Sunday, April 15, 2012

Diesel, the Great!

One year ago, after I pleaded with my mom and dad a million times (exaggerating to make a point) we rescued a retired greyhound racer. His name is Diesel and I think it is funny that he is named after a fuel for big, slow cars. That's not really a great name for a fast dog!
My mom chose a greyhound because they are known for their mild and gentle temperament. Greyhounds also have no undercoat and shed very little and that is good for my dad, who is a little allergic to dog hair.

Diesel in his cold weather coat. He does not have enough hair to stay warm!

Diesel raced for 3 years in Tucson, Arizona. A greyhound can reach a speed up to 43 mph and the only other land animal who can accelerate faster is the cheetah! Greyhounds love to run, but they have a very hard life during their racing careers. In Tucson, the dogs have to race all week with just 2 days of rest, which puts them at risk for lots of injuries. They are kept in small crates most of their free time and don't even have time or room to play.

Greyhound race

Racing dogs have to be pure bred and both of their ears are tattooed after they are born. With that tattooed number everyone can look up their family and race history.

Diesel's ear tattoo



Diesel's racing record



















When Diesel came to us, he did not even know how to walk up stairs and it took us quite some time and lots of love to teach him. He also is one big, lazy and sweet couch potato. That is normal for retired racers; they need only one or two good walks a day. Diesel can still run fast, but only if we trick him into it with a treat. He LOVES his treats, but he also goes crazy for any squeaky toy!
It's so much fun playing with him, because he is never rough or even growls.

Practicing stairs!

Playtime with  squeaky toy
My mom bought Disel a big, orthopedic bed to help his hurting joints and says he deserves it after years of hard work. My dad says that Diesel sleeps more comfortable than all of us now!
Best bed in the house!

The Greyhound breed started 8,000 years ago on the open plains of the Middle East and was seen as almost god-like  in ancient Egypt. They are also known as sighthounds because they rely on their excellent eyes (not their sense of smell) for hunting. For centuries, only royalty was allowed to own Greyhounds and in the late 18th century the first Greyhound breeding club was founded in England.

Tudor royal code of arms- a greyhound!
England: "You can recognize a gentleman by his greyhound and his horse :0)

What I love most about Diesel is that he became a member of my family right way. I also adore that he is quiet. He is not a watchdog and does not bark at people, but he might quietly sneak up and give you a gentle poke with his wet nose. I don't know what we would do without him! His cutest features are his adorable eyes and his funny face.



In modern times most greyhounds are used for racing and need loving homes when they retire. They are the best pets ever and I am so happy that we adopted Diesel. Maybe I can convince mom and dad to rescue a friend for him!

Do you like dogs?
Do you know a fun fact about greyhounds?




19 comments:

  1. Dear Kelly,

    What a wonderful post and what's even better is that you adopted a greyhound. By looking at your great photos of Diesel I really feel his name suits him.
    Here in Australia we have the same opportunity to adopt a greyhound. I have been told that they really do make wonderful pets. :)

    I, do love dogs and do own one he is a Red Heeler. He is a fun loving dog which loves to play with Bianca and play ball, as well loves sleeping.

    Does Diesel like to go for walks? For our dog Hack loves going for walks, as a matter of fact I sometime feel that he thinks he is taking us for a walk.

    One fact I do know is that they are very fast at running and are very loyal to their owners.

    Enjoy your new member to your family.

    Sincerely,
    AA

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    Replies
    1. Dear AA,

      Thank you for your wonderful comment!

      Your Red Heeler sounds like a loving and playful dog.
      Yes, Diesel loves walks. You can tell when he wants to walk, because he sits quietly near the door. He does not like long walks though and refuses to go outside when it rains!

      Love,

      Kelly

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  2. Dear Kelly,

    What a lovely post you made in dedication to your dog. He definitely has a regal appearance and it is so nice that your family opened your home to him. I am sure he is enjoying his retirement from racing. Do you know if he won any races when he was competing?

    Best,
    Victoria

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    Replies
    1. Dear Victoria,

      Thank you for your great comment. Diesel won 7 races. Does Romeo like to run? When did you get Romeo?
      Did you know that Diesel and Elsie are great friends?

      Love,

      Kelly

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  3. Dear Kelly,

    What a wonderful post!

    I think Diesel is a wonderful dog. I like the brown and black fur mixed together.

    I have two little puppies named Sheabh and Samsan. They are both dobermans. They are brother and sister and are are about four months old.

    Does Diesel race around the yard?

    Your friend,
    Atrina

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    Replies
    1. Dear Atrina,

      Thank you so much for your comment.
      Your puppies are so beautiful. I read that Dobermans are great watchdogs.
      Diesel rarely barks and my mom says he is useless as a watchdog.
      He sometimes races around the front yard, but never for long.


