The Birthday Party

Last weekend I held a birthday party for Sami who turned 3 and Lucy who turned 6, both birthdays are June 20th. What a blast we had.

My friend Camille was here for the weekend and this is the video she put together of the event. Enjoy and thanks Camille for the video!!

Sami and Lucy's Birthday Party from Camille Barkley on Vimeo.

Upcoming Coursing at Moreland

It's been some time since I've blogged - it's been very busy at Second Chance Greyhounds. So much has been going on and it seems to be daily if not hourly! But it's for a good cause and we are doing a good thing - placing Greyhounds into their forever homes and we're having a blast doing it!! I must say that starting a new Greyhound adoption group has proven to be very difficult but we've come such a long way since January when we first began tossing this idea around. I've said it time and time before, we should all be very proud of our achievements, as there are so many!

But tomorrow I actually get to take the day off and do something I so love to do and that is watch my dogs lure course! We're going to be at the ASFA National Greyhound Specialty in Moreland. In the Open category where Sami will run there are 11+ Greyhounds. It'll be Sami's first real trial so I'm a bit anxious to see how she does. She's a nut for the lure which is a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing as they don't seem to think with their brains when that is the case. Their only goal is to get the lure, at all costs! So, we will see how she does.

Lucy will run in Field Champion, along with about 7+ Greyhounds. Last time she ran, she suffered a puncture on the outside of her front right foot. Ten days worth of antibiotics cured that and she's been good to go ever since. That was also two months ago so she's had plenty of time to recoup! We'll see how she does.

There will definitely be some competition for both Sami and Lucy.

We are expecting rain this afternoon and evening which should make the ground perfect for coursing tomorrow. Temps should reach near 70 which is perfect for coursing. Everyone should be comfortable, most importantly, the dogs!

I'll report back after tomorrow with results. Keep your fingers crossed that my girls do well!

Lucy's Latest Victim

I don't know how and I don't think I want to know how, but the poor black bird pictured above is Lucy's latest victim. God help any creature in our backyard that is slower than her!

Riding the Storms

Well, dear Lucy has been storm phobic since I adopted her several years ago and it has little by little become increasingly more intense. That would be Lucy's phobia and well, the storms as well. We've had some terrible storms come through the Atlanta area this Spring, complete with hail and tornados.

So, to try to help Lucy get through the storms, we went to the vet seeking help. Dr. Carpenter prescribed Amitriptyline, actually two tablets every 12 hours or as need. I could potentially give her up to four. Well, we tried that to no avail. They did make her drowsy but she was completely aware of her surroundings and the storms she heard overhead.

So, another trip to the vet seeking help. This time we saw Dr. Johnson as Dr. Carpenter was off that day. He prescribed Acepromazine which is most commonly just called Ace. Sighthounds, in specific Greyhounds, are pretty sensitive to Ace so it is usually prescribed with caution.

Our first opportunity to use it was Sunday night. I have to say it knocked Lucy on her keister! She slept like a rock Sunday night and was groggy until Monday evening. I might cut a pill in half next time and see how that works for her. It is a tranquilizer so I'm not surprised she slept so well and for so long. It is commonly used in conjunction with anesthesia to relax the canine patient before a procedure.

So, the good news is I think we have finally found something that works for her. I must wait for another horrific storm to realize the benefits of this drug on Lucy as the storms on Sunday were pretty mild. More later as we continue to find the perfect solution for her!

My, What a Rough Night!

Dear Lucy woke me up at 2 a.m. panting her little head off and shaking like a leaf. It only got worse from there. She was beside herself with the oncoming storm that was producing lightening and thunder just in the distance. It appeared to be going around us (not over us) but it was close enough for Lucy to apparently feel the electric charge from the lightening strikes and then there is the boom of the thunder to contend with. Bless her heart. I always feel so bad for her during storms but there is absolutely not a thing I can do. I will stock up on Melatonin today so we'll have it next time. I just have to be vigilant about knowing the weather forecast, having Melatonin on hand and dosing Ms. Lucy.

