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THE
AMERICAN FAMILY PET EXPO!
The annual
American Family Pet Expo is scheduled for Friday, April 16th, Saturday,
April 17th and Sunday, April 18th. For the fifth year in a row the
Needle Nose Crew is all signed up and ready to promote our marvelous
greys to the 60,000 folks who come through the show at the Pomona
Fairgrounds. It is one of three events in which we participate that
produces an overwhelming response, making it well worth all the effort.
We are scheduling three hour shifts over all three days. So, for all who
want to warm up the vocal pipes and do a lot of bragging about our
wonderful hounds, now’s the chance to sign up for the shift that best
suits your schedule. Call Carole Oglesbee at (949) 552-1373.
A RUDE
AWAKENING . . .
By Mike Gallas
I heard a very disturbing story recently about a woman with two
greyhounds. This woman loved her dogs very much and pampered them
endlessly. Naturally, her dogs enjoyed her efforts and took full
advantage of her kindness. Unfortunately, one such kindness was letting
the dogs sleep on the bed at night. One night all were deep in slumber
when the lady rolled over landing on one of the dogs. The dog, either
startled or annoyed, sprang into action and bit her. The woman, thinking
her grey untrustworthy and dangerous, had the animal put down. A very
extreme reaction to a problem she created, and a problem that was easily
corrected. In a similar incident, a man with a large dominant male
greyhound happened to be sleeping with his dog. Once again, he bumped
the dog while they were both sleeping. The dog bit him in the face.
Luckily for this dog, the man’s reaction was not as severe as in the
previous tale. Learning from his mistake, he banned his dog from the
bed, and all lived happily ever after. Now, I am not trying to stir
anyone into a frenzy with such tales. Greyhounds are usually very docile
companions, but given the right set of circumstances, any dog could have
reacted in such a negative way. I am of the opinion that if a dog, grey
or otherwise, shares the bed on a regular basis, one is asking for
trouble. WHY? Whether we are talking about wolves, poodles or
greyhounds, much of a canine pack’s hierarchy is determined by
sleeping order. That is, top dog or alpha takes the choice sleeping area
with the subordinates sleeping in less desirable areas. The lower in the
order, the less favorable the sleeping space. If one allows his dog to
sleep on the bed, a highly desirable sleeping space, one may be
surrendering his authority in a big way. Many trainers agree that it is
much more difficult to get a dog to comply with their wishes if the dog
is allowed to sleep on the bed. The dog needs to accept that he/she is
lower in rank and a follower of the rules, not the ruler. As long as the
dog has the choice sleeping area, your position as alpha in the pack is
questionable. Furthermore, because we are dealing with greyhounds, one
has the added characteristics of lightening reflexes and of notoriously
sound sleeping habits. This all adds up to a single conclusion: If your
dog shares your bed on a regular basis, you are asking for trouble. If
more than one dog shares your bed, the likelihood of trouble is
multiplied. Now, this does not mean that the bed is totally out of
bounds. In most cases, an occasional nap or a half hour together on a
lazy weekend morning is fine as long as the bed is not the primary
sleeping space. If a situation occurs in which the dog is becoming bed
possessive with the possibility of aggression, simply slip a collar and
leash over his head and guide him off the bed. Using the collar and
leash also greatly reduces the chance of injury. Once the dog is off the
bed, praise his compliance and/or reward him with a treat All of this
does not mean that the dog(s) must be banished from the bedroom
completely. A large cushion by the side of the bed is an excellent
sleeping space. It is close to the “pack mates” but not within the
dominant realm. In summary, this article is not meant to make one fear
one’s dog but, rather, to make one aware of the possibilities. I have
seen momentary aggression in some otherwise passive and friendly dogs.
Sleeping on the bed sends conflicting messages as to the dog’s place
in the pack order. It is better to be consistent and not confuse the
issue for the dog’s and your well being. Remember, an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure!!!
PASSINGS . . .
The Needle Nose Crew
We take a moment to express our sorrow at the loss of a friend. Our love
and support goes out to Kim Waterson for her loss of her greyhound,
Jordon, age 10. We also send out our love and support for Eileen McCoy
for her loss of Roo, age 9.
May each moment you spent with them be a fond memory;
may each memory of their lives bring a smile to your face;
may each smile you give touch another person's life;
may each life you touch make the world a better place.
Eric Shelmans
From: Toni, Paul, Howard & Robert Schultz
With love and many warm wonderful wishes in
honor of your 75th Birthday.
To: Tami Baumann
From: The Keith Family
With love and sympathy for the loss of Rocky.
ATTENTION ALL
SHUTTERBUGS!!
I realize we have just started the new year, but as with all publishing
activities, Greyhound Project is sending out notices about submitting
photographs for the year 2000 calendar, Celebrating Greyhounds. Many of
you have the 1999 calendar and have purchased others in years past.
Greyhound Project does a wonderful job of collecting and judging the
photos that are sent to them each year and publishing a greyt calendar.
Many greyhound associated groups use this calendar as a fund raiser.
Since 1994, each year the calendars just keep getting better. I was a
bit disappointed with the 1999 calendar when I finally took a moment to
look closely at the photos submitted from around the country. There are
8 rescue and adoption organizations and 2 promotion and support groups
for the greyhounds in the state of California. In the 1998 issue of
Celebrating Greyhounds there were 5 individual photos published
representing 5 individual California organizations. 1999 came rolling
in, and we find just two photos representing only one organization.
Don't get me wrong, the two photos are fabulous and hats off to GPA/CA-OC
& GLA for making sure they were represented this year. However, this
year's calendar should carry a challenge tag to all of us from the other
9 groups in the Golden State. Let's get out our cameras, our greyhounds
and whatever talent we can muster and snap those photos. Remember, many
of us use these magnificent calendars for gifts, and many of us hang
them at our places of business. Everyone who stops to look is another
person who becomes aware of our beloved greys and the fight we all wager
to get these terrific companions adopted into loving homes. Sooooo...
here are the particulars for submitting photos to the wonderful folks at
Greyhound Project. Snap those shots and choose which ones you think you
would like to submit. Don't forget to look through the shots you have
taken in the past. Many of those are gems just waiting to be submitted
for consideration. Write a very short piece to accompany each photo that
includes your greys' names, your name, your town, state and adoption
organization and any other information you might like to send along.
Most captions are two or three sentences in length.
If you decide to include a professional shot, you will need
to include a release from the professional who took the photo. Most pros
are willing to give you the release, especially when they find out what
a great cause they are supporting. Send your photos, written caption
pieces and signed releases to The Greyhound Project, Inc., 295 Tremont
Street, Newton, MA 02458. The deadline for photo submittal is April 1,
1999. I know it sounds like a long way off, but we all know how time can
creep up on us. Let's not let this moment pass! Let's get California
represented to the fullest in the year 2000!!
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