Montana Greyhound Foster Dogs

2009-03-24T11:52:00.003-06:00

For newer posts go to
http://hotchakennels.blogspot.com/

2009-03-15T16:33:00.002-06:00

Since I write often about dogs who are not greyhounds I decided to change my blog slightly and part of this is changing the address of the blog. Please look for all future posts at
http://hotchakennels.blogspot.com/
change you bookmarks.

2009-03-05T16:25:00.004-07:00

"Come on Iris" I say to her highness as she lays snuggled in her bed this morning. Everyone has been up for two hours and the chores are all done. Time to make Iris go outside and yet she plays dead. "Come on Iris, I saw your ears move I know you hear me." She continues to ignore me. I approach her bed which causes her to roll over and wiggle deeper into her bed. I understand where she is coming from. This morning is threatening snow and the temp has dropped. I pull the blanket off her head and despite her sweet smile I take her by the collar and pull her up. S-l-o-w-l-y she gets up and stretches. She is hoping I will forget what I am doing and let her lay...fat chance. Finally she stands and starts to move towards the door. I let go of her collar and trust her to make the rest of the trip. Nearly to the door she takes a hard turn and leaps onto my unmade bed where she immediately melts into a puddle of warm and sleepy hound. She smiles at me and snuggles into my pillows. OK I give up. Accepting her invitation I leap into bed after her and melt into an adjoining puddle of laziness. It only lasts 5 minutes or so. Snuggled face to face then spooning with her head draped across my neck. I absorb her warmth, her smell, her adoration. Those 5 minutes have made my day. I will be warmer all day knowing a hound awaits me.

2009-02-27T02:13:00.004-07:00

Greyhounds greyhounds get your greyhounds!!! It won't be long before we are able to get some new greyhounds in the area. So if any of you have friends who have talked about adding a greyhound to the family have them get that application in. We can start looking for the right match for them or YOU. The more time we have to look the easier it is to hand pick the dog...and there may be some real handpicking going on soon...but more on that later. By way of announcement there will be a greyhound meet and greet in Hamilton on Friday March 6th at the feed store. If you would like to join us please contact Judy or Carol for details. Billings is planning a Saint Pat's hoopla...contact Trish for details. Don't be left out of these opportunities to show off your hounds.

Dogs are so wonderful!!! This week bought me another interesting case. A handsome but nervous Airedale. This woman had been told by the local hotshot trainer that her dog was hopeless and that he needed medication. The owner turned to her vet who sent her directly to me. There really is nothing wrong with the dog other than he somehow got stuck in a cycle of nervous behavior. We worked to help him relax, in 15 minutes we made some progress but nothing impressive. I decided to use my secret weapon...TAVA. I let Tava loose with him. It was interesting to watch them interact. At first he was so nervous he couldn't even focus on her. Tava would bump him with her nose if he ignored her. It was clear she wanted to reach out to him. She has such a kind and nursing way about her. In 5 minutes the dog stopped drooling and shaking....in another 10 minutes his brain had relaxed and turned on enough he could think. We started with hula hoop work and trust building. At the end of class I brought Iris to the training room to meet the owner. Iris' life with me started with her stuck in a simular nervous cycle. Seeing happy well adjusted Iris gave the owner a lot of hope. It will be a few weeks before we make big progress but he is started on the right path. Tava reached him in a way no person could and Iris helped soothe the owners fears. Those girls earned extra cookies. Dogs amaze me with their ability to sense and help with problems. Greyhounds have an usual gift for this.

2009-02-22T13:23:00.005-07:00

We have been enjoying wonderful spring weather the past few days. The dogs all have been able to get out often. I have loved the chance to spend even more time with them. Trish sent me a copy of an article out of a recent Family Dog magazine. It was the story of a retired racer who was very fearful but over came her fears through learning tracking and agility. It inspired me to work harder with my own crew and brought into focus the value of being active with your dogs. I love doing things with my dogs. I love to watch them grow and change with each new thing they conquer. I love competing with dogs BUT it is by no means is the reason I have dogs. I have my dogs because I feel an overwhelming connection to them. Seriously I know my dogs better than I know my own family. I can tell which one is nosing me from behind or whose ear my hand finds to fondle without glancing down. I know their birthdays, their favorite cookies and although I have never tried I bet I would know them by scent alone. Last fall I received some heavy criticism from some folks when I did weight pull with one of my greyhounds. Of course my dog was absolutely safe in doing this. Since then I have chatted with greyhound specialist about this and the general consensus was that although greyhounds probably would not excel at pulling, a healthy normal greyhound should be able to pull lower weights without any harm...and might even have fun doing it. I am proud of doing things with my dogs. I personally believe activity and training is beneficial on many levels....mind, body and relationship. It humbles me to have my dogs trust me when I ask them to overcome a fear or a challenge. This trust is something I cherish and I work hard to keep that trust.
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This spring I have had the opportunity to work with some very interesting clients and their dogs. One team is a young girl and her Tibetan mastiff. The relationship between them was dying. The dog would balk and refuse to do even the simplest tasks. If the girl demanded something of the dog she received a nip. On the way here the dog pushed the girl to one corner and took up most of the back seat. If a serious re-balancing did not happen this dog would be homeless and this girl would likely never have another dog. So we began...not with strict commands but rather with massages and touches. Once we had the dog's mind relaxed we moved to simple tasks like the dog moving out of the girl's way and the girl guiding the dog over hula hoops on the ground. As they were preparing to leave I told the girl to load the dog in the far back of the car. The mother grimaced and started to express her belief that it couldn't be done. I shot her a look that kept her quiet. The girl took the dog out to the car opened the back and asked the dog to hop in. The dog refused, the girl asked again and the dog refused. From where we were watching I called to the girl to hop in the car first and show the dog what she wanted. The girl hopped in and said "Come on" and the dog hopped in. Soon the girl could get the dog to hop in without her. The mother was astonished!! Another example of when love and communication co-exist everyone wins. So I will continue to do things with my dogs....obedience, weight pull, lure coursing, tracking or whatever we can learn together. I will continue to be proud of my dog's accomplishments and I trust my dogs will continue to just be amazing. Either on the couch snuggled up or smiling at me from perfect heel position...either way...the relationship you share with your dog is where you find all that glitters

2009-02-11T16:38:00.005-07:00

In my mail yesterday was the Belle Toll donation letter. This is one of the most important pieces of mail you may receive this year. That letter is your chance to share with homeless greyhounds. Please respond to it. I have been so impressed and pleased that Belle's memory lives on. She was such a sweet greyhound girl. Judy and I were talking about Belle and the Belle Toll fund the other day. Belle was the first dog I fostered for this group. Until Belle, Judy and I had run in parallel worlds. We kind of knew who each other were but not really. Belle brought us together in a way nothing else could and we have been closely bonded since that time. Shortly after that I was blessed with the friendship of Tripps, Trish and the rest of our greyhound family. Although Belle came to us for such a short time I always felt that she was on God's errand. Somehow in her brief stay she unified us. Belle's legacy has become the Belle Toll fund and helping other greyhounds in need and it seems helping people too.
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Speaking for myself, I would not be complete without my dogs. They are as natural and important to me as my limbs. I can not imagine my life with out them playing a major role. They have not only connected me to friends but they have been my friends. They ground me, excite me, calm me and thrill me all at the very same time. I am in awe of their ability to live in the moment and not cry about the past or worry about the future. I love to watch them learn. I am amazed by their natural abilities and their willingness to help man. They find us when we are lost (both physically and spiritually). They can help feed us thorough hunting or helping with flocks. They protects us and even guide us. Dogs are truly God's kindest gift to us.
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So take the time right now to celebrate YOUR greyhound's life, time to reflect on what they add to your life. Then do the impossible and put a price tag on it. Failing that donate what you can to help provide a safe haven for greyhounds in need.

2009-01-27T16:14:00.005-07:00

One of the biggest mysteries is reoccurring. Why is it we have a wonderful and beautiful greyhound and months slide by and no interest. It happened a few years ago with Bam Bam and Lighting. Again it is happening to Tildy. It seems to happen with dogs we think will place very quickly and yet they wait and wait. Where is everyone? Where is her home? She has tons going for her. Sure she has 7 years under her belt but if you meet her she is lively and fun. She does jump up a bit and last time I was at Tripps I caught her as she was jumping up and was able to discourage her. She walked around thinking and watching then approached me again. She again went to jump up but placed her feet carefully on the fence next to me then leaned way over to offer me a kiss. We all laughed out loud at her cracker jack way of solving a problem. The only regret her future home will have is not adopting her sooner.

Then there is Rain. Last month her home hit a life crisis and with many tears decided to return her dogs to the program. Rain struggled with the transition. Her nearly constant diarrhea and lack of energy made us start to question if Rain was going to be able to be placed. Rather than giving up on her Dan and Carol embraced the challenge. Working with the vet to answer the question of why it was happening to her they started her on some medication. They then looked into foods and found one on which she did well on. Rain is recovering and is showing us what a fun and sweet girl she can be. Carol snapped this picture when Rain started to play with toys. Rain is standing kind of funny in this picture...nothing is wrong with her leg. Now that Rain is feeling better she needs a loving spot and a family to tend to her needs. She will likely need to stay on her meds possibly forever. The thing I find heartbreaking about Rain is her whole youth was spent...well for lack of a better word...prostituted. She ran many races then produced pups and when her body was nearly worn out she was given to rescue. Rain isn't demanding but needs a soft place of her own and a person who will cherish her and help her recapture her value.

2009-01-19T14:47:00.010-07:00

Vixen has moved to Great Falls and will now be known as Lilly. Upon meeting her new family her first order of business was to run right over to her new mom and give her a big slurpy kiss on the lips. When her new mom laughed with joy instead of saying "blech!!" I knew Vixen had found her home. Because Vixen is a mix she was not placed directly through GPA but was handled as a private rescue. GPA listed her on the web site as a act of good will. It did help her find a home but it also brought us other poetential adopters and built good relations with area shelters and you just never know when you might need their help.

Bailey is now in Billings with Trish. No one even dared to call Trish this week end because she made it clear the weekend...the WHOLE weekend was going to be spent getting to know Bailey. I have a vison of Trish like a mother hen clucking to her chicks and fussing over them. They did venture out to greyhound play where Bailey was reunited with her daughter Hannah. Bailey is also the mother of Waldo and will reuniting with him on some later date. So if you have to call Trish this week my advice is to keep it short. Mama Trish has silken ears that need fondling and big doe eyes that need gazing into.

2009-01-09T15:07:00.014-07:00

At long last we have sun and the dogs are getting to have some playtime outside. It seems like forever since they could get out there and really STRETCH. It is still icy but the temps are at 50 degrees. I turned the sighthound girls out, which includes Run, Tava, Iris and Kati (a sweet greyhound deerhound mix). I had to drag Iris out of her bed and outside. I laughed thinking about how much more like a hothouse orchid she is then a hardy iris....maybe a name change is in order. While the hounds were outside soaking up vitamin D, I heard a knock at the backdoor. It was the gal from German Shepherd rescue, who BTW I didn't know, and she had a surprise for me. Animal Control in Anaconda had been picking up a "greyhound" lately. They said this was her third time in the clink. This time she was not reclaimed AND her time was up. So while GSD rescue was in Anaconda doing who knows what they picked up this little girl and brought her to my door unannounced. Lucky me to be on the rescue radar. Out to her truck we went meanwhile I was planning my refusal. What hopped out of the truck was a very pretty fawn greyhound mix girl. She looks greyhound but she has wire hair. I would guess she is likely 1/4 Deerhound and 3/4 greyhound. She could be called a coyote dog or a lurcher but I think I will dub her Montana's first Galgo. She is young, about 9 months. She is average size for a greyhound girl at roughly 55 pounds. As I am gearing up to tell the GSD gal "absolutely not, I don't do mixes"....that little galgo vixen leaves me speechless with a flick of her soft greyhound eyes. She seems to say "You will help me, won't you?" Next thing I know I am nodding and planning her spay while inside I am hushing the voice that screams "WAKE UP STUPID, SAY NO!!" But honestly tell me who of you greyhound lovers would turn her away to take her chances in the big big world. So now what? She needs a name....her rescuer called her Tawny...I like Vixen...anyone have other ideas? There is a spay set up for her next week and we will go from there. Welcome to the greyhound family galgo vixen.

2009-01-03T10:50:00.003-07:00

It is the first decent day in a long time. The temps are in the double digits (barely) and the sun is out making us feel like we are free at last. But before you take your greyhound out lets talk about running in the winter.

Greyhounds in the winter bring two major concerns. The first and most obvious is temperatures. If you bundle up to go out be sure to bundle up your greyhound. This may include boots if you are walking on a lot of ice or in areas strewn with deicer. If your greyhound stops moving for long they will get cold, when you go out keep moving until you head in. So no sitting in the car while you run errands. If it is too cold to leave your 80 year old grandma in the car it is too cold to leave your hound. Greyhound's soft velvet ears are often the first place to get cold and are vulnerable to frost bite. You can use your greyhounds ears to gauge if they are warm enough. If the ears are cold the pup is cold. Lets not forget about your those big old lungs greyhound have. Running and breathing in lots of ice cold air can cause problems that you may not even be aware of. Damaged lungs are more susceptible to diseases like pneumonia, kennel cough and other respiratory problems. This damage can last a lifetime.

The second consideration is ground cover. Ice is slippery, not only can your dog slip but if your dog pulls on the lead you can quickly end up on your can. Ice clumps and lumps can cut paws. Deep snow is a bit like deep sand. It is hard to run in. Greyhounds who are used to getting out and really running can pull muscles or even cause tendon damage. If you are going to run your dog you should warm them up a little with a brisk walk and maybe manually stretch them out for a few minutes. Try to only let one hound run at a time until they run down a little. Turning loose a couple of eager hounds may have you nursing sore muscles for weeks. Today we have crusty snow which in my opinion is the worst. The icy crust holds then collapses making it hard to find your feet. It is a lot more work to pull your feet out of the holes your feet create as you move. Walking turns to lurching. Again there is risk to muscles and tendons but for added fun it can also cut paws. Your best indicator of if it is safe for your dog is if it is safe for you. Remember your greyhound is more like a formula race car then a four wheel drive. They need flat safe surfaces to run on. Snow hides all sorts of dangers from uneven ground to things lurking beneath the snow like sticks, rocks or even a forgotten rake. Finding those things at high speed is dangerous.

The last point I want to bring up is AGE. If your greyhound is older you should be even more aware. A young healthy middle aged dog is going to be able to withstand more exposure and bounce back faster than a senior or otherwise frail dog. Just like us dog lose flexibility with age so falling hurts more. OK now go enjoy the winter wonderland...Be smart and safe.

2009-01-01T11:31:00.006-07:00

We are saddened to hear of the loss of Wally, who was loved by his family Julie, Pat and Fred (greyhound brother). Wally was diagnosed with bone cancer and was quickly lost. This handsome boy came up from Colorado in the spring of 2006. Wally was noted for his deep soulful eyes, velvet coat and funny chocolate smudge on the side of his muzzle. His beauty on the outside almost paled in comparison to his inner beauty. Wally had a heart of gold. He never met a stranger and made friends where ever he went. Wally will be deeply missed by all who knew this fine greyhound boy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

2008-12-29T14:08:00.012-07:00

Dima (Dee Dee to her friends) loped over the rainbow bridge Christmas morning. She was one of a trio of dogs we re-rescued in Oct, 2005. That seems like so long ago...but it really was only 3 short years. Dima was lucky enough to land in the home of Jan and Tony and their merry pack. She thrived there and was much loved by her greyhound sister Foxy. This past year brought problems with her kidneys. Her attentive family had gotten it under control and Dima was pain free and doing well until the last few hours. She is greatly missed already. And yes Jan, I am sure Dee Dee can still hear you singing "her songs" to her.

This month we also bid a sad farewell to Gracie who succumbed to seizures just a few days before Christmas. Gracie leaves a greyhound size hole in the hearts of her family, Mark and Amanda. She was settling into her home about the same time Dima was in the fall of 2005, after being brought up from CO to retire. She charmed the socks off all who knew her and was the easiest dog to love.

I speak for the entire greyhound community when I say our hearts are with yours while you make this adjustment in your lives. May you find love and peace again soon.

