tdierikx

I think you'll find that the reason that some people are harping on about Greylvr joining a larger group for a while prior to starting out on her own, is that we have seen exactly how bad it can be if/when a new group DOESN'T get it right. Not just for the person(s) involved in the new venture, but for rescue as a whole. Some of Greylvr's statements about her own levels of experience, her previous rehoming stories, and her complete willingness to write off the current organisations doing Greyhound rescue based on training suggestions on their website, leaves some of us just not feeling the love with regards to her aspirations. If my comments voicing my concerns about some aspects of Greylvr's proposition come across as just being mean for the sake of it, then you're missing the point completely - and I don't think Greytmate's advice has been all that critical either. We may have been mistaken when reading Greylvr's original posts as asking for advice, rather than just asking for warm fuzzy praise - which it now appears it was aimed at receiving. Has Greylvr stood back and wondered exactly why the larger groups have a waiting list to have dogs placed with them? It's not as simple as saying that one sees dogs dying because of that wait, and we need to save as many as we can... correlations to another group's philosophies there anyone?? T.

Seriously Plan B - I DON'T want her to fail in her venture... and that's why I've been advocating working with one of the established groups doing Greyhound rescue before trying to "reinvent the wheel" as someone so eloquently put it. There has been a hell of a lot of hard slog put into promoting Greyhounds as pets by the established and industry respected groups - the notion that an ex-racing Grey would make a great family pet isn't all that bad nowadays - which has made it possible for people like Greylvr to think about starting their own Greyhound rescue. But the very real possibility is that if she gets it wrong ever, it can set back rescue for ALL Greys. T.

There's also the fact that many of the people offering advice in this thread have seen many people just like yourself jump into rescue and get in way over their heads with it. The advice is sound, tried, and tested to be a very effective method of dipping one's toe into the venture and getting a feel for it properly, before diving into unknown waters. Good intentions are great, some research is also great - but flipping the bird to people who DON'T want to see you fail in your endeavour isn't the best way to go about things, is it? No-one here has called your experience insufficient to run a successful rescue - but some questioning into your hands-on experience with ex-racing Greyhounds in Australia is to be expected when you start picking apart the information/training guides on another rescue's website and spouting off that they are somehow being "inhumane"... Just like in any other aspect of your interactions with others in this big bad world, you are going to have people here that won't phrase things in nice airy fairy language so that you can feed off the warm fuzzies and pats on the back for doing something that just about everyone here is also doing - read, rescuing dogs of all descriptions. The Greyound people, funnily enough, do know their shit in this case, and your combatative tone certainly isn't winning you any friends (or great Greyhound contacts for that matter) in this debate. What has me worried right now is how you have gotten all "frustrated" and narked off at some basic questioning and advice here... it starts to make people wonder how you are going to fare interacting with a disgruntled or pushy adopter... My personal opinion is that you have the right intentions, possibly enough experience with dogs to learn about the needs and rehoming of Greys, and obviously the drive to create something good... but your attitude towards anyone detracting from your way of thinking leaves a lot to be desired. Welcome to the wonderful world of the DOL Rescue forums... and don't forget to don your Flamesuit before entering... lol! T.

Well, actually there are a couple of questions I've asked that haven't been answered at all... but please don't assume that I haven't read each of your posts very carefully and then considered my answers to the concerns that you have raised before composing my replies. There's no need to become combatative about it all - we are having a discussion, not an argument. T.

No - I'm acting as if you are some person who is wanting to start up a Greyhound rescue - and obviously haven't done that before. As many people here have advised, ex-racing Greyhounds have somewhat different needs with regards to rescue than most "ordinary" dogs - something that you are seemingly poo-pooing and making claims that you know better than those who have actually been doing Greyhound rescue successfully for many years. You have passed judgement on their tried and true methods, but are not too happy about anyone questioning yours... you can't have your cake and eat it too. You just don't seem to get the idea that if (or when) you might make one little mistake in rehoming an ex-racing Greyhound to the wrong home - and don't say that it can never happen, it can - you could be singlehandedly undoing much of the great work the established groups have done to get ex-racing Greys accepted by the general public. And that is why there has been much asking of questions about what you are looking to achieve with your new venture. T.

Not as many as are sold out of back yard breedings... T.

My adults are on Nutro, and the pups on Royal Canin... although they have done just as well in the past on Bonnie. Why? It's what I choose to feed them at this point in time. They love it, I'm happy with their condition, and my vet is miffed at me because they don't see us often enough... *grin* T.

