Sometimes when hounds arrive at the Greyhound Rescue kennels, we know immediately we won’t have them for long – they are beautiful, charismatic, cuddly and ready for pet life.
Bella (formerly known as Glimmer) was one such hound!
Within a fortnight of her arrival at the kennels, nine-year-old Bella headed off home with Greyhound Rescue volunteer Nikki and her husband Stephen.
Nikki says Bella is a calm, gentle girl who has fitted in perfectly.
“My husband isn’t a dog lover like me, but he appreciates Bella’s special personality and greyhound breed traits – she rarely barks, she’s not pushy, she walks on lead without pulling and she loves being on her bed(s) so much!” said Nikki.
“Her favourite things are BEDS. She spends most of her time sleeping on one of the four she has around the house! Her biggest challenge in life is not being allowed on human beds, so all our beds are covered with objects to keep her off!
“Bella’s second favourite thing is walks: particularly her morning walk. She determines our(early) morning routine and I have her to thank for seeing the sun rise over the ocean each day.
Like many hounds, Bella’s main challenge with suburban living was reactivity to other dogs – especially those barking behind fences or those approaching her off-lead.
“With some help from a trainer (Leanne from Polite Pooches), I worked on lots of rewarding prior to her reacting. I had to be really consistent, have sharp timing and most importantly, relax myself! Also, the adage “distance is your friend” has worked wonders.
“We both now walk happily past all dogs at close quarters! Incredible progress for us.
“I would thoroughly recommend adopting from Greyhound Rescue. The team are all incredible in their care of the dogs at Greysland and go out of their way to match dogs with adopters.
“The care they show when adopting, the follow up contact and consistent training tips, as well as, the support I’ve received from the Facebook group has been exemplary.
“We couldn’t have found a better houndie to share our life with!”
Looking to open your heart and your home to a hound? Read more about our adoption process here. If now isn’t the right time, why not think about joining our volunteer team? Find out more here.