# Getting a Dog - where to start?



## SaddlePsych'D (2 September 2021)

Making my first trip into the Hounds department of HHO to supplement the various Google searches I'm doing now OH and I are considering getting a dog a bit more seriously. 

We're not about to rush in, although I'll be working at home for at least the next few months and probably not working for a couple of months after that so potentially prime time to put the work and time into settling in a new dog. It's really important to us to give as good a home as possible so we want to do our research and get plenty of advice/support as first time dog owners.

I really like the idea of 'adopt don't shop' but the rescue criteria often seem quite specific. We've got no other pets or children but we may well have children in the future so potentially that rules us out for most rescues I've seen. I've not given up on the idea and might still enquire but just not feeling that hopeful about this route. It's not that we're not prepared to put the work into training, socialising, providing exercise and mental stimulation, I think we'd quite enjoy the rewards of this, but the reality is we don't like 10 miles from the nearest road, child, person or other dogs so we won't make the cut to be selected for a lot of rescue dogs.

Looking at puppies for sale, I've no idea where to start - is KC registration a guarantee of good/ethical breeding practice and a healthy dog? Why do prices seem to vary so much? We're not into getting a 'trendy' breed so prices don't seem that wild but then I've no idea what the pre-Covid puppy situation was, I guess that might be irrelevant now anyway.

Any tips or suggested reading would be much appreciated!


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## bonny (2 September 2021)

Have either of you had a dog before ?


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## SaddlePsych'D (2 September 2021)

No we are both first timers.

My parents got a rescue dog when I was a child, which obviously I was thrilled about at the time. However it did not work out and I'm keen not to repeat something like this for the sake of the dog.


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## SAujla (2 September 2021)

Health tests are more important than whether a breeder is "Assured". Depends on the breed but generally you want good hip and elbow scores (more critical for larger breeds). A good hip score in my opinion is hips that are within 3 of each other and don't add up to be more than 12. For example I'd prefer hip score of 3 and 5 to make 8 rather than 1 and 5 to make 6. Elbows must be 0, no messing about with that. Eye tests are also important and other tests can be breed specific but DM and EIC are I think are essential as well.

It doesn't matter if the breeder is official but the puppies must be KC registered, there just isn't a good reason to not do so. 

Do you have a breed in mind? I got a huge amount of help on here as a first time owner so you've come to the right place


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## Pearlsasinger (2 September 2021)

I would be surprised if a rescue asked about your family plans in the future.  A good rescue will support you with settling the new dog in, so rather than ruling yourself out before you approach one, I would start there and only look at buying a pup if the rescues really don't want you. Wfh will be  welcomed by a rescue, I would have thought.   Over the years, I have also rehomed adult dogs privately, from ads in the newspaper (obviously it's a while ago), so it might be worth keeping an eye on sites like Preloved.


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## Widgeon (2 September 2021)

Just to add my tuppence worth - when we decided to get a dog we decided on a breed first. Rescues were no good (I did try) as we both have jobs (how dare we). We made the breed decision based on a number of factors including size, temperament, and the fact that OH's boss had a lovely little dog of a particular breed! Then I made a spreadsheet of all the KC breeders in our half of the country (there were less than a dozen for our chosen breed) and started phoning round breeders and breed club puppy liasons. The phoning round was really useful, it was interesting to hear what people said about each other and some trends started to emerge about who to follow up and who to maybe avoid. Once we'd settled on a breeder, and she and I had interrogated each other thoroughly (!) we visited her and her dogs and were put on a wait list for one of her puppies. After a false start where her bitch didn't take after the first mating, we picked our puppy up about 8 months after going on the list. They were all KC registered and for what it's worth we paid quite a bit less than £1K for our puppy. That was in the North of England a few years ago.

Although getting a puppy was a lot of initial work, it worked very well for us as our dog has no hang ups, we know all his history, and we trained him to be left alone right from the start so he's totally fine with it. But obviously there are other equally valid ways of acquiring a nice dog!


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## SaddlePsych'D (2 September 2021)

SAujla said:



			Health tests are more important than whether a breeder is "Assured". Depends on the breed but generally you want good hip and elbow scores (more critical for larger breeds). A good hip score in my opinion is hips that are within 3 of each other and don't add up to be more than 12. For example I'd prefer hip score of 3 and 5 to make 8 rather than 1 and 5 to make 6. Elbows must be 0, no messing about with that. Eye tests are also important and other tests can be breed specific but DM and EIC are I think are essential as well.

It doesn't matter if the breeder is official but the puppies must be KC registered, there just isn't a good reason to not do so.

Do you have a breed in mind? I got a huge amount of help on here as a first time owner so you've come to the right place
		
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We're fairly open minded to breed and would be very happy with a cross breed too. Probably looking towards the smaller end of the scale - OH loves German Shepherds and I love the idea of rescuing a Greyhound but think they might be a bit big. I've been looking at Whippets, smaller Lurchers, Jack Russells (including crossed with Chihuahua which I never thought I'd say but we spent last weekend with a well trained pair of these enjoying lots of cuddles!) but again would be open to other breeds so not fixed on these.


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## SaddlePsych'D (2 September 2021)

Pearlsasinger said:



			I would be surprised if a rescue asked about your family plans in the future.  A good rescue will support you with settling the new dog in, so rather than ruling yourself out before you approach one, I would start there and only look at buying a pup if the rescues really don't want you. Wfh will be  welcomed by a rescue, I would have thought.   Over the years, I have also rehomed adult dogs privately, from ads in the newspaper (obviously it's a while ago), so it might be worth keeping an eye on sites like Preloved.
		
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Thank you, yes I think we won't give up on rescuing completely and will make some enquiries. Some profiles you see clearly that children really wouldn't be a good mix with the dog but others I think perhaps it would be fine once you've got the dog settled and you're sensible in how you manage the dog/child intros. I think we'd be more cautious than a lot of people around this.


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## Pearlsasinger (2 September 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			We're fairly open minded to breed and would be very happy with a cross breed too. Probably looking towards the smaller end of the scale - OH loves German Shepherds and I love the idea of rescuing a Greyhound but think they might be a bit big. I've been looking at Whippets, smaller Lurchers, Jack Russells (including crossed with Chihuahua which I never thought I'd say but we spent last weekend with a well trained pair of these enjoying lots of cuddles!) but again would be open to other breeds so not fixed on these.
		
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Do approach a greyhound rescue.I have never had a sighthound but my understanding is that greyhounds are very laid back dogs and make good family pets.  You might have to be careful around small animals but that varies from dog to dog and the rescue will be able to advise. 
Small dogs are not necessarily easier than big ones.  My neighbour was determined that her next dog was going to be a small one and she got a cockerpoo, which has not been a complete success.  The dog is very nervous around other dogs, although neighbours' daughter regularly brings hers to visit.  Then, the other day it tripped up her husband who is in his 70's and not very well, causing him to fall and injure his knees.  A greyhound sounds like a better bet to me!


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## smolmaus (2 September 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			Thank you, yes I think we won't give up on rescuing completely and will make some enquiries. Some profiles you see clearly that children really wouldn't be a good mix with the dog but others I think perhaps it would be fine once you've got the dog settled and you're sensible in how you manage the dog/child intros. I think we'd be more cautious than a lot of people around this.
		
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I don't really work with the dog side of our rescue (we don't get many in) so pinch of salt here but if you demonstrate you have the knowledge (or that you are willing to work towards it with a good trainer) to socialise a dog over time, do intros properly and safely and train the future children to be respectful of the dog I think that would put you a step ahead of a lot of people. Especially for smaller rescues that may have more time to get to know you properly. I think for the larger rescues the tick-box applications they need to have to deal with the number of applications they get doesn't leave a lot of room for grey areas like "may have children in the future".


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## Penny Less (2 September 2021)

Yes to greyhounds, my friend has had two at a time from the greyhound rescue for many years. The problem she encountered with a few was them not being used to traffic or household appliances.  She never lets hers off the lead though when out and I think this is true for a lot of owners, she has never had one that didnt walk nicely on a lead.   Hers get worn out after a 20 min walk, and spend most of their time laying in their beds !


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## CorvusCorax (2 September 2021)

If you want a pure breed you are best to start off by contacting a breed club rather than the kennel club.


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## twiggy2 (2 September 2021)

Its worth putting there area you are in on here as someone may be able to recommend a rescue in your area


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## fankino04 (2 September 2021)

I think often the breed rescues are better than the big centres too in terms of viewing you as people rather than ticking boxes.


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## gallopingby (2 September 2021)

Hi if you’re going to be first time dog owners l would be wary of rescue dogs except from breed specific rescues but sadly you’ll find they already have lots of people on their waiting list who have met the rehoming criteria and are hopefully waiting to be matched with a suitable dog. Although there are lots of dogs needing homes sadly it’s just not as simple as rolling up and acquiring one. I volunteer with a couple of rescues and although we have lots of people on the waiting list we don’t have many dogs suitable for first time owners. There are a couple of websites you can look at to work out what breed would be happy in your situation you could have a play around and see what comes up. One is selectadogbreed.com but there are lots and lots some put up by feed companies and others by the kennel club. Sometimes rescues are asked to rehome older dogs and if you’re lucky you may find one who’s owner is no longer able to look after it although over the past 18 months or so this doesn’t seem to have happened and family members or friends seem to have found room for them.
I think your best idea is to decide on a breed and then contact some breeders who are well established and have bred at least three previous litters so they have experience in correctly feeding and training young puppies sometimes they may have a slightly older dog that hasn’t made the grade as a top show dog but that they have run on to see. This type of small breeder will provide help and advice and also may have signed up to their breed society standard which could include information on an agreed suitable selling price - most are around £1200 - £1500 at the moment. Lots more could indicate someone just wanting to make ££££s without thinking about the dogs future life.


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## splashgirl45 (2 September 2021)

just a point about WFH....when you do get a dog make sure you go out every day and gradually stay out for longer to prepare the dog for when you return to work away from the house,  so many people have made the mistake of getting a dog during lockdown and then finding problems with the dog being very distressed and either destroying the home or weeing a pooing because they are so anxious when they are left..  there is a group for separation anxiety on facebook and some of the stories are very scarey and owners are considering giving up their dogs


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## gunnergundog (2 September 2021)

What you want from a dog is a good place to start?  

Do you want a small dog, or are you happy with a large dog?  Do you want a high energy dog or a lap dog?  Are you happy with something that moults for England or do you want something that you don't need to follow around with a Dyson all day long?  Do you want a house dog or a kennel dog?  Do you want a dog as a pet or do you wish to participate in any sporting events - agility/obedience/ working tests etc etc?  Do you want a breed that is easy to train or do you prefer a challenge?  How much time each day are you prepared to devote to exercise and training?  Do you have any back up if you hit problems?

A puppy, in theory, you can shape into the dog you want!  (Said slightly tongue in cheek!)  A rescue/re-home I would probably avoid as a first time owner unless it is from a close family member where you know ALL the history - warts and all. 

Decide what you want, now, AND more importantly in the future, if you know that your lifestyle is going to be changing.  