The point you are missing is that the advice given to you here in these forums isn't just to pick at you or your aspirations - it is sound advice from people in the industry you wish to enter. Let's face it, you have given some "interesting" examples of your prior work elsewhere, much of which sounds like you did it in the US. But you won't confirm or deny same when asked about it. What you are construing as detraction is actually very sound advice given by people whe are involved in the particular field you are thinking of joining - the very least of which is the opportunity to network within the industry by fostering for one of 2 well established groups already doing an awesome job of it. No-one is telling you NOT to start your own rescue at some point - what most are advocating is that you learn the ropes from within the industry before doing so. Trying to play the guilt card by saying that "dogs are dying" because people don't agree with your point of view in this case is preaching to the choir really... do you really think that ANYONE involved in any sort of animal rescue isn't aware of what happens to those they can't take in? When you talk like that, it tends to set alarm bells ringing for many people here who have been around a long time and have seen what can happen when the best intentions end up an overwelming task for a new rescue. They are actually trying to ensure that you DON'T fall on your face with your venture... T.

Renbury staff really do take notice of owners wishes about their dogs... they are great. T.

Mow really short and use a catcher. T.

I've bolded one you've inadvertently come up with yourself... lol! Here's Hoping T.

Check out PAWS... www.paws.com.au T.

Recycled Ruffians? Lost No More? Homeward Hounds? T.

Pawfect Pals? Pawsome Pups? T.

I think the OP may have abandoned this thread... *sigh* T.

Ummmm... 6 days without a photo update.... ???? *** waiting patiently for my Luka fix *** T.

Have you thought of investing in a cage crate and a cover to make it like a den and seeing if you can confine her in there when she's being a pain? T.

Have you introduced her to the new neighbours? Maybe that will stop her curiosity about the new sounds and smells coming from over there... T.

Some excellent advice so far... a qualified behaviourist is the best step at this point... and until you have a better solution, keep the girls separated completely. I have 2 girls of my own (a Lab and a Rotti/Pittie cross) - and it ain't the bull breed that will start the fights, nor will she finish them... but she won't back off either. I have kept them separate for the past few of years with no dramas - and also have 2 other dogs and foster for rescue, all of them have no issues with either of the dogs that have issues with each other, so the swapsies routine is only for those two. It works just fine even though it's fiddly, but once you get the routine happening it's all in the course of a normal day. One thing I never do though, is to feed any of my dogs in close proximity to another - separate rooms is the go at my place. T.

Pounds are still working with them because it makes the pound kill statistics look better... after all, that's what they (the pounds) get slammed for on a regular basis - and PR taking copious numbers of dogs lowers the numbers that the pounds have to euth. The fact that a good number of these animals are badly placed and have ended up being euthed elsewhere, or shuffled off to "holding pattern" kennels, is of no consequence apparently... as far as the pounds' powers that be see lowered kill statistics, they really don't care what happens to the animals once they aren't their responsibility any more. May I note that the wonderful pound staff and volunteers who actually deal with the animals are not the ones making the decisions to allow PR to take the animals that they do - it's much higher up the food chain than that. T.

A different camera angle or some bling can do wonders for a "plain" dog... *grin* I'll agree with dogmad about beauty being in the eye of the beholder though... T.

I think you'll find that there are more dogs in pounds that come from BYB than pet shops... and they don't check for owner suitability either... T.

Seriously - one doesn't HAVE to throw water at a whining dog if one has a different way of handling the undesirable behaviour. That looks like only a suggestion to me... I think you are possibly wanting to help this one particular trainer that you keep mentioning move her dogs on, and want to create your rescue based on that premise - if so, why not just come straight out and say that's what you are aiming to do? The reason that so many people are suggesting fostering for GAP or GSN is that these 2 groups have pretty darned great reputations for placing Greyhounds out into society extremely well. They have done the hard yards with the industry and with the public. They have very successful methods for helping ex-racing Greyhounds acclimatise to being family pets - and that's nothing to be sneezed at. Reading some of your "history" (read HSUS references and mentioning Pit Bull rescue) suggests that you have spent some time in the USA - would that be a correct assumption? If so, have you considered that what may work in the US with regards to rescuing and rehoming of dogs, may not work as well here in Australia? May I also ask what is so "inhumane" about using water as a deterrent to undesirable behaviour? And why that particular snippet of some suggestions for foster carers of one group has you deciding that they are going to enforce that sort of training method if you foster care for them? Im not bagging you or your aspirations - I am just suggesting that fostering for an already estalished group BEFORE deciding to go off on your own may give you a much better insight into the plight of ex-racing Greyhounds in Australia... T.

Renbury Farm at Austral... the staff there are great! Don't be put off that they are also a pound - the boarders are never in contact with them, and the staff don't cross kennel blocks. www.renbury.com.au T.

... besides - fostering for one of the big organised Greyhound groups may give you a really great understanding of how it all works... and then if you still want to start up your own rescue, then you will have some excellent groundwork already done. Win-win I say... lol! T.