Arrow was a beautiful but very anxious boy when he went into foster with Emma and Liam. “When we first got Arrow we could only leave him for a few seconds before he started crying, we couldn’t even go upstairs”, said Emma. “We met with Jess, a dog behaviourist, to get some strategies around separation anxiety and it turned out Arrow actually had FOMO (fear of missing out)! We altered our strategy in line with Jess’ suggestions and he improved rapidly.”
The surprises kept coming. “It was thought that Arrow was reactive with other dogs but in fact Arrow LOVED other dogs and just needed some help to learn how to play.”
Not in a position to adopt at the time, Emma and Liam loved being able to foster as a way to have a greyhound in their lives and home, even though it meant eventually letting him go to his forever family.
“We were proud that, for a dog who came to us so anxious, he was able to smoothly transition into his new home. We were happy that he found a home where he could have unlimited cuddles, attention and free rein of the couch!! We definitely missed him though and still do, he gave the best cuddles.”
Fostering also gave the pair confidence in their abilities to help a dog with anxiety, and pride in their achievements working with Arrow.
“It was rewarding to see Arrow grow over his time with us, we were so proud when he was able to stay at home all by himself for the first time and we loved seeing him playing with other dogs in our backyard. Arrow also learnt to sit, lie down and come which is a big feat for a Greyhound so we were very proud of that!”
Emma says she would recommend fostering a hound to anyone. “Greyhounds are the most beautiful dogs that can fit into any lifestyle. You need to be flexible at times, particularly during the first few weeks of having your foster, you need to be home more to help them settle in. Luckily, we were able to work flexibly between home and the office.”
“We received such amazing support from Greyhound rescue, particularly for Arrow given his unique needs and background. Kate, our foster coordinator, was always on hand to answer questions and checked in on us frequently. Greyhound Rescue also have a wealth of information regarding training.”
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