Update and pictures from Joey (Slingback)!

Monday, August 23, 2010
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Gorgeous Joey
Joey (Slingback) is GAP greyhound number 500 - this gorgeous brindle boy is truly famous! I have written about him before, here.

His new parents Marci and Walter emailed me today, with some pictures , a video and an update:

Joey is a great new buddy to have around the house. He loves spending time with other dogs and he's popular in the neighborhood. He's even been recognised on the street from his media coverage! His favourite toy is a squeaky blue dog head on a rope. He picked it out himself from the store. :-)
It's been fun to see him take to his new home in Island Bay. We're looking forward to lots of future adventures with him. :-)
Joey and Marci :-)
With his Dad Walter


And a video of Joey playing with some of his new friends in Island Bay :-)

Picture of the day -Beryl (Winsome Deluxe) and her brother Frankie

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Frankie keeping an eye on his sister (taken last week in Ashhurst Domain :)

Fab evening at Wanganui Greyhound Track

Friday, August 20, 2010
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We just came back from Hatrick (Wanganui) greyhound track and we had a great time as  tonight was a special night:

- 'Swift Fantasy' was racing
- GAP kennel managers' Irene's and Sonja's young greyhounds Shawn (New Thing Now) and Stevie (No Spoken Word) were trialing there tonight -we were VERY excited about this! (to say the least :-)
Trials are done before greyhounds start their racing careers - dogs learn about the track and the way they should chase the lure. They also have to post a good time on trials in order to become racing dogs.
Pretty Shawn (New Thing Now)
Stevie and Shawn did great -we were all so proud of them! They are two gorgeous girls, which Sonja and Irene got as little pups and brought up, and have them trained for racing. Stevie, a blue girl, is also a show greyhound, and she recently got the 'Best Of Breed' in Wellington Dog Show. The brindle girl, Shawn, seems to be a true racer - she did fantastic tonight, she was so fast!
Here are some pictures (they are not the best as my camera does not have the best flash; I also could not get any pictures of girls running as all pictures turned out to be just one big blur :)

Irene and Shawn watching the lure
Irene and Shawn again
Greyhound trainer extraordinaire Ellie with Stevie
And at the official races, 'Swift Fantasy' won -again :-) Amazing race -she was at the very back again, and then towards the end, simply charged forward and won! :-)

The race has been on CloseUp, here is the video (warning: it is truly AMAZING):
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/greyhound-winning-streak-1-24-video-3732644?


Swift Fantasy (and check out Ellie on the left :-)))
And the real winner is ...Ellie!!!

Louie features on GreyhoundsCANSit blog too :-)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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Sue (Beryl's Mum) featured my gorgeous Louie (Charlston State) on her blog too (GreyhoundsCANSit) :-)
I love this post and Sue's comments on Louie -she does know him really well :-)
See the post here:
Louie on GreyhoundsCanSit blog

Regan and Harry are in 'Wanganui Chronicle' !

Tuesday, August 17, 2010
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Aren't they two most handsome boys? :-)
Regan and his greyhound Harry (Harry Phoenix) were interviewed for their local paper -Wanganui Chronicle.
I have had the pleasure of meeting both Regan and Harry, and they are both just gorgeous boys :)
Check out the article here:
http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/local/news/harry-phoenix-helps-ease-regans-pain/3918930/

Meet Powermouse - Lucy's half-sister!

Monday, August 16, 2010
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Powermouse and me :-)
Lucy's half-sister has arrived to the GAP kennels and is up for adoption! She is the cutest girl -her name is Rita , racing name Powermouse :-) I don't think Rita suits her as a name -she should be called Mouse :-)

She is the smallest greyhound we have ever seen: she is 20kg (Lucy is small too and she is 24.5kg!!)
Powermouse has the same face as Lucy, and apparently, is cheeky and mischievous as Lucy :-)
I am so glad I got to meet her -I am sure she won't stay in the kennels long, she will be snapped up pretty soon!
PS: I took all the pictures off Sue's blog, check out her post here:  Powermouse on GreyhoundsCanSit blog

Margaret's foster greyhound Bolts (Bolt's Bolted)

Friday, August 13, 2010
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Margaret sent me some pictures of her foster greyhound Bolts (Bolts Bolted), who has been with her for a few weeks now.
Bolts is a gorgeous dark brindle, 35kg boy. I actually met him in Sanson kennels, before he went to Margaret's: he is a very good-looking greyhound, with gorgeous coloring and lovely face.
He is very gentle, very soft dog, who needs a quiet home.
Bolts lives with Margaret's managerie (cats and dogs) and is lovely with children too :-)

Lucy features on 'GreyhoundsCANSit' blog!

