that you will ever get for nothing, if you want help getting rid of them I may be able to do you a deal!

Regards

Richard Torr

Reginald Barker's Blogspot

Readers Write

Hi Val,

I just love your ezine! I especially love the recipes you include. For us "over the pond" folks, could you translate the temperature us use into degrees? I could probably look it up on line, but if you could include that in future recipes, it would help a lot. The puppers are looking forward to trying out some of the treats!!

Thanks again,

Pat
Derby, Kansas, USA

Val: Thanks for your lovely comments Pat, I have added the Farenheit temperature to the recipe in the last edition (scroll down the page to see it) and will make sure temps are in all formats for future recipes. Can't having our US friends missing out on their treats!

Competition

Put Competition Entry in the header of your email and one lucky winner for every issue of the Greyhounds4me ezine will have their photo featured, winning a CD copy of the Great Greyhound Book

Fundraising

Coming soon! the exciting new affiliate programme which will enable everyone to raise funds for their favourite rehoming charities and shelters.

January Feature

Huggyhoundz

Donna Allen writes about how it all started. "My husband gave me a sewing machine for christmas one year and it sat unloved and unused for so long that he told me if I didn't at least attempt something he'd 'ebay' it. "Make a dog" he said "goodness knows we've got enough lying around for you to draw around for a pattern!" so I sketched out a basic greyhound shape and made the first ever huggyhound from a clean dog blanket. I put it on ebay and amazingly it sold. So I made a couple more. and a couple more. and a few more. I raided my mother's blanket chest and made them from clean sheets, towels, quilt covers, even pillowcases. They proved so popular that we decided that we should have a website and my husband came up with the name. He maintains the site for me and the days of using my mother's spare sheets are long gone as I now produce them from fleece and fur fabrics as well as cottons to offer a wide range of colours and styles.

I never refuse to donate a huggy to any greyhound / lurcher charity or rescue who asks for them for fundraising purposes, and several charities use them as mascots when they go out on meet and greets or have street collections. In 2010 I started making hats and scarves with huggybobbles - greyhound heads on the top of the hat and on each end of the scarf, and even santa hats complete with a greyhound head huggybobble - and these have proved extremely popular.

I had a stall at the Great Greyhound Gathering in Nottingham for the first time last year and I'll be standing again in 2011 and also hope to be able to get to local greyhound charity events. I sell through my website and ebay. In 2010 I gave up my 'day job' in school administration to concentrate on my business full time and also to take care of my husband. I make huggyhoundz because I enjoy it, I like the way they look, and I have found a way of supporting and raising awareness of greyhounds in a small way through my work. I never stop being thrilled when people buy them - especially as many of my customers come back time after time, and every sale makes me as happy as that very first one, four years ago."

Visit Huggyhoundz at
http://www.huggyhoundz.co.uk/

Mid January Issue

Reginald Barker's Blogspot

Canine Behaviour with Pennie Clayton of Horse and Hound School

Pennie Clayton runs "Horse and Hound School" and is a dog behaviour consultant, Bowen therapist and trains horses. She owns greyhounds and lurchers and is very familiar with day to day problems with rescue dogs and rehabilitating rescue dogs. She is available for behaviour advice, training and problem solving for all types of dogs. Contact details :Email info@horseandhoundschool.co.uk or on 07910 720961

CALMING SIGNALS: AMBER AND RED ZONE
Last month we looked at what are often called green zone calming signals. These should be accepted as good and helpful and be encouraged and used regularly between dogs and in fact in dog/human interactions . We should learn to recognise them as they are a vital part of your dog’s life, and they are used to pacify and calm your dog and any dogs around him/her. Green zone are imperative and can be life savers. Calming signals are used to placate and diffuse tense situations with other dogs in a multitude of circumstances; they are also used to help relieve stressful situations that crop up with regularity.

Dogs recognise calming signals, no matter what breed or age they are, although adolescent dogs are often the exception and tend to ignore them; and to react to other dogs by being exuberant and a little bit “over the top”. But as they experience life, most dogs become wiser and learn to use and respect calming signals given by other dogs.

Green calming signals express a calm dog that is unwilling to get into a confrontation with another dog, they consist of many behaviours that attempt to reassure, diffuse and to put other dogs in the area at ease, and to inform others around them that they mean no harm and are not a threat.

