Foster Dog - Apolo the Italian Greyhound

You may not know this, but I like to be a foster home for rescue dogs that are waiting to be adopted. To do this I work with Ginger's Pet Rescue. You can read more about the organization here.

In short, Ginger's is a non-profit that saves dogs from shelters that are about to euthanize the dogs.

My latest little rescue is Apolo:


He is a teeny Italian Greyhound. Isn't he so cute? Actually, that picture doesn't quite do him justice. I have a feeling he might be around for a while, but only because of my pickiness for a good home for him.

After reading up on Italian Greyhounds I realized that I need to be very picky about Apolo's new home. Because along with the pro's of owning Apolo (super cute, affectionate, adorable, soft soft fur that doesn't shed a lot, playful, really cuddly), there are some... I don't want to say they are "Con's." But there are some High Maintenance points to owning Italian Greyhounds:

• IG's have pretty much zero body fat, so they need little coats and sweaters in cold weather. They have such fine, thin fur, and are tiny skinny little things. Just think about going outside today with no clothes on. Brrrrr! So they are good for people like me, who love putting clothing on dogs.

• IG's are (supposedly) hard to potty train. I don't know if this is true yet. We have had Apolo have an accident in our house in the two days we have had him. But really, we should not have left him alone out of his cage. People say they are hard to potty train because they don't like to go out in inclement weather, so they will go in the house. I think this is where the coat or sweater comes in. Would you want to go wee or poo outside, naked, in the rain or snow? Me neither. A coat or sweater would help. Although I still wouldn't want to go outside, but dogs can't use toilets, so I guess being warmer is the next best thing for dogs.

• IG's may need more money set aside in the vet bill fund. They are a fairly healthy breed, but a problem these little skinnies have is leg breaks. IG's apparently have the same disorder that my Pomeranian, Paris, has. This, shall we say, lack of brain capacity causes them to think they can jump from great heights and be A.O.K. As you can imagine, this can result in leg breaks. Leg breaks can also occur in regular playing activity, so if you are considering adopting an IG, keep in mind a leg break on these guys can cost up to $3,000 or $4,000.
  

• I don't know if all male IG's do this, but Apolo pees on himself. Um... yeah. He lifts his leg to wee and hits his chest, or his front legs, or both! He can't really help it because his chest and legs are...well... they are just exactly in the line of fire. It's funny, but then you have to wipe off his legs and chest every time he goes wee. It's not hard to do though - he is very compliant with the post-wee wipe-offs. But I have found that this requires a new sweater every time Apolo goes out for a wee. I admit that sometimes I skip the sweater, except at night and earlier in the morning. The good news: Apolo still goes outside for his bathroom stuff, even when it is cold and he doesn't have a sweater. **UPDATE: Apolo is doing a lot better at potty training, and I found that a doggy belly band keeps him from weeing on himself, and he really doesn't mind it! Yay!

Anyway, that's your Italian Greyhound tutorial for the day. If you are interested in adopting one of these dogs, I suggest you go to the American Kennel Club and read up on the breed. Maybe also Wiki the breed for additional info (really, you should do this when considering adopting any breed).

At first I though Apolo would be boring and only cute to look at. Turns out that he has a cute little personality, too. See the video below of him getting really excited for me to sit on the couch.



If you think you might be the perfect home for Apolo, please look at the Ginger's Pet Rescue website (linked above).

Have a great night!

Love, B