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Monday 9 December 2013

Slaves to Fashion

As requested,  Mum insisted that we dress up for a reenactment of our fashion faux pas last week! 

Saturday 7 December 2013

What's Dad dressed us in?

Me and Kate were away for an overnight stop - the boys were left in charge. Arriving home the next day, we saw Maisie wearing Macs kennel coat. It was far too big on her. Huge! The end of the coat was halfway down her tail and the front of the coat was flapping around her legs. She looked like she'd pinched her big brothers pullover. That was funny enough but then cue Mac, mincing across the room  in a snug fitting coat that barely covered his back. It was so short his legs seemed longer than ever, he reminded me of Lilly Savage. So funny, it makes me laugh every time I think of it

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Ruff justice!

Yum, a tub of pineapple followed by a piece of cake.  Hmm, Dad seems hungry,wonder why?  His Stollen has been stolen! Who by? Munch, munch,   Yum,yum!

What do you mean I'm in the dog house? Maisie call my lawyer !

Mac


Thursday 14 November 2013

Worn out after a walk

Mac and Maisie were taken for a long walk at lunchtime. Hours later, still sleeping it off! Awww

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Who's sleeping in my bed?

Admittedly, I'm a bit biased. To me Mac is such a clever dog. He drinks my juice, without me noticing, didn't knock the glass over or spill a drop. He folded his memory foam mattress in half and that took some doing, lots of pawing and scratching. Result being a nice thick mattress, twice as comfy. Maisie is very dippy, but perhaps not so daft, she pinched his nice comfy bed and left Mac the thin one. Poor Mac!

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Firework Night

Was worried that Mac and Maisie might be scared of the fireworks. They get fed in the garden so I fed them earlier, hoping the fireworks would start later. No such luck :(. Had them both on a lead in case they bolted over our 6 foot fence. (Not even sure that's possible, but I was taking no chances) Food bowls went down and the fireworks started. Maisie was too busy filling her face to notice one of those flashy ones going off above her, she looked up, the firework had burned out by then, 'Did you see something Mac? No?Ok back to our food then. A banger went off, Maisie looked at Mac 'Did you hear something Mac?' 'Guzzle, guzzle yum, yum,' was the reply. 'Ok, Mac's not concerned so I won't be and Mum is standing there with a blank look on her face so it must be ok. Suddenly Mac looks up quite distressed....is he worried about the fireworks I wonder....no, is he heck! He's more concerned that Maisie hasn't left him any of her food. Luckily, she always does and has left a tiny morsel so both hounds come in for a rawhide chew (that's a very rare treat) and then off to sleep Phew!!

Sunday 3 November 2013

Mum takes over

Little test.  Sister Kate is too busy to do the Blog so Mum will have a go

Thursday 17 October 2013

Sad Sick Hound - An Update

Hello folks, it's Mac here tonight. I have staggered off my death bed to update my loyal friends who have been lighting candles and praying that I will be okay (if you haven't been doing these things just humour him. It's easier than trying to correct him - Maisie).

You might remember that on Monday I was taken to the vet because I'd been shaking, I wouldn't leave Mum alone, Maisie was barking at me, I looked restless and like I was in pain. Well, the vet found that I have a life threating condition that almost cost me my life. It's called a tender elbow.

(He's such a drama hound, it's not even broken! The rest of his "symptoms" probably came from his blocked anal glands which we all know are now fine because he won't stop farting!)

As you can probably imagine, a tender elbow is a very serious condition for a greyhound to have. Barely anyone survives longer than 24 hours after their diagnosis. I will be on medication for the rest of my life. The initial painkillers look like normal medication but after a few days they will develop the appearance of a dog biscuit as they get stronger and more advanced.

(I don't know where he got this information and it looks like a dog biscuit because it is a dog biscuit.)

I know you are all naturally concerned about my quality of life from this moment on but I can assure you that my family are trying my best to give me a normal life. Maisie is heartbroken over the news and is snuggling up too me whenever she can for fear that she'll lose me at any minute.

(That's not true at all, sometimes he hogs the space by both beds and I have no choice but to snuggle up to him).

Thank you all for your kind words and comments. I tweaked the blog a little earlier today to allow for my friends who don't have Google+ to also comment and wish me well. Unfortunately this means that I've lost all the previous comments on the system but Maisie and I read them all and appreciate them.

(This part is true, our Comments system now allows anyone to post, including our mum who has previously expressed a wish to set the record straight on some of our stories)

The dizziness is returning and I can see a light so I'll return to my bed now. Until next time folks,

Mac (and Maisie)

 

Tuesday 15 October 2013

A Note on Our Training

Our regular readers will know that we're no angels and that much amusement is had by our owners as they try to train us. At the kennels we weren't considered to be the easiest dogs to rehome, especially Mac because he hated other dogs.

When we first got home our humans had to put up with some very disruptive walks. If we saw another dog, no matter how far away in the distance, we both went crazy, barking and twirling round and getting very distressed. The same was true for just about any creature we encountered - if it wasn't a greyhound, we'd go bonkers!

