Sir Duke!

That handsome brindle boy pictured above is Duke. Duke is very curious, very playful, and is slightly mischievous - meaning he likes to get into things. Laundry baskets, toys, plates from an open dishwasher, they're all fair game. Consequently, a weather eye needs to be kept on him while he learns his surroundings, boundaries, and rules of the home. Duke is not crazy about being kenneled though he tolerates it well enough. This boy is still a pup and will act as such for another six months or so. Potential adopters will have to keep him engaged with a steady diet of activities until he settles into adulthood. On that note, Duke would do well with an active family that does lots of walking, jogging, running, etc. Duke gets along nicely with our kids (and the resident hound, too), ages 10 and 13, and should do the same with other well-mannered kids, also. Duke walks nicely on the leash, has done some steps and is progressing really well into retirement living. We've not formally cat-tested him yet, but he's extremely interested in the resident feline, so we'll see that goes at a later date.
Update: Duke is NOT cat-safe! Those of you with cats or other small, furry critters running around should look at one of the other hounds available, 'cuz Duke thinks small animals are chew toys. Just sayin'.

More Puck - Cat Safe Version

Please forgive the lack of updates on Puck (Rico's Green Go), we had an adopter back out at the last minute after several weeks of planning - so we neglected to blog, thinking it was a done deal. Silly us - anyhow, Puck is available and ready to go.
In short, Puck's a great dog that should fit into almost any home, and as an added bonus, he's cool with the kitties. Yep, in addition to being a sweetheart with people, he's also cat-safe. Puck will sit and lay down on command, especially for treats.

Puck - The Cockroach King

As per the title of this post and the photos above, Puck (formerly Rico's Green Go), funny boy that he is, likes to assume the cockroach position.
Puck is doing very well in his acclimation to retirement and will certainly make a fine, fine companion animal for somebody's home. This boy is a happy and loving soul with a great temperament and easygoing attitude. A quick list of his accomplishments so far:

Walks well on the leash.
Kennels up well.
Can do stairs.
Has learned to sit on command. Is currently learning how to lay down on command.
Housebroken.
Responds to his new name - and will learn a new name easily should someone want to change it.
Gets along well with the resident hound.
Loves attention and his very affectionate.
May (stressing MAY) be cat safe. Will know more after further interaction with household feline.
Has the softest coat of any greyhound that's ever passed trough our home. Makes ya wanna hug him every time he's close by :-)

In short, he's a great dog and should fit into almost any situation with no problems. Puck is a curious sort - he likes to roam into unattended rooms and grab things to play with - and will have to be monitored closely his first few days in his new forever home as he learns the boundaries. I suspect Puck would make a good jogging companion, fair-weather runner that I am, I haven't had a chance to take him out for a run due to the continuing miserable conditions the last 2 weeks, nonetheless he should readily adapt to a jogging routine.
If you're interested in this awesome hound get in touch with Denise ASAP, as he's destined to go quickly. If you meet him, you'll want him!

Here's Puck!

Some quick pics and an early update on Rico's Green Go - and yeah, that's a mouthful. Ya know,  there just wasn't anything there that we felt like working with, and since we're big NHL hockey fans in this house, we're changing his name to "Puck." Here's Puck!

Puck is white with fawn patches on his face and fawn ticking elsewhere. Puck is a very friendly, very loving big boy who will probably top out in the high eighties to low nineties once he fills out a bit more. He's a curious soul and has shown a penchant for counter-surfing which has led to him quickly becoming familiar with No! and Down! Puck is a fast learner and is also very playful - our stuffies are currently getting quite the workout! Puck has already grasped the concept of the "sit" command and he should have it down in a few days. Housebreaking is going well with zero accidents in a day-and-a-half. Haven't done leash walking yet because the roads and sidewalks are still covered in ice, snow and/or salt. Puck is getting along splendidly with his foster brother, Coastal, and has been eating and sleeping well so far. We'll have more info in a few days, so stay tuned.

Stan The Man!

