Your Dog
Take a look at the September 2020 Edition of Your Dog.
This edition includes reasons to be cheerful, a last word with Stephen Jenkinson and much more!
Glencoe
Don’t bother getting in touch. He isn’t going anywhere for the moment. Glencoe is one of the most magnificent greyhounds to pass our threshold in a very long time. We keep going to check on him! Just to see if he needs anything you understand. Like a sardine or a snog. A fresh blanket perhaps or his duvet straightened. At an official weight of 42kgs and no racing form we suspected he had been bred for the coursing industry and we were proved correct.
Winner of a major coursing prize in Ireland a few years ago, he was collected by the dog warden from a house in Bradford a few weeks ago. We know he has been flapping. We know he is underweight. What we don’t know is how the hell he got into the clutches of a frankly notoriously uncaring owner.
…….but we are hell bent on finding out.
The Brothers
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‘Friday Shane’, RIP
Shane slipped through our fingers yesterday surrounded by professionals making daft soppy noises. Smoothing his path to the bridge were some very old friends. Kenzie who has worshiped him for four years and also a previous love, our very own Becca. Becca knew him from the beginning at Moorside and now works for Donaldsons. He had more love around his bedside at the end than most humans.
Our thanks to Donaldsons who have taken care of him for years. They feel it too.
At Tia, our geese are not swans. On a track he was a stone cold killer, and much time has been spent watching videos of Shane, totally unrecognisable as the snoring lump down the end of the sponsor block.
He wasn’t bred to run, he was bred to fly. A brother was exported to Chile and Shane must have cost an eye-watering amount. He came to England with a Derby entry and dog men started to take note. Sidaz Scotty was the fastest dog of the year at Monmore and favourite for the Gymcrack. Shane slammed him on to the rails and his ante post backers started to look worried. Scotty was off the track for five months and never the same dog.
Next up Shaneboy Alley. A fellow Derby contender. Our boy was smart and attacked him after they crossed the line. The writing was on the wall. Watch what happens after the race. Trainers were starting to square up to each other.
Shane had lost interest in winning, his skills were now perfectly honed as a cage fighter. The victim, Black Jedamac, had the audacity to beat him to the line. Shane chased him for a further 50 yards and attempted to lift him out of the track and into the carpark. Calculated, brutal, blood chilling aggression and the forums exploded.
A selection of comments from the threads (still available) reveal a lot.
this dog does have a terrible kink but also has breathless speed in full flight
mike tyson would be counting his ears after a couple of rounds with this dog
the dog would have taken shaneboys head off if he wasn’t muzzled
It’s disgusting its still allowed on a dog track…dirty b…..d
you must be on drugs if you think this dog has done sweet fa
the dog is a raving screwball , yes the dog is fast
Shaneboy Alley was knocked over by third-placed Fridays Shane ten strides after the line and rolled around on the sand for what must have seemed an eternity to connections. Racing Post!
We get the final say!
Shane was returned to Ireland under a blanket to let the heat die down. When he re-emerged he wasn’t the same dog and came to us via the flapping track. An absolute gentlemen with his girls, he has never put a paw wrong and yet……….he has remained himself. Very much his own man and with something of the night inside. The quiet man in the pub, says nothing, yet you are careful not to knock his pint over.
We loved you Shane and will miss you.
Bracing ourselves…
Corrigan AKA Colin, Captain Cook bn 26.03.10
He had 84 races at Belle Vue and came to us as in a right state in June 2014. Bob showed a surprising pair of heels that day. Read Corrigan’s sponsor page, “a take him or else” ultimatum.
Shane, Friday’s Shane just a year younger came to Tia a few months after Corrigan. Racing’s bad boy. Blisteringly fast and fully worthy of the comment “seen friendlier pitbulls”. Rival trainers refused to risk their dogs against him. Marquess of Queensbury rules did not apply, Fridays Shane was and is still essentially a violent street fighter and more than one trainer quietly thanked us for removing him from striking distance.
Both were highly desirable because of their colour, but it was apparent early on that they wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Corrigan fell poorly early week and spent a couple of nights at the vets. He is back home all his results are clear and he is on the mend….but I have a niggling doubt. I am convinced he is on borrowed time.
Shane however has just been diagnosed with a tumour on his lung….we have fetched him home to spoil him. It won’t be long.
These 2 stunning boys would have been put down years ago if they had landed elsewhere. They would never have passed an assessment test or resisted a small furry. They have both remained true to themselves and sometimes one has to admire life’s misfits.
Their home is the sponsor block. Other oldies in the care home include, Simon 10, Tarzan 9, Boe 9 all right little b******. and all worthy contenders of the top dog spot vacated by Ross. Mo 9 and Molly 10 are wearing dresses too big for them and Harper is greyer than I am under the highlights.
The age grouping means that we may be in for a pasting. Part of life but we are bracing ourselves. Stay a while yet you two. We really are not ready for you to leave us.
Foster update: Rafford (‘Rafa’)
News from Rafa’s foster home…
Rafa is a stunning boy, beautiful from tip to toe. He’s been with us for 2 weeks, coming directly from kennels into his first home environment. Apparently he’s an accomplished racer, but you’d never know as he is such a loving home boy.
He is clean in the house (no accidents so no training was required). He pee marks the garden bushes, just so that the local cats know who’s in residence, but always saves his ‘big jobs’ for walkies. Rafa is a real character- when he wants to go out he starts bringing us hints: shoes mostly but he even once brought me the car keys (he LOVES going in the car)! He has never been fed from the table so he doesn’t beg, but he is always hungry and any food left unattended is considered fair game, worktops are regularly scanned to see if we can be caught off guard. He has never damaged anything in the house, he has his own toys which he loves and sticks too. He doesn’t sleep on the sofas, even though he is welcome to and he can’t climb the stairs, but that’s fine for us as he sleeps at night contentedly on his own bed in the kitchen.
He walks perfectly on a loose lead so is a pleasure to take out, he hasn’t learnt to walk with us off-lead and will wander off in his own world. Recall is perfect when he wants to come back and totally hopeless when he’s distracted (most of the time) so he stays on the lead and everyone is happy. He is good in the company of other dogs, but needs supervision as he is still “complete” and can get easily excited which could lead him into trouble. We expect that when his tackle is off his exuberance will diminish. He loves to play with our grandchildren and is calm and gentle.
He is very affectionate, loves his cuddles and in my opinion will make a wonderfully rewarding family pet.