Decide what breed you want and then go and visit people who have them.....not just puppies, but teenagers and adult dogs.
Buy from health tested parents.  Check on the KC club website what the minimum health tests are for the breed you have selected.  Then check with the breed club and see what they recommend!  )


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## satinbaze (2 September 2021)

If you need help deciding on which breed is right for you then I suggest going to one of the discover Dogs events. They will have booths for all the KC recognised breeds which experienced owners and breeders on hand to answer questions. Many breed clubs also run rescue and rehoming services. I would always use a breed club as a first point of contact as for puppies they can advise on breeders that comply with their code of ethics and perform the health tests required for the breed. Good luck with your search and well done for doing research before purchasing


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## Amymay (2 September 2021)

gunnergundog said:



			What you want from a dog is a good place to start? 

Do you want a small dog, or are you happy with a large dog?  Do you want a high energy dog or a lap dog?  Are you happy with something that moults for England or do you want something that you don't need to follow around with a Dyson all day long?  Do you want a house dog or a kennel dog?  Do you want a dog as a pet or do you wish to participate in any sporting events - agility/obedience/ working tests etc etc?  Do you want a breed that is easy to train or do you prefer a challenge?  How much time each day are you prepared to devote to exercise and training?  Do you have any back up if you hit problems?

A puppy, in theory, you can shape into the dog you want!  (Said slightly tongue in cheek!)  A rescue/re-home I would probably avoid as a first time owner unless it is from a close family member where you know ALL the history - warts and all.

Decide what you want, now, AND more importantly in the future, if you know that your lifestyle is going to be changing. 

Decide what breed you want and then go and visit people who have them.....not just puppies, but teenagers and adult dogs.
Buy from health tested parents.  Check on the KC club website what the minimum health tests are for the breed you have selected.  Then check with the breed club and see what they recommend!  )
		
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Spot on.


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## SaddlePsych'D (2 September 2021)

So much to think about but really helpful replies here. Perhaps we don't need to rule out Greyhounds after all which would be a positive.  Definitely appreciate small doesn't necessarily equal easy and they still need training etc just thinking space wise.

Definitely got the longer term WFH picture in mind as it will change but we can plan and prepare for that.

We're in Surrey if that helps with identifying local centres but also will be prepared to travel.

@gunnergundog those are some great questions for OH and I to think about in more detail.


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## twiggy2 (2 September 2021)

If you are happy to travel a bit I can recommend southern lurcher rescue, fantastic support and all dogs are housed rather than being hold from kennels which means the person who fosters them gets to know what the dog is like in a normal life situation.


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## Amymay (2 September 2021)




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## Thistle (5 September 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			So much to think about but really helpful replies here. Perhaps we don't need to rule out Greyhounds after all which would be a positive.  Definitely appreciate small doesn't necessarily equal easy and they still need training etc just thinking space wise.

Definitely got the longer term WFH picture in mind as it will change but we can plan and prepare for that.

We're in Surrey if that helps with identifying local centres but also will be prepared to travel.

@gunnergundog those are some great questions for OH and I to think about in more detail.
		
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A bitch is usually smaller than a dog of the same breed, sighthounds are generally quite easy going for exercise, they prefer a short sharp walk/run than being on the go all doy, so they tend to sleep a lot between walks, generally have a good off switch. They also curl up quite small!


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## SaddlePsych'D (5 September 2021)

Thistle said:



			A bitch is usually smaller than a dog of the same breed, sighthounds are generally quite easy going for exercise, they prefer a short sharp walk/run than being on the go all doy, so they tend to sleep a lot between walks, generally have a good off switch. They also curl up quite small!
		
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Thank you, this is helpful and had reminded me we need to think about dog or bitch (perhaps more so if choosing a puppy?) 

We've been chatting and chatting it over, and at the moment a whippet/smaller lurcher is leading in terms of what we'd like breed wise. I think being open minded is good but it does feel a bit easier to focus in on a breed when reading around. The more I read about sighthounds them more I think it could be a good fit. We don't want to rule out a greyhound but am a little concerned about space in the house/on the sofa!


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## TGM (5 September 2021)

It is worth reading the free ebook 'BEFORE You Get Your Puppy' which is on the link below:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE You Get Your Puppy.pdf

It will give you a very good idea what to expect.  Puppies are VERY hard work and the more effort you put into the early days with things like socialisation, toilet training etc., the easier the grown dog will be.  Don't under-estimate how much time they take up.  I've had dogs all my life but the first puppy was a shock to the system!  They play bite a lot until they learn bite inhibition and their baby teeth are as sharp as needles.  It is not all cuteness and cuddles!

With regards to your working situation, do make sure you have a back up plan in case things change.  Can you afford doggy daycare or a dog walker if you have to leave the dog for extended periods of time for work?

As for choice of dog, whippets are great and pretty easy (once out of the puppy stage).  Mine is very clean, pretty chilled, doesn't need tons of exercise and is very affectionate and is great with other dogs, children etc.


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## Amymay (5 September 2021)

Also think about how much exercise you want to do/activities.  A whippet will be more ‘up’ for longer walks than a greyhound (for instance).  A border collie will go all day so will a lab/goldie etc.  My own little dog (up until last year) was regularly doing eight miles a day (however she’s a slight oddity as she’s a Bichon but has never known any different 🤣). 

Don’t discount cross breed. (There are actually some out there that work pretty well).  And don’t discount a rehome/rescue.


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## bonny (5 September 2021)

Get a collie, that’s my best advice !


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## laura_nash (5 September 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			Thank you, this is helpful and had reminded me we need to think about dog or bitch (perhaps more so if choosing a puppy?)

We've been chatting and chatting it over, and at the moment a whippet/smaller lurcher is leading in terms of what we'd like breed wise. I think being open minded is good but it does feel a bit easier to focus in on a breed when reading around. The more I read about sighthounds them more I think it could be a good fit. We don't want to rule out a greyhound but am a little concerned about space in the house/on the sofa!
		
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I've had 3 lurchers and a greyhound in the past and they are generally very easy dogs day to day.  They do hog the sofa and won't be happy to sit at your feet on tarmac if you stop for a chat but they really only need 15 mins in a fenced field for exercise.  The greyhound did like to run up the vets fees though, the lurchers were much less accident prone and more robust.  The greyhound was also very difficult to train, mostly as any praise made her so excited she forgot what she was being praised for.

Our first dog was an adult collie X lurcher rescue and he was the easiest dog, perfect manners, fully trained and very trainable and never put a foot wrong.


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## poiuytrewq (5 September 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			We're fairly open minded to breed and would be very happy with a cross breed too. Probably looking towards the smaller end of the scale - OH loves German Shepherds and I love the idea of rescuing a Greyhound but think they might be a bit big. I've been looking at Whippets, smaller Lurchers, Jack Russells (including crossed with Chihuahua which I never thought I'd say but we spent last weekend with a well trained pair of these enjoying lots of cuddles!) but again would be open to other breeds so not fixed on these.
		
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Everyone needs a JR crossed with a chihuahua!


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## CrunchieBoi (8 September 2021)

Late to this thread but we've never had problems adopting from the larger rescues (dogs trust and, more recently, SSPCA). 
That was with us both working (me full time and partner part time), no attached garden, small furries in the house and resident dog. Was just a case of being patient and waiting for a dog that fit our situation.


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## oldie48 (8 September 2021)

The dogs trust local to me won't consider people who work and also require a fenced garden. I think it's important to think about what you want to do with the dog and beware, everyone always thinks their dog is the best breed to have! We have lots of off road walking with miles of common land and the Malvern Hills a short distance away, so we wanted a dog that we could train to have decent recall. We are happy to give our dog quite a lot of exercise but then like him to settle down once he's home, some dogs are rather needy. Also, we have a lot of stiles that are not that dog friendly so being able to pick the dog up and pop him over a style is quite useful and I can chuck him in the stable sink if he's rolled in something smelly. We've had 3 border terriers from pups, not suggesting them for anyone else but they fit the bill for us and they have all made really lovely family dogs despite them all being individuals. We do have sheep round here but they have all been trained to ignore them. I think it's worth taking your time to consider which breed or cross breed tbh I think it's better to have a pup if you are new to dogs, I've neighbours who have really struggled with rescues despite being reasonably experienced. All our dogs have come by word of mouth and we've seen them with their mum and in two cases with dad as well. Good luck, I hope you enjoy your dog as much as we have enjoyed all of ours, I wouldn't want to be without a dog in the house.


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## splashgirl45 (8 September 2021)

a friend of mine who is an experienced dog owner adopted a dog , a roumanian rescue,just from a picture . she was 5 months old, supposed to be a small to medium size but when they got her she was already almost as big as a lab which they accepted, but the dog was petrified of everyone and was really stressed just being indoors.  they took it really slowly but after 4 months of trying themselves and paying for a behaviourist, they hadnt made hardly any progress.  she was terrified of her husband, who is normally the person that dogs go to, and was still scared of being touched by anyone.  my friend was really upset that this poor dog was still so stressed and decided to give her up to a foster home who specialises in feral dogs and my friend is still very upset that she couldnt make a success of this dog.....so, be warned to only adopt once you have met the dog and dont fall into the trap that she did


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## Pearlsasinger (8 September 2021)

oldie48 said:



			The dogs trust local to me won't consider people who work and also require a fenced garden. I think it's important to think about what you want to do with the dog and beware, everyone always thinks their dog is the best breed to have! We have lots of off road walking with miles of common land and the Malvern Hills a short distance away, so we wanted a dog that we could train to have decent recall. We are happy to give our dog quite a lot of exercise but then like him to settle down once he's home, some dogs are rather needy. Also, we have a lot of stiles that are not that dog friendly so being able to pick the dog up and pop him over a style is quite useful and I can chuck him in the stable sink if he's rolled in something smelly. We've had 3 border terriers from pups, not suggesting them for anyone else but they fit the bill for us and they have all made really lovely family dogs despite them all being individuals. We do have sheep round here but they have all been trained to ignore them. I think it's worth taking your time to consider which breed or cross breed tbh I think it's better to have a pup if you are new to dogs, I've neighbours who have really struggled with rescues despite being reasonably experienced. All our dogs have come by word of mouth and we've seen them with their mum and in two cases with dad as well. Good luck, I hope you enjoy your dog as much as we have enjoyed all of ours, I wouldn't want to be without a dog in the house.
		
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I am certainly not advocating my breeds to OP, we have Labs and Rottweilers, also have had JRTs and Border Collies.  3 of those breeds, I definitely wouldn't recommend for a 1st time owner.  However, I would recommend the right Lurchers or Greyhounds and would reccommend the rescues associated with those breeds, certainly locally they seem to be very clued up and supportive of new owners.  I don't personally understand how anyone can have a dog of any kind without a secure garden.  I'm another who wouldn't want to be without a dog in the house.  We spent 3-4 weeks without a dog before we got the Rottweilers, it was horrible, evven though we did still have a cat.  We worked out that it had been well over 50 yrs since I had lived in a house without a dog.


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## scats (8 September 2021)

TGM said:



			It is worth reading the free ebook 'BEFORE You Get Your Puppy' which is on the link below:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE You Get Your Puppy.pdf

It will give you a very good idea what to expect.  Puppies are VERY hard work and the more effort you put into the early days with things like socialisation, toilet training etc., the easier the grown dog will be.  Don't under-estimate how much time they take up.  I've had dogs all my life but the first puppy was a shock to the system!  They play bite a lot until they learn bite inhibition and their baby teeth are as sharp as needles.  It is not all cuteness and cuddles!

