Oregon Greyhound Adoption

We need your help

2010-03-24T19:20:00.001-07:00

Our mom has passed away and we have lost our loving home.

We are Maya and Lily Valentine. We're looking for someone who has love in their heart to share and a couple of soft beds for us.

We are very well mannered in the house, walk well together, love to go for car rides and spend time shopping in the local pet stores.

We have just had our annual physicals and we are healthy and ready for a new adventure.

Please call Vicki (503.740.9716) or Carolyn (503.665.9741) for more information.

Thanks Furever Pets!

2010-03-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

It was another great adoption event at Furever Pets! We always have a great time meeting new folks and catching up with previous adopters. Thank you Symon and crew for being such gracious hosts!

Molly enjoying her outing.

Chase, Chris, and Conga being social.

Big yawn from Chase, apparently this isn't as exciting as he hoped.

Wanda making new friends.

And Wanda again getting hugs.

Trudy came by to visit.

And got sweet kisses from Wahoo.

Snoop setting a great example for the other dogs, if you look pretty people will come to you.

Chris did really well at his first ever adoption event. From the shy puppy he was Chris has gained confidence and is becoming a wonderful boy!

* Sorry for the delay, there was a typo in the scheduling of this post!

Adoption Event Coming...

2010-02-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

Furever Pets is opening their doors to Oregon Greyhound Adoption once again. This is an incredible store with tons of new and interesting products that you never knew your dog needed! The staff is great and their support over the years has been invaluable. We would love to see old friends and make new ones!

Where: Furever Pets

Address: 1902 NE Broadway St., Portland

When: February 27th

Time: 11am - 2 pm

Hey big spender!

2010-02-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

Our good friends at Furever Pets are celebrating their 7th anniversary this weekend. That's seven years of support for numerous shelters and adoption groups with their donations, food-drives, and unwavering support for all the products that they sell!

On Saturday the 13th from 11am to 5pm head over for snacks, drinks, games, door prizes, discounts and donations. For one day only they're offering 20% off one non-pet food non-sale item and an additional 5% off if you wear their store colors (blue and orange). Maybe you've been thinking about buying a new luxury dog bed or a nice raised feeder system? Saturday is the day to take the plunge. What's more, 15% of all of their sales on Saturday will be donated to the adoption groups they work with, Oregon Greyhound Adoption included!

So head over on Saturday, stay for a snack, play a game, get your discount and make a donation all at the same time!

Parker illustrating the comfort of a Bowser Bed.

Chasing Amy

2010-02-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

With all signs of an early spring we proudly present Amy! She's a sweet girl that came to us from Arizona. At just three years old there is still a lot of goofy puppy in Amy but puppy energy is a good thing so long as you have a sense of humor. Exuberant at play and determinedly affectionate, Amy will make a delightful companion.

Name: Amy

Racing name: NDT Tym Amy

Weight: 62 pounds

Color: Black

Born: January 6th, 2007

Rattling Sabers

2010-01-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

Another addition to our kennel from Arizona is Saber. He's a very sweet boy whose gently affectionate nature will win you over! Homes with cats need not apply but small dogs may be okay if they are of the non-fluffy variety. A dog introduction is recommended and well worth it because this handsome man is one of a kind!

Name: Saber

Racing name: Red I Saber

Weight: ~74 lbs

Color: Black

Born: December 19th, 2006

The Holiday Elf

2010-01-13T22:43:00.001-08:00

Now that it is January we have a retired holiday helper ready for a new home. This strapping lad is Elf, he's a goofy active guy who came to us from sunny Arizona. Despite the change in climate and venue Elf is doing really well and we're so happy to have him in the kennel while we help him find his forever home!

Name: Elf

Racing name: BF Oxbow Elf

Weight: 77 pounds

Color: Brindle

Born: June 3rd, 2006

Just Jered!

2010-01-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

With Jered coming into our kennel for adoption we're working on collecting the whole litter! Actually, we've only had two of his brothers but both were supremely nice boys and Jered is similar to them in terms of personality. He's happy and outgoing and even a touch excitable (if you know greyhounds you'll know that most people would never use that adjective when describing their dogs). Playful and friendly like a puppy at 5 years old, Jered will likely retain his goofy personality through his entire life. If you want a dog to accompany you with your active life this is the boy for you!

Name: Jered

Racing name: BF Oxbow Jered

Weight: 80 pounds

Color: Red

Born: October 26th, 2004

Early Blooming Iris

2010-01-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

Iris is the sweet flower of the kennel. Although she would prefer a home without small animals she is an endearing little girl who loves to get and give affection. Looking for a wiggly package of love? Iris is your girl!

Name: Iris

Racing name: Par Iris

Weight: 58 lbs

Color: Black

Born: November 1st, 2007

Welcome Bomber

2009-12-30T20:47:00.000-08:00

Today's post is a little bit of a tease in that Bomber came a couple of weeks ago, won the heart of her new family last weekend and is going home this weekend.

Bomber is one of eight dogs that came to us from Arizona. They are a nice addition to our kennel and all are loving wonderful dogs that will make some lucky families great pets. Bomber is pictured below and profiles of her Arizona buddies will be added soon (and are already on our website). If you are interested in meeting any of them please contact us and we can arrange a private rendezvous.

Name: Bomber

Racing name: Oxbow Bomber

Weight: ~60 lbs

Color: Red

Born: February 15th, 2008

Emergencies during the holidays

2009-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

With the craziness of the holidays the chances for disaster rise. We're all so busy and we have so much we're trying to get accomplished that we often don't pay proper attention to our pets.

Do you have a plan of action in case of an emergency? Someone to call who would be able to help you in a pinch to get your pet to the veterinarian? Can you get to your vet's office while under stress? How about the emergency vet?

Do you have a GPS system in your car? If so program the following emergency vets into your "Favorites" and if not then keep a card in your glove compartment so you don't have to stop and check where you're going before you load up your sick or injured pet.

NW Veterinary Specialists

16756 SE 82nd Dr.

Clackamas, OR 97015

(503) 656-3999

www.northwestvetspecialists.com

Dove Lewis

1945 NW Pettygrove

Portland, OR 97209

(503) 228-7281

www.dovelewis.org

* Please note - Dove Lewis has closed their Southeast location!

Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin

19314 SW Mohawk Ct.

Tualatin, OR 97062

(503) 691-7922

www.evcot.com

St. Francis 24 Hour Animal Hospital

12010 NE 65th St.

Vancouver, WA 98682

(360) 253-5446

www.stfrancis24hr.com

If the weather is an obstacle to getting your pet to see a veterinarian there is a veterinary ambulance.

Northwest Pet Express

P.O. Box 3078

Clackamas, OR 97015

(503) 260-0368

www.nwpetexpress.com

Stay warm and dry this winter but be prepared in case the worst should happen!

Safety during the holidays

2009-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

The holidays are practically upon us and it's important, during this hectic season, to be especially aware of what our pets are doing. There are additional hazards that are compounded by the hustle and bustle of the season. Here are some things to be aware of:

1. Be aware of plant toxicity! Seasonal favorites such as poinsettias, mistletoe and lilies are poisonous. If you have them in your home consider making them part of a table centerpiece to keep them out of easy reach.

2. With the drop in temperature people are topping off the antifreeze in their cars. A strong base, antifreeze is not only deadly to animals but it has a sweet taste. Consumption of even a small amount can lead to kidney and liver damage and could result in death. Snow globes often contain antifreeze so if one breaks clean it up immediately and dilute the spill between moping it up.

3. Cords for festive lights can also be a hazard. Make sure that they are out of the way so that they can't be tripped on and are not an enticing addition in the home to chew.

4. Celebrating Christmas with a tree? The water in the base will quickly become stagnant and may contain harmful bacteria. Some types of artificial snow and flocking are toxic, check the labels carefully before making your purchase.

5. During this time of year we like to surround ourselves with friends and family. If you are having people over make sure everyone is aware that your pets are now allowed outside. Night comes quickly and you don't want to be out searching for your lost dog when you should be enjoying your party. If you pets are likely to become stressed when you have company it may be best to put them in a separate part of the house for their own comfort and for your peace-of-mind.

6. Don't forget to set aside time for your pets. The holidays can be hectic and stressful for them as well. If you show them you love them it might just help to reduce stress for both of you :)

We hope your holidays are safe, warm and wonderful!

New dogs arrive!

2009-12-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wonder what goes in to getting dogs to the Pacific Northwest for adoption? On Saturday we received eight new dogs into our adoption program from Arizona thanks to the help of one of the local owners and some great people to help transport them here.

In Arizona our friend Eric selected the dogs for us and all of their paperwork was pulled. This includes their registration papers, vaccination records and in some cases their racing records. The dogs are fed the night before they leave and are groomed in preparation for their trip.

On the morning of the trip (in this case Friday) they are loaded into the trailer. Although the trailer has heat and air conditioning every dog wore a coat to ensure that they were nice and comfortable for the trip. With two drivers the truck and trailer stopped only for gas and potty breaks, otherwise they drive through the night so they can get to their destination as soon as possible.

Upon arriving the dogs are unloaded by gender and allowed a nice long outing in the fenced exercise yard where they can answer nature's call and burn off a little pent up energy. Once they've settled down all the dogs are brought into the kennel, coats removed and given a good once over before being assigned their own little condo and given a big meal.

Bowls are collected, paperwork is reviewed and everyone takes a well-deserved nap!

Watch next week for pictures of the dogs on the blog as they are added to our website :)

Planning for the future

2009-12-10T08:41:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday night Oregon Greyhound Adoption assisted in the return of two greyhounds to their placement group. Jazz, 11 1/2 years old, and his "brother" Beau-D, 6 1/2 years old, had to be relinquished to Greyhound Adoption Center (the group that placed them) when their person was put on hospice care. Fortunately she had set up a trust for them that directed that they should be returned to their group and some money was set aside for their care until a new home could be found for them. So we went with Deanna, a placement representative from GAC who recently moved to Portland, down to Salem to pick up the two boys and take them to their foster home.

While it is undoubtedly difficult for them to lose their homes it's good that they are being given back to Greyhound Adoption Center for rehoming. We sometimes forget that greyhounds aren't typical dogs and that we were carefully matched with our dogs. Upon return Jazz and Beau-D will have their personalities evaluated and will be tested for compatibility with small animals. They will have a veterinary checkup and will receive all the care they need until a new home can be found.

Both of these boys are very sweet and enjoy getting attention. Jazz is a sweet older man brimming with confidence. Although he isn't as strong in his hind legs as he used to be he still gets around very well. When introduced to the cat in his foster home he showed some interested but not so much that it couldn't be dealt with. Beau-D is a little bit more needy, he craves attention and affection from everyone he meets. His ready smile (all teeth and tail wags) and cuddly nature will steal your heart. Like Jazz, Beau-D has shown some interest in the cat but can be corrected. Neither has lived with cats or small dogs before but given what we witnessed, they can probably learn, they just need someone to remind them that the kitty isn't a toy.

Finn (left) checking out Jazz, making sure he's been washing behind his ears.

Banjo giving Jazz a kiss on the nose. How's that for a welcome?

And Jazz checking our Banjo, just to make sure she really is a girl.

Beau-D didn't care all that much about meeting his new housemates, he found the sofa.

Jazz and Beau-D flirting with the girls and checking out the yard.

Beau-D awaiting affection.

Jazz will be 12 years old in April.

Sweet old boy.

Beau-D grins like a Cheshire cat :)

Thanks Healthy Pets!

