Finn McScruff, a small lurcher, arrived at Kent Greyhound Rescue a few years ago at about three years old.
Finn was a reactive dog… and not any old ‘common garden’ reactive dog. He couldn’t cope with meeting dogs outside the house at all. The second he saw a dog, he screamed and twisted and lept and barked. We never really worked out why he did this but reactivity is normally a sign that a dog is scared, no matter how fierce they might sound.
In the house, however, Finn was simply adorable. He was a scruffy little comedian who was always playing the fool, playing with his canine foster brothers, and sleeping in all sorts of funny shapes. He was super cuddly too. We all absolutely adored him and we nevergave up on him.
Reactive dogs can be very hard to rehome and Finn was no exception. In fact, it wasn’t until two years into his stay at KGR that he met his adoptive mum. They had a secure garden and access to fields so that Finn didn’t need to go for walks every day. This was perfect for him! And, reactive dogs always get better with patience and support.
People that adopt reactive dogs are the angels of the dog rescue world. Reactive dogs can block rescue places for months or years. Finn’s mum will have saved more lives that she will ever know.
Want to learn more about the reactive behaviour of greyhounds, lurchers and other sighthounds? Read more here.