Meet Stanley!
Well, what can I say about my man, Stan. He's a brindle whippet lurcher and arrived here as a foster from the pound in carlow. When he arrived first, I noticed he was much bigger than my two whippets and had a very different personality. He was a real live wire (and quite frankly a bit of a nightmare!). He wanted to mark everything in the house every minute of the day, had separation anxiety, chewed things he shouldn't and had bad gut and skin problems. I also soon discovered his reactivity on a lead. So, I had alot to work on. The positive things I noticed about Stan was that he loved people, really wanted to please and was super smart. I also noticed how my own dogs adored him and he really balanced out the pack. The rescue had a home lined up for him but at the last minute, the home fell through. He needed alot of work and I knew that many potential homes possibly would have returned him due to his issues. So, I decided that he could stay with us and committed myself to do the work. I'm not going to lie, there were many times I had moments when I questioned my decision, however, two years and alot of hard work and training later, Stan is a wonderful sweet and gentle boy and a wonderful pet. To this day I still have to walk him separately from my other two but it keeps me fit and he gets the one to one attention and training he needs. Thankfully nearly all his initial issues are long worked through and he's a much more relaxed and content dog these days. Stans favourite thing is training and he knows many tricks. He also loves chasing a tennis ball, trips to the beach, watching tv and sleeping on his back (roaching).
He has a beautiful brindle coat, the sweetest face and his ears have a total life of their own. He occasionally likes a cuddle but often takes himself away from the hustle and bustle of the house to a quiet room for his alone time and we of course respect that. My hope is that one day I'll be able to walk Stan where there are many dogs and he just takes it all in his stride. It's a long road but he has made such great progress and I believe if we keep taking baby steps we will get there eventually. Until we do, I'm enjoying the training and the bond that continues to grow between us every day 💕