Brandiandwe

Agree with the above. Teaching my dogs 'wait' and having them stand quietly (albeit with huge grins, and waving tails) works well.

Perhaps we need how to meet a dog training in schools.

I forgot to answer, we have that here in some schools. The kids who have had it are pretty cute. They come barrelling towards us, stop running about fifteen metres away, speed walk closer, stop at about three metres, and very seriously say 'can I pat your dogs please?' The seriousness of their delivery is undercut by their puffing, sometimes from having chased us from across the park, and from the fact that two of my three are straining towards the cuddle machines with madly wagging bottoms and tails. When given the all clear, they approach the dogs slowly with their arm out straight and the back of their hand out and attempt to allow the dogs to sniff them before attempting to pat them. By this stage, two of mine have bypassed the pleasantries and are attempting to lean against children who weigh less than they do. Kids dissolve into giggles and lean back or cuddle mine to their mutual satisfaction and delight, while the parents catch up, apologise, and try to explain that the two greys who are in the thick of the attention are, in fact, dangerous and lulling everyone into a false sense security. Ok. Maybe not the last bit every time, but the rest is pretty accurate.

It's a great programme.

And, can I say, that I have really fond memories of a GSD that an aunt had over 30 years ago? Elky was a gorgeous dog and I still remember the thrill it gave me to 'lead' her assisted by a grown-up. So sending your boy smooches!

I see your elderly (and rather delightful GSD) AND the two muzzled greyhounds and raise you three muzzled greyhounds!

Yeah, shrieks, grabbing fluffies, screaming that my dogs are vicious, threatening to shoot my dogs (yes, really), dirty, diseased, disgusting....... Sometimes I educate, most of the time I just can't be bothered. I walk where I want, avoid small fluffies where possible (two non-fluffy safe greys), step off the path and out of the way in case someone tries to take a swing, smile and cheerfully say 'Good (time of day)!'

The ones I do try to educate are the people I see regularly, some of whom have started in horror and fear, and ended up being delighted when my guys recognise them and leap towards them for cuddles. Others have stopped screaming and started standing still and watching me carefully. The kids I also try to educate, mainly because they're fascinated by both the dogs' size and the muzzles. Hermon adores children so that helps. We try to talk about how to approach strange dogs, what muzzles mean (that you should always ask the owners permission and that usually muzzles do mean a dog might be dangerous so to be extra careful.) And over time, the parents ask more questions too.

I try to remember that it isn't me, it's them. And that there are times when I am very cautious about dogs and some specific breeds (dachshunds, staffies, cattledogs and any fluffies, and any thing which is bouncing on the end of the leash with the owner not in control. Big fluffies like huskies also set my lot off because they've been aggressively approached in the past). And that, as bewildering to me as it is, there are people who just don't like dogs. And that's fine. It's my job to keep the buggalugs out of their way and be as unobtrusive as possible. And in 99% of cases I've ended up with vastly improved relationships with all other people on my walks because I am polite, get my dogs out of the way and under control and clean up after them.

In NSW, the vet is supposed to take a stray dog off your hands. The owner's information is private and only so many vet staff have access to the chip database.

That said, I have had one vet refuse to take the stray dog I found but generally they will.

Hope you find the owner soon - take some photos and put them up on posts around the area as well!

This. I've taken stray dogs to the vets and haven't had a problem. Mind you, I also said that if an owner couldn't be found, the dogs were not to be shipped off to the pound but sent to an appropriate rescue or returned to me. Perhaps fortunately for my marriage, all were safely returned to their humans.

This might work!

Right now DH is a) reluctant to spend a lot of money on this covering and b) incredibly anxious to protect the car. Which seems to me to be counterintuitive because sometimes spending money on good quality things is the best protection. Sigh.

Didn't want to hijack the other current dog bed thread but was wondering what dog beds people used in the back of their cars. We recently got a new car - a mid sized SUV. The three pooches will travel in the boot with either both back seats folded down or with 60% folded down. We have a hammock which will anchor to the front seats and anchor points in the boot, but what else do people use which are comfortable and bot too slippery? Also do people use a boot cover with a flap which comes down to protect the bumper and if so, which one?

Brandi has joined me on the seats at the vet, but there was a huge thunderstorm outside and she was attempting to get into my lap. A 32 kg greyhound tends to spill over a bit. But with other animals and people there we wait outside.

Sadly no because Costco Australia don't have them on their website. But here's a picture and a review:

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/118454

Wow that bed looks amazing.

I can't wait till costco opens it's doors in QLD.

I will say that there are problems with it. The bolter makes a comfortable pillow but long greyhound necks are draped over it which increases the snoring and the puddles of snool BUT they love it. We also have two rectangular beds from them which are also apparently comfortable.

