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Yes, we all realised that there was no way we could say goodbye to Oscar, so he is staying put. I really think he had worked that out already and was just waiting for the humans to catch up with him!! I will keep you posted on his progress and keep the photos coming. He is still under the impression he is bat dog or something as he had the whole place awake at 3.30 last night, again. So no change on that front yet!! Will post some photos over the Easter.

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Thanks for that Hebe. Always good to get positive feedback

Oscar is my first Saluki. I have fostered saluki cross pups before, but never a full Saluki adult. So far this guy is the easiest foster I have had. But I am not sure he is typical of the breed. Most full Saluki’s have a bit more energy than him. Though I have come across other Saluki owners in other groups who have similarly lazy Salukis. Seriously though, at the moment he could go a week without a walk and wouldn’t care. It is me who drags him out. I know this will change as he becomes more secure and settled, but still, he is a lazy one. If you are considering a foster/adopt, look at the sighthounds, especially saluki crosses. I love my terrier to bits, another rescue, but if choosing a dog for myself again, it would be a sighthound, but with saluki in them. Saluki’s are just that bit different, they are wired differently. Way more sensitive and odd, for want of a better word. To be honest, they are closer to cats in behaviour than dogs! Slow to give you their trust , but once they do, you are theirs. Please note, I said you are theirs, not they are yours. At no point do I think they believe anyone is their "owner"! They are just gracing you with their presence. Oscar bumps up off me when he feels threatened when out for a walk. I am his reassurance and safety net, but all the while, I kind of feel like I am just being rewarded for doing the job he expects of me, not being the boss.

Unfortunately due to the appetites of those who hunt with dogs, etc and then dump them when no longer useful, there are a lot of Saluki crosses sitting in pounds and rescues across the country. People do not view them as family pets, etc., so they have the worst chance of being re-homed. This is complete madness as I will attest to this Saluki being the most well behaved, gentle, clean, non-aggressive dog I have ever had. Yet I have a JRT, Irelands favourite breed from what I can see, who I love, but causes no end of trouble, daily.

I will keep the posts coming as Oscar provides great copy

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Here are some recent photos of Oscar and his teddy!
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It’s been awhile since I updated on this boy, now known as Oscar in our house. Mainly because he slots in so easily here you would forget he is even there for most of the day.

Oscar has come on loads. In the first two weeks with us he put on 2kilos. I was happy with that. He does not seem to have put on any more in the last few weeks but I think he could do with a little more so we are on a mission now, involving loads of goodies like chicken, rice, hotdogs. His hip bones are still a bit too prominent, but we are very nearly there with weight. His coat has improved greatly. There is only one dry patch left between his hips. Hopefully the cod liver oil and egg a couple of times a week will help that. He had a nasty yeast infection in his ears. It was so bad when I got him he had a bald patches from scratching on each ear. That is now under control and I can see hair starting to grow back. Thats the end of the physical run down!

Oscar’s personality is peeping out every day, though he still spends most of the time in the bed. His manner in the house has become quite relaxed. He is still very cautious around my husband though, very nervous of men in general. He will be up and about every night. We tried everything from warmer beds, to putting a coat on him at night, etc. It’s just as simple as he wants to play, usually at 4am! He will be jumping around the kitchen, tossing the teddy he swiped from my son up into the air and diving on it, making loads of noise till I get out of bed. Then I am greeted by a happy, super waggy tail Oscar wanting to go outside. So out we go so he can gallop around and sniff the air. He is very brave at this hour going as far as the closed garden gate to look out to the road (as there are no cars). During the day he would never go near the gate. He was most likely used for lamping in his past, though I doubt he was much good at it as birds have flown out of bushes right in front of him on walks and he has not reacted at all, not startled or interested, nothing! Maybe he was dumped as a failed hunter. On the up side I have heard some magnificent bird song in the last few weeks, and soon I will witness the sunrise, every morning!!!

He is good on the lead, though still a bit jumpy and nervous. For the majority of our walk you would barely notice him at the end of the lead, unless a man passes, then he will tense up a bit, or the odd bus /van/ unexpected loud noise. Cars no longer scare him though, nor bikes and scooters. He absolutely hates buggies and would jump in front of a car to get off the path if there is a buggy passing! So we are going to work on that one next.

