GAP greyhounds at Royal Easter Show in Auckland!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011
0 comments
GAP marquee
Alan (AKL GAP coordinator) just sent us some pictures from this week's Easter Show in Auckland. GAPhad a marquee there, and hounds did a great job promoting retired racers as pets :)
Thanks again for the pictures Alan!
I also stole some of the pictures from Stanley's blog (http://bigdapto.blogspot.com/) who was also there with his new sister Jess (Winsome Jess).
I don't have names of the all the hounds who were there but you will all know who you are -thank you everybody for your help!
Lilly (Tara Lilly) making new friends
Fish (Thrilling Fish) and Hoss (Homebush Wayne)

Hoss posed with many - see below!

Belle (Franny Hall) and Lilly (Tara Lilly)


Beautiful Jill (Most Excused)
Paulie and Jill
.

Handsome pair: Jess (Winsome Jess) and her new brother Stanley (Big Dapto)

Cute Jess :)
.




Update on Kim (Thrilling Kim)

Saturday, April 23, 2011
0 comments
.
We just got an update on lovely Kim (Thrilling Kim), from her new parents Jan and Terry, who adopted their pretty girl in October last year.

Some of the more regular readers of this blog  might already know that Kim was a very successful racer, who upon retiring from racing in 2008 went on to have a new career in a show ring! Kim started her show career at Hastings Dog Show in March 2009 -Sonja and Irene, GAP kennel managers, were her handlers. While strutting her stuff in show rings all over New Zealand, Kim has been an excellent ambassador for GAP, and also gained the  NZ Champion title!
 It is not surprising, as she is truly GORGEOUS:
Beautiful Kim at Tangimoana beach in summer 2009
(photo taken by Sonja, GAP kennel manager)
However, when Kim turned 7, a true retirement was in order :) - so she went on to live with Jan and Terry at Raumati Beach in Kapiti.
Below is what Jan wrote about their new family member:

We have to tell you just how much we are loving having Kim Dog ( "Kim Dog" - to differentiate between her and "Kim Daughter") as a member of our family. She's a fantastic animal and we love her dearly.

Kim has a huge personality and we think she is very intelligent. She's very much a 'dominant dog' and as she gains more and more confidence, so she pushes the boundaries of what she's allowed to do to ever increasing limits. This can be very amusing like the evening we were both reading newspapers and because we were holding them open, she couldn't get past us to get to the other end of the room. Suddenly, using her teeth she snatched the paper out of Terry's hand and tossed it aside and then came and stared at me obviously ready to do the same thing if I didn't move to let her pass!!! :)
Then, of course, used to a life of strict time tables, she expects her daily walks at the same time morning and afternoon and if we are slow in getting to our feet after an 'after lunch feet up' she'll come and put her nose right up to my face and bark imperiously and then do a little circular dance before coming back to bark again and going to the doorway and standing with her back to us, ready for 'the off'. Naturally, we make a point of not immediately obeying, but making her wait for five or ten minutes. We really do have to be very firm with her to stay 'on top'!

Kim and her Mum Jan
It's quite strange and I think it's something to do with her age; when we take her out to Otaki for Robyn's dog run days, she is distinctly antisocial with the other dogs (without being agressive, of course). A couple of sprints and then she'll go off to check out the boundaries. Happy to be on her own, she covers the field. Sniffing trees, gates, hedges, clumps of grass is her big interest in life - for her, the world is one big library of interesting stories. It's the same on the beach with even more interesting finds like rotting fishheads - all very exciting.

She has a big admiring public in and around Raumati Beach as we meet other dogs and their carers on our walks. She is so gentle and calm with any size dog or child we meet that our progress can be quite slow as everyone wants to greet her and talk about her. Trouble is, Little Miss Arrogant has a quick sniff and then totally loses interest - points her nose in the direction she wants to go and ignores everyone! :)

Altogether, Kim coming into our lives has been a total success - not least of the benefits has been that I've lost 5 kilos! As far as Terry is concerned, although his cancer is not going to go away, everyone we see at the hospital remarks on how incredibly fit he looks - he is now a 38 months survivor, having been given 'three months to two years' in February 2008. I'm sure Kim Dog has helped.
 Thank you so much for letting us 'have' Kim - she surely has enriched our lives at what is a pretty difficult time.

Update from Otis (Geoff Phoenix)

Monday, April 18, 2011
0 comments
Otis and Charlie :)
I just got an update and gorgeous pictures from Otis' new parents Catherine and Karl from Auckland:

From the first moment Otis got in the car when we picked him up from his foster carer's home, I realised how much taller dog he was compared to our beagle Charlie... The car now looked too small but it also filled up with calm and warmth coming from it's new passenger.