Sadly no because Costco Australia don't have them on their website. But here's a picture and a review:

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/118454

We got a memory foam bolster bed from Costco which was around $60. It comfortably fits out 37kg greyhound with room to spare and is the favored dog bed in our house. I don't know if you're near Costco or a member but I'm happy to check if they've got more if you like next time I'm in. It's got upholstery fabric and deals with our nester well and we can always add extra blankets and pillows if we want.

Not fun at all! Brandi is pretty depressed just now. Paige had a quiet night (and I know this because I was awake most of the night it feels like). Muzzling and crating will now happen as a matter of course until we figure out what's going on. These are two dogs who have lived together for over two yeas with no problems but then we moved house and introduced a third. So hopefully this is a blip, albeit an expensive one! Because I don't want to rehome either and PTS is just not something I can consider, although it would be considered if necessary. Definitely last resort.

Hugs to you Maddy! Talk about the proverbial rock and hrd place.

We just got back from the vet. Paige and Brandi had a spat. Paige ended up with a gash under her eye needing stitches and two puncture wounds in her neck, one of which was three cm deep and just missed her jugular. $700 later and she's home. Muzzles will now be on at all times till things settle.

As for muzzles, I go by what I'm told when I turn up but muzzles are on as the default....

I'm seriously considering getting a playpen for our tree and presents this year.

What? It LEAPT off the tree and under my paws!

Just in the interests of disclosure, we've gone to events where our dogs have been allowed to be unmuzzled. This has been where there are unlikely to be other dogs and where event organizers have given permission. Winterfest (a medieval festival thing where muzzles would be anachronistic) and adoption events at greyhound races are two which spring to mind. Again only with an adoption group at an organized event with permission. What event was your dog attacked at?

Still illegal if not greencollared, event organizers don't have the power to make that decision. As the NSW Companion Animal Act states, ALL greyhounds must wear a muzzle when in a public place unless wearing an approved green collar so unless these events are held on privately owned land they must wear a muzzle.

I think that they were private events and controlled entry and therefore not a public place which is why it was allowed. In any case, they have been the exceptions and certainly not the rule.

Ahem. On the subject of snoods. Alibar dog knits on FB are a group who knit snoods (of all different designs) to raise money for galgo and greyhound rescue, mainly in Spain. They can knit to order and do ship to Australia, so it might be worth contacting them. I've got a couple of hats of theirs. They are really well made, arrived quickly, and I love that all profits go to help the galgos. Just FYI.

Brandi - snoods are not good for Australian Christmas!

Paige. Cruelly, DH will not let me dress Hermon up!

Paige before we walked Christmas morning. She was not very happy with me!

Finally, Brandi opening her Secret Santa gift. We do an international SS gift exchange with a greyhound forum in America. It's lots of fun!

OK. No problems! And I don't think this is necessarily OT. It's more that there are events where its OK to have greys unmuzzled even if they aren't Greenhounds, but they are classified as 'private'. And even then, I muzzle one of mine anyhow because she's a little cow when she gets overstimulated. But otherwise it's really really black and white. All greyhounds are either wearing a muzzle or a Greenhound collar.

Greenhound collar

The above links you to the collar. I think that it's very very ugly (and its one reason why I'm pleased that my girls still need to be muzzled - we have an impressive collar collection!) but its also pretty distinctive. (Some of us have started a campaign for Greenhound harnesses so that we can wear fabulous collars as well as being Greenhounds. I'm just not sure its going to get over the line.... :laugh: )The below is the legislation.

NSW Greyhound muzzling legislation

Of course, the fact that a grey is a Greenhound doesn't mean they won't react as any other dog would. But it does mean that they shouldn't have extra high preydrive. Which obviously you know. But generally......

And people who don't obey the rules really tick me off. I muzzle mine and accept it as part of owning the dogs I have. But when I see others who are not muzzling theirs, or hear about them, or about unmuzzled greys attacking other dogs it makes it that much more difficult for everyone trying to do the right thing by these fantastic animals.

Just in the interests of disclosure, we've gone to events where our dogs have been allowed to be unmuzzled. This has been where there are unlikely to be other dogs and where event organizers have given permission. Winterfest (a medieval festival thing where muzzles would be anachronistic) and adoption events at greyhound races are two which spring to mind. Again only with an adoption group at an organized event with permission. What event was your dog attacked at?

I can think of a couple of candidates......

Lol! Natasha, you've seen on FB already!

I didn't think that the dogs were chipped until they were finished racing? They were still tattooed?

Awesome! In the diary!

All greyhounds need to wear a muzzle or a green collar. The only exceptions are 'greyhound crosses' which could in fact be purebred greyhounds from an 'oops' litter which was then not registered. As I understand it, these greys are crosses and are therefore exempt.

Personally I think people are insane letting their greys off unmuzzled. One of ours will go through Greenhounds next week and he'll still be muzzled at the dog park (where we only run with greyhounds) because they play rough! And because I don't trust his chase instinct not to kick in when he's running. I've seen him track down both of my female greys and he does fixate on cats. A small fluffy running thing is really just too tempting, so why risk it?

But I'm a bit risk averse like that....