2008-12-20T13:29:00.002-07:00

I have been making an effort to clean my home with basic cleaners. You know things like soda, white vinegar and elbow grease. Today I had the chance to try out homemade carpet cleaner. One of my friends raised a litter of pups in her spare room. This seemed like the perfect place to put the carpet cleaning solution to the TEST. As you can guess raising pups is pretty hard on carpets and between the pups learning housebreaking and the wet muddy paws the carpets were past stinky and into the realm of lets just rip it out entirely. A hour of Darrin's hard work and a steam cleaner borrowed from Tripps the carpets are clean...they smell fresh, dried quickly and there was no sticky residue. I will never buying carpet cleaning solution again. For under $2 I had a whole gallon of good cleaner! Here is the recipe....

Joni's Magic Carpet Cleaner
1 pint 91% isopropyl alcohol (this is strong rubbing alcohol)
1 TBSP Ammonia
2 TBSP White Distilled Vinegar
1 tsp Dawn dish soap

Mix ingredients and add enough water to make a gallon.
For very soiled areas use a spray bottle to dampen the carpet and let sit for 15-30 minutes before cleaning with steamer. Keep a spray bottle of this handy for spot cleaning.

2008-12-18T22:56:00.005-07:00

Gretta, Sunny and Popsicle

The new gang arrived last week and are now recovering from vetting and preparing to settle into new homes. Except, Popsicle, who already headed to his waiting home. That leaves us with 3 wonderful mature girls to find homes for.
Most newsworthy lately has been the intense cold. It is pretty tough to let dogs out to play when temps are below zero and windchill sends it into -26 degrees. Heck it is pretty hard to even convince some of them to go out long enough to potty. Today was almost warm with the lack of wind and the incoming storm stalled in Kalispell dumping boat loads of snow on them. The weather men are saying a storm is rolling in tonight bringing snow then chased by bitter temps and winds. But today was a nice break and the pups loved being outside for more than 15 minutes. The boarding dogs are starting to come in for the holidays and it is promising to be busy...that is if people can actually travel this week. The holidays have been booked solid for over two weeks. I have a back kennel room I only use during the summer months because it is not well heated. It really is the domain of Sigh, our greyhound test kitty. He is set up with a nice heating pad and a heat lamp. When the temps dropped last week and the wind seemed to be blowing from every direction I moved the goats into the back kennels. Sigh seems to be enjoying the company of the goat girls. The goats are happy with four walls around them and I sleep better knowing everyone is comfortable.

2008-12-07T18:16:00.003-07:00

Woo Hoo....the Bozeman crew, headed by Barb and Dana visited the Christmas Stroll in Bozeman. The dogs donned on donation vests and brought in a healthy donations from passersby. Dana reported that the relaxed atmosphere and perfect weather helped make it the perfect day for being out and showing off the hounds. Billings also had their Christmas Stroll and a hound-party at McVittie's (the greyhound) house...we will get a update from one of them. Coming up next week end is photos with Santa in Billings.

We have two greyhounds who are headed our way this week. Kind of short notice but the opportunity arose and we grabbed it!! We have spoken for JT Sun Vallie, a 7 year young dark brindle beauty (see picture below). We are also getting another senior female but I don't have the exact details yet. If you are itching to add to your family please let us know NOW...we might be able to squeeze one more in.

2008-12-02T01:15:00.004-07:00

The greyhound foster scene has been pretty slow. Tildy is still in the kennel at Tripps and Jack is still being fostered by Bek...but there is a home that is firming up for him. There is a possibility of a greyhound being given up by someone who recently moved to our state. First order of business is to make sure it really is a greyhound.
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Over the years I have learned never to commit to a dog sight unseen. There was the time I was transporting a dog for another rescue. It was supposed to be an Aussie. I was picking it up in Missoula and taking it to Portland where it would meet up with someone who had agreed to foster him and find him a new home. When I first laid eyes on the dog I thought "No way!!" This dog was huge! Average Aussie boys weighs 50-60 pounds and this boy was easily 90+. In a time before cell phones I really didn't have a way to call the person in Portland and my husband was chomping at the bit to begin our 15 hour drive to the southern Oregon coast where we lived at the time. So we crammed BIG DOG Baxter in the back seat and took off. He was a really good boy. Traveled well, walked perfectly, sweet and really no problem other than he was obviously NOT a purebred Aussie...likely not an Aussie at all. In ten or so hours we pulled up to the home of the Aussie foster mom. One look at this BIG DOG and she pretty much refused to take him. She was furious at the sender for sending a dog so clearly not an Aussie...I felt awful for the dog. You could see the confusion on this big lunk of a dog's face. It never occurred to any of us he would be met with anger and rejection. Predictably, I loaded him up and he came home with us. In time I found a fantastic home for him. He spent time training as a Search And Rescue dog. They proved to be a gifted team. He sailed through his basic training and was on to very advanced skills within the year. In fact one of the last times I heard from his owner they were getting ready for a big test and would be required to jump out of a plane and repel from a helicopter. My immediate thought was they would probably both be killed trying this. My memory was of this BIG BIG DOG in our tiny back seat. Once in shape he tipped the scales at only 70+ pounds. Seventy pounds still seems huge to strap to you and jump out of a plane. You know I don't remember hearing from them after that....you don't suppose?....NAH I would have heard if a dog had died sky diving.

2008-11-22T20:47:00.003-07:00

Thanks to Vicki K. in Missoula one of the lab pups went home today. Sad to say all those great homes we thought we had turned out not to be so solid. The new home was pleased to pick the active girl since they may want to try to hunt a little with her. I, as a foster home, was happy to be left with the bit lazier boy.

We have been having a yard sale of sorts here. One of my friends had a cute little dress shop in Stevensville which she recently closed so we are selling much of her inventory and a few other odds and ends. The danger of having a yard sale with your friend is that there is a certain amount of trading junk that goes on.
Friend 1 - "OOOOO you are selling that? I gotta have it! How much do you want for it?"
Friend 2 - "That? You want that? You can have that!"
Friend 1 - "No no no....I want to pay for it what do you want for it?"
Friend 2 - "One penny."
Friend 1 - "Well then I am not going to buy it"
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Friend 2 - "Oh my gosh why are you selling that? You should keep it"
Friend 1 - "No I am sick of it...I am definitely selling it."
Friend 2 - "Oh I will trade you this for that."
And so it goes until we each have a little corner filled with stuff that is no longer for sale.

2008-11-15T00:09:00.005-07:00

Monday night my friend Pam called me in a panic. She had been hiking and found two lab pups at the trail head. In talking to everyone she could at the site she learned that these pups had been there all day and had tagged along on some hikes but no one claimed them. It was nearly dark and a storm was rolling in so what else could she do? She loaded them up and called me for help. Fortunately I had room for them in the kennel. They were pretty tired when they crawled into a warm dry crate together. They shared a bowl of kibble and sacked out. I actually had to wake them up for a potty break. The days have rolled by and the ads we ran and the fliers we plastered all over have gone unanswered. It is looking like these two were dumped. Fortunately the vet where they were taken for scanning had some leads on homes for us. We have 3-4 really good spots for them. It looks certain that good lab-lovin' homes will be ready for them soon...WHEW!! Pam brought me lunch on Tuesday. I couldn't tell if it was the guilt of dumping the pups on me or just the desire to play with the pups that brought her out bearing food. We picnicked on my porch. It was cold but the dogs didn't mind. I had bought these fancy dog cookies and this seemed like the perfect day to break them out. They come in a package like Oreos and are sandwich cookies like Oreos but they are peanut butter and cream. They are stamped with this really cute doggie paw print and they smell great. Total junk food for dogs but they loooove them. Later that evening I was wandering through the kitchen and I noticed Darrin was snacking. I saw his eyes widen and he stopped chewing. Through his crumb filled mouth he said "Are these DOG cookies?" He had spotted the paw print on his cookie. I nodded and he ran to the garbage can spitting and gagging. You would have thought he was poisoned. I had a good laugh but the best was yet to come. After he rinsed out his mouth, drank some water and regained his composure he said "You know the first two were pretty good!" He said when he knew they were dog cookies he just couldn't swallow. That innocent paw print saved the dog's cookies. The dogs are happy to know they won't have to share with him....at least not very often.

2008-11-02T18:19:00.007-07:00

2008-11-01T00:22:00.004-06:00

2008-10-21T16:38:00.002-06:00

When Donna and Vic were here they mentioned that once when they were in Wyoming at their son's house their little angel, Hannah found a open gate and wandered out. Within moments a search was launched. Before to long they found her. A kindly man who had seen Hannah and taken her in. He knew a greyhound loose was a greyhound in danger. Before they left with Hannah this man did a little finger wagging and said, "You may have a tag on your dog but with no area code it was worthless to me!" Morale of the story is make sure your tag has your complete phone number AND your cell phone number. I always put my cell phone on my dogs because if they are ever lost I WILL be out searching for them and not at home waiting for a call.

Lika (was Sparky) has a new trick to amuse her new adoptive family. She steals dirty dishes out of the sink so she can go polish them at her leisure. These are such great dogs!!!

TEETH

2008-10-17T14:40:00.005-06:00

I had a nice surprise today when Donna and Vic from Billings called and were in the Bitterroot and wanted to visit and let Hannah run. It was great to meet them and Hannah had a good run. She did come in with some sore pads from running and turning. But we cleaned them with betadyne and she will be fine in a couple of days. Then we got looking at Hannah's teeth. It is one of my compulsions...I couldn't help myself. There was a little bit of gunk on her teeth which I HAD to get off. Before Donna could say "no" I had my scaler in hand and was giving her dog the once over. Vic was eager to learn and I showed him how to do it. We followed up with a good tooth brushing. Which brings me to something I have been meaning to discuss...TEETH

If there isn't infection you can clean them up yourself. Have your vet or someone who knows how show you how to use a scaler to just pop off the tartar. Vets would love it if you brushed your dogs teeth every day but honestly very few people I know actually do this. I would recommend that you check teeth the first of every month and/or every time you bathe your greyhound at least. Waiting until the smell bothers you is NOT the way to go and will end up with your dog on a table losing teeth. Dirty teeth ruin health. Just like people some have nice hard teeth and others have crummy enamel to which everything sticks. The unlucky dogs with bad enamel will benefit the most from lots of brushing to keep the tooth surface smooth. My Iris has soft teeth I check her teeth every couple of weeks or more. It is a battle to keep up with it but so far she still has her teeth.

I am not going to discuss the how-to of scaling teeth since that is more of a hands on thing but I would be happy to show you if you want to come out. So lets just assume the teeth are reasonably clean. First you need tools. Save your money and don't buy those stupid dog tooth brushes...awkward and ineffective = thumbs down. I have yet to find one that works well but the dog toothpaste is worth buying. I use an inexpensive battery operated people tooth brush ($5-$8). Look for one that the rotating brush is on the end. Those are your real cleaning bristles so you want them where they can get the most contact with the teeth in that long pointed jaw. Step one is desensitizing your dog to the brush. Turn it on while you examine the dog's mouth but don't try to use it yet. Flick it off and on a few times so the start up doesn't bother them. Next wet your brush and load with some dog tooth paste. Pushing the paste into the bristles slightly will keep it from falling right off. Next, with the turned off brush, open your greyhounds lips and brush the paste into the teeth. I always smear the paste into the teeth like this before I start to brush them because it keeps the paste where you need it instead of on the floor. At first work mostly on just the teeth you can reach. Don't worry about getting the back teeth until the dog understands what you are doing and relaxes. Now with the brush bristles resting against the teeth turn on the brush and start to move it. Be sure you push slightly so it doesn't just tickle. Brush both sides gently but quickly and stop. The tell them how smart and wonderful they are. Give them some love and repeat the process until your dog has very little reaction to this new concept. If your dog got wound up by the process stop before they fight you and do it again in a few minutes. But give them a break to think it over. Once they accept you brushing the front teeth, then you can start doing the back teeth. When I do the back teeth I hook my thumb in the back corner of the lip and pull the lips back resting my other fingers on the top of the skull. When I do the left side I use my fingers and rest my palm on the top of the skull. Its too awkward to use my thumb much on that side. Be sure you keep your fingers away from the chewing surfaces. Once you and your greyhound have the hang of it you won't have to lift the lips much and can just work under the lips like we do when we brush our own teeth. A simple brushing should only take a couple of minutes from start to finish if you do it right. Human tooth paste is not supposed to be swallowed so unless your dog knows how to sip, swirl and spit use dog tooth paste or baking soda. As for that stuff you can spend big money for to add to your dog's water to keep tartar at bay. It is proving not to be all that effective and some of it is actually dangerous. Ineffective, dangerous and expensive= thumbs down.

Some things you can do to help your dogs teeth stay clean. Many people like to give bones. They should be raw and you should watch your dog so you can take the bone away when it gets small. When you take it always give your dog a nice trade. A bite of meat or cheese in exchange for the used up bone. I have found big knuckle bones can break the teeth. So find a length of leg bone or even a rib....but keep checking the status of the bone and take it away when it is too small. You can also find sterilized bones which you can fill with a little cheese or peanut butter. When the dog gets bored the bone can go right into your dishwasher to be cleaned and ready for the next time. I have a friend who swears by giving her dogs fresh raw chicken (or turkey) necks or backs. On occasion I have done this and my dogs have had no trouble digesting it. Raw poultry bones don't splinter like cooked ones. Even beef bones will splinter if they are over cooked. Smoked bones sounds like a nice idea but smelly, carpet staining and splintering risk = thumbs down. Not over soaking your dogs dinner will also help. Greyhounds need a little lubrication to help them not choke when they gulp their food down but don't let the food become mush. The crunch of dry dog food will fall off the teeth to be swallowed instead of gathering in the teeth.

Giving some thought to your greyhounds teeth can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run...but feel free to pop those dollars in a envelope and send them over .

2008-10-15T16:05:00.004-06:00

Tonight is the Presidential debate. While I really encourage you all to watch the debate. I will watch as much as I can stand which will be about 15 minutes then I will be out playing with my pups. I would like to suggest a political debate format of my own. If it were my world this is what would happen.

The presidential "test" would be as follows.

The first part of the test would consist of both candidates being in a room with 10-15 dogs. After an hour or so I want to see who has the dogs near at hand and who the dogs are avoiding.

The second part of the test would be the candidates going into a room alone with about 20 kids ranging in age from 2-15 years. We would be able to see who is better at negotiation, behavior modification, delegating and organizing.

The third part of the test would be a camera following them after their experiences and seeing what they say after the fact. Would they sprint from the room like it was on fire or would they linger and watch the children or dogs at play? Would they talk about what they would do better next time or only point fingers at their opponent and talk about what the other guy did wrong?

My idea is based on the belief that dogs and kids can tell the difference between the good and bad guys better than any adult or political journalist. This test would clear up all the confusion the debates seem to leave in their wake. As it stands now I might be taking a coin for flipping into the voting booth.

2008-10-07T16:19:00.007-06:00

Run, Tava and Iris

This is a story about how two little greyhounds became three little greyhounds...and I ain't talking about a puppy! I picked Run for our group last Oct. She arrived from Kansas on Oct 27th without much fan fair. At first I tried everything to place her. I took her to the rep training and pawned her off on everyone. I tried to get people to foster her. I told everyone about her but nothing ever came together for her. Run was a bit intense and very smart. A bit much for some homes and she was absolutely horrible about cats. The weeks passed and one day I thought, "Heck I may as well give her a little training." Run proved to be super bright and loved the game of training...and I am a sucker for a smart dog! She learned everything I taught her fast. Greyhounds aren't the easiest dogs to train, but Run and I spoke the same language. By about March I started mentioning Run to less people and started thinking maybe I should keep her for myself. She was an easy fit for our home. I mean really, look at those three faces pictured above and tell me they aren't perfect together. Well, then the unexpected happened. The "right" home appeared for Run. They had no cats, had greyhound experience and whats more Run liked them. I grilled them to make sure they were good enough. I made them come out three times before I would even consider telling them she might be available. So Run packed her bags and she went into a home. As they were loading her up, I stood in the driveway amid their joy and happy faces, I was biting my cheek. I had to keep telling myself this was going to be good and not to grab the lead from their hands. My heart broke as I watched her drive away. For the most part things went well in her home. She was loved and it seemed like it was working. Then one day in July I got a call from Vicki. "Run is coming back." I couldn't believe my ears. "What do you mean she is coming back?" I asked. I struggled to wrap my brain around the idea she was being returned, and yet there was that little flicker in my heart. Then Vicki laid it on the line "She is being returned, can you take her?" The little flicker turned into a flame and my response was "How soon can she come home?"