She was so bad this morning that she wouldn't eat her breakfast at 4:30 a.m., nearly 2 1/2 hours after her "episode" began. The rain had finished but I guess she could still feel the storm around her and she was still panting and shaking. She did go potty with the other girls but then came right back inside and onto my bed. I gathered everyone to crate up before I left and had to go fetch Lucy off my bed. She didn't want to go in the crate but she did finally did. I hate doing that to her but I can't leave her out for fear she would hurt herself. She is safer in the crate beside Sugar and Foster Sandy.

Speaking of Foster Sandy, during this whole ordeal with Lucy what do you imagine Foster Sandy was doing? She was pulling every toy out of the toy basket, squeaking it if it indeed still squeaked, eating parts off of some of them, and running around the bedroom tossing them in the air and catching them. Obviously she was oblivious to everything else around her, including the thunder and lightening.

What was Sugar and Remi doing during this entire ordeal? Sleeping. Neither one of them budged, not an inch. Me? What was I doing? Well, trying to sleep. I did eventually dose back off around 3 a.m. but the ole alarm sounded off at 3:45 a.m. pronto. I think I rolled out of bed around 4:15 a.m. making me miss my first bus but I did catch the second one and made it here at 7:10 a.m. Not bad. Of course, I slept the whole way!

I can only hope and dream tonight is more peaceful. I say Melatonin for EVERYONE whether they need it or not!!

Lucy is Nesting

Yes, I do believe she is going to drop some eggs shortly since she has been building (er, digging) this nest for herself. I caught her perched in it the other day. Imagine my surprise. Who knew that Greyhounds nested? :) Perhaps soon she'll learn how to fly, too!

It was a dark and stormy night . . .

And you know it's really bad outside when you see this . . .

You know all is well with the world when you see this . . . either that or the Melatonin is really working! :)

More on Raw . . .

Just a quick note – Saturday I thought I’d try giving the girls raw eggs to supplement their raw diet. They are suppose to get these at least once a week, I think, and I had forgotten to give them any this entire time. I cracked one in each of their bowls, leaving the shell as well because this is also very good for them. Remi enthusiastically ate hers as did Lucy, crunching the shell as they devoured the egg itself. I didn’t doubt these two would enjoy their egg treat.

Sugar, on the other hand, is the princess of the bunch. She looked at it, looked up at me as if to say, “What the heck is this and do you really expect me to eat it?”. She then lapped a bit up, looked at me again, drank some water, picked up the shell and dropped it on the floor, lapped a bit again, looked at me again, drank some more water and then she walked away.

Remi and Lucy tag teamed it and finished all that Sugar had left, which was about 90 percent of what was there originally! She sure didn’t take to it but I’m hoping she will the next time. As Scarlett would say, there’s always tomorrow!

A Future Vegetarian?

Last night I fed the girls their usual chicken thighs. They woofed them down as they have every night since starting this RAW diet. I also had three small chicken legs in the microwave defrosting. Before I could even get those ready, I stepped outside to find Lucy had found her own munchie while awaiting her chicken leg.

Seems I hadn't dug up all the sweet potatoes in the garden and the little villain found one and dug up her own side item to add to her dinner. She didn't even offer to share with Remi or Sugar (figures).

As you can see from the video (be sure to turn up your volume), she is certainly enjoying her "find". I can't blame her as I love sweet potatoes myself . . . but raw? You don't suppose it will hurt her tummy, do you (pray it doesn't come back up)? Do you suppose she is trying to tell me something though? Perhaps she isn't getting enough food on this RAW diet? Or perhaps she'd prefer to be a vegetarian? Or perhaps she just wanted some sweet potatoes to go with her turkey tail I gave her Thanksgiving night?

I honestly think she is taking this RAW diet a bit too far!! Who knew she'd be such a convert?

The Coursing Bug

This past weekend we enjoyed our first lure coursing event of the season - the 3rd ASFA National Greyhound Specialty on Saturday and the Fullerton Cup on Sunday. Both trials were hosted by Southeastern Greyhound Club, of which I am a member and active volunteer.

It rained heavily on Friday so the field was in great shape for running dogs. The weather also cooperated throughout the weekend with cool temperatures in the morning, warming quite nicely in the afternoon. It was perfect - one couldn't have asked for better weather!

