Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tails from Home -- Quartz

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

We did it!  We made it to our goal of 30 days of 'tails from home'!  We made our goal due to the help of all of you!  To that we say Thank You!  (hint, hint: check back tomorrow for day 31!)

Today we hear from Quartz's family.  Enjoy!
 

This is a tale of Separation Anxiety, and how we are working to give our dog the support he needs to be happy and have a little more independence. Jace and I adopted Quartz (2 years old) just before Christmas. He is exactly the dog we wanted--quiet, docile, sweet and loving, a great walking partner, great with other dogs, big (close to 80 lbs) and full of expression. 


Monday, April 29, 2013

Tails from Home -- Cooper

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Welcome to the 29th day of April's 30 days of 'tails from home'!  Can you believe it?...we are almost at 30! Today we hear from Cooper's family.  Enjoy!

 
It’s been 5 years since this picture was on the Northern Light’s website...since the first time we helped Cooper climb our stairs, legs trembling, as we praised and praised...since his first night in the kennel which turned out to be too small. 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Tails from Home -- Killian and Max

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

Today is the 28th day of our 30 days of 'tails from home'!  Only a couple days left!  Have you read them all?  Today we hear from Killian and Max's family.  Enjoy!


Hi everyone, this is Max...!  I spent yesterday outside sleeping and enjoying the first warm-weather day since retiring to Minnesota!  Who knew it got that warm?!  Needless to say, I was pretty preoccupied soaking it all in.  So much so that I did not have a chance to write our 'tails'...but, never fear!  

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Tails from Home -- Diamond

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

Today's 'tails from home' comes to us from Diamond's family!  Enjoy!

Diamond will turn 7 in December. Here are a few of his favorite things.




Friday, April 26, 2013

Foster Feature -- JD Dancin'


What a sweet momma!  Foster mom has tried to get a picture of her, but she is always too close to photograph.  So you will have to use your imagination, but here is a hint to help your mental picture: a luscious thick black coat with amazingly little white.  Foster mom predicts that Dancin' will have a nice coat when she is done shedding her winter coat.

Tails from Home -- Gus

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Happy 26th day of 'tails from home'!  We hope you have enjoyed reading all the tails thus far...a few more days to go to round out our 30 days!  Today we hear directly from Gus.  Enjoy!

Hi Folks! Gus here, reporting from the North Side! (What whaaaat!)



Life has been pretty sweet over here, I've gotta say. I turned 8 last week! Randy got me a steak…it had candles on it and everyone was excited, I had my picture taken and I shared my Birthday Steak with my best pal, Buddy. It was AWESOME. Then we snoozed for the rest of the night…BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Tails from Home -- Steel

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

Happy adopt-a-greyhound month!  Today we have a very special 'tails from home'.  Why, you ask, is today's post so special?!  Well...today is the 'gottcha day' for our featured hound!  He is being adopted today!  Happy 'gottcha' day Steel!

Steel

Liquid Steel is a beautiful, shiny, grinning boy. He loves life and is living it to full enjoyment every day!



Wednesday, April 24, 2013

NLGA Annual Meeting and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Click here to watch a quick video invitation for NLGA's Annual Meeting and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner!


We would love to see all of our Dog Blog Readers at this event!  Hey, what is better than a free dinner with friends?!

Please RSVP via email to sdschaffel@comcast.net or by phone at 651-226-6373

We'll see you on May 3rd!

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!


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tails from Home -- Conner

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Thanks for reading our 30 days of 'tails from home'!  We really, really need your help to finish our goal.  Today's post is the last of the currently prepared posts!  PLEASE send in your 'tails' to nlgahounds@gmail.com

Thanks to Conner's family for sharing his 'tails'!  Enjoy!



Monday, April 22, 2013

Follow a Hound to Retirement -- Edition 015

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

We got our hands on a few more pictures from yesterdays haul!  Enjoy!

Star

Star is a beautiful little girl, goregous red coat and lovely eyes accented with dark eyeliner!  She found her comfy spot and snuggled in for the ride!

Hottie

Hottie is a happy little girl!  She has a happy tail and all!