Arriving home Otis, with his muzzle, and Charlie met in the backyard. There was a lot of sniffing, but both were very gentle, Otis discovering his new environment and Charlie following him... After 10 minutes I took the muzzle off Otis and never felt it was needed since then. Which is just as well since Charlie got hold of it later that day, and destroyed it!

Otis is very curious which has probably helped in adjusting to his new home, he was pretty comfortable and confident from the 2nd day on. He had a few house training incidents during the first few days, which were corrected easily. As he wasn't familiar with being in a house before he was sometimes a bit clumsy inside. We had to change the flap door to match his frame and he is now going in and out of the house as he pleases. Also, he was hesitant with going up and down steps, but eventually followed Charlie so that was also easily sorted.

He loves his walk and is very good on the leash... We went to a GAP walk a couple of weeks ago and he caught up with Archie who was in Sanson at the same time as him. It was really nice to see them together.
One of his favorite things is being in the car, he jumps in every chance he gets!

Although very different, Otis and Charlie are getting on perfectly, sharing bedding & toys, teaming up to empty the pantry, running after each other for 5 minutes and then falling asleep exhausted...

Exhausted boys!

It is a joy to have him with us, he is very affectionate and sociable with everyone big or small. Otis is the perfect match for us. Thanks to Irene and Sonja for helping us with this very successful adoption.


Otis at a recent GAP promo event in Auckland


Update from Archie :)

Saturday, April 16, 2011
0 comments


Handsome Archie joined Jennifer and family about 6 weeks ago. We just got an update and pictures from his new Mum (thanks a million Jennifer!):

Archie is settling in really well. We were advised (by GAP kennel managers) that he might be prone to a bit of separation anxiety, and so we were considered a suitable family for him as I work mainly at home and there are 5 people in the house in total. At the beginning Archie was really clingy of course but he is improving every day and we now leave him alone for limited periods. :)
Archie has very rapidly become a much-loved member of our family as he is so affectionate and is both elegant and handsome yet quite a clown at times. At the beginning we thought he wasn't too interested in toys but now he is very fond of his squeaky toys and rope and always replaces them carefully in his bed if we take them out. He has had a lot to contend with in our house - an old and quite stroppy cat; noisy young adults; stairs and slippery floors! Every day he seems happier and more affectionate - thanks GAP for a great pet!

Picture of the day: Milo the lap dog!

Thursday, April 14, 2011
0 comments

Lucy The Ferret passes CGC Bronze AND CGC Silver exams!

Monday, April 11, 2011
0 comments
Doggies who successfuly passed the Bronze exam last weekend.
Check out Rachel and The Ferret at the back!
 (you can click on the picture to see full size)
Last weekend our little Lucy The Ferret passed her Canine Good Citizen Bronze AND Silver exams!
Again, first greyhound in NZ to get these certificates :)

We did not enter Louie this time as he does not seem to particularly enjoy some aspects of Bronze and Silver - but Lucy LOVES it all :)

More on the exams and the 'Canine Good Citizen'  (CGC) programme below:
Since the 1950s, Dog Obedience Clubs have been at the forefront of dog training throughout the country. Clubs provide basic Domestic Dog training classes for responsible dog owners. They teach the owner how to train the dog while showing people how to ensure their dog becomes a great lifetime companion.

'Canine Good Citizen' goes a step further. Dogs are trained and then tested in simulated everyday situations in a relaxed atmosphere. Dogs and their owners are identified and rewarded for the training and demeanour to be reliable family members. Canine Good Citizen ensures that dog can be a respected member of the community because the dog is trained to be well mannered at home, in public, and around other dogs.

Testing requires an assessment by a recognised New Zealand Kennel Club Assessor.

Exam details:

Canine Good Citizen Foundation Exam

1. Appearance, handling and responsibility
a. Responsibility and care
b. Public cleanliness and identification
c. Examination of the dog by handler
d. Grooming and inspection of the dog by the assessor

2. Food manners
a. Person eating
b. Dog eating

3. Accepting a friendly stranger
4. Accepting being patted by a friendly stranger
5. Walk on lead through a door/gate in a controlled manner
6. Return/recall to handler
7. Walk on lead

8. Controlled walk through people and distractions
a. Pedestrian traffic
b. Distractions

9. Stay tied on lead
10. Meeting a stranger and their dog
11. Supervised separation
12. Playing with the dog
Canine Good Citizen – Bronze Exam

13. Responsibility and care
14. Food manners
15. Stay in one place (untied, handler in sight)
16. Stay tied on lead (handler out of sight)
17. Staying still and return to handler
18. Stationary vehicle control
a. Into a vehicle
b. Out of a vehicle

19. Control at steps
20. Walk on lead and reaction to distractions in a public area
a. Walk on lead
b. Distractions
Canine Good Citizen – Silver Exam

