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Here is my Christmas gift hubby let me get!

5039 Views 36 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  IPP
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I found an ad on CL for afghan hounds needing re-homing. I contacted the woman and she said she had a few left...getting divorced and they had to find new homes. They are AKC but you had to pay a large amount if you wanted the papers. I just wanted an afghan...low to no shedding if kept in a short coat style and still the sight hound that I love...so we opted to just pay the re-homing fee and no papers.

I went yesterday to go and look at the 6 she still had...4 boys and 3 girls. After a long talk with hubby we decided that we should just get the one instead of 2...they were all in serious need of ALOT of grooming and I didn't want to get in over my head. I have baby-sat a borzoi before and I know some of the larger hounds can be a bit shady with smaller animals...and I didn't want to take more than one and end up having it hurt one of our cats or kids. So anyhow after watching the group of them interacting with each other and the woman's kids I picked out this girl.

They call this girlie Sophie...she is about 2-3 yrs old according to the woman...I didn't ask to see her AKC papers...to be honest I just wanted to get out of there before I piled all 6 into the truck and came home to a husband who quickly would demand a divorce. Well not really, but man I could have imagined the yelling though. I can tell by looking at her nipples she has to have been bred...I would venture to guess either a few times or those 2 smaller puppies were hers. The woman said that one female had a litter of puppies...but I can't remember if she said Sophie was the mom or not. I think that all of them were related, which meant the pups would have likely been in-bred so that is the main reason I stayed away from the pups...they were very cute though.

Sophie seemed the most interested in the children, and wasn't jumping up all over the woman like the younger cream/white girl. The one female that was 2 colors...umm cream and chocolate phantom (poodle term I know) I think is called a domino? was the calmest of the group...but she was spoken for already. She didn't really want to have anything to do with anyone and seemed more interested in going back into the house anyway.

She was great on the car ride home...just laid in the seat on a blanket chewing on some chew toys I picked up. She is crate trained...I crated her to feed her becuase she does have food agression toward other dogs. She gets growly, but she has yet to try to bother the kids for food, or us while we eat...she has stayed in the crate or asleep at my feet or the end of the couch. I just gave her a herbal sedative (free from my groomer friend as a Xmas gift today) a few minutes ago and I am giving it a few so I can try to trim her matts a bit more.

The woman called her color blue, but I have no idea...she is FILTHY. I took these pictures yesterday after she settled in for a few hours...this is before I went at her with a pair of scissors. I have taken off 3 lbs of hair and matted mud clumps so far...after I work on her a bit more today, I will attempt a bath.

I think this is going to take a week to finish...but I am willing to try. I am hoping that perhaps if she is groomed and behaves well hubby might consider letting us go get the other female. If not thats okay, I am just glad to have helped this girl...she is a bit thin. I get her UTD on rabies tomorrow...she supposedly had her 7 in 1 booster shot early this year, but I gave her a intranasal bordetella/parvo vaccine before I left the lady's house to be sure it had time to take a bit of effect. I am keeping her somewhat quarantined in the kitchen until later today. I put her in the crate while the kids and I are in the living room, but while I am in the kitchen cooking, cleaning I put in here with me so I can make sure she doesn't hurt anyone. So far she has been totally ignoring everyone else except when they were outside her crate while she was eating she did growl but stopped when I said no.

I took these pics when I put everyone out side so I could bring her in and give her a spray down with kennel disinfecting spray in the tub. After she dried I made her lay down on the couch so I could start cutting some mats off. UGH is my back killing me!

I will post more pictures when she is done...maybe even before then. She looks awful in these pics, but I thought I would share the pictures in case anyone near to Indiana might want to give one of these guys a good home. I can give you the link to the post I found if you would like! They sure could use someone to give the rest of them a good grooming and love! I have some large sight hound experience and lots of knowledge of sight hounds as a whole breed, and I do know they have a high prey instinct. I picked this girl because I think she will be the best around kids and small animals...I cannot say for sure if afghans hounds are right for everyone. I do know many of the sight hounds are very highly prey driven and are not as quick to be trained as poodles. I don't mind that but some people would find either of these things very annoying...so you know, just be careful before you throw your heart into something that may not work out in the end. I am willing to take the chance and I really really really hope that she works out!