Dancin'

Dancin' is a happy and smily little girl!  And she loves to lean!  You are going to love this little lady!

Tails from Home -- Windy and Gabby

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Thanks for reading all of our 'tails'!  Today we have a great one from Windy and Gabby's family!  Enjoy!

Windy: "Do you know how much I love you, Big Sister??"



Sunday, April 21, 2013

Foster Feature -- Vincent

Vincent has finally figured out he can relax in the living room with the rest of us!  He started the week glued to the kennel, then the floor of the kennel room, then the hall outside the kennel room, and now he's napping like a long-retired greyhound. 


What a greyt hound he is! :-)

Foster Feature -- Frazier Update

Frazier attended his first meet and greet.  He was very shy and apprehensive at first, but soon discovered he liked all the pets and hugs from customers at the Blaine Chuck and Don's.  I forgot my camera so there is no picture from the store, but here is his cute little face at home.



It appears that Frazier is a cat-safe dog.  He pays no attention to my cat, Ty.  Frazier does not mind getting his teeth brushed or his nails trimmed.  He is quite the little lover!!

Follow a Hound to Retirement -- Edition 014

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Star, Dancin, and Hottie have arrived!

Star (left), Dancin (middle), and Hottie (right)

Star, Dancin, and Hottie all had successful racing careers and then these special ladies went on to become Brood Mom's!

Star had two litters with six pups in each litter.  Dancin had one litter with five pups.  And Hottie had three litters with nine, eight, and six pups respectively!

Star and Hottie are 8.5 years old.  Dancin is 7.5 years old.

If you have never had a brood mom in your life, then you don't know what you are missing!  These are special ladies!  Let's see if we can find these ladies their forever homes by Mother's Day!

For even more pictures look at this post!

Tails from Home -- Raja

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

On this 21st day of our 30 days of 'tails from home', we will hear from Raj's family.  Well, actually, we will hear from Constatine again!  Enjoy!

Good day!  This is Constatine again and I am writing for Rajah as he truly is a Luddite and could not be bothered to learn to type.  And so I have taken the task of interviewing him for you good folks.


Saturday, April 20, 2013

Follow a Hound to Retirement -- Edition 013

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

We are so excited we can hardly contain ourselves!
For the second week in a row...THEY'RE COMING!!!


Watch the blog tomorrow for more details!
(or, come to the Harriet Brewing brewery tour today at 1pm and get the latest details!)


Tails from Home -- Kiki

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Today is 20 days of 'tails from home'!  Today we hear directly from Kiki!  Enjoy!

Hi Everyone,  My name is Kiki and I am from West Memphis.  


Friday, April 19, 2013

Tails from Home -- Maddie

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

Today we hear from Maddie's family.  Enjoy.

I first meet Maddie on a hot summer day. Northern Lights was holding their annual greyhound picnic and I had recently contacted them about getting a grey of my own. I went to the picnic, excited to meet my future best friend. I spotted Maddie from across the park, wearing a satin pink coat with the words ‘Adopt Me’ on it. I could tell she was shy, nervous and a sweetheart. They always told me ‘You don’t pick the dog, the dog will pick you’. Maddie eventually spent the later half of the afternoon laying by my side, cooling down with me in the shade. It was love.

Maddie is the sweetest lady I know. Like most greys, she spends the majority of her day relaxing:


Thursday, April 18, 2013

Tails from Home -- Sonya

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

It's our 18th day of 'tails from home'!  Please send in your 'tails from home' to nlgahounds@gmail.com too...help us continue with our 30 days! Today we are going to hear directly from another greyhound!  Enjoy!

Miss Sonya here; you know, the former escape artist? I found out that Snuggle Bunny is a way better job description than Escape Professional.

My mom was having a snow day and was working from home (HA), when we wrote this! I really don’t understand how humans don’t want more snow. I love, love, love me some snow. I especially like to run doggy Olympics around my housemate Bentley. He is fifteen, but he’s not one of us greythounds. He’s just a wannabe, who manages to be fun when not standing around looking confused. Well anyway, I was looking forward to going to my favorite department store to see my other Quarry buddies, but alas, humans…weather…nuff said. Darn it, I was so looking forward to having my nails trimmed and buffed NOT!




