What members are saying about selecting a dog
Colour is the least important consideration in picking a dog. When I was in the process of making up my mind to adopt a greyhound I did not really "like" Brindle as a colour....but guess what....when I arrived to pick up our first Grey....there she was a small and very cute petite red brindle girl called Quick Whistler or Selena (now renamed Leah because Selena seemed a bit "harsh" sounding for such a meek and mild well mannered girl). Now I consider her a perfect match and the prettiest grey you could find...confirmed by comments from all who meet her on our walks. Her birthday of June 19th 2005 also has very special meaning to us....a very unusual coincidence ...which I will tell Deb about sometime. That would never have happened if I had not let Deb do the matching... .....Stan B.
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Oh my goodness....yes. You chose the perfect dog for us as well. Phoenix is an absolutely princess and we are so lucky to have her. My son loves her and she loves him as well. They are the best of friends.
We had a particular dog in mind when we attended your training session ( we were definitely inexperienced as we had never had a dog before )but we are so happy that we left the decision in your capable hands.
We have 2 VERY senior cats who have, for 14 & 16 years, ruled our house. Phoenix, after a very short 2 months, is absolutely perfect with them. The other day my poor little princess curled up on the floor beside her bed because our 16 year old cat had taken up residency there. My female cat got in her crate with her the other day because she needed a drink of cool water out of Phoenix's bowl, which they all share now. ( I very quickly removed her from Phoenix's crate btw - Phoenix needs her special, very own space).
Deb....you are awesome at what you do and you are so adept at matching up these wonderful dogs with their potential homes.
Thank you so much for blessing our family with Phoenix. Shelley
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I would have to agree with the selection process as well. I tried not to get my hopes pinned on any one dog on the site, knowing that I was likely to get my heart broken if I was matched to another pup. Ripley (DK Ripley's Boy) is quite a shy boy, and after discussing our quiet home life Deb decided to place him with us. He's not only gorgeous (and BIG!) but the sweetest, gentlest dog I've ever met. It's funny, but I was always partial to the fawn ones until I got my big brindle boy. He is perfect with not only our cat, but with every cat in the neighbourhood - even the ones that want to take a chunk out of his nose, and he wants to be friends with every 4-footed creature we cross paths with, including little dogs. (And skunks!). Ripley has fit easily into our lives, adjusting to our shifting schedules with ease, and always meets us at the door with a "happy tail", which never fails to make me smile, no matter how awful a day I have had. Selecting a dog from a photograph makes no sense whatsoever. Trust in the selection process and know that you're being matched with a dog that will best fit your life. Jill K.
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I couldn't help but add one too! My Seamus was a re-home and the perfect companion for me. I loved him the minute I saw him. I find his black tuxedo with white collar looks so elegant (and now that he has gotten older, his white face!!!) I understand how some people might find a big black dog intimidating if they are unfamiliar with greyhounds ... but if you're a single woman who walks her dog alone, this is a huge advantage! If only the scared off would-be thugs really new that that big black dog would rather be home on the couch with his stuffie!!!! Jane and Seamus
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I will comment on this as well by saying that I had probably the most complex and demanding list that I wanted for a dog. I don't even think Deb knew how fussy I was about the dog we wanted. And as everyone Else, We did have one in mind when looking at the available fosters. It wasn't our match tough. And actually the dog we got was a return. I taught how can this one be ours since it didn't fit in someone Else family how can it possibly fit in ours. I was scared it was going to be a problem dog but au contraire.
Lucy was all that we could ever want and more. She was not only perfect for our needs but she fit in perfectly from day one with our family. She was and still is in my eyes the perfect dog and I love to brag her to everyone I see. She is like one of my kids now and we include her in everything the family take part in. I thanks Deb for knowing exactly who we needed to complete our family. I can not imagine a day without Lucy and I can not imagine Any other dog being better for our family Thanks Deb. Monique
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We have three very different experiences to draw from. Ultimately we feel extremely fortunate in all three choices, however had we followed Deb's original choice for our latest foster, we may have had an easier transition for our cat and alleviated some of the subsequent challenges we've encountered.
Our first rescue, Mays, was exactly what we hoped for "Big Boy Brindle". Although we did not choose from a profile or a picture, we did offer our ideas on what we thought might be "the perfect choice" for our family. Luckily for us, he is a wonderful addition to our family and we are extremely happy.
