The Story of Tommy and Beanie

I saw a short piece in the local newspaper entitled ‘Dumped dogs need homes’ which mentioned greyhounds and Diane and GAGAH. I had NO IDEA what went on and how many needed homes all the time. So I kept the cutting on my notice board in the kitchen for 2 years. Last August I started working more from home and really noticed just how quiet the house was so we decided to get in touch with Diane. She asked lots of searching questions and because there is nobody up here to do a home check I suggested she phoned my local vets for a reference as we got to know them very well over the years. We are used to, and prefer, big dogs but we had never seen a greyhound up close before. Diane had a dog in mind for us so we drove over to see Tommy and brought home a big, black and white (like a cow, my daughter remarked) beast with a squeaky voice. He was a quiet, withdrawn dog with a dislike of closed in spaces, narrow doorways and most noises that seem everyday to normal dogs, a sheet of tinfoil sends him shooting out of the kitchen. We think he had never raced as he is only just 4 and had been at the vet school for 2 years as a blood donor. He also has a heart murmur. His stud book name is Problems Major.

For the first week or so I was nervous of him and tended to look at this strange, tall animal and wonder what I had done and whether I could live up to the trust put in us by Diane, it was a bit like looking after someone else’s dog. However after 3 weeks I was back on the phone to her to ask about a ‘friend’ for him. I am a firm believer in the fact that as dogs are pack animals, they need company. Ours can spend all day at home sometimes when we are both out at work and we arrange for a friend to go in and let them out in the garden and feed them at lunchtime.

Diane already had Beanie ready for us and as she knew us we arranged for a ‘dog pick up’ at Tesco’s car park in Inverness. Bean had been a racer and then at the vet school for 3 years so she and Tom get on well together... She is 6,  fawn and white with the most beautiful face (she came with a first prize rosette for Prettiest Bitch which Diane had won with her at a local dog show), perfect pink and white toenails like she has just had a French manicure and horrible breath due to a gum problem. Her stud book name is Appleford Queen. She lives on the sofa next to Graham and squeaks and pokes him with her foot if he dares to stop stroking her. Tom lies on the rug in front of the fireplace where he can keep an eye on everything that goes on and leaps up as if on springs if I move a muscle, he follows me everywhere except for upstairs. They sleep downstairs but have the sofa and armchairs and are well away from Graham’s snoring so are not too badly off.

How have these two ‘fur kids’ affected our lives??? Well……………..

• I can’t sleep in even on a Sunday as they want to go out at 7am at the very latest and shout at me from the bottom of the stairs.

• A carload of stuff rivalling that of a baby is needed to make any overnight trip.

• A hotel room MUST have at least a spare sofa for Bean who turns into a 15 ton five foot wide starfish with anchors to rival those of a deep sea oil-rig once she has got onto a bed. (Tom is happy curled up in a corner on the carpet).

• Tom is very tall when he stands on his hind legs and even remote corners of kitchen worktop can be reached with his toes (3 whole packets of butter, half a pound of cheddar, half a leg of lamb and a newly roasted chicken have all come within his greedy grasping paws). I have to watch out for him sloping off quietly on his own when his usual habitat is flat out in front of the Aga/fire.

• They can zip out of the door through a 1 inch gap like a streak of lightning and I am so pleased that we rebuilt our house with no front door on to the main street (the A9 up here) and the garden comes between them and cars and lorries. Although we have a 5 foot walled garden we now have to put up fencing since I found Tom on top of the seawall, having used a flowerbed as a step up.

• I am going to have to change my car which is a Mondeo estate and though the floor of the boot is large enough, it tapers off towards the roof and as they stand up a lot of the time I can’t see to reverse and they look miserable with their heads hunched over between their shoulder blades to look out of the windows. We are looking at people (or rather dog) carriers, which have cavernous boot spaces.

• I have shed almost 2 stone in weight with all the walks which is fantastic as I am 50 this Christmas and have vowed to get myself in shape before then.

• They are great stress busters and love to be hugged and kissed and don’t mind when I have a good moan about anything, which I do on our walks by the sea, which is just the far side of our garden wall.

• All visitors get flattened as greyhounds love EVERYBODY and enthusiastically greet all comers (I tend to forget that not all people love dogs and are even scared of them)

• They are a beautiful pair and everyone stops to meet them when we are out, which means that all walks can take quite a long time. One of their friends is a Pekingese, owned by an old lady, which is pushed everywhere in a baby buggy (along the beach and golf course even)  because his legs are so short.

• We go to obedience classes to get them used to other dogs, which range in size from a HUGE German Shepherd to a Westie puppy. Bean squeaks all the way through and Tom shuffles about looking thoroughly bored like Kevin the Teenager.

• Their favourite treats are dried pigs ears, which I now negotiate to buy by the boxful from the local petshop. They get their 2 meals at 7am and 2pm and then come and harass me for a piggie when we have our own supper.

Anyone thinking about giving a greyhound a home should visit Diane. I guarantee they won’t come away without wanting to take one home. You might even end up with TWO!!