Wednesday, April 17, 2013

NLGA Outings -- UPDATE Harriet Brewing Tour

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

There has been a TIME CHANGE for the Harriet Brewing Tour.  The tour will now be starting at 1pm on April 20th!  This change will allow our group to have our own private tour of the brewery!



For additional details on the tour please see the previous post.

There are still spots available to join us, please RSVP to nlgahounds@gmail.com

We hope to see some NLGA Dog Blog Readers on Saturday at 1pm!

Tails from Home -- Leo

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

For today's 30 days of 'tails from home' we hear from Leo's family! Enjoy!

The day after I bought my first house was the day I mailed my adoption application to Northern Lights. I closed on my house in November and had my greyhound, Leo, in early December.

  
I’ve loved greyhounds since I was a kid and I always knew that as soon as I had my own home I’d have my own greyhound. Now I can’t imagine living without one.



Tuesday, April 16, 2013

NLGA Outings -- Harriet Brewing Tour

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Are you looking for something fun to do on Saturday afternoon?  Join us for a tour of Harriet Brewing at 1pm on April 20th!



Tails from Home -- Petey and Hugo

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

We have made it two full weeks into our 30 days of 'Tails from Home'!  Yay...and thanks to everyone who has participated so far!  Today we hear from Petey and Hugo's family!  Enjoy!

Petey is half of a dynamic duo – with her sister Copy That, the other half of this same aforementioned duo.  

Copy (Left) & Petey (Right)


Monday, April 15, 2013

Tails from Home -- Birthday Boy Kordell

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Today we are celebrating a 13th birthday as part of our 'tails from home'! Today we hear from Kordell's family...Happy 13th birthday Kordell! Enjoy!



I met Kordell on May 7, 2009.  I was debating if I really wanted a second greyhound so I decided to foster and Kordell was available.  He was a return and from what I later learned, he had a pretty unstable life.  He had been adopted twice and fostered several times.  It did not take me long to decide both Sadie and I wanted him to stay.  Kordell was very quiet and reserved.  He did not show much interest in playing with toys.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Follow a Hound to Retirement -- Edition 012

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

They're here!  They're here!

Six new NLGA greyhounds!  Two 'follow a hound to retirement' greyhounds...Vincent and Cool.  Along with Rock, Fraizer, Polar, and Leap Year!  Welcome to NLGA!!!  (And a special thank you to Heartland Greyhound Adoption for your help today!)

(L to R) Rock, Fraizer, Polar

(L to R) Leap Year, Cool, Vincent

Tails from Home -- Harry

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

In keeping with the 30 days of 'tails from home', in celebration of April being adopt-a-greyhound month, we hear from Harry's family today.  Enjoy!

My story is like so many other greyhound lovers.  I had lost one of my greyhounds and was feeling that it was time to add an addition to the family.  I had been talking about how Mike and I like boys and maybe a little younger one as Reggie, the other greyhound we had at home, was younger.  Dr. Barr said there was a nice boy named Harry that was up for adoption.

I immediately raced home and looked him up on the website.  He was a brindle.  Well, I really wasn’t looking for a brindle as my two others that had gone to the rainbow bridge were brindle.  In addition, he really did not have such a cute face and every time I said “Harry” it made me think of “Hairy”, so I just put it out of my mind.  It just didn’t seem right.

NLGA Outings -- Chuck and Don's Meet and Greets

Did you see Northern Lights Greyhound Adoption mentioned in Chuck and Don's Barkin' Mews?


NLGA meet and greets are an important part of educating the public about greyhounds as pets!

To see our complete meet and greet schedule click here.  Please consider joining us to answer questions and help spread the word about greyhounds!

Tails from Home -- Bruce

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Day lucky 13 of our 30 days of 'Tails from Home'!  Today we will hear about Bruce from his family!

Bruce, more than any dog I've owned (and there have been many), loves stuffies -- what his dad and I call his babies. He can't get enough of them and will pull ten or more out of a basket every day.  He carries them from room to room and never naps without one.  His favorite, though, is Froggie, as seen here in this picture.