It took a couple of days for the transfer to happen. I was anxious during that time....so worried it might not happen. Before long I was waiting in the driveway for Vicki to arrive with Run. While I was disappointed the home had fallen apart it was all I could do not to click my heels and dance a jig when I saw her. Run had been gone about 7 long weeks. Everyone asked what I was going to do about her and I simply said, "I think Run needs to be evaluated before she is put up for adoption". Which is why she never appeared on the "available" page of the web site. I had to endure the knowing snickers of my friends. I wanted to be sure it really would work. So here we are almost a year later and at last the commitment is cemented. Run is mine...as always....

2008-10-01T15:40:00.002-06:00

The saga of Toby the whippet boy is over. This morning amid rush hour traffic Toby darted into traffic on I-90 and was killed. His broken hearted owner is returning home with Toby's body. When I got word I called Dana our greyhound family over there, she had already heard the glum news. I am very proud of Dana and how she took up his cause and gave so much. She spent hours searching went above and beyond. So hug your hounds tonight and give them a extra cookie and remember Toby. We have no guarantees...there is only NOW. Love deeply and often.

2008-09-30T09:18:00.002-06:00

The search goes on in Bozeman for Toby the whippet boy. Dana called me yesterday to report in and said that they still are having regular sightings and one searcher even got within 15 feet of him before Toby got nervous and took off again. The good news is that so far he is in good weight so he either knows where to find food or is hunting.

On the greyhound front...new hounds have arrived. We had a nice turn out of folks to help bathe and get them started into home life. Judy even had time to take a few pictures which she posted on the website http://www.gparockymountain.org/Montana%20Welcome%209-27-08.html Allie is so pretty and very much a lady. she stepped off the bus looking like a movie star, while Tildy stepped off looking like she had just got a off a carnival ride. Sparky is already on hold for Christine who came out to bathe and fell head over heels. Kathy was falling fast for Maxline but had to resist since she is already past her limit. Judy was going on and on about Nikki, Zorro was working Wendy and Glen. And me? I was happily getting loves from Romeo. Maxline really needs a foster home. She has a old break in her leg and really could benefit from the TLC of a real home foster home. Call Carol if you have a soft landing soft to foster the old gal.

2008-09-24T21:02:00.004-06:00

Toby was seen this eve in the neighborhood of East Main and Highlander. Dana is going out in the morning to search. Please contact her if you can help or if you spot him. 388-3422

2008-09-24T17:36:00.006-06:00

URGENT

LOST WHIPPET - Bozeman, MT

Toby is a 2-3 year old brindle with white whippet. He escaped from his pen while attending the big dog show in Bozeman Sept. 17-18. His owner, Claudine, from Canada is desperate for his safe return. This isn't just a dog he is a loved part of their family. Toby may be spooky by now so if you see him don't expect he will come to you. You may be able to lure him near with another sighthound or food. Please do not chase him...call his family at 403-784-2225. If you see him please report all sightings so that we can try to keep track of the area he was last seen in. He was lost from the fairgrounds but reports are causing us to believe he may have moved to Johnson Road area. His owners are making another trip down to search.

Our own Greyhound person in Bozeman is spearheading a search party for him this week-end. If you can help please contact her for details. DANA 388-3422

As if a lost dog isn't enough of a heartbreak...Claudine's 2 year old daughter is waiting for his arrival back home. They were born just weeks apart and are best buddies.

2008-09-24T02:31:00.009-06:00

The last month or so has been nothing but a blur of dog events for me and Hot Cha pack. On Labor day I was in Great Falls at an obedience trial with 3 of my aussies and Katy Did the whippet. Since most of you aren't dog show people most of what I am about to say will sound like it is some weird code...stick with me. Dusk (11 year old aussie boy) finished his Rally Advanced title on day one and is now RETIRED from all manner of ring obedience...we will continue to track. Ivy (12 year old Aussie girl) finished her Rally Excellent title and is likely retired as there is nothing else for her to do in obedience. Pixie (4 year old aussie girl) started and finished her Rally Novice title thus launching what I hope will be many years of showing in obedience. When I got to the show I realized that Pixie and I had never actually practiced rally...so we faked it. She exceeded my expectations with nice scores and a shining attitude. In Great Falls Katy made her obedience debut with a nice score of 191.5 points (out of 200) and was high scoring hound. The next day she was thrown a curve ball when the judge was in a wheelchair, but we still scored a nice score and secured a second leg. The last day we had a beautiful run going I felt we were in the high 190's but in the very last exercise she went whippet on me. I set her up for her recall (which is coming when called) Everything started great, she sat and waited, I called her, she started to come to me but then she started picking up speed. In just a couple of strides she had a full head of speed going and I was bracing for the impact with my knees. At the last moment she swerved sparing my knees BUT she had up so much speed she bounced out of the ring gate and we were disqualified....dang it. Had lots of comments on her fast recall but unfortunately fast equaled out of control this time...still she is the best bed warmer anywhere. With 3 titles in the bag and 2 legs towards her CD I went home smiling.
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The next weekend was lure coursing in Missoula. I hit the field with 3 of my gang, Tava and Iris my greyhound girls and Katy Did. All raring to go and do their favortie thing...RUN!! By the end of the weekend all three had easily earned their Junior Courser titles. After earning her JC, Tava cooled out a little sore and I immediately pulled her from any more runs. By the next morning there was no trace of the soreness but she still stayed home for the rest of the week end. Iris and Katy went on to earn two legs towards the next level title, Senior Courser. For this they have to run with other dogs of the same breed. We had a blast!!

Thursday, Sept. 18th I got up way before the crack of dawn and headed to Bozeman. I showed Katy in obedience again. Her heeling got a little loose but we held it together and earned a decent score and a 3rd place in the class but more importantly we got the last needed leg for her Companion Dog title. We were entered in Helena on the weekend. We skipped Saturday and showed Sunday but should have skipped it too as it was a bust. It has been a successful fall show season for us. We had fun!! These shows will motivate me through the long winter. I have been blessed with GREAT dogs. I love my pups!!

Katy Did does Betty Davis Eyes....Photo by Ron Armstrong

2008-09-15T21:51:00.020-06:00

Lets talk about FIRST AID KITS...for greyhounds of course. This past week end Vicki called me when her girl was having some post-op pain. Vicki had never set up a dog first aid kit....one quick trip to the store and she has started one. After we chatted I got to thinking maybe everyone would benefit from a list of the top things for a basic first aid kit. You should be able to put together a decent kit for about $30 most things are available at Walmart or from your own cabinets. I have to confess my dog first aid kit is much better than our people first aid kit...and I always am dipping into it for people care.

Find a back pack at a yard sale and clearly mark it DOG FIRST AID. Some loud color will make it stand out in the closet or your trunk. Even a retired big purse can work. Mark it with a big ribbon (which can serve as a muzzle in a pinch)

1) Betadine - The store brand is fine and much in lower price. Diluted to a weak tea color this makes an excellent cleaning solution. All new wounds should be properly cleaned as the first line of defense against infection. When you think you have it clean, clean it again.

2) Neosporin - Basic wound care.

3) Benadryl - You don't want to find out your dog is allergic to bee stings without this on hand.

4) Rymadyl - Available only through your vet for emergency pain and inflammation control. Get enough for at least 48 hours of pain control. If your dog takes a tumble while running this will give your pup much comfort.

5) Vetwrap - This handy self sticking bandage is very versatile. Available at any farm store. Get at least 2 rolls.

6) Digital Thermometer - Walmart is where I buy mine. Take your permanent marker and label it "DOG"!! It is a good idea to write on it the normal dog temp which is within a degree of 100.5 degrees. You will also need lube like KY or Vaseline.

7) Tweezers - something to get out slivers or pluck out stitches

8) Scissors

9) Wrapping material - A hand towel, a roll of cotton, a baggie of cotton balls, a few Q-tips and a couple of maxi-pads (they are amazing on wounds...won't stick and absorb lots). Remember if wrapping a foot to put cotton between every knuckle and pad. Wrap as loose as possible. Greyhound feet are very thin skinned and prone to rubbing through the skin. You can make a minor problem major with one bad wrap.

10) A note pad and pens - Write down everything you do and the time so you can give your vet a complete history.

11) Aspirin for you or your dog - Regular old fashion real aspirin nothing added.

12) Plastic bags - A garbage bag or two and a baggie of baggies

13) A couple packets of sugar or honey. Energy gel if your greyhound is prone to low blood sugar after a run.

14) Pepto Bismol tablets - Much easier to give than the liquid.

15) Hydrogen peroxide- for making dogs throw up.

16) A business card from your vet and other phone numbers you might need in crisis.

If the kit is for the car I usually leave out the betadine (which can cause a big mess) and thermometer. I add a bottle of water and foil wrapped alcohol wipes.

For a more elaborate kit you might add more vet wrap, a tube of energy gel, skin stapler, staple remover, syringe (in a couple sizes), sterile pads, rolls of soft wrapping, sterile water (which is available in a can and will be found by the first aid supplies), electrolytes, Duct tape, A ruler and/or leg splint, bandage scissors, Ace bandage (careful to pad well under this and not to over tighten), bulb syringe, flash light or head lamp, muzzle, small nail scissors, magnifying glass, something to hold water, liniment, flea comb (excellent for getting out foxtails and other seed awns), safety pins, dog paw boots, extra leash, hard candy for people who get faint, pocket knife, handi-wipes and paper towels. If there is something your dog uses on a regular basis, that should be included. Even if you aren't sure how to use everything, chances are you can call and have someone talk you through it. Once you need it...you need it NOW.

2008-09-14T13:45:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Juan headed home. Vicki came out here to pick him up and transport him to his new home. She was accompanied by Mama Ducky. It was fun to see Ducky again she is such a sweet girl!! About the time Vicki was heading out Judy showed up with her gang and we ended up going garage saleing, out to lunch and of course to Quality Supply the farm store. I don't know why, but we always seem to end up there.
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We only have Jack available for adopt in foster care with a few more hounds headed to Montana. It is funny how the dog you think will head into a home first is sometimes the one who is left behind. Jack is really a great dog. He is handsome, fun spirited and will settle once he is in a home. Having met Jack a few times I can assure you he is top notch!! I am suspecting that there will be some greyhound displaced from their farms by Hurricane Ike. Please consider opening your home to a foster greyhound. Fostering can be a few days or a few months. It is very rewarding and if you are thinking of adding to your family it is a great way to get a chance to check out how a new hound will work into your life! Despite Carol's cajoling I have resisted getting on line and shopping for a foster dog. But I am weak and I am sure I won't be able to resist much longer.
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The weather is perfect. I have been busily rotating dogs in and out of the paddocks giving everyone some time in the sun. The wading pools have been freshened and I am busy filling holes. Greyhound love to dig a nice bed to curl into, my Iris is one of the worst...she claims she doesn't "DIG" like some ordinary dog she "NESTS". I wish the dainty little nester would stop it!! She is a little dog for Pete's sake!! Why does she need a "nest" I could trap a rhino in? Seriously her nests are a hazard.

2008-09-11T16:52:00.004-06:00

HURRAY HURRAY HURRAY

Kiki is HOME!!! 3 weeks to the day and zero calls and no sighting finally Mary and Brian's phone rang with a lead. The caller lived in South Hills and said that she saw what she thought was a deer napping in her yard under a tree....it turned out to be Kiki. While still on the phone with the first caller a second lady called and had just seen Kiki too. So Mary and Brian hopped in the van and lead footed it to the area. There was no sign of her at first but then Brian said those magic words, "Mary there she is!!" Kiki was wandering down the road sniffing garbage cans. Brian drove right to her and opened the van door and hauled her in and into Mary's tearful and waiting arms!!! Mary reports that Kiki lost her collar and is thin but unhurt. This deserves some sort of celebration!!!

Kiki was LUCKY to get back home. So many things could have happened to her while she was out wandering around. So a reminder to check your dog's tags. Are they current and legible? Be sure to have both your cell and home numbers on the tag. If you change collars make sure the tag makes the change or have a light collar just for tags. Consider chipping your greyhounds. Yes they have tattoos BUT many shelters don't know how to track those down and most shelters now scan for chips. Also if anyone who is not familiar with your greyhound is going to be in your home either to visit or work keep your dog in a crate or at least closed in a room away from the door. Accidents still happen but lets all commit to reduce the risk for our greyhounds.

2008-09-08T14:58:00.003-06:00

Skipper will become known by her race name which is Jill. Reports are that she is settling in. Skipper had a hard time on her transition from farm to adoption kennel. We are happy to report her transition from adoption kennel to forever home was much smoother. Her new momma has glowing things to say about Skipper. She is fitting right in and figuring out home life.

This past week end I was busy at a lure course event with my sight hound girls. The girls had a BLAST chasing the bunny. It started Friday eve and continued on Saturday and Sunday. I ran Iris, Tava and the whippet Katy Did. They must run a course solo and prove they have desire and the ability to chase. This is no problem for our greyhounds. They have to prove this at two separate Junior Courser tests to earn the title of Junior Course from the American Kennel Club. My 3 girls ran Friday and again on Saturday AM and earned their JC titles. Later Saturday there is a Open Trial where dogs who have already won their JCs can compete to earn points and or legs towards higher titles. The big difference is that they run against other dogs of the same breed. Tava seemed slightly off after her run. She was a little sore in her shoulder. It was slight....I saw it immediately but I know how Tava moves. Other people had to really watch for it. Of course I scratched her from the rest of the week end. She seems completely recovered today. Iris and Katy went on to earn two legs towards the 4 needed for the next title, Senior Courser. On Sunday when my girls weren't running I got to act as Hunt Master. I was in charge of releasing the dogs and making sure they were safe while they were on the field. That was really fun. If anyone is interested in trying coursing they occasionally do practice runs in Missoula and welcome new folks. Of course you know our hounds love to run but they also have to be fit to run. The part I love about coursing is watching the different hunting and running styles of the dogs. Greyhounds and whippets are the speed demons. While other hounds hunt by planning ambushes. I watched one Ibiazan hound leaping skyward to watch the lure then try to outsmart it. She guessed wrong and ran out to cut it off by going right....the lure went left...and she was left out in the weeds alone. She made the best of it and had a merry romp.

2008-09-05T22:26:00.009-06:00

Skipper is heading home. Henderson's of Billings fell for Skipper!!! She will join greyhounds Gable (was Schist) and Gracious Sylvia...and of course the mighty yorkie Gracie and a cat. HURRAY for Skipper.

Vicki called to let me know Ducky has pretty much taken over the bed and she is beginning to wonder where husband Cliff will sleep. Ducky took to home life like....you guessed it...a Ducky to water!!

Intrepid's family checked in and she is doing really well. Reports are that she walked into the house like she owned it!! Current greyhounds Dolly and Hal had their noses out of joint for a little bit but they are finding their balance. Her owner writes, " When she and Dolly and Hal lay next to each other they look like a pint of Neapolitan ice cream -- vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry!" Now that is BALANCE!!

Speaking of finding a new balance. This week Trish bid a sad farewell to her beloved girl Dessie (Sweet Cheeks) We are not exactly sure what took her so soon. She had been battling a strange infection that ravaged her body. She was on a roller coaster and would feel better than worse. When this last bout started Trish knew it was somehow different. Dessie just didn't have any fight left in her. Putting her own feelings and needs aside she released Dessie from her sick body. Trish said she was so sad the time with Dessie was marked in months and not years but when asked if it was worth it she said "OH YES!!! A million times YES!!" Go on the wings of a dove sweet little Dessie....your time was brief but your love was deep.

2008-09-01T23:52:00.004-06:00

To no one's surprise today the call came that Shannon is being adopted by her foster family. Shannon is frequently called "Princess" by her family is fitting right in with her greyhound brother Merlin and the extended family there at the farm. Congrats to all.

This past week end was the 3 day obedience trial in Great Falls. I showed 3 of my aussies and Katy Did the whippet. The show was a successful for me as the Hot Cha team nailed down 4 titles and have two of the three needed legs on another.

No news on Kiki the lost greyhound. No reports of sighting. Nothing. It is hard to accept that she is still on the run. Surely someone must know something of her. Keep your ears open...we havn't lost all hope.

2008-08-24T14:43:00.004-06:00

ALERT

Kiki McDonald has escaped from her home while the family was away on Aug. 20th. This is every one's worst nightmare. Posters, and walkers have canvased her home turf in the Missoula University area. Please keep your ears and eyes open. If you happen to spot her or hear of a sighting please call Mary and Brian immediately. Kiki is timid and it is unlikely she will approach anyone unfamiliar. If you see her just keep track of her until her family can get there. She is greatly missed. If you are too far away to help in the search please send one up for our little lost girl that she may be safe until she can be found.