For our beloved 2nd dog Khi - We too fell in love with a pic and profile posted on the MGAP site. His profile seemed to jump off the page. Although he was to be a "foster with intent", we knew if he was anything like his profile - he was sure to find his forever home with our expanding family. What is important to remember is that Khi had a great deal of similarities to his profile - but just as many differences as well. He was not originally picked for our family. Deb's recommendation was a sweet female who had originally tested "cat-safe". Yes, Khi was "cat-tolerant" and fortunately for us - was easily trained, however we will never know for sure if our sweet Mays would have accepted the female more quickly. Best friends today - but Mays was a little "put out" initially.
We had such amazing experiences with the first two, we chose a third rescue "Foster with intent" for our Family. Again, Deb had chosen a lovely red fawn female who was also "cat-safe" for our family. Although we were excited, we had hoped for another male and heard that there were a few "Blue" Greys coming up this time. So against Deb's initial choice, we asked for a Blue female instead. She graced our home and immediately we felt an amazing connection to this sweet little girl. She was adored by our children and by both Mays & Khi. There's a "BUT" coming...lol! We were extremely naive to Deb's caution and let our guard down quickly. Our sweet foster fit in so quickly with our family, that we took for granted, she and our cat Jessie would easily follow suit. Well, along with Jessie, we were ill-prepared to deal with the level of interest she would have for furry little friends. This resulted in additional muzzling that would have been otherwise unnecessary. Subsequently, this has limited her access to parts of our home. The morale of the story is that this situation was avoidable for the foster and for our cat. Had we listened to the recommendations with open-minds, we would have decreased stress for everyone involved.
When the time comes to bring our next rescue to his or her "forever home", we have learned not to try and circumvent the process. There is not a Grey out there that could bless our home and not be loved before they even cross the threshold. Their grateful, kind and loving spirits have won over our family, friends and every neighbor we meet while camping. We've learned that color, size and sex matter not when they look at you with those loving big brown eyes that say "Thank you for taking care of me". Those eyes that melt our hearts one hundred times a day and remind us why this process is SO IMPORTANT and SO REWARDING! Troy, Lisa, Brennan, Emma......Mays, Khi & Sparkle
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Also, I have been reading all the wonderful emails about you picking out the greys for people and how well it works. I just wanted to say that although our experience was slightly different, Steve and I agreed that next time, it's up to you. We totally love everything about Sixx and wouldn't trade him for the world (he is exactly(more than), what I was hoping for in a greyhound, but, the night we saw all the greys in your garage, we both said we would take any one of them (even the black one, lol). We've discovered that all the Greys we meet, we love instantly, and we would be happy with any Grey we could provide a better life for. Thank you so much Deb for being such a caring, devoted person, with a passion for Greyhounds! I can only imagine how proud your kids must be of you and Charles, showing them what really counts in life, Loving what you do and working hard to achieve it. You set a grey't example for the rest of us! Doline and Steve
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I just had to respond to this email...When we lost our dear Blitzen in September , we were left with Jewel who had just turned 10 and quite set in her ways.
I knew we wouldn't be getting another greyhound because Jewel can be "difficult" and as I said, set in her ways.
She's lovable with us and people she knows and in her own way she did love Blitzen...but, to bring another dog in, I thought would never work.
However, Deb had a little foster girl at the time named KB's Instock. She thought she would be a great choice for us with Jewel. I have to admit, I had very serious doubts...
It seems that Deb once again knew what she was doing cause as you can see from the photo below, the 2 girls get along GREAT!