With regards to your working situation, do make sure you have a back up plan in case things change.  Can you afford doggy daycare or a dog walker if you have to leave the dog for extended periods of time for work?

As for choice of dog, whippets are great and pretty easy (once out of the puppy stage).  Mine is very clean, pretty chilled, doesn't need tons of exercise and is very affectionate and is great with other dogs, children etc.
		
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I’ve said never again to pups.  I get really bad puppy blues and feel like my life has been taken away during those early days (and no, I have no plans for children!)
You don’t get a minute, it’s constant watching them and following them around, standing in the garden in the middle of the night and working your day around feeds and toileting.


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## Pearlsasinger (8 September 2021)

scats said:



			I’ve said never again to pups.  I get really bad puppy blues and feel like my life has been taken away during those early days (and no, I have no plans for children!)
You don’t get a minute, it’s constant watching them and following them around, standing in the garden in the middle of the night and working your day around feeds and toileting.
		
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They certainly are hard work!


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## sportsmansB (8 September 2021)

Small puppies definitely are hard work. You'd need to be prepared to basically take weeks off work or be very bad at working from home, while you follow them around waiting to correct them for something, rearranging your house so they can't eat it, and rearranging your days so that their routine is suitable for pooping at the right time. 
I struggled with rescues as I work full time, though quite a lot of it from home, and while I have a massive garden it isn't completely fenced in (my field is to the rear and the sides) 
I found that the smaller, less formal rescues are more flexible with the criteria, once they came out and saw my set up they were much happier and actually left me a dog there and then.  

I have 2 collies, They are I guess fairly hard work compared to other dogs in some ways, in that they do need to be very well exercised and their smartness can work against you if they have too much time on their hands or too much energy. I basically keep them permanently exhausted and have no issues at all. I have someone who comes in if I am going to be out at meetings for more than a couple of hours, I'd recommend trying to find that person early stages, it really takes the pressure off. She just takes them a quick half hour walk and toilet for £15.


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## SaddlePsych'D (8 September 2021)

Really finding these responses so helpful to keep me grounded and not carried away in 'we're getting a dog!' excitement (especially as talking to a friend about it we now have an appointed 'dog aunt' and holiday dog sitting covered ) and manage my expectations.



TGM said:



			It is worth reading the free ebook 'BEFORE You Get Your Puppy' which is on the link below:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE You Get Your Puppy.pdf

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I've just downloaded, this looks like an excellent resource thank you so much. I think I may have underestimated the neediness of a puppy so could do with the extra reading material.



laura_nash said:



			The greyhound was also very difficult to train, mostly as any praise made her so excited she forgot what she was being praised for.
		
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I know this was probably quite frustrating but also kind of adorable!



splashgirl45 said:



			a friend of mine who is an experienced dog owner adopted a dog , a roumanian rescue,just from a picture . she was 5 months old, supposed to be a small to medium size but when they got her she was already almost as big as a lab which they accepted, but the dog was petrified of everyone and was really stressed just being indoors.  they took it really slowly but after 4 months of trying themselves and paying for a behaviourist, they hadnt made hardly any progress.  she was terrified of her husband, who is normally the person that dogs go to, and was still scared of being touched by anyone.  my friend was really upset that this poor dog was still so stressed and decided to give her up to a foster home who specialises in feral dogs and my friend is still very upset that she couldnt make a success of this dog.....so, be warned to only adopt once you have met the dog and dont fall into the trap that she did
		
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I am suuuuper wary of the Romanian rescue thing. I've heard a couple of horror stories directly. There's one person I am friends with on Facebook who seems to have had success but they have put a huge amount of thought and work in to make it work. It sounds potentially really risky and I do think this is one route we would rule out.


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## CrunchieBoi (8 September 2021)

We currently have a Romanian rescue.  Although he isn't terrible, is improving and will hopefully get there with proper training it's not a route I'd go down again personally. Our Dogs Trust dogs were amazing from day 1 and our SSPCA girl was solid after a good 8-week training class.


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## SaddlePsych'D (9 September 2021)

We've found a whippet rescue organisation we'd like to apply to and I'm keeping an eye on Dogs Trust website - there's even been a couple now that look potentially suitable. 

Our next hurdle is to write a nice letter to our landlord asking for permission. I should have thought of this earlier, I guess I just think of where we live as home and we look after it dog or no dog. It makes me miss living in our own house (currently that's rented out while we rent our current home as moved for work). I've found some Dogs Trust resources on this which I though I could send over with the letter. I wish we could liaise with the landlord directly to discuss any concerns but it will be through the agent so I hope they will be helpful with the communication. Fingers crossed!


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## ellieb (9 September 2021)

I so wanted to rehome a whippet but the two rescues I spoke to both said no because I worked, albeit part time - which was sad, but I ended up with my 39kg big boy greyhound instead and he's a dream! Would still love to have a whippet one day, but not sure I could deal with the puppy stage!

Fingers crossed your landlord is accommodating! x


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## SaddlePsych'D (10 September 2021)

ellieb said:



			I so wanted to rehome a whippet but the two rescues I spoke to both said no because I worked, albeit part time - which was sad, but I ended up with my 39kg big boy greyhound instead and he's a dream! Would still love to have a whippet one day, but not sure I could deal with the puppy stage!

Fingers crossed your landlord is accommodating! x
		
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Thank you yes please do keep everything crossed for us - I've just sent off the email to the letting agent now to forward on to our landlord.

We've kind of swung from rescue to puppy, back to rescue (but not ruling out puppy completely). I suppose we won't really know if we'll be considered with our circumstances until we've got the landlord's permission.

I don't want to rule out greyhound but I do think it might be a bit of a squish in our little house. Also in my car, it's not very big!


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## splashgirl45 (10 September 2021)

my friend has only got a small car so when she got her greyhound she went for a female as they are usually smaller.  the rescue wanted her to have one of the dogs but she told them she couldnt afford to change her car so a smaller greyhound is her only choice, so they found some females for her to choose from...one of my other friends changed her car to a yeti so she could get a greyhound and hers is huge but he is lovely..they are usually couch potatoes in the house so shouldnt be too difficult to manage in a small house..fingers crossed for you


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## ellieb (10 September 2021)

That is true, my house is a two up, two down little terrace and Joe is so lazy in between walks that I don't even know he's there half the time - or I should say, I DO know - on his bed! Certainly doesn't get under my feet! 

Like splashgirl's friend though, I did buy a second-hand Berlingo just for him because my skoda wasn't really big enough. But Greyhound Rescue Wales for example (one of my closest rescues) has got a girl in at the moment who's barely bigger than a whippet - greyhounds have sexual dimorphism so the difference in size between the sexes can be quite amazing. 

Good luck with the landlord!! x


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## SaddlePsych'D (10 September 2021)

Ah interesting, I didn't know there could be such a difference between males and females.

We're also in a two up, two down. There is space I think we might need to do some shuffling things around - the floorspace is just a bit awkward for putting a bed or crate in a spot that's not in the way (depending on size). Theoretically the dog could practically have it's own room in our spare room/office, just not sure if it would manage the stairs as they're a bit steep and not carpeted.


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## splashgirl45 (10 September 2021)

dont worry about a bed, she will happily use yours, oh!!!!and the sofa too


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## ellieb (10 September 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			just not sure if it would manage the stairs as they're a bit steep and not carpeted.
		
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Interesting, same in my house! I put a babygate at the bottom of mine because I didn't want him to try them for that very reason, I thought he'd slip - so he just has the run of downstairs, minus the kitchen (another babygate because there's no door there). Sometimes I think it's better when they don't have loads of space to roam in/cause trouble in - easier for them to feel safe and sound! He basically has the living room, the hall and the garden.


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## Lipglosspukka (11 September 2021)

A whippet is a wonderful choice.


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## Cinnamontoast (11 September 2021)

scats said:



			I’ve said never again to pups.  I get really bad puppy blues and feel like my life has been taken away during those early days (and no, I have no plans for children!)
You don’t get a minute, it’s constant watching them and following them around, standing in the garden in the middle of the night and working your day around feeds and toileting.
		
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I’ve told the OH we should wait til we retire in 5 years (extra early, we’re not that old!) for puppies. I couldn’t wait last time, now I’m wondering if I have the energy!



SaddlePsych'D said:



			We've found a whippet rescue organisation we'd like to apply to and I'm keeping an eye on Dogs Trust website - there's even been a couple now that look potentially suitable.

Our next hurdle is to write a nice letter to our landlord asking for permission. I should have thought of this earlier, I guess I just think of where we live as home and we look after it dog or no dog. It makes me miss living in our own house (currently that's rented out while we rent our current home as moved for work). I've found some Dogs Trust resources on this which I though I could send over with the letter. I wish we could liaise with the landlord directly to discuss any concerns but it will be through the agent so I hope they will be helpful with the communication. Fingers crossed!
		
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Omg, good choice! One flashed past me and Bear in the park this morning, I was genuinely gobsmacked at the speed!

Re landlords, I’d try to get direct contact, it’s too easy as a ll just to say no if it’s via a 3rd party.


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## SaddlePsych'D (11 September 2021)

splashgirl45 said:



			dont worry about a bed, she will happily use yours, oh!!!!and the sofa too  

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Just as well we have a big sofa  hence the lack of floor space. Last year our Christmas tree went in the spare room as we got it home, pulled off the netting and were like: 'oh dear'. Then when we tried to take the armchair upstairs it got wedged between the walls so we had to abandon that at take the tree up instead. It was nice having a Christmas room for a bit though.



ellieb said:



			Interesting, same in my house! I put a babygate at the bottom of mine because I didn't want him to try them for that very reason, I thought he'd slip - so he just has the run of downstairs, minus the kitchen (another babygate because there's no door there). Sometimes I think it's better when they don't have loads of space to roam in/cause trouble in - easier for them to feel safe and sound! He basically has the living room, the hall and the garden.
		
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I'm thinking baby gate too. If they were carpeted stairs I would be less worried but as they are just painted I think a dog might slip (or we'll end up ferrying them downstairs every time the get stuck up there!)



Lipglosspukka said:



			A whippet is a wonderful choice.
		
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The more I think and read about it the more they are appealing to me. Trying so hard not to get ahead of myself as we've got to get landlord permission first



Cinnamontoast said:



			I’ve told the OH we should wait til we retire in 5 years (extra early, we’re not that old!) for puppies. I couldn’t wait last time, now I’m wondering if I have the energy!

Omg, good choice! One flashed past me and Bear in the park this morning, I was genuinely gobsmacked at the speed!

Re landlords, I’d try to get direct contact, it’s too easy as a ll just to say no if it’s via a 3rd party.
		
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I know not to 100% stereotype on breed but I always thought they needed loads of exercise but it seems not. Short bursts of activity and hours loafing about. Sounds just like me really!

We debated going to landlord direct then thought we should probably go to the agent as they're paid to manage the property, will give them time to respond then go direct to the landlord.