Kiki

Mary and Brian McDonald

493-0312

2008-08-18T12:23:00.009-06:00

We all get busy. Summer whips by in the blink of an eye and soon fall will be in the air. It won't be long before we are scratching our heads and wondering where 2008 went. One thing I really love about dogs is their ability to live in the the moment. No whining about what happened to them in the past and not a lot of worrying about how things will work out. If they have trust in a good owner then they are happy. I love sharing my life with them. I love when my old girl, Izzy, bumps my hand during the night for a gentle caress. I see it as love but it may be her way of telling me to roll over and stop snoring. I love when my dogs jump up to greet me and I even love it when they lay there and watch me knowing they are secure enough not to have to greet me. Dogs are wonderful....and our retired racers are some of the best. Not only are greyhounds wonderful soulful companions they are like living with art. Those sculptured muscles and flowing lines....breath taking! Although I am not technically a placement rep this last week or so I have been able to help out in that respect. It is so rewarding to hear the stories of how a new dog is settling in. Talking to that first time adopter is really magic. Where those magic moments start is at places like Pet Fest and the other public events we participate in. This important link in the chain of making a placement happen is really weak...weak to the point of breaking. Public appearances seem to fall onto the shoulders of the same 4-6 families. Some of those families have invested years in these events and need a break from it to recharge their batteries. If you have thought you would like to get more involved even if it is just once a year please do. We have a lot of fun when we get together. It is a rare opportunity to share ideas and stories. For example at PetFest we talked a lot about the new dog food we are trying out at the foster kennels. You find out the best place to buy new collars and beds and sometimes tricks for making life with dogs easier. We share laughs and can talk openly about how much we love our dogs without feeling the least bit strange. These public moments are some sort of therapy. But one of the best things that happens is watching someone meet a greyhound for the first time. You can see the light in the new person's eyes as they swoop down to their knees to get a closer look and maybe a hug. Sharing your beautiful loved greyhound in this fashion is incredible. When that person ends up adopting a greyhound of their own you will feel the satisfaction of knowing YOU helped that happen by taking the time to sharing your greyhound. People always remember the first greyhound they meet. Let it be yours.

Right now there are many opportunities to help. We are in desperate need of fresh faces and ideas. One of the things that is coming up is the U of M home coming parade. Unless we get people committed to making it happen it may go by the way side. We are open to ideas and new ways to do it. If you are willing to be on a committee to please contact us immediately. Elaine is also anxious to get more going on in the Kalispell area but needs help. It doesn't mean you have to tackle a giant task....if everyone does a small bit we can have the best group ever....and the real winners will be the greyhounds!!!

In Missoula contact Laura at lhenning@RMEF.ORG or
Judy at jpfaff@bresnan.net
In Kalispell contact Elaine at elaine@travelguidebook.com

2008-08-15T01:05:00.003-06:00

Looks like Teddy Bear will head to Great Falls this week end. He has been claimed!! What a great week this has been for moving dogs!! After weeks of dogs waiting finally a break. Remember Pet Fest is this week end. You don't have to sign up to come down and visit. Of course it is nice if you sign up so we know that we have coverage. But if you suddenly have a chunk of time on Saturday please come down to show off your pup. We will have some of the foster dogs there. So even if you don't want to bring your dog...bring your people skills and help spread the word about retired racing greyhounds.

2008-08-14T13:34:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was Ducky's birthday. You will all be pleased to hear that Ducky got her birthday wish. A home of her own!! early in the week Carol mentioned to me that Vicki K. was thinking of adding another greyhound after the loss of her dear old pup, CJ. I immediately was on the phone to Vicki and asked her to consider Ducky. Vicki said "Funny you should call I have been thinking about this very thing!" Last evening Vicki and Cliff of Missoula brought their two greyhound girls, Abby and Jaz, out to meet their new sister Ducky. Things went very well. Cliff laughed when Ducky started playing with a toy. He already is calling her MD (short for Mama Ducky). HURRAY!!! I will take Ducky into Missoula on Saturday and turn her over to Vicki. Ducky will officially join the red headed pack of the Klein family.
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Pizzazz has been spoken for and is searching for a ride to the Kalispell area. Anyone going to the lake soon?
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Shannon also is in a new spot. It is technically a foster home but it has lots of potential to firm up into an adoption.
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That leaves Miss Skipper here at my place. Skipper gets cuter every day. She takes a while to relax but is one of the sweetest and easiest foster dogs. Comes when I call and never causes any trouble. I don't think I would put her in a home with a busy family just because of the chaos level would overwhelm her...but she would shine in a settled routine home.

Tripps are fostering the boys, Juan, Jack and Teddy Bear. If things keep moving along this way maybe we will be able to help some more greyhounds. Next haul is Sept.

2008-08-12T01:20:00.007-06:00

Summer is whipping by me at the speed of a greyhound. I can't believe we are already to the middle of August. This summer has been a blur of company. Darrin's nieces came and stayed a couple of weeks and a few days later my nieces came and stayed for 3 weeks. While it is nice not to have teenagers to keep track of I do miss them. There is no one to watch late night movies with.
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We have several nice greyhounds that need homes. I have 3 wonderful greyhound ladies in waiting here. Mama Ducky is still waiting and waiting and waiting....where on earth is her family? She has so much going for her I just can't believe she is still here waiting. Skipper is doing wonderfully. When she arrived she was pretty stressed her little world had been turned upside down. She is settling in but I can't wait to see how much she really blossoms in a home of her own. She is so elegant, the picture of grace and the sweet personality to match. Then there is Pizazz who is cute and fun. We had a serious nibble on her from a home up north but nothing has happened so far so she is still waiting. In the mean time we did help an Afghan Hound find a home in Billings. Best wishes to Roman in his new home with Cindy! Bold Speed went home with Stacy a couple weeks ago. He is such a baby Huey....but reports are he is settling right in and loving his new life. His new name will be Bodie and he will live in Missoula. We will see if he can learn to walk on a lead in his new home.

At Tripps there are 6 greyhounds waiting. Intrepid and Oliver have been spoken for but they have 3 handsome boys and one darling senior girl who are waiting for homes of their own. This week end is Pet Fest in Missoula if anyone would like to take one of the foster dogs in to meet folks we can arrange it.

2008-08-01T01:02:00.008-06:00

When Jack first bound out into the yard to have his picture taken I thought "Oh boy he is too much!" But soon everyone was laughing out loud watching his funny antics. He is big, beautiful and silly. In 2 minutes he ran like a wild thing, played fetch, cooled off by wading and then looked drop dead gorgeous for pictures. He squeezed more living into those two short minutes than most dogs do in a whole day. If Jack was a person he would be the guy EVERYONE knows and wants to know better. What a great dog!!

Jack will turn three years old in Sept. and he sure would love to celebrate his birthday in his own home. He likes all people and plays well with other dogs....although he may overwhelm the meek. With Jack in the house you will never be bored or lonely. Unlike many active dogs Jack will settle and is a honey.

2008-07-16T01:31:00.004-06:00

I love this picture of Skipper. It really shows the soft side of her. She is a dog easily overwhelmed but she really wants to be a good girl. She is just now learning how to be a real dog...which must be somewhat like the process the velveteen rabbit went through to become "real".

2008-07-15T23:53:00.020-06:00

Seems there is a lot to tell. We have new pictures of Pizazz and Skipper which should be on the web site soon. Saturday brought new dogs from Oklahoma. 6 new beauties to find homes for in Montana. The picture above is taken at the meeting spot just before we loaded them up to take them to the bath house. Note that the fawn and brindle that Paulette has her hand on is Juan who is actually WHITE and brindle. Here he is with his flea shampoo soaking....he has had 3 shampoo lathers at this point. The pretty brindle in the picture is Jack. Click on the picture for a larger view so youu can see his handsome face.

We didn't have a lot of helpers on this bath day but the people who came worked hard scrubbing dogs and walking them after their baths. Here is Paulette and Carol scrubbing Oliver (brother to Tripps handsome boy Robbie.) Judy and Trish were doing a last minute transport of Junebug who is now settling in with greyhound sisters Lilly, Tessa and Betty.

Bold Speed turned out to be a big BABY. He isn't sure he should have to walk on a lead. So when Jeff took him out to dry in the sun and to potty. Bold Speed decided he couldn't walk back so rather than risk him pulling out of his collar Jeff packed him for about half a block. I bet Jeff wish he stayed closer to the truck.

Not pictured are Sweet Shannon a 9 year old tiny brindle retired brood mama. She is recovering tonight from a spay, dental which revealed few healthy teeth and a eye infection. She sure would love some TLC from a loving foster or forever home. Debbie quickly was falling under the spell of Shannon while she walked her and rubbed her dry. Her sweet personality is exactly the reason she came to Montana. When Tripps met her Carol reports that Shannon hopped right in the truck with them and laid her head on Dan's shoulder. He was smitten!! Now some lucky home is going to have the fortune of adopting her. Also not pictured is Teddy Bear, a handsome red boy with the sweetest chocolate drop eyes.

Sunday afternoon Darrin and I loaded up a couple of dogs and went on a over night camp trip to a remote lake in the high country. When we passed through a heavily flowered alpine meadow I insisted Darrin stop the car. I took the pups on a nice walk and then we sat in the grass together. If this is what Heaven is like I won't be disappointed!!

2008-07-08T11:31:00.011-06:00

At long last a picture of Intrepid. She is a absolute DOLL. In describing her to Judy I said, "This dog is as close to Belle (of Belle Toll fame) of any dog I have ever met". Intrepid is sweet, curious, pretty and will look you right in the eye. I was quickly falling for this one....so I sent her back to Tripps as soon as they were back home. Thinking of opening your home to a deserving retired mama? Don't wait!! This little honey is really something.

Love in June (AKA Junebug) has a home and is waiting to catch a ride to the Billings area. She will be joining the Wright family in Circle. They already share their home with a pack of wonderful greyhounds...yep they have the disease.

More hounds will arrive this week end. Check out the incoming hounds on the website.

The other big news is that Merlin went home!! Merlin is busy working his magic on his new family and reports are that they think Merlin is close to perfect.

2008-06-26T15:48:00.006-06:00

The dog show was good...not great but good. I was pretty tired after 3 days of showing and was really ready for a day OFF. My dogs did well with both Jonah (Ital. Greyhound) and Katy Did (Whippet) earning their titles. Dusk and Ivy my Aussies worked at a higher level and earned "legs" towards their titles which will come later. Judy came to watch on Tuesday. As luck would have it when we went over to check out the group rings, the hounds were showing. Zoolander (Lori G.'s greyhound boy) was in the ring strutting his stuff. The group ring is a lot of work and Zoo looked great!! Many of you may remember meeting Zoo at the picnic.

All of the greyhound girls are here with me now. What a nice bunch of girlies. It is hard to pick a favorite!! Tomorrow starts the shuffle to get them all to the vet and ready to start their look for homes. And of course we still have wonderful Ducky waiting!! We will be getting pictures of the new girls in the next day or so.

For those of you who missed the picnic or want to remember it... Darrin put a snip of video up on You Tube. There are such classic moments as Kerry and Barb getting their picture with their four greyhound boys....this is before the little girl pup arrives to turn their world upside down. Our girl Katie telling us about her fund raising efforts and of course Brent masterfully playing the crowd and donning on "The Psychedelic Dream Socks"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiUPgI_U3-Y

2008-06-20T13:00:00.007-06:00

Good news bad news..... The bad news is Farley will not be coming to Montana....the good news is the reason is he has HOME!!! So we are back to 4 girls.

Here is the web site so you can watch them cross the country http://k8nkc.com/June20-2008/

2008-06-19T21:19:00.003-06:00

OK I can't resist....check this out http://www.idodogtricks.com/index_flash.html Give him commands like dance, sing, play dead, roll over and don't forget to ask for a kiss!!

2008-06-19T09:10:00.010-06:00

Dogs are coming this Saturday night!!! We are getting a total of 5. If you want to be on the call list to come meet them and help bathe them contact Carol at tripps@bearcreekfjords.myrf.net Be sure to email her your phone number. It will probably be late....they are saying 11 PM but that can shift a couple hours either direction depending on what happens en route. So here is who will be coming in...

Prima Intrepid - 9 year old Fawn Female - We don't have a picture of her. Kate in Kansas practically begged us to take her. She said Intrepid needed to move!! So we will scootch over and make a little room for a little red headed old lady.

Spazz is a 4.5 year old black girl. She will be shopping for a new name soon I believe. She is small and sweet tempered.
Skipper - White with black female. Her race name was Jill Walker she is 5 years old and loves loves people. Her father is related to Judy and Brent's old girl Frosty. Skipper's dad is Frosty's uncle. So I guess that makes them cousins. She has 5 pups on record and had a decent race career. Now she will retire to Montana.

June - Black 4 year old female. Happy and cat tested fine (of course we will retest her). She had a full race career running in mostly "A" and "B" races. She was in the money a lot. With a race name of Love in June how could you go wrong?
UPDATE....Never mind.....Farley was spoke for and is headed to a HOME....he won't be headed to Montana
Farley - He raced under the name of Dutch Farley. They refer to him as a "Brushstroke Brindle" as he only has a few stripes. He is very super friendly and cat tested fine. Kate said he was just awesome!! It is funny how attached you start to get to the dogs that are ordered for here. Each one you feel is going to be the best one ever. It becomes hard to pick a dog who you are the most excited to meet. I will have to wait to meet them....Sunday kicks off the big dog show in Missoula and I will be busy showing 4 dogs. So all the pups will head to Tripps for the first few days then come to my place after the show on Tuesday. BTW if anyone wants to come to the show but needs to know what is going on the schedule is posted at http://www.fivevalleykennelclub.org/ The show is Sunday, Monday and Tuesday....if you want to see much you have to come out early. Itis not at all uncommon for a show to be wrapping up by about 1 PM.

2008-06-15T00:32:00.004-06:00

The picnic was a BLAST!!! I wish more folks had been able to come out...but we were having too much fun to miss you...AND we made some $$ for the hounds. Katie B. came out and told us how after she met the greyhounds at the mall she decided to put out donation jars for greyhounds. She collected a nice sum for donation. I am impressed with her initiative. Speaking of which thanks of those who rounded up the donations for the auction. As soon as Run was adopted her new family started asking for donations and they rounded up some great gift certificates...Thanks Jen!! Also in the crowd was Amber, a referral from Jen...love that new adopter enthuasiam!! Amber just turned in her application and came out to meet some of the available hounds...it wasn't long before she and Merlin were swooning...she is anxious to have her home visit done so she can ADOPT. Foster dog Ducky made the debut of her adorable collar that has little rubber duckies on the fabric. Thank you to Ducky's Auntie Glenda at Collar Closet in NJ. She also donated a couple of cute collars for the auction.

The auction was well stocked with a variety of things, a nearly new complete dell computer, gift certificates, artwork, dog coats and even a cherry pie!! Kathy B. brought her insanely wonderful red pepper jelly. Trish brought some wonderful pendants handcrafted by her son who is a glass artist in Bozeman and she brought Stroopwafle cookies....YUM...a new addiction!!! I made some wild colored socks with a matching fleece dog coat for the auction. Remember those black light posters that were popular in the 70's? This is where the fabric got inspiration for it's colors, black background and wild oranges, yellows, blues and purples. Somehow in Brent's effort to raise the bid he said something to the effect that for a price he would model those crazy socks...then it became for $50 he would wear them the rest of the day. Bek was trying to rally the crowd to throw in together and come up with the money. Then out of the noisy banter came Lou Elmore's quiet steadfast voice...."I'd like to see that...I offer $50!" The bidding ended and Brent pulled on the socks while Lou looked on with eyes dancing. Judy was thankful there were only socks and not any underwear in the auction!! But that is another story....a true story...better left for her to tell. Then came what I thought might be the saddest part of the day....the stained glass that had graced my window for a couple of days came up on the auction block. All my hopes of them forgetting it were dashed. The bidding took off and as it slowed I jumped in. When it ended I had the winning bid!! WOOHOO!!! The stained glass will stay right where it is to be treasured!! As the day wound down I cruised over to the Collar Crazy's booth just to see if they had a collar I couldn't live without. Of course it took me all of 30 seconds to spot the perfect collar for Tava...yes another one!! I also scored a candle and some dog cookies from Big Dog Spa. Next year we are looking at the second week end in July. Put it on your calendar NOW and start a little piggy bank for next year's auction. In the meantime if you are feeling sad you missed out be sure to visit our donors and soothe your need to spend money.

