Love and support work wonders for ex-racer Amos

“I met my first greyhound when I was probably about eight or nine. I'd been to a country show and there was a lady there with this beautiful dog. Her name was Luna, and I remember it like it was yesterday. [The lady] told me all about Luna's career as a racer and that when she finished racing no one had wanted her, so she'd ended up coming to live with her, and it just broke my heart,” remembers Kit Lendon.

“Luna was so beautiful. I thought she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and at that point in time, my heart was given and I was done.”

This chance meeting as a girl led to a lifetime love affair with greyhounds for Kit, and, as an adult, as soon as she bought her first house it became ex-racer Davey’s home too.

Later, another ex-racer, Holly, joined the family. But when Davey passed away, Holly was bereft without a brother, and it was she who chose Amos at the greyhound rescue centre.

Kit and her partner were aware that Amos could be reactive to other dogs, and that he’d already been returned by another owner, but he and Holly were so comfortable around each other that they decided to give him a go.

The next day they visited the centre again to take him for a walk, and the extent of his reactivity became clear. On seeing a staffie far in the distance, Amos became anxious.

Kit says: “We had spinning, we had barking, we had yelping, we had all manner of strange noises. He was very, very, very agitated.

“I thought, crikey, that is probably one of the most reactive greyhounds I've ever seen.”

Soon after adopting Amos, Kit turned to the Blue Cross Behaviour and Training Service. Kit chatted to Becky Skyrme, Blue Cross Animal Behaviourist, about their aim of being able to take Amos out without him being really stressed. Becky listened to Kit’s concerns and observed Amos’s behaviour around other dogs, before coming up with a plan of action.

“We've started to do an ‘on me’”, Kit explains. “Where he'll look and focus completely on me and we'll hold that. We'll have that moment together and in that time it's just him and me. And then whatever else is going on, whatever distractions are happening, he can focus on me.”

This instruction keeps Amos distracted from other dogs they encounter and keeps his arousal levels down, allowing him to cope with the situation. This, along with other tips and methods in his behaviour plan, has helped Amos come on leaps and bounds over the past seven months.

Kit says: “A lot of the time we can have a really peaceful walk with no whining, no barking, no lunging, which, to be honest with you, when we first met him … I just thought that would be a dream.

“I can't tell you how much of a massive difference [the service has] made. The advice that they've given us and the help and guidance that they've given us has made me much more confident to take Amos out and be able to face the world together.”

And indoors, Kit and her partner have been focussing on introducing Amos to home comforts, with the help of Holly. Amos didn’t know what to do with his bed when he first saw it; he watched Holly get into hers, and found confidence in his new sleeping arrangements because he could see his new sister enjoyed the soft cushions. Holly has also taught her new brother that toys can be great fun. He’d never had the chance to play with toys before.

It's this opportunity to give greyhounds a life they’ve never had before that draws Kit to ex-racers.

She says: “They've had a life as a working dog and you know that sometimes has been alright, sometimes has been quite difficult, but what they definitely haven't had is all those home comforts.

“They haven't had treats at Christmas. They haven't had all of those cuddles on the sofa. They haven't had the opportunity to go and see the sea, or go to the forest or explore new things. For me, that's the best thing; taking a dog whose probably a little older than a puppy and introducing them to all of the amazing things they can have as a pet dog. You see their world open up for them.

“That's just the most rewarding, incredible feeling.”