The most familiar green calming signals are lip licking, yawning, freezing and curving around other dogs and are mostly given at a respectful distance. Humans often mess these intentions up by insisting that their dogs are “friendly “ to other dogs in the vicinity and assume that their dog should approach other dogs and “be friendly”. This is not something our dogs would necessarily choose to do, but usually our dogs are very tolerant and generally no harm comes from this kind of situation.

Problems will arise though if polite or green calming signals are completely ignored. This can cause an escalation, with signals/communication becoming more frantic and more visible. To us dozy humans the green zone signals are often misunderstood or missed. This means we are often very slow to realise things are getting out of hand.

AMBER SIGNALS
These indicate an escalation of a situation, and one that it is fast becoming confrontational. Bear in mind that dogs have the ability to react 5 times faster than us.

These amber signals consist of the lips being retracted, growling and lunging and indicate the possibility of attack and ultimately a bite, a dog’s hackles will also start to come up. Dogs may circle each other slowly, start to approach each other head on and stare at each other. Staring is very intimidating (to dogs) and this should be considered as a serious threat, as it is generally something any dog would rather avoid. Dogs may also use louder audible signals such as barking. The dog’s body will also have appeared to have visibly stiffened. He is now ready to attack-but even at this point things can be resolved, and if the “challenger” walks away or turns his back things may well be diffused.


RED ZONE
This is generally where we wake up, albeit much too late! The dogs are now likely to have locked eyes; the time for backing down and peaceful solutions has now passed. This last zone indicates incredibly loud and fast actions like snapping, lunging and biting. When dogs are termed “aggressive” they have started to bypass the use of green zone signals and often just jump straight into using this red zone. This is not a good place for a dog to be, and very often it is caused by humans telling their dogs off for grumbling and growling. To dogs this indicates that it is wrong to use warning signals, especially if they are punished for barking or grumbling at other dogs. This is why you should never discourage your dog from barking by yelling at him, and telling him off. By doing this you will actively be encouraging your dog from being polite and using his diplomatic skills, barking and growling are warnings but they do not in themselves indicate “aggression”. No it is not nice when your dog barks and lunges at another dog, but please look at the situation he is in. If he feels uncomfortable or threatened by another dog, or by being in the presence of certain people while in a busy environment pay attention to him and take him away. Training your dog by insisting that he has to “meet” every dog he sees, or by insisting he copes with incorrect socialisation is short sighted and can cause many problems.

The lesson for us humans is to learn how good dogs are at communicating, and to allow our dogs to use their own efficient language. Please think before you prevent your dog using calming signals, and learn to assess any situation you put him in.

Readers Write

Congratulations to Tumeria who won the KONG prize draw in the Great Greyhound Book. Tumeria writes..............

Many thanks to KONG for the gift basket, Isis has been enjoying her treats and toys.
Tumeria

Fundraising

Coming soon! the exciting new affiliate programme which will enable everyone to raise funds for their favourite rehoming charities and shelters.


Announcement.  I am very pleased to announce that today Greyhounds4me has been able to donate a total of £524.30 to the 10 rehoming Charities supported by the Great Greyhound Book.

Debbie at Greyhounds 4 U said "Thank you so much. That will help buy some candle making supplies – my new fund raising venture for G4U!"

So glad we have been able to help and thank you to everyone who has bought the book so far.

January Feature

Liver Cookie Recipe

Heat the oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4/350F

Ingredients:-

• 6 oz of rolled (porridge) oats
• 2 oz of plain or wholemeal flour
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 2 oz butter or margarine
• 2 free range eggs
• 1 small packet of lamb's liver (250g approx.) cooked and
chopped.


Method:-

1. Bake or fry the liver in a little vegetable oil until well cooked.
Leave to cool then chop finely in food processor.
2. Mix the oats and the flour together then add the salt and baking
powder. Mix well.
3. Melt the butter or margarine and add to mixture, Mix well.
4. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture, Mix well.
5. Finally add the chopped liver a little at a time to make sure it's
evenly distributed, and mix well.

Shape a tablespoon of the mixture for each cookie and place them on
an oiled baking sheet (or cheat and use baking paper!) and
place in the oven at 180c/Gas Mk4 for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown
and no longer soft to touch.
Transfer onto rack and leave to cool - somewhere the hounds
can't get them! You can keep them for up to a week in a cool dark
place.