2009-12-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Our event at Healthy Pets NW on Saturday was wonderful and we want to thank the store owners for having us and all the people who came by to meet the dogs. It was a lot of fun despite the cold weather and the hounds enjoyed making new friends.

If you missed us this month keep checking the blog and website for January's event!

Tori Lou getting a little love.

Bob checking out tasty treats.

Bob putting on his "bring me home" face.

Bob made a new friend :)

Wahoo looking for cookies.

Thinking if he was cute enough he would finally get a treat, Wahoo put on his begging face.

Onrey enjoyed herself and make a bunch of new friends.

Catching up with some old friends.

They are such sweet ladies.

Event this Saturday!

2009-12-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

This weekend will be our last adoption event of the year. Healthy Pets Northwest is a great store and this is always a fun event. We would love to see you there and will have some great adoptable dogs to meet!

Where: Healthy Pets Northwest
Address: 7642 SW Capitol Highway, Portland
When: December 5th
Time: 11am - 2pm

Donate for Free!

2009-11-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

Oregon Greyhound Adoption is proud to be a member of Amazon's Associates program. That means what when you go to Amazon's website through the link provided on our website we get at least 4% of the value of your purchases donated to us by Amazon. This is a great way to take advantage of the great values that you will find on Amazon's website while giving to Oregon Greyhound Adoption.

It's really easy to do. First, go to Oregon Greyhound Adoption's website. Then click on "Donate" as illustrated below:

Once on our "Donate" page all you need to do is click on the link to Amazon in the bottom right-hand corner (see below). Once there all of your purchases completed in the next 24 hours will qualify as a referral from Oregon Greyhound Adoption and we will get a donation!

To see Amazon's Black Friday deals click here.

Please share this post with your friends and family. It costs you nothing as we benefit so everybody wins :)

Thanks For Paws

2009-11-15T22:29:00.000-08:00

We had another great adoption event at For Paws on Saturday. Lots of familiar faces stopped by and we met some really nice people so we're thrilled. Thank you to For Paws for being such generous hosts and thank you to all of you who read the blog and stop by the events, it makes them so much fun!

Chatting with some old friends.

Snoop taking a break from all the activity.

Snoop gets some love while Solar watches.

Golden proving that she can be cute without trying.

Tiny reminding everyone that while Golden may be a cute puppy she can still pull off cute just as well.

Solar snuggling up to Grady.

Solar.

Maui soaking up the affection.

And getting neck scritches.

Taking a break on a nice fall afternoon.

For Paws this Saturday

2009-11-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

Interested in meeting some fantastic adoptable greyhounds? We will be at For Paw this Saturday and would love to meet you. It's a great little store with a great selection of quality pet foods, locally produced pet supplies and other fun pet paraphernalia.

Where: For Paws

Address: 3029 SE Division St., Portland 97202

When: Saturday November 14th

Time: 11am - 2pm

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:14:00.001-07:00

With Halloween here it is important to take some safety precautions.

1. Keep candy in a secure place. Chocolate can cause irregular heartbeats, kidney failure and death. Raisins can cause kidney failure as well and should be kept out of reach. Macadamian nuts are also toxic although what component is toxic has not yet been identified. Sugar-free sweeteners are known to cause liver failure.

2. If you plan on giving out candy it's best to leave your dog in another part of the house. With the door opening and closing constantly the chance of escape increases.

3. Make sure that collars are snug and that all identification contains your current information.

4. Walks should be completed before it gets too late and trick-or-treaters are on the street. Even the most calm and stable dogs can be frightened of costumes and all the activities.

5. Dogs should be kept indoors, especially greyhounds, as not only are they poorly adapted to cope with the elements but they should be kept away from all the Halloween activities. Well-meaning children may offer then a treat not knowing that it is toxic while others may taunt them. Either way, with all the craziness of the holiday, it's best to keep them safe and quiet.

Halloween can be a lot of fun and even more so when you know that your dogs are safe and happy!

Thanks Sellwood Dog Supply!

2009-10-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday's event at Sellwood Dog Supply was a blast! We saw some old friends and met some new ones all while enjoying a little of the precious sun now that fall is here. If you missed this event you can catch us again next month at For Paws!

Sellwood on Saturday

2009-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Join us this month at Sellwood Dog Supply to meet some great adoptable dogs looking for their forever homes. Already have a greyhound? We would love for you to drop by just to say hi and check out some of the great products this store has to offer!

Where: Sellwood Dog Supply
Address: 8334 SE 17th Ave., Portland
When: Saturday October 23rd
Time: 11am - 2pm

Jam goes well with peanut butter!

2009-10-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

More goofy youngness in little Miss Jam. She's only a year and half old and as silly as they come. Cats and small dogs are okay with Jam.

Name: Jam

Racing name: Jamboree Blondie

Weight: 48 pounds

Color: White and Red

Born: June 9th, 2008

Event Steven

2009-09-30T19:20:00.001-07:00

Yet another addition to the kennel and this one's name is Steven. He's a sweet boy who makes great eye-contact and has nice leash manners. While young he well settled and should be a fun but not overwhelming addition to your home!

Name: Steven

Racing name: SNJ Smoke

Weight: 72 pounds

Color: Red

Born: January 6th, 2007

Our little Golden girl!

2009-09-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Also new to the adoption kennel is Golden. She's an adorable little lady who didn't show the aptitude required for racing but has all the qualities of an ideal pet. At just shy of 18 months old, Golden still has a lot of puppy in her but is extremely well-behaved despite her youth. When introduced to cats she was just fine. This funny girl will keep you in stitches!

Name: Golden

Racing name: *not individually registered*

Weight: ~55 pounds

Color: Red fawn

Born: April, 2008

Join the Conga Line!

2009-09-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Conga Line is a goofy girl and will dance her way into your heart. Although she is already showing a little salt-and-pepper in her face Line won't be three until next March and she still has some of the dopey mannerisms of a puppy. Brimming with curiosity and confidence this little monkey is ready for just about any home where she will be included in the day-to-day activities and adventures. Cats are a welcome part of Line's future home :)

Name: Line

Racing name: Conga Line

Weight: 58 pounds

Color: Black

Born: March 1st, 2007

Trudy-terror!

2009-09-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

We have new dogs in the kennel! They arrive a couple of weeks ago but we've waited to share more about them until we had a chance to get to know them a little better. This lovely little lady is Trudy and she's not really a terror, just a puppy with puppy energy and goofy puppy antics. She alternates between play and affection in the way that only a young dog can and she does it with gusto! To top it all off, Trudy can live with cats :)

Name: Trudy

Racing name: Trudy to Win

Weight: ~60 pounds

Color: Black

Born: January 15th, 2008

Thanks Green Dog!

2009-09-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Green Dog Pet Supply and all the folks who came out to visit today! It's so excited to receive support from the community, to catch up with previous adopters and to meet new people who are thinking about adding a greyhound to their family. We had a blast and it is thanks to you!

Wahoo finding love.

Able, upright for the moment.

Able illustrating how lazy greyhounds are, there was a nice bed not 10 feet away.

Jack, leaning and working his charms.

All tuckered out, Jack cuddled up with Christine.

Snoop took a leaf out of Able's book and decided it was easier to rest on the pavers instead of the bed.

Bob is checking out everyone who comes to visit to see if they're going to be his new family, he wants one so badly but has been waiting patiently.

Back to school, part 4

2009-09-19T09:26:00.001-07:00

And we return to the topic of separation anxiety and with a reminder, it is a minority of dogs that actually have separation anxiety. What looks like anxious behavior may simply be a lack of training or boredom; this makes it essential to enlist help if you believe your dog is suffering from separation anxiety. There are three calls you need to make, the first is to your adoption group, the second is to your vet and the third is to a behaviorist. You should be working with all three, your adoption group can provide you with support, your vet with the name of a behaviorist and the behaviorist with a plan of action.

Today's post will concern how to treat separation anxiety. For further reading I highly recommend Patricia McConnell's book "I'll Be Home Soon," her framework is what I am utilizing for treatment and her writing is very accessible.

Before we start examining treatment I want to reinforce what should be gospel; NEVER correct a dog after the fact. If your dog does something undesirable and you don't catch them in the act they don't associate the correction with the undesirable action, instead they will associate the correction with the action that they were engaged in at that moment. This means when you come home to a mess and your dog is overjoyed to see you if you correct them you are telling them that their excitement and their greeting is unacceptable. Do you really want them to think that your return is something to be feared or avoided, that they shouldn't be happy to see you when you get home? Remeber, a dog with anxiey cannot help themselves and correcting them for something they may have done hours ago will not help them cope, in fact it may make things worse.

As previously discussed, dramatic displays when you are leaving or coming home should be avoided, it gives your dog the wrong message. Obviously that hasn't been effective in helping to prevent separation anxiety but it is important to keep up with it even though alone it isn't effective it is part of teaching your dog to cope with your absence. The first step you need to take is to observe your dog while going through your morning routine. Refer back to the list of behaviors commonly associated with an anxious dog and keep track of what you are doing when the first signs of their distress are detectable. Common actions are putting on shoes, picking up keys, turning off the television, picking up a coat, grabbing your briefcase, but sometimes they may be smaller actions, dogs are masters of association and it may be small unconscious behaviors that are their queues that you intend to leave. By this time your dog knows your pre-departure routine and is likely near the peak of their distress before you leave the house so it shouldn't be too difficult to pick out the major actions to start with and continue watching them even as you have moved on to the subsequent parts of the treatment.

The next step is to take one action that is part of your dog's stress-escalation routine and work on disassociating it from your departure. For example, if your dog starts to get upset when you put your shoes on then throughout the day you should put on your work shoes but do the unexpected; sit down and read a book for half an hour, fold a load of laundry, dust, anything but leave the house. There is one caveat to the disassociation process, you need to plan it well ahead of any planned departure. If you plan on leaving within an hour best not to work on desensitizing your dog now, it may just trigger their anxiety earlier to your leaving the house.

Be patient, the process of disassociating certain actions from your leaving, and the stress that results, can take a while. Working on one trigger at a time then combining multiple triggers may take a while but at the end of the process you should have a dog that will allow you to leave without becoming unduly upset. The next step is to leave your dog in such a way that they don't become stressed (this may be done in conjunction with the trigger conditioning). The root of the problem is that your dog is upset when you leave so you have to find a way that they don't feel so isolated. This may mean finding a friend to leave your dog with, using a pet-sitter, or going to doggy daycare. These may be the best solutions because there are other people to observe their behavior and report to you. Alternatively you can try taking your dog with you, leaving them in another part of the house that you use frequently (so it feels familiar) as a "going away space," or borrow a dog they know to see if the presence of a second dog helps. The last suggest comes with a big warning, anxious dogs are inherently upset so you need to find a way to leave the dogs together in such a way that they are safe. That might mean crating them side-by-side or using a baby gate to keep them physically apart but able to see each other.

Separation anxiety varies in intensity in every dog. Most are affected relatively mildly and only a minority are as challenging as my boy, Boo. Teaching an anxious dog to copy with your absence is often a trial-and-error exercise. Some dogs do much better with a canine companion and for others it makes no difference. For a small number of dogs only you will do so leaving them with a friend might make them less anxious but still upset. The last resort should be medication. For those dogs who pose a risk to themselves it is an essential part of the counter-conditioning process and almost all can be weened off of chemical aids with time. It is important that you speak with a veterinarian and a behaviorist if you believe that medicinal treatment is necessary.