Several of my friends stayed in the same hotel and coursed their Greyhounds in Singles on Saturday at the Specialty and then both Greyhounds certified on Sunday. Unfortunately during the run on Sunday, one of them sprained a muscle, or at least that is what we think happened. They did certify, though, so when he heals he will be ready to enter a trial in the Open stake. But for now, it's leash walk only for him while he recovers.

My BFF brought her Greyhounds to the field on Sunday to run a practice run and hopefully get some good photographs from Dan of Shot on Site, our photographer for the event. And yes, Dan did get some wonderful shots of Kim's girls. Kim was definitely pleased.

It is something else to watch your dog run a course but something entirely different seeing their faces, muscles, and positions captured in a photo. There isn't anything like it, I have to say. You can just see from the looks on their faces what a fantastic time they are having. It is, afterall, what they are bred to do and what they "know" - it's genetic, bred into every fiber of their being.

Check the photo out above. This was such an unusual position that Dan captured - I just had to have this shot. Lucy looks as if she is either about ready to stand up, or she is holding her legs together because she has to go potty! Too funny. I'm surprised she didn't trip herself!

This photo to the right shows the intensity they have while chasing the "plastic bunny". I should explain, the plastic bunny is nothing more than three Glad white plastic bags tied to a line which runs on a continuous loop course. It's enough, though, to make most every Greyhound go absolutely bonkers. They put on their "game face" as I call it and honestly don't think about anything else except for attacking that "bunny". They all eagerly await their turn!

I've traveled to quite a few states through the years to lure course and have always enjoyed the countryside, the people, and the coursing. People often wonder why we lure course since there is always a "chance of injury", "the dogs are retired", etc. I've heard it all - believe me.

But you know, it's not for us, it's all for them! I have a gazillion photos, much like these, that say it all better than I ever could!

More Coursing

This past weekend we motored down to Moreland, Georgia to Bear Creek Farm for Southeastern Greyhound Club's (SEGC) Run for Rescue and the Lucy-Foxey Cup trials. Bear Creek Farm is a beautiful 2,000 acre farm nestled in the backwoods of Coweta County not far from Newnan. I wish I had some decent shots of the farm as it is spectacular. Unfortunately, the land owners (Hal and Linda Barry) were away for the weekend attending a Steeplechase in Aiken, South Carolina so we didn't get a chance to chat with them as we usually do. However, they are intrigued with the lure coursing sport and enjoy watching the dogs run and I'm sure wished they had been there! We will be back at that field in October so hopefully they will be there then.

SEGC held a regional awards dinner that evening at a local restaurant so I had decided to stay over at a local motel so that I could attend the dinner. My friend Heather and her Greyhounds Seka and Roxy also stayed with us. Yep, two women and five Greyhounds! What a party! Actually they were all very good girls. We couldn't have asked for anything more than that except maybe a ground floor room. Next time I'll remember that!

Anyhoo, coursing on Saturday was pretty interesting. The course was 920 yards I believe. And the weather was hot, the ground was dry, and the dogs were impressive. Lucy had a good morning run and a good afternoon run. I have forgotten her scores but will get those posted here this evening.

Here is a video of her morning run, I believe. I think my next toy will need to be a camcorder so that I can shoot better long distance videos! More toys and more toys - it never seems to end but I'm sure I would get terribly bored if it did!

At the end of the day, Lucy wound up in a three-way tie for 3rd place, 4th place, and NBQ (5th place). One dog forfeited so I decided to run her for the third time that day to determine the 3rd and 4th place winners. We really wanted to come in 3rd because of the points we would be awarded. You don't get any points after 3rd place - only a ribbon.

Here is a shot of her and her opponent after the initial release, going full-steam ahead chasing the plastic bunnies. And I believe this was the final run-off for 3rd-4th place.

This was taken with my new camera. I have a zoom lens ordered which is on the DHL truck as I type this. I can't wait to work with it! I image I'll be able to get some excellent shots.

The picture below is after Lucy had come in from the run-off and me trying to get her slip lead on her to walk her out before I took her to get some water, get her coursing blanket off and get her cooled down. BTW, she did end up in 3rd place - yeppie!

