LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Greyhound Friends,

I’m sure you are very aware that our greyhounds have a unique way of embedding themselves into our hearts from the moment we see them. It does not stem from their beautiful markings or color, it stems from their character, and easygoing personalities. For example, their soulful looks that seem to express their grace and wisdom. Their easy dispositions, my 8 are usually featured laying on beds in my family room. Each one of my personal dogs entered my heart, before I decided to bring them into my family. However, before any of these dogs make it into my home, their fosters or their forever homes they come in on a haul. A haul is exactly what it sounds like, a truck that “hauls” at least 36 dogs at a time from Florida to adoption groups.   

Hauls are met by me and dedicated volunteers, who often give up sleep in the wee hours of the morning, to help us with intake of new dogs. Lift down from hauler, hug, kiss, walk, wash, take pictures, cat test – repeat. And such is the process of intake, if we start at 6 am we are done by Noon. It is a process of love, one in which we welcome our new dogs into GFNJ family. The best part is once everyone is bathed, snuggled, and photographed and we have the chance to see the dogs peacefully lounging on their Kuranda beds—so begins their retirement lives.

Although most retired dogs live the life of Riley, some have a bumpy road to finding and staying in their forever homes. – our commitment is unwavering. Below are a few a dogs who have been returned, and are looking for second homes.  Fortunately, our family has strong ties and within the past several months, we have had folks who stepped up to adopt some of our previous returns such as Good and Plenty; Nike and Tina; and Brooke. We are seeking similar families now.   

I hope these greys will be at the Fall Picnic on Sunday, September 20^th  at Pineland Country Kennel,  Tabernacle, NJ– with their new families!  Please consider them for your next family friend.

Thank you for all you do for greyhounds.

Sincerely,

Peaches (Winta Banshee) is a lovely 10-year-old girl who was returned after  7 years in a home through no fault of hers.  Peaches was able to return to her original foster home where she immediately picked up where she  left off - sleeping with a dog bed over her head.  She just loves to lie in a crate under a bed or blanket. This 10 year old is a sweetie.	Duke isn’t a fan of cats either and, thus, his return.  He excels in treats and wags and would be a great  addition to most homes. Duke is 6 years-old.  He is in the prison foster program and could use a foster home.
Gable Kid Chaos (Cooper) prefers the laid back country life, with another doggie friend but without small critters.   He’s 4 years-old and loves people of all ages.	Eye Witness just turned 5 years-old and is ready  for a family who won’t let him run loose.  He’s a gem  and deserves a great home with no small animals.  His foster parents just think he is great.

When we lost our greyhound Charlotte in July of 2013 we took the opportunity to foster.  We still had our greyhound Bess and figured the fostering gig would let us find a companion for her in a practical way…if we decided to adopt our foster, wonderful, if not, no harm done, we would hold the dog until a home was found.  I envisioned us going through many, many fosters until the right match was found.

First up was Flyinmoment who we had for all of 11 days until he was rehomed…ok, fine, so much for getting acquainted.  The same day that Flyinmoment left for his new home we brought foster Cooper into the fold.  Bess and Cooper got along famously and so much for good intentions, we adopted Coop.  When Bess died in December of the same year, leaving Cooper as an only “child” we were again in the market for a second grey but so far have resisted the urge to adopt and are determined to continue with fostering..  we have happily continued to this day.  We are filling a valuable and necessary niche, providing a temporary home to enable more dogs to find their permanent ones. 

TIPS AND HELPFUL HINTS OFFERED BY ADOPTERS

Kim Welsh - My advice would be to keep a greyhound first aid kit. Include quick stop, flour or cornstarch for bleeding, vet wrap, toddler socks and gauze. The thin skin and crazy zoomies.....

