Max is our 7 year old brindle boy. It was one year ago this week that we adopted him from Borders Retired Greyhound Trust. I can’t believe how much time has flown & how we’ve managed to pick up another 2 greys since then!
We know a little bit about Max’s past from the Greyhound-Data website. Born in Ireland in 2002, he was raced in England under the name ‘Bannside Maginty‘ for 5 years, before travelling up to Scotland to be rehomed. He took part in 152 races, winning 17, & we think he must have been quite a champ to be kept running until the grand old age of 6, as many greyhounds’ racing careers are over by the time they are 2-3 years old. You can see a video of Max running here. (He’s the one in the red vest!)
Since coming to us, Max has been doing a lot less running & a lot more relaxing! His favourite pastime is undoubtedly sprawling out on the sofa, which he will happily indulge in for hours on end. His ears prick up & he namaged to drag himself off whenever he hears the jangle of his lead, though. He loves his walks, & especially enjoys it when we go somewhere he can be let off lead: he scampers around like a puppy, sniffing here, there & everywhere. He also likes to accompany me on some of my shorter training runs, as long as the weather’s not too hot (which, too be honest, isn’t all that often here in Scotland!). I imagine it’s a pretty relaxed pace for him compared to his 45 mph days at the track!
Like most greyhounds, he’s had his fair share of trips to the vet. Only a week after adopting him, I noticed a swelling on his right forepaw, which required biopsy & subsequent excision as it turned out to be a histiocytoma (a benign tumour which may have caused problems as it grew in size). We suspect that his racing career was terminated on account of a tear to the muscle in his right hind leg. There is a lot of internal scarring there, which has lead to a lumpy appearance & a slightly asymmetrical gait. However, this never seems to have caused him any discomfort. & then there was the time he tried to jump over, but ended up jumping into, a cattle grid on Boxing Day, cutting himself quite badly & necessitating an out of hours trip to the pet A&E for emergency surgery. He’s always picking up nicks & grazes, but I’m happy to say (for once) he is injury free at the moment!
Max is the most food orientated dog, never mind greyhound, that I have ever met! This has it’s advantages & disadvantages. On the plus side, it means that training him has been relatively easy as he is willing to do pretty much anything you ask him to if he knows there will be an edible reward! He has good recall, will sit, lie down, give a paw, touch your hand, touch your nose, stay & bring you his favourite toy (a shell of vaguely orange fur which used to embody Mr Tickle, before Max chewed off his arms & disemboweled him!). However, he is a terrible scavenger & we cannot leave anything remotely edible unattended on the kitchen counter or he will be up & gobbling it down in an instant! He is also rather partial to tucking into the various road kill that we find on the country roads nearby & will even chow down horse manure if he gets the chance! What can I say, he just loves to eat!
Although not the most social of dogs when we first adopted him, Max has gradually shown more interest in other dogs & people, particularly other greyhounds & their owners. He does still tend to ignore other dogs, particularly small or hairy varieties, as if he just doesn’t recognise that they are the same species as him (or maybe he does but he just doesn’t think they are worthy!). Introducing Molly, our second grey, to the house really seemed to bring him out of his shell. He didn’t know how to play when we first got him, but now loves to throw a ball or a rope toy around in the air, even if he’s not the world’s greatest retriever! He has grown more affectionate over time & loves to lie his head in your lap & have his head & neck stroked. He will often lie in the typical greyhound ‘roaching position & demand a belly rub, & will wriggle with delight when you scratch just the right spot on his back for him!
I’m very proud of him for everything he has achieved in the past year. One of my proudest moments was when he passed his Therapet assessment with Canine Concern Scotland, meaning his temperament is suitable for visiting health care settings, where he can enhance the lives of people of all ages & with a variety of physical & mental health conditions. Max really is a fantastic dog. I’m so grateful for all the joy he has brought into my life & I wouldn’t ever wish to be without him!
Our pitch at Camusdarach
The beautiful beach at Camusdarach
Drying off after a swim in the sea!
Martin & Molly on Skye
The MacLeod Table Top Mountains on Skye
Making friends at Morar
Max & Molly snuggled up in their pyjamas the tent
