Hersham Hounds

Homed: Casey and Ramira.

Reserved: Petal and Olive.

Featured Hounds: Babs and Tally - Read more.

New Events:

Sunday 29th January - Quiz Night at the Greyhound Pub from 6pm.

Sunday 15th April - Birthday Bash at the kennels. 1 - 4pm

Sunday 20th May - Annual sponsored walk. New venue!

Sunday 3rd June - Jubilee Party at the kennels.

Sunday 30th September - end of season party at the kennels.

From 6pm. A great way to have an evening out without a turkey in sight!

Entry £6 to include a baguette and hot drink.

If you don't have a team of 4 then please enter individually \ in pairs and we will make up teams on the evening.

Click here for an entry form.

Jake’s been part of the furnishings now for nearly a year and a half and is happy and completely settled.  This is his second Xmas with us.  Presents are a must as is his Santa Coat courtesy of Philly Clarke at Greatcoats.

We have been working hard trying to turn him in to something he’ll never be; a normal dog!  Actually, I’m pleased he’ll never be that.  The characteristics and quirks of Greyhounds are the most loveable and challenging things about them and I wouldn’t change (many) of them!

So what have we been doing?  Well, “sit and stay” (which in Jake’s mind means go and lie down in my room and I will get a biscuit).  “Where’s Natasha” which in Jake’s language means I have to go to the smaller version of my mum and I’ll get a biscuit!  But best of all and an amazing bonus for me is “Jake come” which in his language, fortunately, means I better go back to mum or else!!!

His recall is fantastic. I worked hard and he learned very quickly.  In fact, I think because he’s who he is, and six years old and pretty devoted, he doesn’t tend to stray too far without checking where I am.  It means that from starting to let him off in the enclosed fields near me, we can have him safely off the lead virtually all the way around Richmond Park.

He used to chase squirrels when we first got him then gave that up.  Now, he’s back to squirrel chasing with a passion.  He never bothered with birds in the past but over Xmas he decided to jump in a pond to chase a swan.  Me and the swan were not amused and, realising that it was fairly deep and he didn’t have his 25 meters badge, Jake was none too impressed either.  They don’t swim do they!

He got out, looked like something out of a horror movie and stank my car out on the way home.  Hence, on the lead around ponds.  We try to go round the Park on Saturday and Sunday and he loves it; the excitement is to behold.  He’s in the car the second the door is open and knows exactly where he’s going.

Check out my tweets about his antics at @lashesandcurls and photos of him dressed as a reindeer!

I can hardly believe it, but I reach my half century on 13th February.  I would love to celebrate by doing something special to help Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare, which is based at Hersham in Surrey.

In 2011, Brian and I began sharing our home with Bessie and Smurf, two of the lovely hounds at Hersham looking for a new home.  They have brought many good things into our lives and I would like to do something to help their doggy pals.  So many greyhounds are discarded every year when they don't quite make the grade on the racetrack.

It costs a lot to run the kennels and I will therefore be giving them £100 in celebration of my birthday. If you feel able to give something to increase this gift, I would really appreciate it.  Even better, take a trip there and take a hound out for a walk - you may well be tempted to adopt one!

You can donate the collection at Just Giving.

October/November saw Susie back at Hersham hounds as we were visiting our daughter and her family in Pennsylvania. It was really tough leaving her but she was taken great care of by the girls at the kennels and we had a lovely welcome from her when we got back.

It was during a family birthday party that our first adventure took place, Susie has been very good at not taking food but a plate of Waitrose smoked salmon proved too much and the plate crashed on the floor cutting Susie's leg which didn't stop the smoked salmon from disappearing.

This proved to be our first visit to the vet and she was a very good girl and the vet and nurses loved her. Three days later Susie was helping me at the stable yard and we think saw a rabbit in the paddock which obviously had to be chased and she got tangled up in the sheep netting. Another 5 stitches in the same leg plus she had to have a claw amputated.

We were now bandaged up to the top of her  front leg and very sorry for ourselves (all of us not just Susie). She soon got into the swing of things on three legs and quickly found that she got lots of treats and cuddles from everyone (and is still holding one leg up if she wants attention but it is often the other front leg). She was on lots of antibiotics so I was wrapping them up in some Waitrose cheese we had in the fridge, I decided that this was very extravegant so got some Tesco value cheese and guess who wouldn't take it? We now realised we had a very discerning greyhound who we had to wean off smoked salmon and expensive cheese (do you think Waitrose would use her to advertise their cheese). She is fully recovered but minus one claw.

Susie is still an absoulute delight. We had a lovely first Christmas with her, lots of family and other dogs and she behaved perfectly.  One of my gifts was DVD's of the Frozen Planet and Susie discovered the TV for the first time when the Huskies were in full cry, she obviously felt she had to protect us and was under the TV, behind it searching the log basket and stood with nose glued to the screen for at least 10 minutes.

She is proving to be an excellant mouser - she has caught several field mice but doesn't quite know what to do when she gets them and has too watch while they scuttle away. She now not only helps at the stable yard but also helps in the hen run which usually means sniffing hens bottoms and breaking eggs. we have to work on this one!

Susie will be back at Hersham for 4 weeks as we are back visiting in the States but will make sure Susie gets to tell everyone about her adventures on the next update.  

Sapphire has just spent a long weekend with us and with our own girls (one greyhound, one whippet and two cats). There is no denying it, she is a beautiful little thing and unsurprisingly has her fair share of admirers amongst the visitors to the kennels. She is one of the Tia girls who travelled down south from Yorkshire just before Christmas.

At two years of age she is merely a baby and still displays the sweet naivety and innocence of a puppy. Not having made it to the racetrack spared her the negative experiences and therefore she is free from all the anxieties so many of her fellow hounds suffer. Sapphire is an outgoing and confident girl, ready to meet the world and everyone within it.

Having her at home was no trouble at all. She slotted straight in with our two and we did not hear a single grumble amongst them. Sapphire is playful and sociable with people as well as with other dogs. She loves to play with toys and does not chew or destroy things. She likes her food and did not show any signs of possessiveness over food or toys. For the most part she was clean in the house and even asked to go into the garden by whining and standing by the backdoor. But she still needs a feeding routine. When she had a late dinner she did not make it through the night, so the odd accident can still happen.

Sapphire walks well on the lead and is very good with dogs of all shapes and sizes. She is not afraid of large dogs and is very nice to the little dogs coming up to her to say hello. She does however react to movement, be it running dogs, cats, squirrels or a plastic bag blowing in the wind. If it looks interesting she will be excited about it. So far she has not been out and about much and definitely needs to develop more experience through ongoing socialisation. This girl will make the most fabulous pet but whoever takes her on must be prepared for what is essentially still a large puppy. Sapphire is keen to learn and wants to do things right and deserves a home where she is given the time, patience, love and guidance such a young dogs needs.