What do we call this dog?

Mcbride? McNugget? McGriddle? McBrindle? I really don't know what to call this dog, officially named McBride. She is a little on the small side so McNugget fits her, but she is also a beautiful brindle dog, so McBrindle also works. Either way, this is turning out to be a fun fostering experience. McGriddle taught herself the stairs on her first full day here and she has acclimated as if she were a resident hound. McNugget sleeps with the family in our room at night and knows the morning routine....alarm goes off, jumps on foster dad, runs downstairs, chows down her breakfast, goes outside to do her business, comes inside and back to sleep. Good dog. She has the run of the house and we don't worry about her...with the small exception of the library book that she ate when she got her muzzle off while we were out. I guess the dog really did eat our homework. How did that happen? Beats me. She is a smart one. McBrindle is a very friendly, confident, relaxed for her age hound and she is a welcome guest at the Hound Hotel. She will make a terrific addition to someone's family. Would you like to have a McNugget in your home? Please contact Denise Davis if you would like to meet McBrindle.

McBride has arrived!

Our newest foster greyhound, McBride, arrived today. We have spent the afternoon with her and are very impressed with her. She passed her first two foster tests with flying colors...drinking water and eating. Fosters are often stressed and we have to be careful to make sure they are getting water. That has been no problem for McBride. She found the water bowl right away and has been drinking steadily all afternoon. Next is food. New fosters are often too stressed to eat well. Again not a problem for McBride. She ate her dinner like a horse. That says a lot about her. She is a confident, well adjusted greyhound that is acclimating to her new environment very well. She is very friendly and curious and she wants to check everything out. She has already counter surfed a couple of times, as any good greyhound will do! She is a good one and we will post updates as we learn more about her. As for now, I think I will hang out with her as she is sacked out on her doggie bed. If you would like to meet McBride, please contact Denise Davis.

Honey Cone-Adopted!!!

Saturday turned out to be a great day at the Hound Hotel. A very nice couple came to meet Honey and took her right away. Honey did a great job of showing her new family what a great dog she is. Honey is going to get plenty of walks, a fenced area to run in, and plenty of attention from her new family. We couldn't be happier for her. If Honey ever needs a place to rest her paws, she is always welcome at the Hound Hotel. Happy trails Honey Cone!

Honey Cone is a Honey!

Honey has been here for a day and you would think that she has been here for a few weeks already. Honey is acclimating so well to her foster home and is exceeding our expectations. The fact that she is four years old has a lot to do with that. She is a little more mature than your typical track dog, which makes the transition a lot easier. She taught herself to go up and down the stairs today, and is now following us all around the house. We have removed the barriers blocking much of the house, giving her complete access to the whole Hound Hotel. She isn't the destructive type, so we feel confident letting her walk around when she wants to. Having said that, she sticks to us like glue most of the time and can be found laying by our side most of time. She is also a very affectionate hound and likes her pets a lot, but knows when enough is enough. Honey is a very well balanced hound and she will be a terrific addition to someone's family. She is definitely worth a serious look if you are in the market for a greyhound. Please contact Denise Davis is you would like to meet her.

UMR Honey Cone

First, we should apologize for not updating the progress on our previous foster dog, Wasp. She got adopted at the annual picnic and is living happily ever after. We had gotten a little lax about updating the blog, but we will try to do better.

UMR Honey Cone arrived today at the Hound Hotel. We have been in the fostering business for a long time now, and have developed an intuition as to how the foster dogs will work out. Honey Cone is going to rank towards the top of the foster list. She is a four year old female that is pretty calm, very friendly, and very well balanced. She has some maturity to her so there is no puppy left in her. She isn't inclined to chew anything or destroy anything. She came in, checked out the house, and then took a spot on a doggie bed and took a nap. She ate all her food and has been drinking from the water bowl, and is showing very few signs of stress. That is terrific for a dog that has only been here for a few hours. We are already getting some tail wags out of her and she seems to be a very affectionate hound. She is a terrific, low maintenence hound that will be a terrific companion for her future family. She seems to have the right balance of energy and mellowness. She will love to go for walks and meet all the neighbors, but she isn't a wild child at all. She will allow her future family to experience the joy of having a greyhound right away with a very short transition period. She would make a great dog for a first time greyhound owner. If you would like to meet Honey Cone, please contact Denise Davis.

