Isle of Wight Greyhound Owners Group

16/01/2025

Arik. Top photo in 2014. Bottom photo 29 November 2023. On 1 December 2023, he was gone. From dark brindle stripe to frosty face, but always my gorgeous boy.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year ChloBo! Here's to 2025 being OUR Year!

26/12/2024

Thank you to everyone who came along to Chloe's Boxing Day Walk. 16 hounds brought their humans out for a stroll in the fresh air and it was good to catch up with everyone.

05/12/2024

Chloe's first Christmas starts here. I'm sure she thought I'd gone mad this morning clearing and washing down the bay window, putting a white fluffy blanket in the window to look like snow and then proceed to get a tree out of a box. But she took it all in her stride. The theme this year is "Bright Colours and Rainbows". Bright colours for Chloe because she is a bright and colourful character. Rainbows for Arik at the Bridge. The tree is called The Victoriana as a nod to Chloe's favourite walk at Osborne House and she has her own "Merry Christmas Chloe" Santa Elf bauble hanging in the middle. As a reward for being a good girl I gave Chloe her Snowman and Tree squishy cushions. As well as dog toys, Chloe loves throwing soft cushions around so I bought her two festive ones. I think Chloe has decided it's "so far so good" with this festive merriment malarkey.

28/11/2024

Just curious as to how many other greyhounds out there do what I call the "Horsey Snort". Chloe is only the second hound I've heard do it. She will sniff, sniff, sniff the air quite normally then do one big snorting breath out through both her nose and mouth which flaps her cheeks. It's really cute and funny. Chloe is Irish bred and the only other hound I've known do it is also Irish so wondered if it's an Irish thing. Sadly I don't have a video of her doing it yet. Anyone else's hound do this?

27/11/2024

"Hello Everyone, it's Chloe here, and Mummy says this tree is why she decided NOT to take me for a walk anywhere on Saturday during Storm Bert. I always used to sniff this tree as we walked through the holiday park but the storm on Saturday brought it down. Mummy says she dreads to think of something called "the consequences" if anyone had been walking by at the time. Luckily the park is closed for the winter and the tree came down in the middle the night according to park staff. Lucky escape ... just not for the poor tree 😕. Bye for now. Licky kisses 😋." Chloe

22/11/2024

**PLEASE NOTE SUNDAYS WALK IS CANCELLED DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER OF HIGH WINDS AND POURING RAIN **

20/11/2024

This was Chloe's track. This is the track where ALL Lisa and Nick and Chloe's friends Wight Track Home Retired Greyhounds race. Now before all you Anti lot rub your grubby mitts together, break out the bubbly, and pat yourselves on the back - THINK! WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN TO THE HOUNDS THAT CANNOT RACE ANYMORE BECAUSE THE TRACKS CLOSE? ... THINK! My friends Lisa and Nick have about 90 dogs in their kennels. The racing ones fund the retired ones waiting for a home. The racers income buy the food, bedding, and vet bills for the retired ones. The racing ones may be TRAINED by by friends but they are OWNED by someone else. If the OWNERS pull the financial plug due to racing being closed down, it's the dogs that suffer. Get it? The DOGS suffer. And you think getting rid of greyhound racing in the UK is the answer? Really? In the UK the hounds are well looked after and protected. The UK has a 100% Recover & Rehome regulation which is why you see adopted greyhounds with 3 legs around the country. UK racing greyhounds are not put to sleep for the slightest thing (Chloewas retired through injury). They are worked on, rested, recuperated, and rehomed. BUT if greyhound racing stops in the UK, so does the regulation and care. REMEMBER ... the Breeders won't stop breeding. And if the breeders can't sell their puppies in the UK to be in a UK racing industry they'll just send them overseas to be raced in places like China where they WILL end up in a horrific meat market somewhere. So to all you Anti's out there ... I hope you're proud of yourselves for NOT doing your homework and speaking to actual Trainers like I have ... you scrap racing, you scrap the breed and sign the death warrant on those sent to countries like China and Korea. Well done. Give yourselves a pat on the back for being party to an animal suffering and a breeds extinction. You must be so happy to have THEIR BLOOD on YOUR hands right now! Congratulations!

02/11/2024

Want to see a heartwarming photo? Here you go. This is Boo. The greyhound Chloe, myself, and the whole of the Isle of Wight Greyhound Owners Group and Wight Track Home Retired Greyhounds community have been searching for, worrying about, and doing "stake-outs" with binoculars in our cars at her hot spots since she did a runner last Sunday. She's home. She's safe. And she's catching up on much needed sleep having eaten an even more much needed meal. Us greyhound owners aren't just owners. Owners is too smaller word. We are Guardians of the Breed and it doesn't matter if the hound is ours or not. A greyhound is a greyhound and we work to protect them all. Sleep sweet dear Boo. I know I will now I know you're home. (Photo courtesy of her owner Alison).