21. Responsibility and care
22. Examination of the dog by a stranger (handler at a distance)
23. Stay in a down position (untied, handler out of sight)
24. Return/recall to handler (with distractions)
25. Stop the dog (dog offlead, stop on command when asked)
26. Advanced vehicle control
a. Into a vehicle
b. Vehicle is moving
c. Out of a vehicle

27. Staying still and return to handler in a public area
28. Calm and controlled behaviour whilst in a busy public area
a. Walking
b. Staying in one area (untied)
c. Accept being touched by a stranger
We strongly suggest to greyhound owners to enroll their dog in CGC course in their local dog club -they LOVE the classes and excell in them.
As greyhounds are so well handled and not agressive -they are stars in these classes and wonderful example to other dogs and their owners. Don't forget - for example, many pet dogs of all breeds will NOT allow a stranger to go and examine their teeth and their ears (in CGC classes, there are quite a few dogs , who have been pets since they were pups,  who snap and growl when a friendly stranger tries to examine them (needless to say, for an ex-racer, this is a non-event).

We often take  greyhound's placid nature and complete lack of agression to ANY human, stranger or not, as granted - I think we should show it off! What better way to promote the breed than to show off at Canine Good Citizen class?
To find out which clubs offer the course, as well as to find out more details, please go to NZ Kennel Club website:
NZ Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen webpage (click here to open in a new window)


Lucy doing 'stay and recall' at the exam


New martingale collar patterns in GAP Shop now!

Sunday, April 10, 2011
0 comments
.
Three new martingale collar patterns have just arrived to GAP Shop:

Bubblegum pink with white polkadots :)
.
Gold paisley
.
Gold fans
We now have dozens of various patterns and colors - to see the full range and collar details, please look at the GAP Shop Page .

All proceeds of collar sales are going directly to the hounds who are waiting for homes in GAP kennels. So go on- treat your hound and help more of them find forever homes !

These cost $35 per collar (plus $2 for postage)- contact Sheila at GAP shop shop@greyhoundsaspets.org.nz or phone (07) 858 3210 evenings and weekends.

Picture of the day - Hugo (Young Valiant)

Saturday, April 9, 2011
0 comments
.
Our Lucy has been sitting her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) exams today (more on this later :)
As soon Rachel and Lucy went out this morning, our gorgeous foster greyhound Hugo installed himself on Lucy's couch! It is 1pm now and he is STILL there:

OMG! No wonder Lucy likes this couch so much!

Gorgeous Ebony (Piccadilly Line)

0 comments
Ebony with her new friend :)
Last weekend Beryl's Mum Sue and me went to GAP kennels to take some videos of doggies up for adoption - we arrived just in time to meet Arie picking up Ebony (Piccadilly Line) to foster.
 Ebony was quite thrilled to go into foster care -and she made great friends with Arie's teenage daughter (on the pictures with Ebony). :)

She is just a lovely gentle girl :)

YEY! Off to foster care :)
And we also took a short video of the pretty girl:

Marion's and Stu's foster boy Spotty (Pockets Full)

Thursday, April 7, 2011
0 comments
Hi, I'm Spotty (Pockets Full). I have been with my foster family for a week now and we have had a great time together. It only took me a couple of days to settle in, and then I was my usual cruisy, sleepy self. I found the TV interesting when I first saw it. I kept looking around the back, but there was nobody there. What's with that? Household noises like the TV, stereo and the vacuum cleaner don't bother me at all.
Marion and Stu have taught me good manners, like going to lie on my bed when they tell me to. They say I'm a quick learner. They never let me up on the furniture, so I have given up trying. I still get a little excited when Stu comes home from work, but he has taught me not to jump up and that I get more attention when I am calm. I always go to the toilet outside, just like you human Cantabrians, although sometimes I need some encouragement to go outside if it is raining.

Me with my girlfriend Jess!
 I usually have two walks a day. In the morning I walk with my girlfriend Jess. She's the cute brindle in the photo. She used to pull on her lead, but I have taught her how to walk to heel. Cars don't bother me, and I'm learning how to stop at road crossings. Twenty minutes walk is enough for me, then it's sleep time again. I am still a bit of a magpie though. I occasionally like to collect some things to put beside my bed. Marion and Stu are teaching me that is not good manners. Also, I've had some great fun playing with Marion's granddaughters, but I was glad when they were gone. They wore me out!
I love going out in the car. Marion and Stu expect me to jump in by myself, but who are they trying to kid. I make them lift my legs in while they say " In Spotty. Good boy. Get in the car." Ha ha.
They give me lots fo cuddles which is great because I can never get enough of them. In fact, if Marion stays in bed too long in the morning I put my cold nose on her. If she dosen't wake up I sing to her. "Yoyoyoyoyo." It always works. I am her woof alarm clock!

I love being with Marion and Stu, but I am really looking forward to being adopted and having my own, permanent family. I am very gentle and have lots of love and affection to give.

Well, its snooze time again. I'll type you another dog-blog soon.
Cheers
Spotty