Sheeru, born on July 1, 2016, has been surrendered to NCGL for re-homing. He is a beautiful boy weighing in at around 75 lbs. He’s up to date with his shots and we will book his neuter surgery after the long weekend.
Sheeru is a real back seat driver, wanting to see where he is going and didn’t settle down until the trip was almost over. He would like to be in the front seat, so a short restraint was devised to keep him in the back, with room to move around but not able crawl into the front. He was fine with that.
He is not cat safe and is not fond of squirrels! He was fine with his small female traveling companion and with other Greyhounds.
Upon arrival at his foster home he explored the yard and even tried a dip in the small rainwater pond. When taken into the house, he explored each room and then hopped up on the leather couch. His brand-new bed was brought to the living room and he decided that was a pretty good place too and snuggled down as you can see in the photos. His big crate was set up for him, with a comfy blanket and in he went with no hesitation – fosters do have some yummy treats that he is enjoying for the first time, so he seems very eager to please so that he can get more.
Males being males, he marked a couple of times, but was quickly taken out each time, so that he will learn quickly that inside is not the place to go.
He has a sweet, loving disposition and likes attention, responding with a wagging tail and big smile. He will make a family very happy and will be a devoted and loyal companion.
Foster Update: 2019-05-20
Sheeru is settling in with us nicely. He was understandably a bit nervous yesterday, which I think he expressed through panting, but we got through two walks with no major incidents. His appetite has not been voracious, but he has been eating some, and we’ve learned he’s wild about jerky treats. On our walks, he’s been very magnanimous with all the humans we’ve met, letting children and adults pet him with no issue.
We’re trying to teach him to pull a bit less on the leash by clicking and giving a small treat when he walks with us and stopping the walk when he pulls. He marked in the house three times yesterday, but hasn’t today so far, so fingers crossed on that front. He also spent the night in his crate (which we moved to our room) with no issues. We have come across a few dogs on our walks. Sheeru gets very excited when he sees them, wagging his tail and barking. Since he’s a big boy, the other dog owners have been understandably wary of this, and we haven’t gotten up close with another canine yet as a result. He *looks* like he just really wants to go say “hi”, but we’ll know more when our guests and their dog Chalkie arrive this evening. (We’ll use the muzzle on Sheeru for our first encounter and if necessary, throughout the visit, of course.)
We did have a minor hiccup when he first came into the bedroom in the evening. He got on the bed and was quite hard to move off. I tried pulling his collar and he gave a little growl at me, so I went and got the leash and he came off OK that way. Then we convinced him to try the crate by using treats. Plan is to put a pig’s ear or similar treat in the crate for him to enjoy today so he’ll think of the crate as a place where good things happen. We’re also going to try using a spray bottle to squirt water on his face if he gets on the bed again; we’ve read this is something Greyhounds don’t like.
He was also very charming to the ladies at the pet store yesterday.
Update 2019-10-13
Virgil is being returned to NCGL through no fault of his own and will be re-homing him with a new family that has another hound to keep him company. It would be helpful if the new family were at home a good majority of the time because Virgil wants to be with his person/people and is very anxious when they leave him.
2019-10-27 Foster Update
Virgil is a 4-year old, tall, handsome, black male. He is friendly, sweet and lovable. Virgil gets along very well with most Greyhounds and adjusted within 24 hours to living with our three Greyhounds. He is respectful of their space and all four sleep on their own beds at night.
He is cuddly and loves to sleep beside you on the couch if you let him. He loves being close to you, loves pets and leans in whenever he can. He comes when you call him, and he is a fast learner. He stretches out and naps in a sunny spot whenever possible.
He seems good with small dogs but barks at big dogs when he is outside on the leash. He is learning that that is not okay and stops barking when asked. We took him to a busy market today and he was just fine with all the attention. He has not been cat tested yet but that will happen in the next few days.
Virgil is very enthusiastic at mealtime but has learned to wait for his turn at feeding time. He is still very bouncy at feeding time but as the days go by, he is getting better at waiting.
Virgil will sometimes pull on the leash but once corrected he settles in. Virgil will do well with a calm dog to show him the way to act and respond. He does not like to be left alone and will bark. However, we have not had that experience yet because there is always another dog with him. Boundaries are good for Virgil and he will respect the boundaries if you are consistent.
Virgil will “rooo” when asked and will say hello in that unique Greyhound way. Virgil is smart, affectionate, silly and gentle and wants to love you and be loved back. As his foster family we would be happy to have him stay with us when the adopter is on holidays or to visit anytime. We have acreage in the greater Victoria area and really enjoy having him here.