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## SaddlePsych'D (7 October 2021)

Oh my goodness the landlord said yes! I was starting to lose hope as it's been a month since we first asked. Let the rescue applications commence! 😀


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## splashgirl45 (7 October 2021)




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## Sandy200 (7 October 2021)

Good luck!  Have you looked at the Celia Cross Greyhound Trust as think you said you were in Surrey?  We have had 3 from there and they were great to deal with; they normally have greyhounds, whippets and lurchers needing homes.


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## SaddlePsych'D (8 October 2021)

Sandy200 said:



			Good luck!  Have you looked at the Celia Cross Greyhound Trust as think you said you were in Surrey?  We have had 3 from there and they were great to deal with; they normally have greyhounds, whippets and lurchers needing homes.
		
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Ooh I'm not sure if I've looked them up before. Will check this out thank you 

I'm trying not to get too excited about it as we still have to pass the checks/be accepted for a dog but still...mega excited!


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## SaddlePsych'D (8 October 2021)

Hmm... next issue looks like fencing. Most of the garden is 6ft but a portion is 4ft which I think some rescues will be an issue for. Gah!


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## Errin Paddywack (8 October 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			Most of the garden is 6ft but a portion is 4ft which I think some rescues will be an issue for.
		
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Can you add trellis or similar to raise height?


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## SaddlePsych'D (8 October 2021)

Errin Paddywack said:



			Can you add trellis or similar to raise height?
		
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For most of it I think we could. Some of it has probably about another 2ft of plant/hedge/tree growing over the top of it anyway and most of these sections are at the end of the garden which is fenced off with a lower (3ft) fence due to the pond that's there. I think we'll have another investigate over the weekend to see what we could do. In terms of risk of dog going anywhere dangerous/properly escaping they'd have to get past at least another set of 6ft fence in all directions but obviously don't want them getting into neighbours gardens causing annoyance. Both immediate neighbours on each side of us have a dog so they must think the fences are in reasonable condition, although one side has a Beagle and the other a small Terrier so the height is probably less of an issue!


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## Odyssey (8 October 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			Thank you yes please do keep everything crossed for us - I've just sent off the email to the letting agent now to forward on to our landlord.

We've kind of swung from rescue to puppy, back to rescue (but not ruling out puppy completely). I suppose we won't really know if we'll be considered with our circumstances until we've got the landlord's permission.

I don't want to rule out greyhound but I do think it might be a bit of a squish in our little house. Also in my car, it's not very big!
		
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I have my 5th greyhound, and can't really imagine having another breed, they really are gorgeous, and have such wonderful personalities. I now live in an average size one bedroom ground floor flat, and have a smallish hatchback. My boy is 34kg. I would ideally have liked a smaller (girl sized) one, but I have a very soft spot for the greyhound boys, they're so soft and goofy, and as soon as I met my current lad, I had eyes for no other. He's a delight and a charmer - very friendly in a calm, gentle way, loves to lean on people, and is cheeky and funny. He's one that people just fall in love with, and even people who are normally scared of dogs take to him. He fits on the back seat of my car fine, and is almost always on the sofa or his bed, so his size isn't an issue! I'd much rather have a large, easy dog than a smaller lively, more feisty one. Greyhounds are generally very undemanding, happy with a walk round the block or a longish walk (as long as it's not raining!), and are usually great with children. Mine adores them.


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## splashgirl45 (8 October 2021)

my friends greyhound always leans on my when i say hello, didnt realise it was a greyhound thing...he is such a lovely dog...much easier than my terriers


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## Unicorn (8 October 2021)

I used this to fix the low patches on the fence in my rented property to keep my dog in. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FlexiPan...Pen-Run-or-Cage-1M-or-1-5M-HIGH-/122635491205

It's mesh panels that screw onto the posts. I had it about 1.5m high.

I'm not using it any more, so if you're anywhere near me (west sussex/hampshire border), you're very welcome to it.


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## SaddlePsych'D (11 October 2021)

Unicorn said:



			I used this to fix the low patches on the fence in my rented property to keep my dog in.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FlexiPan...Pen-Run-or-Cage-1M-or-1-5M-HIGH-/122635491205

It's mesh panels that screw onto the posts. I had it about 1.5m high.

I'm not using it any more, so if you're anywhere near me (west sussex/hampshire border), you're very welcome to it.
		
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Thank you that's a kind offer, I think we may need to consider something like this or trellis. It's tricky because a whippet/greyhound seems to be a good fit for us (speedy couch potato!) but the fencing height seems to be more of an issue than for a small breed.

Just popping back having read through a thread about how people make it work with having a dog and working. We were aware of the need to use a dog walker to help us with a day time walk as there will be a couple of days a week I will struggle to get home to do a mid-day walk so included this with our application but we've been asked to look at day care instead. I'm not against this but just feel cautious about it and worried about what we'd do if the dog found day care stressful. I thought someone coming to take them out solo or in a small group would be enough to break up the day so they are not left for a huge chunk of time but perhaps I've got it wrong.


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## Clodagh (11 October 2021)

Just lie! Say you will certainly consider it.
I would never, ever use day care (sorry Amymay!) but I would consider it if asked to.


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## SaddlePsych'D (11 October 2021)

Clodagh said:



			Just lie! Say you will certainly consider it.
I would never, ever use day care (sorry Amymay!) but I would consider it if asked to.
		
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I will at least look at the options locally. If there was someone who does something at their home with a smaller number of dogs that might be better. 

I think they are concerned that there will be 2-3 days where the dog will be left for two chunks of 4 hours (with the middle of day walk, either from me popping home or a dog walker coming). It won't be this way every week as some of these days I can work at home all day or for half the day but they say be honest on the form to avoid problems later.


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## laura_nash (12 October 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			I will at least look at the options locally. If there was someone who does something at their home with a smaller number of dogs that might be better.

I think they are concerned that there will be 2-3 days where the dog will be left for two chunks of 4 hours (with the middle of day walk, either from me popping home or a dog walker coming). It won't be this way every week as some of these days I can work at home all day or for half the day but they say be honest on the form to avoid problems later.
		
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If you get a greyhound you won't need day care.  It would almost certainly be a waste of money as they'll just sleep the whole time anyway.  They'll just need someone to let them toilet in the middle of the day.  Other types of dog, yes I could see they might get bored over that time.


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## SaddlePsych'D (12 October 2021)

laura_nash said:



			If you get a greyhound you won't need day care.  It would almost certainly be a waste of money as they'll just sleep the whole time anyway.  They'll just need someone to let them toilet in the middle of the day.  Other types of dog, yes I could see they might get bored over that time.
		
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This is what I thought so was surprised when the breed rescue suggested it, although they mentioned separation anxiety as a potential issue leading to howling/barking/destruction so perhaps being additionally cautious. Thankfully I have found somewhere that seems to do a mix of services so can approach them to see what flexibility is there and hopefully between us work out what's going to fit the dog best.


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## TGM (12 October 2021)

I think the rescue organisations just want to know that you have the budget for/access to daycare if it turns out your rescue dog needs it.  They don't want the dog returned because it can't cope alone for that amount of time.  Chances are that you won't need it but they want to know you will consider it and can afford if necessary.


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## teddy_eq (13 October 2021)

Greyhounds and lurchers are wonderful, benign and generally easy going dogs but not always the most biddable. We had a Greyhound x Saluki lurcher for 16 years (!) and he was saintly but, he wouldn't half bugger off at times. Something to bear in mind. The massive benefit to these as many have said, they really do sleep most of the time - providing they have a good blast at least once a day.

I personally have had good experiences dealing with The Dogs Trust as they really do try and match you up well but also, are realistic about people's circumstances. We got our lovely Doberman from The Dogs Trust and they were so supportive throughout.

OP, you sound open minded about the breed or type so I think you'll be grand .


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## SaddlePsych'D (13 October 2021)

Making a bit of progress - found a few people that offer smaller day care set ups as well as walking so hopefully some flexibility with them to work out what the dog needs, and have a proposed plan for fencing so feeling more hopeful it may all come together. Next job is finding a trainer to help us with some basics.


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## SaddlePsych'D (29 October 2021)

News just in.....WE HAVE A DOG RESERVED!!!!!  A really sweet (but shy) little lady Greyhound. 

Had a really good conversation with a rescue and all sounding positive so far. Still have to go through next steps of meeting her and just double checking home environment will be suitable. 

Super excited (I know it may not go ahead but still...) and can't sit still to do my work haha!


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## Pearlsasinger (29 October 2021)

Well done for getting so far!  Fingers crossed that it all works out.


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## BlackRider (29 October 2021)

Congratulations! will keep my fingers crossed for you


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## SaddlePsych'D (29 October 2021)

It's great to get as far as being able to speak to someone on the phone. I know the rescues are all so overwhelmed with dogs in need and lots of applications so a relief to be able to have a conversation about things in a bit more detail and with a particular dog in mind.

Trying not to get ahead of myself but also be prepared. Fighting urge to go out immediately and buy the various bits and bobs she'll need!


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## Unicorn (29 October 2021)

How exciting!  Really pleased for you 😀


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## seaofdreams (29 October 2021)

Just caught up with this thread, was going to say keep an eye out for small greyhounds, my girl is only 20kgs and tiny! 
I've had my girl 5 years now and she has been amazing! I always wanted to take on a greyhound and she has been everything I hoped for and more. 
I really hope it works out you


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## Moobli (29 October 2021)

Very exciting!  I really hope you get her ❤️


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## Bradsmum (29 October 2021)

That all sounds very hopeful. It's very hard to keep an open mind when you get to meet the dog, I fell head over heels for a JRT initially but she wasn't right for us and in floods of tears I had to return her. I was then offered our current dog and he bowled us over and has fitted in so well. Will keep everything crossed for you. Do you know when home check and meet are likely to happen?


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## SaddlePsych'D (29 October 2021)

Bradsmum said:



			That all sounds very hopeful. It's very hard to keep an open mind when you get to meet the dog, I fell head over heels for a JRT initially but she wasn't right for us and in floods of tears I had to return her. I was then offered our current dog and he bowled us over and has fitted in so well. Will keep everything crossed for you. Do you know when home check and meet are likely to happen?
		
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It's hard not to get over excited about it. We're due to meet her next week so will take the weekend to think about what questions we need to ask and anything we need to let them know about us/our home that hasn't been covered. 

I've looked up the home check steps and looks like it's case by case in terms of what they do for this photo/video/visit/chat. The dog is in foster very close to where we live, she could almost come and do her own inspection! So far we've just had a chat and been honest about other rescues bringing up the fence height but they didn't feel this would be a problem for this dog (we're going to put up the dog fencing anyway for our own peace of mind). The fosterers will know our street so I want to have a chat with them about how she's been with noise - it's not massively noisy but we're prepared for it to take some getting used to passing traffic and people if the dog is particularly sensitive to noise (we don't think she is from info given so far). We can also find out where she likes to walk so there's a bit of familiarity before we venture off to new places.


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## Clodagh (29 October 2021)

Sounds so promising, fingers crossed for you.