I know it sounds like a long process and for some dogs it can be while for others a couple weeks of work and they improve significantly. Don't let the risk of separation anxiety keep you from bringing any dog into your life, it is not a common problem but now that you are aware of what to look for and have some idea how to treat it you should be prepared to make a start if your new buddy shows signs of anxiety.

Boo, my anxious boy, is an absolute delight. Some days I had to remind myself that his behavior was born of his extreme attachment to me and how could I be upset with a dog that loved me too much? The hardest part of having a pet with separation anxiety is that every day when you leave their whole world falls apart and they are desperate to see you again. Boo is still my shadow, he's eager to please and because we worked through his anxiety in partnership we have a stronger bond than I did with my normal dogs. As a result of Boo I took another project dog, a spook, and I am getting ready to welcome yet another project dog. The more they make you work the more they love you for it because they can't help that they're easily upset but in the end they trust you more and the bond between you and your dog goes far beyond what most people with know with their pets.

So as your schedule changes with autumn approaching you are now prepared in case you find your dog struggling with a new schedule!

Adoption Event on Saturday

2009-09-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Please join us at Green Dog Pet Supply this Saturday to meet some wonderful greyhounds and puruse their wonderful selection of healthy and ecologically friendly pet products! Our last event at Green Dog was spectacular and this one should be equally great, hope to see you there!

Where: Green Dog Pet Supply

Address: 4605 NE Fremont St., Portland

When: Saturday September 19th

Time: 11am - 2pm

Calendars

2009-09-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

You can now pre-order your Celebrating Greyhounds desk or wall calendar through our website. The profits from the sales of the calendars go to help retired racing greyhounds find loving and responsible forever homes. We expect to have the calendars available for shipment no later than October 1st.

Get ready for the new year and support greyhound adoption at the same time!

We will return to the subject of separation anxiety tomorrow.

Back to school, part 3

2009-09-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Today's installment about separation anxiety is going to focus on prevention but before we delve into the heart of the matter I wanted to revisit, briefly, my experience with Boo. It hasn't been twelve hours since the last posting and I have had a number of emails from friends and adopters who said they had no idea he has such an extreme reaction to being left. After about six months of working with him in conjunction with my veterinarian Boo improved remarkably. Today he watches me leave but doesn't pace, drool or vocalize, instead he lays down like most dogs would. He does get overly excited when I come home but he is not destructive and he is totally reliable in the house. Within six months of working with him Boo's symptoms were greatly alleviated and within a year he was essentially normal. He still gets upset if he is in a new environment and I leave him, like when his Auntie Jill babysits when I go out of town, but he settles down within an hour and enjoys himself while I am gone.

There are a number of things you can do that will help to prevent separation anxiety. Many of these suggestions will also help with dogs that have separation anxiety and they are all good habits to develop. First, when you bring your dog into a new environment, be it coming home for the first time, moving or visiting a friend, it is important to allow them time to explore and familiarize themselves with their surroundings. If you permit your dog some level of independence then they will rely on you less for comfort. This is one of the reasons why new owners are discouraged from trying to do too much with their dogs too soon. They should be permitted time to adjust to their new environment and you should be focusing on helping them ease the transition. Just because you act passively doesn't mean it isn't helping and maintaining a home life where you are not actively engaged all the time is essential to a healthy and well adjusted dog.

Second, keep your goodbyes and hellos low-key but affectionate. In a dog prone to anxiety highly emotional displays before leaving and upon returning may get them worked up as well. As much as you miss your dog going to work should not be as dramatic as a loved one being sent on military deployment. You will be home tonight, you will have food on the table, you will spend quality time with your dog walking them or playing a game. Before I leave my dogs I get all of the things I will need together and right before I walk out the door they get a quick scritch behind the ears and I tell them "Be good, I'll be back soon." Not only does this prevent them from getting excited before I leave but it is a queue that lets them know that today is like any other day, I am going to work, I will be home and we will continue our normal routine upon my return.

When I get home from I walk through the door, greet my dogs with a simple "Hi boys!," set down my things (sometimes groceries as well) and grab the leashes for a walk. As much as it is a relief to be home and as exciting as it is to see the dogs I don't feed their excitement with my own, instead I am calm and affectionate and their energy is channeled into a walk. Even if the walk is short by the time we get home the dogs return to their beds and I take care of getting changed, putting away groceries and preparing dinner. Ultimately, this is all to say that dogs are highly intuitive and if you are upset your dog is likely to pick up on that emotion, so calm loving departures and arrivals help dogs to feel safe and secure.

Third, set boundaries. It is essential that you are seen by your dog as the pack leader. Good things come from you; affection, treats, attention are all yours to give or to withhold. That's not to say that you should love your dog less but instead that they should get the things they want when you choose to give them, not when they make demands. Therefore behaviors such as begging, barking, whiing, pawing, and invasion of your space should not be rewarded. The last thing you want is an entitled dog making demands of you after a long day working so you can buy them designer beds, fancy collars, organic and grain free foods and the best treats. A dog that learns to be polite and understands that you give to them on your terms is less likely to have bouts of anxiety brought on by frustration.

All of these suggestions are designed to help create a sane level of independence in your dog. While they rely on you for their material needs they should not rely on you emotionally to the point of panic when you leave, allow your dog some freedom to explore while keeping an eye on them when introduced to a new place. Calm affection around comings and goings help them to know what to expect, especially when you slowly increase the time you are gone so that it isn't a complete shock to them when you're gone for hours. Setting boundaries reinforces that you are the alpha and that they cannot make demands but they may be rewarded for behaving how you expect. These are some of the most simple ways to prevent an over-attachment that may lead to separation anxiety but if you believe your dog may be suffering from separation anxiety these tips should be taken and implements only with the assistence of your veterinarian.

Back to school, part 2

2009-09-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

The focus of this series is separation anxiety. Before addressing how to recognize, prevent, cope and treat separation anxiety it is important to remember that I, the author of this blog posting, am not an animal behaviorist. If you believe your dog has separation anxiety this series should help your recognize it and give you tips for treating, mollifying, and coping with it but you should consult your veterinarian for further assistence.

Separation anxiety is an evolutionary adaptation that encourages young animals to stay close to their social group for protection and care during development into adulthood. Most dogs will grow out of their need for the constant reassurance of their social group but some do not. Dogs may develop separation anxiety as the result of changes in their home environment such as moving, changes in schedule or routine, and alterations in the household composition (Burns). The longer the lifestyle disruption continues the greater the complexity of the dog's anxiety becomes making it essential to address the problem as soon as it is recognized (Flannigan, 2001).

All this leads to the question "How do I recognize separation anxiety?" Separation anxiety is akin to a panic attack in a person and often leads to frantic behavior. You dog misses you so much, is so frightened that they typically exhibit some of the following behaviors:

* Agitation while you prepare to leave that continues after you are gone (pacing and whining are typical examples)

* Panting and drooling

* Trembing

* Continuous barking or howling

* Dialated pupils

* House soiling

* Destructive chewing or digging (most frequently around doors or windows)

* An intense or exaggerated greeting, often frantic in nature

* Escape attempts in which they have been or are likely to injure themselves

* Self mutilation (usually from excessive licking or chewing)

* Depression

One study found that 72% of dogs with separtion anxiety displayed destructive behavior, 62% barked or howled to excess and 28% soiled the home (Flannigan, 2001). In most cases the dog's anxiety builds to a peak within thirty minutes of being left and may decrease with time but outside stimulus may trigger another escalation.

This is not to say that all dogs who are destructive, who vocalize or who have soil the house have anxiety. In most cases these dogs are merely misbehaving. Most of the damage a dog does to your home is born boredom; chewing on the legs of the coffee table is fun and if you aren't around to say it isn't allow then it must be just fine to taste that aged maple flavor. Furthermore, vocalization can be caused by a variety of stimuli such as squirrels, people passing, other dogs barking or any number of causes outside of anxiety. There are a number of potential causes for undesirable behavior and separation anxiety is not often the culprit.

Let me finish this description of separation anxiety with my own experience. One of my greyhounds is a posterchild for anxiety. He joined my life in late November and withing a couple of months I moved to a new house with a bigger yard thinking that he and my other two hounds would enjoy the space. I only had a little time with the dogs in the new space before I had to start a new job. All of my dogs are crated trained, I believe it is a fantastic tool and that, when employed properly, the crate becomes a place of security. Unfortunately, that was not the case with Boo.

As I got ready for work Boo became restless, he could not settle down in one spot and would follow me so closely that he was often touching me. When I crated the other two he would panic and I would have to walk him to his crate. As soon as the door closed he would begin to howl and by the time got home from work there would he spittle surrounding his crate. My new job was just shy of fulltime and on the days when I worked more than four hours Boo would have had terrible stress diarrhea and often I would spend over an hour scubbing the walls, the floor, the crate, shampooing the carpet, washing the bedding and bathing Boo before I could even get changed. As if that wasn't enough, Boo would shed his bedding and chew on the walls of his wire crate until gums bled and one had to be disposed because the wiring was bent and there were sharp gouges in the metal.

Ultimately I decided to leave him out of his crate because he was less likely to hurt himself and it was easier to clean up diarrhea that was only on the floor, not on the walls, the bedding and Boo himself. Once freed from his crate I muzzled Boo so he wasn't able to chew on anything but he did dig a hole in the carpeting by the front door and scratched the door and door frame where they met. This all took place beginning in 2003 and I am happy to say that after working with him for years I can safely leave the house for about four and a half hours without incident. It has taken a lot of time and patience but Boo still thinks the sun rises and sets because of me and I adore him completely. It has been a long road wrought with frustration but it has been totally worth it. Boo's separation anxiety was at the more extreme end of the spectrum and he still suffers from it today but we have both learned how to live with it and it has decreased in intensity but will never be completely gone.

Burns, Jessica "Canine Separation Anxiety and the Correlation and Impact to Shelters and Relenquishment"

Flannigan, G. & Nicholas, D. H. "Risk Factors and Behaviors Associated with Separation Anxiety in Dogs." JAVMA. 2001. Vol 219, pp. 460-466.

Back to school, part 1

2009-09-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

With school starting or just around the corner you've got new clothes for the kids, school supplies and fall sports or activities lined up but have you thought about getting your hound ready for the new fall schedule?

If the kids have been home most of the summer, you've taken time off and had a great vacation. Maybe your summer schedule is going by the wayside but for many of us fall ushers in another change in lifestyle. This can be a tough time for your dog, especially if they are a recent addition and you haven't had to leave them for an entire work or school day before.

Over the next week we're going to be giving you the benefit of our experience to help ease your dog into a new fall routine. Many of these tips are also helpful in trasitioning a new dog into your household. The underriding theme is the prevention of separation anxiety; forty percent of dogs referred to behaviorists are diagnosed with this condition (Overall & Dunham, 2001).

Overall, K. L., Dunham, A. E., & Frank, D. "Frequency of Nonspecific Clinical Signs in Dogs with Separation Anxiety, Thunderstorm Phobia, and Noise Phobia, Alone or in Combination." JAVMA. 2001. Vol 219, pp. 467-473.

Puppy accessories!

2009-08-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

Greyhound people are totally nuts, but in a good way, and I am happy to count myself amongst them! Our dogs are so easy to live with and so undemanding that the lure to spoil them rotten is almost irresistable. Unlike toy breeds, there are clothes for greyhounds but if there were we would probably go wild for them. Instead we have utilitarian things for our dogs like gorgeous coats from Greyt Outdoors and lovely collars. Today I want to introduce you to a collar unlike most you have probably seen.