Take a close look at that face. See something different? Yeah, Stan has a set of eyelashes - not really eyelashes, but that's the easiest descriptor - under his eyes. They're like little furry angel wings for his eyeballs... they help tremendously when he's after a snack. After all, who can resist angel wings!?
Anyhow, Stan's been with us since Monday and here's what we've learned about him so far:
Stan needs to bulk up and fill out a little. He's really skinny right now. Due to some poor feeding habits in his former home, Stan developed some gastrointestinal issues which led to him being returned. We are currently stabilizing his feeding schedule and giving him some antibiotics. Stan has responded very well to his new regimen and is making good progress already. He probably needs to put on 10 to 15 pounds to fill out. He's got a beautiful brindle coat that will draw plenty of comments from those passing bye. 
Stan is a sweetheart and in typical hound behavior is a real shadow, constantly following whomever around to see what's going on. He gets along well with our girls, ages twelve and nine, but is probably a little too boisterous for those with toddlers.
Stan walks well on the leash and has no problems going potty while tethered. Stan did some steps last night and had no problems going up or down. Stan also listens really well - he already knows "No!" and comes when called. He's been sleeping well and gets along fine with Coastal, our resident hound. He's seen the resident feline and while intensely curious about her, hasn't made any aggressive moves towards her. We'll be monitoring the situation a little more before we declare him cat-safe.
Stan's enjoying playing with our assorted stuffies and is generally not destructive with them - no ripping them apart pulling out the stuffing as of yet, but the hounds usually discover that trick sooner rather than later and we suspect that Stan will probably enjoy tearing up stuffies once he discovers how :-)
We believe that Stan would do better in a home with another canine companion, and on that note, would make a fine addition to a home that is looking to add another greyhound to their menagerie.
If you'd like to meet the handsome boy with the angel wings and fine personality, please give Denise a shout.

The Bella update

Sorry for the lack of updates on Bella. A few technical issues with my Blogger account caused the delay. I wanted to post some video, but my Blogger account keeps hosing the upload. Grrrrr! Anyhow, Bella is ready to go to her forever home. She's been a wonderful dog and has integrated herself into retirement living easily and with much gusto. She's housebroken, does stairs, has learned to play with stuffies, walks well on the leash, gets along well with kids and also other canines. We think she will be cat-trainable if perhaps not entirely cat-safe. She's never gone after the house feline, but she is extremely interested in her. Bella understands NO! and is usually eager to please. She's a tail wagging dynamo and is extremely friendly.
In short, she's a wonderful dog and should adapt readily to most home situations.

A New Year, A New Home For Nellie!

I'm happy to report that 2010 is off to a rollicking good start with our Miss Nellie finding herself her forever home today! Nellie will be living in the Baltimore area with several other canine companions to cavort with. So, yay for 2010 and yay for Nellie discovering her forever home!
If you missed out on adopting Nellie and are still in the market for a greyhound, Denise has dogs available, so give another hound something to shout about by giving Denise a shout.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and here's hoping everyone also has a great New Year! Nellie had a very good Christmas and her New Year is hopefully going to go splendidly as well. She had an absolute blast playing in the snowfall we got last weekend, although she did spend a few minutes barking at that crazy white stuff falling all over the place and covering up her favorite places to pee ;-)
Nellie remains ready to go her forever home. She's learned about all she can here; she does steps, knows the "go potty" command, walks pretty well on the leash, has learned to play with toys, will accept treats from our hands (most of the time - she relapses into skittishness occasionally), has no issues with routine doggie maintenance such as toenail clipping, grooming/brushing etc.
As noted in previous posts, Nellie is always going to have some shyness issues, although they will fade somewhat into the background as time passes and she settles in and learns the daily routine. Nellie is particularly happy in the morning when the family gets up. She's quite the tail-wagger in the a.m. and will come up to the bed and stick her cold, wet nose right into your face to let you know that it's time to get up and have breakfast!
For those who like having a dog that's aware of its domain and surrounding area, Nellie will bark when strangers approach/walk by the house. This is not to say that she's a watchdog by any means, but she will let you know when someone is close by when she spots them.
A brand new year is just around the corner and Nellie would like nothing more than to start 2010 by finding a forever home with a loving family, a fenced-in yard, and another hound to another to hang around with. If you can make that happen for this sweetheart of a girl, please give Denise a call and get the ball rolling.

Not-quite-so-nervous-Nellie

Sorry for the lack of updates on Nellie. I was going to update on Sunday, but the stunning surprise victory of the Redskins over the Broncos left me at a loss for words, and that doesn't happen often :-) So kudos to the 'Skins for managing to win a game everyone expected them to lose. On to Nellie:

Nellie's doing very well and has really started to come out of her shell. She will now stand still for some petting and other types of attention and has really started to get that tail going a mile-a-minute when she's happy. Nellie's house manners are good - no crawling on furniture, no counter surfing, etc. She likes to go for walks and generally does very well on the leash, but sudden noises still scare her and she hesitates to do her business on the leash. She can go potty on the leash, but she rarely does, so those with unfenced yards may want to look at a different hound. Nellie does NOT like small dogs as they scare her for whatever reason. As of now, for potential adopters that already have hounds, Nellie would make a perfect addition to those looking to add another greyhound to their pack. She loves other hounds and really follows their lead. She could be an only dog in the right situation, but potential adopters would probably need some previous greyhound experience to make it work.
As noted previously, Nellie is always going to be on the shy side. That doesn't mean that she won't make a fine companion, however. After a few weeks here she's settled in and made herself an adorable, happy part of her temporary family and she's sure to do the same in her forever home. Nellie is a sweet, sweet dog and she's pretty much ready to go, so give Denise a shout is you think she's suitable for your household.