We're by no means perfect but after 2 months our humans are delighted with our progress. We understand now that there are other cats and dogs in our area and we only get upset if they invade our personal space or look like they want to hurt us. We still don't like hedgehogs and squirrels but overall we're a lot more confident on our walks.

Our humans are very proud of us and all the progress we've made since we left the kennels. We're just happy that we've been able to show them that even troublesome hounds can behave themselves if we really try hard!

Mac and Maisie

Monday 14 October 2013

News from the Kennels

Although we now have our forever homes we try to stay connected to the place that took care of us when no one else could, Greyhound Rescue Fife.

New Hounds on the Block

No new faces have appeared the Greyhound Rescue Fife "Please Choose Me" page this week but there are 39 of our hound friends waiting on their forever home.

Hounds With Homes

This week long term resident Babes found her home as well as Dog of the Month Gav. We wish them both the very best in their new homes.

Dog of the Month

October's Dog of the Month Gav found his forever home on October 6th - that extra publicity done him wonders!

Joe (Mr September) is sadly appearing the "Please Choose Me" page of the website. He's a lovely dog with a great sense of fun so we're still hoping that he won't be around for much longer.

One to Watch

Our kennel favourite Blanche is still looking for a home. We really hope that the humans that come to the rescue take her out for a walk because she is a beautiful dog with a loveable personality. Although she is a strong puller on the lead, she responded well to training and we believe she will one day make a great pet for a lucky human.

We're rooting for you, Blanche!



Over the Rainbow


A couple of our hound friends sadly crossed over to Rainbow Bridge this week. Although we're comforted by the knowledge that Bonnie and Billy are now both out of pain, our thoughts are with their loved ones during this difficult time.


That's it for now folks, as always more information about Greyhound Rescue Fife can be found at their website and check out their blog here.

Mac and Maisie x

Sunday 13 October 2013

A Sad Sick Hound

Hello everyone, Mac here tonight with some sad news. I've not been feeling too well recently and it's really been a worry to my humans. I can't find the words to tell them what's wrong but I know they'd do everything they could to make sure I wasn't in pain if they just understood why I'm so sad.





Yesterday Mum took me to the emergency vet. I just couldn't get comfy, I wasn't wanting to move too far from Mum, I was panting and shaking with my tail between my legs. She checked all over my body, my eyes, mouth, legs, you name it, she checked it! Then there was only one area left to check - my bum.

(At this point when Mum was telling the story to Dad, I let out a massive fart. I personally believe my genius timing deserves a paragraph of appreciation before I move on).

The vet cleared out my, ahem, anal glands for me, which were apparently pretty badly bunged up. My poo has been very sloppy for the last month or so and that means they haven't been able to clean themselves out. It cost Mum about £30 altogether but as Kate pointed out, that's money she'd gladly spend to avoid having to do the deed herself.

My family hoped that I'd feel better after my cleansing but I'm still not right. My auntie Celia says I'm still in pain and trying to tell my humans something so I'll be back at the vets tomorrow. Hopefully they'll get some answers and I'll feel better.

On a lighter note, I'd like to complain about the footwear Kate has been choosing to wear the last week. It's no suprise to anyone that I have a high prey drive and our neighbours (the owners of the spaniels I hate) brought her back some Ugg boots from Austrailia.

Yes, that is Wonder Woman underwear and one of the Toy Story aliens in the picture with the boots but that's another story.

My human readers might look at that picture and think cosy, comfy, winter boots. My canine companions who are similarly minded to myself have a different priority;

Holy Moly Genuine Sheepskin!

After a minor battle, they were removed to a safe location and Kate was warned not to let me near her boots again or risk a similar fate to Monkey.

Another crime against fashion passed my canine nose a couple of days ago that once again reminded me of my old pal Monkey;





Since they didn't smell as tasty as the Ugg boots I decided to let them go but Maisie was going crazy - she thought it was a new toy! We're both getting used to them now although Maisie still tries for the occasional nibble.

That's all folk, I'm going back to sleep and dreaming that tomorrow I will maybe feel a little better.

Mac

Sunday 6 October 2013

Celebrity Approved

Mac here today, you might be wondering why our blog has been a little quieter than usual. It's because Maisie and I usually grab Kate's phone when she isn't looking to update the blog but she's went away for a few days and we both struggle with the laptop. We've managed to get our blog posts up but replying to comments is turning out to be a challenge and when faced with challenges, we do what greyhounds do best (sleep). Thank you everyone who has commented though and normal business should resume soon.

Another few days have passed and another couple of training techniques have been tested. First our humans tried filling a water bottle with gravel to shake at us when we're looking for something to fight. This didn't have much of an effect on us and made mum look like a lost band member. Mum then tried giving us squeezy cheese through our muzzle when we were vood. I liked that a lot more but we all returned home covered in cheese so I don't think she's keen to try it again.

The big news of my weekend is that I have a celebrity fan. In the UK there's been a programme on TV called The Big Reunion where some 90s pop bands have reformed. I watched it every Thursday with Kate and my favourite band was definitely B*Witched (Irish roots like me and who doesn't love the song C'est La Vie?) Kate met Keavy from the band yesterday, who was always my favourite because she appreciates how important a friendship with a dog can be the most. She saw a picture on Kate's phone of my winning smile and said "aww".