      Love,

      Kelly

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  4. Dear Kelly,

    Yes, I absolutely love dogs, but I also like cats. I have a dog named Daisy and I love her so very much. I have numerous favorite types of dogs, but if I had to pick five to be my favorite they would be golden retrivers, black labs, German shepard, beagles, and grey hounds.

    Do you have a favorite dog?

    Your friend,
    Alexandra

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    1. Dear Alexandra,

      My favorite dogs are Huskies. My mom's best friend in Germany has a Husky and she is sweet and adorable.
      My other favorite dog breed are greyhounds, of course!

      Your friend,

      Kelly

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  5. Dear Kelly, I loved your blog. I know that Diesel is a very nice dog and a very lovely dog. How many races did Diesel run? Where did you get Diesel? I love Dogs! My Aunt has a Lassie Dog named Merlot. When I am older i will get a Dog.

    Love,Alexis

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    Replies
    1. Dear Alexis,

      Thanks for your great comment.
      Diesel ran 97 races in 3 years and I got him beginning of last year.
      If you get a dog one time, I hope you bring him over to play with Diesel!

      Hope to see you soon.

      Your friend,

      Kelly

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  6. Dear Kelly,

    What a wonderful tribute to your beautiful dog, Diesel! The photos and text are a perfect mix.

    One of the things I love about Diesel is his coat. Is that coloration called brindle?

    As you know, I am a big dog lover! Buck, our Labrador retriever, is my new puppy. He is only four month old, but is learning how to behave every day. He weighs about 43 pounds right now. How much does Diesel weigh?

    I think it is very sweet that Diesel has his own bed. We would buy Buck a bed, but he would eat it! We'll get one later when he stops chewing everything!

    Wonderful post!

    Your dog-loving teacher,
    Mrs. Y♥llis

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    Replies
    1. Dear Mrs.Yollis,

      Thank you for your compliments.
      Yes, the color of Diesel's coat is called brindle and he weighs 68 pounds. Fortunately, he mostly chews on his toys, but twice he chewed off the arms of my Barbie dolls!
      I would love for Diesel and Buck to have a play date.

      L♥ve,

      Kelly

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  7. I have a friend who also adopted a greyhound a few years ago. Once when he went away, we had to dogsit. She was so nice! I totally agree that greyhounds are mild-mannered and fun to hang out with.

    I really enjoyed learning more about greyhounds this morning. Your pictures added such a nice touch. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

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    1. Dear friend,

      Thank you for your comment.
      I love sharing about Diesel and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
      Maybe one time you will adopt a dog yourself!

      Love,
      Kelly

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  8. Dear Kelly,

    I think greyhounds are amazing dogs. One time when I visited the old family dairy farm, I was told a greyhound had wandered on and had stayed. We think he might have been an abandoned racing dog but we liked him because he was gentle.

    When my cousin and I went walking around the farm, the greyhound and other dogs would follow us. If he saw a rabbit in the distance, he was off at top speed leaving all of the other dogs behind.

    I can see you and your family have done a magnificent job with Diesel. As you say, with lots of love, a greyhound can become a close member of the family.

    I enjoyed reading your included history of the breed. They do look regal when they stand.

    @RossMannell
    Teacher, NSW, Australia

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    1. Dear Mr. Mannell,

      So good to hear from you! How are you doing?
      It would be nice if we had a farm and Diesel could chase bunnies!
      Thank you so much for reading my blog and your wonderful comments.
      Do you have a dog?

      Love,

      Kelly

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  9. Dear Kelly,

    Diesel is so cute! I used to have a whoodle. A whoodle is a wheaten terrier mixed with a poodle! We named him Spiffy. We did not rescue him, but he needed some help calming down, he was so crazy that when we took him home he looked in the mirror and started barking and running just because he thought there was another dog there! Although he was crazy, he still loved to play tug of war. In the morning he would wait for me to play with him! I loved playing with him too! Sadly, he got run over by a car on the freeway!


    I like the way Diesel thinks. He basically says "Work than sleep, sleep, and sleep some more!"


    What is your favorite thing to do with your pets?

    Sincerely,
    Sashaᷖ ⚙

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    Replies
    1. Dear Sasha,

      Thank you for great comment!
      Diesel does not play tug a war, but I wished he did. My favorite thing to play with him is squeaky toys. I throw and he chases and chews.
      My cat was run over by a car, so I now how sad that is.

      Love,

      Kelly

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  10. Hey Kelly! I really like diesel. My pet is a cat named Anzac. I really wanted a dog. I do hope you and deisel have a great time together!

    From Emily.

    ReplyDelete