friends of the hound is a greyhound adoption group committed to the rehabilitation& rescue of Greyhounds in NSW

Slinky Malinky Long Legs…

For those of you who may consider adopting a Grey Hound...here is my story.

I have owned many breeds of dogs throughout my life, from Chihuahuas to Great Danes! My great love is Great Danes. It was a year ago now that my beautiful Dane (Elsa) passed away in my arms. I was absolutely devastated. I couldn't even say her name and I never thought I would recover from my loss. With tears streaming down my face constantly, my dear friends began to worry.

It was one of those friends who alerted me to a cry for help from Friends of the Hound.  She had a friend who had adopted a Greyhound and showed me a picture of 'Ash' in a magazine. Ash looked so regal and it seemed so sad that this beautiful, majestic dog was in need of a home. A few days went by and I couldn't get her out of my mind...the article said there was a website for Friends of the Hound, so I said to myself "if she is still available - I will make a call". I went to the website...and there she was! Impulsively, I rang the number and spoke to a wonderful lady, by the name of Lisa, who gave me all the information I needed. Lisa brought her to my home the next day, and that was it! One look into Ash's eyes...

I already had a Miniature Foxy (Roxy), so I wanted to see how they got along. I had nothing to worry about - one sniff and they were running around the yard together and played endlessly. I live in a double-story house but steps were no problem either. She had never encountered stairs before - but never hesitated once...it was like she was born to be here! I re-named her Jesse at first, but, after getting to know her, we called her 'Slinky-Malinky-Long-Legs'!! 'Slink' for short!

Slink had a problem with a fear of men when she came here last July, she would put her tail between her legs and shy away from any male she encountered. With softly spoken words of kindness and an outstretched turned up hand, my partner soon won her over. Then, slowly, she began to greet all other males that came to the house...even tradesmen with their tool-bags. However, a neighbour told me that she would not let the pool man enter the property when we were out! This was only one month after her arrival into our home! Not bad, I thought. Now that she has met the pool-man, she greets him at the gate with tail wagging!

I fully recommend that anyone who has a young family and/or other pets (smaller dogs, and yes even a cat!) please give a Greyhound priority in their choosing. You not only save a beautiful dog from certain death, but in doing so, you gain a wonderful friend for 12 to 15 years. They make perfect 'indoor' pets - all they need is a comfortable spot to call their own and they will sleep most of the time. They are real couch-potatoes! Just like cats...they eat and sleep! When you take them for an outing, or let them out in the yard, they will probably go for a real burst of speed for approximately 2 minutes. And then, that's it...for the rest of the day they will just stand beside you or lay down and rest. They adapt almost instantly to their new environment. They watch closely and learn very quickly, a spoken word is enough. I am a certified Dog Trainer and firmly believe that no one should EVER use any physical means to teach their dog anything. Gentle persuasion is all that is ever required. Dogs respond beautifully to kindness, patience, understanding and routine...all they want is to be loved...oh, and fed!

Slink has bonded so closely to me. We have special eye contact...she seems to read my mind. I now have a Great Dane too but Slink doesn't mind a bit...she mothers them all! At night, it’s a sight to behold...the three of them curl up together. When Slink rests under a shady tree during the day, my tiny little Roxy rests beside her, against her belly, and there, they watch everything that is going on. Greyhounds don't bark un-necessarily, they are quiet, yet with an 'ever presence'.  They are certainly not aggressive dogs...Slink was bitten on the nose once, by a frightened Jack Russell - she simply lifted her nose out of reach and ignored the little feller. There was absolutely no sign of retaliation. They truly are a peaceful spirit. They even seem to smile or laugh...I swear she smiles at me!

However, if there was anything that I thought I should mention to a prospective adopter of a Greyhound, it would be that I found Slink tends to be claustrophobic and can suffer separation anxiety. These two things have been overcome with special care.                                                                                                               

First the claustrophobia: at the start, I found I could not leave Slink inside if I had to go out for a short while - even 15mins or so.- she would go crazy to try to get to me. Now I leave her on our back veranda whenever I have to go out...she doesn't feel so closed in there. 

Second - the separation anxiety: At first when I had to leave her alone, she would start panting and have her tail between her legs. This was only because she had bonded so closely to me. She (like many Greyhounds) hadn't had such loving contact with humans before, so she tended to fret when she was separated from me. I believe she thought she had done something wrong and was being punished. She also seemed to fret that I may not come back. To remedy this, I would put her on the veranda and give her a treat and pat her gently...then go out the front door for five minutes and then come back and let her inside again. Each day I would make it a little longer and then eventually she came to know that I would always come back for her. I can go out for two to four hours now - no problem. I'm sure if I had to go out all day it would be just fine now - but I would leave her a nice big bone to chew.

I hope my story is helpful and informative. I have absolutely no regrets. I will adopt a Greyhound again - I never want to be without one.

 Kindest regards,

Jakki