Thursday, August 12, 2010
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Sue (Beryl's Mum) featured Lucy on her blog last night! As Sue's blog (GreyhoundsCANSit) has many overseas readers -Lucy is truly famous now! :)

See the post here:
Lucy on GreyhoundsCanSit blog

Joey (Slingback) in Kapiti News !

Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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Gorgeous Joey (Slingback) is very famous -he is GAP 500th greyhound to have found a home! :-)
Last week, he was  featured in Kapiti News paper - here are the scanned images (you can doubleclick on picture or the text to see the full size of each).
BTW- they got his race name wrong :-( It is not "Slingshot" but "Slingback" :-)

Update from Abby (Patricia Sherry)

Saturday, August 7, 2010
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Pretty Abby :-)
Abby's new Mum Lynn just send me an update and some cute pictures :-)  Abby (Patricia Sherry) had quite a full professional life: she was a great racer who was retired due to a minor injury -but she did fabulous on that track, making over $10, 000 in only 23 starts! Before coming to GAP, she also raised 2 litters of puppies :-)

Lynn writes:
We have had Abby for 6 weeks now and thought I would send you an update. She is lovely, fitted in really well to our routine and our home in Porirua. She is a dream to take for a walk, never pulls, just trots beside us and adjusts her pace to whoever is holding the lead. She also never stops to go toilet on walks, which is a nice bonus.
She has two beds which she loves, we didn't realise how much, until our daughter came to stay for a few days with her young lab cross and Abby was very possessive of her beds, not letting the other dog come close to them. It was the first time we've had to tell her off!
With a friend
The only incident we had was on the first night, when after being outside to go toilet, she ran headfirst at the closed ranchslider with a huge crash and big yelp. She had never done it again! :)
Irene's initial assessment was correct she was a finicky eater and a whiner. In the beginning she would pick out all the bits of dog roll and leave the Nutrience behind. It was about 2 weeks of persistence and throwing away a lot of food, but she now eats all her Nutrience.
She is fine with our elderly cat who is still nervous on the floor ( those legs must seem very long) but seems fine if she is up higher on the furniture.
Eau De CAT!!!!
We are gradually seeing more of her personality, she is a wonderful addition to our family.

More pictures from Miss Google Magoo

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Just stole more pictures off Ali's  Facebook page. Google (Google Magoo) seems to be very happy and totally settled in her new home :-)
Miss Google Magoo stressed as ever - Not !
Snuggle time with her brother Sonny (Geordie Boy)
Treats time !

Adopt a mongoose!

Friday, August 6, 2010
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Lately we have been fostering all sorts of wildlife: first Nugget The Wallaby , and now, Sally The Mongoose :-)
Sally joined us a few days ago; she is masquerading as a retired racing greyhound, her racing name was 'Beach Street'. Here are some of her pictures:

Sally The Mongoose :-)
Hanging out below the clothesline with Frankie and Beryl

Sally getting a pat :-)
Sally is almost 4 years old (her birthday is on November 2nd), and she has just retired from successful racing career. She was given to GAP by the lovely Ben Craik.
Sally is a FUN dog, full of character, and very quirky :-) She jumps around , is fascinated by new things and wants to explore everything.
She is lovely in the house, listens to us and picks things up very fast , has already learned so many things and she never had an accident inside - we did not do any toilet-training per se; but then again, with our foster greyhounds we rarely do as they are incredibly clean dogs. She is not interested in our cat either.

