Cuddly Girl!

If you are in need of a hound who loves to cuddle...search no more! Ginger has been with us for two weeks. She is thriving with a set routine! Ginger enjoys treats, belly rubs, treats, cuddling as close to a warm sibling as she can get, stretching out in the sun on grass and treats... did I mention treats? She will do anything for a treat. This sweet girl has a sunny but quiet disposition. We have yet to hear her bark. Ginger loves to follow foster mom around the house. Even when she is napping, if Mom gets up to leave the room she is not far behind! This week she very patiently played dress up with the resident 4 year old. We also met a puppy at petsmart and they were fast friends. Ginger is ready to find a forever home with some like minded cuddle lovers! 

Napping Queen

We have had Ginger in our home for five full days.

She is a dream! From the moment she arrived she got along with our resident hounds and loves to follow them around. Ginger is very calm and sweet. It takes her a day or so to warm up, but with a gentle voice and patience she is coming right out of her shell! She loves to curl up and nap, especially if there is a blanket to tuck her nose under. My daughters absolutely love her. We are very impressed with how well she does on the stairs. She is a very quick learner and obeys her commands. Pretty much ignores other dogs when we see them on a walk. I think she will easily get along with anyone, human or animal. She will be a loving addition to any home.

Well Behaved

Ginger's primary trainer said it was wonderful getting her back after swap week.  Ginger is a very well behaved greyhound.  She is really having fun playing with stuffed and squeaky toys.  She only plays for a couple of minutes and then she wants to take it easy and enjoy a nice back rub or ear scratching.  She loves to be loved on and never turns down attention.

The other day Ginger had her final test on her commands.  Her trainer is proud to say she did great and is ready to be adopted by her new family.  She will be greatly missed!

Easy Going Girl

This week was "swap week" for the dogs.  Meaning each inmate trainer is assigned another trainer's dog for a week.  This is done to determine if any Greyhounds may suffer "separation anxiety" when they leave the prison and go to their forever homes.  Ginger's swap week trainer doesn't feel there will be any issues in this area with this girl.  She's not a fan of loud and strange noises though, and there are a lot of these in the prison. Her inmate trainer feels she will do well in her forever home.

Ginger knows all of her basic commands and responds to them quickly.  He said it was a pleasure getting to work with her this week.  Ginger is such a sweetheart.  She is gentle and easy-going.  He also said that she has the softest coat of all dogs he has petted.  She is as soft as a bunny.  Ginger is a really good girl and will make someone an awesome pet and companion.

Commands. No Problem.

Ginger, like her trainer, loves food.  When it is feeding time, she walks beside her trainer and hops happily, patiently waiting for her kibble.  She is a very cute little girl!

Swap week is coming up, so the trainers did command testing.  Ginger was a bit nervous with the ladies that came to do the testing, but did all of her commands wonderfully with no treats.  Ginger's trainer will miss her during swap week and will be very delighted to get her back afterwards.  He knows she will be on her best behavior.

Ready To Impress

What a joy this past week has been with Ginger, but every week is a joy with this smart and loving girl.  Her inmate trainer says this little girl never ceases to amaze him.  She is doing all of her commands beautifully.  The last time she was tested, she went through them with no treats!  Good girl Ginger.  She is ready to impress her new family.

Ginger is still a little reluctant to jump.  They are starting out with a shorter distance for her to jump and working their way up to the chairs.  She likes this idea and should be doing the high jump in no time.

Blossoming Personality

These last few weeks Ginger's personality has been blossoming more and more.  She is such a sweet Greyhound, and is happy to see her trainer in the morning.  She sometimes whines a little bit when it's feeding time, but if you tell her "shush", she quiets down right away.

She is learning to do her commands without treats, but knows when training is over, it's TREAT time!  After training time, she loves to be petted on loves to play.  She is doing very well with the other dogs in the program.  She is a little apprehensive of the officers, but her trainers are working hard to get her to be relaxed around them.  Ginger is doing so much better than when she first came to the prison. 

Ginger is looking forward to graduation day and meeting her forever family!  Get ready for a fun time with this beautiful girl!

Stuffed Toys Please

Every Friday is show and tell.  This is a time for the trainers and greyhounds to show how they are doing with their basic commands.  The first couple of weeks, Ginger was shy and nervous, but this week she went through all her commands with happy confidence.  She is now "sitting" and "downing" like a pro.  Her inmate trainer is working with the "stay" command.  She's not grasping the concept, but he's sure she will have it figured out soon.

Ginger is a load of fun when it comes to play time.  She loves to play with stuffed animals. You can see the anticipation in her eyes when you pick one up.  She gets so excited, but after a short time she calms down and just wants to chill and take a break on her bed.

Little Miss Impressive

Ginger and her inmate trainer have been working on the sit, stay and leave it commands.  He’s very excited to report that Ginger sat for the first time on her own this week!  She doesn’t do it every time yet, but she’s making progress!  She’s doing a great job with “leave it”.  Her inmate trainer can drop a handful of treats in the floor and she’ll walk back and look away when he says, “leave it” – how impressive is that!  

Ginger is an easy going girl who has moments of silliness that just make her inmate trainer's day!

Giving Toys A Try

This is the third week with this sweet girl Ginger, and it has been a fun one!  She gave a toy a chance and loved it.  She has not shown any interest in them until today.  She is also coming out of her shell more every day.

She keeps improving daily with her basic commands.  Her trainer is also making progress with the "sit" and "stay" commands.  She hasn't sat on her own, but will "stay" in the "sit" position when you tell her.

In just a few short weeks of being with Ginger, her trainer knows he is going to miss this beautiful, fun-loving girl.  He looks forward to each day he gets to spend with her watching her grow.  Her new forever family is just going to adore this pretty girl!

Such A Joy

This week with Ginger has been a joy, training, learning more of her personality and watching her confidence grow.  Ginger has loved running on the big yard this week with the other dogs. She doesn't get too excited, she just likes to trot around with the group.

Ginger's training is going well.  Her inmate trainer worked on "wait", "heel", "hurry", "let's go", "release" and "kennel".  She likes being out of her kennel, but especially loves being in it.  She feels secure and loves the quiet time in there.  She is doing great with her leash training.  She corrects easily, if she starts to pull.

Her inmate trainer also started working on "sit".  Ginger is a a smart girl and picked up on the concept quickly, but is unsure of herself.  Her inmate trainer reassures her.  He knows her confidence will grow and she will have the commands mastered before he knows it.  He is looking forward to new adventures with this girl.  He can't wait to see what lies ahead!

Acclimating To New Sights and Sounds

Ginger has been getting acclimated to prison life.  She came here very shy, but over the past few days has opened up a bit. There are so many strange noises at the prison that would make anyone a bit jumpy.  Her trainer is letting her walk around the dorm to get used to the noises and smells.   He has also been hand feeding Ginger to help build trust and a bond.  She is getting more comfortable every day.  

So far Ginger and her trainer have been working on "kennel", "let's go", "wait" and "heel".  She seems to be picking up on the commands very well and her inmate trainer has high hopes that she will learn quickly.

Next week they will work with Ginger on "sit" and "bed".  She is a sweet girl and her inmate trainer has faith she will open up soon.