The terror that is Louise has been set free from the kennels (where she has spent over a year of her almost 3 years on this planet ) and is now reunited with her equally crazy sister Minnie to spend some time with us in foster care.

For those of you that don’t know our Minnie is actually Louise’s full sister, they were from the same litter.

As I type this she has been with us for around 2 and a half hours and she is currently sound asleep on her bed and has been for the past 45 minutes.

It's very early days but so far she has not shown any of the aggression that she has on occasions displayed in the kennels. The other 3 met her, they all had a sniff, a little run around the garden and there were no cross words. We then gave her a good old brush in the garden to smarten her up (which she thoroughly enjoyed) and then we introduced her to the downstairs of the house.

She was very keen to get on the sofa and got quite excited at the prospect of jumping up there and having a snooze but we kept telling her to get off and go to her own bed. Obviously she kept trying to get back on the sofa and was looking like she may start flying around the kitchen/living room (and here is the good bit) when Minnie stepped in (dog boss of the house/ruler of Forth and Jack) and gave 2 short sharp barks and a little growl and INSTANTLY Louise settled right down! She did not attempt to retaliate, she did not bark back or growl at Minnie and her excitement level dropped from 9 to about 3 just like that! Apart from that the 2 sisters have been happily wandering around together.

Amazingly when I click my fingers and say 'Bed' she trots off to her bed!

Obviously this is very early days for the little girl but so far so VERY good.

It's no secret we have always had a bit of a soft spot for little Louise so we are going to do our damdest to straighten her out and make her a great little greyhound for one of you lovely lot

We will tell you the complete truth on this forum thread. She has a bit of a reputation BUT that reputation has been gained whilst in the kennels. Now she is in the home environment we hope to see the real Louise and if she does have a 'mean streak' we hope to try our best to amend it. She won't be allowed to get away with anything by us and more importantly Minnie will not let anyone (even her own sister!) upset her household!

Fingers crossed we can get this little one a loving forever home.....

I reckon you'll keep her - it is your destiny!

Where is the bad reputation from? In the picture she looks like an angel

Well she can be quite excitable at times. We will reserve judgement until we put her back!

In the meantime check out the video log we are making (hopefully this will show a different side to her ) .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Cst8_yAek

Nite x

Great clip! I think that Forth and Jack, like most men, are rather lazy in the kitchen
The girls are ready to help with the meal preparation

Stan

Forth n Jack are lazy in general!!

Minnie (and now Louise) is always first on the scene at food time. She likes to make sure she gets just the correct amount of food!!

Steve

She is certainly trying to be on her best behaviour to tempt us to keep her!!

But her future is with someone else, we will get this little one re-homed.....

We have started a video diary for Louise so you can all see exactly how she is in the home environment.

You can watch part 1 by copying and pasting the following link -

http://youtu.be/d_Cst8_yAek



Share the link if you can guys

Many thanks

Great news that Louise has entered rehab!!! She is a gorgeous girl and I have a big soft spot for her.When we first went up to Baltree Louise was in the same run as a boy Celia and Jimmy asked us to consider. The lad ( Jacky if I remember correctly )wasn't really interested in us but Louise and I took a shine to one another ( if the fact that she constantly tried to trip me up so I would give her cuddles counts!)
On recent visits to Baltree I always tried to say hello to Louise and was amazed to discover she could give you a glorious big smile. We definitely would have given Louise a home if she had not had such a fearsome reputation!!!
Good luck to you guys on fostering her and I hope she soon finds the home she deserves, she is a little lady with bags of personality!

