Dogs, not blogs

Our dog walks always take double the time that they ought because we get stopped a lot. Not in a police sense, but in a general-public-ooh-are-they-rescue-dogs sense. And I never mind chatting away because I believe all greyhound owners have an on-going responsibility to be an advert for the breed. I hope that directly or indirectly we have been the reason for others getting their own grey and for the most part, mine do play the game and stand nicely for cuddles and fuss. We’ve had the odd moment, which invariably involves the boss lady having someone sniffing up her back passage – and really, I can’t blame her for being a bit antsy about a strange wet nose up her bum. I would be.

What these chats are very good for is dispelling the myths that still exist about greyhounds, despite the excellent educational efforts of the Retired Greyhound Trust over the years. So in no particular order:

No, they don’t need loads of exercise – 2 to 3 20 minute walks a day and a scoot round the garden are more than enough

Yes, they can adapt to living in a house – mine were housetrained within a week, think the sofa and the bed are theirs and like a cup of tea to get them going in the morning

No, they won’t drag you through a hedge if they see a rabbit – most walk beautifully on a lead and if they do something small with ‘chase me’ written on its backside, they will probably just bounce up and down on their toes

Yes, they can live with small furries – take the advice of your rehoming centre as to which dogs are cat-friendly. Some are not and will never be but that can be said for a lot of dogs.

Yes, they are gentle and affectionate – despite their careers as racing machines, they crave human company and love, and cuddles and hugs. I have one permanently attached to me, which is tricky when typing, ironing or having a bath.