Kai

Christine Young · GAL Newsletter Editor

RE: Kai

neeroz · Master

Yup Christine thats Kai.

Kai and Florence look very similar and sometimes you need to do a double look to see who's who's, if your not paying attention!

He was/is snuggled in bed with rest when I left for work. (so doesn't mind being left either then!)

Jennifer · Big Cheese

Thats good he's settling in so well

Wish i had a huge house then i'd take loads of foster dogs home.

(one day hopefully i will)

BOWGANG · Master

Glad to hear Kai has settled with you.Have met him a few times at Rachel and Eddies and he's a lovely dog. Glad to hear he's doing okay with the walks as correct me if I'm wrong but he was not very good at the old walkies bit before was he?

Hope he continues to settle and gain some more confidence...your TLC and the company of your pooches will definitely help.

Shirley and the gang

Dave · Enlightened One

BOWGANG wrote:

Glad to hear he's doing okay with the walks as correct me if I'm wrong but he was not very good at the old walkies bit before was he?

thats right Shirley, Kai was probably the easiest dog to walk at the kennels cos he basically refused to set foot outside his kennel, poor lad, the benefits of a good foster home certainly paying off here...

neeroz · Master

He still disnae look keen when we produce the harness and leads (while the other three are going mental)

Once you get him oot past his 'am no gone any further spot' and walking he is fine, just alittle jumpy somethimes.

In the hoose he is a star!

greyluvver · GAL Membership Co-Ordinator

Louise, he will no doubt build up confidence with you and your lovely bunch.

neeroz · Master

Its amazing how quickly Kai has got into our routine......... since Monday it feels as if he's been here for ages.

Doesn't shadow us around the house, he's just happy to lounge with the gang. Doesn't bolt his food (tho he would eat till he burst given the chance!) Walks are getting better, its the main road that scares him the most. (Abbey was like that when we got her and although she is still nervous o lorries she doesn't 'have a kitten' as much, not bad for 5 years!) And the best bit, Kai has put on 1 kilo in a week, all that loungin and no kennel stress. (He needed a wee bit o fattenin up!)

So to sum up................he is lookin at the gang to see how to react to thing, is alot less stressed looking and gettin used to the 'home comforts' (the jammies, blankets, heating). He's gonna make some one a lovely/cuddly/playful addition to their family..........................aw.

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

Fab news on Kai,

Well Done Louise

Keep up the great work

max · Enlightened One

Great to hear that Kai is settling into the house atmosphere so well, he sounds lovely and sure with lots of walks will get to the stage that he enjoys them. Was he an ex racer and do you think it has something to do with being taken to races that he associates leads and has some sort of bad memory with this, or am I being a bit dense here. Nora

neeroz · Master

Hi Nora, we think something must have happened to him when he's been out and about,to give him a fright. What that is..............? He's not keen on trains passing either, and he wouldn't get in my car yesterday, but jumps into the warrior fine. So maybe he's gonna be a bit like Abbey, first time things making him a bit him nervous/wary.

Now the 'news'...............he got his plums picked yesterday and apart from being the most pathetic patient we've ever had, he is fine. He looked so pathetic at the vets all day not eating (theres a first for him!), just lying with his face in the bowl whimpering. The vet staff described him as a 'lump of a dog' but very sweet natured (aren't all groos tho?!). He continued to whine/whimper ALL night, then nearly ate the bowl with his breakfast, rolled around with a teddie/toy and proceeded to snooze. (when am leavin for work, pesky pup )

Now am waiting on news on how Toffee (one o ma ferrets) got on at the vets, as she is suffering from/with pancreatitis. Hasn't eaten for three days and was in at the vets yesterday, with Kai, to get fluids injected and antibiotics. Been a battle to get her to drink and eat, but she seemed a little better today. (More antibiotics today)

-- Edited by neeroz at 18:48, 2006-04-20

-- Edited by neeroz at 18:50, 2006-04-20

Teresa · Enlightened One

glad to hear kai is settling well, even if he's making the most of being "poorly" !!

hope toffee improves too

neeroz · Master

Kai is alot better, the itch from his shaved bits has gone and is not sporting the 'lamp shade' anymore. Much to the relief of him, any wall/person/dog/door that gets in the way!