...What do you mean "is that it?"! It might not be an endorsement deal but I feel very proud!

Mac x

Saturday 5 October 2013

News from the Kennels

Although we now have our forever homes we try to stay connected to the place that took care of us when no one else could, Greyhound Rescue Fife.

New Hounds on the Block

Some new dogs arrived at the kennels this week, hopefully they won't have to spend too much of their retirement at the rescue but we know the staff and volunteers will make them feel at home. The following information is taken from the Greyhound Rescue Fife "Please Choose Me" page;

ALFIE is a character. He gets on well with everybody and everything but is quite strong on a lead at the start of a walk. He travels well in a car and absolutely loves to be with people. A very nice greyhound.

ROSIE is a very friendly little girl. She pulls a bit at the start of a walk but can be controlled with her lead and collar. She is excellent in a car and loves going out with people. Some family will grow to love her very much.

KEV is a beautiful big boy. He is easy to walk on a lead and has a very friendly disposition. He is never happier than when someone is petting him. He will be a great family pet.

ROSCO is a beautiful black dog. He is great with all the other greyhounds but slightly strong on a lead. This can easily be trained out of him. He loves people and is always wanting to go walkies with them. A great traveller in a car. Will be a good loving pet. He is neutered.

DELTA is a gorgeous girl with no aggression at all. She is an absolute treat to walk on a lead and is the greyhound that everyone would love to have. She is an excellent traveller in a car and is good with children. A very quiet girl.

SONNY is a beautiful black boy. He is strong on a lead and would suit a young, fit person. He is an extremely happy dog who absolutely loves people. He is good with greyhounds but not too happy with small dogs. He would be an excellent house pet.

BONNIE is one of our most beautiful greyhounds. She is also very human friendly. However she is the strongest dog on a lead in our kennels. She is going to take training to check this out of her. Once she is controlled she will be a fabulous pet.

SHERMAN is a beautiful dog. He is a bit strong on a lead but this can be easily trained out of him. He gets on well with greyhounds and loves people but perhaps a bit strong and bouncy for young children. Otherwise he'd make a great pet.

ROCKY is a dear big soul. He is quiet and friendly and not difficult to walk on a lead. He gets on great with all the other dogs and gives us no problems whatsoever. He will be a very nice pet for some family. He deserves a very good home.

Hounds With Homes

This week the beautiful Delta has found her forever home, we wish her all the best.

Dog of the Month

September has come and gone and September's Dog of the Month Joe is still looking for a home. Hopefully Joe will find his forever home soon but it's time for him to move over and make way for October's Dog of the Month!

GAV is a nice big black boy. He is very friendly and makes a big fuss of everyone he meets. He is easy to walk on a lead and will travel for ever in your car. He gets on great with people and very well with our other greyhounds. A nice pet greyhound.


One to Watch

You might remember last week that we wrote about Blanche, a loveable greyhound with a beautiful face and personality to match;




She needs some work to be less forceful on the lead and so Mum bought her a Gentle Leader to try and do some training with her.

The great news today is that Blanche responded well to the Gentle Leader when she tried it out last Sunday. With regular training Blanche's problem will be a lot more manageable and the Gentle Leader might help her to find her forever home.

Mum also tried out the Gentle Leader on some other hounds at the kennels who have been identified as having a problem with excessive pulling on the lead. We think it's great that a device that costs under £10 will bring homeless hounds one step closer to their families.

Bonnie Elder

Our thoughts go out to Bonnie Elder who is not doing too well right now. We're wishing her a full recovery and send big hugs to her humans during this difficult time.


That's it for now folks, as always more information about Greyhound Rescue Fife can be found at their website and check out their blog here.

Mac and Maisie x

Friday 4 October 2013

Photo of the Week

Does my nose look big in this?






What about this?
 

And this?


 Just checking, I know it's one of my best feature.


Mac

Thursday 3 October 2013

Tooth Troubles

Mac here today,  after a couple of  days of constant pain and anguish I have made it off my death bed to the  computer.

On Monday Maisie went to the vet and got 6 teeth out. It was my turn on Tuesday and when I woke up,  I had 9 less teeth. I woke up confused,  sad and very very sore. My trademark smile is ruined,  I'll be working on my new smile all week.

My family have been doing their best to make my constant misery a little less miserable. I got an extra large extra tasty breakfast that made my life worth living yesterday. I've also been getting extra tummy tickles and ear rubs.



It has came to my attention that a certain Maisie does not agree with my version of events. She says that I was sore and tired for the first night and ever since I've been faking it for sympathy. That's not true at all, I'm a very sad dog right now and sad dogs can run across the room for treats just like any other dog.

Mac

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Blog of the Week

This week we've enjoyed reading all about Oz the Terrier, a Cairn Terrier mix living in South Florida with his mum and dad. He not only blogs about his own life but he is an aspiring poet, product reviewer and campaigner. We also took a quick look at his Taste Tested by the Dog blog, where he shares recipes of food that canines will love. We're not sure that our humans will want to make anything from it for us but we can certainly try!