Buzz Buzz Buzz

Wasp has been at the Hound Hotel for three days now and she may buzz like a wasp, she doesn't sting. Wasp is making very good progress and is learning all about being a retired greyhound. She is a happy dog, that's for sure. When she gets attention, she shakes and quivers and wags her tail like no dog I have seen before. She gets so excited to see her foster mom and dad that she just about jumps out of her skin. Is she a shy dog? Nope, not in the least. She actually has an alpha personality to her, and even though she is a little dog, she won't be bossed around by any other dog. She eats like a horse as well, so her future family won't be having any food issues with her. Her only issue now is that she is prone to getting happy tail from whipping her tail around in fits of happiness. We haven't crated her because of that, but she still smacked her tail against the wall and opened up a boo boo on the end of her tail. We have her tail wrapped up with plenty of padding now to let it heal. In short order, she will be fine. She will be sporting a nice bandage on her tail at the picnic this weekend, so please let her know how nice it looks on her when you see her! It is quite a sylish look, so Lady Gaga, eat your heart out! If you would like to meet Wasp, please contact Denise Davis.

SE's Wasp

We don't normally welcome wasps at the Hound Hotel, but this wasp is a little different. SE's Wasp arrived yesterday after a long day of traveling from the track in Florida, and then a short overnight stay at the rescue kennel. We drove to the secret greyhound rendezvous point yesterday and picked her up. She slept the whole way home in the car, which is terrific. Like any dog right off the track, she doesn't know the ropes of residential life, but she is a smart one and she will learn quickly. She is not shy at all, and she wags her tail a mile a minute. We may have to register her tail as a lethal weapon! She seems to be a very playful hound with enough pep in her to keep life around the house interesting. We have had her for less than a day so we can't report too much about her yet. We will continue to post updates as we learn more about her. Wasp did hear that there will be the annual GRI picnic next weekend and she can't wait to go. The picnic will be like her debutante ball! We hope to see everyone there, and maybe Wasp can find her new family there too!

Tater-Adopted!!

Our little Tater Tot has been adopted. She has headed down to Capitol Hill and is now Rudy's sister (see previous posts). Rudy's parents mentioned that they were in the market for a female, and Tater was just the ticket for them. Apparently Tater is very good at fetching a tennis ball, and she loves to destroy toys in record time. Toys aren't meant to last forever, but she will have to learn to let them last at least 10 minutes. We wish Tater and her family all the best. Happy trails Tater! If Tater ever needs a place to rest her paws, the Hound Hotel will always leave a light on for her.

Tater is a fun little tot

Tater has been at the Hound Hotel for two days now, and she is settling in very well to retired life. Even though she is very young, having just turned two a week ago, she is very well behaved. We had expected that she would be a handful with her being so young, but she isn't. They usually have a lot of energy at that age, and take a few weeks to settle down, but Tater is mature beyond her years. While she is very playful and she loves to run, she is not a wild one by any means. Once she gets her morning run in, she settles down and sleeps just like any other greyhound. We also aren't bothering to crate her because she really doesn't need a crate. She sleeps in the bedroom with us and the resident hounds, and doesn't bother anyone. She is turning out to be a terrific foster dog, and we are really impressed with her. If you would like to meet Tater, please contact Denise Davis.

Tater Tot!!

This afternoon the top secret greyhound spy phone rang. I answered and a muffled voice on the other end of the line said "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain" That is the greyhound rescue code letting us know they have a dog that needs a foster home. I answered "Old Bay goes best on blue crabs," letting the muffled voice know that agents foster mom and dad are up for the mission. We donned our disguises and drove off in the greyhoundmobile to pick up the "package." Upon arriving at the secret greyhound dropoff point, we pulled up to a dark vehicle, rolled down our window, and exchanged code phrases. Agent X in the other vehicle said "Potatoes grow best in Idaho." I responded "Tubers and sour cream go well together." Having exchanged correct code phrases, the "package" was transfered to the greyhoundmobile and we brought her home. Tater has been with us for a few hours now and she is making a great impression. She has a very outgoing personality and is not shy at all. She is a little smaller than average, so she is nicknamed Tater Tot already. She drank water right away from the regular water bowl, and wolfed down a bowl of dry food, letting us know that nerves are not a problem for her. She is curious about everything and seems to be a very smart hound. She is already getting along very well with the resident hounds and seems to know her manners already. She is a young one, having just turned two a few days ago, so she has some energy. She will want to go for nice walks in the neighborhood and have a little play time with her future family. If you would like to meet Tater Tot, send this secret message to Denise at Greyhound Rescue, "Tots are best when they are crispy." She will respond "Crispy tots are best served with ketchup."

