Fred & Barney

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FRED & BARNEY

	My husband, Ben, and I bought what we were told was a Labrador puppy (6 weeks old) but she would never settle down. When we took her to an animal behaviour vet, he told us she was a very highly strung kelpie. We were heart broken when we had to give her away even though we had only had her 8 weeks.
We both strongly believe it isn't fair to keep farm/working dogs in suburbia especially when we work full time. The vet recommended a few breeds that would suit our lifestyle, one of them being a greyhound. So after checking out the GAP website we were sure. We waited what seemed like ages and then Sheree and Steve delivered us Polly (a black girl). My first thoughts were, I hope she has a good personality because she is pretty ugly. She was very skinny, still getting over kennel cough, had stiches from being desexed, had an infected sore on her ear and a scraggly coat. She had been dumped at a dog shelter. Thank goodness Fran and Sheree found out about her. My husband re-named her Fred (?) She is now the most beautiful dog in the world; her coat shines, she has put on weight, she has happy shining eyes, she is so independent and smart. She understands our moods and is just like having a third quiet adult in the house. Unlike most greyhounds, she has never tried to jump on a chair or bed (we had to coax her onto HER chair). She is very good at amusing herself with her toys and is so kind and gentle. Every-so-often she goes "crackerdog" around the yard which is hilarious. Our vet loves her, and gives us a little discount sometimes knowing that we adopted her from GAP. Ben, brought up on a farm and believing dogs should live outside, is now completely smitten by Fred and doesn't mind keeping her inside at all. He didn't even mind when I suggested getting another one! At first we wanted the same as Fred (a young girl), but luckily Fran and Sheree suggested a boy. We were so excited waiting for Desey to arrive. We had decided to change his name to Barney if it suited him, and it did. Matt brought Barney over, and he was lovely. Initially Barney caused us a few hassles such as waking us up through the night, mounting other dogs (and people) in the off leash area, and barking when we weren't home. He also took a very long time to get the hang of the back stairs (Fred took 3 days, Barney took over 3 weeks!). Thankfully he has gotten better (and we now know some of the barking is in response to next door neighbours cat who keeps teasing the dogs by sitting right next to the fence). Barney has so much character; he is uncoordinated and keeps bashing his head into walls, he jumps at his own reflection, he likes comfortable places, lying on his back and trying to play with Fred. We are always laughing at his antics. And strangely enough, Fred puts up with him. He is more of a people dog than Fred and hangs around us much more. He stays by my side if I am off work sick, he sleeps beside my bed until I am asleep, then goes to his own bed and he is always smiling and wagging. Fred and Barney are so different to each other (part of their charm) but we love them both so much. We take them on a walk every day and have taken them to the beach where they both like swimming. They are spoilt rotten, getting treats, hugs, and the best beds in the house. All our relatives and friends love them (my Mum asks how the dogs are before she asks about us!). When we go for walks around the neighbourhood, total strangers ask us which one is Fred and which one is Barney - their reputation precedes them. Everybody who meets them loves them and wonders why they didn't think of getting a greyhound themselves. Fred and Barney are now best of friends and I don't know what we would do without them. I just wanted to thank you so much for our lovely dogs, Fred and Barney. I especially wanted to thank Matt for his support and advice along the way - he went way beyond the call of duty. If we could have more greyhounds, we would. We tell everyone how wonderful they are, and most are surprised. Soon, I hope that everyone will know how wonderful these kind dogs are. Sally and Ben (and Fred and Barney).. What a beautiful pair wonderful greyhounds - Thank you Sally & Ben for Fred & Barney's story