Tamakin Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 TITCH **UPDATED: DECEMBER 2011** Titch is a small, pretty greyhound girl who wasn’t keen on the racing life. She has a striking brindle coat that is really starting to shine now that she’s in a foster home and getting lots of TLC. She turned 2 years old in March so this dear is still just a puppy with her whole life ahead of her. ~ Personality ~ Little Titch arrived to us a sensitive, nervous little girl, unsure of the world in general. She tended to watch from the sidelines, just a wee bit too afraid to join in. She will need a special, patient owner but is improving daily in her foster home. Titch has been in her foster home for a few months now, and is becoming a lovely well-adjusted little hound. She is a lovely lady, adores people and likes to be the center of attention. She soaks up any fuss you give her as though it’s her last, and seems to crave physical contact from her foster parents. She will almost fall asleep whilst having head rubs and massages, and is happiest curled up with you while you watch the telly. She still has a bit to learn, but is responsive to training with yummy treats. It’s important to know that Titch’s world has essentially been turned upside down and she will continue to slowly adjust to these changes over the next few months. She went from a racing kennel with its strict daily routine and minimal contact to living in a family home with amazing comforts and other dogs around her. Different hounds adjust to these changes in different ways, and with Titch this upheaval has resulted in her feeling insecure and anxious at times. This is manifesting as a warning growl at the other dogs in her foster home if she feels her personal space is being invaded or threatened. This growling has not amounted to anything, and is more just a vocalisation of her anxiousness at that current time. She has also had an unsettled tummy which is being attributed to her stress levels. Right now she is being fed a mild diet of cooked chicken and rice with dry Wainwright’s complete mix, and is doing better on this. She has put on some weight and is starting to fill out nicely. This little girl is also developing a cheeky streak as she continues to settle, and likes to steal shoes and socks to collect in her bed. She doesn’t chew the items she pinches, just likes collecting them for safekeeping! Her most prized possession is her foster Mum’s knitting wool, which she loves to steal again and again just so she can snuggle with it in her bed! Titch is also learning how to play and loves running about with soft toys and a ball. She is an athletic girl with an active mind that has huge potential with the right owner. ~ In the Home ~ Little Titch is now accustomed to all the household sights and sounds and seems unphased by loud noises such as fireworks. Sadly, she is quite fearful of long objects that she thinks could potentially hit her, such as brooms and rolls of Christmas wrapping paper. She will shy away from them and remain wary until the object is out of sight. This nervousness should also diminish as Titch continues to settle and learn that nothing bad will happen to her anymore. Titch is clean in the house, sleeps through the night and will stand by the back door to let you know she needs to go out. She is also learning some basic commands and is being taught to wait calmly for her supper. ~ Other Animals ~ Right now Titch is still in ‘racing hound’ mode and will chase other small furries, cats and small dogs if they are offlead. Some hounds take a bit longer than others to learn that not every moving thing needs to be chased! Her fosterers are working with her on this and she will continue to improve the more she’s socialised and exposed to other dogs being dogs. When other dogs are on leads and calm, Titch is very well behaved and does not pull to get to them no matter what their size and shape. ~ Out and About ~ In general, Titch is well behaved on the lead and walks to heel with a gentle leader headcollar. Her fosterers have walked her through their local town during busy periods and she is unphased by all the hustle and bustle, adoring anyone who stops to make a fuss of her. She also loves the car and loves to travel with her foster parents. ~ Where Can I Live? ~ Titch’s ideal home as of right now would be one with no young children due to her occasional growls, and no small dogs as she is still unsure as to what they are. She can live with larger dogs provided they are respectful of her space and her current stresses, but will need an owner who understands her current mind-set and needs. Please note that these requirements may likely change in the coming months as Titch continues to lose her anxiety and realise that she is safe in her foster home. This little girl is carrying a lot of weight on her shoulders, and we hope to see that lifted soon. There is still an awful lot of undiscovered potential in this dog, waiting to surface. She is full of surprises and is a very endearing little lady. ~ Where Am I? ~ Titch is currently in a foster home in Norfolk. Please note that adopters will need to travel to Norfolk to meet/adopt Titch. ~ Want To Adopt Me? ~ Titch is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, de-flea'd and wormed and a homecheck will be required as part of the adoption procedure. If you are interested in adopting little Titch, please visit our website’s [url=http://s300889640.websitehome.co.uk/uk/adoption.html Adoption Page for information and instructions on our homing procedures. If you have any further questions or problems, please feel free to email me (Tam) on [email protected]. Emails are usually replied to within 24 hrs. Thanks! ~~ KERRY GREYHOUNDS UK ~~ Kerry Greyhounds UK is a small voluntary organisation that is based in Norfolk, England. It focuses on rehoming unwanted Irish greyhounds and lurchers, as huge numbers are bred in Ireland each year and homes are few and far between. KGUK operates through a network of volunteers spaced over Ireland and the UK. We can look after approximately 30 dogs at any one time in both kennels and foster homes. Each dog is neutered, vaccinated, & microchipped before being adopted (unless stated otherwise). We assess the suitability of all home offers, and we have homed greyhounds in all corners of the UK. Our Website: Kerry Greyhounds UK If interested in one of our hounds, please visit our website’s [url=http://s300889640.websitehome.co.uk/uk/adoption.html Adoption Page for information and instructions on our homing procedures. Once you have filled in and returned the application form, we will then contact you via phone or email to discuss adopting one of our hounds in more detail. