It has been a long haul getting Blue to trust strange men especially ones that smelt of smoke. 2 and a half years down the line he has finally stopped quivering in a corner when workmen arrive and I think he would have gone home with the Ikea kitchen designer chap we had round. Blue lent on him continuously much to the chap's amusement!
Before getting Blue I had never had a rescue dog only highly bread and highly stung spanials. It broke my heart to see the fear in his eyes just because Phil had stood up quicky.
I guess many of you have similar experiences but I am just so proud of him
Blue trying to prove he can be a lap dog with Phil and son Harry
Congratulations Amanda and most importantly Blue, you are rightly very proud. I have the opposite problem with Mason, he's so ridiculously friendly to any man who comes near that I have become convinced he is secretly willing them to take him away from "the crazy woman"
That's a lovely story, I'm so chuffed for you and Blue. That's a lovely photo of him that you've posted. It gives me hope for Millie yet.
We had another demonstration of just how deeply someone's careless, thoughtless and cruel treatment of her goes. She was lying on the couch and Graeme sat up quickly and batted a fly. Millie screwed her eyes shut, squealed and then bolted for the bedroom. I managed to persuade her to come back into the living room and cuddled her. Graeme also made a huge fuss of her but it's heartbreaking to see that initial reaction.
She reacts like that with Graeme on and off but rarely with me. It's obviously been a man who has hurt her too. Worst I've ever seen her was out on a walk when a guy with a walking stick came towards us. She went mental but kept running further away from him when he approached. I had to ask him to wait until I caught her eventually.
Fab story Amanda. It makes your heart swell when they finally do stuff like that. The first time Sunny walked up to a stranger and nudged them for a pat my eyes welled up with tears. Nobody else would understand why, but when your dog finally does something like that its great. Now Sunny has discovered affection shes a bit like Blue and is constantly trying to lie on me or sit on my lap!!!!!
Landess Sunny and Zoe
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Greyhounds are like chocolates, one is just never enough.
He is such a lovely boy, I have a real soft spot for the gorgeous Blue - I'm pleased he is a bit more confident now. Our Chad has his strange ways he runs if he sees you fill his water bowl. I guess some evil so and so has thrown water over him at some point. He has one of Luke's friends (who lived near our old house) that was not allowed in the house.If Chad saw him he woofed none stop until he went, to the point of him even being near the house or in the front garden. Most people get sniffed and god help anyone in a short skirt (he can be very embatrassing!) but a few get the full woofing treatment (these are all men).
It certainly does Gail. It breaks my heart when I see the horrible imprints that have been left on Wills and Millie from their previous lives. I also see a huge change in both of them. They are much more confident and Millie much more cuddly. Sadly I don't think that the damage will ever leave them.
It's dedication like Amanda's (and everyone else's that takes on rescue dogs) that make the difference.
A fairly significant number of the dogs handed to GAL each year are scared of men, it really makes me sick to think what could have happened to them in the past. Well done both of you for getting him to trust again..