2008-06-13T12:07:00.004-06:00

The greyhound picnic is TOMORROW!!!

I can hardly believe it is here already. Tripps stopped by yesterday and brought a load of things for the auction including Carol's gorgeous stained glass greyhound artwork. We hung it up in my window in the training room...already I am attached to it...I will be sad when some lucky person buys it. There will be some good things in the auction I can't wait!!! Tripps also brought by the new GPA crate bank for here. I need to get plywood cut for the floors but it is here so everyone can see it. We bought it with money from the Belle Toll!! It is really nice and will house my foster pups.

Last Sunday was a tracking test up near Clearwater Junction. Dusk (my aussie boy) and I were lucky enough to be drawn to participate in the "Track Dog Excellent" test (TDX). It is a upper level test with a 800+ yard track over varied terrain with several corners and multiple articles for him to find. The articles can be anything from a glove, wallet, sock or anything fabric, plastic or leather. As if that isn't hard enough the track is aged over 3 hours AND it will have cross tracks. A cross track is two people who will walk across your track in 2 places. It is a difficult test with only a 15% pass rate nation wide. But Dusk is a fabulous tracker and I work hard to be a good handler and team mate for him. The morning was cool and wet but at least it wasn't pouring. After watching the first dog fail before he even got off the first leg of the track I was more determine than ever to focus. The first leg of my track followed under some power lines. The lines were humming and snapping in the wet weather. Dusk was not bothered by the static but I knew that this is why the first dog who is sound sensitive failed. Dusk did his first corner with out a problem and we sailed through the second leg. Another corner and we started up a slight slope. I saw him working his cross tracks by carefully checking them and then he was back on his track. Before long I saw his head dip and he blew air through his nose in a snort but then he kept going. I got to that spot and looked around but failed to see the first article. Dusk indicated but not in his typical way. We missed the first article....a plastic checkbook cover. We flunked at that point but since Dusk was tracking strong we were allowed to keep tracking without the judges but with the person who had laid the track. Another corner and we went along the side of the hill where he found the a ratty slipper which he grabbed and bought to me. This is how he usually indicates a article with a good retrieve!! Then our track turned up hill. It was a bit of a climb and I was puffing...busting a lung. When we crested the hill we had a panoramic view of the valley below with the filtered sun making diamonds of the rain drops. It was breathtaking!!! I wish I could some how capture it for all of you to share. I called to my tracklayer "This is Heaven!!". I felt such partnership and peace with my dog and the whole world. Dusk continued to track along the ridge until his head dropped down and he brought up his final article a leather glove. There is such joy in tracking with Dusk...my heart was full. Tracking is unlike any other dog sport in its demand for partnership. We didn't get our title this time but honestly I feel very satisfied with our work. We will try to get into the tracking test that will be held in the fall to get our TDX title. Working with a dog at such a high level is both exhilarating and humbling...I am a lucky girl.

2008-06-06T01:58:00.001-06:00

REMINDER - June 7th is the big Greyhound Garage sale in Billings. Contact Trish or Bek if you need more details. They still need people to help out on the day of the sale.

2008-06-06T01:36:00.003-06:00

The foster dog scene seems to be changing around here almost daily. Merlin, Gold and Chili are all spoken for!! Merlin will be heading north to Kalispell. He was chosen as a companion by a woman who needed a sweet and gentlemanly greyhound. Hopefully connections can be made this week end for him. If anyone is traveling between Missoula and Kalispell and can transport a pup please call Carol and Dan Tripp to make arrangements. His home is waiting to shower him with love.

When the Bjarko family of Sydney suffered the unexpected loss of their beloved greyhound boy Reese they felt the need to fill that hole with another greyhound boy. The problem became which greyhound boy. While mom fell in love with Gold the boys could not get Chili out of their minds. So they decided to jump in and adopt BOTH!! They are hoping to make the move this week end via a leap frog system of transport. It is all set up except the Great Falls to Havre leg. I for one am looking forward to the pictures of that homecoming!!

Dori will also move this week end. Kathy B. of Missoula has agreed to foster Dori. She goes into this knowing it likely will turn into a long term foster. Dori is very sweet but really needs a steady routine and prefers not to have men in the home. We were going to wait until the picnic for Dori to move but the more we chatted the more we got to thinking why wait? Dori may as well make the move and settle in. Tripps have given Dori excellent care and send her into her new foster home with a lot of love....they even say she can come back if she isn't happy...but we all have the feeling she will blossom under Kathy's tender care.

I have visited Run in her new home and she is settling in. Her name has been adjusted from generic Run to feminine Karly. Karly will learn her new name but I am not so sure I can be retrained. I need to call her by her right name after all I am her dog-god mother. She is doing wonderful and her new family are certain they got the best dog in the world. Which is exactly what every adopter should think.

2008-05-25T23:19:00.008-06:00

Today was Bakarly Run's birthday and she got what she really wanted...A HOME!! Jennifer has been coming out and meeting and playing with dogs. First she met Merlin and the rest of the gang at Tripps. Then she came here and met Gold and Ducky. Of course she saw Run too but my heart was being torn with worry about Tigger and after all these months I had started to think of Run as mine. Based on the first visit I told her I didn't think Run was a match. The first visit Run didn't really interact with the kids...but by the third visit Run was enjoying the kids and Jennifer had proven herself as a good greyhound home. The final straw was the morning of the last visit as I was saying good morning to my greyhound girls Iris and Tava. I held their faces together in my hands and knew for the first time Run wasn't mine. I felt I had my girls...all of them right there. Of course I missed Tigger and I am sure she near. When Jennifer came out I could see the magic happening between them and I did what foster homes are meant to do....I let go. Reports from Jennifer are glowing. Run is settling in and finding all her favorite spots to nest. It is amazing how fast love can be transferred. Seriously I have tended her every need for months the least she could do is miss me a little...sigh dogs... Run and I have a special friendship....she didn't throw my love away but used it as a stepping stone into her new home. Little Run Run is home and I am very happy for her!!

Also on the road to new homes this week were Venture and Hairspray. Tami made the trip south to meet the boys Chili and Venture. She adopted another greyhound, Chuck, over a year ago. She said Chuck is really coming out of his shell and starting to play. Tami decided they were ready for another greyhound and Venture seemed like the match!!! Soon to be home is Hairspary. Dana and Mitch from Bozeman were over this direction this week end and took her home with them where Trish will pick her up and deliver Hairspray to her new owner, who by the way is already talking about a new name for her. I have met Hairspray and I am pretty sure her new name is going to be something like "Get off me!" or "Hey bring that back!" She is the cutest little imp!!

2008-05-22T16:33:00.014-06:00

I am sad to report the loss of our friend and my family member Tigger (aka Kiowa Margo). She lived over 15 glorious years and brought us much love and joy in the past 3 years she shared with us. Tigger came to us via a "give away" ad in the Missoula newspaper. Judy called and made arrangements to pick her up immediately then called me to ask if I could foster her. Really, I was only going to foster and the fact that the first greyhound I ever placed was named Tigger was simply a coincidence. Later I learned that she shared a birthday with my beloved aussie girl, Izzy....again I said this is NOT a sign it is a coincidence. She had been here about a week and one night I was playing with the dogs and I said "Everyone Sit", Tigger came running over and popped herself into the nicest sit. I was shocked by this un-greyhound like behavior. This certainly seemed like a lot of coincidences. It was then that I decided that 3 solid coincidences equal one big sign from above. That very night Tigger moved her little self from the kennel to the house and never looked back. Sure, adopting a 12 year old dog may seem like throwing your heart away, but that is not how it was...it was wonderful. Tigger was Iris' best buddy. She was so unassuming and nothing bothered her, a behavior that Iris' started to emulate. You would think I would leave a old dog alone but when the rest of the pack participated in a Canine Good Citizen test last year, Tigger at 14 years was not left out and was tested too. Her sit was a bit wobbly, and her down slow and careful but her desire to please shone through and she passed the test earning her first and only obedience title. On her 14th birthday and Izzy's 13th we threw a great dog party. Complete with ice cream and liver cake. That party is still talked about. There were about 15-20 dogs all loose together eating and socializing. Amazingly everyone was on their best behavior and we had a blast. Tigger loved to wear nice collars. I have never known a dog who even noticed their collar. Tigger did. This spring I bought a nice soft lime green fabric collar for her. It was the last collar she wore. It is in my pocket at this very moment and now dries my tears.

A month or so ago I noticed Tigger limping and it seemed difficult for her to get comfortable sometimes. I started to offer her pain reliever. I suspected osteosarcoma and started to hear the clock ticking. Tick tick tick. When Tig first came home Iris and her shared a bed for a few days. They both seemed to need the connection and comfort. Some of you may remember the yin and yang picture of them http://www.gparockymountain.org/ProsePoetry.html . After those first few days I never saw them share a bed again until last week. There they were side by side. I knew that they were going through the process of letting go and saying good bye. Tick tick tick. As the days passed I needed to make the dreaded vet appointment which would confirm what I already knew. When Tigger started needing a double dose of pain meds I could wait no longer. Tick tick tick. I noticed small changes in her, she panted more and her balance was off just a bit. I saw less of the smiling Tigger I loved. One glance at that x-ray and my heart sank. The affected bone was speckled with damage and the edges eaten away. As much as I hated the idea of letting Tigger go the risk of a break was too high to be ignored. Tick tick tick. So I made an appointment for later in the day. Tigger and I headed to McDonalds bought hamburgers. Then we came home and pulled her big bed into the sun and snuggled and shared cookies with the rest of the pack. Darrin left work early and together we took Tigger to be released from her sick little body. Together we wrapped her in a favorite blanket and delivered her body to the crematorium. As I was saying good bye I told her I would miss her stubborn streak...heaven forbid you should reach for her collar to guide her. I will miss her big chocolate drop eyes. I will miss how on the rare occasion she escaped she would hobble away as fast as her old legs could take her like some rest-home escapee with a walker. But the thing I will miss the most is her sweet little yip bark. She used that bark to call to me, to find me or if she needed help getting up. A soft little yip. Last night as I was falling to sleep I heard her yip...a last sweet good bye...a prayer answered. Judy told me Tigger's last owner never even said good bye to her or gave her a farewell pat. I can tell you when Tigger left this time she was surrounded by love. Her soft coat damp with tears and dried with loving caresses. Tigger is loved and missed by her whole family....dogs and people.

2008-05-20T18:14:00.007-06:00

The lure coursing weekend was way fun for me. Saturday was the day the AKC rep gave a seminar. At the end of the seminar we were tested. A good test score is required of anyone wanting to become a lure course judge. I passed. I still have several requirements but I have the test out of the way if I decide to pursue it. Coursing is not about who is fastest. It is really about who displays the most hunting skill. They are scored on 5 criteria; Follow, Agility, Speed, Endurance and Overall ability. So speed is only a small part of the score, in fact a lot of speed can work against them as it makes turns and staying on the lure much harder. Tava has her big thick tail to help her rudder. Check out the difference in the picture between Iris who is in pink and Tava's tails.

Sunday was actual coursing. I took Iris, Tava and Katy Did the whippet. First all the dogs run against the other dogs of their breed in groups of 3. Since I had the only greyhounds my girls ran together. The course was small and my girls were not ready for it to be over so quickly. Both ran cleanly and safely. Tava was dancing at the end of her slip even after her first run. Tava and Iris scored within a couple points of each other with Tava gaining the edge. Katy ran against a whippet from Billings. It was her first time running with another dog and I was pleased with how well she did. She scored second but I was hit with a point penalty for early release. After everyone runs they reverse the course, so if they were going clockwise they now drag the lure counter clockwise. Again Tava edged out Iris which made her "Best of Breed". Katy ended up second by a narrow margin. Then they can run a third time in what is called "Best in Field". For BIF they run against the top dog from each breed, again in groups of 3. Tava was still game so I let her run. She ran against a Ridgeback and a Borzoi. After all the dogs ran I was thrilled at the awards to learn that little Tava Beanie won Best in Field!!! I took home so tired and happy pups!!

2008-05-16T15:56:00.006-06:00

Are greyhounds good with cats? Well they can be! Check out Lance who is watching over the new arrivals of his cat/girlfriend. Lance continues to amaze us with his antics. I wonder who is going to break the news to him that he isn't the daddy or even the uncle.

2008-05-16T13:26:00.003-06:00

Ahhhh summer!!!! I feel like we have finally reached the warm weather. It feels so good!!! The dogs are able to go out to play more and they all seem to love napping in the sun and taking a turn in the wading pool. Anyone who is thinking of getting a wading pool better do it right away. If this warm weather lasts very long they will be hard to find. The greyhounds have had more visitors. Jennifer and her two girls came out and spent an afternoon between Tripps and my house. They have had a greyhound in the past and are anxious to have another one. Jennifer went home and immediately filled out an application. I love it when that happens. She got in touch with us when she went to visit the greyhounds at PetsMart.

A couple of items for your calendar. June 14th is the picnic. We need volunteers to help plan and to get donations. I am offering lawn camping to anyone who wants to come up early and stay late. Years ago we had a camping greyhound picnic....it was a hoot!!!

This week end is some AKC lure coursing in Missoula. Sunday is a lure course fun match. I will be there with some of my gang. For directions go to http://www.fivevalleykennelclub.org/
find the link for the match premium. They are planning to start running dogs just after 9 AM. So bring a lawn chair and some lunch and enjoy the day. Might want to leave your hounds at home...it is only for AKC registered dogs and it may be hot. Want to know about lure coursing? Check this out http://www.akc.org/events/lure_coursing/getting_started.cfm
The one thing I love about attending a lure course is the chance to see other breeds of sight hounds running. I am not sure who will be there but I know there will be ridgebacks, borzoi, whippets, greyhounds, wolfhounds...might also be an Ibizan hound or two.

2008-05-10T10:49:00.002-06:00

What a busy week it has been. Finally Gold has all of his stitches out. Hurray!!! He has been cleared to go out to play with the other greyhounds. He has been loving being able to stretch out in the sun to nap and racing around being his goofy self. More notably in Gold's life is that he has caught the interest of a family. They have been out to see him a couple of times this week already. Even if ultimately the decide to wait to adopt, Gold is benefiting from some extra attention.

Also this week I found a nice big wire crate on Craigslist for a decent price. Those things are like gold to us!! I made arrangements to have it picked up. When the sellers found out where the crate was going they refused payment and donated it to rescue. Thanks to Steve and Lindi and their pups for the donation!! It will be put to good use and will house many greyhounds in transition.

2008-05-05T12:20:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Tripps called and invited Judy and I over for a picnic. Judy and I were both on our own for the day as our husbands were otherwise occupied. Carol packed up a lunch and we hiked across the pasture into a pretty cottonwood grove where Dan built a fire and cooked hamburgers. Tava got to go with me. She had so much fun hanging out with us and Tripps little "farm dog" Italian Greyhound, Gloria. The area was fenced so Tava got to be off lead and explore the trees and the dry creek bottom. She showed up in time to get the tail end of hamburgers and some watermelon and of course gummy berries. Tava loved the little gummies but Gloria thought they were awful and she would spit them out projectile fashion.

When we were finished Some folks from Missoula came out to meet the greyhounds up close. Nicole and her man whose name I didn't catch. Came out to see the foster dogs. They aren't ready to adopt but are very interested in the dogs and willing to become involved until they can adopt. As we were getting ready to head for home we noticed that Tripps pups weren't quite done with the party. Top to bottom they are Robbie, Sparky and Holly.

2008-04-29T12:55:00.004-06:00

This is Merlin trying to will the tennis ball to him!! What Merlin lacks in magical powers with a tennis ball he makes up for in his sweet temperament. Merlin would be easy to overlook, he is into relaxing and spending quiet time getting loves. He likes attention but is not needy and won't be a pest. Merlin would be a ready made therapy dog. Merlin hates having a camera pointed at him, making getting a good picture pretty tough. He is absolutely gorgeous, with his deep rich buckskin color and dark soulful eyes. Merlin's magic will be found once he is in a loving home and he blossoms. He is going to be some lucky person's best friend.