This was also the day that Heather's Seka ran a practice run. She tried to practice Roxy who would have no part of it. Seka ran beautifully, even if she is missing a toe on one of her back feet! She then entered Seka in Singles for Sunday's trial. Her total score for the day was 310 which was outstanding. Heather is definitely hooked on the sport now, even more so than Seka is, I think. I expect they will be at the May trials in Cartersville.

It truly is just plain, good, clean fun both for the humans who partake and definitely for the hounds. It does get competitive though which just adds some spice to the mix if you ask me!

Oh, I didn't run Lucy on Sunday because during the run-off on Saturday she busted the big pad on one of her back feet. I've been nursing it ever since and thank goodness that is the least serious injury that can occur on the coursing field and one that heals rather rapidly.

I've increased Lucy's training regime - with all this new up and coming talent we don't really have a choice! We'll be ready for May's trials though, so watch out!

Lure Coursing

We coursed this past Saturday at the Chase trial at Old Mill Farm in Cartersville. All three girls attended, however, only Lucy coursed. She ended up taking a 2nd place out of 3! We were hoping for a first placement but that's okay. I've learned throughout the years that it's better to have a safe and healthy hound at the end of the day than a ribbon or points although the latter is always welcome! From the three trials Lucy has run in where she could earn points toward her Field Champion title, she has earned 57 points thus far. That isn't too shabby for three trials! The points are based on placement plus the number of hounds she beat in her category. Right now she is still running in Open, until she acquires 100 points and then we move to Field Champion. She is looking forward to that where she can "run with the big dogs"!

I have a video that a friend shot of her first course on Saturday. As soon as I get it, I'll load it here for your viewing pleasure.

Our next trial is the Chase trial March 15-16 at Gang Park in Calhoun and then the weekend after that is the SEGC trial March 22-23 at Bear Creek Farm in Moreland.

We have alot of conditioning to do between now and then but we are definitely up for the challenge!

She Did It Again!

Yep, Lucy came in First Place again yesterday out of a field of 6 Open greyhounds. Needless to say, I am still dumbstruck - a deer in headlights. I am so proud of Lucy and so pleased she is running so well. You just never know and always hope for the best, you know? And as I always say, I'm usually so happy everyone gets in safe and sound that I barely even notice "how' they are running. I hope to get a little movie of her next course which may be next Saturday. We're still contemplating that one since our holiday Greyhound Gala is that night and I must be at the venue by 6 p.m. I don't know if I could make it! We'll see.

To date, I believe Lucy has 44 points toward her Field Championship title. She needs 100 points plus two first placements to attain that title. We're surely on our way!

Happy Turkey Day!

It's Thanksgiving Eve and I think I have all the groceries I'll need to cook my Thanksgiving feast for tomorrow. There will be a turkey breast w/spiced rub, cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, baked butternut squash, and pumpkin pie. I'll have leftovers for days but that's okay. I really enjoy cooking a Thanksgiving dinner even if it's just for me! My Mama taught me well! The dogs are all getting marrow bones for their Thanksgiving. They'll be happy as clams. I'll be heading to Kim and Guy's place for lunch and then back to my place for dinner.

Saturday we lure course again. I hope Lucy does just as well as she's done in the past. She really enjoys it. Heck, I don't know any greyhound who doesn't like to run!

Wish us luck! And have a safe and wonderful holiday.

Two Days Post Coursing 1,680 Yards

Lucy is in fine spirits and is feeling well. The peeled pad is healing just fine and she seems much less "ouchy" this morning than yesterday. Every day it heals more and more. The udder cream is doing the trick, I think. Who would have thunk it? Anyway, tonight we hit the road again for some more conditioning. There's no such thing as too much road work, for her or for me, so we definitely intend to keep it up. It makes a huge difference.

Other than Lucy and her exploits - all else is well. I have some cooking to do tonight as our annual Thanksgiving feast at work is tomorrow. There will be about 130 folks with lots of food and fun. I'm making broccoli and rice casserole and pumpkin bars. Yummy! Lucy and I will definitely need to walk tomorrow night to help walk off some of the calories I'll indulge in at lunch! Actually, it will probably take days of walking as there will be scads of dishes I'll think I'll need to try! But hey, it's once a year that we get to enjoy this! Right?