End December Issue

Reginald Barker's Blogspot

Ask A Greyhound Vet with Richard Torr MRCVS BvetMed

Richard Torr of Canine Sports Ltd is a vet with a special interest in Greyhound Sporting Problems. Richard is happy to answer questions through the column but cannot enter into individual correspondence of directly comment on the work of other vets. Also advice given should not be considered an alternative to a proper examination with a qualified Vet. If you have a dog you wish him to see you can contact the Clinic on 01509 507080 but he is unable to give advice over the phone. His main area of interest is lameness but the clinic can deal with more routine work eg Dental. Canine Sports Ltd also supplies flea & worm products and joint supplements (www.caninesports.co.uk) and is proud to support Hathern Dog Rescue and The Retired Greyhound Trust.

Richard's post bag has seen quite a few enquiries regarding corns and so Richard has prepared this article to explain all about them.

Treatment of Corns & Foreign Bodies in Retired Greyhounds Some Notes From Richard Torr MRCVS

Corns cause serious lameness and are an important welfare problem. They are under diagnosed with many dogs undergoing extensive x rays of other parts of the limb and invasive tests before anyone even considers the simple corn as a cause of the dog’s pain.

Here at Canine Sports I see corns frequently and experience tells me that there is rarely a one size fits all solution. Corns are made up of very hard keratinised skin and are cone shaped, the broad base of the cone breaking out through the sole of the foot and the point sometimes going as deep as the deep digital flexor tendon. For the dog this like walking on a drawing pin and anyone that has suffered a verruca can understand how the dog may feel. This can be further complicated as often in untreated corns a fluid filled blister occurs at the point of the corn causing pressure and extra pain.

The pad responds to injury by forming hard skin so foreign bodies embedded in the pad can look very much like corns and to complicate matters corns act like foreign bodies and cause more hard skin also the damage caused by a foreign body penetration can lead to a corn!

I think that corns may be caused by damage from foreign bodies, walking on hard ground excessively (especially when corns are on middle two weight bearing toes), injury to the last bone in the toe or possibly there may be a viral component, more research needs to be done

At Canine Sports the first thing I do is take x rays of the affected toe to check there is no foreign body, a common story is that a piece of grit is removed from the pad at some time and the problem is thought to be solved and the problem recurs a few months later. I have a high resolution digital X ray system and take multiple shots at different exposures as pebbles glass and grit all show up differently. This is also important as some corns are related to changes in the end bone of the toe due to old fractures and in these cases the dogs require surgery to the end joint of the toe to correct the bony problem. If there is a foreign body I mostly remove it unless it has migrated to a part of the pad where it has deemed to become inactive. Removal can be difficult as glass can migrate right through the flexor tendon into the toe joints especially if it has been left. Often doing this and coring out the hard skin or “corn” is curative once the foreign body has been removed, but in some cases the damage done sets up a pertinent corn which causes a chronic problem. Once a foreign body or bone damage is eliminated as a cause I treat chronic corns in the following ways:

·         Pare back the hard skin to the base of the corn releasing any “blister “ fluid, I repeat this again 10 days later then 1 month later and show the owner how to do this weekly, use softening agents on the pad this works well in many cases and often the dogs will allow ongoing treatment without the use of anaesthesia. Some corns will virtually disappear simply because trimming them below the level of the pad surface prevents them being pressed into the pad and evoking further keratin production

·         Corns which don’t respond to this are frozen using a liquid nitrogen spray on three occasions, this helps many dogs, the initial treatment has to be done under General anaesthesia as it freezes quite deep and is painful, subsequent treatment can be done conscious

·         With Corns unresponsive to this I have used thermo cautery and burnt the corn to its base this has worked in some cases obviously this is under anaesthesia

·         Surgery to remove p3 and reposition the pad can move the corn off of the load bearing part of the pad, this can cure  but often moves the corn to a place where it does not make the dog lame as long as it kept soft and trimmed

·         Ultimately Amputation of the whole toe should be considered in long standing cases we do these to “racing specification” preserving the web so the other toes are supported.

I have found wedge resections of corns curative but I suspect the first three points would have worked in these cases and even with this invasive surgery corns often return. I no longer do this as the wounds take ages to heal and often break down making the cure worse than the disease.

The best advice is to check your dog’s pads daily by wetting them with water and looking for surface irregularities. Don’t use toughing agents on pads, keep them soft. If your dog gets a foreign body or puncture wound in its foot, even if you get it out, cover the hole immediately and ideally get it x rayed by a vet with a high resolution system. If you don’t want to spend the money doing this every time the dog pricks his foot, poultice the foot for 24hrs using Animal Lintex and keep covered until healed, if the dog is still lame after 10 days get it X rayed. Finally if you think you have a corn get it looked at by a vet who has experience with corns in order to avoid unnecessary investigations and discomfort for your dog.