2008-04-28T12:04:00.013-06:00

If your greyhound likes balls they will LOVE these crazy toys made by Cuz. Trish sent out a email saying how much her dogs like these toys and then several of us confessed our own greyhounds have already discovered these weird wonderful tough rubber toys. She must have washed her toys before the picture. Mine always are covered with dog slobber. PetsMart carries them or you can find them in most catalog stores. Speaking of catalog stores. Since Montana is so big I know many of you shop from catalogs. One of my favorites is Ryan's in Phoenix. I have family we occasionally visit in that area and no trip to Phoenix is complete without at least one trip to Ryan's http://www.ryanspet.com/ They do carry the Cuz toys but when I was down there last I found this funky long limbed monkey which has been a hit with my crew. My crew also play with the Hol-ee-rollers and the DNA thingy. Another fun pet catalog is http://www.petedge.com/

Here is Gold saying "hi" to his new friend, Lynn. He likes to look you right in the eye. That is so he can aim better to kiss you on the lips. I took Gold to another vet appointment. His foot is finally well on its way to healed....FINALLY this morning he is out alone one of the paddocks for the first time. Hopefully in another week or so he can start going out with other dogs. Gold is a big clown, he is friendly and so silly. Gold likes to steal things and bring them to his "nest". Here he is adding a kennel muzzle to his loot. This dog keeps you laughing!! He is a gem!!! BIG THANKS to everyone who keeps the Belle Toll Fund alive and well. Gold's emergency care is being paid from this important fund.

2008-04-23T11:33:00.012-06:00

The weather has turn to crap. Mixed rain and snow with COLD! So far this day is proving to be the kind of day that is better spent in the safety of one's bed. Last night I went to bed with what felt like pre-flu symptoms. This morning I got up feeling about the same way. So I pulled a sweatshirt over my jammies and shuffled out to the kennel to do turn outs. With my eyes mostly still shut and my head pounding out a drum rhythm, I opened the kennel door. My eyes flew open as my nostrils screamed "What is that SMELL?". This should have been the warning I needed to slither back to bed. Poor Ducky had diarrhea. I don't know what she ate but it must have been A LOT!! My immediate reaction was to get her out of her mess as soon as possible. So I open her door and she came trotting out happy to be out of there. With every jaunty step she tracked poop onto the carpet and floor in clumpy brown paw prints. My stomach heaved...good thing I felt too crummy to eat breakfast. Then Ducky shook and more poop flew off of her. I just stood there in some awful state of shock, eyes glassy and swallowing hard for control. "Don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up!" I did have the sense to at least keep my mouth shut which was the only reason I wasn't swearing or getting anything flung into my mouth....that would have been the end of me! Poor Ducky. She seemed to feel fine except the mess. An hour later the dogs were back in their crates after turn outs, Ducky was shivering from her bath but was clean, she had a clean bed and some meds in her tummy. I smell of wet dog and mess but the laundry is going and it is looking like I am going to make it through another fine mess. Just to be sure I am going to soak in a hot tub of scented water and then have ice cream with honey for breakfast. Then it will be back to do another turn out. ....please please let the crates be clean.

Chipping greyhounds

2008-04-20T18:05:00.005-06:00

Billings had a extra event at Greyhound Play today. A vet showed up with a bag full of micro-chips and for a discounted rate chipped any greyhound whose owner wanted the added security of a micro-chip. I typically don't worry about chipping greyhounds since they have ear tattoos but you know many shelters will check for a chip and won't even think to look in the ears. Even if they did know to look in the ears they may not know where to track down the info on the dog. Thanks Trish for putting this together.

Bozeman had a little greyhound excitement of their own. The local paper ran a ad for Heart of the Valley Humane Assn. and it featured a homeless GREYHOUND right here in our back yard. This makes two that showed up at shelters this year!! There was a flurry of emails and phone calls and Bozeman rep Barb hopped in her car and hustled to the shelter. There she met the greyhound AND the family who had come to take her home. A home who already has a retired racer. Of course now we are curious who this mystery family is and we are hoping maybe they want to come play with us.

GREYHOUND PICNIC IS SATURDAY JUNE 14 !!

Discovering Gold

2008-04-16T11:38:00.019-06:00

On April 5, 2008 the greyhound hauler rolled into Missoula. Tripps, Vicki K. and I were waiting at the meeting spot eager to meet our new charges and hoping more people would show up to help us walk, load and bathe the 11 new Montana greyhounds. I was especially excited because Nitro Ducky was on the load and I could not wait to meet her. The truck rolled to a stop and soon we were unloading. Since there was only 4 of us to walk dogs we could only unload part of the dogs. Carol and I quickly stuck two girls in my van so we could go back and unload a couple more. People started to arrive to help walk dogs. As we were unloading dogs, I was blocking the door and putting on collars and Carol was busy checking her list to make sure we got the right dogs. John, the driver said he had people helping him load and the load had gotten a little mixed. This sight delay while we looked for our dogs may be the reason that one dog lived another day.

As John was looking in the crates with a flashlight I was standing by the back door and started to check the crates that I could see. The crate on the left had a big male dog who was stretched out in a classic cockroach position. Then my brain registered something was not right. His breathing seemed wrong...in fact I wasn't sure I saw any breathing. I asked, "Is this dog OK?" John started heading my way asking "What is it?". It was then that I noticed the dog's paw wedged in the top of the door to the box he was in. His leg was stretched to the limit, he was on his back and he was absolutely stuck. I pointed to the foot in horror. John raced to the door, pulled the trailer door shut to prevent any escapes and started to work on getting the dog free. I stood by the back door straining my ears when I heard a shriek. The backdoor opened and John handed me a dog, his broken kennel muzzle hanging around his neck. One look at the mangled foot and the blood. I said, "I am taking him to the vet right now! He is staying here!" John nodded in agreement and relief. Tripp's friend Teri quickly handed off the dog she was walking and helped me unload the dogs from my van. I loaded up the hurt dog and the long awaited Ducky and tore out of the parking lot on two wheels while dialing the vet on my cell phone. Leaving behind a trail of blood in the parking lot. Traffic was horrible but it gave me time to talk to the vet and tell him I was on my way with a emergency. Someone from the Idaho group called to see if the truck had left and I was able to tell her what happened and which dog I had. She looked up who he was and where he was going. His name is MNs Gold and he was going to be unloaded in Idaho with the GPA Greater Northwest and then transferring to Chinook Winds in Canada. We agreed we would work out the details later and I would keep them posted. The drive to the vet seemed to take forever!! I could hear Gold moving and then for a bit he was awfully quiet. Of course I starting wondering if he was bleeding out....about the time I was going to pullover to check him I could hear him moving again.

Dr. Joe was in the parking lot when I pulled in. We opened the back of the van and I was relieved to see a living dog in that crate. There was blood everywhere. The beds were soaked through and Gold was covered. Gold was shocky but bright eyed. We started to wash off the blood, finding amazingly few wounds for the amount of blood. The blood was coming from a vein in the bottom of his foot which was exposed and torn. Other injuries included a side tooth which was hanging from a thin thread of flesh, pressure sore on his rump no doubt from the miles he traveled hung up, He has a rather large wound on his stifle which we cut the flap off of so it could heal. The foot actually wasn't as bad as we feared. He did chip the corner of his knuckle. The bone chip was visible in the wound so Dr. Joe plucked it out. X-rays showed no other broken bones. We gave him fluids to stabilize him and got some pain meds on board. We wrapped his foot and stifle and Joe told me to change bandages in a couple of days. Gold was exhausted and physically drained. After a nice potty break and some water he settled into my largest crate to rest.

When I unwrapped that foot it was clear the toe was dying. Gold went back at the vet to have the outside toe removed. It was the toe that suffered the brunt of the pinch in the door. While he was out he was neutered and completely checked out. I kept in contact with Cindy of Chinook Winds via email. We decided since Gold was going to her group to be fostered that he would stay here for fostering and placement. He is now well into recovery with just a few more days to go before his stitches can be removed. I am busy today trying to design some sort of boot to allow me to boot him up and protect the foot when he goes out for potty breaks and then remove it for crate rest. Greyhound feet are really hard to keep healthy under wraps. They are thin skinned and the feet are bony. Even with cotton between the toes they are very susceptible to pressure sores when wrapped. So the sooner I can leave him unwrapped the better.

That is the whole story about how on April 5th we discovered Gold and were able to claim him as one of our own. It was a freak accident. Somewhere along the road he jumped against that door and pushed the top of it out far enough to get his toes in there. I am sure when it happened he struggled and made a fuss but by the time I saw him he was so still I thought he was dead. He was obviously in shock when he was caught because we walked by him a number of times getting dogs in and out and he never made a peep or moved. The next stop for the hauler was Coeur d'Alene....I don't know if he would have made the trip. Through all we did to him I have been so impressed with his temperament. I hope all our rescues are as good as GOLD!!

As good as GOLD

Mother Ducky

2008-04-15T14:22:00.004-06:00

Mother Ducky with Daughter Tava

Usually when dog relations reunite it is anti-climactic. There is usually 3 seconds or less of excitement followed by several minutes of boredom and yawning as the dogs almost immediately lose interest in each other. This was not the case when Tava saw her mom again. She greeted her with bright eyes and tail going 100 miles a minute. Tava was thrilled to see her mom again. In the paddock Tava tends to hang out with her mom as much as possible. It is very sweet to see them together. Ducky isn't nearly as excited but doesn't seem to mind Tava's adoration. Ducky is a fun old girl!! Likes to get out and move and can usually be found leading the pack in some merry game of chase. Ducky is the kind of old brood I absolutely love. She is sweet without being needy, she is silly without being stupid and busy without being wild. I hope Tava grows up to be just like her mom!! Honestly I would love to keep Ducky here but with so many dogs already in the family I really want Ducky to have a couch and people of her very own. I do hope she stays close by and of course who ever adopts her will be REQUIRED to stay in touch!! Thanks to Tammy and Alan Piper the breeders of these two girls (and of all the Nitro dogs) for trusting me with your friend Ducky!! We will see to her happiness!!

Sis Finds Love

2008-04-14T23:50:00.008-06:00

Solo headed home with his family on Sunday. Tender May tagged along as a foster dog :>)

I thought Sis was going to go into the Hardy home to be fostered. But she was adopted!!! Today Isis/Sis became Sissy who will join Kissy and Nuzzle in the Hardy home. Sis was having a hard time in the kennel and really needed a REAL home. Here is the happy duo as they headed for home. In this case a picture is worth more than a thousand words....two hearts finding each other...beating as one.

2008-04-12T20:40:00.001-06:00

UPDATE - Tee hee hee hee sounds like BOTH Breezin' Easy AND RPM Lucky we selected by Joe and Linda to foster. They are as soft in the melon as the rest of us!!

2008-04-12T16:00:00.010-06:00

This week has been busy getting dogs vetted and current on all shots and worming. Friday Dan and Carol Tripp and Judy took pups to a retirement home where they were a BIG hit. Today of course was the PetsMart meet and greet in Missoula. Chopin and Bella from Wyoming made a surprise stop to check it out. They said Irene, Amber, Kathy and Vicki were busy answering questions. We have really relied on that core group of 4-5 people to do the Petsmart Meet and Greets. We sure could use some more folks to come show off their hounds!! I was busy with the 4-H kids in Ravalli County. I twisted Tripps and Judy arms and asked them to come give a little talk to the kids about the race dogs. There were 20 or so 4-H kids. Some of the adults held the kid's dogs so the kids could come actually meet the greyhounds. They loved petting them and checking out their tattoos!! We even had a couple kids "try" to outrun the greyhound. Most of the kids couldn't even get the dogs past a trot. the adults were eager to turn the kids dogs back to them so they could get to touch the greyhounds too. Seems no matter where they go Greyhounds get a warm reception!!
BIG THANKS to EVERYONE who helps spread the word about these wonderful dogs!! If you take your greyhound into Lowes, Home Depot or Quality Supply be sure to take some fliers to hand out. If you need some fliers call and we will see that you get some!!! After the 4-H thing was over Joe and Linda from Wyoming arrived to meet the new kids and to pick up Uma to be transported back to Billings. It is always a treat to see them and of course to love on Bella and Chopin. They are thinking of fostering....we will see if they get out of here without a extra dog. Christine Hardy has also been out to "meet" foster dogs....we love shoppers...they turn into adopters!! I also have promised to write up the story about Gold the boy who was hurt in transit and stayed here. I went out to get pictures today but my camera needs to be charged...so soon.

2008-04-06T16:59:00.003-06:00

We got in new dogs yesterday!!! Wonderful dogs!!!! If you are thinking of adopting I suggest you get your application in pronto or make the call. Foster homes welcome. We love the foster to keep program!! Here is the report from Carol

We were in the process of unloading the dogs out of the hauler when Joni notice that one of the crated dogs had a problem. His foot had somehow gotten caught in the crate door. When we got him out his foot looked mangled and he sure ws bleeding. Joni immediately put him in her van along with Nitro Ducky and flew with him to the vet. He is doing fine now...just needs some time to recover.

The rest of us took all the dogs to Rods and Dogs for their baths, and front line. A few we had to chased the flees and ticks to get them off the dogs. Then they came to our house where they were let out run then put up for there dinner and rest.

Oneco Bumpers had an injury to the end of his tail and cut front paw. We’ve got some vet wrap to stay on it until Mon when he goes into the vet and antibiotics. He’s a very happy go lucky boy and has a possible home.
Super Venture is a very nice boy beautiful dark brindle.
Lucky wants out of this kennel and to be with you. He has white legs
Terrible Trent (Chili) is a very energetic big boy with spots of hair missing, we’ll grow that back since we have no fleas in Montana. He is not Terrible at all.
Sugar free Merlin is a just all around nice boy
Hairspray thought her legs were broke because she did not want to use them. She crouched on the ground and lacked the confidence to move...she is getting over that. She had diarrhea last night the haul was a little hard on her but she is way better today no problem so far today.
Iruska Uma is a absolute doll wants to play with you and she play bows. (She’s my favorite) Solo Flight is a big brindle boy that is now in my house until his mom and dad come to pick him up. He’s a dream boy. Of course I got to meet him months ago and I liked him then.
Breezin Easy is easy. She is so sweet just wants to be loved or anything you want to do to her is ok....just touch her!!
Jr Tender May is a easy girl too...very pretty face.
Both of these girls are already fixed and ready to go to there forever home.

Their personalities will come out the more we are with them and they settle in.

If you want more details on one of the dogs call your nearest rep...or call Carol. Ducky is here and is a DOLL!!! We also have the injured dog who we pulled from the truck. I will do a update on him soon. He is supposed to head north to a group in Canada....for now he is resting and we will fugure that out later.

Dusk's Find

2008-04-01T17:09:00.016-06:00

Last night I came in from teaching an obedience class and was ready to put my feet up. Darrin said, "Hey you had some phone calls and one of them sounded kind of important." So I drug myself off the couch and over to check messages. There were two frantic calls.

The first was from a friend who lives way up north by the Canadian border. She said, "Oh Joni, I am sick! I sent my cocker spaniel boy down to your area with a gal to breed her female. This afternoon he escaped and is on the run. I don't know if you can help or not but I was hoping you could maybe take one of your tracking dogs over and see." The next call was from Darlene, the gal who had lost the dog. I called her back but since it was already dark and nearly 10 PM we decided to get together to search in the morning. I had some reservations about trying to use my tracking dog. First he is not trained to track other dogs...in fact he is trained to ignore animal trails. Next problem is not having a definite start point for him to work from. My dogs are trained to ground track unlike a search and rescue dog who is trained to air scent and then ground track. What this means is my dogs aren't trained to search an area until they find the scent they need a starting point. Lastly I am hoping to enter him in a tracking test in June and don't want to totally confuse him by throwing a bunch of weird circumstances at him. But on the other hand if my dog was lost I would be so grateful if someone would at least try.