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. I (Tam) can be contacted through the following email: Email: [email protected] Emails are usually replied to within 24hrs. Thank you. Tam KGUK Volunteer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamakin Posted November 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 **UPDATED: 25TH OCTOBER 2012** Titch is a small, pretty greyhound girl who wasn’t keen on the racing life. She has a striking brindle coat that is really shiny now that she’s in a foster home and getting lots of TLC. She turned 3 years old last March and has sadly been looking for her forever home for over a year now! Please can you consider giving this wonderful lady a space on your sofa? ~ Personality ~ Dear Titch arrived into rescue as a very damaged, untrusting little girl. She had extremely low self-confidence, no trust in people and had come from a not-so-nice place. Thankfully the Titch we see today is unrecognisable from this scared little girl. She has been in her foster home for a full year now, and is more than ready to go to a suitable forever family. Titch has come on brilliantly, has learned to trust, love and even welcome people. She is a fantastic little girl with a whole world of potential. Titch is now a friendly, affectionate and very endearing young dog who loves to play with people, toys and other dogs. She is energetic and is definitely making up for her sad puppyhood with lots of fun and games. She welcomes people into her home with a wagging tail and a happy sniff. It is just young children that can make her uncertain, as she is not yet used to their sudden movements. She is a fun loving girl who is just cheeky enough to give you your daily laughs. ~ In the Home ~ The upside of waiting over a year for her forever family is that Titch is well and truly used to living in a home environment. She is settled and adjusted, and has good house manners. She sleeps soundly through the night, is completely housetrained, is not overly vocal, doesn’t counter surf, and is ok to be left with other dogs for company. She is calmer in the house than outside, and is very content to snooze for several hours after her walk. She really is no bother at all around the house. Since coming to her foster home, Titch has learned all about the joy of play. Now she absolutely loves to play and will tear around the garden with a squeaky toy. Her absolute favourite types of toys are squeaky plushies, though she will literally rip the stuffing out of them if given enough time. She also really enjoys kong balls that bounce in all different directions when thrown. Titch also has a cheeky streak and will steal the odd slipper and stash soft objects like balls of wool or cushions. She doesn’t chew or rip apart these items, but just likes to gather them all together for ‘safekeeping’! Very occasionally Titch shows a hint of her previous life, such as when a broom is picked up, or if roused suddenly from sleep. If shocked in this way, she can give a low growl, though this has never come to anything further. It is more a vocalisation of her insecurity, and not outright aggression. Loud noises such as thunder or fireworks also scare her, and she has growled and barked at the noise in the past, again without directing aggression at anyone. ~ Medical Issues ~ Titch has a sensitive tummy that is easily upset by stress. This is better now than it ever has been as she is settled and happy in herself, but it may flare up again when she moves to her new forever home. She is on a diet for sensitive tummies which is doing her the world of good, though she does need her anal glands expressed several times a year. ~ Other Animals ~ Titch is currently sharing her foster home with 3 other dogs, and has a different relationship with each of them. Her best friend is a whippet x collie and they love to play zoomies around the garden as well as sleep together. She also shares her foster home with 2 other greyhounds, one of whom she can get a bit bossy with if allowed to. She takes correction well, though, and doesn’t make it personal. When out on walks, Titch does best when introduced slowly and calmly to other dogs. Meeting other dogs is one of the now few areas where her old insecurities come back to the fore, and she can get defensive and guarded around some dogs if she feels they are becoming pushy with her. This defensiveness can materialise as barking and lead pulling. Once she knows and is familiar with another dog, she is generally fine and a lovely, social girl. She just needs that time to forget about her uneasiness and be more herself. Titch is also still gradually learning about other sizes of dogs, and she is more likely to react to a small dog than a large as she is not fully used to seeing them. This will need continued work to allow her to get over her uncertainty. In her current foster home she wouldn’t see small dogs very often, which is likely why this issue is still lingering on. Titch is not cat friendly. ~ Out and About ~ Titch, as typical of a dog with low confidence, is a lovely self-assured girl when walked with her pack, but can be nervous and defensive if walked alone. She always loves meeting new people, but unfamiliar dogs and sudden noises will scare and unnerve her if walked alone. She doesn’t like especially noisy traffic such as trucks, but will only pull on the lead if an unfamiliar dog comes very close, or a squirrel darts infront of her. She is generally fine in busy or built up areas. Walking her on a gentle leader gives great control on the few times that she does pull. Titch enjoys the car, though tends to stand looking out the window. She knows her name and comes back nicely when offlead in secure areas. She could be let offlead in safe areas away from public roads etc with her new owners after she’s had a bit of time to bond with them. ~ Where Can I Live? ~ Titch’s ideal home would be one without very young children and no small dogs as she is still unsure of them. She can live very happily with other medium to large sized dogs and would indeed benefit greatly from their presence, as shown by her current foster placement. Titch would coexist best with a confident, happy but not overly dominant dog. Titch has definitely come a very long way from the shell shocked little hound she was upon arrival. This needs to be noted as she is continuing to improve and grow on a daily basis. The dog she is now is incomparable to the dog she was upon arrival, and so the dog she will be another year from now will be just as different again. Whoever decides to open their heart to this beautiful girl will be rewarded with a beautiful, loyal, fun loving and affectionate greyhound who will give back a life time of pure love. ~ Where Am I? ~ Titch is currently in a foster home in Norfolk. Please note that adopters will need to travel to Norfolk to meet/adopt Titch. ~ Want To Adopt Me? ~ Titch is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, de-flea'd and wormed and a homecheck will be required as part of the adoption procedure. If you are interested in adopting little Titch, please visit our website’s [url=http://s300889640.websitehome.co.uk/uk/adoption.html Adoption Page for information and instructions on our homing procedures. If you have any further questions or problems, please feel free to email me (Tam) on [email protected]. Emails are usually replied to within 24 hrs. Thank you. Tam KGUK Homing Volunteer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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