©30/04/2010 Richard Torr reproduction by permission only all publication rights reserved.

Readers Write

Keeley Adsett sent in a photo of the gorgeous Molly wearing her new knitted coat that Keeley made from one of Greyhounds4me knitting patterns. Fab!

December Feature

Christmas Day at the Kennels by Kev Stow of Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust

On a ‘normal’ day it takes an hour to get from home to the kennel.  On Christmas Day it took less than 45 mins (oh I wish it could be Christmas every day)

Although lots like to humanise the dogs I think it is fair to say that when I looked in through the windows at them none of them were excited about what Santa had got them, but were actually all still fast asleep.

There was no snow on the ground as they were let out, but the ice in the paddocks meant that within a few minutes of being out they were ready to come back in.  The Christmas day breakfast consisted of Digestive Biscuits plus a Dentastix for their teeth.

Lincs FM was busy playing Christmas tunes to them in the kennel, but like grumpy old men and women all they wanted to do was find a nice quite corner and go to sleep!!!  If anyone isn’t aware of greyhounds then the word sleep is probably the most used word to describe what they do.  I left them to their dreams and went to the nearby caravan which is my daytime home most days.

The internet and a check of all the relevant and important forums followed before a wander back to kennels to let them all out for play time.  It is really funny to see how some of the dogs are ‘teddy’ dogs while others are ‘ball’ dogs when it comes to playing.  Youngster Gus is without doubt the keenest ball player and will go on for as long as he can, but hasn’t worked out the ice is slippery so needs to be careful when slamming the brakes on!!  Despite their new Christmas toys most of the others manage a few minutes at most though!!!

After playtime the dogs all settle down again for some more sleep (the excitement of Christmas seemed to have passed them by) and I venture onto that devil’s creation that is the internet again.  Considering it is Christmas day it is amazing to discover I am not the only saddo to be on there (apologies to all those who were online on Christmas Day!!)

I decided to have my Christmas dinner before the dogs had theirs.  I know some old fashioned men struggle to cook or make delicious and healthy meals but as a new age man I had no problem boiling the kettle, pouring the water then the sachet of sauce onto the Pot Noodle.  Okay it may not have been Egon Ronnay, but I was all alone in a cold caravan on Christmas day so give me a break!!

After I’d had my meal it was time for the dogs and although I am a vegetarian it was Christmas so I was willing to add some Turkey flavoured dog meat to their complete food as a festive offering.  This gourmet style treat was eagerly wolfed down by the dogs.

Following their food they were let out into the paddocks where after doing their business most were stood at the gates begging to be allowed back in.  As mentioned earlier greyhounds sleep a lot, but the vast majority are also wussies so as it was cold outside the warmth of the kennels and their duvets was too tempting for them.

Once inside they had only one thing on their mind (like 90% of people at Christmas after they’ve stuffed down their dinner) all they want to do then is sleep!!

With darkness beckoning and all the greyhounds fast asleep it was time to head home and leave them to their dreams.

If anyone reading this is shocked at how boring the greyhounds are then you’re obviously not a greyhound owner!!  However if you like the idea of a nice chilled out relaxed dog please contact LGT on 01522 569825 or your local RGT branch.

Hints and Tips

Following the mention of foods that are toxic to dogs, Sharon Marriott wrote in with a longer list:-

The Bad Foods For Dogs List

Here is a list of common foods that are bad or poisonous for your dog. If you suspect that your dog might have eaten any food that might be toxic, contact his/her vet immediately.

Alcohol
Do not give your dog sips of any alcoholic beverage. Ingestion can lead to injury, disorientation, sickness, urination problems or even coma or death from alcohol poisoning. Some dogs may be attracted to alcoholic drinks so don't leave one setting where a dog can reach it.

Apple
The seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides which can result in cyanide poisoning.

Apricot
The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.

Avocado
Avocado contains a toxic element called persin which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. Avocadoes are high in fat content and can trigger an upset stomach, vomiting or even pancreatitis. The seed pit is also toxic and if swallowed can become lodged in the intestinal tract where it may cause a severe blockage which will have to be removed surgically. Since avocado is the main ingredient in guacamole be sure and keep your dog out of the dip.

Baby Food
Before feeding any baby food to your dog check the ingredients to see if it contains onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. Feeding baby food in large amounts may result in nutritional deficiencies.