The post that particularly caught our eye was about staying safe when going out during the night. It can be quite dangerous as you struggle to see and to be seen. Find out more about  how you can stay safe in the dark.

Mac and Maisie

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Dentist

Hi effryone, Maithie here thoonight and I do apologith for my awful grammar. I've juth had 6 teeth out and I'm thill getting ushed to them not being there.

Yetherday I went to the vet to get my teeth thaled and polithed. I didn't know whath that meant unthil I looked it up on Thunday night;

They're going to do what?!

My family were worried that I might find the thurgery thore or that I would have no teeth ath the end buth when they thame for me ith was like I hadden hath any thurgery ath all! I came out and tried to play with a little model that the vet had. It made them laff becoth they thought I would be thore and thad buth I couldn't waith to get home to thee Mac and more importantly,  my dinner!

It wath Mac's turn at the vet thooday buth I'll let him tell hith thory  another day.

Yours toothily

Maithie

Monday 30 September 2013

Playtime

We had a lot of fun in our garden yesterday afternoon, so Kate made a video! We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed living it.


Mac and Maisie

Sunday 29 September 2013

A Helping Paw

Hi everyone, Maisie here today to share a tale of how unappreciative our humans can be at times. Don't get us wrong, they're great. We get ear rubs every day, tasty food and nice walks, but sometimes they just don't understand that we're trying to help them.

Take yesterday for example. At the door to the lounge (which doubles up as our kennel), there is a gate to make sure that we don't escape. If we tried we could jump it for sure and the catch isn't that secure but it's more designed for us to understand our boundaries within the home. Anyway, Mac decided to open the gate and suprise Mum while she was making breakfast. He thought maybe he'd be able to supervise or possibly help by sampling a few pieces of kibble.

Anyway, Mum was minding her own business when suddenly she was aware that Mac was stood next to her. It took her a moment to realise that he had crept out of the lounge especially to come and say hello but before he could say "Suprise Mum, I love you so much that I just couldn't wait a moment longer to see you again", he was back in the lounge with the gate closed again.


Poor Mac, some people just don't appreciate a kind gesture.

Maisie

Saturday 28 September 2013

News From The Kennels

Although we now have our forever homes we try to stay connected to the place that took care of us when no one else could, Greyhound Rescue Fife.

Hounds With Homes

Some more of our friends have found their forever homes this week - Star, Silver and Knight. We're delighted for their new humans because they're all delightful dogs and their new families will get to experience a lot of joy with them.

Dog of the Month

Dog of the Month Joe is still looking for a home, he might be a little more cheeky than the dogs above but really he just loves to have fun and he'll make the human that eventually adopts him very happy.

One to Watch

Kate went along to the kennels last Sunday and fell in love with the gorgeous Blanche. In return for a couple of our favourite treats and the promise that neither of us would be swapped for Blanche, we agreed to tell our readers a bit more about her. Kate was taken aback by the beauty of Blanche when she first met her, the picture on the website is nowhere near as stunning as the hound herself. Her coat is mainly a snowy white colour with black snowflakes dotted along her back and a couple of black patches either side of her face. As well as being visually stunning, her coat is also silky soft and will come up great once her future human puts some dry shampoo on it. She's a very affectionate dog who enjoys a cuddle just like us but we suspect that her downfall might be that she's rather strong on the lead. As a young hound with lots of bouncy energy, we think maybe potential families have been put off by a small issue that with consistent training could be improved upon. Our mum has ordered a Gentle Leader (just like the one Maisie has) for the kennel staff to try out on Blanche in an attempt to try and improve her behaviour and find her the forever home she deserves. If that doesn't work our humans are going to take her to the next greyhound fundraising event held by the rescue so that everyone sees how wonderful she really is.

A Couple of VIGs (Very Important Greyhounds)

Kate wasn't the only one who visited the kennels on Sunday, read all about our visit here! We had a great time and it was really nice to see everyone again but now that we've discovered the luxuries of memory foam beds, fleece coats and our own private back garden we couldn't go back.

That's it for now folks, as always more information about Greyhound Rescue Fife can be found at their website and check out their blog here.

Mac and Maisie x

Friday 27 September 2013

Photo of the Week

When we came back from our walk the other day Andrew got a bit distracted while he was taking Maisie's muzzle and lead off. First he wanted to cuddle her, then the doorbell went and then he had a discussion with Mum.

5 minutes after the walk he walked past the lounge to see Maisie giving him this pitiful look with big brown eyes pleading for him to end her misery of having to wear her muzzle.







Maisie really doesn't like being forgotten.

Mac

Thursday 26 September 2013

A Tale of Two Dinners - A Mac and Maisie Comic Strip

Mmm, nothing like a big bowl of kibble and mashed potato for tea.

Maisie tries her best but she can't eat as fast as  me.

See? I'm almost done!

Maisie has decided to have a little walk around the garden before finishing her dinner...

...While I've decided to help with the washing up, even if it does mean I end up with rice up my nose.

I decided to help Maisie finish her food.

When she came back she wasn't impressed.

Back to the washing up.

And one final lick of Maisie's bowl before I'm called back in again.