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## SaddlePsych'D (29 October 2021)

I'm making a list of questions to ask when we meet her - suggestions most welcome. It's a well known rescue so she has had the health check and behaviour assessment, plus there will be support available if things do go ahead. She was a stray so aware there's going to be some unknowns, but we also knew that lots of Greyhounds have limited experience in a home environment so lots of unknowns for them too and we'll need to help her get used to things anyway. It sounds like she is a bit shy and unsure but also has been friendly and gentle in nature, so we'll ask how they have been helping her feel more confident so that we do the right things to help her. They said they've been pleased she's been playing with a toy since moving - assume this means she can be a bit independent and curious too.


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## I'm Dun (29 October 2021)

I had whippets in a rented house with a 3ft6 wall round the garden for over a year and none of them ever went over. I know it will vary dog to dog, but they arent a very jumpy breed. Theyd be off like a shot if the gate was open, but wouldnt dream of jumping out


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## laura_nash (29 October 2021)

Ask what she's like with cats, of our 3 one was fine, one was ok if recalled strongly and a third would have killed a cat if given the chance even if we were there, so couldn't be off lead anywhere he might have found one.  Best to know where you stand, if they know.


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## SaddlePsych'D (29 October 2021)

laura_nash said:



			Ask what she's like with cats, of our 3 one was fine, one was ok if recalled strongly and a third would have killed a cat if given the chance even if we were there, so couldn't be off lead anywhere he might have found one.  Best to know where you stand, if they know.
		
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They said sometimes they put a muzzle and lead agreement in place as part of the rehoming terms, and this won't apply to this particular dog based on their assessment of her so far. They think it would be possible in time for her to be off lead but we're also prepared that may not be the case given the breed. It didn't sound like a concern they've picked up but we'll check with the foster volunteers to see if she's come across any cats and how she's reacted if so. I think we will invest in a long line for the first outings in the garden.


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## splashgirl45 (29 October 2021)

well done, all sounds very promising,  fingers crossed for you


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## SaddlePsych'D (31 October 2021)

We're meeting her on Wednesday and all being well she can come home with us, although I have asked about her moving to a new environment right next to it being bonfire night as she'll only really have had a couple of days with us before all the fireworks start going off on Friday night. She might not mind them (we'll ask) but want to be prepared.

Picked up a few bits today just in case she is coming home with us. (it's feeling very 'real' now, eeek!) I think we'll be making do with a few things before rushing out to buy too much or get the wrong things. We've got a long line for in the garden (and later out walking), bowls, car harness clip thingy, and a kong. Planning to order a few more things via one of the greyhound charities to support them - harness, bowl stands, muzzle.

I'd like her to have a crate that we can cover up to make a little den/quiet spot for her but it's tricky finding somewhere to put a big crate in our little house. Might have to make do with lots of snuggly pillows and blankets for now then maybe look at one of those cocoon/cave type beds. We suspect once she has learned what the sofa is it might not matter that much what her bed is, although it will be nice for her to have something to retreat to if she's had enough of us and/or that can be brought with us when we're able to venture out with her.


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## splashgirl45 (31 October 2021)

good luck


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## BlackRider (2 November 2021)

Hope it goes well - and looking forward to the pics


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## Birker2020 (2 November 2021)

https://www.beaglewelfare.org.uk/rehoming/

Beagle Welfare is amazing, we got our lovely Summer from there.


*Beagles are loving and sociable dogs who enjoy nothing more than being involved in whatever is going on in the house. Although originally bred as scent hounds, they're very adaptable and as long as they get enough exercise are happy with city or country living.*
Due to their size and adaptability, Beagles are really popular pets for families and first-time owners. They suit reasonably active homes where there is always someone around as they thrive off company.


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

Thank you Birker2020, it looks like we may have a Greyhound coming home with us (pending first meet and final checks) this evening.

Feeling excited and nervous for this eve. Not sure what I'm worried about. A lot of thought has gone in to it all but still will be a big change for us (and the dog!)


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## Ratface (3 November 2021)

In my experience, greyhounds are truly lovely dogs. Quiet, polite, (apart from being prone to chasing cats and other fleeing small furries) excellent long hot water bottles and trainable.
My beloved Be was a wonderful example of the breed.  I rescued her from having her throat cut, prior to being drowned in a bucket. 
She was my best dog ever. Last one: best one.


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## Amymay (3 November 2021)

Good luck with your first meeting today xx


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## ArklePig (3 November 2021)

Good luck! I hope it goes well and we all get treated to doggy photos later.


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

Ratface said:



			In my experience, greyhounds are truly lovely dogs. Quiet, polite, (apart from being prone to chasing cats and other fleeing small furries) excellent long hot water bottles and trainable.
My beloved Be was a wonderful example of the breed.  I rescued her from having her throat cut, prior to being drowned in a bucket.
She was my best dog ever. Last one: best one.
		
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Poor dog! Sounds like she was very lucky to find a home with you.


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## Ratface (3 November 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			Poor dog! Sounds like she was very lucky to find a home with you.
		
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In truth, I was the lucky one. Be was loved wherever she went, and whomever she met.
When she was 13, she became unsteady on her back legs and needed to be PTS.
Both vet and I were really upset, but holding it together for Be's benefit. We were sitting on the floor, with Be in the middle between us.  As the anaesthetic went in, a tear slid down my cheek. I bent down to kiss her goodbye and she licked it off my cheek.
Utterly heartbreaking.
I'm sorry if that's put a downer on the joy around the arrival of your lovely greyhound.  I just wanted to illustrate what wonderful companions they are.
(Snivels off to find a box of tissues.)


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## ester (3 November 2021)

this evening?! you mean we have to wait until then gah!


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## splashgirl45 (3 November 2021)

waiting


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

Ratface said:



			In truth, I was the lucky one. Be was loved wherever she went, and whomever she met.
When she was 13, she became unsteady on her back legs and needed to be PTS.
Both vet and I were really upset, but holding it together for Be's benefit. We were sitting on the floor, with Be in the middle between us.  As the anaesthetic went in, a tear slid down my cheek. I bent down to kiss her goodbye and she licked it off my cheek.
Utterly heartbreaking.
I'm sorry if that's put a downer on the joy around the arrival of your lovely greyhound.  I just wanted to illustrate what wonderful companions they are.
(Snivels off to find a box of tissues.)
		
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Bless you, we've heard so many wonderful things about them. Even on our introduction walk we were stopped by a fellow hound owner to have a chat about what great companions they are.

Well....she's home! At the foster home she did the greyhound leaning on you thing and of course stole our hearts.

Quiet and sweet and polite but quite worried. She's having a bit of a pace around so we're just sitting quietly and giving her a bit of fuss when she comes. It's hard seeing her unsettled but to be expected.


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## DabDab (3 November 2021)

Congratulations!!🥳👏 

But....um....I can't see any pictures....


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## Amymay (3 November 2021)

And yet there’s no photos……


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

Ahh can't figure out how to reduce size on phone. Will switch to laptop!


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## splashgirl45 (3 November 2021)

congratulations.......now waiting for photos!!!!


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

Meet Ivy!!

We've had pretty quick progress from pacing and permanent worried face to....


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

...having learned how sofas work and laying flat out. Folks...she is _home! _


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## splashgirl45 (3 November 2021)

love black dogs, so pleased you have given one a home as they seem to be overlooked in many rescues,  she is beautiful and more pics would be lovely


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## smolmaus (3 November 2021)

She is PERFECT!! 😍😍😍 Congratulations on your beautiful child. Look at her eyes oh my God 😭


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## EarsofaSnowman (3 November 2021)

Bless her. She looks like she is sussing things (and you) out.  Judging by the second photo, she'll be comfortable in her new home on no time.  I want to give her a big cuddle (obviously on her terms and space)


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## Unicorn (3 November 2021)

She's gorgeous 😍  Such a sweet face! 

I'm so pleased for you!


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## Amymay (3 November 2021)

🥳 Congratulations 🥳


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## The Fuzzy Furry (3 November 2021)

Congratulations to Ivy, I hope she settles in well with you x


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## Pearlsasinger (3 November 2021)

Well she certainly looks as if she feels at home!  Congratulations!


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## windand rain (3 November 2021)

Lovely girlie looks to be settling quickly


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

Ears of a horse said:



			Bless her. She looks like she is sussing things (and you) out.  Judging by the second photo, she'll be comfortable in her new home on no time.  I want to give her a big cuddle (obviously on her terms and space)
		
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Yes she's a bit worried when one of us gets off the sofa but otherwise quite happy snoozing which is great as she was pacing when she first came in.


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

We're sitting being all calm and chill with her but I am so excited I literally do not know how I'm going to sleep tonight!!


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## ester (3 November 2021)

Congrats on your new will take up all the sofa dog


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## DabDab (3 November 2021)

She's beautiful 😍

Ester is right. Today you gained a dog and lost a sofa


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 November 2021)

ester said:



			Congrats on your new will take up all the sofa dog 

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The mums (i.e. mine and OH's mothers) are deeply unimpressed with the sofa thing but it was a large factor in wanting a dog in the first place. Ivy has gone very quickly from not understanding how to get up on the sofa to "I live here now" Getting off it again is a bit hairy but she'll get that too I'm sure!



DabDab said:



			She's beautiful 😍

Ester is right. Today you gained a dog and lost a sofa
		
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We'll take the hit


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## Clodagh (3 November 2021)

She’s beautiful. I’m so pleased for you all.


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## alibali (3 November 2021)

Congratulations she looks lovely


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## Amymay (4 November 2021)

Hope your first night went ok x


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## SaddlePsych'D (4 November 2021)

Amymay said:



			Hope your first night went ok x
		
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Her first night was absolutely fine. We sat down next to her bed until she settled, tucked her in and went up. Not a peep from her.

Me on the other hand... took ages to get to sleep and have been awake since about 4.30. Held off getting up until 6.30. I'm not remotely a morning person and the only other time I'm this excited to get up is when there's a holiday involving a plane! 😂


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## Amymay (4 November 2021)

Excellent news 😀😀


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## SaddlePsych'D (4 November 2021)

Breakfast has been had. Toileting done (outside, phew!) Back to the sofa for further snoozing and getting used to people passing by the house. Probably staying home today, she's mostly settled in the house but is quite shy out and about, plus we don't have her harness or coat yet. Perhaps some kibble foraging in the garden later or OH can try and teach her how the Kong toy works 😄


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## I'm Dun (4 November 2021)

You cant have a sight hound and not have them on the sofa, its part of their genetic make up. They werent actually bred to hunt, they were bred to drape themselves over soft furnishings!


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## SaddlePsych'D (4 November 2021)

Exactly! It was a big part of their appeal to us. I've had to go in to work today 😭 OH sent me this so they're obviously having a nice chilled time. #jealous


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## smolmaus (4 November 2021)

Oh how could you leave her 😭😭 Hope OH knows to send updates every 30 mins


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## SaddlePsych'D (4 November 2021)

smolmaus said:



			Oh how could you leave her 😭😭 Hope OH knows to send updates every 30 mins
		
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I know! My heart broke walking to my car and I feel really unsettled at work. 

Ivy and I learned a lesson each this morning. OH popped out and I needed to send an email so given she was so perfect settling last night I thought she wouldn't mind me being upstairs for a bit. She cried a bit then (very gently) made her way through our (admittedly makeshift) dog gate and I caught her about a third of the way up the stairs. We both looked at each other like "ah...I made a bad choice" and she sort of slid her way back down. I felt like a bad dog owner and she was unimpressed by the lack of stair grip! No harm done though.