Think he is now starting to 'test' how far he can push with us/ what he can get away with. I've lost him (in the house) a couple of times only to find him sleeping on our bed (awww), then yesterday he growled at Abbey then me. Seemed to be a half hearted thing, cos Abbey looked at him then me as if to say 'what did I do? who's he talking too?' He did it again in the evening, then when I tried to move him, so he was put outside for a couple o mins. He seems to get the idea that thats not the way to behave and has been in the 'huff' with me since.

Probably just a teenage thing cos he still a young pup, crabbit/happy/sleepy all in the space of 5 minutes! (Could it be the the terrible twos?! Do you get those in teenagers?!)

-- Edited by neeroz at 14:17, 2006-04-28

-- Edited by neeroz at 15:05, 2006-04-28

Christine Young · GAL Newsletter Editor

LOL Louise! I think the terrible twos last until they're teenagers. Then it's the torrid teens!

I'd agree it seems that Kai is testing you to see how far he can go. I think most dogs do try once they start to relax and enjoy themselves at home. It's great that he's getting better after his op and now the lampshade is off, he'll be far more comfortable and not crashing into anyone and everything!

Hope that Toffee continues to improve. Pancreatitis sounds nasty - what a shame for the wee girl. Give her and Kai a big hug from me and Vegas!

Christine

neeroz · Master

Thanks Christine, Toffee is 100% better and she is back out in the garden bungalow with Cookie, who missed her loads.

As for Kai, all was forgotten by the time I got home from work yesterday as he was his normal bouncy/happy self. No growls at anyone and played most of the day, even Abbey did her 'shuffle' thing to entice him to play. So a happy household again!

neeroz · Master

Weird thing happened yesterday when we were getting ready to go a walk ...............the gang as usual are goin mental and Kai as usual went to his bed to hide. We then go to get Kai and he was shakin all over and his wee heart was hammerin. This is dead unusual cos he never looks keen but he's never in a state.............so we get him up, harness on and what does he do............proceed to trot happily oot the door and waits at the gate wi the rest o the gang!(who are still goin mental) He seemed to really enjoy the walk to the park and wanted off his lead to sprint with Florence/Abbey/Dexter, cos running with us is nae use!

So.........em, answers on a postcard..................

haz25a · Old Hand

I was in the pet shop in Milngavie today. This woman came in and asked the girl at the counter if they sold puppies, she said no and suggested the woman go onto the internet to look for the breed she wanted. I had clocked a GAL poster of Kai in the window before I came in so quickly interrupted and pointed this out to her. I blabbed on about how good GAL were and how they would help her with any potential settling in problems etc. So........you never know. Fingers crossed.

To be honest I wasn't over impressed with the girl who worked there. She implied that a bearded-collie/greyhound cross was a strange mix, bet she's never even met one. And that it was a lurcher cross. I informed her that a greyhound mixed with another breed is a lurcher!

Hazel.

max · Enlightened One

Guess Kai reaction was to wait till asked and the shaking was his way of showing excitment. He seems to be coming round to walks. Nora. Hope your ferrets still doing well.

In reply to Hazels lurcher thing met this man in Berwick-upon-Tweed who came up to talk to us about Cas insisting he knew about these dugs saying he had once owned a pure breed Lurcher, try to explain to no avail. Doh!

-- Edited by max at 22:45, 2006-05-04

-- Edited by max at 22:46, 2006-05-04

neeroz · Master

Hi Nora, the fuzzies are doin fine. Toffee is feelin so much better she went a wander/escaped yesterday..............I found her on the main street........wee minx!

You maybe right bout Kai's reaction, but he looked more terrified than excited. (Been battered with a lead/collar? another mystery)

Hi Hazel, was the poster of a lurcher or Kai? (Just out of interest, cos you've confused me. Easy done!) Kai is a brindle groo.

Is it any sight hound or just a groo and another breed to get a lurcher?

haz25a · Old Hand

Oh, now I'm confused. The poster was of a particular lurcher (long-haired) who I thought was called Kai. Assumed it was the same one. Will need to go onto other GAL site to check.