Pat Burke - Through the years I've gone through cuts, broken dew claws, "happy tail" that was actually a three-inch split mid-tail. One of the things I found is called Well-Horse Antibacterial Resin. It is natural and can be used on all animals. At first I was using Well-Pet but found out that it is exactly the same as Well-Horse, it just costs more for a smaller bottle. My vet told me that this is perfectly safe to use. I keep a bottle of it in my first aid box. It stops the bleeding and helps the healing. Can be used on open wounds. I get it from Amazon.

Diane Hartstein Schiller - Yes, my first aid kit has Neosporin, lots of vet wrap, quick stop, Woodrow Wear greyhound socks to protect scrapes, PAWZ reusable booties to protect scraped feet outside, t-shirt that fits greyhound in case you need to prevent licking, and probably more. The socks and booties have a been a great help in getting the scrapes to heal faster. I also keep small non-skid rugs at the base of steps so when they come flying down they don't slip.

Ellen Ganopoulos - Scarlet oil as an antiseptic and to promote granulation, stuff is my #1 go-to for cuts and scrapes. Also, for poop-foot - 2 Chinese food quart containers, one with warm water and a tiny dab of Dawn , submerge and swirl the footy, then repeat in another container with clear water to rinse. Repeat if necessary (repeat rarely needed though - it works way better and faster than wiping)

Christine Shotwell-Riccardo - I keep a box of baby wipes and a towel by the back door for a quick wipe of dirty (maybe not poop foot though) paws. Easy on the paws, and then a quick dry with the towel. 

GREYHOUND FRIENDS OF NJ'S 19TH ANNUAL PET & CRAFT EXPO by Ellen Ganopoulos  

KING GALAXY "As King of the Greyhounds it's important for me to welcome newcomers into my kingdom and the GFNJ Pet & Craft Expo is the perfect place for me to hold court. Pre-approved applicants can adopt one of my royal subjects at the on-site adoption area and then shop at any of the dozens of spectacular vendors in this comfortable, indoor venue for gifts, gourmet goodies, arts and crafts, jewelry, specialty collars and coats, and much, much more!”

PHIL "This may come to a surprise to my family and friends but I'm actually a retired reindeer, so for me it's all about Santa. Every year Santa takes time out of his busy schedule to visit GFNJ’s Pet & Craft Expo and pet parents can take home a lovely digital photo of their pet with Santa right there at the show! And all the proceeds go to GFNJ so they can provide the best of care while they find homes for the hundreds of retired reindeers that come through their doors each and every year."

HARLOW & LUKE “We like that the show isn’t just for greyhounds. All leashed pets are welcome and small animals in carriers can attend too! There are vendors with products for all kinds of pets, and GFNJ invites local non-profit rescues to attend and showcase their organizations. Pittie Project will be back  this year (a favorite of ours) and new will be micro-chipping, nail cutting and vaccines all done right there at the show! ‘Color A Collar’ contest for kids and the big basket raffle is fun and exciting too!”

GALAHAD "I’m a foodie so the GFNJ Pet & Craft Expo is where I head for an amazing selection of gourmet and specialty pet treats. My humans know how much I love my grub so I've been practicing my sad face and I plan to work them over at all of the treat vendors, the incredible bake sale, and even the hot grill, where they can buy and hopefully drop freshly made hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, vegetarian chili, and more!”

FUZZY "A lot of people think I'm a hairy greyhound but I’m actually a galgo. I'm really looking forward to this years show because Galgos del Sol will be there to tell people about their organization, with special guest Tina Solera giving a Q&A session about their mission on Saturday. And there's even going to be a special dinner on 11/14 to celebrate with our friends from abroad and everyone's invited! I'm just so excited - I'd ask Tina to sign my tail but I can't stop wagging it!"

THE GIFT OF GROWL by Pat Miller, CPDT, CDBC 

My clients always appear a bit stunned at first when I tell them their dog’s growl is a good thing. In fact, a growl is something to be greatly treasured. These are my aggression consult clients, who are in my office in desperation, as a last resort, hoping to find some magic pill that will turn their biting dog into a safe companion. They are often dismayed and alarmed to discover that the paradigm many of us grew up with – punish your dog harshly at the first sign of aggression, has only contributed to and exacerbated the serious and dangerous behavior problem that has led them to my door. 
 