*Gasp* is that a Gravy Bone?

Gravy Bones always cheer Maisie up.


*Crunch, crunch, crunch* time for our Post Dinner nap.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Blog of the Week 25/09/2013

Usually we choose to profile a whole blog but the blog we found this week had a post that was so awesome we had to give the individual post the honour of being our Blog of the Week!

Why It's A Bad Idea to Keep a 15 Year Old "Cat Mat", a post from Yes I Know, My Dogs Look Funny.

This post shares a humorous insight into what it can be like for Humans owned by Greyhounds when we come across something we'd rather like to eat / kill / shred / destroy / chase / play / bite. Our humans know that this is probably going to happen at least once a day but the event described in this post is a particularly stressful example of how our high prey drive can liven up a day.

We're lucky to have a vet that understands greyhounds and wouldn't try to do silly things like give us the fur of a cat that got shaved 15 years ago. Our humans probably wouldn't be comfortable asking for medical advice from a person who doesn't even understand our basic instincts but maybe they know other animals better.

Mac and Maisie

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Funny Tummy

Hi everyone,  Mac here tonight with an update about my post from the other day.

Again,  this post is not for the faint hearted. Please only read if you don't plan to eat anytime soon. 

My stomach has been a little fragile in the last week. My family initially thought it was due to the new food I was on but they've now caught me drinking out of the birdbath so they're not sure if that has given me a funny tummy. They've put me back on my old food and now covered up the birdbath so I can't drink out of it again so hopefully I'll be better in a few days.

The lovely Kathy gave my humans an idea as to how to get up my diarrhoea, especially when I decide to go in front of someone's house. She suggested that they try putting a paper plate under my bum. Mum was sceptical that I would allow an object to be put under my bum, especially since she knows how much I love the sound of my deposits hitting the ground. She adapted the technique though and found something that I would tolerate under my bum. It was so easy to move off the pavement, however Andrew was half hysterical and half horrified that our neighbours were driving past to the sight of me pooing onto the front of a newspaper and Kate looking delighted.

Apologies to anyone who was waiting on a blog post yesterday,  we had a visitor that kept Kate busy which meant we didn't have a chance to sneak onto her laptop and update everyone. Hopefully normal service has now resumed.

Mac ( who will never drink out the birdbath again)


Sunday 22 September 2013

A Trip to the Kennels

Hello everyone,  it's Maisie here today as Mac is still sleeping off our busy morning.

Today our humans went to the kennels as they do every Sunday to walk the homeless hounds. When they got there they found that half of Fife had turned out to walk our friends. Only two dogs still needed walking - our friends Blanche and Rocky, who have both been around a while. Kate had never walked Blanche before but she fell in love with her very quickly. She's a young dog with bundles of energy and we hope she finds her forever home soon because she has nothing but love and affection to offer,  a lot like me. Anyway, while they were there they also bought a bag of food for Mac, who isn't doing so well on our new food. If you read read back a few days you'll find out more about the sorts of issues it's been causing for him.

Our humans also saw Uncle Jimmy (who hy the way is looking a lot better) and were able to ask him about an issue they were having with Mac's microchip. You see, when they went to get it registered,  they were told the number they provided didn't belong to him. Jimmy offered to read the microchip for them so they went home to get Mac.

On the way,  good old Kate pointed out to Mum that I might like to go too. Although I didn't need to be there, I get upset when Mac goes somewhere without me so they agreed that I could go and say hello too.

We loved seeing all our friends again and we got a heroes welcome from some of the volunteers. We were also reacquainted with Karen, who we are told is a fan of our blog. We didn't have a pen to give her an autograph but we did allow her to cuddle and adore us (but really,  who doesn't adore us?) Karen also said that our blog would be nowhere near as fun if we were always on our best behaviour - I think that means we can keep being naughty!

I'm glad that people say hello to us when ee visit,  I just find it so rude when people don't acknowledge me. The other day I stopped in the middle of the pavement during the walk because the woman at the other side of the road was on a mobile phone and she hadn't said hello to me! The nerve of some people,  I stared at her until she put her phone down and laughed. Not quite a belly rub but close enough. Mum was mortified.

It was great seeing everyone again but Mac and I are completely exhausted now. Mac is so tired when people come into the room he doesn't even look up to see if they have any food for him. I've just moved from the area by the door to my bed because Mum accidentally stood on my paw and even though it was only lightly and she didn't mean to do it, it is my job to make her feel guilty. She's not buying it though,  maybe because I just rolled on my belly and gave her a big smile. I can't stay angry for long.

Maisie



Saturday 21 September 2013

News from the Kennels

Although we now have our forever homes we try to stay connected to the place that took care of us when no one else could, Greyhound Rescue Fife.

This week at the kennels Tigger has found his forever home. There's been no word from his new owner as to how he's been doing but hopefully he's settling in okay. We have heard more from Dotty though,  her new name is Dolly and this news prompted a musical tribute on the forum from a friend of another ex rescue hound, Max. To her owner's delight her flatulence has also settled down.

Uncle Jimmy is on the mend and cheered up by the promise of a Big Mac. We'll have to break it to him gently that this was the offer of a hamburger and not a personal visit from us.