My understanding is that a pure greyhound crossed with any other breed or a mongrel is known as a lurcher. Is that right?

Hazel.

haz25a · Old Hand

Ah! Problem solved. The poster was for KAISER the wee blonde lurcher. Sorry for the confusion.

Hazel.

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

The lurcher was predominantly a cross of a sighthound (preferably a greyhound) with a herder (collie etc) and sometimes crossed again say with a whippet - so you would have a lurcher that is a greyhound/collie x whippet.

But over the years lurchers have changed remarkably into an even wider variety.

Also Rough coats will have deerhound or irish wolfhound or bearded collie or similar shaggy coated in the cross and then to take it even further and hopefully not too confuse matters even have a terrier cross.

I hope this explains things a bit - I'm sure I've confused myself

Edited to add that this is a basic explaination of the type of dog a lurcher is and I would definitely recommend 'The House Lurcher' book to anyone wanting a more indepth explaination of the lurcher

-- Edited by Siouxsie at 15:03, 2006-05-07

Valerie · Guru

I can recommend Jackie Drakeford's book on the House Lurcher which I read when we took on Biscuit. The history behind the lurcher mix is fascinating, and long ago was developed by impoverished folk to put food on the table. There must be at least one sighthound, but then other breeds can be added through the generations for agility, speed, turning and even silence, because there were essentially used for poaching.

This picture is my favourite of Biscuit which shows all his lines and heritage. Biscuit will even stalk on his belly like a collie, although I know this is sometimes submissive, but if you saw him with other dogs, there is very little submissive about him!, so I think he uses it for fun, and creeping up on dogs.

PeterE · Old Hand

That's a lovely picture of Biscuit. His ears look enormous, are they really that big?!

I read somewhere recently whilst surfing that although a Lurcher is a sighthound and anything else, a cross between two sighthounds is a Longdog. I also read that Lurcher means Thief! Presumably because of being bred to poach. Also... the dark varieties of greyhound: black and particularly brindle were bred by peasants for camoflage in the woods whilst poaching. Noblemen had pale fawn and white dogs to be easily seen from horseback. Funny how so much sighthound trivia has got stuck in my mind!

Daz only creeps on his belly when fragments of his pig's ear fly out of reach!

Peter.

Valerie · Guru

Sorry to Kai for stealing his string here!

Peter - his ears are that big! They come from his whippet father. His mother is like him and looks a real lurcher mix, so we will probably never really know his lineage. When we got him from GAL, the people who had him gave us a picture of his parents, so that's how we know what his mum/dad look like. Biscuit is very hard to see in the woods, and long grasses. Some "dog" folk have said they think he looks a bit saluki/deerhound, due to his coat and beard, and the shape of his face/head is far from whippet. He recently chased two deer in the woods, but luckily came back. He seems completely fearless which is either his breeding or youthful inexperience!

Jennifer · Big Cheese

Biscuit is such a handsome boy

He is what i'd call a proper lurcher

max · Enlightened One

I think Biscuit is just drop dead gorgeous I have never seen him in the flesh but would love to meet him ( and his owners too ) he has the most handsome face and those ears and his little beard, he is soooooooooo cute.

Nora

Christine Young · GAL Newsletter Editor

That's a wonderful photo of Biscuit. He looks very handsome and all grown up!

Christine

neeroz · Master

Thats ok Valerie, not much to report about Kai, he's still the just a happy/happy/ friendly/ cuddly/mad pup he was 4 weeks ago!

He's great at opening doors, quick flick o the paw..................o and the back door as well, if he's decided he's been oot to long!

And Biscuit is cute enough to get away with anything!

-- Edited by neeroz at 19:00, 2006-05-08

C_J · Master

PeterE wrote:

I read somewhere recently whilst surfing that although a Lurcher is a sighthound and anything else, a cross between two sighthounds is a Longdog.

That's interesting - so that means Casper is a longdog not a lurcher as he's a saluki/greyhound. I like the sound of that, LOL

Did you not see Biscuit at the Linlithgow dog show Nora? He was looking gorgeous - I wanted to take him home

Jane