Bones
Cooked bones can be very hazardous for your dog. Bones become brittle when cooked which causes them to splinter when broken. The splinters have sharp edges that have been known to become stuck in the teeth, caused choking when caught in the throat or caused a rupture or puncture of the stomach lining or intestinal tract. Especially bad bones are turkey and chicken, ham, pork chop and veal.
Symptoms of choking are:
Pale or blue gums
Gasping Open-mouthed breathing
Pawing at face
Slow, shallow breathing
Unconscious, with dilated pupils
Raw bones (uncooked in any way) like chicken necks or beef knuckle bones are generally considered safe and help keep your dog's teeth healthy by removing plaque.
A caution - bones have a high calcium content and too many can cause severe constipation.

Bread Dough
When bread dough is ingested your dog's body heat causes the dough to rise in the stomach. During the rising process alcohol is produced as the dough expands. Pets who have eaten bread dough may experience abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting, disorientation and depression. A pet needs to eat only a small amount to cause a problem, because bread dough can rise to many times its size.

Broccoli
The toxic ingredient in broccoli is isothiocynate. While it may cause stomach upset it probably won't be very harmful unless the amount fed exceeds 10% of the dogs total dailey diet.

Caffeine
Beverages with caffeine (like soda, tea, coffee) acts as a stimulant and can accelerate your pet's heartbeat to a dangerous level. Pets ingesting caffeine have been known to have seizures, some fatal.

Candy/Mints/Chewing Gum
Sugarless candy containing xylitol has been recognised to be a risk to pets. This compound can cause liver damage and death in some dogs. This information is recent and some vets may not be familiar with xylitol poisoning.

Cat Food
Cat food is not formulated for canine comsumption. It is generally too high in protein and fats and is not a balanced diet for a dog.

Cherries
The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.

Chocolate
Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog’s heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include: vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, hyperactivity, irregular heartbeat and seizures.

Larger quantities of chocolate can poison or even kill a medium or large dog. An ounce or two of chocolate may not seem like much but it can be lethal to a small dog that weighs 10 lbs. or less. After their dog has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog sick. The next most dangerous forms are semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate, however the high amount of fat found in milk chocolate can lead to an attack of pancreatitis.

1 ounce per pound of body weight (2 ounces per kg of body weight) for milk chocolate.
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight ( 1 ounce per 1.5 kg body weight) for semi-sweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight ( 1 ounce per 4 kg) for baker's chocolate.
During many holidays such as Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter and Halloween, chocolate is often accessible to curious dogs, and in some cases, people unwittingly poison their dogs by offering them chocolate as a treat or letting them lick a frosting bowl.

It is not recommended to even give doggy choc drops as it will give the dog a taste for chocolate

Citrus Oil
Extracts Citrus oil extracts ave been known to cause vomiting.

Corn Cobs
Many dogs have suffered and, in some cases, died after eating corn-on-the-cob, because the corn cob caused a partial or complete intestinal obstruction. Never allow your dog access to corn cobs.

Dairy Products
Most dairy products are digested poorly by dogs who have little or none of the enzyme required to digest the lactose in milk. Just like lactose-intolerant people, lactose-intolerant dogs can develop excessive intestinal gas (flatulence) and may have foul-smelling diarrhea. It is best to avoid most dairy products altogether, although small amounts of cheese or plain yogurt are tolerated by most dogs, since these products have less lactose than most.

Eggs (Raw)
Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. Additionally, raw eggs are often contaminated with bacteria, such as salmonella, and you could end up giving your dog food poisoning in addition to biotin deficiency.

Symptoms of biotin depletion are hair loss, weakness, growth retardation and skeleton deformity. If your dog is suffering from these symptoms the situation is urgent, and veterinary treatment is needed. Cooked eggs are high in protein and make an excellent treat. It is only the raw eggs that should not be given to your dog.

Grapes or Raisins
Although the minimum lethal dosage is not known, grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs when ingested in large quantities. The symptoms are gastrointestinal signs including vomiting and diarrhea, and then signs of kidney failure with an onset of severe kidney signs starting about 24 hours after ingestion. The amount of grapes eaten varied between 9 oz. and 2 lbs., which worked out to be between 0.41 and 1.1 oz/kg of body weight. It has been reported that two dogs died directly from the toxicity, three were euthanized due to poor response to treatment and five dogs lived.

Hops
Spent hops as used in making beer.