Finally,  will Mac's face be coming to a desk near you? We've submitted his photo for the desk calendar and we have our paws crossed that there is a space for this stunning profile;



That's it for now folks, as always more information about Greyhound Rescue Fife can be found at their website and check out their blog here.

Mac and Maisie x

Friday 20 September 2013

Photos of the Week

Maisie's crazy half hour occurs at around 3pm each day. Here are some of the crazy dance moves she was showing off yesterday afternoon 




I tend to duck under  curtain and hide until she's done.

Mac

Thursday 19 September 2013

The Dreaded "P" Word

Mac here today folks to discuss something that all dog owners have to put up with, even though they'd probably rather not.

Today's post is not for the faint hearted, I advise that you return tomorrow for a pretty photo or at least read once you've finished your dinner.

Our humans rather enjoy taking us out for walks every day, it gets them some exercise that they were missing out on before and we've explored some new exciting places together. What they don't enjoy though is the purpose of our walks - not only to exercise but also for us to empty our bowels.

Today on our morning walk I supplied Kate with an absolute stonker of a poo. Although her brother Andrew was laughing because we could see the warm air coming off of it (which looked a lot like fumes), she didn't mind too much because it was nice and firm and easy to pick up. She also didn't mind because she thought that would be my only poo of  the walk and now she'd be able to enjoy it in the same way us hounds do.

The thing was, I didn't feel quite done. We continued the walk but near the end as we were walking towards a big grassy area, I decided to squeeze the last sloopy remnants of my breakfast out onto the pavement. Kate was particularly horrified because this occured right outside someone's house and there was a big "For Sale" sign there too, I have a feeling any potential buyers who turn up won't be impressed. Kate then tried her very best to scrape my offering off the pavement and into a bag but sometimes they're just not the right consistency to be fully removed.

Dad is a lot more prepared for walks then Kate, when he goes out her fills up a bum bag with rubber gloves, poo bags, kitchen roll and a bottle of water. Everytime I do a poo he then proceeds to undertake a very fine operation, firstly putting on the rubber gloves for protection, then removing the majority of the poo with a bag in the traditional manner. If any hint of my dung is left, he then pats it down with kitchen roll and attempts to flush it away with the bottle of water. All in all this process can take about 5 minutes and Kate is of the opinion that her dad might just be a little bit insane, however she was the one who needed to drop us off at home then run down the street with a roll of kitchen roll and a bottle of water before anyone saw my work.

A debate was also started between Andrew and Kate - if they were to train me to poo directly through the grid and into the sewer below, would this be illegal or praised as an eco way to maintain a dog (when considering the amount of plastic bags and rubber gloves we go through)? It's a moot point anyway because I would never consider the grid as an appropriate place to do the toilet but my humans can dream I guess!

I've been looking online and it seems as though there are all kinds of gadgets that have been made to pick up dog poo. My favourite is the AshPoopie, an eco friendly product still in development that hopes to turn dog poo into odourless ash. There's also the Sha-Poopie, a device designed to catch the poo before it hits the ground. Kate likes this idea but I'm not so sure, the satisfying "plop" onto the pavement is one of my joys in life and I wouldn't want to miss it. Finally, Poop Freeze seems to work in a similar concept to removing gum from clothes. By freezing the poo the product claims to make it easier for it to be removed. Maisie says she would like to see that in action but personally I believe Scotland is cold enough without freezing the pavements.

Would anybody like to share their thoughts on what works for them? Additionally if any of my canine friends have trained themselves to poo through the grid and into the sewer, Kate would love to hear your technique!

Mac

P.S - Today's photo you'll be glad to hear is simply a recent one of us waiting not so patiently to go for a walk.It's not related to the topic in such a way that it will gross out our readers who have made it this far!


Wednesday 18 September 2013

Blog of the Week

This week we'd like to profile a blog by one of our friends who comments on our posts a lot;

Tales and Tails

Don't be fooled though,  they've won the title fair and square.

Tales and Tails is wrote by a lady in the US who has 4 dogs. Bunny and Flattery are the resident hounds and the pack is completed with Kuster and Morgan. We like it best when Bunny tells the stories because as dog bloggers ourselves we believe we can learn a lot from her. Bunny also reads our blog and shares stories which must take up some valuable sleeping time.

As well as stories about their lives,  Tales and Tails also gives product reviews to help other dogs find items that they'll love and their humans will love too.

We love quality dog blogs and this dog blog definitely meets that requirement.