Bruce and Froggie

Thanks so much for sharing Bruce's tails with us!  And remember, we would love it if you want to share your 'tails from home' with us too!  Just send an email to nlgahounds@gmail.com  


Friday, April 12, 2013

Tails from Home -- Greycie

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers!

Our dog blog mailbox got a 'tails from home' update from Greycie's family today!  Enjoy!

The journey to owning a greyhound is as unique as their owners.  Mine started with a group of dancing greyhounds call the “Gilley Girls.”  These retired racers did tricks like I had never seen!  Kathleen Gilley and The Gilley Girls had memorized me.  It was the great MN State Fair in September of 2009.  I had just bought my house and I had been looking for just the right companion.   I walked over to the front of the Pet Building and got to meet my first greyhound up close. I talked to many volunteers who shared their knowledge about these graceful dogs.  I remember one of greyhounds leaning into my leg.  It was love at first lean. 

It only took about 24 hours for me to make my first call to Northern Lights Greyhound Adoption.  I talked with Donna and the process began.  I waited three very long months before I would meet my first girl.  Go Ahead Run, or Gigi, was what Kathleen Gilley called a “cow dog.”  And being I grew up on a farm, I knew exactly what “cow” she was referring to!  I was able to bring Gigi home on November 12, 2009.  


In preparation for her homecoming, I decided she needed a name that would fit with her cat brother Prince Hairy.  So, a contest was set up with my residents to come up with the most creative name.  A lady by the name of Ruth, who was just 92 at the time, stopped by my office one November afternoon.  She said, “your new dog needs a name as regal as your cat.”  She said, “I think you should call her Princess Grace.”  She interrupted herself and said “no, wait, how about Greycie!  Like greyhound.  You could spelling it G-R-E-Y-C-I-E.”  It was perfect!


Greycie has taken up some new hobbies since her retirement.  We purchased a green frog with a squeaky in the belly, the day we brought her home.  She still plays with the frog every day.  Froggie has had a few stitches in his belly, but still has the original squeaker!  She loves to go for rides in the car, walks at the “Big Park” (Lake Nokomis), visiting my residents, doing Meet and Greets, playing with the neighbor kids, getting her butt scratched, eating and how could I forget sleeping.  She is probably curled up right now in bed with the cat nearby.  She and her furry brother get along great, until he decides her tail is a play toy.  Greycie has learned to enjoy summer days running a few laps around my very small backyard or playing in the back yard pool.  There isn’t much that gets her worked up as she maintains a chill attitude.  She is even better than what I hoped. 


If you are interested in meeting Greycie, and her sister Havana, we host a monthly meet and greet at Pet Supplies Plus in Minneapolis the second Friday of the month (which is today!) from 6-7:30 p.m.  Please stop by and say “hi.” 

Thanks for sharing Greycie's 'tails' with us!  We hope some Dog Blog friends will stop by the meet and greet tonight to help Greycie and Havana spread the word about greyhound adoption!  It is adopt-a-greyhound month after all!  

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Tails from Home -- Constantine Aurelius

Hello NLGA Dog Blog Readers,

Continuing on with our 30 days of 'Tails from Home'!  Today we have a 'tail' directly from the hound!  Enjoy!

Ok, I know why you are there because you want to read about me. I mean with a name like Constantine Aurelius how could you not be interested in reading about me? 


Mark and Mary adopted me on 11 April and to this day Dad still swears he loves me more than his luggage.  I am not sure what it means, but I am sure that it is something good as he scratches my ears as he says it. Afterwards he mumbles something about a BMW and how that would have been cheaper. 

 

So, I started my time with them just breaking them into life with me 'the miracle dog' as some have called me.  I just like to think of it as keeping them on their toes! I mean I gave them a good year to get into the swing of things before putting them to the test and ripping my neck open while playing with Rajah in the back yard.  So there was some blood and a deep gash and 13 stitches later what the heck, I was just warming them up for things to come! Come on guys, really, it was only a couple stitches. I mean it really was just a warm up of things I had in store for them.
  