Michael Sheldon is a very tallented leatherworker who made collars years ago for Marsha's Martingales but when his full-time job demanded his full attention he stopped taking orders. It was such a disappointment to me because my dear departed boy Falcon had one of his leather martingales for seven years and it looked fantastic on him and held up well with a little regular care. I was overjoyed when I found out that Michael had started taking orders again last winter through Carpe Canem and shortly thereafter I ordered collars for my two current greyhounds. They look so nice and are so durable, I absolutely love them! Seven years out of one collar isn't bad and although there is a premium price I think they're worth every penny once they're broken in they are so soft and pliable without any elasticity that might cause them to come loose.

A leather collar is a nice piece of formalwear to add to your hound's wardrobe :)

Boo being a lazy model and insisting that you can see his collar just fine while laying down.

Greeting Cards

2009-08-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Oregon Greyhound Adoption is proud to announce our new greeting cards. All of the dogs featured are retired racing greyhounds that went through the adoption program here in Oregon. The funds raised by the sale of the cards will go directly to benefit retired racing greyhounds waiting for their forever homes. Below are sample images of the six cards in each package (a package of twelve has two of each card).

If you are interested in purchasing these cards you can find the link to order them on our website.

Thanks Portland Nursery!

2009-08-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

Whew! What an event we had and thanks in no small part to Portland Nursery! It was a beautiful day on Saturday, we had lots of greyhounds friends visiting with us and some adoptable dogs on site to show off and win some hearts. Portland Nursery had some great speakers talking about how to make your yard beautiful in spite of your pets, it was phenomenal. The staff came by, some more than others, to cuddle with the dogs and make some new friends. We all had so much fun and want everyone who came to know how much we appreciate their support.

Hopefully we will be back at Portland Nursery in the spring :)

Getting out of the sun in the greenhouse.

Making new friends!

The staff loved the dogs as much as everyone else. Quick is working his charms :)

Wiggly waiting for excitement.

Chris is having a ball making new friends.

Chris making friends with little people.

Sandra pointing out the dangers of laying with your nose so close to another grey's butt. Pheww!

Getting sleepy.

Chris showing how tolerant he is of being manhandled.

Sweet Bob is still waiting for his cat-free forever home.

Portland Nursery Adoption Event

2009-08-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

We're very excited about this Saturday because we're been invited to host an adoption event at Portland Nursery! If you have never been there they have an amazing selection of plants and some really great and helpful staff. There is going to be at least one class, starting at 1pm, on pet-friendly gardening with a Q&A session afterwards so if you have trouble with your dogs making your yard into a play area instead of being a relaxing outdoor retreat you'll probably get some great ideas on how to make it a multi-purpose space that you and your greyhounds can enjoy! Portland Nursery always invites people to bring their well-behaved dogs, so break out the leashes and come say hi :) This is not the event you want to miss, the staff at the nursery got really excited when we approached them with this idea so lets make it a huge success!

Where: Portland Nursery
Address: 5050 SE Stark St., Portland
When: Saturday August 22nd
Time: 11am - 2pm

Welcome Plane!

2009-08-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Make room on the landing strip for Plane! He's a sweetheart of a boy who will be celebrating his fourth birthday in less than a month. Plane shares some of his father's personality quirks, he's unnerved by flying insects and runs away from them, he is goofy and he's extremely affectionate. While Plane would prefer a home without small animals he's otherwise perfect.

Name: Plane

Racing name: Power Plane

Weight: 72 pounds

Color: Brindle

Born: September 12th, 2005

Tre Bone, Saturday!

2009-08-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Everyone is welcome to join us for our adoption event at Tre Bone this weekend. It's an awesome community-oriented shop in North Portland's trendy St. John's neighborhood. Come say hi and make a few new friends!

Where: Tre Bone

Address: 8326 N Lombard St.

When: Saturday August 15th

Time: 11 am - 2 pm

Sam and Boo agree, Hard-Boiled Softies Rock!

2009-08-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Sam's mom ready yesterday's blog post and wrote in on his behalf to tell us how much he likes Huey, Boris Bee's hedgehog cousin! Huey is Sam's favorite toy as you can see in the photos below :)

Sam spending some quality time with Huey.

Huey tastes delicious!

Sam and Huey take a well deserved nap.

* This review is not an endorsement by Oregon Greyhound Adoption, it reflects the experience of one individual. Please use your best judgment when giving toys to your pets and allow access only when you can supervise their play time to avoid accidental ingestion toys of parts thereof.

Toys!

2009-08-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest things to do as a greyhound parent is to find a toy that keeps your dog engaged. Greyhounds are such big fuzzy slugs by nature that they seem to lose interest in the toys rather quickly, either they eviscerate them immediately to forget they exist in about twenty-four hours. Well, our good friend Symon, the proprietor of Furever Pets, recommended this absurb looking bee. He knows that our dogs like the toys that have a funny deep squawk and this one fits the bill. It is essentially an oversized rubber squeeker with a balistic nylon backed fuzzy covering.

In this case we ended up with Boris Bee. Boris Bee came home on Tuesday and he hasn't had a moment's rest. Boo and Boris Bee woke me up yesterday morning and this morning, I find him all over the house, on the sofa, in various crates, on my bed, in the dog beds, just about everywhere but the refrigerator! He's been such a hit around here that I went back to get Petey Penguin today.

Boo and Boris recovering from an intense round of playing.

Boris and his squeeker united.

Boris and his squeeker side-by-side.

Generosity abounds!

2009-08-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

On behalf of all the pups in the kennel we would like to thank those people who generously left donations in the care of Furever Pets! As a volunteer run organization 100% of your donations go directly to the dogs. To make things easier, should you wish to make a monetary donation you can do so by clicking on the gold colored "Donate" button on our homepage. With your help our all of our adoptable dogs can relax in the pool throughout the summer!

We appreciate the following anonymous donations:

155 pounds of kibble

4 boxes of treats

A comfy bed

A water bowl

Leashes

Towels

Thank you for your support!

It's heating up!

2009-07-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

With temperatures soaring we all need to be extra conscientious of our pets. Unlike us, dogs do not sweat, they pant to reduce their internal temperature but it is not nearly as efficient a cooling system as we possess. That make it even more essential that we take precautions to protect our pets when the temperatures rise. A rise in your dog's temperature of just five degrees above normal can result in nerve damage, heart problems, organ failure and death. Here are some simple precautions you can take to make the heat less oppressive for your hound.

1. Never leave your dog in the car in warm weather. Even in the shade on mild days the temperature in your care can easily reach ten to twenty degrees above the ambient temperature. What's more, cracking the windows has little effect. To make matters worse, as the car heats up dogs are likely to panic when causes them to aggitated and restless when increase their metabolism and causes them to pant thereby compounding the perceived heat. During this time of year just leave your dogs at home unless the car ride is all about them (i.e. a trip to the vet).

2. Keep clean fresh water available at all times. It is important for your dog to keep hydrated, especially during these hot spells.

3. Confine the most vigerous exercise to the early mornings and late evenings when the temperatures are lower. Dogs can suffer from heatstroke if they over-exert themselves during the hottest parts of the day. With this insufferable heat it is best to close your dog doors while you are gone so that there is no unsupervise place during the hottest hours of the day. It's better to come home to a puddle than to a dog that has collapsed from the heat.

4. Be aware that the sidewalks and asphalt may be very hot. Although their pads offer some protection it isn't the same as that offered by your Nikes so if you have to be out on the sidewalk plan your walk on a shady route and encourage your dogs to walk on the grass.

5. Your dog can get sunburns too! White and black dogs are especially susceptible and you may not even know they're burned until you give them a hug and they yelp of scream. Do not use sunscreens (or insect repellants) made for humans which may cause neurological problems; there are specially formulated sunscreens for dogs that are fragrance free, non-staining and hypoallergenic. While I have no experience with them to two brands that seem to predominate are made by Doggles and by Epi-Pet.

6. Update your dog's vaccinations and apply flea control. Illnesses like parvovirus flourish in hot weather and if you take your dogs to areas frequented by other dogs it is best to ensure that they are up-to-date on their vaccinations. While parvo is rarely fatal to health adult dogs it is extremely serious in puppies, seniors and those dogs with pre-existing health problems. The hot weather also stimulates rises in the flea population so be proactive and treat your dogs now.

7. For those of us without airconditioning it is important to keep the air moving, even when you're not at home. Make sure that you have a number of fans on before you leave (and when you're at home) that are set to keep the air moving in the places where your dog tends to relax. It will help them keep cool and provide some peace of mind while you're gone.

8. Double-check the screens on your windows. If you leave your windows open it is important to ensure that they have tight-fitting and secured screens on them. Dogs may try to find cooler areas to escape to and if you leave windows open and the outside air is preferable to the air inside your dog may try to escape.

9. Artificial sweat can keep you cool! While dogs don't sweat they can benefit from the effect of sweat and the easiest way to achieve this is to to use a spraybottle to mist them down. All of a sudden those fans you have set up around the house seem so much more effective! You can also give you dog a child's wading pool to cool off in but access should be limited to when you are present to surpervise. Remember, if the pool has been sitting out all day in the sun the water is likely to be quite warm so check it before you let your pup jump in, you may have to pour a little out and add some cold water to make it more comfortable.

10. Identifying heatstroke. According to Dr. Lila Miller, ASPCA Vice President of Veterinary Outreach, "symptoms of overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees." If you observe these symptoms move your dog from the hot area immediately. Prior to maing the trip to your veterinarian, lower his temperature by wetting him thoroughly with cool water while increasing air movement with a fan. Using very cold water may be counterproductive. Cooling too quickly and especially allowing his body temperature to become too low can cause other life-threatening medical conditions. Once the body temperature is 103ºF, the cooling measures should be stopped and the dog should be dried and taken to the vet. Even if your dog appears to be recovering, take him to your veterinarian as soon as possible as he may be dehydrated or have other complications.

Welcome Maui!

2009-07-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sweet like pineapple, we've got a new boy in the kennel, Maui. He is a happy wiggly guy and enjoy cuddling, long walks at sunrise and sunset, and fine dining. Maui is looking for an active family and would do best without cats or small fluffy dogs, they look like big moving toys and he doesn't want to get into trouble if there is any confusion.

Name: Maui

Racing name: Cayenne Mauiwowi

Weight: 74 pounds

Color: Brindle

Born: December 3rd, 2005

If Maui sounds good but you're looking for a pup with a little more meat on their bones and a more relaxed approach to life consider his brother, Wahoo. Mr. Hoo is a big sweet lump and would be better suited to a quiet relaxed home than his fun-loving brother.

Thanks Furever Pets!

2009-07-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

We would like to express our gratitude to our wonderful hosts at Furever Pets and to all the people who came to meet our adoptable greyhounds, thank you!

It was a really pleasant day to be out talking to folks about the joys of having a hound in your life. The sun was shining but we had plenty of shade and a nice breeze to keep us comfortable. There was even live music across the street!

We talked to a number of people about how wonderful greyhounds are as pets and at times we even have anecdotal evidence as some familiar faces and happy adoption alumni showed up to let all the volunteers see how well they're doing!

Thank you Symon, Furever Pets and all the folks out on Broadway yesterday, we had a great day!

Bob getting a little love.

Snoop being hand-fed ice cubes.

Rally checking out the fake dog, just to be sure...

Deal (left, adoption alumn) and Bob (right) becoming fast friends.

