Night-time with sighthounds

We all know how snuggly sighthounds are.
The whippet can be the best buddy to snuggle with. Like the night recently when I had a migraine, and was miserable. Early morning she climbed in bed with me.  I was able relax and finally fall asleep.
But, this isn't always the case.  We get snow here. For whatever reason, she completely dislikes the sound of the snow sliding off the roof. Whenever that is happening, she will not sleep on her bed, but will insist on climbing in bed with me.
This was the scenerio. She slept soundly for about 2 hours with me, under the blankets. Then she was too hot and needed to stretch.  A good loud ear shake.  You know the one whippets can make with their otherwise soft, velvet ears? Snap, snap, snap?  Then scratching at the blankets to make a nest.  Soon back to crawl under the blankets.. repeat all of the above several times through-out the night. At 3am the greyhound who was asleep on her bed on the floor, is unhappy, she has gotten up to stretch and all of her blankets are off.  I climb out of bed to get her covered. While I am doing that, the whippet has crawled onto my pillow and settled down.  At this point, I am tired and tell her to move over, I am not sharing my pillow. With only two more hours until having to be up, I just want to sleep. Whippet manages to get in several more bouts of manuvering in the two short hours.
Cold, wet weather, or not, she got several long walks today. Hopefully she will be tired enough to sleep on her BED regardless of any spooky, snow sliding noises.
Who knew sighthounds were such boobs.
Adorable, but boobs.

Autumn walk in the woods, greyhound and whippet

The dogs love daily walks through the woods even though it is already   fleece jacket time. Autumn is great fun with fallen leaves to sniff and snuffle. Chipmunks scurrying through the leaves make a great deal of noise for such small animals and it always grabs the dogs attention.  Even though they are on a leash, they love to ' think' they can catch the chipmunks. 

Getting their picture taken is not their idea of part the fun walk, there are too many things to see and smell to stand still and waste valuable time picture taking.

Quote

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." -- Unknown

Older dogs make great friends. Adopting older dogs

Our beautiful 'older' greyhound lady

                            (Nap time and 'belly rub' time )                                   
Adopting an older dog is a wonderful experience. 
Our greyhound was six years old when we met her at the greyhound rescue. She is soon to turn eight. That is not terribly old by any means, but often people are looking for younger dogs to adopt.
Do not let age be the deciding factor. Older dogs and senior dogs have an abundance of love and companionship to offer.
They are calm and self assured and ready to be a forever friend.
They are forever grateful to be in your home. They crave attention and love. ( lots of love)
  Our beautiful lady had been adopted once, then returned to the shelter.
Though we had a few greyhounds in mind that we wanted to meet, we really were not sure who our match would be.
When we met her at the shelter, she was very dignified and had self assurance, she walked right up to us as if to say, ''I am very special and you would be fools not to adopt me.''
   When your new friend moves in to your home, give yourself and your greyhound ( or any dog) time to bond and to get to know each other. It is worth the wait, worth the patience and all the effort. It takes time for them and for you to adjust, go easy on yourself and your new friend,, be patient, the adjustment will soon become 'NORMAL'  and you will wonder how you ever lived without your dog.
 Our greyhound has become our velcro friend. She moved in bag and baggage so to speak and has taken over our home and hearts.
No matter how many years you have together with your senior dog, it is going to be BLESSED, quality time.

   1. Senior dogs often need daily teeth cleaning, dental health may not be great in older dogs. I have tried many different brands of toothpaste. In the end, it is also her gums that really are a constant problem. I have had to make my own herbal remedy, with dog safe herbs, to wipe her gums with daily.  ( an herbalist may be able to help you with this)
update: even with daily teeth brushing and gum care,  my greyhound had to go in to have teeth extracted.  A fair number of her teeth had been in bad shape since the day we adopted. We went as long as possible, but knew for her to be healthy and comfortable, some of the teeth had to be extracted. Seeing that she is much happier now that the teeth are gone, I would do it sooner if I ever had to again.
   2. Slippery floors are hard for all dogs to navigate, we have throw rugs through out the house. Slippery floors do not agree with greyhounds in general, but rugs make life easier for all senior dogs. 
   3. A soft bed, or numerous beds in the house are really important for older dogs, to offer support and relief from achy joints and for comfort.
   4. Feed the best quality dog food you can afford. Adding fruits, vegs., and organ meats can really benefit a dog's health, well -being, and is a good way to supplement and add nutrition to the diet.
   5. Have toenails clipped regularly, so they are comfortable for your dog and for walking.
   6. Do take your dog for check-ups at the vet. They will be able to tell if their is an issue needing to be addressed.
   7. My personal preference,, avoid excessive vaccines and be careful what tick-flea medicines you use.. some have a very toxic effect. Especially oral tick meds., such as Nexgard.
 Research and be vigilant about what, how often, your senior dog needs vaccines or any medications or products. Some may not be needed for your particular dog, some vaccines may still offer protection and do not need to be given again, or not for some time yet.  Don't overtax your senior dog's system.
  8.  Learn about SAFE herbs, safe dosages.  There may be some that can help the joints, kidneys, liver and organs of older dogs. (BE safe, learn, or ask a qualified herbalist about use and dosage)

Above all ENJOY the time with your senior dog.
Our senior still has spunk, sometimes she will get the zoomies when we arrive home and she has been waiting patiently. It is so funny to watch her zoom about, with a big doggy grin and full of joy.  She loves her walks. We are fortunate to live by both a large field and woods.  She loves to walk through tall grass, ferns, anyplace she can run her face through the vegetation.  She loves car rides.  She loves naps on the lawn in the sun.  She loves meal time :)   She loves being with her pack, her whippet friend and her people family.   She loves belly rubs.  She loves the sound of someone slicing fruits or vegetables. ( she has learned they are a wonderful treat)   
   OLDER DOGS MAKE WONDERFUL FRIENDS

wonderful story: https://shareably.net/grey-muzzle-rescue/?utm_source=hlm_damfp&utm_medium=pinterest&utm_campaign=dogs

photos, greyhound and whippet

This homework is exhausting.. maybe we should just take a nap.