On one hand it seems intuitive to punish growling. Growling leads to biting, and dogs who bite people often must be euthanized, so let’s save our dog’s life and nip biting in the bud by punishing him at the first sign of inappropriate behavior. Makes sense, in a way – but when you have a deeper understanding of canine aggression, it’s easy to understand why it’s the absolute wrong thing to do. 
 
Most dogs don’t want to bite or fight. The behaviors that signal pending aggression are intended first and foremost to warn away a threat. The dog who doesn’t want to bite or fight tries his hardest to make you go away. He may begin with subtle signs of discomfort that are often overlooked by many humans – tension in body movements, a stiffly-wagging tail. 
 
“Please,” he says gently, “I don’t want you to be here.” 
 
If you continue to invade his comfort zone, his threats may intensify, with more tension, a hard stare, and a low growl. 
 
“I mean it,” he says more firmly, “I want you to leave.” 
 
If those are ignored, he may become more insistent, with an air snap, a bump of the nose, or even open mouth contact that closes gently on an arm but doesn’t break skin. 
 
“Please,” he says, “don’t make me bite you.” 
 
If that doesn’t succeed in convincing you to leave, the dog may feel compelled to bite hard enough to break skin in his efforts to protect self, territory, members of his social  group, or other valuable resources. 
  
What many people don’t realize is that aggression is caused by stress. The stressor may be related to pain, fear, intrusion, threats to resources, and past association or anticipation of any of these things. An assertive, aggressive dog attacks because he’s stressed by the intrusion of another dog or human into his territory. A fearful dog bites because he’s stressed by the approach of a human. An injured dog lacerates the hand of his rescuer because he’s stressed by pain. 
 
When you punish a growl or other early warning signs, you may succeed in suppressing the growl, snarl, snap or other warning behavior – but you don’t take away the stress that caused the growl in the first place. In fact, you increase the stress, because now you, the dog’s owner, have become unpredictable and violent as well. And if you succeed in suppressing the warning signs, you end up with a dog who bites without warning. He learns that it’s not safe to warn. 
 
If a dog is frightened of children, he may growl when a child approaches. You, conscientious and responsible owner, are well aware of the stigma – and fate – of dogs who bite children, so you punish your dog with a yank on the leash and a loud “No! Bad dog!” Every time your dog growls at a child you do this, and quickly your dog’s fear of children is confirmed – children do make bad things happen! He likes children even less, but he learns not to growl at them to avoid making you turn mean. 
 
You think he’s learned that it’s not okay to be aggressive to children, because the next time one passes by, there’s no growl.  
 
“Phew,” you think to yourself. “We dodged that bullet!” 
 
Convinced that your dog now accepts children because he no longer growls at them, the next time one approaches and asks if he can pat your dog, you say yes. In fact, your dog has simply learned not to growl, but children still make him very uncomfortable. Your dog is now super-stressed, trying to control his growl as the child gets nearer and nearer so you don’t get mean, but when the scary child reaches out for him he can’t hold back any longer – he lunges forward and snaps at the child’s face. Fortunately, you’re able to restrain him with the leash so he doesn’t connect. You, the dog, and the child are all quite shaken by the incident.  

Time to change your thinking.  A growl is a dog’s cry for help.  Its your dog’s way of telling you he can’t tolerate a situation—as if he’s saying “I can’t handle this, please get me out of here!” 

Your first response when you hear your dog growl should be to calmly move him away from the situation, while you make a mental note of what you think may have triggered the growl. Make a graceful exit. If you act stressed you’ll only add to his stress and make a bite more, not less, likely. Don’t worry that removing him rewards his aggression – your first responsibility is to keep others safe and prevent your dog from biting. 