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IPP, you are such a wonderful lady to take on all the
dogs you have needing to be adopted or re-homed! :high5:
I bet they will be lovely when they are all groomed
and spruced up, I bet they will be sooo silky looking!
I can't wait to see pictures of her after she is groomed.
Congratulations IPP - you are a wonderful person to take her. I'm so glad you went and had a look at the poor baby, I bet it was hard to only take the one. Under your care and given a few months I bet she will be a gorgeous member of your household :in-love: - ohhh gosh I am jealous!
Awwww Congrats on the new addition. My best friend wants an afghan after her whippet and wolfound pass. I know she woud be green seeing your baby! I can't wait to see after grooming pics. Such a pretty girl now, I bet she'll be stunning after a short time with you :)
congratulations!! She looks like she will be stunning once she is given a little TLC. Cant wait to see after pics!!
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Wow...my back is killing me. Okay so the mats are basically like encasing her legs like shin guards for playing soccer. I got one back leg done and some more off her chest.

I was right... this is going to be very slow going. She started shaking the minute I turned on the clippers. I just clipped for 10 minutes then stopped since she is obviously not used to it I figure better slow short sessions to begin with since she isn't very settled in just yet. I am more worried about making her comfortable than beautiful right now!

The herbal stuff for relaxing I gave her said only use 4 pills per day...but it ALSO said 1 pill per 10 lbs. Well she is definitely over 40 lbs so should I use 5 pills tomorrow when I try again? I swear the 4 pills didn't have any effect on her...other than more runny poo.

I got her a new collar and leash today as well...and a martingale collar because she about ripped my arm out of the socket on the little leash I use to walk Casey with. You can see she is wearing her old collar in the pictures...I got her a spiffy new tiger-striped one today.

She isn't bad to walk, just likes to pull...I am sure that she will calm down once she figures out she gets walked 2 times per day. I ran with her for about 2 blocks to give her a chance to just stretch her legs and she hardly pulled at all after that. Although after she went potty the second time she did start pulling more as we got closer to home. When she saw the house she pulled me a bit, but I forgave her...I think she is just excited to see something familiar.

She ran right into the house and into her crate, but when I went to the kitchen she came out and followed me then laid down on the kitchen floor. I snapped a few pictures of her, and I will get them up in a few hours after I get the kids to bed! I can't wait for hubby to get home from work so I can take her for a long walk...I figure the more tired she is the easier it will be to cut her hair. She is very sweet so far and I really am happy to help her out...but I admit it was hard to choose just one. I stil have my fingers secrectly crossed that maybe hubby will give in and say we should go back and get the other girl...but if it doesn't happen I can only hope that someone does right by them. I know I am doing all i can for this girl...AWWW she is asleep on her back right now. Okay snap this picture then I gotta run...I will put new pics of her up later on. Hopefully I can get more of her standing up. She is HUGE...its hard to tell in the pictures but she is! I have to guess her to be at least 25-27 in at the top of her shoulders. I am just so happy right now...I'm glad she is working out so well!

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Congrats! I've always been fascinated by sighthounds. I'd love to get one someday. Can't wait to hear more and see more pics. I don't envy you with the grooming though!
Oh wow could I have the link you found I may know someone who would go save a few of them.

She is gorgeous :love: I think Afghans would be the only hound I would own, next to Borzoi. Anyway good luck with the grooming!
Once I get this 1st massive job done I plan to keep her in a sporting cut...in my mind it will look like a modified puppy cut. Her previous owner said she didn't like to be brushed, so I plan to keep it a bit short for that reason.

If I can keep her in a longer coat I will try...can't be any harder than brushing out Casey who hates it, too.

Hopefully by the end of tonight I can get her in the tub for a bath...I am thinking she has a pretty coat under all that dirt. Her hair right now reminds me of petting a yak at the zoo, and it honestly smells about the same, too. Poor girl! Oh well, she will be smelling and looking better soon!

I promise to update with more pics as I get her closer to being finished! I am going to have to go get some Tylenol for my back before i do anymore tonight though, wow lower back is just burning!:banghead:
I really want an Irish Wolfhound!! But right now I must fix this Poodle obsession with what else..........another poodle!!! But ever since I was a little girl I have wanted an Irish Wolfhound. Afghans are beautiful too!!
Purple Poodle...my browser is going super slow today. Tell your friend to go to the Indianapolis Indiana craigslist and put "afghan hound" into the search box in the pet section of the community forum...that should pull it right up. This is part of her 1st reply to me when I e-mailed asking her about them.

""The mats they have are bad enough they will need a shave but will grow in beautiful in a few months. If you would like to set up a time to come and see them let me know. I am asking for a $50 adoption fee. There is no application as I am not affiliated with a larger rescue group, this is something I have done on my own but due to a divorce I can not financially keep up any longer."