Head-scritches for Bob.

And more head-scritches for Bob.

Rally relaxing after a long afternoon of being endearing.

Snoop watching what's going on while expending as little effort as possible.

Find us on Facebook

2009-07-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Love it or hate it, Facebook is taking over. We love Facebook and now you can find Oregon Greyhound Adoption there as well. Upcoming events will be posted, photos, and discussion available for you to chime in on.

If you have never been to Facebook set aside some time to check it out, reconnect with old friends and get your greyhound fix all at the same time. Hope to see you there!

Three Sweet Brothers

2009-07-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

In April we had an entire litter become available for adoption at the same time and since then we've adopted out five of the eight that we received. The remaining three have watched their mother find a home and their brothers and sisters leave so now it is their turn. As with so many things in life, we've saved the best for last!

The first of the brothers is Some. His long elegant build is very much like his mother's and he mirrors her personality, Some is sweet but rather quiet given that he is just shy of two years old. He walks very nicely and would be a great companion for someone with a lifestyle suited to his occassional youthful exuberance and his adoration of people. Some has an unhealthy interest in cats so, please, no small animals for this handsome guy.

Ironically, the next of the brothers is Next. He's a confident boy whose dignified demeanor is broken by his bursts of puppy energy. Next is friendly and outgoing and will make someone a fantastic companion. Like his brother Some, Next would do best in a relatively active home without small animals.

The last of the trio is Quick. He's built like his father, short and stocky. Quick is prone to bouncy kissy excitement around new people so he will need someone to teach him the proper way to make new human friends but it is all born of his love of people. This little man makes wonderful eye-contact and is eager to please but has the attention span typical of a young greyhound, it's on the short side. Quick is a goofy monkey and will entertain you for years to come. He can live with small animals so long as his interactions are supervise, he is the quintessential curious puppy!

Adoption Event on Saturday

2009-07-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Join us Saturday at Furever Pets for the Broadway Sidewalk Sale and meet some wonderful greyhounds! Furever Pets has been a fantastic supporter so come out and show your support for the businesses that help us thrive!

Where: Furever Pets

Address: 1902 NE Broadway St., Portland

When: Saturday July 18th

Time: 11am - 2pm

Feeding your pet

2009-07-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

It goes without saying that we love our dogs. They bring joy into our lives and for that we do our best to give them the very best. We buy our dogs toys, treats, fancy collars, and high quality food but often don't give much thought to what we use to feed them, their bowl.

For years I have been using generic stainless steel non-tip bowls (you know, the kind that look like steel volcanos with a plastic ring around the bottom). They have worked fine but required more scrubbing because of the brushed finish and the non-skid rings fell off when I washed them after every meal. Plus, I disliked them because they take up so much space in the dishwasher.

So I decided it was time for new bowls and there are a lot of options. The ceramic bowls look nice but they're very heavy and I worry about durability not just because greyhounds are big dogs but also because I tend to be rather clumsy. Having ruled out ceramic bowls I then looked at plastic bowls. They are strong, come in a variety of colors, have a nice weight to them and you can even buy some that are made, in part, from recycled materials. My big concern is that plastics are rather soft and with repeated scrubbing they will scratch which not only makes it harder to clean but can trap food particles and lead to a buildup of bacteria. This can cause some health problems in cats although thus far it seems to have no effect on dogs. For me, it wasn't worth the risk so the only remaining option was stainless steel.

I hate the tinny-cheap feeling of a lot of stainless steel bowls so I went to half a dozen pet stores looking for the perfect bowl. I wanted a regular flat-bottom bowl that had a good heft and hopefully was non-skid so it didn't get pushed around during meal times. What I ended up with were Durapet Bowls. They are a heavy-guage stainless steel bowl with a permanently bonded soft rubber ring around the bottom. The inside of the bowl is mirror polished making cleaning really quick and easy and they're dishwasher safe if you are so inclined.

Picking the right sized bowl is also important. If your dog eats really quickly and is prone to choking or gaging a larger bowl is preferable. My greyhounds are relatively civilized so I bought the 40 ounce bowls with should be more than large enough for an average sized greyhounds. I feed a combination of home-cooked food and kibble. Keep in mind that home-cooked food has a much high moisture content than kibble and with the recipe I gave previously 1 cup of home-cooked food has a nutritional content similar to 1/2 cup of premium kibble. The 40 ounce bowl is just right for my high-stress 80 pound boy who literally eats twice as much as other greyhounds his size.

The neat thing is that Durapet also makes a bowl specifically designed to slow down fast eaters. It is essentially the same as their regular bowl except that there is a bulge in the middle kind of like a bunt-pan so the dog has to eat around the obstacle. Click here and here to be taken to a website where you can get more information or order the bowls.

* This review is not an endorsement by Oregon Greyhound Adoption, it reflects the experience of one person only. All information contained is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

The Starbucks Kids

2009-07-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our sweet boy Mocha went home a while ago and we have pictures on him with his sister enjoying life on his very own goat farm. Mocha is the handsome black boy and his litter-sister is Coco, the rare and beautiful dun (brown) girl.

As an aside, dun is genetically similar to the blue color we see on occassion in greyhounds but is even more uncommon. However, the most important thing to know about Coco is she's an absolute sweetheart :)

Walk this Weekend!

2009-07-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Greyhound Walking Club's monthly pedestrian adventure is this Sunday! Leash up your goofy grey and join them for a walk though Portland's lovely Irvington neighborhood.

When: Sunday July 12th

Time: 11am

Where: Fernwood Middle School (NE 33rd and Hancock), at the field around the back

Questions? A link to this month's announcement can be found here.

Lovely Layla in Living it Up in Alaska

2009-07-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight we just wanted to share some photos of our most recent greyhound to make the trip to Alaska! She is living with Jack whose people are the proprietors of Paw Prince. These photos were taken after being in her home for less than 24 hours which just proves that greyhounds are quick learners :)

Averting a 4th of July Nightmare

2009-06-29T07:35:00.001-07:00

We're just days away from celebrating Independence Day so it's time to go through your home safety checklist. First and foremost, know your dog! If you have brought a new greyhound (or any dog for that matter) home in the past year it is probably best to ensure that someone is going to be home to supervise their reaction to the inevitable fireworks and firecrackers that are going to be set off for the 4th of July.

Dr. Ilana Reisner at the University of Pennsylvania School fo Veterinary Medicine reports that:

Dogs can respond with profound fear to loud, booming noises such as thunder or fireworks. In fact, some dogs appear to develop a worsening fear over time that eventually is characterized as a phobia. Noise-phobic dogs can respond with extreme efforts to escape the noise. What starts as mild signs of distress, such as pacing, trembling and panting, can develop into chewing and digging at points of exit, particularly if the dogs are alone at home. It is not unusual for unsuspecting owners to come home to extraordinary destruction of doorways, windows and other routes of "escape" Dogs with severe noise phobias have even been known to chew through drywalls and jump through plate glass windows.

How can you tell if your dog is having an adverse reaction to fireworks? Generally you will see any of the following behaviors: panting, pacing, trembling, and clinginess.

Here are some recommendations for helping your dog to cope.

1. Do not take your dog out for any of the Independence Day festivities. Even if fireworks do not normally upset them the cumulative effect of the percussion of explosions, the crowds of people, the excited voices and exposure to new places can cause unforeseen dismay in your greyhound. It is best to leave them safely at home.
2. Close the doggie door! Generally speaking, we don't recommend doggie doors because you can't supervise your dog's time outside but we understand that they help many families and are a necessary evil. On days like the 4th of July you HAVE to close it. While your greyhound may not have shown you how easily they can escape from your yard the stess of the holiday may be the encouragement they need make their escape. Once in "flight" mode your 45 mile per hour cuddle pup will run and run and run until exhaustion.
3. If you already know that your dog is upset by fireworks make an appointment with your vet to discuss options. While we should all hesitate to medicate our pets unncessarily it is better that they are medicated and safe that paniked and injure themselves in the process.
4. Did you keep up on crate training when you brought your dog home? Great! Then set the crate up again tonight and start feeding them in it. A crate will provide you dog with a safe place in your home to retreat to if they get upset and should the noise and chaos cause a little incontinence at least it is contained in one area.
5. Separate your dogs! We all know that greyhounds are addictive so if you have a multi-dog household you should take measures to protect them from each other. Yes, I know they've lived together forever and have never had a problem before but perhaps you have some new neighbors or have moved to a new house. If there is something new this year that makes this 4th of July especially stressful you can not know how your dog will react. Their canine companion could startle them at precisely the wrong moment and get bitten out of fear. It happens so if you can't separate them break out the basket muzzles we sent home with you do that no one needs a trip to the emergency vet.
6. Check their collar and identification. Make sure that the collar is nice and snug so that if you dog somehow escapes they can be identifed and returned to you.

If you are planning on being home remember that in times to stress you should avoid the impulse to comfort your dog. Under these conditions comforting them only serves to reinforce the behavior. The best thing to do is to try to distract them and if that doesn't work then encourage them to find a safe place to hide. While we tend to believe it is best to confront our fears if your greyhounds chooses to hide at least you know where they will be and so long as they feel safe the will not get hurt. Sometimes music can help to distract your dog from the fireworks or at least reduce the impact they have on your dog.

Play it safe and happy 4th of July!

Give back to the canine community!

2009-06-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know your greyhound may be able to help save the lives of other dogs? Greyhounds frequently are universal donors and because they tend to have more red blood cells than other breeds they are ideal candidates to give blood.

While there are other entities that keep a blood bank the one we are most familiar with is at NW Veterinary Specialists. The ideal donor is 55 pound or heavier, friendly, and between 1 and 8 years old. They must be in good health, up to date on their vaccinations and have no prior history of transfusions or pregnancy.

To prove it's not scary I went along with Toby, Jackson and Dusty when they went in last month to be screened for eligibility.

Dr. Houchen and her assisting vet tech come out to the car to help unload the dogs. Please note Dusty's graceful exit from the car.

The boys are then given time to acclimate to the exam room while the doctor asks some questions about their medical history.

Copious affection ensues.

The children are examined.

Blood is drawn.

And the pups are showered with cookies!

Then yet more affection.

Followed by a little paperwork.

Finally they are given more treats before they get back in the car to await their lab results to see if they are eligible to be a blood donor.

See? It's easy to help!

Bye bye sweet Line

2009-06-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

We're happy to announce that Line has gone home! He's a sweetheart of a guy and he really hit the jackpot with his new family. Be good little man!

Wahoo!

2009-06-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

This big handsome boy is Wahoo and he is Killa's brother. Wahoo is one of the largest boys we've had in quite a while, although he isn't tall he's very stoutly built. Despite his size Wahoo is a very sweet and gentle guy that would probably do very well with children. He is a pointy cuddley greyhound love but needs a home without cats.

Name: Wahoo
Racing name: Cayenne Wahoo
Color: Red brindle
Weight: 83 pounds
Born: December 3rd, 2005

Invasion of the house Fly

2009-06-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Meet Fly! She's one of eight littermates that came into the adoption program at the same time. Like her littermates, she just didn't make the cut so she never raced. Unlike her littermates, Fly is a little bit reserved but this makes her look for the approval of people more than her sweet dopey brothers and sisters. Fly would prefer a quiet home where she can gain confidence without feeling overwhelmed. Cat and small dogs are fine with Fly, the more the merrier!