Mac and Maisie

Tuesday 17 September 2013

A Visitor

Hello everyone, it's Maisie here today. On Sunday we met a new friend, she's a very very good friend of Kate's from Germany who's studying in Scotland this year. We were told to be on our best behaviour because she's more of a cat person than a dog person and despite our best efforts we can come across as quite scary to someone who isn't used to dogs. I really liked her though and wanted to be her best friend so I kept on getting into trouble for trying to kiss her and jump up on her lap. She has a cat called Jenny back at home that she's really missing now that she's in Scotland so I provided quite a good service by allowing her to stroke me all afternoon. She also helped Kate walk the spaniels from down the road and really enjoyed it, she even asked if she can walk them again sometime! The dogs she's met in the past weren't very friendly so I'm glad that Mac and I were able to help change her view towards us. She still thinks Mac's teeth are scary though;


I think I have to admit to needing some clarification on what the sofa is for. I'm struggling to understand why my humans can sit on the sofas and chairs all day but as soon as I try to join them, I get told off and asked to move. Daddy came into the living room the other night to ask Kate a question and when he looked over at her favourite spot, I was sat there having a sleep. When he asked me to move I gave him a look to say "But why? No one's using it" because I really couldn't see why it would be a problem. This made my family laugh and I'm not sure why, they think I have a funny face.

When Lilly came over she was suprised by a couple of things about us. Firstly she wondered why we were wearing raincoats for going outside. Our family told her it was because it was raining outside but that didn't really answer her question, so they told her it's because it's much easier to put a coat on a dry greyhound than to bring back home a soggy sulky greyhound. Us greys love being spoiled, after all our racing and time in the kennels this is our time to be worshipped!

Secondly she wondered why we wanted to sleep on the bare floor when we have a lovely memory foam bed each, two blankets and a cushion to choose from. Our humans weren't able to answer this one so accurately but we can. There's a fine art to sleeping that only certain animals are able to understand. The sloth understands it, koalas get it too but as a domestic pet the greyhound can take full advantage of it. You see, a good sleep is a bit like a symphony. If we spent all night in one sleeping position it would be boring. We need to move around, experience new sensations and levels of comfort as we run races in our dreams. We could go on but we know that a lot of our readers are human and despite your best efforts, you're just not going to understand the feeling of bliss we can achieve by sleeping on a carpet.

We hope that Lilly comes back again, she was very nice.

Our eBay items aren't making our charities millionaires just yet but we were asked by a buyer to put up some more Beanie Baby cards that they're interested in so we're happy that at least a few things are selling. We've also found a few One Direction promotional postcards that we think might sell if the right Directioner comes along. Paws crossed!

Maisie x

Monday 16 September 2013

Our Week In Words 16/09/13

For those of you who don't read the blog everyday but still want to know all our latest news, here's a summary of our week in word art form, courtesy of Wordle!





This segment was inspired by the fact that we both have the attention span of turnips. It sums up what we've been up to in a way we can even keep up with and is super pretty for those of you who can remember what we've done.

Mac and Maisie x

Sunday 15 September 2013

More Mischief and the GSOD

Hi everyone,  Mac here tonight and I have to admit to more mischief. You see, at the kennels Maisie and I were always walked with two leads in case one broke and we got free. Our family decided that this wasn't likely to happen but on Thursday night my lead accidentally let me loose.

I consider myself to be an opportunist and I couldn't help but take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be off the leash in public. Dad was chasing after me and I ran off down the street but stopped when I came to the road. A dog still needs to know his green cross code and I knew it would be silly to go unattended into the road.

My 30 seconds of freedom have now landed me two leashes every walk and the use of Maisie's Halti (which she was too small for and I absolutely hate).

Maisie subjected our humans to the Greyhound Scream of Death in the early hours of the morning too when she got her foot stuck in her muzzle. She was yelping and squealing like she was dying and Mum was very sympathetic - she couldn't stop laughing as she removed her paw. Maisie's not known for her brains.

Yesterday morning Maisie went on a trip with Mum and Kate to buy a new Halti that fits her and a warmer blizzard coat for winter. When she went back to the kennels for her coat, she was greeted like a celebrity and she loved the attention. Our family thought she would be sad to see the kennels again and maybe think they were taking her back but her tail was wagging enthusiastically and there was a big grin on her face. She even saw Ikey and Iris,  the two hounds who got our kennel when we left. Maisie tells me it was tempting to sneak back in for old times sake but she didn't want to risk our family swapping her for another dog.

Finally,  we now have an eBay page! Check it out here. 40% of the proceeds will go to the Retired Greyhound Trust and the other 60% to our beloved Greyhound Rescue Fife. This month the items we're selling are all dog themed - so far we have a selection of trading cards with a dog included in every lot. We're not hopeful that our items will all sell but we know we have to at least try. Even £1 will help a hound.

Until next time folks I'll be doing my best to be extra good and maybe earn the right to walk Halti-free.

Mac x

P.S - while Maisie was out I decided to take some selfies! Aren't I beautiful?



Saturday 14 September 2013

News from the Kennels

Although we now have our forever homes we try to stay connected to the place that took care of us when no one else could, Greyhound Rescue Fife.

This week a forever home has been found for Dotty, an adorable young grey who just loves to play and explore. It sounds like she's already made herself at home and her new owner is steadily getting used to her fragrant wind. Mags and Dandy also went home yesterday,  hopefully they've both settled in okay to their new homes too. They're what we consider to be "the new dogs" because they came into the kennels around about the time we left. We don't know them very well but our Mum always commented on how much Mags looks like Mac - another cousin perhaps?

Dog of the month Joe is still available, he's been in the kennels for a long time now and we can't wait until he finds a human to experience his fun nature. Hopefully being DOTM will mean that his days in the kennel are numbered.