Thank you Deb for such a great match and making our family whole again! Judy
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I must admit, I too looked at the greys on the website when I was adopting and had my favorites, but when Cheri did my interview she was very clear that MGAP would pick the best grey suited to my lifestyle and needs. This didn't really bother me as I was just so happy to have a dog back in my life again, but of course like everyone else is saying you worked your magic and picked my dream guy. Askem is just perfect and I couldn't imagine having any other grey. Now that I'm fostering I completely understand how important our whole process is and couldn't imagine just giving my foster to anyone. He's a specail guy just like all of our greys and there is the perfect home out there for him and I know you will find it ;-) Thank You! Angela
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Actually, Deb, before I met my first greyhound, Everine, I had a fixed idea in my mind that my dog had to be brindle - at least it was fixed there until I met Evie. She was everything I could ever have wanted in a dog - until I lost her and met Effie, my second greyhound. She was even better. Knowing that you are able to match people and dogs so well also makes fostering easier. No matter how wonderful a foster dog is (and most have been pretty spectacular) it's not a big problem to give them up to the adoptive families because I am confident that they will be well matched. Gail
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I don't mind admitting when we were looking to adopt we picked out three or four that we wanted....."Bella" was the last one on our list. I told my wife on the way to Moncton for the training session..."we'll probably end up with "Bella". Well we did....After having her in our home for only a couple of weeks, I wouldn't trade her for any of the other greys that were on the site at the time...(not that there's anything wrong with them). "Bella" is perfect for us & our lifestyle. She's such an angel! A good girl...still a little timid...but so well behaved and obedient. Thanks Deb for giving us the grey that was, indeed, right for us! Lindsey & Dorothy, Saint John
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I thought that I would prefer a brindle, and when I first saw this black grey, I said to my friends, but she is not brindle! But the more I looked and saw this very uneasy black dog, I said that I hope that she was for me, because I knew that I would leave no stone unturned to make her happy. First we came to an understanding that she did NOT like the crate, and waking me up for an outing in the middle of winter nights, she learned very quickly, knows what is not allowed. She wants to go with me all the time, but will accept a bribe and gladly stays home.
After walking the bridge, I fell on the way to my truck, broke my nose etc, after coming from hospital, bandaged up, it took a few minutes to figure out who I was, THEN she became a guard dog, barking at anyone who came in until I said "OK". . She is now laying down on a piled up bed sheet that I was going to discard, until she thought differently. Of course she has a bed, So now Safari Tease, now Teaser, glances up at me, as much to say, "A brindle! What could you be thinking??? We are very suited, great choice, Deb. I am lucky to live with Teaser..... George R.
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I remember when I got Zoey people were surprised that I didn't get to choose my own dog. After having Zoey I understand how important it is to be matched based on temperament, home situation, kids, cats etc...... I had planned on getting a male and naming him Gus! The biggest challenge was finding a female name. Every dog is so different. Zoey wouldn't have done well in a house with kids or without structure. She's a pretty dominant little 55 pounder but will back down from any cat. I'm so glad she was chosen for me. I believe they are chosen for us long before any of the humans get involved in the process.
I talk about this with folks in home interviews. It is much more important that a dog is chosen who is well suited for your family than the fact you like the "look of them". There isn't a greyhound you won't come to love but there is only 1 that is perfect for my family. Rena
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I have to send in my comment on this one. We didn't actually pick a dog out from the site but when we saw our first grey to be, Chance, we were both a little disappointed at the fact he was a black dog. Never could I have been more wrong in my thinking. Chance turned out to be the best grey and the greytest MGAP ambassador. I have since read somewhere that black dogs can be hard to place for some reason and to this day I'm not really sure why we thought we'd rather have a different color. I also stress during my interviews when someone brings up a certain dog because of the color that the color has nothing to do with it. Dogs are matched according to the best pick for the family and certainly you may inquire but don't be surprised if Deb has another plan. Now that I've met a lot of greys, I know just how special they all are no matter what the color. Cherri
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I do feel strongly about that when doing interviews. I remember one lady that I contacted for an initial interview and she told me right up front that they wanted the black one on the website. This was in the first 2 minutes of conversation! She was pretty put out when I gently explained to her that that isn't quite the way it works. She didn't end up adopting....I don't even think she went ahead with the interview...but she probably wouldn't have been an ideal grey owner anyway. As you've said before....some people just aren't meant to own dogs, let alone our sweet greys. She was one of them for sure!