Name: Fly

Racing name: Jab N Fly

Color: Dark brindle

Weight: 58 pounds

Born: August 1, 2007

Walk this Sunday

2009-06-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

This Sunday is the Greyhound Walking Club's June outing. Although the club is not associated with Oregon Greyhound Adoption they have made it clear that all are welcome so it doesn't matter where your greyhound came from, now that the weather has mellowed it is a great time for a long walk. This month the walk is in Laurelhurst in southeast Portland.

When: Sunday June 14th
Time: 11 am, rain or shine
Where: Laurelhurst Park, SE 39th Ave. and Stark St.
Inquiries can be made here.

It's all about Shelly!

2009-06-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

This week we're featuring Shelly! At six years old she's got a lot of spunk left but mostly she would like someone to cuddle up with on the couch. Shelly would probably be fine as an only dog but would also do well in a multi-dog household so long as there aren't small dogs, they're just too tasty looking and she wouldn't want to spoil her diet. Hold the kitties too, Shelly would prefer other large dogs for companions.

When we took her out to romp and play and ham it up for the camera Shelly was more interested in doing her impression of velcro, she was always stuck to someone's side. Thinking she might play a big our friendly stuffed reindeer volunteered to try to get Shelly's interest and he did, briefly. He flew through the air and Shelly chased him but when he landed and made not further bid for freedom all interested evaporated and Shelly globbed herself back on to someone's side. On well, she's a lover and we like that about her :)

Name: Shelly
Racing name: Lark's Shelbourne
Weight: 64 pounds
Color: Red
Born: March 24th, 2003

Mr. Smith is up for adoption

2009-06-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

How about a warm welcome for Smith? He's the brother of Company and Comet who have already found their forever homes and Smith is every bit as delightful as his brothers. When he gets his daily outings with the other dogs if you don't give him sufficient attention he likes to walk between your legs and look up at you expectantly. We adore this goofy boy and whoever takes him home will be very lucky!

Name: Smith
Racing name: Ultimate Command
Color: Brindle
Weight: 67 pounds
Born: August 10th, 2004

Me Next!

2009-06-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Happy June! Pasha is back enjoying life on his sofa and his secretary is taking a break so we now return to our regular blog format. Thank you to everyone who visited with our senior ladies, we still have a number of lovely mature women who would love a home.

During Adopt-A-Senior Month we gave the young'uns a miss but there are have been a number of dogs who have come into our program. This little man is Next, he and the rest of his litter failed training miserably but are ready to be your new best friend. Now, although he failed as a racer Next promises to make a great companion and he's showing promise already!

Name: Next
Racing name: Jab Me Next
Color: Brindle
Weight: 65 pounds
Born: August 1st, 2007

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you have already adopted a senior greyhound, you totally ROCK!

If you're thinking about adopting a senior greyhound, you'll be rockin' soon.

And if you have never thought about adopting a senior greyhound, it's time to start thinking.

If you read all of the stories, you heard over and over again what wonderful, easily adaptable companions they make.

We could have posted a hundred stories about adopting a senior, but they would have been the same story, just theme and variation.

Our adopt a senior month ends today, but we will always have seniors available for adoption.

This is Rover Reporter Pasha, signing out after a whole month of special reports. I'll be back.

Good Night, and Good Luck.
Hugs and sloppy wet kisses, Pasha

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

The second best reason to adopt a senior greyhound is that they settle in so well with an already established pack.

They have already learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of the pack.

This is the Double-digit gang that I belong too.

Murphy, the big black boy was adopted when he was four years old, he'll be 11 years old June 10.

Roxy, the white and red female was adopted when she was nine years old, she'll be turning 13 in September.

Duncan, the white and red male was adopted when he was six years old. He just turned 10 in April.

Maddie, the red brindle female was adopted just shy of her eighth birthday, she'll be turning 14 next January.

Then there's me, Pasha, I was adopted at 12 1/2 years old and I just had my 13th birthday in April.

Last but not least is Buddy, the red fawn boy. He was 6 1/2 years old when he was adopted. In November he'll be turning 12.

And rumor has it next month there will be another girl turning 10 years old.

We also live with a couple of youngsters and we all do just fine. So if you are wondering about bringing home a new hound. Here is proof positive. Us seniors do great with other doggies.

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

The memories of love and companionship with your senior greyhound will stay with your for a lifetime, no matter how long they are with you.

Gracie came to us at 10 years old and we lost her all too quickly to cancer 14 months later. Not a day goes by that I don't have happy thoughts about Gracie and every other senior that we have helped to the rainbow bridge.

We still have five senior ladies waiting for their forever homes. May is almost over, but every day of the year is a greyt day to adopt a senior greyhound.

Miss Oneco ala Bear, so what if I'm ten?

2009-05-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

When one of our wonderful boys was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, we put in a call to our adoption rep and said that we would like a special needs greyhound.

Oneco was celebrating her 10th birthday at the adoption kennel after an impressive racing career and an even more impressive career as a mom with 21 babies. She was a very special girl, but there wasn't anything special needs about her.

Oneco waltzed into the house as if she had always been in a home, we were her first. She knew what a cushion was, turned her belly to the sky and we all knew it was the perfect fit.

Oneco instantly became mesmerized by the cats. She would sit by their door for hours, just hoping for a tasty morsel ala kitty. She never got her taste, but she proudly carried her membership card in the "United Federation of Cat Zappers" thanks to Thaw and Time who took her under their wings and taught her everything they knew about cats.

The pools were there for Oneco's delight. She loved the pools, especially in the heat of the summer. Fresh water daily was a must, and we did what we could to make sure she always had fresh water.

Oneco knew what the grassy acre was for, she was frequently seen leading the pack, a most impressive sight. This little girlie was supposed to be a senior. Just one more example of how age is only a number.

Oneco immediately joined ranks with our other senior girl Phoebe. The only two garden hounds that were in their golden years, they quickly decided that they were not going to called senior greyhounds.

Together, Oneco and Phoebe were the founding members of the "Double-digit Gang." They told everyone that is was an honor to be a member of the gang. To this day, we celebrate every dog when they become a member.

Oneco was quite the little social bug. If there had been a bingo parlour for greyhounds, I have no doubt that she would have been there every day.

Instead, Oneco started the charter for the lady greyhounds of the gardens and they call themselves the "Red Hot Houndies." Per tradition, the ladies over 10 wear red and purple, the ladies under 10 wear pink and lavender.

Oneco was 14 years and 4 months when her little body gave up on her spirit. She took a huge chunk out of our hearts, we loved her so. She was a favorite at the adoption kennel and I think a piece of everyone's heart that knew her was taken away too.

Oneco is just one more great example of why adopting a senior greyhound is such a great idea.

She was loving and fun and really quite spunky all the way to the end.

We will forever miss our little Oneco ala Bear

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Senior greyhounds move in and are instant companions. They are ready for a walk or a ride or to snuggle all of the time.

Foxy Roxy, spunky, happy and perfect

2009-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Adopt a senior month is winding down and what a month we have had.

Three of our senior girls found forever homes and their families couldn't be happier.

Roxy tells the story we hear over and over again. Senior greyhounds adapt easy, they're loving and well, they are just perfect.

We still have five ladies waiting. Give us a call or send us an e-mail, it will be one of the best decisions you ever made.

In November we lost Edie 8 to a stroke and Phoebe 14 to cancer. We were devastated to lose our ladies but weren't really look to adopt again for awhile. And then, Roxy showed up on the Oregon Greyhound website.

One look at her cute little overbite and we knew she was ours. Roxy came home January 8, 2006, just a few months past her 9th birthday.

She walked in the house, looked around, rolled over on her back and knew she was forever home. Talk about an easy dog to adapt. Roxy has never given us any problems. She's had a couple of dentals and has a slight heart murmer, but even it has not changed in three years.

Roxy has 75 races under her belt and upon retiring entered her second career having 15 beautiful babies.

Roxy has always been a very social greyhound and immediately joined the Red Hot Houndies and is a card carrying member in the Double-Digit Gang.

Roxy is always the happiest with her family, but second best is the fenced acre where she can roam and sniff the air for hours.

Roxy has been a complete delight. She loves to go for car rides and is actually quite a little trooper when it comes to a nice long hike in the woods. She keeps right up with us and never shows any hesitation.

Roxy will be 13 in September, but she's spunky and happy and well, Roxy is absolutely perfect.

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

They look pretty in pink.

Doesn't matter which color you surround a senior greyhound in, they look greyt.

Walk with your buddies!

2009-05-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Greyhound Walking club is a great opportunity to get your hounds out and to socialize with their friends all at the same time. This is not an Oregon Greyhound Adoption event, it is coordinated by two greyhound nuts and all are welcome. May's event was on Mother's Day with is rather fitting as May is national Adopt A Senior Month and most of the senior greyhounds waiting for homes have been mothers themselves!

Here are some photos taken from the walk earlier this month by one of our volunteers.

One week left for adopt a senior month

2009-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

One week to go for adopt a senior month!

The ladies have their goodie bags packed and ready to go home with them.

STAM treats (www.stamtreats.com)
Discount coupon for massage by Rubi (www.HealNW.com)
Synovi G3 joint supplement (www.tevaanimalhealth.com)
PhyCox joint supplement (www.tevaanimalhealth.com)
Discount coupon for a custom-made greyhound coat (www.greytoutdoors.com)
When I Am Older booklet & coupon for a free sample of Get Up & Go (www.greyhoundgang.com)
Fancy martingale collar (donated by a couple of loving volunteers)
Stuffie (donated by a loving volunteer)
Paw Prince donated stuffies for the senior goody bag. www.pawprince.net

Madeline sweet girl of mine

2009-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Maddie came to stay with us as a house guest just shy of her 8th birthday. I met another volunteer in a parking lot to pick her up. I remember reaching down to pet her and feeling how soft her coat was. She was just like petting a rabbit, I'm pretty sure my fingers got lost in her coat and it was somewhere between her shoulder blades and her tail that I instantly knew "house guest" meant for the rest of her life.

Maddie walked in the house, looked and around said "OK, I'll take that bed." She did and nearly 5 years later, it is still her bed or at least a new one in that very same place.

Maddie is on the downhill side to 14 now, but you would never know it by looking at her. Her face is a little whiter, but it looks very natural. Only her hairdresser knows for sure.

She is still as spunky as the day we brought her home, maybe even more so now because she knows the world is truly her oyster.

She had a short racing career and then went back into the workforce with a litter of pups. When she entered retirement, she wrapped all four paws around it and enjoyed it to the fullest.

She was pure puppy when she came home. Shredding toilet paper was a daily adventure. But as I recall, the chewed shoes, cell phone and wallet were all an eye-opening experience.

We laughed as we quickly learned to change our behavior because our almost 8 year old puppy was going to test the limits.

Maddie remained a foster for about a month, it quickly became clear to us that she didn't want to go anywhere and we didn't want her going anywhere.

We never really thought of her as a senior, we still don't. Age is only a number.

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Senior greyhounds are never too old to roll in the grass and just be silly.

Picker was 12 1/2 years old when we took this picture. He loved the cool grass.

There are only 10 days left for our adopt a senior month. We still have five ladies-a- waiting.

These ladies have so much joy and love to give, give us a call... come and meet these beautiful girls.

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Age is only a number. At 10 years old, Buddy loved to chase his stuffies around the acre. At 11 years old, Buddy was still out there running like a youngster. And now, at almost 12 years old, Buddy still likes to run with the rest of the dogs.

Buddy doesn't count his age in years, he just looks at his birthday a day for extra treats.