Rudy runs, eats, and sleeps

Rudy has had a pretty good time at the Hound Hotel. He has made good use of the yard doing a lot of running and playing. He is a little bit of a finnicky eater, so we have solved that by putting some wet food, such as Alpo, on top of his dry food, and then he eats like a horse. After all of that he does what greyhounds do, he sleeps. He is a good boy and it is a pleasure to have him at the Hound Hotel for a week. He doesn't seem to mind it here but it is pretty obvious that he misses his family and he wants to go back home. He will in a couple of days. Maybe he can have the best of both worlds sometime when his parents bring him by for the afternoon for some playtime in the yard with the resident hounds and then he gets to go home and sleep in his own house. We will have to work on that. Maybe Loki can come too and we can have a nice reunion! Here are some videos of Rudy running, eating, and sleeping today, as greyhounds should.

Rudy came to visit!

Our former foster dog, Nitro Rudy, has come to rest his paws at the Hound Hotel while his mom and dad are on vacation. Even though we have rolled out the red carpet for him, he isn't too happy to be here right now. He really misses his family. He has been whining much of the afternoon and walking around looking for his family. It will take a bit of time, but he will get settled in here soon and start to enjoy himself. He has a yard to play in and the resident hounds to keep him company. It will be nice to have Rudy here for a little while. This will be all for this post as I have to go try to convice Rudy that he isn't back up for adoption, and that everything will be ok.

Quatro moves on

The Hound Hotel has waved goodbye to Quatro as he has moved on to another foster home. For whatever reason, he wasn't getting adopted here, so we decided that a change in venue was in order for him. Foster mom and dad also needed a break as he had been here for four months. It really doesn't make any sense that Quatro hasn't been adopted yet. He is a terrific dog with such a personality. He will make a great companion for the family that is lucky enough to adopt him. In any case, we always want to do what is best for the hounds and we thought that maybe changing his situation might help get him adopted. Maybe a different location or whatever might do the trick. Whatever happens, we only wish the best for Quatro and his future family. If you would like to meet Quatro, please contact Denise Davis at Greyhound Rescue Inc.

Priceless!

Greyhound adoption fee- $250.

Cool greyhound collar- $25.

Dog Coat- $50.

Well stocked first aid kit- Priceless!

We have known for a long time that if we are going to have a greyhound, much less three of them and a foster dog at the Hound Hotel, then we had better always have a well stocked first aid kit close at hand. This evening Snoops, Abe, and Quatro were doing some laps around the yard. Just good clean fun for a crew of boys. When they were done I called them in and the three of them came running in the door and into the kitchen. I looked down and saw bloody paw prints on the floor. Foster mom said those familiar words, "whose bleeding?!!" It isn't usually immediately obvious who has the injury. A quick check of everyone's paws soon revealed the source of the blood. Quatro had a small cut on the bottom of his left front paw. It is nothing major, but it is surprising how much blood a greyhound can track around the room from a small cut. We have the drill down pretty well. Foster dad holds the patient to keep him still while foster mom grabs the first aid kit. Snoops sees the first aid kit and makes a beeline for the stairway to escape, figuring we are about to use it on him. For some reason, it is usually him that is the patient, and he doesn't like it one bit. A little styptic powder, antibiotic, and liquid skin did the trick. Then a bandage and a booty to protect it. In a couple of days, Quatro will be good as new and back to his old tricks. No big deal. But it does remind us to check our first aid kit on a regular basis to make sure we have everything that we need to take care of the inevitable nics and cuts that greyhounds get. That is one of the hazards of having dogs that run 40 miles an hour around your yard. If you are considering adopting a greyhound, you would be wise to have your own doggie first aid kit too.

Quatro meets and greets

We had our Meet and Greet at PetSmart yesterday, and the weather couldn't have been any better. Sunny and 72 degrees..nice. We took Quatro with us and he did a great job. He met and greeted everyone, leaned on everyone, and he had a great time. He didn't lay down until the very end as he was having too much fun and it was so exciting for him. Quatro is such a friendly dog and like a good greyhound, he loves to lean on people and soak up the affection. I think he nearly blew out a few people's ACL's with how hard he was leaning on them! Everyone loved him...what's not to love? He is such a friendly guy with such an outgoing personality. He is also great with the kids. He certainly makes a terrific greyhound ambassador dog. After the meet and greet he was pretty tired and slept the rest of the day. It is tough work being a greyhound. If you would like to meet and greet Quatro, please contact Denise Davis at Greyhound Rescue Inc.