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Don't mean to clog your inbox but wanted to comment on how important I think that is as well. I know you had originally picked out a different dog for us in the beginning but after meeting our family and finding out more about our lifestyle you matched us up with Charlie. He fits in with us so perfectly! This is something I am always very careful about during interviews and make sure to stress that it really does work and people just need to trust the ones with the experience. Janis
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When Rob and I first decided to adopt, we picked out the dog we wanted from the foster page as well. In fact, it was Beatlejuice LOL LOL. Once we got to your house and met our dog, Dash (Hannibal), who totally looked different than Beatlejuice, (Dash was a brindle) we fell right in love with him and he was the handsomest, big boy ever. Then, after Dash’s passing, you suggested Hope (Sarressa for us). I looked her up on the site and to be honest, I didn’t feel any heart strings being pulled toward her picture. The funny part is that she looked like Beatlejuice, the dog we THOUGHT we wanted at first. Now I find our Hope to be the prettiest and cutest dog ever! She fits perfect in our life. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with her. We have a lot of company coming and going, and sometimes it can get pretty loud in here LOL. Hope meets and wants to kiss each and every one of them.
So........for all of you who want to pick out your own dog from the picture, I recommend instead that you just trust Deb. Let me tell ya...Deb knows how to pick em!! Angie Lanteigne
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Helen is settling in very well. She gets along great with my dog and is quickly adapting to our schedule. I am taking it slow with the cats but so far she has been good with them. She is such a little lady, very polite and well behaved (unlike other dogs who live here!). I think in the future I should always have someone else pick out my dogs!
So thank you all for doing such a great job from start to finish - I have been very impressed with how well organized you all are. Jan
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I first got introduced to greyhounds through Jane and Seamus. When I applied I indicated to Deb that i would prefer an outgoing dog that could go places with me, but I could also manage one that needed extra attention and TLC if need be. I then ran into Jane and her foster dog at the Irving Nature Park one day and the foster dog literally dragged Jane over to meet me. Talk about outgoing!!! I immediately went home and emailed Deb to tell her about this wonderful dog I had met - and she promptly emailed back that she was really glad I liked him because he was the dog she had chosen for me. She couldn't possibly have picked a better match. Alex has been my constant sidekick ever since. He is the last one to say goodnight to me every night, the first thing I say hello to in the morning, he runs with me at the Nature Park, he is truly my wonderful, wonderful companion. When we adopted our second hound last year I was a little taken aback to have Deb point to a rather timid black and white female in the corner of her garage. Like others have said, my reaction was "a black dog"?? Well our little Enya has turned out to be quite a princess. The timid thing is totally an act, she too has discovered that running is great fun and she has settled into our household like she was always there. She is a completely different personality from Alex, which is a good thing, but she too has fit into our lifestyle with great ease. Deb knows instinctively which dog is the correct one and I would trust her opinion every time. Marilyn
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It's been over four years now since I was lucky enough to have Deb pick my big, handsome boy, Eddye for me. At the time there were only a few fosters available on the website and because I really liked the brindles he was one of my favorites. I remember my Mom asking me if I wanted a female as she favored them. I told her it didn't matter who was picked, I just wanted my forever friend and WOW that is who I got and a brindle too! I know now though that if Deb had thought there wasn't a match for me I would have been waiting for the next group of greyhounds to arrive. Things are pretty low key at home which suits Eddye fine as he likes his routine life which include; a few walks a day where we often stop to visit his many friends along the way, some squeaky toys to play with and regular visits to grandmas for a walkabout the farm. I will never get tired of watching him get excited when he spy's grandma's car arrive in front of the house and what a warm feeling I get everyday when I come home from work and he is looking out the living room window waiting for me before I even getting to the walkway. Eddye honestly makes me smile everyday! I couldn't have asked for a better buddy, thank you so much Deb for giving me my forever friend :0) Tracy Wills
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Oh my goodness....yes. You chose the perfect dog for us as well. Phoenix is an absolutely princess and we are so lucky to have her. My son loves her and she loves him as well. They are the best of friends.
We had a particular dog in mind when we attended your training session ( we were definitely inexperienced as we had never had a dog before )but we are so happy that we left the decision in your capable hands.
We have 2 VERY senior cats who have, for 14 & 16 years, ruled our house. Phoenix, after a very short 2 months, is absolutely perfect with them. The other day my poor little princess curled up on the floor beside her bed because our 16 year old cat had taken up residency there. My female cat got in her crate with her the other day because she needed a drink of cool water out of Phoenix's bowl, which they all share now. ( I very quickly removed her from Phoenix's crate btw - Phoenix needs her special, very own space).
