RGT South Lakes, Cumbria Greyhound Rescue - Retired Greyhounds make great pets

GREYHOUND RESCUE
Fostering Greyhounds in the South Lake District, Cumbria

Blue (2)

Blue arrived on Monday 7th June 2010
Went to his new home on Sunday 12th December 2010

Blue's arrival and a brief history
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View Blue's pedigree

Blue is a handsome 9 year old ex-racing greyhound who has been in racing kennels all his life until he came into foster care where he is enjoying the relaxed pace of life and all the cuddles he can get . He is blue in colour, house trained, neutered, inoculated and microchipped. Blue is sometimes a little nervous in new situations, which is not surprising now he’s in the 'big outside world', but this is reducing. He travels well in the car, walks nicely on the lead, but can get quite stressed in new situations.

Blue's Diary

7th June 2010

11th June 2010
Stuart was out this morning so Blue was left downstairs for the first time with the other greyhounds while I did the guest bedrooms. Normally the first time this happens we get a little cry, whimper or more! Not Blue, not a sound, he just lay in the kitchen and went to sleep only stirring to greet me as I came back in again when I'd finished my work.
Blue can jump - when our guests in room 1 arrived back this afternoon Sandy ran up the garden to say hello. His actions alerted the others something interesting was happening and because Sandy began to bark I walked up the bank to bring him back - he can greet quietly, but if he barks he comes back in the house listening to my grumbles so misses out on all the attention the others receive. As I was walking up the garden to get him Blue jumped the fence onto the balcony to say hello, jumped it as if it wasn't there. He's the first dog in two years to do so. It's not an easy fence because they have to go down a bank to get to it, it has spikes on the top and the otherside has plants in tubs and a marble step for people to sit on. Plenty of things to deter a jumper but obviously not Blue. Just hope Sandy doesn't learn that trick!
12th June 2010
This morning while I was talking to our guest I mentioned Blue jumping the fence because I missed it. One minute he was top of the bank and the next he was on the balcony - I only blinked, but I missed what happened, and we needed to know to amend the fencing to prevent it happening again. Our guest mentioned he hadn't seen where Blue was when he jumped because he was side-on to him but he thought he might have leapt from the top of the bank rather than from just the other side of the fence.
14th June 2010
Blue has made no attempt to jump the fence over into room 1 balcony again since the other night and now stands very gingerly in front of it to say hello to the guests. Thinking about it, we think he thought it a low fence on flat ground and hadn't realised it was down a bank, a bit higher than what it was and with a drop at the other side. His cautiousness around it now, along with the fact he looked so dazed when I took him off the balcony makes us believe this may be the case.
17th June 2010
Blue has made friends with our guests staying in room 1 and can often be seen standing by the fence accepting a 'gravy bone' biscuit, which he's decided are rather nice.
21st June 2010
Blue has been a little subdued and 'clingy' today not wanting to leave Stuart's side and following him every where he goes.
25th June 2010
Since having Blue we've noticed he sometimes tries to scratch the underside of his tummy or his side. He
has a small mark on his tummy so we thought this was agravating him while it healed. At first I thought he may have fleas although I couldn't see anything, but we flread him anyway. This morning he was doing it again and this time we noticed his hair disturbed where he'd been trying to chew it.

26th September 2010
Since the cancer in Freddie's leg has become more noticable and has taken to walking on three legs only, there is many a time we find Blue asleep on the duvet next to Freddie whether he be in the kitchen or the living room. Occasionally, he will also go to sleep next to my side of the bed so he is close to Freddie. It's almost as if he knows Freddie is very ill - Solo does the same!

17th October 2010
Blue has been very subdued since yesterday afternoon when Freddie died so we are giving him as much love and reassurance as we can to help him get over his grief. Freddie has been very much a part of Blue's life since he's been with us and Blue being the quiet one who always stands at the back when all the others are pushing forward to be greeted is much more sensitive than we imagined.

7th November 2010
There were a lot of fireworks going off last night and Blue didn't seem bothered about them at all. He just slept on his quilt on the floor as he always does and slept.
Blue kept us awake for a while last night because he decided to sleep in the dog bed next to our bed and lick his side. His skin was looking quite sore again this morning so we gave him a Hibiscrub bath as suggested by the vet back in the summer. I must admit the vet asked us to give him a bath at least once a week, twice to begin with if we could, but what with Freddie being ill, having up to 9 dogs at one point and a busy bed and breakfast I was tending to bathe his side with Hibiscrub rather than give him a full bath as the vet suggested because of lack of time. Now that we are back down to 6 dogs and the bed and breakfast a little quieter now that winter is approaching I am going to make the effort to give him at least one bath a week.
He loved his bath and enjoyed having the Hibiscrub massaged into his side, but he struggled to stop shivering as we tried to keep the Hibiscrub on him for 10 minutes before rinsing it off. A good dry down and a shake and he was fine again. We were doing a home check this afternoon so he stayed at home with some of the others so there was no risk of him getting cold in the car before he'd thoroughly dried off. Blue is fine being left in the house with the others and I think sometimes prefers it to going to strange places.

12th December 2010
This morning Blue's new owners called to collect him and after all the adoption paperwork was complete off he went to his new home. He happily walked to the car with his new owner and jumped in the back. We gave Blue a big hug and a kiss and off he went. As the car was pulling away Blue was watching us from the side window, which brought a lump to my throat and as the car turned slightly to go left onto the dual carriageway Blue moved from the side window to the back one to watch us again. I do hope he doesn't think we don't love him and that we've sent him away. Upon seeing him watching us out the back window I just broke into tears because he is such a lovely dog and we will miss him greatly. However, Blue is going to live with a family we have known sometime, who know everything about Blue's background and want to give him a loving home with their other greyhound called Mindy. It was hard saying goodbye to Blue this morning, but we wish him a long and happy life with his new family.
We received a phone call this evening to say they arrived home in the York area safely around 2pm. Blue had met Mindy, they'd been in the garden together, he'd had his tea and Mindy had pinched his bed so he was sleeping on the carpet and any toy Blue thought to play with Mindy, after he'd put it down took it back to her bed.
13th December 2010
We received an email this evening from Blue's new owner letting us know he has settled well. He had his first walk today with Mindy and was bouncing about like a beauty. He slept well last night and is completeley relaxed, Mindy has been feeling a little jealous and sulking on the stairs, but she will soon come running when it's her tea time. Blue's new owner says he has definetly found his forever home and she will send some photos as soon as she can. At the time of writing the email Blue was laying at the side of his owner.
Received a second email this evening letting us know that Blue had just come running in the living room with a banana he'd taken of the kitchen table. So funny because he started throwing it about like a toy!
23rd December 2010
We received an email today from Blue's new owner letting us know that Blue is doing really well and has mastered their stairs, even sneaked onto their bed today. Mindy is still a little standoffish with him, but it took her a while to settle with Monty, so they are not overly concerned at the moment. Mindy was curled up on his bed last night, so he crept up behind her and got on the bed with her, she was not at all impressed with him and had a little snap at him, but he just ignored her and curled up.
30th January 2011
We received an email today letting us know that, Blue is doing wonderfully in his new home. He is a real pleasure to have and Mindy is warming to him - even got on a bed with him for a few hours last week!
18th March 2011
We received an email today from Blue's new owners letting us know what a pleasure Blue is. He loves being outside and in the garden, jumps about like a puppy when they get his lead to take him for a walk, and has become a well established member of their family.

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