None shall pass

Today we had the first decent weather day in a while. Quatro took advantage of that to take his post as the sentry of the yard. What a faithful dog. He will patrol the yard all day if he is allowed to in order to keep "bandits" away. We're not aware of any bandits in the neighborhood, but if there are, none shall pass into our yard. It is hard to believe that he has not been adopted yet. He is a terrific greyhound who is as fun and playful as any of them. He loves his pets and will demand them all the time. He also likes to lay on the bed and make himself comfy. He knows a good thing when he sees it. He does have a little separation anxiety so he would be best as an only dog with a family that has someone at home most of the time. He has an alpha personality, even though he is a little guy, which isn't a bad thing. He will let you sleep well, as he will always be on duty keeping watch over your home. Quatro is not cat or small animal safe. He is fine with our parrot but it would be best not to test him too much. If you would like to meet this really lovable greyhound, please call Denise Davis.

Blizzard of 2010

The Hound Hotel has survived the blizzard of 2010 with flying colors. It is hard to believe that according to the local news, we received 52 inches of snow in five days! It is a good thing that greyhounds are tall dogs! Even the hounds had a little difficulty bounding through the deep snow at first. Quatro seems to like the snow and has been doing some running in it, but like any typical greyhound, it doesn't last long. A nice nap on a warm doggie bed beats shivering out in the deep snow. Quatro is still looking for his forever home and it is hard to believe that he hasn't been adopted yet. Maybe the weather this winter has a lot to do with that. People are spending most of their time shoveling and probably not thinking about adopting a dog right now. The snow will melt in a few weeks and spring is on the way. Now is a great time to think about adopting a greyhound. Quatro is a terrific dog and maybe he is the perfect dog for you. Call Denise Davis if you would like to meet Quatro and learn more about him.

Quatro wants a home

Quatro has been cooling his jets at the Hound Hotel for several weeks now. He is an extremely well behaved dog and we are having no issues with him. He has even learned not to get on the bed at night, much to our relief! He is fully housetrained and ready for his new home. Quatro is an extremely affectionate hound who loves to be petted all the time. He likes attention and he is pretty insistant on getting it. He is definitely not a shrinking violet at all. He loves running in the yard with our dogs and puts on quite a show. He does need to be placed with another dog so he can have a buddy and he is not cat safe. If you would like to meet Quatro, please contact Denise Davis. Here is a video of Quatro and our dog Abe running in the yard.

Quatro-Day at the Spa

Quatro has learned that the Hound Hotel has a lot of amenities, besides just a nice yard and good food. He found the spa menu today and ordered up some services. He started the afternoon with a pedicure and a facial, followed by a massage and some time in the sauna. He wants to make sure that he looks good for his future family. Our new boy Abe joined him at the spa...who says spas are just for the ladies? Now both the boys are just relaxing and taking it all in, as shown by the photos. But seriously, Quatro is a terrific dog. He is a super friendly, tail wagging kind of guy who loves lots of pets and is a lot of fun to have around the house. He also seems to be a bit of a watchdog too. If a stick so much as breaks outside our house, Quatro is on duty checking it out and making his presence known. That is not a bad thing at all. Our neighbors with their three year old son came over the other day and Quatro was a hit with their son. He was really friendly with him and very respectful of him. Quatro should be excellent with children. If you would like to meet this fun boy, please contact Denise Davis at Greyhound Rescue.

Complete Mayhem!

It is complete mayhem at the Hound Hotel tonight, as it is every night. With three resident hounds, all former track dogs, and one foster dog, himself a former track dog, it is obvious that it must be crazy here. With all these hyperactive, crazy greyhounds, who could stand to live here? I really don't know how we do it. We don't get a minutes rest. The dogs are swinging from the rafters, and doing all kinds of crazy things. I think we may have to go hide under the bed and just surrender to the hounds. Maybe we neet a cat or something more sedate. These greyhounds are just too much! We are just trying to have a quiet evening watching the football playoffs, and just look at what we have to put up with! Just watch the video to see what mayhem goes on here! If you would like to meet Quatro, please contact Denise Davis

Quatro-Part Deux!

Quatro is back at the Hound Hotel. Quatro was doing well with the humans in his adoptive family but not so well with the cat. It looks like Quatro needs to be with a family that does not have a cat or other very small animals. His family gave it their best try but it was clear that it wasn't the best situation for Quatro. Quatro will cool his heels at our house until we find a situation that will work better for him. He also needs a buddy at home, whether it is a greyhound or some other breed of dog. Quatro isn't cut out for being an only dog. He is much too friendly and gets pretty lonely and upset if he is left by himself. Quatro is a super friendly greyhound that loves all kinds of attention. He will be terrific for meet and greets, family walks, or whever you would like to go with him. Hikes in the mountains? Count Quatro in. Walks in the park? Count him in. Lazy Sundays watching football? Count him in for that too. If you would like to meet Quatro, please contact Denise Davis at Greyhound Rescue Inc.