What made you pick your dogs?

weejake · Master

What made you pick your dogs?

Rowen · Master

i'm sure there is a post on the pages somewhere, was done not that long ago lol, loads of stories there, you may have to scroll thru alot to find it

grahamrobinson · Old Hand

Friends of ours own a male wolfhound and a female deerhound, neither neutered. Soon after they got the bitch, they weren't paying enough attention, and nature took its course. They ended up with three little surprises, of whom Tara was the smallest and the cutest.

We'd said we wanted one of the puppies, so went round to meet them. The dogs were in the conservatory, behind a baby gate. Mum and two pups rushed up to the gate, blocking one girl. She looked over at me with the sweetest "I'd love to come and see you but these bullies won't let me" expression. I just feel in love, and all that remained was to convince Claire to let me have my choice. Tara can still wrap me round her little finger with her big eyes.

Zak was a GAL dog. Claire had seen him a couple of times at the kennels, and we'd started thinking about Tara a playmate. Denise encouraged us, Dave gave us the lowdown on Zak's problems (basically, he was young, boisterous, and completely untrained), and that was that!

Cheers,
Graham

weejake · Master

So it worked out great for you. If I had to walk in and pick then it would be 1st an old dog...love em. Love their grey faces and their stubborness and all the rest of the old dog characteristics. 2nd a long term resident, 3rd an Irish Wolfhound. Yep I will never ever buy a dog but if I had to "adopt" anything other than a greyhound or lurcher or mutt, it would be one of them, no age prob or sex etc... Ah well someday.

Jacks
xx

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

I was pretty sure I wanted a girl and she wouldn't be too big since I had been used to my girl cat for 16 years and wasn't convinced I could live with a dog with 'bits' on display - how do you pick him up etc

, but when I was offered Mason, his name alone seemed too ironic (I'm a big Celtic fan) and when I met him he seemed absolutely right and was so chilled with me I knew we'd get along just fine...and we do!
Even his shameless roaching doesn't bother me, and picking him up...well its not really an option is it

Marie

justblair · Graduate

Steve had a good deal of influence over the decision!

We had been interested in a dog for a while, and I (Blair) had experiance of greyhounds since my Dad has Shadow. After getting to know Shadow Janice liked his personality, particularly his loving nature... Sookiness to give it its latin name.

So we contacted Gal, and David suggested going to the Strathy park walk.

The first dog we met was Stitch. And I (Blair) fell in love with him straight away... Stitch is a handsome, daft big boy. However Steve sort of asked Janice to hold a lead for a bit... Enter Amelie. Janice was now smitten. It has to be said that Steve was a little naughty at the end of the walk... tut tut. Whenever Janice tried to hand him the lead he seemed suddenly otherwise engaged. Cilla Black would kill for his match making abilities!

We held off a bit, particularly as daycare was a bit of an issue to be sorted out and our origional plan was that the dog would acoompany Janice to work. Then Isobel called to say that Stitch was going to do a home visit. I said rather bravely that if his visit went well, that we could not hold him back from finding his forever home... A day later and I was regretting this terribly. So we rejuggled the finances and budgeted for a dog walker. Of course Stitch had charmed his way into a new home... However Amelie was still looking.

Between deciding that she could come over to see if we got on to the visit itself, its fair to say that we had already made our minds up that she was staying.

Its fair to say that after a week of her company we are now totally bonded to Amelie.. I feel sorry for everyone else cause ours is the best dog that Gal has ever homed, and we got her! She is the prettiest, the smartest and the most loving dog in the world. I'm sure that everyone elses dogs are nearly as perfect...

Thanks to Steve AKA Cilla for introducing us to Amelie. I think and hope that she feels the same way we do.

-- Edited by justblair at 00:06, 2008-01-26

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

That Steve

He is persistent, but I am sure you will quickly get to a point where you can't imagine life without Amelie!
Marie

weejake · Master

My OH is liking the irony part of Mason, as have showed him his photo and as I have said before he is very like our Henry, so he was kind of smitten with him, though in his words "if he was mine the name would have to go" yes he's a big Celtic fan too, in fact wanted to call Henry, Henrik when we got him, but I put my foot down. Get the roaching, I mean Stumpy is always splayed out when we have people round, his cheeky bits out for all the world to see. Keep saying I am going to make him wear pants. Just for visitors of course otherwise he would look silly.

Am glad Amelie is settling in, sigh will I ever get my wee girly dog, why do they always chase my cat..

Jacks
xx

iluska · GAL Treasurer

Hi

That Steve is rascal, but we so love him for it!!!

We had Fiddie for 3 months and were thoroughly enjoying meeting up with people at the monthly walks at Strathclyde Park. The fateful day in June 2005, Andy is walking round the park with our big boy and Steve with his latest foster dog, Joy.

Joy, a beautiful brown/ blue girl is slowly getting introduced to Andy & Fiddie and the big man is enjoying the fliratious behaviour of Joy. Then, low & behold, Steve has to tie his shoe-laces, asking Andy to hold the dog. Well, Steve catches the eye of some other dog walker and says to Andy & Fiddie just to walk round.

I am in the car park having a wee blether and I see the threesome coming over - I whoop with joy and Andy, as reserved as ever, doesn't say too much. But, he confesses that he has fallen for the wee minx.

We go home and discuss a friend for Fiddie and the following weekend, Andy & Fiddie go meet and have a lovely walk around New Lanark - low & behold, our family is now complete.

We renamed Joy to Coco, as she was brown.