Sally LOVES her bed and like any greyhound, sleeps for hours, on her back with her legs up in the air - but when the walkies time comes, it is all go!
Louie and Lucy love Sally, today her and Lucy were curled up together in the sunny spot in the conservatory. :-) She is very affectionate and could have cuddles for hours. She will make a lovely pet for someone, she will bond strongly to her new owner.
Aren't I pretty?
Sally with Louie :-)
With Frankie and Beryl :-)

Yesterday we visited Sue - Sally was fascinated by the outdoor thermometer in the shape of a frog! It was hilarious :-)
Update 08/08/2010:
Sally is the cutest! Louie and Lucy share their beds and doggie-couches with her (which does not happen often with foster dogs; greyhounds can be quite possesive of their beds). Sally would be perfect to live with other family dogs aswell -she is very polite and all dogs love her. She would be great as an only dog too.

Lucy and Sally sharing a doggie couch in the conservatory
And also sharing Lucy's bed!!!

Sally sunbathing on the doggie couch in the conservatory -isnt she the cutest? She has gathered the toys there for herself too :-)

Update from Mouse (Sugar Mouse)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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Mouse with Graeme
I just got an email from Mouse's new dad Graeme, who wrote:
It's about time we dropped a line to let you know how Mouse (Sugar Mouse) has settled into life in the big city. It's almost 3 weeks since she travelled up to Auckland from Sanson, and she was as quiet as a mouse all the way (7 hours).

She loved the fact that we had put an old duvet in the back of the car along with her brand new softsac, and she has since adopted this as her preferred sleeping partner. She ignored the softsac for the first week as we don't think she liked the way it moved around under her feet when she stood on it. A few well placed breathing slits in the material seems to have done the trick as it deflates as soon as she gets onto it and she seems much happier with it...it doubles as spare bed and transport bed for the back of the car (talk about spoiled :)
So, after a quiet start, Mouse seems to be finding her feet at our place. Her character is becoming evident and she's a happy little hound. She spins before dinner and races round afterwards, and is always happy to see us...although getting her out of bed for her evening pee is often a battle of wills.
Harry the cat has given her a wide berth since she investigated his tummy with an over-enthusiastic nose. She got a swipe across the nose and has learned a valuable lesson...we have noticed however that Harry and Mouse are able to share the kitchen space and we think that Harry was even considering a seat next to her on the bed earlier this evening.

She's doing well with the days on her own when we are at work, and has almost sussed out the dog door into the garage. We're trying it without the flap for the time being, and she can get out but is a little hesitant about coming back in. It's early days, but we think she'll crack it. We keep telling her that Kylee's greyhound Floyd managed it in one attempt, which has given her a bit of competition.
Mouse at the Animates "Greyhounds Galore" last week :-)
She met some new houndy pals at the Animates day in Mt Eden last weekend, and is hoping to be a regular attendee at future events. We were happily surprised at how folk reacted to her size...it would seem she's a little girl in comparison to most hounds, but is big in affection (and sleepiness). She loved meeting the new pals, but was a bit taken aback by a very enthusiastic terrier that got a little too 'up close and personal'.
Living near the beach is easy for her recently removed corn as she's able to walk on the soft sand without too much discomfort, and has even been off lead for a couple of runs too :-)
Censored photo! :-)

Adopt a wallaby !!!! :-)

Saturday, July 31, 2010
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We have a new foster greyhound - a 2 year old Nugget (Pepper Law). We however, think she is not a dog, let alone a greyhound: she is a wallaby!
So if you are Australian in New Zealand, perhaps missing home, Nugget would  make a lovely addition to your family ! :-)
She looks like a wallaby, jumps like one (she jumped into the fish pond today!) and eats like one (eats EVERYTHING in sight! :-)

Nugget The Wallaby!
Nugget and Louie (Charlston State)

See the resemblance???:-)
Nugget is (besides being a wallaby) a little Madam, who believes she is indeed special and VERY pretty :-) She also likes finer things in life, like fancy baths, having her coat brushed,  pedicures, and most off all, nice couches full of cushions. :-)
YES! This is what I want! (however, she was on this couch for less than a minute -foster greyhounds are not allowed on couches). Every time we tell her off -she cannot believe it!

Can you believe I am not allowed on furniture?!
Pretty Nugget :-)


Nugget and Rachel
Nugget is a fun greyhound, very bouncy, very playful :-) She loves her bed and like any greyhound, sleeps for hours too. But really, she is quite active and would LOVE a home where she can get exercise and stimulation she needs. She would do great in Canine Good Citizens and Rally-O class too .
Nugget with her new friend :-)
Lucy and Nugget with their new little friend :-)