Vinnie’s Page
A slim, sleek Irish-bred racing greyhound, very gentle and loving but initially wary of strangers. We have no idea why because we don't know his history.
Size: Large. 28 inches (70cm) to the shoulder
Weight: 30 kilos (66lbs)
Colour: Black, with grey bits!
Town or Country: Both. Like Blue, Vinnie enjoys short and long walks. He's also happy with 2 half hour runs or a full day in the hills.
Low Allergy: Yes
Best Suited for: Walks with no stiles/walls and without too many rocks. Like Blue he gets sore feet, and doesn't like being lifted over stiles. Flat racers aren't taught how to leap obstacles!
Group: Hound
Originally From: Ireland. Bred in Ireland and imported to the UK, he raced under the name Vintage Reign. His mother was Ballyhone Tiger and his father Spiral Nikita.
Original Purpose: Racing. Vinnie traces his ancestry back to some legendary Irish racers including Sand Man. He raced 39 times at Sittingbourne in the UK before being retired. He was adopted from The Retired Greyhound Trust at Croftview Farm in Kent.
Exercise: Moderately active. He likes to run and play on the beach, but will happily snooze on the sofa for hours if there isn't anything exciting going on. He's definitely into conservation of energy!
Living Space: Moderate to large. He loves to stretch out on the sofa but because he is slimly built, he curls up pretty small too. He is a sofa hog when he gets the chance. But definitely doesn't take up as much room as Blue!
Coat: Short, smooth, sleek
Grooming: Minimal. Vinnie needs the occasional groom when he's shedding his coat, but otherwise almost never needs bathing. He's very clean too but less averse to mud than Blue.
Children: Vinnie is wary of most strangers. He would never snap, but instead runs away and hides in a corner. With calm children he can be fine, but loud, active children frighten him. He just finds a place he feels comfortable in and will sit or lie there.
Sociability with strangers: Wary with most people, he will keep his distance until he is sure they are not a threat. With some he will instinctively walk up and even wag his tail - these are true dog people! He appreciates calmness and gentle, slow movements.
Sociability with animals or other dogs: He LOVES all other dogs. It seriously is the highlight of his day! Also great with cats, sheep, horses, cows and other livestock. Chickens I'm not sure of.
Trainability: Vinnie's quite bright and very amenable, especially when food's being offered.
Noise Level: Low. He only barks when he's playing and otherwise has a series of grunting happy noises. He barks in his sleep quite a lot - and wags his tail - which is very cute.
Known Health Issues: None. Though he is starting to show his age more than Blue.
Lifespan: Should be with me to about 14, based on current health level.
Special Needs: A sofa all of his own. Belly rubs.
More about Vinnie
Vinnie – my black Irish racer
Vinnie’s my black beauty. Well actually now he’s a bit grey, but he was all black when I got him! 
Here he is cooling off in the lake with Blue.
Vinnie is a retired racer, the same as Blue. He’s a typical Irish type – slim, long back, fine head. He’s very gentle and wary of people he doesn’t know. How he came to me is a long story.
A friend of mine Donna makes really lovely greyhound collars. And she sponsors dog rescue charities. So one day I logged on to see new collar patterns and went to see who she was sponsoring this month. Instead of taking me to the sponsor dog, the link took me to the rescue home page, where this very sad face looked straight at me. That was Vinnie.
I wasn’t looking for another dog, but this poor winsome face just wouldn’t let me rest. By the afternoon I was phoning to go and see him the following day – only about a 350 mile round trip!
The rescue – a Kent branch of the UK Retired Greyhound Trust – were very surprised. They had been so worried that Vinnie would never find a special home that they had just put him up as a national sponsor dog!
Well I went to Kent and the rest is history. Vinnie chose me. He bonded with Jess and JJ instantly (my dogs at the time) and allowed me to clip a lead on his collar – something not even regular dog walkers at the centre had been able to do. When it came time to go I wasn’t sure – but he was. He just made a beeline for the car! Signed, sealed, done!
Poor thing – he was a mess. I couldn’t walk towards him without him walking backwards away from me for 2 weeks. Every
time I moved suddenly he would leap in the air about 6 feet (2 metres). He was out of shape and his fur was falling out in great clumps. He was terrified of all people but loved any other dog and my cats. After 3 weeks we turned a corner and he started to blossom. He continues to improve with people even now.
Vinnie’s an artful dodger. He’s affectionate, funny and a bit sly. He’s got a lovely grin and is so easy going it’s untrue. He’s a bit on the skinny side but gets fed as much as he will eat so I guess he wants to be a supermodel!
His favourite pastime is meeting other dogs – the only time he barks is when he’s playing and sometimes his tail wiggles so much I think it might fall off!
Diet wise it’s the same as Blue – he doesn’t do well with wheat so again needs a mainly gluten free diet.
He’s getting noticeably slower now and has gone very grey. It’s a constant reminder that he has less time with me now than I’d like.
Vinnie’s nicknames include Vinnie Boy, Vin and Mr Vin.
Follow the links for my other dogs.
My dog pages
Blue Vinnie Kylah Arwen Ma’aloo
Vanna Missy JJ Jess Holly Jamal
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