Whoa Nellie!

This is Nellie (track name, Regall Sit -n- Spin), and the picture just doesn't do her beauty very much justice. Nellie is a sweet, sweet girl and a strikingly beautiful 4 year-old brindle hound in surprisingly good physical condition for an ex-track dog - full coat, good weight, no fleas, ticks or other nasty bugs that some hounds come in with. Nellie is, however, a bit on the shy side. She's not a spook by any means but she can be a bit skittish sometimes. As is usually the case with most of the shy hounds, time and patience will lead to the emergence of a bolder and more confident dog. Nellie is no exception. In the five days she's been with us, she's made good progress towards being comfortable in new surroundings. She's started taking steps towards us for some petting and ear skritches, although she waits 'til her foster brother Coastal is getting some attention before she decides to inch her way towards us rather than us going to her, as we did the first two days she was here. Nellie is a very quiet dog - she hasn't barked once and she hasn't done any whining, either. She kennels up well and is doing great with the housebreaking. Nellie has done well on the leash so far and seems to be small animal safe (she's not taken notice of the household feline as of yet, that we know of, but we'll do a face-to-face with both of them in the future to see how she reacts). She's eating and sleeping well and is starting to get the hang of general household living. I expect her personality to really blossom over the next week or so as she gets into a regular rhythm. Nellie does not seem to be overly dependent on her foster brother - though she does follow his lead on potty breaks and such - so she might be suitable as an only dog, if the right circumstances present themselves. Patience and steady gentleness will be the key in her successful transfer to her eventual forever home. I think she's going to make a really nice companion for the right person(s). Though she's never going to be a gregarious, life-of-the-party hound, she will still be a real sweetheart in her happy, quiet way. Nellie has not done steps yet, but we'll be addressing that over the weekend. I have a hunch that she might make a nice jogging companion, so I'll take her for a run this weekend and she how she does with that. As always, drop Denise a line if you think this is the hound for you.

RJ gets comfy

RJ has transitioned into home life like a champ! Simply put; RJ is a sweetheart of a dog and someone is going to be extremely lucky to have him in their home. RJ is completely housebroken and has no issues with anything. He walks well on the leash - and is excited to go for walks when the time comes to do so - does stairs, is cat-safe, is friendly, happy, sociable, and loves people. As noted in the last post, RJ is a leaner. If you're standing there and RJ happens by and you reach out to give him an ear skritch or a quick petting, well, be prepared for him to close the gap and snuggle up to you. Visitors are just as likely to receive this attention as family members are - RJ doesn't care who you are, he just wants some lovin'!
RJ is finally putting on some much-needed weight and his fur is starting to fill in nicely, though his rear-end and back legs are still mostly bare. RJ will be done with his medications in a few days and will be soon going in for his dental, and boy does he ever need one. He has the stinkiest breath - and the worst tartar/plaque build-up - of any hound we've ever had here in the house, so the teeth cleaning will provide benefits for both RJ and his future adopters! For those who like to trim their dog's nails at home, we clipped RJ's nails this week and he didn't put up a fuss at all, so no worries about that aspect of hound upkeep.
And yes, RJ still likes the chair and the sofa, but is also sleeping more and more on the floor or dog beds. Anyhow, to say we're happy with RJ's progress would be a severe understatement :-)