I took him with me to watch the eclipse on the prom in Salthill the last morning. I sat outside a cafe for coffee. He was totally chilled out. He slept under the table and paid no head to the people/dogs/traffic around him. It was pretty busy down there too. I do think that once he has gotten over his fears and becomes more secure, he will be in the running for the laziest Saluki going award!

All in all, he is coming along at a great pace and is getting more playful week on week. Still a way to go before he begins to outright play with my other dog, or people. But I am pretty sure that is coming. For the moment the white fluffy stork teddy that he swiped from my son is his plaything. It gets thrown around a bit and jumped on, but then ever so lovingly carried into his bed and tucked in beside him to sleep, all by Oscar himself. Really cute! I will follow this post with some photos.

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So it seems we have rounded a corner with this boy. He has become much more interested in life in the house. He mastered the stairs(very funny watching the first few attempts), much to my dismay as I now have to find a way to block them off when I leave the house or I am pretty sure he will be in my sons bed!

He has decided my son is his favourite person at the moment. When he returned from school today he got helicopter tail wags and constant head buts for rubs. He then started to jump around to get my son to play with him, just a little. It was lovely to see.

During the day he is my constant companion, asleep beside my desk as I work. Once there is more life in the house when the kids show up, etc, he heads off to be in the midst of that, though mostly still watching from his bed.

This boy is the best of both worlds so far, lazy loving to sleep for a lot of the time, but up for a bit of playing. As he gains more confidence he will come on in leaps and bounds. Though he is definitely used to being out and about at night. Every night,any time after 11pm, he will be looking to go running about the garden at break neck pace. He will then come in and eat all round him until about 1am. Maybe he was used to hunt at night before or something. Hoping his biological clock will start to adjust soon!

Will try and get some photos of him out and about, but mostly the ones I have are of him sleeping!

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Sorry can’t seem to upload the video.

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Sal has been with us a week now. He arrived a pretty scared and starving boy. He has basically slept and ate for most of the week. His weight is going up very slowly, but those ribs and hip bones are still a little too prominent. It is too soon for me to be able to give much information on his personality as to be honest, we have not seen that much of it yet. I can tell you he is very gentle and approachable. Anyone one has called he has let come close and have a rub or a scratch. But in general he ignores them back. Lately if I have left for an hour or two, I am greeted by him getting up and a tail wag. Sometimes he will walk over for a head rub, or else he will just return to bed. But we are getting there.

He is good with the kids, in that he equally ignores any who have been in the house and lets them rub him without being scared, just indifferent. He is a Saluki after all! I thought he would be scared of my husband as he does not like walking by men so much outside, but he is fine with him. I have since discovered that it is hoodies, hats or head gear in general he is nervous of on a walk, along with cars vans buses etc. (Again, Saluki!) Traffic is knew to him. The TV scares him out of the TV room. This is a bit entertaining as he paces around at the door and attempts repeatedly to get past the first 5 seconds in the room with the TV on, but gives up and goes back to bed in the kitchen. One of these days he will find the courage to join us.

He also tolerates, and pretty much ignores my JRT. She attempts to play with him every day or so, but so far he just ignores her, and she leaves him in peace. I would expect him to start playing and running about with her in time.

He is pretty much house trained. We had one accident in a week, so I am delighted with that. He walks nicely on the lead, in between the startled death freezes when a car passes. He will get used to that soon enough. He seems more comfortable outside at night. When I take him outside to the toilet at night we now get little speedy runs around the garden with the tail held high and loads of hops and jumps. We don’t usually get these in the day yet.

For now he just sleeps. To get him outside we have to lift him up and do a bit of dragging before he will give in and walk outside. Though once out he is happy to run about for a few mins, but then wants straight back in. He is a right lazy lump at the minute. Last night he pawed and pulled his bowl of food over to beside his bed and ate lying down! He then fell asleep with his head in the bowl, much to our amusement! When he woke, he licked the bowl and went back to sleep in it! Funny boy.

All in all, he is a lovely gentle boy who needs more time before he can show us what he is really about. In the mean while here is a video of him this morning and some photos from last week.
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Thanks for the reply. I have given him a bit of a wipe down today, so that will do until the stitches come out. Though I may have to bath his feet as he keeps peeing on the feathering on his front legs when he goes to the toilet, presume this is as it is still sore to lift his leg. Hopefully that will not be the case for too much longer. I will bath him myself next week after the stitches come out.

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