This morning after multiple delays I loaded up my trackers and headed down. I thought I would give it a whirl but I would not push them to track. If they could do it fine but I did not want to confuse or frustrate them. I picked up a very worried Darlene and we drove to the areas where the dog was last seen the night before. The first stop I got out Ivy who is not an experienced tracker but I can tell if she hits on a trail. We walked around for several minutes, she seemed to pick up a scent which she happily followed for a while but lost interest. In any case the dog didn't seem to be there. The next stop was a shack which the dog had been spotted at. I got out Dusk who is a great tracker. I scented him on the bed the lost dog had used. He seemed to track a bit but it was without commitment. The next stop was only a few feet off a busy road. I did see some dog tracks and Darlene felt those tracks could be the tracks of the lost dog. I set the stage by placing the dog bed on the paw prints. I brought Dusk to the spot in his tracking harness and asked him to down. I said "Find the puppy" Dusk looked up at me like I was nuts...this is not the routine. I again said "Dusk, find the puppy." Dusk smelled the bed them started to roll on it. I thought he was just messing around but then he got up and put his nose to the ground and started to track. He wasn't heavy on the line like he gets when we are tracking a person but he was committed and I followed his lead. We tracked down into the river bottom. There was some downed limbs and lots of long dead grass. We headed into a marsh area. Dusk was still tracking. I saw him track into a dead end and then follow the trail right past me again and he started picking his way through the mostly dried marsh. I fed out the tracking line to him. The marsh wasn't very wide....only about 50 feet or so, on the other side was a yard and then up the bank, a home and out buildings. With my gimp leg I didn't feel it would be wise to follow him into the marsh. I mentally marked the spot he was tracking then called Dusk back to me. We headed back to the van and without taking off his harness I loaded him up and we drove around the marsh and into the driveway. We got out and I put Dusk by the marsh in the area I expected the track would come out. I again asked him to "Find the puppy", with out missing a beat Dusk put his head down and we were tracking again. We crossed the lawn and went between the outbuildings. We headed into some long grass again. Dusk tracking and me studying him while I obediently followed. About 50 yards into the grass I heard a noise that sounded like birds being flushed up, when I looked up I saw a flash of buff color. Dusk had not seen the movement and kept tracking. Then I could actually see the dog. Much to my amazement there he was, standing, watching us and trying to decide if he should run. I spoke to him and he started to head my way. I called to Darlene that I could see him. She started moving forward and was squeaking a toy. The lost cocker started to circle and then fell back into the flight mode and took off. I hollered at her to stand still. Last time he had seen her she had made a desperate grab for him and I think he was suspicious of her. I pulled Dusk from the track and again was able to get eye contact with the cocker. I called him by name and he started to head my way. As he approached Dusk kind of ran at him then realized that this was the "PUPPY" he had FOUND HIM!!! When Dusk has his "find" he likes to roll around the ground kicking his legs in the air in glee. Dusk started goofing off and rolling. The cocker knew then that there was nothing to fear and although he was still trembling he came to me and I slip a lead on to him. There were a few minutes of rejoicing and tears while Dusk got praised, rolled around like a fool and ate all the treats we had. Tonight there is a little buff cocker safe and sound resting in his crate. There is an amazing blue merle aussie tracking dog laying on the floor behind my chair and all is right with the world.

2008-03-27T00:36:00.004-06:00

Here are litter-mate sisters Isis (ready for adoption) and my girl Iris. Not a lot of family resemblance. They are both smaller girls but have their own looks. They seem to be more aware of each other than other siblings I have had here. Iris is always really excited to see her sis. Iris greets her with lots of sniffing and fussing. You can almost see Sis roll her eyes, "big deal I am your sister get over it!!".

Last week we thought we were having a good adoption week. First Dori went to a home as a test drive. Her would be greyhound brother was great with her but Dori's nervous personality brought her back home to the Tripps. Then Sis went out on what looked to be the perfect adoption...on paper. Less than 48 hours later it also flopped. Isis just couldn't figure out home life without another dog to follow. DANG!!! There was almost a whole day that we were holding our breath and ready to pat each other on the back....then the tide turned. I know there will be great homes for both of these girls one day. I just wish it was soon. I hope people's hearts soon turn toward giving loving homes to greyhounds in need...we are ready!!

2008-03-26T00:18:00.005-06:00

At long last her is the picture of Chester when he headed home. Chester is charming his owner, Susan, and making her laugh on a daily basis. He really is a big goof!! Many folks have asked about my reference to his flat feet. So before he left we got a quick picture of them. Also in the picture is Sis' foot for comparison. For those of you still not able to see if. Notice how Sis' foot has "corners"...on Chester the knuckle angles are flat most notably in the lowest knuckle joint

2008-03-18T02:16:00.010-06:00

Chester went home on Friday. When Susan his new owner arrived she met all 4 of the dogs who are available in this area but she only had eyes for Chester!! It was clear Chester only had eyes for her too. I miss the big lug but I am so happy he is home.

Monday was a bittersweet day. As a rescue person you sometimes see things that are happy and heart breaking at the same time. Months ago I was contacted about an Australian Shepherd boy who needed a home. I had declined to take him as some of the statements the owner made about the dog were red flags. Some people try to give an accurate description of the dog and use words that make the dog sound scary. She described him as "an aggressive player". The very word "aggressive" can send some rescue folks running, we all know aggressive dogs are not placeable dogs. As a result rescue people were turning him away. I turned him down back in Oct. This same dog kept popping up on my radar. I turned him down in Nov., twice in Dec., again Jan., and Feb....every couple of weeks there he would be again....still needing help. Although most of his family loved him the youngest son had a intense love-hate relationship with him. At times they would rough house like best buddies, hence the "aggressive player" label. Other times the boy would direct his anger and frustration at the dog and would hit and kick him. The months slid by and while everyone seemed to feel a sense of urgency about getting the dog out of the home no one was willing to take a chance on him. Last week I finally could take no more and contacted the owner and set up a time to meet them. What I found was a high drive, intelligent, typical Aussie who was very well cared for. It was clear both the mother and 14 year old daughter loved the dog. The 14 year old girl chattered about her dog, telling me story after story about when he came home as a puppy and when they would go to the beach together. Everything was upbeat and happy until I was ready to close the door of the van. The girl leaned down and the aussie kissed her through the crate door, then the mother did the same. I felt a knot rising in my throat watching this touching goodbye. Then the girl bolted to her truck and hopped in. Moments later I was pulling out...but not before I saw this girl leaned over and being held by her mother while she sobbed. My heart broke for her. I wasn't sure what to do so I got out of sight as quickly as I could then pulled over and took a moment to collect myself. I am happy the dog will get a shot at a decent life, the heartbreak of his young owner was palpable. The Aussie seems like a nice enough fellow, although he is emotionally distant and has displayed some lack of trust and headstrong traits. He and I will have a little work to do to figure out our relationship and he will get a crash course on the house rules. I am confidant in time that there is a wonderful home out there for him. For now he is cooling his heels here and being evaluated.

Upon arriving home there was a desperate email from a gal in TX. There are more and more greyhounds in need. A blood bank is retiring several seniors and there are two track closures which have saturated the adoption groups in the south. In addition a farm closed and dumped it's 25 dogs to a shelter in Oklahoma. Further overwhelming the already overwhelmed. Please if you are considering adding a greyhound to your family or if you can share your home temporarily with a dog contact your nearest rep

http://www.gparockymountain.org/Contact.html

Both Carol and I have agreed to take as many as we can...but with so many greyhounds, things are pretty dire for any dogs left behind. Chose from the dogs available on our web site to foster....or we can find a match for you. DON'T WAIT!! Here is a sampling of the hundreds of dogs waiting....we can't save them all but everyone saved makes a difference!!

2008-03-14T00:36:00.007-06:00

Here is a over due word of warning. Just before Christmas my old Aussie girl, Izzy got really sick. I thought I was going to lose her. She could not stand on her own, in fact she could not even roll onto her chest. She was the sickest dog I have ever seen...at least the sickest one that lived. Her temp was 104+, her blood values looked crazy, x-rays showed something either inflamed or a growth near her heart, ultra sounds showed a liver with a weird consistency and unhappy kidneys. My vet didn't give me much hope. We started her on a very aggressive antibiotic regime and I was her round the clock nurse. It took her a week before she could stand weakly on her own and more weeks until she could get up herself and move around steadily. The vet was stumped by the cause. I started to suspect a treat she had eaten. Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky I bought at Costco to be exact. The bag had fallen and Izzy had grabbed and gulped down 4-6 pieces. A few hours later the symptoms started and by the next day I was at the vet in the biggest nightmare with a mostly dead dog. After I got home from the vet I was playing with some of the dogs and gave both Brink and Tava a piece of the chicken jerky...after all it is healthy stuff right? It is just nice dried chicken breast. The next morning both Tava and Brink had shooting diarrhea. It was then that the warning bells started going. I immediately threw the bag of treats away. It was never officially recalled...however other stores (Walmart) pulled it from their shelves. Costco on the other hand did nothing but perfect their story. If you have some of that Chicken Jerky around GET RID OF IT NOW!!! Take it back and demand your money back or throw it out! Throwing away several bags is still cheaper than the vet visit. The jerky is sold under many brand names and is made in China. There are a couple brands made in the USA...but I am never feeding any kind of chicken jerky. If drying chicken was a good idea don't you think they would make it for human consumption?
So what set me off on this tangent at this late date is a note I got from a friend about this very thing. It isn't just me. It is still going on. Do a google search on it....or better yet check out this thread that was going last summer. I sure wish I had seen this!! It could have saved me a bunch of $$$$ and hours of torment. I found a statement from the makers of Waggin Train Jerky where they claim their treats are 100% safe. However they also said that in the few cases where there were problems it was due to the owner feeding too much of the product. Are they serious? I guess you have to feed small increments not to poison your dog. I gave my pup a treat because I love her, it makes me sick to think it almost killed her. I am happy to report Izzy recovered and is back where she belongs...sleeping next to my bed as she has been doing for the past 14 years.
http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?s=5631af1fa003b6d7b9d3f23a8c6ad4a3&showtopic=176818&pid=2926641&st=0&#entry2926641

2008-03-13T01:01:00.002-06:00

I spent the day dragging crates out into the sun and scrubbing them. I still have a few more to do tomorrow. I scrubbed all the of the crates in the guest (boarding) dog room and did about half of mine. The boarding dogs have been keeping me pretty busy and I have obedience classes going 3 nights a week right now...its a dogs life. This week I took Sis in to have her rabies booster and to have blood drawn to check her thyroid. She is on thyroid meds and we are just checking to make sure she is on the right dose for her. I have been able to let the greyhounds out for nice long runs during the day. I put my whippet Katy Did out in the next paddock the other day. Katy loves to get them all running the fence like crazy. In 5 minutes the greyhounds were all puffing like crazy with their tongues lolling out of their mouths and Katy was prancing around barely winded. I had to bring Katy in....I was afraid she was going to give the winter fat greyhounds heart attacks. Someone is coming to meet Chester on Friday. It is someone who has had a pair of greyhounds for years and recently lost the last one. She says she would eventually like a pair again. I think we can help her fulfil that dream!!!

2008-03-06T12:37:00.004-07:00

Have you checked out the dogs who will be arriving soon in MT? They are on the available page of the web site. Today is nippy but sunny. The dogs are outside and I am about to go out and do a paddock rotation. Greyhounds get to go out next. I am spending the day working on my stained glass project. You know what stained glass is stained with? BLOOD...that is right!! You can't work stained glass without blood. The cuts often don't hurt so you will be working along and you see blood...DANG IT!!! Right now my problem is keeping my keyboard clean...I have a leaky finger tip. Every spring Judy, Carol and I undertake some craft project to combat the winter blahs. This year is stained glass. Carol finished her huge project first, Judy is nearly done and distractable Joni is lagging behind. I want to hang it next week so am getting busy. Here is Carol showing off her beautiful piece. Last year we all did smaller greyhounds....This year Judy did grapes and I am doing hot peppers.

2008-03-02T19:56:00.004-07:00

The new boy is settling in. He is a big hug muffin. Likes to lean and hug. Sweet good natured boy and he is cat safe. Kate B. decided on a name for him. His name is Chester. He is vetted and ready for a new home!!

We had birthdays galore yesterday. March first is Kate B.'s birthday!! She shares her birthday with 3 of my dogs. Greyhound girl Tigger turned 15 Years!! Aussie Girl Izzy turned 14 years!! And since I really didn't know when Aussie boy, Brink's real birthday is I decided to make it March first...Brink turned 1 year!!

2008-03-01T20:08:00.003-07:00

LANCE IS HOME SAFE!!!!!!

2008-03-01T18:50:00.003-07:00

UPDATE - Dog-napping stories are now coming from the Spokane area. Some dogs were even taken from the yard while the owners were home. These are not dogs who are out roaming around. These are dogs who are behind secure fences that should be safe.

2008-03-01T10:07:00.010-07:00

There are a couple of bits of unhappy news to convey.
First - Lance the survivor greyhound boy has been missing since 2-27 in the Chester/Shelby, MT area. Please see http://montana.craigslist.org/pet/591417880.html I know most of us are too far away to help in the search but please send one up for our boy. Today Lance's owners, friends and family will be covering the whole area on ATV, truck and foot searching every nook and cranny on that section of the Montana prairie. I pray they are protected and guided in their search and that Lance will be home soon.
Second - There has been a rash of stolen dogs in Billings, MT and Powell, WY areas. Dogs are being lured out of their yards. Anyone who uses a dog door for your dogs needs to be on alert. The Billings Gazette wrote this snip in the newspaper http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/02/29/news/local/40-dogstolen.txt
Dog owners and lovers alike should form a neighborhood watch and report anything that just doesn't seem right. I have seen some of the pleas for help from the dog's owners...heartbreaking! Don't let it be you or your loved ones.

2008-02-27T12:35:00.010-07:00

We have a new dog. Lou called Saturday to ask if I had room for a greyhound. The story was rather odd. The shelter in Polson had someone bring in a young adult intact male greyhound. The finder said the dog had been seen in the area for the last 3 or more weeks. I suppose it would have gone on longer but the greyhound started breaking into places searching for food. I asked Lou to make sure it really was a greyhound. Later that day Lou called and said "Yep looks like a purebred greyhound to me." Fortunately Lou was coming to Missoula on Tuesday and could bring him that far. I know the question on every one's mind....Where did he come from? Well he isn't one of our placements and it is unlikely he came from any rescue group since he is not neutered. The absence of tattoos means we can't track him down. Since he doesn't have the look of a AKC greyhound my best guess is he was never tattooed because he has rather flat feet. Honestly I am not making this up...flat feet causes dogs to break down because of the stress on the ligaments, tendons and bones in the feet...sesamoid bones in particular. So he is here, he is handsome, he is nameless and he seems like a wonderful boy. The shelter said he passed the cat test but we will test him again this week. He is slated to be vetted on Friday. Check out those great ears and eyeliner.

2008-02-23T00:36:00.005-07:00

This pretty girl is our recent return Isis, on the day we picked her up. She had been in the same home for a number of years and for some reason known only to herself she decided not to be cat safe. We call her Sis as she is my girl Iris' litter mate sister. If I didn't know they were sisters i don't think I would have guessed it. These two are not peas in a pod as some siblings are. Sis is sweet and very pretty. Hopefully a home can be found for her soon. She misses real home life.

2008-02-22T18:36:00.003-07:00

Hurray at last I can post pictures again!! Pres. Dan Tripp received this letter last week. We were all so impressed with it we wanted to share it with all of you in its entirety. I am impressed with what one person can do!!! Big thanks to Kate...her efforts will pay to vet one dog or buy 8 bags of dog food or buy 2 huge bottles of antibiotics...the possibilities are almost endless.

2008-02-17T23:25:00.004-07:00

As always lots going on...unfortunately the blog service is being weird and I am very limited as to what I can do. I will work on it again tomorrow as I have a couple of pictures and another cool surprise to tell everyone about.

Joe T. had his heart surgery on Valentines day and things went well. HURRAY!!!! Hopefully his recovery will be FAST!!

We had a dog returned. A sweet white and brindle girl who after years of living with cats decided that they were fun to chase and catch. Isis or Sis as I am now calling her. Sis is my Iris' littermate. They actually arrived in Montana the same time. I will post pictures as soon as I am able.

2008-02-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

A Tribute to Lisa

from her auntie Trish

With sorrow I will relay for the Larsen family the passing of Lisa. Tom and Paula's beautiful little brindle girl - sister to Adolph and Kahuna.

Two years ago Becky Conner and myself transported 8 greyhounds from "Almost Home for Hounds" (Dr. Heather Weir) from Colorado. Lisa, a senior girl, was selected by GPA and transported to Joni's Kennel for fostering until her family was found. On our trip back to Montana Becky and I were ever vigilant watching our eight in our rented van. I will never forget looking back over my seat and making eye contact with Lisa. Our eyes held and I said a simple prayer " Lord let me be the one to find her home."

In the mean time Paula and Tom were ready to add another to their greyhound family. I suggested that Eli might be a good match. Paula said "no, I want a senior girl". I immediately thought of Lisa. It so happened that Joni was coming to Billings on a horse rescuing mission and Lisa was loaded -traveled and welcomed into her forever home with the Larsen family. The best of homes with yoodles of love and acceptance. Lisa flourish with all the opportunities and care given to her.