Liver
Many dog treats and prepared foods contain liver so it may surprise you to find liver on the bad foods list. In small amounts liver is good for your dog, but if the liver intake is too high it can cause nutritional problems because liver has a high content of vitamin A. Consumption of this vitamin in large amounts can lead to vitamin A toxicity, or hypervitaminosis A. If your dog eats raw liver or consumes three servings of cooked liver a week it could lead to bone problems. Feeding liver to a dog taking Vitimin A supplements can lead to an overdose of Vitamin A.

Symptoms of hypervitaminosis A are deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss and anorexia. If left unchecked, hypervitaminosis A has in some cases caused death.

Please note liver cake is totally safe.

Macadamia Nuts
The toxic compound is unknown but eating as few as six nuts without the shell has been known to cause elevated body temperature, accelerated heartbeat, tremors in the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs have difficulty or are unable to rise, are distressed and usually panting.Some affected dogs have had swollen limbs and showed pain when the limb was manipulated. Dogs did recover from the muscle weakness and pain and it is not known if there have been any fatal cases. Macadamia butter is included in this warning.

Mouldy or Spoiled Foods
The common mold found growing on many foods contain toxins such as Penicillium mold toxins or tremorgenic mycotoxins. Symptoms of poisoning include severe tremors and seizures that can last for hours or even days. This is considered an emergency and medical treatment is needed to control the seizures and detoxify the dog.

Spoiled foods can cause food poisoning. Symptoms of food poisoning are severe vomiting, diarrhea and shock.

Prevention is the best course, don't feed your dog moldy food left in the fridge and don't allow him to raid your rubbish bins or compost bin (or your neighbor's).

Mushrooms
Mushroom poisoning can be fatal if certain species of mushrooms are eaten. The most commonly reported severely toxic species of mushroon in the US is Amanita phalloides, but other Amanita species are also toxic. They can cause severe liver disease and neurologic disorders. The recommendation is to induce vomiting when these mushrooms are ingested and to give activated charcoal, as well. Supportive treatment for liver disease may also be necessary.

Nutmeg
Nutmeg is reported to be a hallucinogenic when ingested in large doses. Nutmeg has been known to cause tremors, seizures and in some cases, death.

Nuts
Nuts in general are not good for dogs as their high phosphorus content may lead to bladder stones.

Onions and Garlic
Onions cause hemolytic anemia, which means that the red blood cells break down leaving the dog short of oxygen. Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. The condition generally improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion. The poisoning may occur a few days after the dog has eaten the onion. At first dogs affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea, weakness and show little or no interest in food. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected dog's urine making it dark colored. The dog will experience shortness of breath because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number. Other symptoms are elevated body temperature, confusion, and increased heart rate. Seek veterinary care immediately.

The quantity of onions, raw or cooked, required is high enough that dogs can generally tolerate small doses of onions without any problem and moderate amounts of onion without apparent signs of onion poisoning. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness.

While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.

Peaches
The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.
Pears The seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.

Plants
Dogs can become extremely ill or even die from eating poisonous plants. Keep all unknown types of plants and any plants suspected of being poisonous out of reach of your pet.

Plums
The seed pit contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause cyanide poisoning.

Play Dough
Home made play dough contains high levels of salt. When ingested this can cause salt poisoning which can be fatal.

Potatoes (green skins)
Solanum alkaloids can be found in green sprouts and green potato skins, which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. The relatively rare occurrence of actual poisoning is due to several factors: solanine is poorly absorbed; it is mostly hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the metabolites are quickly eliminated. Cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

Raisins or Grapes
See Grapes

Rich Fatty Foods
Rich, fatty foods can be very dangerous to dogs susceptible to attacks of pancreatitis. Often you may not know that your dog is susceptible until he is very sick with his first attack. It is often the smaller, more energetic breeds like miniature or toy poodles, cocker spaniels, miniature schauzers, and other small terrier-type dogs who seem particularly prone. However, any dog may have a problem. It is best to avoid these foods altogether.
turkey skin
bacon, sausages, hot dogs
fruit cake, plum pudding
deep-fried
Signs of pancreatitis generally include an acute onset of vomiting (sometimes with diarrhea) and abdominal pain, which may be evidenced as a hunched posture or "splinting" of the abdomen when picked up. The dog may become very sick quickly and often needs intensive fluid and antibiotic therapy.

Rhubarb
Leaves only

Salmon (Raw)
Commonly called "Salmon Poisoning Disease" (or SPD), this can be a problem for anyone who feeds their dog a raw meat diet that includes raw salmon, but it is mostly seen in the Pacific Northwest and California. The cause is infection by a rickettsial organism called Neorickettsia helminthoeca. The rickettsial organism does not directly infect the dog but is carried instead by a parasite (a flatworm or fluke) called Nanophyteus salmincola through two intermediate hosts - freshwater snails and salmonid fish.