Uncle Jimmy is getting better and making a recovery slowly but surely. He's currently out of the hospital and will be taking things easy for a while.  Once he's better he may have to let Auntie Celia have a rest as she's been very very busy while he's been away. Our sources tell us that the dogs at the kennels have been on their best behaviour for the volunteers but we know some of the characters down there have a naughty streak that just has to come out every now and then!

That's it for now folks, as always more information about Greyhound Rescue Fife can be found at their website and check out their blog here.

Mac and Maisie x

Friday 13 September 2013

Photo of the Week

When we're going out for a walk and the humans are taking they're time getting ready,  we can get a little impatient. This photo illustrates Maisie's thoughts perfectly;


My thoughts on the subject are very similar but I haven't quite mastered the hangdog expression yet!

Mac x

P.S - Our friend Bunny was asked to review a handmade collar from Collar Town on her blog. She's now giving away one of these fabulous collars so pop on over to Tails and Tales if you have a hound that might like some new bling.

Thursday 12 September 2013

Do I smell spaniels?

Maisie here tonight, regular visitors to our blog may remember that there are a couple with springer spaniels that live down the road from our home. Their humans have a daughter that lives in Austrailia and our family has helped take care for their dogs when they've gone away. Well the other day they popped out in the evening and Mac and I got suspicious. They weren't going to work and they weren't taking us out for a walk so where were they going?

When they came back they were absolutely stinking of spaniel. Mac and I had a good sniff of their bums and all their clothing to confirm the prognosis then Mac gave off several strong farts to make the room smell better. We're still very unsure about other dogs so as Mac always says, if in doubt, fart.

Our Mum also got us a lovely housecoat each for when it gets cold during winter. Mac looks like Superman's dog and we haven't decided who I look like, does any know?


I do apologise for the photo of my bum, it's the best one Kate could find of my new coat, I'm not as good at posing as Mac is. Anyway, the appearance of our coats doesn't matter, what matters is our comfort and we absolutely love them. They're all fleecy so it's just like have a blanket that won't fall off when we roll over in our sleep.

If our family come home smelling like spaniels we won't like it but at least we know we look a lot smarter than them in our new coats!

Maisie x

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Blog of the Week

This week's Blog of the Week is a blog our human sister Kate found when our family first started to think about getting a hound;

Winnie's Dog Blog

This blog originally charted the life of Winnie the greyhound, who was adopted by the Pritchard family in August 2010. Winnie has sadly now passed away but her legacy lives on in the form of the dog who took over the role of family hound - Monkey! Or as Mac likes to call him, "Cousin Monkey" (Mac has a lot of cousins).

Monkey was adopted in April 2013 and so Kate has found it interesting to read about his adventures and maybe see the kind of trouble we might cause her. From our point of view it's always nice to keep in touch with family members and sometimes see the lovely sights of Burton-on-Trent. The blog has easy terminology so that even a first time reader know who all the human characters are - Lady of the House (LOTH), Man of the House (MOTH), Boy of the House (BOTH) and Girl of the House (GOTH).

It's also nice to see another UK greyhound blog, as much as we love our friends in the US we feel in the minority sometimes and like to look out for friends who might have met us on the racetrack.We have some friends however they're not into the whole blogging scene, although our friend Bootsie is a Rover Reporter for the Greyhound Rescue Fife newsletter so that must keep him busy (sorry for the name dropping, we are very honoured to be considered friends of Bootsie and invited to join him on his Sunday afternoon walk).

Mac and Maisie x

Tuesday 10 September 2013

A bit of bad weather brings presents for hounds


Note from Mac and Maisie - this was originally our blog post for Monday but some silly hound pushed the delete button! So here it is again for anyone who didn't get a chance to read it.

Maisie here today and firstly we'd like to say thank you to all the people reading about our adventures. We never thought we'd attract so many page views from the USA,  although we do enjoy reading other blogs about dogs living the American Dream.

After a month of sunshine,  the rain finally returned to Scotland on Friday. This was the perfect opportunity to try out our new raincoats!




You might notice that I look like I'm wearing a deluxe sleeping bag while Mac looks like a Christmas present. This is because when Mum bought the jackets there was only one super cosy one left in our size. I got it because Mac has more meat on his body than I do. 

Our daddy also spoiled us with a new towel to dry us off after walks. I'm not one for standing still while someone rubs me down but Mac loves being fawned over (do all fawn dogs love being fawned over? ) and he had a big grin on his face while Mum dried every inch of his soggy body.

Our daddy also got us some nice new blankets.  In this photo I'm wrapped in one of the old blankets and the next is Mac demonstrating how cosy the new ones are;

And the final surprise for us came from our neighbours. They've been doing some work to their house and for the last month our family has had to put up with scaffolding,  builders and skips full of rubbish. We don't mind but they got us some presents anyway for being so understanding and patient. The humans got wine and chocolate and we got doggy treats!




Our neighbours are so kind to us.

So we've had a lot of treats the last few days and it makes me wonder...do we get presents every time it rains? If so I'm going to love living in Scotland!

Maisie x