RJ's 2nd chance

The adorable hound all curled up on our chair is RJ. Through no fault of his own, 9 year-old RJ had a long and rough patch of bad luck that saw him relegated to a basement for a period of several years. That's right, RJ was stuck in a basement for an excruciatingly long period of time. He committed no crime, yet he was held like a prisoner. RJ was malnourished and had flea dermatitis so bad that he lost a significant portion of his otherwise beautiful brindle coat. Why? Because sometimes people just suck. All this bad news is now in the past, however, and we won't be dwelling on it any longer. Suffice to say, RJ now has a 2nd chance at retirement and finding his forever home.
RJ is a very, very nice older dog - he's an absolute sweetheart, in fact - and is remarkably quiet, pleasant, happy, and social considering his past confinement. RJ is currently 15 or so pounds underweight and is in the process of regaining his coat. He's currently on medications to alleviate the conditions forced upon him by his previous situation. RJ is eating well, sleeping well and looks to be well on the road to a full recovery. RJ is definitely a couch potato and will crawl up on any piece of soft furniture available if you let him. RJ walks well on the leash, is housebroken, is cat-safe, gets along with his foster brother Coastal, and is very smart. RJ has not shown an inclination for toys as of yet, though he has taken a blue washcloth out of the laundry basket several times to bring to his bed like a favorite "woobie", also, he's a leaner!
RJ is going to be with us for a while before he's able to go to his forever home, but if you think RJ would make a good addition to your home, don't hesitate to contact Denise. He needs to put on some weight, finish his current run of medicines, and get a dental. While all that's going on, we're going to be giving him some much-deserved TLC and constantly evaluating his progress. We really, really like this old boy, and considering what he's been through, we'll be looking for a special forever home for this distinguished older gentleman to spend his twilight years in.

Bubba finds his home!

Good ol' Bubba and his winning personality found a home over the weekend! Bubba will be providing the Baltimore area with good humor and good looks aplenty.
Our shoe closets and stuffed animal boxes are currently breathing sighs of relief now that the "threat level indicators" are back in the normal zones :-)

Handsome Jack!

Jack's been with us for a week and we've got nothing but good things to say about him! Jack has had no accidents in the house for over a week, so we're gonna say the he's housebroken. Jack's had no problem with steps and is very nimble and adaptable in new situations. Loud noises don't seem to bother him, though he is curious about where they come from. Curious and adaptable seem to be the words that best describe Jack. He's not afraid of doing new things and going new places and he just loves people. He's a bit of a shadow sometimes and will follow you around just to see if anything new and exciting is going on in, say, the laundry room - while nothing exciting EVER goes on in the laundry room, Jack doesn't mind one bit! If you're there, that's good enough for him! All this curiosity does come with a small price tag: vigilance. Jack will try anything once (maybe twice if it was fun!) and seems to like the taste of small, rubber toys like those Polly Pockets and Littlest Petshop things, so families with kids will need to keep those things out of reach 'til Jack learns that they're not his (unless ya like sifting through dog poop to recover them, though why you'd want to do that is anybody's guess). Speaking of toys, Jack has learned to play with dog toys over the past few days and really, really likes the one's that SQUEAK!
Jack is doing well on the leash and has no problems going potty while leashed. I've also had him for a jog of approximately 2 miles with no problems, so he should make a good running/jogging companion.
Those with cats would probably be better off with another hound as Jack is NOT cat-safe. Seriously, he'll go to great lengths to get a hold of them...
Other than not being suitable for homes with felines, Jack should do well in most environments. He's quiet, loving, friendly, adventurous, and likes people of all ages. We've not seen any separation anxiety issues and Jack has been crated for several hours at a time without any problems. He could go into a home as an only hound or he could go into a home with other dogs.
Curious, adaptable, and handsome - that's Jack! Drop a line to Denise if you think that Jack is the one for you.

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Learning Quick!

So here's Heart Attack Jack....
Heart Attack Jack? Yep, that was his racing name, but we're just calling him Jack - no heart attacks involved here! Jack was welcomed into the house for fostering on Monday afternoon and has been doing really, really well. Jack will be 4-years-old in April, and is a very handsome brindle boy who currently weighs in the neighborhood of 71 pounds. He's a little on the skinny side now and will probably be around 82 pounds (give or take a pound) when he fills out a bit.
Jack is curious, intelligent, loving, and has proven a quick learner so far. Housebreaking is going very well and he's already been up and down several sets of stairs without a hitch. He's fairly good on the leash already, and we expect him to improve even more with more practice.
Jack is getting along well with his foster brother, Coastal, and should be fine in a household with other dogs. How well he'll do with cats is still up in the air. He got excited and aggressive with a neighborhood cat while on a walk, and we've yet to introduce him to the household cat, so the jury's still out on this aspect. Obviously we'll update after some more interaction has occurred .
Jack has settled into an easy routine here already and is sleeping, eating and behaving very well. He's very fond of our daughters (ages 8 and 11) and should be fine in a household with kids in this age range.
Jack kennels up with no problem when needed, and hasn't shown any separation anxiety issues when left alone.
Between Jack's mellow and inquisitive nature, and his loving and easygoing personality, all of the early indications suggest that he's going to make a very fine companion.