Ahem, we only have 10 days left of our fabulous adopt a senior month. These five ladies are still looking for their forever home.

They will only take up a small place in your home and trust me, your heart will be the happiest it has ever been once one of these ladies have wrapped thier paws around it.

Jammer, an endearing eccentric old lady

2009-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's story is very special.

Adopting a senior is a journey. From the moment a senior enters your house, your life and your heart change forever. Every journey is different and you never know what lies around the next bend.

Jammer came into her momma's life at the age 0f 10 1/2 years. The vet thought they might get to share one year together if they were lucky, instead they gave each other over four of the best years together.

Jammer has taken a piece of her momma's heart with her, but she didn't make her heart smaller, she gave it room to grow.

Jammer came to live with her family at age 10 ½. She is now 14 years, 9 months. All things considered, vet bills for Jammer have not been particularly extraordinary, but it HAS been a slow and steady dribble of this and that.

Jammer has been, and continues to be, very determined and steely (by the way, her race name was Steele Jammin).

Jeff saved Jammer from the Longview animal shelter after she had wandered out of her yard. Her adoptive mom just never came looking for her! She was skinny and covered with fleas. Jammer’s had to endure some other bad experiences in her past, too, so she’s hanging on to this happy ending as long as she can. Jammer’s like that little old white haired lady who can swing a mean cane.

She keeps her “younger” (8 ½ and 10 ½ ) sisters in line and remains the boss lady of the house.

An endearing image, that I am fortunate enough to still see repeated, is of Jammer digging holes to China in the soft soil out behind a garden bench. Dirt will be flying from behind the bench, then it will stop, and this sweet and tragicomic little white face will pop up and peep out between the slats in the bench. “Are you watchin’?” “I’m somethin’ , aren’t I?”
Yes, Jammer…you are indeed.

"Jammer leaves behind many lives that she has touched through her tremendous spirit and goofy personality. I don't think any of us will forget her obsession with sniffing door handles and her sweet snaggle tooth. Despite her age and her apparent poor health Jammer had many happy years in the Sale household, sharing it with a number of senior girls and at the cutting edge of endearing eccentric old lady behavior. She was a joy to be around and will be sorely missed."

Steele Jammin • July 12, 1994-May 19, 2009

Huggable, lovable, gentle, spunky, sweet and charming girl

2009-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Is ready for her forever home!

I think it is time we had a little talk. Ma petite amie, Sassy is looking for a forever home.

Now I know she is wonderful, but I just thought I would ask a few of her other friends what they think about her.

Debra Sassy has the most wonderfully rich and soft fur, she is irresistible to touch and hug!

Vicki Just look into my eyes, all I'm asking for is a loving home, and I'll return tenfold all the love you give me

Rosanna Sassy is a sweet, gentle lady with an outgoing personality. She melts your heart when she tilts that little face to look up at you with her beautiful brown eyes.

Jeff She's a pistol! At almost 11 years old Sassy has the spunk of a much younger lady. She's waited patiently for her home and is EVER so good that she's even decided that she will live with feline roommates as long as she gets a couch!

Carolyn Sassy is sweetness!

Karen Sassy is specially mellowed with age (vintage charmer), but still has plenty of energy and love to give to someone special.

Christine Moon face. I don’t know why…that’s what just popped into my head. Her face is very round, as are her deep brown eyes.

“Did it take long to find me
I ask the faithful light
Ooh did it take long to find me
And are you going to stay the night
I'm being followed by a moon shadow
moon shadow - moon shadow
leaping and hopping on a moon shadow
moon shadow - moon shadow”
Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens)

Je t'aime, ma chérie

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day on Saturday and Petopia was an awesome host, but we still brought all of our ladies back to the kennel.

Give us a call or shoot us an e-mail, we'll be happy to work with you to find a time to meet one of our lovely senior ladies. Senior greyhound adoption goes the whole month of May, well we do it all year around, what am I talking about?

And if you're looking for my 8th great reason to adopt a greyhound, here you go:

Daily yoga keeps them in great shape.

Staci • The Gwyneth Paltrow of Greyhounds

2009-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Staci

We can hardly believe that Staci is already a ten-year-old senior. She certainly doesn’t act old. We adopted her just before she turned three. She is a very beautiful red and white greyhound, but we didn’t select her for that reason.

We had gone to a GPA picnic with our greyhounds Trixie and Sam, and had been thinking about adding a third grey. There were adoptable dogs in a large pen, and Trixie kept pulling us over to be near the red and white greyhound. It seemed that they made a connection with each other. Shortly after that Staci came to our home.

She was too pretty and sweet to keep her track name “State Law”, and we renamed her Staci. Being very smart, she watched what Trixie did and did the same. They always got along and Staci and Trixie were a harmonious trio with our gentle giant Sam.

Although Staci is comfortable with all greyhounds, she is particular about which humans she likes. She was quite shy in the beginning, but has gotten more accepting and relaxed over the years. She is still very playful and loves to vocalize. It doesn’t take much encouragement to get her to roo, and she has a pretty soprano which matches her girly looks.

Staci has always been a willing model for the dog coats I make, and she shows them off well. Our neighbor even says that her graceful beauty reminds him of Gwyneth Paltrow!

Just as Trixie picked out Staci for our family, Staci selected Trey. We went to the OGA kennel with her and walked around with many male greyhounds. His sweet playfulness appealed to her and made the choice easy. Even though Trey is four years younger, they are great playmates. They have the best fun running in our backyard. As a senior, she doesn’t match his stamina, but you’d never guess her age!

Today, Saturday May 16

2009-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

The sun will come out today and so will our 5 senior ladies. They are ready to meet you, charm you and steal your heart.

See you at Petopia Natural Pet Supplies
16101 SE Mcloughlin Blvd, Milwaukie, OR 97267
503.607.0111

Breaking News • Part deux!

2009-05-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

Holey Schmoley Portland! Looks like our third senior lady has a home. The news doesn't get much better than this. Corvallis (I did a little 'net search, her name is a Latin phrase meaning "Heart of the Valley") just stuck her little paws into the hearts of a potential adopter and it worked.

Way to go Corvallis. You be rockin' girlie.

Breaking News

2009-05-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Looks like this little heart breaker just might have a home! You go girlfriend!

That would be two beautiful ladies into a home for adopt a senior month.

Only six seniors left to find homes. Better hurry, they're going fast!

See you tomorrow from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Petopia Natural Pet Supplies
16101 SE Mcloughlin Blvd
Milwaukie, OR 97267
503.607.0111

Pasha hits the jackpot... twice

2009-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

OK, I'd like to see a show of paws, how many of you from Internet-land are coming to meet one of my lovely lady friends on Saturday? You know, we have seven lovely ladies looking for their forever home.

Trust me, this will be one of those decisions that you look back on and two things will happen:
1.) you'll wonder why you waited so cotton-pickin' long to adopt a greyhound and
2.) you'll know in your heart of hearts that adopting a senior greyhound was the best decision you have ever made.

So keep those paws in the air and we'll see you on Saturday.

What's that? You want to know my story, gosh, I thought you would never ask.

When I was just a young pup, I knew I wanted to be a writer. All of my littermates were running and playing tug-o'-war and I was devouring every book I could get a hold of.

When it was time to go to the track, I didn't want to run, I wanted to write. I wanted to tell the stories of the greyhounds winning their races, I wanted to talk about the dogs going into adoption groups...

Oh, that isn't the story you want to hear, you want to hear about my adoption story.

I was originally adopted as a two year old racetrack drop-out. I was adopted in Las Vegas. I hit the jackpot. My family loved me very, very much. They took me everywhere, family reunions, vacations, long walks and even to work. We moved around and I ended up in Portland for my golden years.

Last fall the announcement was made that another move was coming up and we were going to California. Sadly for me, at 12 1/2 years old, my body was not keeping up with my mind. I was getting weak in the hind end, stairs were not negotiable anymore and long walks, even around the block were difficult.

My family had to make some decisions.

That's where my new moms come in. Their lifestyle has completely gone to the dogs, so to speak. I could either move to California, where my walks might be painful and on concrete or I could go to the gardens, where I have a fenced acre of nothing but lush green grass to squish between my toes. I have a ramp that makes it easy for me to go in and out, and I have a million brothers and sisters to boss around.

My family loved me so much, that they knew I would be much better off if I stayed with my new moms. And I hit the jackpot for a second time.

Now, I don't run as fast as some of the youngsters, but I can still work up a head of steam.

I love nothing more than to lay in the grass and wander around the acre taking in all of the smells.

And when the evening comes, we all pile into the living room and I turn my tootsies to the air and relax.

I might mention that this is one of the big positives of greyhound adoption. We hope that every greyhound that is adopted goes to their forever home, but sometimes life happens. It only takes one phone call to an adoption group and you will have all of the support you need. And in my case, I had a new home to go to.

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Skinny-dipping is an option at any age.

Roxy, now almost 13 loves a cool dip in the pool on warm summer days.

Saturday's our big day.

Now it's up to you to find MI-A TADDY bit o' LOVE, enjoy a SASSY DREAM and WHISTLE all the way to CORVALLIS

A 10 1/2 year old super hound

2009-05-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping you remember that Saturday is our big day, our parade of available seniors. Seven seniors to be exact.

If you have read all of the stories so far, you're probably convinced that yes, there is room in your heart and your home for one of our best kept secrets.

But if you haven't, let me recap: they're loving and snuggly, wild and crazy, and they will adapt so fast, you'll never know they just arrived.

See you Saturday!

MEET MR. YAZ, almost 10 yrs.

My name is Silent Power, but you can call me Mr. Yaz.

I retired from the race track at 51/2 yrs. of age. My last race was The Night of Stars at Hollywood Race track. I was a very lucky guy, I got to fly home in a jet!

Once home I started learning all about being a lazy, loved house dog. I got to go on long walks and spend lots of time relaxing. I am now nearing the age of 10 yrs. and I am still a very handsome studley greyhound!

I have three girly roomies who spend lots of time being "cute" girls! But I just a need a good ear scritch, a nice walk and my couch to be happy. I am very attentive to my humans and love to lay on my couch with my head in their laps. And I, of course, have the most beautiful tenor voice you can imagine! I lead the girls in song when it is cookie time.

My only problem is that I am so afraid of flys - my humans have to be very careful about letting one of those nasty bugs in the house. If I see one, I will go to the bedroom closet and hide!

I only go outside when necessary, and when it's raining I can wait a very long time. The girls will go out and run around like silly girls do, I must stand on the deck and supervise their activities.

I am so athletic that I can still leap all 10 deck stairs in a single bound - I am SUPERHOUND!

See what a gorgeous senior boy I am.

Megan • Still a spunky hunter

2009-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Megan’s presence in my life has changed my thoughts 180°
about adopting a senior. They adapt so quickly
to home life and their youthfulness is unbelievable."

Phebe Johnson aka Megan

Phebe Johnson, affectionately known as Megan, Megs, Meggies, Nutmegan, Megan Louise, and Little Megs was my introduction to the best kept secret in the world of greyhounds – adopting the retired senior brood. Megan came to live with Thaw, Time and me at 3 months short of 8 years young. She had been a good racer and was a mom to three litters of pups resulting in 18 puppies.