Lucy's Big Win

This past Sunday was Lucy's big debut in lure coursing at the CHASE Veteran's Day trials. Well, she had coursed before but only ran in Singles which means she obviously ran by herself and received a ribbon (two first placements) but no points were earned. Yesterday she ran in the Open category which means she runs with other dogs - two other ones in the morning and two in the afternoon. Points are tabulated and totaled with two judges judging. After the morning run of a course that was 840 yards in length and went every which way with three crossovers, she was actually in third place with two (more experienced) dogs tied for 1st. The afternoon final run was great and she scored really high, putting her in first place with a total of 304 points for the day. The 2nd place dog had 301 points. It's always close like that but she did really well and I am so proud of her. She could have run for Best of Breed against the Field Champion winner but they forfeited so she got the ribbon and more points that will count toward the Top 20 standings. Maybe at year-end she'll hit that list, who knows? She's doing great with only one corner of a pad that "burned off". The ground is extremely hard right now with the drought so that being the only injury is definitely a good thing!

On Monday to commemorate Lucy's big win, all three dogs received baths complete with an Epsom salt foot soak, manicures and pedicures, and ear cleanings and a fresh spritz of flea and tick spray. Then they were treated with fresh marrow bones which they devoured! What a weekend!! I couldn't be more proud of my girl Lucy!!

The Weekend

Wow, well, Saturday I took Lucy to the CHASE trial in Cartersville for a practice run. She did just great and ran her little heart out, first time around! I was amazed. At the "Tally Ho", she seemed to just stand there so I nudged her a bit and whispered, "Go chase it!", and sure enough, she did just that. She was bookin' it in the beginning but seemed to fade a bit toward the end. We are going to ramp up our road-working efforts this week in anticipation for her run in Singles this weekend at the SEGC trial in Moreland. I'm hoping she does well and perhaps will obtain her certification one day soon. We'll see how it goes! She seemed to really enjoy the run and was much more enthusiastic about the plastic bunnies afterwards. That was my goal for taking her up for the practice run so we were successful. She didn't appear to be sore anywhere that evening or the next day but this week we will get a good workout in preparation for the trials this weekend. The weather is suppose to be warm and beautiful all week, including Saturday and Sunday!

Sunday was a pretty dismal day. It started out nice as Kim, Guy and myself drove to Birmingham to pick out two new greyhounds to bring back to our adoption group, Southeastern Greyhound Adoption (SEGA). It's hard to pick just two but that's all the room we had at our kennel. We picked a red fawn girl named Cate and a black and white tuxedo girl named Darcy. Cate turned out to be cat tolerant and Darcy would have jumped over desk and chair to get to the cat so, unfortunately, is not tolerant.

After getting them all squared away, I went home to find my 16 1/2 year old Himalayan in dire straights. She had kidney failure and really deteriorated rapidly over the weekend. She just plummeted from Saturday night on. I was hoping to make it to our vet this morning with her but that was not to be. I had to take her to the ER vet on Sunday to be put to sleep. She is at peace now and is with her husband, Boca, who preceded her in death by 8 years. That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It just tears your heart out but I know now that it was the only thing I could do.

Oh my - what a week!

Last Thursday I began getting sick with some upper respiratory thingamajig. Yes, that about sums it up. I went to the Dr. on Monday and was prounounced to have a "touch of the flu, an upper respiratory infection and perhaps some strept throat". UGH!! And I've survived the week at work but only after being prescribed some good decongestants and cough syrup with Codeine, nonetheless. The syrup absolutely wipes me out so must be taken at nighttime. It's good stuff and has done the trick, so I can't complain!

Dear Lucy is settling in quite nicely. Sugar is liking her pretty much and Remi just seems to be "okay" with her. She's doing good with the kitties as well. She is 14 days post-op from her spay surgery and I think is wanting to run a bit. We'll see. Next weekend I'm taking her to the CHASE trial in Cartersville just to watch the coursing a bit and see what she thinks of it.

Off to hit the Friday afternoon traffic. Fun, fun, fun!!!