Serena part 3

Hey, all!
That sweet-faced girl you see here is becoming a different hound than the one who first graced the pages of this blog! Serena is becoming bolder and more confident everyday - though we think she'll always be somewhat of a cautious dog, especially in new surroundings and situations - and has started doing things of her own accord, rather than just following her foster brother's lead. She is definitely a morning girl! She gets that tail wagging in big circles like a helicopter blade, and runs around the living room and comes up and gives quick doggie kisses before being left out for the morning's bathroom break. This girl is a real sweetheart and has been allowing us to rub her belly and has also been quick to give us appreciative licks and kisses. It's taken 2 and a half weeks to build enough trust for her to let out her "inner dog" and it's been worth every minute. She has also started to come when called, not every time, but a vast improvement over her usual routine of skittering away to her bed. Serena took her first solo walk on the leash last week and did pretty well without the comfort and presence of her foster brother, who usually walks beside of her.
Loud sounds, new people, and new situations still cause her to shy away and head for her comfort zone in the bedroom. You can see her wanting to engage in new experiences, but she's still battling that part of her brain that brings out the caution flag, but even so, she's getting better about it every day.
On a different note, we may have to re-evaluate her cat-safe status: she tangled with our cat this morning and has a 2 inch claw mark on her shoulder to prove it... We were sleeping at the time, so we don't know all the circumstances, but we'll be keeping an eye on that aspect of her behavior.
All-in-all, Serena is doing very well and is going to make a fine companion animal for the right person/persons. We're still recommending that she be placed in a home with another dog, one who has confidence and experience, as she really leans on, and learns from that.

Serena part 2

Hey, all. Serena's been with us for a little over week now and her personality continues to emerge as her shy nature is slowly loosening its grip upon her actions. She's starting to show some playfulness, especially when she first gets up in the morning. Lots more tail wagging and happy faces from her than in days previous and she's even handed out a few doggie kisses to a select few! Serena may turn out to be a stuffy collector - she's knicked a few stuffed animals from our daughter's rooms and brought them back to her favorite resting place, Coastal's bed! No chewing on them so far, just likes having them around...
She's been out for several walks and has done very well on the leash, though getting her out the door and started requires some patient coaxing and cajoling. She did several sets of steps while on the leash and had absolutely no problems navigating inclines or declines, as she's very nimble. At this point, we still think that she'll do best in a home with another dog - preferably a greyhound - as she really does draw comfort from the presence of another hound whose lead she can follow.
Oh, and she's got a healthy appetite as shown in the pictures. No problems wolfing down a bowl of kibble and she's starting to accept treats from our hands as well.
All in all, she's a real sweetheart who continues to allow more and more of her personality to shine through and will make a nice companion for the right person or family.

An intro to Serena

Hey all! This is Serena, formerly known as "Slam Around" - she's a bit on the shy side so she's asked me to speak on her behalf. Serena is a shy, quiet girl who likes the comfort of a private spot to hang out in. Be it a large dog bed in a back room or a kennel where she can meditate on life after racing. Serena (who is 2 yrs old today!) weighs in the neighborhood of 55 lbs and is settling into retirement slow and easy. She's a bit of a timid soul and really likes to have a another hound around to show her what's up with all the new things retirement life brings. She's looking for a patient soul who recognizes that good things come to those who wait, as she's probably going to come into her own and blossom like a gorgeous rose after a little bit of TLC! She's eating well and hasn't had any accidents in the house - she's got a good grasp so far on how the "go out to potty" thing works and has done number 1 and number 2 on the leash, so no problems there. Speaking of leashes, yesterday she took her first walk on a leash after some coaxing and cajoling on our part. Her initial fright at venturing out was replaced by some delighted looks on her face as we ventured around the neighborhood. Serena was, I think, more comforted by the presence of her big foster brother Coastal and his confidence at being out and about than she was by either of her foster parents, furthering my assumption that she'll do better in an environment with another dog(s).
So far, Serena has shown that she'll probably be cat-safe, as she hasn't paid much attention to our little feline prowling about the house.
Since we picked her up, Serena has gained a little more confidence each day, meandering about the house and yard, though she often goes about it in the manner of two steps forward and one step back.
As of now Serena would do best in a quieter home environment with another canine to hang out with. As noted above, any potential adopters will need patience and a gentle touch to help her transition into new surroundings. We will update this page every few days and report on any new gains of confidence. We're going to see how she does with stairs soon, also, so stay tuned for news on that and whatever else the week brings, and contact Denise (or leave a comment here on the blog) if Serena sounds like the one for you!