Nanophyteus salmincola are found to infect some species of freshwater snails. The infected snail is ingested by the salmon as part of the food chain. Neither the fluke nor the rickettsial organism are lethal to the fish. The dog is exposed only when it ingests the secondary host - an infected fish. After the dog ingests the fish, the encysted fluke larvae burst and embed in the dog’s intestinal tract and the rickettsia are introduced. The cycle continues when ova are excreted in dog feces to infect more snails.

A sudden onset of symptoms occur 5-7 days after ingestion of fish. Initial symptoms include lethargy and anorexia. Peaking of temperature between 104-107 in the first two days and then slowly returns to normal. Persistent vomiting by the fourth day. There is bloody diarrhea within a few days of vomiting onset. The diarrhea is often bright yellow color. There are enlarged lymph nodes.

In the acute stages, gastrointestinal symptoms are quite similar to canine parvovirus. Nasal and ocular symptoms can resemble canine distemper. If left untreated, SPD has a mortality rate of up to 90%. SPD can be diagnosed with a fecal sample and is treatable if caught in time. Treatment may include supportive hydration, an antibiotic to kill the rickettsial organism, and a "wormer" to kill the parasite. Improvement may be seen in as little as two days.

Prevention is simple, cook all fish before feeding any to your dog. If you are outdoors hiking or camping or live near streams and rivers were salmon spawn, keep a close eye on your dog on don't let your pet run free to insure that no fish carcasses are ingested. Please see your vet immediately if you suspect your dog has ingested raw salmon.

Salt
Iodized salt and salty foods can cause stomach ailments and pancreatitis. Some dogs, especially large breeds, have been known to gulp too much water after eating salty foods and developed a life threatening condition called bloat during which the stomach fills with gas and twists, leading to a painful death unless emergency treatment is received immediately.

Table Scraps
Table scraps are not a nutritionally balanced diet for a dog. If fed at all scraps should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat and all cooked bones discarded. Also see "Rich, Fatty Foods" above.

Water
Yet another surprise to find on the Bad Foods List is water, but there are dangers lurking in water that you need to be aware of.

Stagnant water in ponds, bogs, small lakes, canals, seasonal creeks and other places where water sets still may contain harmful bacteria (Leptospira interrogans) and parasites such as giardia.

Toilet water with freshner or cleaners in the tank or bowl contain toxic chemicals.


I hope you have found this list helpful. This is not to scaremonger anyone but to just make us aware before giving things we just take for granted to our dogs!!

Mid December Issue

Friday - Uncle Ed came to visit and brought his extra special camera to take photos of us.  If I had known he was coming I would have washed my face!  He took some lovely piccies of me and Vera and Mikey but Robbie was too lazy to get out of his bed so he missed out. Ha ha!

Canine Behaviour with Pennie Clayton of Horse and Hound School

Pennie Clayton runs "Horse and Hound School" and is a dog behaviour consultant, Bowen therapist and trains horses. She owns greyhounds and lurchers and is very familiar with day to day problems with rescue dogs and rehabilitating rescue dogs. She is available for behaviour advice, training and problem solving for all types of dogs. Contact details :Email info@horseandhoundschool.co.uk or on 07910 720961

CALMING SIGNALS / GREEN ZONE

Calming signals were first “discovered” by Norwegian dog behaviourist Turid Rugaas, as she observed dogs she realised that they had a very definite language. She called them “calming signals” This is the primary use of dog language, that of placating and calming both themselves and other dogs around them.

Turid identified many separate signals or actions which dogs employ to communicate with each other, and they will also try to communicate with humans (if we are looking and or understand what we are observing).

The majority of dogs have no wish to injure or cause a threat to other canines. The way the signals are given is very subtle, but they are easy to observe and learn and they can also be used to signal back to our dogs for the same purposes.

We can learn these signals too, and it we can help out our dogs when they find a situation threatening, difficult or just plain exciting. Once you realise calming signals exist it does not take a lot to learn the most obvious ones. If you sit and watch a dog you will witness the following signals, and you can begin to understand why a dog is using them, and what to do about them. The following list is by no means comprehensive but will serve as a starter course:

· Lip licks.....usually a very quick movement of the dogs tongue licking his lips. This is used and frequently especially during activities that we do with our dogs especially if the action is very hurried, or vigorous, and the dog is slightly uncomfortable, for instance when being groomed.