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## TheresaW (4 November 2021)

What a lucky girl. Hope you have lots of fun together.


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## BlackRider (4 November 2021)

congratulations! Ivy is gorgeous - so pleased to hear she's settled in so well


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## SaddlePsych'D (4 November 2021)

She's doing very well. Short walk this eve now we have a temporary harness. Fireworks going off and setting next door's little dog off barking which we can hear through the wall. Ivy just lifts her head, ears up and checks whether OH and I care or not/react then flops her head back down to resume snoozing. 🥰


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## splashgirl45 (4 November 2021)

Sofas aren’t just for sight hounds, my terriers are very happy to be on the sofa, they are tiny so I can sit on it as well. Looks like ivy needs the whole sofa,  sounds like it’s all going ok, she is a beautiful girl


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## SaddlePsych'D (5 November 2021)

Ivy has had rather a big day today. First venture out in the car. She did very well although was too worried to go into the pet shop so OH waited outside while I went and picked up some bits for her. We attempted a bit of a walk to get that done before school finish as it gets busy, and before getting dark. She got stuck a few times so we had to amend our planned route and keep it short. Now home and resuming her absolute favourite thing. Initially plopped her head down on my laptop but we've reached current compromise...(note already destroyed squirrel toy bought today 😳)


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## SaddlePsych'D (6 November 2021)

A chill day for Ivy today as things got a bit much yesterday (over excited new owners!) but we kept a little busy seeing as no walk. We're making progress with toilet training, I think she actually 'asked' me to take her to go earlier which is progress. She's figured out the kong (hurrah!) and learned her name. We had some foraging for a portion of her breakfast kibble in the garden and she got brave enough to get to the end of the long line (while still popping back to me for a bit of reassurance). We've also been working on 'bed' which she seems to be picking up. Tested out a short time alone with a video call running (just a minute for me to go fetch something from my car). She cried and paced a bit, not sure I want to do too much of this yet. She's been absolutely perfect left at night but found it harder in the day. We met our neighbours while fetching the post from the box outside our door. That was a bit scary but they were very good about giving her space, particularly with their young child who was so sweet. I'm not sure Ivy knows much about children so thought she was a star. 😊

I realise typing that out it sounds like she's been on the go all day but really it's mostly been sofa loafing!


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## HashRouge (6 November 2021)

She is gorgeous, and also wanted to say what fabulous owners you and your OH seem to be. She is a very lucky girl to have landed on her feet with you!


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## SaddlePsych'D (6 November 2021)

HashRouge said:



			She is gorgeous, and also wanted to say what fabulous owners you and your OH seem to be. She is a very lucky girl to have landed on her feet with you!
		
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Aw thank you 😊 we tried to do our research beforehand but of course there is still so much to learn! She's certainly making our first dog owning experience pretty easy so far.


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## SaddlePsych'D (7 November 2021)

Seriously pleased with our little hound today (and myself actually). We tried and early morning walk round the block and she really struggled with it despite not many people being around. OH had to pick her up a few times as she got 'stuck' in middle of the road. I posted on a local sighthound group and not only do we have a few 'dates' lined up for Ivy to have a walking companion, I took some advice, put my own brave pants on and got her in the car by myself (she doesn't mind the car but we lift her in as she hasn't worked out jumping in herself yet) and off to some local woods. She loved it! Not worried by other people or dogs, squirrels highly interesting, and when she did get stuck it wasn't for as long and got quicker to recover each time. I think she's feeling better for the proper exercise too.


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## Clodagh (7 November 2021)

That’s great, well done.
If your set up at home allows could you sit where you can watch the world go by, but at a bit of a distance, and eat cheese together?
Btw primula tubes are an excellent training aid. You just squeeze a but out for them to lick.


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## SaddlePsych'D (7 November 2021)

Clodagh said:



			That’s great, well done.
If your set up at home allows could you sit where you can watch the world go by, but at a bit of a distance, and eat cheese together?
Btw primula tubes are an excellent training aid. You just squeeze a but out for them to lick.
		
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Our house faces onto a road so she can see and hear things going by all the time but I did wonder earlier about popping her on the lead and just chilling on the doorstep for a bit taking it all in. Working on the front door a bit anyway, I can't tell if she's excited or anxious but this morning she froze basically right outside our house but this afternoon she couldn't wait to get out the door.

It's quite hard to predict when she's going to freeze and when she did in the woods I couldn't identify an obvious trigger. I think the lack of extra 'stuff' going on helped her move on a bit quicker though.

Love the primula suggestion!


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## splashgirl45 (7 November 2021)

sounds like its going well, remember its been hardly any time at all and you have already progressed a long way,  small steps as you are doing is the way to go.  keep updating with pics please, she is beautiful


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## SaddlePsych'D (7 November 2021)

splashgirl45 said:



			sounds like its going well, remember its been hardly any time at all and you have already progressed a long way,  small steps as you are doing is the way to go.  keep updating with pics please, she is beautiful
		
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Yes it's so hard not to get carried away! At least now we have a strategy for her to get some proper walks in and some positive experiences to help her trust in us before we move onto the trickier stuff.

Plenty of pics to go round. She already has her own Instagram account too


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## ellieb (7 November 2021)

She's totally beautiful and you're doing a brilliant job with her! They really do experience so little in their lives, it's amazing how they adapt to becoming pets - mine used to freeze on walks too, now he drags me out in all weather, I'm sure she'll be the same! Just to say, and you probably know this from researching already, but if you do use a long line make sure it's on a harness not on a collar, just in case prey drive kicks in and she goes from zero to 40 mph in seconds and it yanks on her neck. My lad's got an insane prey drive and that sudden jolt can be crazy! 

Already looking forward to more photos of Ivy xx


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## SaddlePsych'D (8 November 2021)

ellieb said:



			She's totally beautiful and you're doing a brilliant job with her! They really do experience so little in their lives, it's amazing how they adapt to becoming pets - mine used to freeze on walks too, now he drags me out in all weather, I'm sure she'll be the same! Just to say, and you probably know this from researching already, but if you do use a long line make sure it's on a harness not on a collar, just in case prey drive kicks in and she goes from zero to 40 mph in seconds and it yanks on her neck. My lad's got an insane prey drive and that sudden jolt can be crazy!

Already looking forward to more photos of Ivy xx
		
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We had another nice walk out in the countryside bright and early this morning. I think I broke her - she actually nearly fell asleep in the car on the way home, it's only a 10 min drive! We had a few freezes but got going fairly quickly. She's cracked getting herself in the car as well (the cheese helped!)

Yes I realised I should have popped her harness on with the long line. Usually on walks she has the long line on the harness and a normal lead on her collar (double end lead arriving today hopefully) Also hoping for a new harness to arrive soon as the one she's got isn't great, thankfully when she does see a critter of interest she doesn't seem to really go for it and will walk on by with a prompt. The new harness is one of those fleece ones which I think will be much better in case she does decide to make a run for it!


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## CorvusCorax (10 November 2021)

Clodagh said:



			Btw primula tubes are an excellent training aid. You just squeeze a but out for them to lick.
		
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My friend calls Primula 'Brave Cheese'!!


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## Unicorn (10 November 2021)

CorvusCorax said:



			My friend calls Primula 'Brave Cheese'!!
		
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In our house it's "drug cheese" 🙄


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## SaddlePsych'D (10 November 2021)

I've still not picked up the Primula yet, what are we missing out on?!


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## Clodagh (10 November 2021)

Can you still get Primula with prawns? Absolutely disgusting and dogs would sell their souls for it.


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## The Fuzzy Furry (10 November 2021)

Clodagh said:



			Can you still get Primula with prawns? Absolutely disgusting and dogs would sell their souls for it.
		
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Allegedly Morrison's and Sainsburys stock it!


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## SaddlePsych'D (10 November 2021)

Clodagh said:



			Can you still get Primula with prawns? Absolutely disgusting and dogs would sell their soles for it.
		
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I think I did see this in the shop and now regretting not picking it up. Ivy could do with some Brave cheese! 

Although we think some of her freezing is not so much fear she's just really interested in what's going on around her. When she's worried she looks different. We thought we'd upped the stakes enough by bringing out a toy (she LOVES a squeaky plush toy, unfortunately is also exceptional at destroying them!) on our walk today but no. Maybe squeezy cheese is the way to go.

Had a bit of a wobble yesterday and today (I'm not feeling well from some new medication which probably hasn't helped) after a tricky walk yesterday morning where I did end up carrying her for a chunk of it - surprised me because we got off to a great start. Reminding myself to be patient and look at the positives. I think we will get along to a training class soon, as well as some sighthound group walks to help us along with our confidence. I'm doing my best to channel calm, positive, leader but internally having moments of 'oh god I have no idea what I am doing and I am going to ruin this sweet dog!'

In better news she's getting into her Kong, and I'm getting better at making it more difficult! We had a little play in the garden (poor Christmas reindeer toy I bought yesterday is already punctured), a shorter walk to the local park, discovered her love of yoghurt (she was so happy when I opened the pot), and starting to learn about 'leave' (in the hope that it might extend the life of her toys fractionally). Also she looks a bit shinier in her coat and we did her first practice teeth brushing.


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## splashgirl45 (10 November 2021)

my terriers destroy everything but the ones that last the longest are ones with rope insides rather than padding.
i also found this quite tough
https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/...-dog-toys?currentPage=1&pageSize=24&orderBy=1

the mallard was the one i tried to highlight


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## Moobli (10 November 2021)

She is beautiful and you’re doing a brilliant job with her.  Just don’t rush anything.  Slow things down and if it means she doesn’t go out for a walk every day, don’t worry about that at the moment.  Life has no doubt changed dramatically for her and so she’ll need time to process all the changes.


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## SaddlePsych'D (10 November 2021)

Moobli said:



			She is beautiful and you’re doing a brilliant job with her.  Just don’t rush anything.  Slow things down and if it means she doesn’t go out for a walk every day, don’t worry about that at the moment.  Life has no doubt changed dramatically for her and so she’ll need time to process all the changes.
		
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I agree, I think a total day off from walking tomorrow would be good. Friday we're joining my share horse's owner and her dog for a walk, I think she will like that.


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## SaddlePsych'D (12 November 2021)

Ivy had a fab walk today, we went out with my share horse's owner and her little dog. Ivy was sooo good, very unsure but said hello to a couple of people from the yard, said hello to a couple of the yard dogs and we had only one brief freeze for the whole walk (getting her the 30 second walk from the car to the front door when we got back was trickier, unclear why!). She was also good with one of the horses being nearby, I'm not sure if she's been that close to one before.

Her new harness arrived today - much easier to put on and nicely padded for her. She doesn't usually wag her tail all that much but she found opening this parcel quite exciting and initially thought the harness was a new toy to play with! 

Utterly pooped after our walk...


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## HashRouge (12 November 2021)

Oh look at her, she looks flat out there! Absolutely gorgeous dog she's becoming my favourite HHO pooch!


