When Daniel decided to adopt a greyhound, he had no idea he would be paired with the sassy Nova. But adopt he did, and paired he was. And while not without some initial challenges, Daniel says his time with Nova has been a life changing experience.
“Nova is a very nervous girl, however with a lot of work she’s steadily blossomed into a very playful, excitable, energetic, sassy and talkative little pearl,” Daniel says.
“She’s a very outspoken hound who craves attention and will plonk herself on the sofa next to us, then stare at us to demand attention and pats, then begin to paw and air snap and bark until she gets her fill of pats.”
“She is otherwise mostly a typically lazy hound who will rotate through her various nap spots and snooze for most of the day as long as she’s had her walks.”
“She also loves going over our parent’s place so she can get spoilt rotten and do zoomies in the backyard.”
Daniel loves Nova’s little quirks, from her “ridiculous roaching positions around the house, or trying to hold up the walls while she sleeps, or how she will sphinx on guard when I’m in the bathroom.”
With some anxiety and separation stress, Daniel and his brother had to learn how to help Nova adapt while both working full time.
“She’s improved significantly since we adopted her and has made friends with my bestie’s older rescue greyhound so she’s more comfortable around other dogs now,” Daniel says.
“We were very careful not to rush her upon bringing her home and not to disturb her when she wanted to be left alone on her bed or if she didn’t want to progress further in her walks than she was ready to. It’s made a substantial difference in terms of making her more comfortable and feel “at home”.
Daniel says that it has “been a life-changing experience in adopting Nova and I’d encourage anyone looking for a companion to please consider adopting a Greyhound and helping to give them a second chance after their experiences in the racing industry.”
“…They are truly the best dogs with the most gentle and laid back personas and the most goofy and eccentric personalities and they fit well into an apartment environment.”
However Daniel says adoptees should remember that all greyhounds are unique individuals so it pays to do your research and be matched with a hound that best fits your circumstances.
“Greyhound Rescue genuinely has the best welfare of their hounds at heart and they have been totally professional and understanding to deal with from the outset.”
If you would like to welcome a hound like Nova into your life, you can check out our adoption process here. If it’s not the right time, you can still help us find loving homes for hounds by becoming a ‘Help a Hound’ supporter. Find out more here.