But, although I am burbling on, yes it was Steve who helped us to choose Coco. With Fiddie, he was introduced to us and really, in the end, we were in each other's company for the rest of the day (GAL Awareness Day, Langbank), with Fiddie not wanting to leave our sides, that in fact, we would love to believe, that Fiddie choose us!

But, how glad are we to have Fiddie & Coco - words can't explain the happiness they bring us - more often than not, laughter and amusement!

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

weejake wrote:
My OH is liking the irony part of Mason, as have showed him his photo and as I have said before he is very like our Henry, so he was kind of smitten with him, though in his words "if he was mine the name would have to go" yes he's a big Celtic fan too, in fact wanted to call Henry, Henrik when we got him, but I put my foot down.
Jacks
xx

I should say I call Mason 'Macy' most of the time, particularly since I live beside the Hibs stadium and his raincoat is maroon-coloured.
Mason is his Sunday name

Jacqui · Fostering Co-ordinator * Follow-up Co-ordinator

Well, when I voluteered for the SSPCA there was a part of the kennels called Lurcher Lane - it was basically full of black greyhounds and lurchers on one side and thats were I was sent to sit with the dogs as a nice treat one day (it made a nice change from the poo bucket!!).

There were 3 in a row Rowen (now with his new mummy denise) Joey and Annie. And I began to try and sit with them regulary, they were all beautiful but I just connected with Annie, she was so gentle and when I used to take her out the kennel she would stand full length and give me a big hug

. I fostered her and cried like a baby everytime I had to put her back in kennels. So found a dog walker and never took her back.

Nan my second girl: - Rachel told me there she had a beautiful little female who was supposed to be PTS at the vets and Rachel took her in - she was very very timid and Rachel wanted me to take her into foster. I had just homed my last foster and had to drop a dog off at Rachels and for some reason Nan ended up in the car!! She wasnt going to be the easiest dog to home, she had some behaviour issues and I had her for about 4 mnths and realised that there was no way that I could be without her - she was our Xmas pressie this year. Almost a year to the day after Annie - wonder who I'll get next year he he............

Indiana · Guru

I went to the cat and dog home one sunny summer day and my attention was caught by the one dog who wasn't barking - he whined a lot and looked so pitiful that my heart melted. He had no name and since my sister had to guard his kennel to put other people off looking at him (long story!), I let her choose his name. She's a big Indiana Jones fan hence the name. I felt particularly shallow when she added that his colouring would go very well with my soft furnishings - I assure you that was not the reason I fell for him! After a few months of dreadful behaviour we were persuaded by GAL to consider a calm older female as company. We met one beautiful dog but there was no immediate rapport and I decided to meet another dog on our short-list of three recommended by GAL. After a long drive to Linlithgow to pick her up with her foster mum, we drove her back to Glasgow to see if the two would get on. They did

She is quite the most perfect natured dog I have ever met and for that reason I named her Tigerlily after the Indian princess in Peter Pan. I'm so glad I have the pair of them.

weejake · Master

Brilliant stories.
We have been away up to Inverness this weekend to see friends and arrived back this afternoon, my Mum and Dad came over to watch their "other Grandkids" and as we drove back after one night away, OH said "how excited are you to see the boys? I am for sure" and that sums it up. Wasn't sure about Rufus when we got him, you know, all that naughtiness, and now it's like he has always been apart of our life. And Stumpy had to take the place of a very special, very handsome big lad, that neither of us were ready to lose. But och what a wee star, again, such a part or our life it is hard to think of life without him.

Oh and our wee fat cross eyed tabby is the bees knees, rolly poly wee cuddle monster. Why does she stalk the boys feet though? It's like she is pushing it. Cheeky wee monkey.

Love your stories..

Jacks
xx

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

Its funny how they become a huge part of your life. My cat Toots was absolutely my baby and when Mason first arrived we were kind of like flatmates for a while and early on I wondered if we would ever have the bond I had with my girl, but now I can't imagine not having him. In fact I'm devoted to the greyhound cause. They just win your hearts

Marie

Michelle · Master

Well i got Jet kind of as a christmas present!!

I had always wanted a greyhound since I had lived with a flatmate who had a GAL dog. I always said this to my boyfriend and he decided to get me one as a present but later on in the year.

However at the end of last January he had a call from a workmate who knew he was looking for a greyand knew of one in a kennel who desperatley needed rehomed as he fought with his kennelmate and might otherwise have been put down. Well he got the call on the friday night and by 9am on the saturday we had been away up to Kelty and were the proud owners of Jet!!!

BOWGANG · Master

We had lost our first dog and I had vowed 'no more'. However Jim found the GAL website and there was Gambol...a big skinny boy looking for a home. I immediately phoned Denise who happened to be fostering him and she agreed to bring him along to meet us while she was doing our home check. We fell in love immediately and our eldest daughter ended up lying on the floor with him throughout the visit! ( He sleeps on her bed every night they are so close). He came to stay after what seemed like the longest week in the world.
After a couple of weeks we decided he needed a friend and Dave very quickly found us a cat friendly girl. Her name was Sally at the time and she was being fostered by Charles. we arranged a visit and Gambol and Keera (as she is now) took to each other straight away, so Gambol chose Keera!
Two months later we were at an awareness day at Strathaven where Denise had told our eldest daughter about a lovely big black boy called Jamie who was also cat friendly. It was love at first sight for both of them to the extent that every time a prospective adopter appeared, Lori took Jamie for a walk so they couldn't see him!!! I agreed to foster, but truth be told I had absolutely no intention of ever giving him up!! So Lori chose Jamie.
We all love them to bits and I think it's safe to say they love us too.

Shirley

weejake · Master

It's amazing how many greys can be homed with cats. Brilliant.

Jacks
xx