Tails from Home -- Nike

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

Whew...thankfully Nike's family heard our plea for more 'tails' yesterday!  So, our 30 days of 'tails from home' continues!  Enjoy!

In 2001, my experience of adopting Cash was so quick and easy. I filled out an application, read all the books, visited meet and greets, went to Foley, looked at dogs and came home with the perfect dog, Cash. He was such a greyt dog, that 2 years later I decided I needed another, this time a female.

When I called my adoption coordinator, Donna, there weren't any available dogs, but new dogs were coming in next week, by the time they came in they were all adopted, but more were coming soon. The waiting and the anticipation just built excitement. When the new hounds arrived, I hustled Cash and myself to Foley. I was o excited to be able to pick hound. Amazingly the dogs picked themselves. Nike was the only new arrival to express any interest in Cash, and Cash ignored all the other females. So Nike it was. Nike turned 11 this month. It is hard to believe that she is that old, she certainly is not acting her age.

It took another year before I decided that I would like to foster. Truth be told, if you have one, or a pair of, greyt dogs, the work of fostering is reduced to dispensing kibble, treats and dog walking. The only difference between leash walking two hounds and three is that you need a few leash skills.

Cash and Nike fostered 14 hounds before Sin Zin joined the pack, and there have been a few more since. Fostering is a greyt way to learn about your hound. Having a foster hound challenges your dog to be a good role model, and it teaches your hound to ignore distractions as the foster hound tries to figure out what will cause a treat to be dispensed. Fostering challenges you, the benevolent pack leader, to be alert and vigilant for opportunities to treat your hounds for good behavior.

Nike keeping Boo in her place

Foster Quartz

I remember how thrilled I was when I first got Cash, and every time I help a retired racer transition from the kennel to the couch I am reminded of that feeling. Being able to give someone else that feeling is a greyt reward. If you have thought about owning a second hound, or if you want to give back to NLGA, or just want to give someone else a greyt friend. . . . . . . what better way than fostering? You won't be sorry you did.

Thank you for sharing Nike's 'tails' with us!

We still really, really need your help to finish our goal for adopt-a-greyhound month!  We still need a few more 'tails'!  Please send in your 'tails' to nlgahounds@gmail.com and help us finish out April strong!