· Rapid blinking of eyes...dogs can feel intimidated when being stared at for too long (not recommended with a dog you don’t know well) he will start to blink rapidly and narrow his eyes, this is to try and get you to avert your gaze, and helps him to calm himself down.

· Yawning....yes, your dog might be tired but it is also a frequently used calming signal. If things are getting too hectic he may yawn often in order to get the dogs around him to relax. He may also do it in other situations to try and get a human to calm/slow down; this calming signal is used often if the dog is in a small area when with other dogs.

· Freezing...a dog will often freeze to the spot if he finds a situation problematical or threatening. This can often be observed when a dog has spotted a dog in the near distance, his first impulse may well be to freeze and think about what kind of signals the dog in front of him is using before approaching. This is not the time to insist that your dog meets the other dog, let your dog make up his mind whether he feels comfortable or not. This signal can also be observed in situations like recall in a dog class, the owner is often staring at the dog in preparation for the exercise, and on calling the dog to come the dog often freezes or slows his approach to try and calm the human down. This is often misinterpreted as “disobedience”, if the owner continues to call louder the dogs reaction in order to calm the person may well be to continue towards the owner but very slowly in attempt to get the owner to calm down.

· Displacement activities. You will also very often witness displacement activities, as the name suggests a dog may use these as he thinks about what to do next and will use them to avoid a perceived confrontational situation. An example of a displacement activity may be sitting down to scratch himself, sniffing the ground, looking around almost blankly, or staring into the distance

The above list is only a small collection of calming signals. Once you know they exist make a point of watching dogs, watch when dogs meet each other and you will see a wealth of calming signals. When dogs meet each other they may freeze, circle away from each other, sit, sniff each other, play bow, or look away or they may do all of these.

                 Picture 1                             Picture 2                                Picture 3

These dogs have never met each other before.

The pictures show 2 dogs that are not being forced to meet, but even so they are observing strict dog codes of communication. The first picture shows the approach, both dogs are freezing and looking away from each other, (more so in the spaniel’s case), there is no direct stare which means neither is intimidated by each other.

Picture 2 shows the dogs circling each other, when they circle they can pick up each other’s smell and intention and they are communicating furiously.

Picture 3 both dogs have met and have chosen to part and go on their way, this was a very amicable and good social meeting.

Readers Write

Greyhound Trip Hazard by Simone Carline Carter

A trip hazard -surely you’re not talking about little ole me ?                                       Me - are you really so sure ?                                                                                       No, you are so very wrong ?                                                                                       Ok, ok I suppose agree,                                                                                                 I suppose I can sort of see                                                                                       That I may seem 120 thousand foot long                                                               When I lay out flat upon the floor                                                                           Limbs splayed, tail snaked in a forked throng                                                       Upside down doing the Roach                                                                                      Or lay out like I’ve gone splat                                                                                  Hugging the ground,                                                                                              Loving the rug                                                                                                          How can you say                                                                                                       That I choose to lay                                                                                                      In the most awkward of places ?                                                                               The floor is my domain                                                                                                (As so is the sofa and your bed                                                                               Your lap, your heart and your head.)                                                                              Its not that I indeed choose                                                                                        To lay                                                                                                                           So I am in your way                                                                                                        I have to rest , to sleep to recharge                                                                             As my overwhelming love for you                                                                        Fatigues me in such a way                                                                                              I charge where I fal                                                                                                     So I can give you my all

*** Readers Write is open to anyone who would like to submit a story, poem, letter or comment. Please email valcharman@greyhounds4me.co.uk

　

December Feature

As Christmas is fast approaching, we are featuring some readers Christmassy pics

Hints and Tips

When I know there will be fireworks, at new year or November 5th, I add rice to the dogs' dinners to up their carbohydrate intake and make them more drowsy.

To cook rice in the microwave: In a measuring jug, measure half a pint of rice and put into a bowl, measure a pint of boiling water and put that onto rice. Microwave on full power for 13 minutes. Ta da!! lovely fluffy rice

Relieving Stress and Boredom with a stuffed KONG:
One of the most important benefits a KONG toy can offer is stress/boredom relief for your dog (and peace of mind for you). KONG toys are fun and keep your dog occupied and interested for hours on end. Give your dog something to do when you have company over, or want to watch your favorite TV show.  Read more here


Pumpkin Pie Biscuits