Blue’s Page
A big, affectionate, silly lump of a greyhound!
Size: Large. 29 inches (73cm) to the shoulder.
Weight: 34-35 kilos (77lbs) on average.
Colour: Blue (steel blue grey)
Town or Country: He doesn't mind as he's happy with shorter or longer walks!
Low Allergy: Yes
Best Suited for: Walks which aren't tough going underfoot because he gets sore feet. Walks which don't involve any stiles or walls to get over because he gets very panicky and he's so heavy it's difficult for me to pick him up.
Group: Hound
Originally From: England - his mother was an English bred racing greyhound called Sarky Vixen. His father was an Australian bred racer imported to Ireland called Smooth Rumble.
Original Purpose: Racing. Blue raced at Perry Barr in Birmingham (UK) under the name See Jay's Dancer. He did about 50 races and won 20% but wasn't especially fast. He was bred, raced and trained by the same person, and rehomed directly after his racing career ended.
Exercise: Anything from two half hour runs up to a full day's hike is fine! Blue loves being outside but is happy to potter close to me. Some days I think he's welded to my knees.
Living Space: Indoors he likes to lie on the sofa and if space permits, lie completely across my two seater with all his legs in the air. He does take up a fair bit of room!
Coat: Short, smooth and velvety
Grooming: Minimal. He's a very clean dog and hates mud. Blue even hates stepping in water and will walk around puddles rather than through them. He almost never needs a bath but he does get groomed with a hound glove when he's shedding his coat twice a year.
Children: HUGE. He loves kids and is incredibly tolerant to them. They can pull his ears and generally mess with him - and as long as he's getting attention he loves it.
Sociability with strangers: HUGE. Blue thinks everyone is his best friend and can't wait to lean in for a cuddle.
Sociability with animals or other dogs: HUGE. Cat friendly, sheep friendly, dog friendly - just friendly!
Trainability: Pretty good. Not the brightest of dogs but very willing, especially with food on offer.
Noise Level: What noise? I can't remember the last time he barked. He does growl at the others when they're playing rough with him (because he's so easy going they tend to gang up on him).
Known Health Issues: None. Robust good health. He's just clumsy - which accounts for all of the vets bills for cut feet, cut legs and so on.
Lifespan: Blue will probably be with me until he's at least 14-15 years old
Special Needs: A waterproof coat. He HATES the rain! Under-chin scratches. For me to get off the sofa when there's no room left.
More about Blue
Blue – my gentle greyhound giant
Blue is a gorgeous gentle giant of a greyhound. He weighs 34 kilos and is the
nicest, most laid back boy you can imagine. Here he is on a walk we did at The Roaches in Staffordshire.
His father was an Australian racer. Aussie dogs can be bigger and stockier than English and Irish types. Blue loves everything and everyone. He is people friendly, cat friendly, child friendly, horse friendly, sheep friendly, cow friendly and adores cuddles.
He’s a bit puzzled by chickens – he thinks they should be good to eat but isn’t sure about the feathers, and he has never met goats. Obviously rabbits, squirrels and deer are in his blood – it’s what he was made for.
You can take this dog anywhere and he will be the best ambassador for ex-racing greyhounds you can imagine. He goes to Crufts (the worlds largest dogs show – held in the UK) most years and graces the rescue greyhound stands. As he gets a lot of exercise, he really looks the part and people cannot believe he is 10 years old. He gets more cuddles there than even he can handle!
Blue’s favourite pastimes are under-chin scratches, cuddles, walking, eating and sleeping. He adores the sofa and home comforts. He hates rain.
He is wheat intolerant so generally requires a gluten free food.
His most annoying habit is whingeing. He starts as soon as I open my eyes in the morning. How he knows I’m awake when I’ve not made any noise or moved a muscle is beyond me. But it’s just his way of saying ‘Hi, I love you, now take me for a walk and feed me so I can get back on the sofa’.
Blue’s nicknames include Whinge Bag, Blue Boy, Bloobs and Blueberry Muffs (short for Blueberry Muffin). When he’s very bad he’s known as Blue Sharman.
Actually Blue is owned by Robin (Sharman), my partner. But he came to live with me 5 years ago when Robin’s job changed. It was a temporary arrangement which became permanent. He loved being part of the ‘pack’ and was miserable without his mates when he left. So he came back and stayed. I’ve been his Mum ever since.
Follow the links for my other dogs.
My Present |
My Past |
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Vanna Missy JJ Jess Holly Jamal |