I am just wondering what she has done to be labeled as a fearsome dog...Has she attacked or bitten anyone? Ha she dragged anyone to a ditch when being walked? What else might bring her such a bad reputation?
From time to time I walk dogs for the RSPCA (usually greyhounds if possible). I enjoy walking both very gentle and more challenging ones. Well I usually walk a nice young lad, a 2 year-old greyhound. Every time before I take him for a walk I am always warned that he is giddy, bouncy etc. I love to walk him! Due to his young age he is very energetic and vigorous, interested in everything around, sometimes pulls on the lead a little bit (especially after spotting another dog). The thing is he just want to play! There is no aggression in him at all (just noseyness, curiosity etc.) I love watching him trotting like a horse. I assume he has a bad reputation as well, but in my opinion it is baseless. I like his personality, in my opinion he will be an excellent dog for people who will work a bit on him. No wonder he is a bit excited when being walked. I would if I were in his shoes, being kept in a small kennel with little possibility to see the world around. I also assume that his past as a puppy was same, maybe with more exercise whilst being trained for racing but without any attention or love(he did not make the grade anyway).
I know that some dogs might be aggressive but I have never seen any greyhounds aggressive toward people. I also realise that I might misjudge as I have very little experience with greyhounds. However to earn a bad reputation there should be a real reason for that (it concerns both animals and people).
It is quite interesting that bad opinions are spread so fast, good ones very slow.

Hi Keith and Mark

You sound like us! She was the one we always made sure we visited and said hi to when we were up at the kennels

Funnily enough she hasn't been doing her little smile since she was here. She seems so excited to be in the big wide world that she has forgotten. Now she just follows us about and looks for cuddles instead!

At the moment she has been 100% sweet and 0% aggressive; I hope this is her REAL personality shining through....

Stan

She certainly has not attacked any humans (to my knowledge anyway!) but she has had a nip at a couple of the other greyhounds. In fact when she and Minnie were both puppies Lou and her got in a scrap (with Minnie coming off worse) but they are 2 massive balls of energy and I can see how gentle sisterly play could have easily escalated into rough and tumble in a small kennel type area.

You make some good points in your post and I have always hoped that the Louise that was in the kennels would prove to be very different from the one that she will prove to be in the home. I expect there to be some nips between our 3 and Lou over the foster period but I also hope we will be able to iron out any mean streak (or at least set her on the correct path) with some discipline and structure to her life.

Hi,
I really value your sensible attitude towards dogs and think that under your supervision Louise will prove to be a good, though fun loving lady. You have fostered quite a few dogs so far and you know best what to do to make her future brighter.

To be honest nobody probably knows which of them started the scrap. It might have been either of them. Anyway you have managed to make Minnie live peacefully with the 2 guys. I am sure that Louise will change her attitude after she has been given a chance to get out of her kennel and taste the sample of a good, normal life.
It is really sad that racing dogs hardly ever experience a happy "puppyhood".

PS. Sorry for any mistakes I have made when typing in English but sometimes when doing it I feel as if I were walking in the dark...I think it will never change...

Stan, your english is almost perfect, there is no need to apologise at all, I truly admire anyone who can communicate in more than their own language and you have really mastered it. Thanks also for your efforts with the greyhounds.

Stan

Yes you are correct I wouldn't have put it past either of the 2 terrors (Minnie or Lou) to have started the fight between each other! Both have bundles of energy and the potential to 'get in the face' of others. Most of the time they simply want to explore or have fun and I guess that just aint easy in a small kennel.

I also agree with John, you have nothing to worry about with your English writing. You are one of the posters who keep the forum alive with regular posts and the greyhounds don't worry about the odd spelling mistake!

Video diary part 2 is now available -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9oq7uxcwlM

Take a look at what little Lou got up to on her 2nd day out in the big wide world

Hi John,
Thank you very much for your words of appreciation. I have been trying to do my best since I came here but due to work responsibilities I do not have enough time for the revising of what I have learned so far. That is why sometimes I feel as if I were in the dark. Any foreign language requires mastering on a daily basis (new words, new phrases, new accents, slang words etc.). At times I find it very difficult especially when I am tired out. When speaking in my native language I do not have to think about all the things mentioned above. It comes out naturally. On top of that we all (nearly) in Poland speak with the same accent.
I think reading on greyhounds has a lot helped me with improving English

Thanks for your valuable and true update on Louise's life.
I think she is lucky to have come across both of you!
Thanks for not having scolded me for my English, guys! I really appreciate that!

Absolutely love what you are doing to raise the profile of the long stayers - helping them to find their forever homes.

I really hope that it works out for Louise. Next, I keep hoping that Bob will find a loving home. He's been a bit unlucky so far, but hopefully someone will give him the second chance that he so deserves.