If the growl was triggered by something you were doing, stop doing it. Yes, your dog learned one tiny lesson about how to make you stop doing something he doesn’t like, but you’ll override that when you do lots of lessons about how that thing that made him uncomfortable makes really, really good stuff happen. This is where counter conditioning comes in. Your dog growls because he has a negative association with something – say he growls when you touch his paw. For some reason, he’s convinced that having his paw touched is a bad thing. If you start by touching his knee, then feeding him a smidgeon of chicken, and keep repeating that, he’ll come to think that you touching his knee makes chicken happen. He’ll want you to touch his leg so he gets a bit of chicken.  

Note: Make sure your dog’s discomfort with you touching his paw is not related to pain. If it hurts when you touch him there, counter conditioning won’t work. It’s a good idea to get a full veterinary workup if there’s any chance your dog’s growling may be pain-related.  

When you see him eagerly search for chicken when you touch his knee, you can move your hand slightly lower and touch there, until you get the same “Where’s my chicken?!” response at the new spot. Gradually move closer and closer to his paw, until he’s delighted to have you touch his foot – it makes chicken happen! Now practice with each foot, until he’s uniformly delighted to have you touch all of them. Remember that the touch comes first, so it consistently predicts the imminent arrival of chicken.  

If at any time in the process – which could take days, weeks, or even months, depending on the dog and how well you apply the protocol – you see the dog’s tension increase, you’ve moved too quickly. Back up a few inches to where he’s comfortable being touched and start again. Or, there may be other stressors present that are increasing his tension. Do an environment check to be sure nothing else is happening that’s adding to his stress. Have the rowdy grandkids leave the room, give him a little time to relax, and start again. 
 
Remember, dogs can’t tell us in words what’s bothering them, but they can communicate a lot with their body language and canine vocal sounds. Pay attention to what your dog is telling you. Listen with heart and compassion. Be gentle when your dog tells you he needs help. Come to his rescue. Treasure his growl. 
 
Peaceable Paws LLC , Pat Miller, CPDT, CDBC, 301-582-9420  ~ www.peaceablepaws.com 

Reprinted with permission

One of GFNJ’s collaborations that we are proud to be a part of is NorthStar VETS. 

Many of our adopted greyhounds have become blood donors at NorthStar Vets.  We thank the owners and their dogs that have committed to this great cause.  Greyhounds are the very best donors and one unit of blood can save 2 - 4 lives.  It's a wonderful feeling to "pay it forward".  Our greyhounds have a permanent home and now they are saving lives.  A win for everyone!  If you are interested in having your greyhound screened to be a donor, contact Maria Lutz at flutz11331@aol.com or 732-521-8330.

We want to thank Dr. Daniel Stobie and NorthStar Vets for being our Craft Show Presenting Sponsor four years in a row. 
We appreciate their generosity and the care they give our greyhounds. 

SAVE THE DATE!!! 

GFNJ Annual FALL Picnic

Sunday, September 20th 11 am to 3 pm ~ Rain or Shine

Pineland Country Kennels, 46 Carrenza Road, Tabernacle, NJ 

 The Fab 4 Fundraiser   

First winner pulled gets their choice of the 4 prizes;
Second winner gets choice of remaining prizes and the same for
Third and Fourth tickets pulled. 

Starts 9/1/15

Drawing held at Fall Picnic – 9/20/15

Winner does not need to be present 

1 for $5.00

6 for $20.00

To Purchase Tickets go to: 

gfnj.org for additional information

GFNJ is collaborating with Fairy Dog Moms! September 19th—27th

Offering gorgeous bracelets, necklaces, keychains and earrings with greyhound related charms - additional information can be found on the GFNJ Facebook page or website (gfnj.org) 

19th Annual GFNJ Pet & Craft Expo!

       Saturday,  11/14/15 ~ 10 am to 4 pm   Sunday, 11/15/15 ~ 10 am to 4 pm

The Westfield Armory, 500 Rahway Avenue, Westfield, NJ  07090

For VENDOR information, please contact Patty at patty.comerford@gmail.com

To VOLUNTEER, please contact Ellen at redreeper@aol.com

To be a SPONSOR, please contact Linda at lelyman7@verizon.net

To donate a RAFFLE PRIZE, please contact Maria at flutz11331@aol.com or 732 521-8330  

ONGOING FUNDRAISING 

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile  purchases to Greyhound Friends of New Jersey. 