02/11/2024

Boo the missing greyhound has been caught and is home safe!!! BEST NEWS EVER!!!

02/11/2024

30/10/2024

*WHO SHOULD CHOOSE WHO*
Bit of a controversial one but here goes anyway. In my humble opinion, and personal experience, I honestly think the best human/dog relationships happen when it's the Dog that's done the choosing, not the human. When I adopted Arik I went to his kennel with one criteria - I wanted a boy. That was it. I didn't care what colour they were. I didn't care what personality/temperament they had. Didn't care how old they were. I just knew I wanted a boy. I met three hounds that day. Two ignored me completely. Arik bolted out of his kennel, ran up to me, jumped up, put his paws on my shoulders and shoved his nose in my face. He definitely made it clear that he wanted to come home with me. With Chloe my only criteria was that I did NOT want another brindle because they would remind me too much of Arik. Ideally I wanted a Black one because they are the hardest to rehome. On Chloe's adoption day my friends Lisa and Nick brought over four hounds, all black. At first I walked the boy but as well as him being more like a kangaroo on two legs, he wasn't paying any attention to who was on the other end of the lead, so I didn't feel any connection. So I asked to walk Chloe next who, when she saw something she wasn't sure of, leant hard against my legs, raised her head, looked me straight in the eye and her little voice was in my head "Will you look after me?" That was it. Connection made. Bond created. I'd been chosen. I know it's not always possible to let the dog choose if, for instance, you are getting a street dog rescue from overseas and all you have to go on is a photo and personality profile, but if you are able to attend a meet and greet it's better to go with a completely open mind, zero expectations, and let the dog pick you. Some people will naturally need to know what dogs would suit a busy home with children, or a quiet adult only household, and if they are cat safe etc but if you start making a long list of likes, dislikes, and colour preferences you are unlikely to find everything all in one dog. And if you expect a new dog to pick up where an old dog left off you are going to be disappointed. I always thought I would adopt and bond better with boys ... then along came Chloe. But Chloe is who I needed after Arik, she chose me, and I love her with every beat of my heart. So wherever possible, let the dogs choose, because they really do know better than us.

29/10/2024

Poor Boo is still missing. Bolted when her owner dropped her lead during their walk around Carisbrooke early Sunday morning. Boo had been seen running through Parkhurst Forest, but yesterday there was a sighting at Gurnard so she really could be anywhere. Contact details of her owner in images below.

29/10/2024

*DON'T COMPARE*
So your old dog has crossed the Rainbow Bridge and after you have grieved, you decide to open your heart to another. Your new dog walks into your home which is a totally alien world to them with things they have NEVER seen before like TV's and washing machines. They have to get to know you as their new human guardian, learn a new routine, find out what their boundaries are, explore a house when all they've seen before is a kennel, and sometimes adjust to being the only dog in this new environment when they are used to being one of many. These are just a few things your newly adopted greyhound has to face and adjust to. And what do some people do? They complain "My old dog didn't do that." In actual fact they probably Did, back in the beginning, back when they were new and exploring your house for the first time - you've just forgotten because over the years your bond has strengthened and you've got as comfortable with each other as an old pair of slippers. So what if your old dog never did XYZ, your new dog does, and you cannot turn your new dog into a younger version of your old one. Using the footwear analogy, in his youth (before he became those comfortable old slippers) Arik was like a really qood quality pair of trainers - easy, comfortable, quiet. Chloe is like a pair of black patent stilettos - sassy, you can hear her coming, and she proudly stands out from the crowd. No point in my looking at Chloe and comparing her to Arik because aside from the obvious boy/girl difference she is the polar opposite of him and I absolutely love her for it. So don't look at a new dog and compare them to your old one. It's not your new dogs fault your old one crossed the Bridge and it's not their responsibility to 'become' the old one in a new physical form either. The differences should be celebrated as a new chapter in your life where your heart is expanded by the new dog showing you their own little personality, rather than you squashing their attempts to love you in their own unique way by shunning them because they're not the dog you had before. Look at it this way. If you met and fell in love with a widow/widower, how would YOU like it if that person constantly said "My first wife/husband never did that." You'd feel hurt, rejected and alienated just for being yourself, wouldn't you? So don't do it to a dog who is already dealing with being removed from the only life they've ever known and put into your house. Give them a break. Let them be Themselves.

27/10/2024

Only chance of catching is with another Greyhound so please please can any help ?