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## SaddlePsych'D (12 November 2021)

Hmm...so Ivy's toileting seems to be taking a backwards step. She wasn't hesitant about going in the garden when she first arrived and we were taking her out probably more than necessary initially. Over the last few days she's been a bit fussy about going out in the garden and if she does get outside she hasn't always been going to toilet. We've been trying to wait it out until she goes but she's pretty determined not to go! Unfortunately this has lead to a couple of accidents. I've managed to catch her in time twice, interrupted her (nicely, no telling off!) took her outside and lots of praise when she went in the right place. But a couple of times we've been too late. Not sure what to do other than wait even longer when we take her out in the garden.


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## SaddlePsych'D (12 November 2021)

HashRouge said:



			Oh look at her, she looks flat out there! Absolutely gorgeous dog she's becoming my favourite HHO pooch!
		
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She was properly worn out! She snoozes most of the day anyway but after a walk she's fully asleep as soon as we're home 😴


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## TheresaW (12 November 2021)

Clodagh said:



			Can you still get Primula with prawns? Absolutely disgusting and dogs would sell their souls for it.
		
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I haven’t had it for years, but I used to love it on toast. 🤣


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## Clodagh (13 November 2021)

TheresaW said:



			I haven’t had it for years, but I used to love it on toast. 🤣
		
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Omg you are sick 😩


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## SaddlePsych'D (15 November 2021)

Our sweet girl made us proud again today! In the mornings she's getting a little more bouncy and her tail a little more waggy, and now we've got her fencing sorted in the garden she can go out free range - she gave us a tiny taster of her 'zoomies' before breakfast. She's visited the vets, just to say hello and be weighed, and was a very good girl (and secretly loved all the fuss from the vet nurses. Then this eve she's had her first pub visit - we had the place to ourselves and the staff were so fab with her. She was nervous but curious and able to eventually settle, OH took her for a bit of a snoop around and she said hello to the bar staff (with scooby snacks on hand to help!) Then she learned about cheesy chips and got comfy, and we wondered if she would want to leave!


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## bonny (15 November 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			Our sweet girl made us proud again today! In the mornings she's getting a little more bouncy and her tail a little more waggy, and now we've got her fencing sorted in the garden she can go out free range - she gave us a tiny taster of her 'zoomies' before breakfast. She's visited the vets, just to say hello and be weighed, and was a very good girl (and secretly loved all the fuss from the vet nurses. Then this eve she's had her first pub visit - we had the place to ourselves and the staff were so fab with her. She was nervous but curious and able to eventually settle, OH took her for a bit of a snoop around and she said hello to the bar staff (with scooby snacks on hand to help!) Then she learned about cheesy chips and got comfy, and we wondered if she would want to leave! 

View attachment 82805
View attachment 82806

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That’s a lovely update x


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## TGM (15 November 2021)

SaddlePsych'D said:



			Hmm...so Ivy's toileting seems to be taking a backwards step. She wasn't hesitant about going in the garden when she first arrived and we were taking her out probably more than necessary initially. Over the last few days she's been a bit fussy about going out in the garden and if she does get outside she hasn't always been going to toilet. We've been trying to wait it out until she goes but she's pretty determined not to go! Unfortunately this has lead to a couple of accidents. I've managed to catch her in time twice, interrupted her (nicely, no telling off!) took her outside and lots of praise when she went in the right place. But a couple of times we've been too late. Not sure what to do other than wait even longer when we take her out in the garden.
		
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I'm sure by now you have an idea of what her toileting frequency is.  So when you feel she probably needs to go take her out on the lead for a short walk and let her sniff all the verges.  Keep walking until she does her business then praise her and give a treat.  They are far more likely to 'go' in this situation rather than just being out in the garden.  One, exercise tends to stimulate 'going' and two, sniffing where other dogs have been also stimulates toileting.


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## SaddlePsych'D (15 November 2021)

TGM said:



			I'm sure by now you have an idea of what her toileting frequency is.  So when you feel she probably needs to go take her out on the lead for a short walk and let her sniff all the verges.  Keep walking until she does her business then praise her and give a treat.  They are far more likely to 'go' in this situation rather than just being out in the garden.  One, exercise tends to stimulate 'going' and two, sniffing where other dogs have been also stimulates toileting.
		
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We think for some reason she got shy about going when on the lead in the garden. She was still going on walks but for some reason our initial on lead strategy for the garden stopped working. After a bit of Googling we took her out with long line so she could get further away from us and that seemed to help. Now our fencing is sorted she can go out free range so fingers crossed it's not a problem now, she'll happily trot off to find her spot and go. Phew!


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## CorvusCorax (15 November 2021)

I have to keep all mine moving on a leash and they sometimes need a good leg stretch/short walk to get everything going. I can spend up to 15 minutes per dog on a 'quick' toilet break. The female could go up to three times in that period.


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## SaddlePsych'D (18 November 2021)

Uh oh, Ivy has claimed my most expensive pair of socks. OH isnt the most observant so despite being home with her all day we have no idea when this happened. Noticing her be a bit more curious about things, possibly a good sign of settling in and feeling a bit braver, possibly also that means more potential for boredom. We're not sure but thinking we need to up our kong stuffing game and more mental stimuation and/or walks needed!


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## SaddlePsych'D (18 November 2021)

Also her being a cute little burrito last night.


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## Pearlsasinger (18 November 2021)

You will soon get used to keeping your stuff out of her way!


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## SaddlePsych'D (18 November 2021)

Pearlsasinger said:



			You will soon get used to keeping your stuff out of her way!

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Yep! It's not been a problem before but she's getting braver and more curious. Nice to see her coming out of her shell but we'll have to be a bit more on it and also work on the leave/drop training. She's sort of got 'drop' which seems like we're going to need. 

We've not long got back from an evening walk to town and it was her best walk yet given some of the busier spots. We picked up some squeezy cheese while out which helped a couple of sticky spots on the way back 😀


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## SaddlePsych'D (22 November 2021)

Just going to leave this here... 😀



Being a very good girl this eve. I've had another wobble (tricky walk and lots of whining this AM which is a new thing) but reminding myself it's all to be expected. She was a superstar at the yard yesterday. Not interested/bothered by the horses. Ok with the other dogs, and eventually got brave enough to have a sniff and let everyone at the yard say hello which is pretty big given how shy she is with new people. 😊


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## Amymay (22 November 2021)

I have no words!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


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## SaddlePsych'D (22 November 2021)

Amymay said:



			I have no words!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
		
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It's certainly a look


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## ellieb (22 November 2021)

Haha! She's got a lovely intelligent look on her face there, is it biscuit-focus?  Joe's been needing his equafleece this last couple of days/nights too!


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## SaddlePsych'D (22 November 2021)

ellieb said:



			Haha! She's got a lovely intelligent look on her face there, is it biscuit-focus?  Joe's been needing his equafleece this last couple of days/nights too!
		
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Haha, well spotted! I think it was OH doing something in the kitchen, possibly involving sausages.  

I tried to get pics of her in her new coat as well but by that point she'd had enough and came over for a cuddle instead.


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## SaddlePsych'D (24 November 2021)

Our dino dog being all snuggly today. She's had a couple of days off from walks. Sunday was a huge day for her and Monday we had a really not great walk. I overlooked her body language when we were getting ready to go out thinking she would be alright when we got going. Most of it was fine but getting back was painful. At one point she was throwing herself around on the end of the lead which is not like her. I'd had to pull her along away from a couple of cats so whether that contributed I don't know. Tuesday we got in the car to go to a quieter spot and she refused to get out of the car. At that point I just thought let's leave the walking for now and regroup. She's been a bit cheeky this eve which has been nice to see so hopefully the time off to chill at home has helped. She's been managing a couple of hours home alone which is great. Although has a new thing of whining in the mornings when OH comes upstairs from his shower to get changed. Not great pre 7am. 😳


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## splashgirl45 (24 November 2021)

sounds like you are doing really well...she is a lucky girl


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## SaddlePsych'D (26 November 2021)

splashgirl45 said:



			sounds like you are doing really well...she is a lucky girl
		
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Thank you! I am constantly doubting whether we're doing the right things with her and not wanting to ruin her. She's taken a bit of a backward step with her walks after having had a couple of really good ones. 

She's done fantastically well today, a 2 hour car journey to OH's parents' house for the weekend. She's discovering the joy of rugs on underfloor heating! However we've pretty much confirmed that she is quite worried about men (usually older men, she warmed up to OH just as well as she did me but we've noticed she is more likely to swerve men when we go walking) - she won't even come to OH's dad for a chunk of sausage which is her absolute favourite. Makes me sad to think what treatment she might have had in the past and feel so proud of her when she does get a bit closer to new people.


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## The Fuzzy Furry (26 November 2021)

It took P dog over a year to get 'used' to men at all, she was very aloof with Mr TFF still till about 18 months in but had actively backed off from male employees at the coal face I was at, despite them bearing mini gifts for her. She now is happy to meet 'people' of both sexes but is a little racist at times. It took 2 years before she found her voice to occasionally bark in excitement. I dread to think what she had gone through before,  she's been with us 6 years in January.
What I'm trying to get across is to be very patient indeed,  things will improve but might take some time. Keep a bit of a diary, you'll find it interesting reading back in 6 months or a year x


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## splashgirl45 (26 November 2021)

as FF says, it will take time, remember you have had her a very short time and you are learning as well as her,  its gone so well in that short time i am sure she will turn out great...


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## SaddlePsych'D (26 November 2021)

The Fuzzy Furry said:



			It took P dog over a year to get 'used' to men at all, she was very aloof with Mr TFF still till about 18 months in but had actively backed off from male employees at the coal face I was at, despite them bearing mini gifts for her. She now is happy to meet 'people' of both sexes but is a little racist at times. It took 2 years before she found her voice to occasionally bark in excitement. I dread to think what she had gone through before,  she's been with us 6 years in January.
What I'm trying to get across is to be very patient indeed,  things will improve but might take some time. Keep a bit of a diary, you'll find it interesting reading back in 6 months or a year x
		
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Bless P dog! It's upsetting to think about what they might have been through in their previous life.  Ivy has basically had the week "off" because  we knew this would be quite a big deal for her. She will have a low key start to next week as well. She's worried but staying curious which is good to see. 

This is definitely a lesson in patience for us, and a huge learning curve but every time we see her show a little bravery or affection it melts our hearts!


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## SaddlePsych'D (27 November 2021)

I want to weep with joy! This little hound just keeps on surprising us. She is now OH's dad's best friend and feeling relaxed enough at ger grandpawrents' home to do this (underfloor heating!):


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## SaddlePsych'D (8 December 2021)

A little Ivy spam seeing as it's five weeks today since we brought her home. She is doing so well out on her walks now. We'd been throwing kibble down to help get her unstuck which was working quite well, then we were advised to pair a cue with it and the difference is huge - 'this way!' is usually enough to keep things moving and she seems so much more confident out and about now. 

She had her (first time, does it show much?!) owners frantic with worry after a jackpot counter surfing win at the weekend, half a fancy blue cheese complete with part of the cling film it was wrapped in. Of course she was totally fine and the main concern now is her increased motivation to investigate the kitchen worktop (and the loss of said fancy cheese). On the plus side our kitchen has never been cleaner or tidier!

We're just now switching her over from Pedigree dry to Millie's Wolfheart dry food which looks much better quality so I'm really hoping this will help her look even better in her coat/condition. 