Yesterday with the understanding that medically nothing more could be done, the family made the decision to let her go. A decision, as many of you know, is made out of love. May this family be in our thoughts with understanding of their grief! Run free - Lisa - Run free - You ran for the roses and won

trish

2008-02-07T19:04:00.001-07:00

Guess what we got today? That's right boys and girls we got more snow. Snow even brought it's muscled friend WIND. I don't mean a refreshing breeze. I am talking about the kind of wind that sucks the air out of your lungs and makes you think about tying a rope to yourself before you venture outside. On the news was mention of all the loose dogs in Cour'd Alene due to blown over fences, snow piled up next to the fences and dogs who are generally freaked. Add to the mix cars who can barely see and can't stop and you have a real disaster. My horses kept running like wild things so I fed them in the shed and turned the light on in hopes that they will not venture into the dark. It sounds goofy but it actually works pretty good. For the dogs even though they have a covered area to potty, I turn on the light and visually check the fence before I open the door. As a added precaution I have double checked that everyone has a legible tag on their collars and are indeed wearing collars. If I lived in a spot were I could not see the fence that enclosed the yard I dang sure would take my dog out on lead. It is cheap insurance. Be careful out there!!! If it is stormy at your house double check every thing....fences, gates, doors, and of course water buckets.

2008-02-05T00:56:00.000-07:00

HURRAY!!! The Bitterroot finally has a greyhound story in the local paper. Good job Carol and Dan!! Check it out at http://www.ravallirepublic.com/articles/2008/02/05/features/0060features.txt
Please let the Ravalli Republic know if you liked the story. Maybe they will do a follow up too. Dan has been bringing foster dog Dori to my obedience class. She is doing very well and Carol says she is starting to come out of her shell a bit more all the time. It sure is fun having them in the class. Dori should have "sit" mastered this week.

GET WELL WISHES go out to Brent Schlappy who finally wore himself down enough he got really sick and spent the week end in the hospital with pneumonia!! We hope he will be right as rain soon!! Joe Tritchler in WYO is having his heart surgery at Mayo in MN on Valentines Day - Feb. 14th. Be sure to keep both these fine men in your prayers.

2008-02-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

As predicted after the weight pull I was one tired pup!! My girls did very well and both Charm and Pixie pulled enough to earn their "Weight Pull" titles. Yeah girls!! I am very proud of them. Charm was almost completely untrained and Pixie had a few basics. It speaks well of them that they could get titles the first month they were with me. The future looks BRIGHT!! PS check out all the BLUE ribbons these girls brought home!!!

2008-02-02T23:17:00.001-07:00

Thursday I took Iris in for a dental and just as we got home it started to snow...and snow...and snow. By midnight we had about a foot of new snow. I am not kidding! I went out with a tape measure...14 inches in a couple of spots and 11 inches in a couple of others. Friday was the start of a 3 day weight pull here at my place. We had people entered from all over....Seattle, Nevada, Wyoming, even BC and a handful of Montana dogs. The recent storms kept people from traveling and what could have been a very large pull turned out to be just Montana dogs. Friday night brought us another 5-6 inches of snow. Tomorrow will wrap up the last day of the pull. Hopefully we can wrap it up early and everyone who traveled can be safely at home before the predicted next snow arrives...and I can collapse on the couch after my long hot bath.

This pull has been busy for me. I entered my two new Aussie girls, Charm and Pixie. They are pulling very well. We are not pulling hard just getting those needed legs under our belt. After I am done pulling the girls they retire to their crates where they have extra thick beds and cookies. I am not so lucky, for the remainder of the pull I am "Sled Marshal"...which is a nice title for a crummy job. After the dogs pull the cart to the end of the chute it is my job to haul it back and load it with bricks. It is hard work....the empty cart is 200 pounds which isn't much. But by the time you add bricks and get to nearly 2,000 pounds you start to feel it. We had a kid lined up to do this but once again the snow messed us up. Speaking of snow, in an attempt for sympathy, this great "Sled Marshal" gig was proceeded by hours of shoveling snow to clear walkways, driveways, and chipping the bricks out of the ice. The good news is the lasagna I ate for lunch is guilt free...and the M&Ms.

What is a weight pull? This is a competitive event where dogs pull a cart that is gradually weighted with more weight....in the form of 40 pound bricks. Dogs have to pull 8 times their weight at 3 shows to earn a Weight Pull title. Then you can go on and earn points towards becoming a WPCH (Weight Pull Champion) and if you still like it you can earn a WPCHX (Weight Pull Champion Excellent). For the upper level titles you have to pull more weight and more times. It is a long haul to those upper titles but I have accomplished this on several of my crew. I should have been working with Run...she is such a hoot I am sure she would have been game. I wonder how many greyhounds have earned weight pull titles. Next pull is in November....hmmm.

2008-01-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

By now most of you have heard the Belle story a number of times and can probably recite the highlights. But in telling it again we hope your hearts will be touched.

Belle was a senior dog whose owners dumped her instead of giving her the last golden days of life...nor did they grace her with basic medical care. Belle was the sweetest dog with big doe eyes and a honey colored coat. I suspect she had been under appreciated for a number of years, but even her filth could not hide the great dog within. Her mouth was rotten...she was the reason I coined the phrase "jungle mouth", there was just no other way to describe the decay of both tooth and flesh in her mouth. Her collar was so ragged it had hair growing into it and had to be cut off. When I cut off that awful collar I felt like I was cutting off shackles and freeing her. While slipping on a soft new collar felt like claiming her as our own. Poor Belle stunk...a lot of that was her teeth, but it had been ages since she had a decent bath. When a dog is that dirty you know it is not getting much in the way of affection. The worst news was the old girl was in major kidney failure which had been ignored. When she started to suddenly pee in the house, her family did not ask "Why?" they kicked her old butt outside...permanently. When she started to bark because she was hot and lonely they called us to take her away. Judy reported Belle left her home of several years without a goodbye pat from her owners. Judy also said Belle never looked back. Belle came to us in the middle of the hottest days of the year. Had she remained where she was she would have added heat stroke to her list of woes. Unfortunately her years of casual "when it is convenient" care from her owners cost her dearly.

After she returned to us she only lived a couple weeks. In those weeks, however she did receive all the love and attention we could give. She slept on a clean bed in front of the air conditioner bought for her comfort. She waded in the pool and lounged on the grass. Belle ate whatever food she wanted, KFC chicken tenders, beef heart, eggs, oatmeal. She wasn't being finicky, she felt awful and although she was hungry food just did not taste good to her. If she wanted my dinner I happily gave it to her and ate cold cereal. While Belle was busy dying we were busy hoping she could somehow recover...praying for that miracle that did not come. We raised funds for her and the phone wires seemed to buzz with news of Belle. The whole group fell in love with this one single old wore out hound. When she died many of us felt a great sense of loss. She was the one who got help too late. It was hard not to feel the pain of playing the "What if..." game. It was a harsh reminder of what can happen even after we think we have them securely in LOVING homes. It renewed our commitment to all greyhounds. After she died we wanted to honor her memory in some way. We had raised money for Belle's care, we decided to put that money in a separate fund and use it for special needs dogs.

So that is the history of the Belle Toll. Here is the future of the Belle Toll. The Belle Toll monies are still set aside to help foster dogs who have special needs. Dogs like Lance, Wyatt and Dima...and of course our silly Waldo. It is also used for the senior dogs we rescue. Often their vet care exceeds the adoption donation. Some of the seniors we have been able to help into homes are Babe (Easy Goss), Sylvia (Gracious Syliva), Timber and Leeta (Mals Lead On) The Belle Toll fund has also been used on occasion to help a family who has a dire greyhound emergency beyond their ability to pay. We are limited on what we can do....but with your generous donation we can help more dogs. As Valentines Day approaches what better time to celebrate your greyhound sweetheart. We ask that you consider a tax deductible donation. Not only to honor Belle but also to honor your own sweetheart-hound. A chance to celebrate each year of their lives by donating a single dollar (or more) for each year of your dogs life. Don't think you can't celebrate with us if your pooch isn't a greyhound...or even if you want to celebrate by counting your own years. If you did not get info in the mail....you can send a donation to...

Belle Toll

C/O Trish Olsen, 9 Grand Ave., Billings, MT 59101-6018

Make check payable to "GPARM"

Please tell us what hound you are honoring so we can celebrate with you.

I heartfelt thanks to those of you who already have paid the 2008 Belle Toll!!

2008-01-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

Send one up for our friend Joe Tritchler from WY (adopter of Bella Diesel and Chopin). He is facing some health problems that has whisked him away to the Mayo Clinic in MN. Lets cover him with a quilt of prayers and well wishes for a speedy recovery. Be sure to remember his dear wife Linda in your prayers. I think it is harder to be the helpless spouse than to be the one that is sick.

2008-01-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

It has been so COLD! TOO COLD!!! We had crazy winds on Saturday night which drifted all the snow in my yard in front of my kennel. Monday after the dogs were let out I went out and shoveled and shoveled and shoveled. I wanted to move the drift on Sunday but the winds were biting the skin and sucking the air out of my lungs. Weather not fit for girl nor pup!! The dogs have been staying in and are getting a little bored. I have been doing more inside games with them and trying to get some one on one with everyone. Today it was warm enough I took Dusk tracking...he did well. Charm had her first lesson in harness and she did great. Pixie, Katy, Brink, Tava and foster girl Run all did a little obedience. Nothing serious but enough to help with the boredom. There is a weight pull and Canine Good Citizen Test coming up in about 10 days. I am hoping to have Charm entered in the pull and Charm, Pixie and Run can maybe try for a CGC. Run has to get better on her down and learn a stay....I think she can. Whoever adopts this girl is sure going to be getting a great dog!!!

2008-01-19T00:39:00.000-07:00

The past month or so, despite the hub bub of the holidays, have been hard for me. I have suffered and mourned greatly for the loss of my little Aussie Tabu. It is always difficult to lose one of your family....even when logically we know it is likely we will out live them...the idealist believes they are ours to keep forever. In the process of grieving I have had some experiences that have left me both raw and healed. I have mourned with others who have lost dogs and have listened with fresh ears to their grief and found comfort there. I have read, prayed and cried and found no capsule to contain my pain. How can one little dog so full of sweetness and light cause such devastation?

Today I was sitting at the vet with a friend and spied a small book about dogs by Eugene O' Neill. Since I have liked so many of his writings I picked it up and started to read it aloud. I wasn't far into it when I realized I was on the old worn road to another emotional Tabu meltdown and put the book aside. I should have known....after all it was called "The Last Will and Testament of a Distinguished Dog" When I was home and everyone was in bed I decided to see if I could find the book. I did find it....but even better I found the writing on-line....I can share it with you and best of all it is FREE. I found many lines in this that have comforted me. I share it in hopes that it will give you a chance to treasure the dogs you hold dear now and to reflect on the dogs who have gone on.

http://www.eoneill.com/texts/blemie/contents.htm

2008-01-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here is Ms Tigger enjoying the Christmas coat Mary Ragbourn sent her. My old barking, demanding, stepping in poop and tracking it around, sleeping with her eyes open, gotta love her Diva Princess Tiggy Pie.

Foster dog Dori is here for a couple of days. She seems to be enjoying the kennel life. It is funny how some dogs seem to love the routine of a kennel. You would think a soft couch would be the ultimate trump card. I will try to get a couple of pictures of her tomorrow. Also we should note that the two IGs that I took in for placement way back in Oct have joined forever families. Gloria the little female is now Gloria Tripp....when Carol was ready to find her a new foster home Dan professed love for her and she stayed. Racer the little boy has been fostered since just after Thanksgiving with the Hartes and they have fallen for him and he will share their lives. HURRAY for both!!!

BTW in case you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas check out http://www.greytcoats.com/ They are in Oregon and just as committed to greyhounds as we are. If you order anything be sure to tell them I sent ya.

2008-01-10T00:52:00.001-07:00

OH my gosh did you all see the picture of Rocket on the available page? http://www.gparockymountain.org/Available.html
Now there is a boy that should be snapped right up...if poor Bek doesn't fall in love with him!! That face! Those eyes! Things here are back to normal. Now that the Christmas pack is mostly dispersed back into their respective homes I have had more time to spend with all my dogs including Run...or as she is commonly called Run Run Fun Fun. Typically I add "ie" to all my dogs names so Dusk becomes Dusky, Sage becomes Sagey....well there is something wrong with calling a dog Runny....I have tried and every time I do it I think of something that smells bad and Ms Run certain does not smell!

The new Aussie girl Charm is doing well. She is smart, fun and no longer the new kid. Already another Aussie in need has joined the ranks. This one a 3 year old red merle girl named Pixie. She was very loved by her family but the more time passed the more they saw that she was just not the ideal match for their busy family home. With a heavy heart they let her go...with open heart I welcomed her.

2008-01-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well 2007 was one of the best years we have had for adoptions. We are ready to kick off 2008. We have 3 nice dogs waiting for homes. Run is here with me and she is a pretty dark brindle busy body....cute and smart...she would love a active family but no cats!! Dori is at Tripps and is stunning but a little timid...she is looking for a quiet home who will adore her. Rocket is in Billings with Bek...she reports she is ready to start shopping for a home for this handsome sweet boy....he likes people but might be best without small children in the home. There is a possibility of some dogs coming from CO....so if you think you might be wanting to add to your family please contact you nearest eager rep!!

Update on Ducky (my girl Tava's mom). Looks like her arrival in MT will be postponed until after another kind of arrival...the arrival of some pups. She will be bred later this spring. I am bummed not to be getting my little hands on her right away but it will be interesting to hear about the pups and to watch them from the planning stage to the track. Tammy at the Nitro kennel promised updates.

The old dog saga continues with Tigger. She has started sleeping sometimes with her eyes partly open. Freaks me out!! I swear I thought she was dead twice this week. I don't think she is totally asleep but she isn't completely awake either...well she isn't completely awake until I rush to her, frantically calling her name...accidentally scaring the heck out of her. One of us is going to give the other a heart attack one day. Crazy dogs!!

2008-01-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hey for all you home bodies like me who are home with the hounds and not out partying here is a chance to bring a bit of party into your home!! Our own Robert Harsch compiled a greyhound video on YouTube He even put the music together!! So everyone get ready to cut loose with a round of Auld Lang Syne Robert Harsch Reggae style!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcgf4fomVXs
Well it is just minutes after the new year and already Darrin is asleep in bed and I am on my way out to let the dogs have one more turn out and to pass out the best treats I could find. I am so blessed to have the best husband, the best dogs and the best friends in the world!! Money? I have little...riches I have MUCH!!

2007-12-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

I wrote a new bio for Run today and sent it to Judy. I have to confess I was dragging my feet because I love having Run here...but that isn't completely fair to her. She needs and deserves more than I can give her right now. I wanted to write a bio that said, "Hurry and adopt this dog because I adore her"....but then I also wanted to write a bio that was so unflattering no one would ever want her. Hopefully I wrote one that does her justice. She is a very good girl. So many dogs so little time!! The weather is cold and windy. The dogs only got a quick run outside. No one wanted to be out very long. I hear rumor that a real winter storm is brewing. I made soup for the dogs last night. I had a bunch of turkey...added some rice, carrots and threw in whatever else is hanging around....a wilted apple went in as did some yogurt that needed to be used up. The dogs thought it was manna straight from heaven. Good news for them is I have more turkey!!

2007-12-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

It took a week but she has a name. Naming a dog is a tough thing. You want to chose a name that you really like but one that isn't super common. If that name holds some meaning for you all the better. Of course said name has to pass not only your criteria then it is subjected to the whims of the rest of the family...start with at least 6 names your husband will veto at least 3 of them right off. Think you have the perfect name...not so fast....the last test is to see if the dog likes it and responds to it. So have at least 3 to try so you have a back up if you get dog-veto. At last the dog formally known as "Little Blue Girl" and "New Kido" has been named. Her name shall be "Charm"

PS....if your hated mother law or horrible neighbor who is a stripper is named Charm...I don't want to hear about it!

2007-12-27T20:04:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Nitro Doris. She is currently fostered with the Tripps and is ready to start searching for the right home. Carol refers to her as ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! While I think they are all beautiful, Carol has a real eye. Dori is very sweet but a bit timid. She would do best in a home with other dogs who will set the example of how to act.