Megan was nothing like what I expected from an 8 year old. This girl was full of herself and a bundle of energy. Megs and Time took to each other as if they had been best friends for years. They played and played and played together. Thaw thought that Megan, a petite, svelte-figured dark brindle, might want to date but she quickly told him where to go. Megan added a whole new dimension to the pack of three and they got along famously. Megan could clear the four foot walls in the backyard with a foot to spare. There were always critters to try and hunt down. Megan got Thaw, Time and several other cat zapper greyhounds to become card carrying members of the United Federation of Cat Zappers.

One day Megan graphically demonstrated her hunting skills. The four of us were on the back patio and all of sudden Megan took off, flew up to the second level of the yard and quickly returned to the patio with a mouse in her mouth. Its feet and tail were wiggling about – the mouse was alive. She was so proud of herself. I gently asked Megan to please drop the mouse. She paused for a moment and dropped the mouse but when Time tried to get the mouse, Megan quickly picked it up and would not drop it. After being told several times to “drop it,” Megan, with mouse in mouth, looked me in the eye and made one big swallow. No one was going to have her mouse.

Megan’s mothering skills were put to good use when Dusty, a young whippersnapper, came to live with the pack. He just wasn’t getting the fact that you need to go outside to go potty and you couldn’t go around acting like an unmannered puppy. Megan quickly took him under her wing and whipped him into shape. Megan, now 12, still keeps Dusty in line and he continues to adore her.

Living now with a pack of seven, Megan remains the alpha of the pack. When she speaks the other hounds listen. Megan is my bed buddy and the other hounds know that my bed is Megan’s throne. None of them would ever consider getting on the bed with Megan there. Megan continues to set the pace when walking with the other senior hounds – she is always in the lead. If you met Megan outside of her environment you would never know that Megs rules and the rest of the pack drools.

Megan continues to amaze me with her level of activity at the sweet age of 12. One thing that has changed is when the pack runs out to the backyard, she lets the younger ones lead and she now prefers to bring up the rear with Thaw and Time (now 11). She continues to remain the mom figure – if anyone lags behind she goes back in the house looking for them.

When three of Megan’s puppies came to live with us this year she gave me a look that said: “I told them to write when they got work, not to come home when they were unemployed.”

Megan’s presence in my life has changed my thoughts 180° about adopting a senior. They adapt so quickly to home life and their youthfulness is unbelievable. The love and adoration they bestow on you cannot be expressed in words. They have no idea of their years. We should all think like senior dogs – age is not a disease! Long live Megan!

Adopt a Senior – They Are The Very Best!

Pearl • A perfect gem

2009-05-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Her name was Pearl…actually it was Rosie (Nan de Rosie), but I changed it. Pearl let me know in no uncertain terms that she was not happy about the name change, even though I thought ‘Pearl’ perfectly suited her silver-gray brindle coat, and the fact that she was a perfect gem. Regardless, in her lifetime we compromised on Rosie-Pearl.

Pearl came home with me when she was almost nine years old, and left this world seven weeks short of her fourteenth birthday. She was able to die peacefully at home after a too short five years of retirement. I have to say that Pearl was the perfect dog…the essence of the regal, dignified greyhound image. She had huge, soft and soulful brown eyes and stilt-like legs that didn’t quit. She was sweet, gentle and all innocence in her demeanor.

Her perfection wasn’t evident as a ‘youthful’ nine year old. That first six months after adoption she could hardly contain her enthusiasm for chasing things. She would jump straight up onto retaining walls in pursuit of cats. Unfortunately for her, she would land on the top of the wall with her front and back foot FROM THE SAME SIDE atop the wall! Splat onto the sidewalk! I’m surprised she didn’t break legs and ribs in those first few formative months. Once, going after a squirrel while on leash, she managed to jump six feet off the ground into the fork of a tree! Not to mention the time, very soon after arriving home with me, she accidentally snapped open the clip of her leash and went running down the sidewalk into the darkness of the night. Lost! (I thought). But no, as I made my way home to get the car and go searching for her I found that she had circled around and found her way back to her new home all by herself. She was standing on the porch barking at the front door to be let in.

All her wild ways eventually became tempered with time and she became the proud, serene lady of her platinum years. The sparkle was replaced with a very special glow. Rosie, Pearl, Rosie-Pearl still shines.

Heather • First senior adoptee reports in

2009-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Rover Reporter Pasha: I'm here today in Beaverton Oregon with our first senior greyhound adoptee for Adopt-A-Senior month, Heather. So, Heather, news traveled fast when we heard that you had gone to your forever home - congratulations to you. What are your first impressions?

Heather: Thanks Pasha, it's great to be here. I gotta be honest - it's a weird place - for example, they have these things called mirrors - apparently they help you look at yourself, but it took me a little while to figure out that there wasn't another grey that just wouldn't get out of my way when I tried to walk past her --we kept bumping heads. It's also a lot more roomy and comfy - I pretty much have the run of the place, along with the 5 humans I live with and my nephew.

Pasha: Your nephew lives with you?

Heather: Yes, that was a pleasant surprise. When I first came here, one of the human girls took me around to the big run they call the back yard and there he was - Comet - and boy were we excited to see each other. I couldn't get quite as excited as he did because I still have the stitches from getting spayed in my belly.

Pasha: So, what do you think about being the first senior adopted for the month? What do you think your new family's perspective is on your age?

Heather: I think it's great, but I really would like to see the rest of the seniors find their forever home like me. We have a lot to offer, and we're still very young at heart. I met my new family at an adoption event, and I really charmed them there because I am such a lover dog. Age wasn't really a factor at all for them, it was all about my personality - in fact, they really weren't planning on having two greys at all - but I really won them over at that adoption event. They were more curious at how it was going to be to have a girl greyhound - obviously Comet is a boy, and they had another greyt hound that was a boy named Chuck before Comet came to live with them.

Pasha: How do you think you are fitting in with your new family?

Heather: Pretty well, I think. They have three human pups that love to pet and play with me, and are good about how they treat me, and the older humans also seem to enjoy my company. Apparently, I'm their first greyhound that has gotten up on the sofa - I think they'd seen pictures of greys on sofas, but for some reason neither Chuck nor Comet ever made use of their sofa. I can't understand why - it's really comfy, and you can put your head in the human's lap and they pet you for what seems like forever. It's greyt, and the humans seem to enjoy it too. I enjoy playing with Comet too - he has lots of toys (he's always loved squeekers), and he is totally open to sharing with me, which is fantastic. As we're getting more used to each other, we're playing more and more, both in the house and in the back yard. We did get up and play at 3:30 in the morning once in the house - I got the impression the humans weren't really pleased with that, but they were too groggy to do much about it...so we've only done that once.

Pasha: You were in the kennel for a long time, what has that done for your outlook on life?

Heather: Well, after I stopped working (racing and having pups), I did spend quite a bit of time in the adoption kennel - it's not unusual for seniors, you know. I think that time has really made me appreciate my forever home and family - and I think they can tell that. As I said, I am a bit of a lover dog - so I nuzzle them, lay my head on their lap, come over and see them often, lick their face when I get a chance, and I also make a lot of eye contact with them. I love the walks we go on all together, we meet lots of dogs in the neighborhood, see some cats (I really want to meet the cats, but the family won't let me get that close, and those darn cats just sit right where they are and stare at you), and a few horses and humans too. I guess what I'm saying is that my outlook is to get the maximum out of my new life - and I think I'm doing that. Now, don't get me wrong, getting the max still means a whole lot of couch time, but boy is that a greyt way to pass the time.

Pasha: Any last thoughts?

Heather: Well, as I mentioned, us seniors are a hidden treasure in the adoption pool - people do get too caught up on age. I'd like you to tell the humans to get to know a senior - with a minimal time investment, our personalities will win almost anyone over. I'm pretty confident my new family has totally fallen in love with me. I heard that the adoption event on May 16th will have a lot of seniors there, ready to meet the humans - they should all come and spend some time and get to know us. I'm trying to convince my family to drop by too, so I can see my old pals!

Pasha: Thanks Heather. This is Rover Reporter Pasha, signing out from Beaverton.

Adopt-a-Senior Month Event!A

2009-05-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

Join us at this lovely pet store in Milwaukie to meet our contingent of senior dogs in honor of Adopt-A-Senior month! We have some wonderful retired racers waiting for a family to take them home and spoil them completely rotten!

Where: Petopia
Address:16101 SE Mcloughlin Blvd, Milwaukie
When: Saturday May 16th
Time: 11am - 2pm

Pasha's 13 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Greyhound

2009-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Streaks of silver add a touch of elegance to an already perfect face.

Yes it is true, greyhounds age very greycefully, almost "kissed by moonlight."

We adopted Oneco when she was 10 years old. We don't know when her face became white, but we always thought she looked so soft and resembled a koala bear.

Next Saturday, May 16 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. is our big adoption event at Petopia Natural Pet Supplies, 16101 SE Mcloughlin Blvd., Milwaukie.

It's your big chance to adopt an elegant, wild and crazy, nature-loving couch potato.

A trickster from the very beginning

2009-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Trixie retired from her racing career and worked part-time as a blood donor. Greyhounds make perfect blood donors for a couple of reasons, many of them are universal donors and they have a very red blood cell count and carry more oxygen.

However, seniors are not an option for donating... donating is for the youngsters.

Trixie

In 1996 when we adopted Trixie she was a four-year-old red brindle with a white muzzle. That white muzzle fooled people into saying things like, “She must be a lot older than your other greyhound.” Actually our other greyhound, a fawn male named Mowgli, was three years older than Trixie.

Over the years while we continued to explain that Trixie had always had a white muzzle, she became an old greyhound, a very old greyhound. She lived for fifteen years, and crossed the Rainbow Bridge on February 15, 2007, the day after her birthday on Valentine’s Day.

During her long life, Trixie was truly a trickster and assumed different roles. Her breeder in Keota, OK said that he always waited until his greyhound pups were “a good size before naming them.” He chose the name Trixie for her, because she seemed more clever than her littermates. He also said that she “made it to the track,” racing in Arizona for several years.

After her racing career ended, Trixie served time as a blood donor. She donated blood on a regular basis at Hemopet, a canine blood bank in Orange County, CA. Hemopet kenneled about fifty greyhounds as blood donors before adopting them out. We don’t know what Trixie thought about giving blood, but we do know that she didn’t like her Hemopet kennel. Her breeder had said that she was clever and he was right. More than once, Trixie undid the latch to get out so the staff nicknamed her “the escape artist”.

Trixie outlived two of our male greyhounds. She also selected a female grey, Staci, to share her home. Staci is now ten years old and she learned a few things from Trixie, including how to age gracefully.

Special treats for special ladies

2009-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Each of these senior ladies has a goodie bag ready to home with them. We have seven ladies ready for their forever home!

STAM treats (www.stamtreats.com)
Discount coupon for massage by Rubi (www.HealNW.com)
Synovi G3 joint supplement (www.tevaanimalhealth.com)
PhyCox joint supplement (www.tevaanimalhealth.com)
Discount coupon for a custom-made greyhound coat (www.greytoutdoors.com)
When I Am Older booklet & coupon for a free sample of Get Up & Go (www.greyhoundgang.com)
Fancy martingale collar (donated by a couple of loving volunteers)
Stuffie (donated by a loving volunteer)

Draw the Line!

2009-05-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

In contrast to our focus on seniors we have some new dogs in the kennel including this adorable puppy. His name is Line and he failed to make the grade in racing school so he's ready to find a home that can take him on long walks, romp and play with a soft couch for the end of the day.

Name: Line
Racing name: Jab Me Ontheline
Color: Red brindle
Weight: 65 pounds
Born: August 1st, 2007