I did have to give her my name, address and vet references though...I never asked about how much with their AKC papers since I have no need for them myself. The puppies were both males, and other than that I think she had 1 (or 2 adult males) and 1 or 2 adult females left. The adults are supposed to be in the 1-3 yr old range...Sophie's teeth look pretty clean so I don't think she is lying about the age or anything like that. She has been pawing at me a bit while laying on the floor, so I am sure the whole group has a bit of puppy playfulness left in them.
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I want an Irish Wolfhound, a Scottish Deerhound, an Afghan hound, more collies, more Standard Poodles...

If only time and money were no object...
I have wanted an Irish wolfhound since i was a child as well...but I am glad I got an affie instead!

I introduced her to the kids today...and so far she has been nothing but a lovebug with them! She laid her head on my youngest lap while he was sitting in my lap and started puffing out her cheeks...a sign of contentment among sight hounds I think, so I think things are still looking great!:whoo:

She is a bit protective of her kennel when Casey comes around...she is fine when not in it. I am staying on her about it and I don't think she will get any worse...so far just a low growl when Casey sticks her head in there. As soon as I say NO she stops and Casey runs away, too...so they are both learning!:high5:
How's your back holding up IPP? I got an awful twinge in mine a few days ago while bathing and deshedding a Siberian Husky and it's not been quite right ever since. Clipped off T's f,f & t this morning and now the old back is burning too, might have to go and have a little lay down with my book and if my eyes were to close then so be it, I am on holidays after all :rofl:
Well my back was feeling better...took some meds and slept reasonably well. I decided to let the bath wait for one more day...I don't want to throw it out getting her in and out of the tub. I am seriously thinking of taking her to the groomer...I mean I have gotten a bit of the matting off so I think it would be easier than it would have been had i done nothing with her hair. I think I will take some pictures of her up there and get an estimate...I don't want her looking perfect, just clean and comfortable. I can do the all over evening out, she just has to get the large mats off and bathe and dry her for me.

I am wondering that it might be better to have someone else groom her this time, since it has to be painful for her. She can take me cutting for about 10 minutes before she tries to run off...her skin under the mats is pretty red in some spots...I have been applying bag balm to them. They look like rub spots and obviously just were oxygen hasn't been getting to the skin through all the matting...she is doing hardly any licking so in the really red spots I have been spraying that neosporin spray and over night some of them are gone.

I will see how my back is feeling later on today...if its good I will bathe her tonight...if not I will go talk to the groomer in the morning and maybe make her an appt.

I have seen some bad mats in my life but these are really really bad...I remember the Borzoi I baby-sat would lay down in the tub becuase he knew how long bathing took. I am hoping that maybe Sophie will lay down and be a good girl for either me or the groomer!
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The reason back is hurting again is because the martingale collar I got was a joke...she still pulls just as hard as with just a normal collar.

I am going to dig out my 18 yr old self corrective collar I used on the dobermans when they were young. It has little rubber things that cover the prongs and is much lighter weight than the big ones I used on them as adults.

I think that should help with the pulling and therefore my back...my shoulder and lower back can't take much more of the constant pulling! Maybe I should try it on Casey, too...although she doesn't hardly pull at all now.
I really hope you can get Sophie de-matted soon, IPP. You'll both feel so much better when that's done. I think the groomer might be good for both of you. You need to be sure you watch your back and Sophie won't associate so much of the painful stuff with you. You'll just maintaining her coat, which should be pleasant for her. Just my 2 cents. Of course, that depends on the groomer being good with matted dogs....

As for the pulling, I used to have a Borzoi who wasn't too bad to walk unless he saw something miles away and then he'd practically pull me over. I eventually switched to a halti for him, which was much better.

I've since found something better than the halti. It's called a canny collar. We've got one for our standard and it really helped with the pulling. Here we can only buy them from certain vets. I don't think they're available in stores. They're from Scotland. Here's a link to the collar: http://www.cannyco.us/component/pag...acturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,98/

And here's a link to locate a supplier near you: http://www.cannyco.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&Itemid=101
I really hope you can get Sophie de-matted soon, IPP. You'll both feel so much better when that's done. I think the groomer might be good for both of you. You need to be sure you watch your back and Sophie won't associate so much of the painful stuff with you. You'll just maintaining her coat, which should be pleasant for her. Just my 2 cents. Of course, that depends on the groomer being good with matted dogs....

As for the pulling, I used to have a Borzoi who wasn't too bad to walk unless he saw something miles away and then he'd practically pull me over. I eventually switched to a halti for him, which was much better.

I've since found something better than the halti. It's called a canny collar. We've got one for our standard and it really helped with the pulling. Here we can only buy them from certain vets. I don't think they're available in stores. They're from Scotland. Here's a link to the collar: http://www.cannyco.us/component/pag...acturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,98/

And here's a link to locate a supplier near you: http://www.cannyco.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&Itemid=101
it looks like a gentle leader
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