I healed from my running mishap with Raj and let them get back to thinking life was normal and all was well before I decided to really throw them a curve ball and get a serious case of leptospirosis. It was a bad time around the house.  I ended up spending three days at Foley Clinic hooked up to IVs and was sent home for the weekend with a plethora of meds and more IV bags to be administered at home. (Seriously a counter load of IV bags and meds was a sight to behold). 



Just for fun I got up and walked across the room with the IV attached to see if they were paying attention.  They were!  And boy did they move quickly!  The vet techs were very nice at Foley Clinic and they came in on Sunday and reinserted a new needle into my leg and fluids continued to be administrated. Our friend Randy came over and took family photos as we did not know whether I was going to be around when the weekend was over. 



Well I fooled them and, ta-da!, here I am still standing. Oh and mom and dad had to go out with me after every time I peed to water down the lawn where I went so that Raj would not become infected. I like keeping them busy. And where else are they going to spend their money than on me? This too came to pass and I was still just warming them up.


O, the time passed as I had a couple dentals and few scratches her and there and then I decided I was really letting them down so I broke my toe just to see if they really loved me.  Yes yes they did... Ah, I love that they keep up on me.  


This was my lead up to see if I could push them over the edge.  A few days after breaking my toe dad started a house sitting job and mom and Raj and I were at home hanging out. At about 6 in the morning I decided to have a stroke just for mom.  Yep, you talk about a total freak out!  

All I could do was lay on the floor with my front legs locked straight and my eyes rolling in my head and unresponsive to anything mom could do.  She tried calling Mark but being a night owl he was not going to answer his phone.  She waited until a decent hour (7am) and called her nephew Drew who came over and helped carry me to the car and then drove over to pick up Mark where he was house sitting as it was on the way to Foley Clinic. She pounded on the door till she woke him and we were the first ones at the clinic door that morning.  

Dad carried me in and they took me in back.  Unfortunately they did not have the equipment to really ensure that I had a stroke.  The only way to tell for sure was to go to the University of MN hospital and have a MRI done of my brain. The clinic called ahead to tell the animal hospital we were on our way and away we went.  It was a long day at the hospital but the results came back that I had indeed had a stroke and survived. 


There was nothing to do at this point but wait it out and see what would happen. I was given IVs. I am a champ at this IV stuff by now and Mom and Dad went home to make sure that Raj was good and take care of the pets Mark was pet sitting. They came back to visit and I was unable to do much but lay there while they petted and talked to me.  They were told that nothing but time would tell the outcome of the damage from the stroke. They left me there for the night and went home.  

Now you may think this is just a sad, sad story but if you did not know Dr Barr graduated from the U.  And they line the halls with pictures of graduates from every year.  And whose graduation picture in his styling tux did we get to spy but Dr Barr!  If you ever get a chance to check it out it is there.  And Dr McHale as well, with hair! I will never tell the years they graduated, but they are there!  

The next day Mary and Mark returned to pick me up as time was all that would heal me.  They were surprised when I actually shakily walked out to the waiting room to greet them.  If humans could recover as quickly from a stroke as dogs it would be interesting.  


I went home and Rajah was, as always, happy to see me!  I was happy to see him and slowly all pronounced traces of the stroke disappeared.  And within a week you would never have known that I had given the two of them another run for their money. Today you cannot really tell I ever had one unless I am really tired and my front leg gets a bit stiff but that is only if you know me well enough. 


I have tried to keep a low profile since that time.  I mean at 10 years old I do not want them to think their time is short or anything.  I continue to bring them joy and happiness and more medical bills! I did just have 7 teeth pulled and a benign growth removed from my side on the 1st but it had been a few years and they needed to spend a bit of cash.


Well, as dad says he loved me like he loves his luggage but not as much as that BMW he could have had as he scratches my ears.  


Now that I have developed these opposable thumbs and can type I think I may look these things up! I mean what is this luggage thing and BMW???? Well thanks for reading about me and how I keep Mary and Mark busy and their bank accounts working.


Peace Out
Con


Thanks for sharing your 'tails' with us Con!  And Happy 'Gotcha' Day!!