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same Amazon Prime benefits.

 Support Greyhound Friends of New Jersey by starting your  shopping at 

smile.amazon.com

RECYCLE Cell Phones, iPads, iPods 

Adopter Carolann Abbate helps GFNJ by collecting old cell phones, iPads and iPods. 

Please go to the GFNJ website for more info on how to contact Carolann.

 My Coke Rewards

Customers enter codes from specially marked packages of Coca-Cola products into a website. 

These codes are converted into virtual "points" which can in turn be redeemed for various prizes. 

Thanks Barb Wyker for  coordinating the Rewards!

WoofTrax donates money for
every mile you walk ! 

Download the app on your Android or iPhone!
After downloading the app, take the
phone with you when you walk.
Press the “start” button and the app
keeps track of all your walks. For every mile you walk, a donation is made to the animal group of your choice. 

MORE TIPS AND HELPFUL HINTS FROM ADOPTERS 

Sherry Kilpatrick - If you don't have the space for raised feeders or as was my case too many dogs for multiple raised feeders we went to Home Depot & purchased the white paint buckets & removed the metal handles. A stainless steel bowl will fit nicely in the opening of the bucket making it a raised feeder. After eating they stack together in a corner. We also have a black iron plant stand that holds a bigger stainless water bowl......looks nice & does not take up much room!

Judy Webster - Canned pumpkin ...not the kind for making pies.

Judy Bleemer Baker - If anyone still receives an actual newspaper delivered to their home, the long bags they are delivered in make excellent poop bags. much better than supermarket bags.

Dale Duppstadt - Plain yogurt mixed with food can help with hound gas. Coconut oil is good for the coats and can be mixed with food.

Katie Leed - Crayons or wax candle to stop a bleeding toenail when cut too short

Jeremy Daniel Griffin - One thing I'll share is Cormack's fear of thunder. There's the coat and the meds and they'll help to some degree, but one thing Cormack seems to take to is old-school music on the radio. During storms, when I have some weird adult-contemporary on the radio, he's still anxious, but he somehow mellows enough to let the storm pass.

Nancy Rapp Bennett - Taping blown up balloons in places you don't want your newbie greys to go! i.e. kitchen counters!!!!

Jacqueline Howard Cavallo - My dogs' ID tags include ones that read "REWARD" with my phone number.

Jean Power - I have been using an emery board to smooth rough spots and corns on Amos' pads. He doesn't mind and he has even stopped limping!

Pat Burke - Musher's Secret for their little foot pads. Softens the dry cracked pads in the hot summer and a defense against the cold and snow in the winter. 

IMPORTANT REMINDER! Having the proper tags on your dogs is imperative!  All dogs should have a GFNJ round tag and a tag that says “If I’m loose, I’m lost—please contact (phone number)”.  If you’ve lost your GFNJ tag, please contact Linda Lyman to have a replacement sent to you—732-356-4370 

Don’t Forget to Renew Your Annual Membership!

Become a GFNJ Member or Renew your Membership Today

Your membership dues go for the care of the greyhounds

 Please mail your check, payable to Greyhound Friends of New Jersey, Inc. with this form to:

(Please Print Your Form Clearly or use an Address Label) 

Greyhound Friends of New Jersey, Inc., P.O. Box 4416, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-0669.

Name ________________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________ 

Phone __________________________ Email Address _________________________________

Amount Enclosed $________________

□ $25 donation - members receive a GFNJ license plate holder

□ $50 donation - members receive a GFNJ T-shirt

□ $100 donation - members receive a GFNJ sweatshirt

□ No thanks, I don’t want a premium — please use the entire donation to help the greyhounds

     T-shirt/sweatshirt size: □ S □ M □ L □ XL