Greyhounds leave paw prints all over your heart!!

Arjo Harddrive
"Hardie" Didier

King Hardie

Hardie is a small (for a male) brindle boy who is taking his retirement seriously. He is completely housebroken and is quite the gentleman, which is an understatement.  Words can’t begin to describe how well behaved this boy is.  He comes when called, drops things when asked, asks to go outside when he needs to, and on and on.  He does not jump up and takes treats for doing his commands.  He has quite a list of commands he knows ... Come, Stay, Watch, Sit, Down, Bow, just to name a few. He is quite comical at home and has developed a greyt personality.  He looks for scritches and LOVES to roo (he has even taught my African Grey parrot to roo!).  He has some fear issues with other dogs, especially small brindle female greyhounds.  We have been working hard to overcome those fears and the hard work is paying off.  Hardie recently graduated a “Greyhounds-Only” class at Trainer’s Academy in Troy.  The class was so instrumental in helping his fears that we have decided to enroll him in a 2nd class that will begin in March.  At this point, Hardie would probably do best as a single dog in an “adults only” home, but with continued work that could change.  He is ready and anxious to find his “forever home.

Hardie was adopted on 05/10/2008 by Sarah Didier

UPDATE:  Hardie was crowned "King of the Beach 2008" at Beach Bound Hounds in Myrtle Beach, SC.  His story that won him that title follows:

Hardie’s story begins in April of 2001 when he was nearly two and he first came to GEM (GreytHounds of Eastern Michigan).  Hardie at that time was a happy greyhound and got along well with his greyhound friends.  July 6, 2001 Hardie was adopted by a family and exactly 2 weeks later on July 20, Lilly was adopted by that same family.  As far as GEM knows, all was OK with the placements for about 3 years.  Then on January 26, 2006 Hardie and Lilly were both returned to GEM.  Seems there were some allergies developed by the children and the greyhounds needed to go.  Hardie was a mess when he was returned ... scared of his own shadow and didn’t want any other greyhounds near him.  It was later revealed to GEM that Hardie and Lilly spent the last 18 months of their time, in what was to be their “forever home”, in a garage with virtually no human interaction.  During that time Hardie developed a fear of greyhounds.  Lilly was a small brindle female with a major alpha personality.  Hardie had lived in fear for so long that he thought all greyhounds would treat him like Lilly did.  To give you an idea what Lilly was like, she killed her foster mom’s cat while her foster mom helplessly watched.

Hardie started out in his first foster home with 2 flat coat retrievers and another male brindle greyhound, Mercy.  I was told by that foster mom that she thought Hardie was going to kill Mercy on the ride home.  It took months but Hardie finally began to trust Mercy and they began to be buddies.  He also began to get along with the flat coats.  Hardie was in his first foster home about 18 months when his foster mom took on a job that required her to not be able to devote enough time to fostering.

Hardie went into his 2nd foster home that consisted of a husband, wife and young daughter.  His new foster dad had gone through a prison program in Coldwater, MI and learned to train greyhounds, hence the training began with Hardie.  Hardie’s new foster dad tried to “desensitize” Hardie into sharing his bed.  This procedure provoked Hardie to bite his foster dad.

Hardie’s new foster family was taking a planned vacation on January 6, so they brought Hardie to me on January 5.  Little did I know how my life was about to change.  I was only to “baby-sit” Hardie for a week, but a few days before Hardie was brought to me, his foster dad told me he wasn’t going to take Hardie back because he was a “liability”.  Seems Hardie had bit and growled at some of his daughter’s friends.  Another GEM said to me “boy you’re brave” when she found that I was going to foster Hardie.  I actually began second guessing my decision to take Hardie, but decided I would give it a try.  I don’t believe in desensitization, so I let Hardie have his safe place to himself ... his bed.  We attended our first meet & greet the very next day, at which time I saw the “dark side” of Hardie.  I expressed to the GEM board that Hardie needed help and I wanted to get it for him.

I began making phone calls ... LOTS of them.  It ultimately came down to two different trainers who I was told both specialized in aggressive dogs.  The first gentleman told me over the phone that he didn’t think Hardie would ever change.  That was NOT an answer I was going to accept.  Lisa at Trainer’s Academy in Troy, MI, www.woofology.com, thought Hardie could be helped (finally the words I wanted to hear).  She suggested we enroll him in Devene’s “Greyhounds - ONLY” class at Trainer’s Academy.  Lisa felt it would be positive for Hardie to take that class because it would be “greyhounds in a controlled environment”.  I emailed the GEM board and they agreed to pay for the class.  Hardie ended up taking 2 of the 6 week courses and the changes made in that time were nothing short of incredible.  I told Devene in that first class that my goal for Hardie was for him to be able to attend BBH with me this year.  Devene said I was pushing it, that maybe next year he would be able to go.

By the time week 6 of the second class was over, Hardie had advanced so much in his socialization that Devene decided we should try some private lessons with Hardie and other greyhounds.  She suggested I first contact Mercy’s mom and see if we could arrange a “play date” for him with Hardie, since Mercy was the ONLY greyhound we knew Hardie got along with.  April 13, 2008, the day Mercy came to my home to play with Hardie, was the first day I saw Hardie act like a normal, happy greyhound.  I emailed Devene with all the events of the day and she began to plan the first private lesson strategy.

Devene decided we should have Mercy come to Trainer’s Academy and while Hardie was in his “play high” introduce her own greyhound Karma.  That session went better than I ever expected.  Hardie actually walked up to Karma and gave her a big wet kiss.  I cried!!  I turned, looked at Helen (GEM’s foster coordinator) and said “get the adoption papers ready”.  Helen convinced me to wait until May to adopt because that was “Senior Month” and adoption fees were waved on seniors.  I reluctantly agreed to wait.

Little did I know that what was about to develop over the weekend would make me glad I did wait.  Seems all those high fat treats that were being doled out to Hardie during training, finally caught up with him. The following Monday and Tuesday he spent at the vet’s getting IV fluid to re-hydrate him from all the vomiting over the weekend due to pancreatitis.  Poor Hardie ... like he hadn’t been through enough in his life and now this!! Training was now put on hold till Hardie got back to normal.  A week later he was back to eating a normal sized meal and on May 10, 2008, during GEM’s “Greyhound Event of Michigan”, I signed Hardie’s adoption papers.

Devene was working on Hardie’s next session and decided it should take place on Hardie’s turf with the same circumstance of another dog there that he got along with and then introduce a new greyhound .... one he had never met before.  I arranged for Hazel (one of the flat coats he was first fostered with) to come over and play and then we would introduce Helen’s female Pisces.  Hardie was in that “play high” when Helen brought Pisces up to the fence.  We let Hardie see Pisces through the fence first to see how he would take to her.  He saw her and he put his nose through the fence and gave her that same wet kiss he gave Karma in the first class.  We brought Pisces through the house and let her be in the backyard with the others.  Hardie played with Hazel, walked around Pisces like a normal dog, and Devene began asking me about BBH.  That night, Devene gave Hardie the “all clear” to attend BBH and labeled him “the dog who isn’t going to have to be an only dog anymore”!!  Two weeks before BBH 2008, Devene brought Karma over to play with Hardie.  Karma ran up to Hardie, barked in his face, and the two of them commenced running all over the back yard.  8 months ago Hardie couldn’t even make eye contact with another greyhound without reacting negatively.  What a HUGE change in behavior!!

We made our goal by attending BBH 2008 when 8 months prior I was told Hardie MIGHT be able to attend NEXT year.  Hardie is my “king” and my inspiration to help other greyhounds if ever given the chance again.