She charms everyone she meets (when she is brave enough to say hello), and alongside her affectionate side we're seeing a little more of her 'bouncy' and a bit of goofiness. She melts our hearts and makes us laugh every day


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## splashgirl45 (8 December 2021)

what a lovely post, she is settling in very well,  there are never too many Ivy pics


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## Ariadne123 (9 December 2021)

She is gorgeous! Those ears!  That face!  What a sweetie.


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## Escapade (9 December 2021)

I love Ivy updates! Clean counters here too, there is nowhere the snozzle can’t reach (can unscrew the lid off jars too, I’ve learned…)


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## SaddlePsych'D (11 December 2021)

Escapade said:



			I love Ivy updates! Clean counters here too, there is nowhere the snozzle can’t reach (can unscrew the lid off jars too, I’ve learned…)
		
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Oh my! I hope she doesn't work out jar lids!

We're off to our second group sighthound walk tomorrow. She did fairly well at the last one given the number of people and hounds although we did have to duck out part way through because she didn't want to walk the way the rest of group were going! She also got overwhelmed with excitement and/or fear and started jumping about and yelping before we got going. Once we were on the move she was on a mission and fine in amongst the pack (and leading it!) but it was a bit unsettling to see her behave like that. She's a very different dog on her walks now compared to then (it was a few weeks ago) so we'll see how we get on. If there's a repeat of the overreacting we'll pack in the group walks for now and practice going out with just a couple of other hounds.


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## SaddlePsych'D (23 December 2021)

Another Ivy update! I like doing these, it's nice to reflect on how it's all going. We're now at 7 weeks since Ivy came home. 

She's certainly coming out of her shell, it's keeping us on our toes and 'leave' is our new favourite word! Small squidgy things (my cuddly socks, OHs woolly hat, soft toys, knitted Christmas tree decs, etc) are all incredibly exciting to her. We wouldn't mind as much if she just wanted to have them, but unfortunately she loves destroying this type of item as demonstrated by how she treats her toys. Of course once her own toys are de-squeaked and de-fluffed she no longer wants them! Thankfully all of those items were rescued in time but I owe OH a new eco shower loof thanks to my bright idea not to let him put it out of Ivy's way so it could be a 'learning opportunity' for practicing 'leave'. I learned something at least, even if the dog didn't.

We're going to OH's family for Christmas and last time we were there Ivy was an absolute angel but I think she might be spending more time on her lead this time round. She found me wrapping presents very exciting and even tried to help (see pic for her efforts!) but she did eventually calm down enough to settle for laying with her head on my leg to just watch instead. I don't want her pinching people's presents (or food!) while we work on 'leave'. Thankfully she is still very polite when we're having dinner or eating on the sofa, and now we've learned 'down' she has taken to plopping herself down into sphinx pose just in case that works on us  

She's also found her voice. Sometimes she uses it to answer back! I'm not sure what we'd call the sound she makes, it's not a bark, more squeaky, sounds like it's coming out of a tiny toy dog not a Greyhound. This morning she used her whiney noise to wake us up at 5.40am. I know you're probably supposed to ignore but we like our neighbours. I think we need to work out her routine a bit better.

Enough of my rambling...pics!


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## Clodagh (23 December 2021)

She’s beautiful. I’m so glad it’s going well.


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## SaddlePsych'D (23 December 2021)

Clodagh said:



			She’s beautiful. I’m so glad it’s going well.
		
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Thank you! We've had a few 'omg what have we done?!' moments but mostly going really well and we're sure with a bit of guidance we'll get through some of the trickier moments and have less of them over time


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## Rumtytum (23 December 2021)

I think this is going to be her Best Christmas Ever😊


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## SaddlePsych'D (23 December 2021)

Rumtytum said:



			I think this is going to be her Best Christmas Ever😊
		
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I certainly hope so. Her first proper one anyway. She's only 2 so hopefully many happy Christmases with her to come.


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## Terrayza (26 December 2021)

she is beautiful but please be careful around small dogs, Ben is just under the size of a spaniel but he he is a fluffy boy his recall is excellent but on about five different occassions he has been chased by greyhounds and whippets it was not nice . He ran back and sat at my feet but the dogs continued to go for him, I picked him up for his safety. I completely understand that all dogs are different  but some greyhounds /whippets see a dog like mine as a rabbit, he is not that small so I think it is because he is fluffy I understand the prey drive thing I love whippets and greyhounds but owners do need to be aware of how frightening they can be to small dogs


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## SaddlePsych'D (1 January 2022)

Terrayza said:



			she is beautiful but please be careful around small dogs, Ben is just under the size of a spaniel but he he is a fluffy boy his recall is excellent but on about five different occassions he has been chased by greyhounds and whippets it was not nice . He ran back and sat at my feet but the dogs continued to go for him, I picked him up for his safety. I completely understand that all dogs are different  but some greyhounds /whippets see a dog like mine as a rabbit, he is not that small so I think it is because he is fluffy I understand the prey drive thing I love whippets and greyhounds but owners do need to be aware of how frightening they can be to small dogs
		
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That must have been scary for you and your dog. Ivy doesn't ever go off lead and I'm not sure we'll ever have her 'free range' outside of the garden or a secure field. It's much too early days having only just had her 2 months and while we're working on getting her attention when there's lots of distractions around. She's not shown any sign of wanting to chase small dogs which is great. She actually ignores most other dogs of any size/breed which is just as well because we seem to get quite a few running up to her off lead, although she has started making friends with a couple of dogs we know which is nice.


Quick New Year Ivy update...our first Christmas with her was lovely, if a bit stressful keeping track of her in another house where there's lots of food around! She charmed everyone and did really well meeting lots of new people. It's just as well she's adorable and sweet natured, because she did the biggest poo on OH's parents' expensive silk rug and still Santa brought her presents on Christmas day! A new bed from OH's mum, a bow tie from OH's sister, and a fluffy throw blanket from my SIL. Lucky hound!


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## splashgirl45 (1 January 2022)

really pleased things are going well, she sounds like she has a good nature and is lucky to be with you...


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## SaddlePsych'D (3 January 2022)

She's a sweetheart (with her cheeky, bouncy moments too!)

Interesting Ivy update today. We've been in touch with a group that have traced her history from her tattoos and their information seems to contradict the story we had about her being found straying. It's left us a bit confused as to why we have a different version of how she came to be with the rescue, as it would not have changed us wanting to give her a home. Our girl ran a handful of races in Ireland before she came to the UK. She ran a trial here and that looks like where her racing career ended. Apparently she did have a pet home extremely briefly but was given up. We're glad to know a bit more about where she came from and her family history.

OH is off work this week so we have planned a few nice things to do together with Ivy. Beach tomorrow, secure indoor arena hire on Thursday, and a sighthound group walk on Sunday. We're hoping to get using the long lead on the beach, depending on how busy it is, and some off-lead time in the indoor arena - first time outside of our garden which we hope will be nice for her to have more room to stretch her legs and on the nice arena surface too. 

She's been doing very well with her training as well, especially given our lack of experience! 'Down' and 'go to bed' got mixed up for a while but those seem to be differentiating so she doesn't keep plopping down on the floor when we as her to go to bed. 'Leave' is patchy although I was able to persuade her not to kill knitted santa (tree dec) in exchange for some kibble earlier, and got to the stage where she wouldn't go for him when I dropped him. Stuffed polar bear was kidnapped to her crate where it would have been game over for him so that took a more considerable trade to rescue him! 'Wait' (in down) is a new one for her and she's really getting the hang of that quite quickly. Clever noodle! 

Edited due to distinct lack of photo in my post!:


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## HashRouge (3 January 2022)

She's such a gorgeous girl, I'm glad it's going well


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## SaddlePsych'D (6 January 2022)

This kangaroo looking blur is our girl enjoying her first off lead time since we have had her. The space was great, although she was incredibly interested in something outside, we felt we could relax knowing it was secure. Once she settled down a bit we were able to try some recall and to play with her new fox toy. So glad we picked it up on the way there because she was far more motivated by the toy than food when distracted! 


It was also very sweet that she came into the shop with us today. Last time we tried this at a different shop when she was very new to us, too early probably, and it was too scary. Today she walked straight in and enjoyed having a nosy round the toys and food departments, and saying hello to the staff 🥰


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## SaddlePsych'D (24 July 2022)

Popping back into this thread to remind myself of those early days after Ivy came home for the first time. We moved house just over a month ago, and while she seemed to have managed the moving process fairly well and initially got off to a good start, she is starting to struggle on walks again. Perhaps not that surprising really as it's a lot of change. She loves the new house though, much more space for her to move (and lounge!) about and she now she has 2 beds, plus access to upstairs which is apparently very exciting.

She's enjoying getting in the car and we can take her to the secure field or to other out of town places, but really not sure walking from home - just like when we first got her. I don't particularly like walking from home either to be fair but I hope we can get our confidence back. I've reached out to local sighthound owners to set up some walking dates so hopefully something will come of that soon. Reading this thread back has helped me stay hopeful and reminded me to be patient!


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## splashgirl45 (25 July 2022)

what a beautiful face.  she hsnt been at the  new home for long so will take a while to get used to the walks.  you are doing a brilliant job by listening to her and eventually you will both be confident walking from home..


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## SaddlePsych'D (25 July 2022)

It was so helpful to look back. I forgot we used to have days off from walking and how much it helped to get her in the car to quieter places. Also how much kibble we used to get through on walks, and that she had a phase of stopping outside our front door - just like she is now! 

We drove out to a bigger park this morning and did a couple of loops. Tomorrow morning off to the woods. Then this evening from home literally just walked around the block with a stop in the little green at the end of our street. It's always tempting to do more when it seems to have gone well but I've been firm with myself to accept that is enough just for now 😊


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## splashgirl45 (26 July 2022)

That sounds like good progress , she will soon be back to how she was at the old place, also remember she will pick up your mood so if you are tense she will sense it..


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## SaddlePsych'D (26 July 2022)

I do need to work on that. There's at least a couple of genuinely nasty, big dogs in our neighbourhood and I really dread coming across them when we walk from home. But I can't walk around in fear the whole time and other 'normal' dog owners in the area seem to be managing so I think some of it is anxiety about other stuff coming out through/getting focused on this.

We had a lovely walk out this morning, thankfully discovering nice options I can drive to within 10 or 15 mins. And we have a new secure field to go and explore tomorrow. 😊


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## danda (26 July 2022)

She is so beautiful, I envy you!


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## babymare (26 July 2022)

She is beautiful and you are doing a great job. She is in doggy home heaven


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## SaddlePsych'D (28 July 2022)

Thank you that is very kind. 

Not such a good day today. She's more consistently okay in the front garden but we barely made it to the end of the street at back, and it is not a long street! Tricky balance between not wanting to 'flood' her and trying to stick with something a bit out of her comfort zone to help her see it's okay and increase our walk range! She's a bit better in the front garden so we spent quite a bit of time hanging out there. I expect she can hear and smell all sorts that I can't so just let her look around and take it in and watch people pass by.


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## splashgirl45 (28 July 2022)

You are doing really well and you are thinking in the right way , don’t forget she had only just got used to your other place and walks so the move will have set her back a bit.  Keep going as you are and you will get there, she is a lucky dog to have someone who cares so much and is listening to her..


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