Thanks Agnes

If I'm honest I think being in the kennels for so long has allowed Louise to grow up and mature. We have noticed a huge difference in her in the small amount of time she has been with us. She even walks like a proper little lady now! If someone is willing to lay down the ground rules for her and have patience in the toilet department then she will make a fabulous pet for someone

I've had a soft spot for Louise & (Minnie) since I first saw them on "please choose me" they both looked so beautiful & angelic.
You're obviously making great progess with Louise & maybe all she ever needed was a home enviroment where she could show her real personality & character. Going to have a look at her video diary & share on my facebook

Shona

Think there are a few people with a soft spot for little Lou Lou

It was always our hope that her real character would shine through once in the home environment and so far that has proven to be the case.

Many thanks for sharing her video diary on Facebook, here is the latest link for days 3 and 4 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4iAivzcYyY

ps Minnie may look angelic but.......

Hi guys

The next part of Louise's video diary has now been uploaded.

See how she is getting on by copying and pasting the following link -

http://youtu.be/D4iAivzcYyY

Please share this link antwhere you can

Loving the video diaries - what a great idea! So far Louise almost seems the less challenging of the two sisters? - but I guess she hasn't quite got over her 'honeymoon period' yet!
You're doing such an amazing job. I really believe that time spent with an established greyhound family in a happy home must be the ideal preparation for permanent rehoming. I just can't seem to get the hang of letting them go again, so I now have four lovely long dogs (and partner Mike's Jack Russell) and am forbidden to foster again - useless! You have my greatest respect and admiration.

Hi Ben & Lyndsey
We have been following this video thread and think what you are doing for Louise and all the hounds you have fostered is fantastic.
It is good to see the positive sides coming out of Louise, rather than the negative side of far to long in kennels.
When there are 40 dogs or over in one place, the pack instinct becomes more apparent and with all the precautions in place incidents unfortunately do happen occasionally. Louise and her sister Thelma (Minnie) was one of these occasions.
Over the years we have had hounds with issues in the kennels, They have been looked after with love at Baltree, While they waited for the right person to come for them to give them their second chance and understanding that their individual problem required.
In many instances the hounds come in to Baltree knowing they are not wanted or someone has saved them at the last minute from being put to sleep. There are many psychological or physical issues which can be underlying.
Every one of the hounds has the potential of being a great pet but you must match the right dog to the right owner and their circumstances.
Celia and Jimmy know their dogs best and you should listen to them when trying to match the right dog to you own circumstances.

To make it easer to follow the videos I have put the first three below.

Greyhound Louise Foster Log Day 1



Greyhound Louise Foster Log Day 2



Louise Day3.wmv



Keep up the great work

George, Morag, Billy and Lassie

Wow, the cleaning of the teeth looks very impressive! Louise was so calm during it!
Does it require any special dental training to clean teeth like that?

Hey Stan

Your post looks realy good and the vids are pretty much what we do so thats good to know. Louise was really good getting her teeth cleaned I suppose its just about building up trust and reassuring her through the process. Forth and Jack have always been good about their teeth and love the toothpaste but minnie is different kettle of fish! She hates her mouth being opened and she can sniff out the toothpaste at 100 paces and goes 100 paces in the other direction! I quite enjoy doing the teeth its a bit therapuetic, and you get great satisfaction seeing the clean tooth emerge underneath.

By the way the latest video is here

http://youtu.be/PiA7f4SoDOg

Enjoy

Marion

"Minnie is the more challenging of the 2 sisters"

Could not have said it better myself

There is a lot of Minnie traits in Louise (as you would expect) but Lou is far less of a madam than Minnie!

They are starting to get a bit of a double on the go though....where one goes the other does follow!

New video here by the way -

http://youtu.be/PiA7f4SoDOg

Thanks

Hi George Morag, Bill n Lass

Many thanks for embedding the videos on the thread.

The new video is now also available

http://youtu.be/PiA7f4SoDOg

You will see the 2 sisters as you may have never seen them before

Thanks again guys

Ben,Lyndsey and the hounds no problem at all!

This is the latest video.

Louise day 5-6.wmv



Thanks again for all you great work in helping Louise find her forever home

Hi Ben and Lyndsey,
These great videos are the most fantastic fostering record. Potential adoptees can ACTUALLY SEE what like she is in a house situation.
Thank you for all your time and effort. The result is marvellous.
Celia and Jimmy.