Deb....you are awesome at what you do and you are so adept at matching up these wonderful dogs with their potential homes.
Thank you so much for blessing our family with Phoenix. Shelley
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I would have to agree with the selection process as well. I tried not to get my hopes pinned on any one dog on the site, knowing that I was likely to get my heart broken if I was matched to another pup. Ripley (DK Ripley's Boy) is quite a shy boy, and after discussing our quiet home life Deb decided to place him with us. He's not only gorgeous (and BIG!) but the sweetest, gentlest dog I've ever met. It's funny, but I was always partial to the fawn ones until I got my big brindle boy. He is perfect with not only our cat, but with every cat in the neighbourhood - even the ones that want to take a chunk out of his nose, and he wants to be friends with every 4-footed creature we cross paths with, including little dogs. (And skunks!). Ripley has fit easily into our lives, adjusting to our shifting schedules with ease, and always meets us at the door with a "happy tail", which never fails to make me smile, no matter how awful a day I have had. Selecting a dog from a photograph makes no sense whatsoever. Trust in the selection process and know that you're being matched with a dog that will best fit your life. Jill K.
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I couldn't help but add one too! My Seamus was a re-home and the perfect companion for me. I loved him the minute I saw him. I find his black tuxedo with white collar looks so elegant (and now that he has gotten older, his white face!!!) I understand how some people might find a big black dog intimidating if they are unfamiliar with greyhounds ... but if you're a single woman who walks her dog alone, this is a huge advantage! If only the scared off would-be thugs really new that that big black dog would rather be home on the couch with his stuffie!!!! Jane and Seamus
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I will comment on this as well by saying that I had probably the most complex and demanding list that I wanted for a dog. I don't even think Deb knew how fussy I was about the dog we wanted. And as everyone Else, We did have one in mind when looking at the available fosters. It wasn't our match tough. And actually the dog we got was a return. I taught how can this one be ours since it didn't fit in someone Else family how can it possibly fit in ours. I was scared it was going to be a problem dog but au contraire.
Lucy was all that we could ever want and more. She was not only perfect for our needs but she fit in perfectly from day one with our family. She was and still is in my eyes the perfect dog and I love to brag her to everyone I see. She is like one of my kids now and we include her in everything the family take part in. I thanks Deb for knowing exactly who we needed to complete our family. I can not imagine a day without Lucy and I can not imagine Any other dog being better for our family Thanks Deb. Monique
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We have three very different experiences to draw from. Ultimately we feel extremely fortunate in all three choices, however had we followed Deb's original choice for our latest foster, we may have had an easier transition for our cat and alleviated some of the subsequent challenges we've encountered.
Our first rescue, Mays, was exactly what we hoped for "Big Boy Brindle". Although we did not choose from a profile or a picture, we did offer our ideas on what we thought might be "the perfect choice" for our family. Luckily for us, he is a wonderful addition to our family and we are extremely happy.
For our beloved 2nd dog Khi - We too fell in love with a pic and profile posted on the MGAP site. His profile seemed to jump off the page. Although he was to be a "foster with intent", we knew if he was anything like his profile - he was sure to find his forever home with our expanding family. What is important to remember is that Khi had a great deal of similarities to his profile - but just as many differences as well. He was not originally picked for our family. Deb's recommendation was a sweet female who had originally tested "cat-safe". Yes, Khi was "cat-tolerant" and fortunately for us - was easily trained, however we will never know for sure if our sweet Mays would have accepted the female more quickly. Best friends today - but Mays was a little "put out" initially.
We had such amazing experiences with the first two, we chose a third rescue "Foster with intent" for our Family. Again, Deb had chosen a lovely red fawn female who was also "cat-safe" for our family. Although we were excited, we had hoped for another male and heard that there were a few "Blue" Greys coming up this time. So against Deb's initial choice, we asked for a Blue female instead. She graced our home and immediately we felt an amazing connection to this sweet little girl. She was adored by our children and by both Mays & Khi. There's a "BUT" coming...lol! We were extremely naive to Deb's caution and let our guard down quickly. Our sweet foster fit in so quickly with our family, that we took for granted, she and our cat Jessie would easily follow suit. Well, along with Jessie, we were ill-prepared to deal with the level of interest she would have for furry little friends. This resulted in additional muzzling that would have been otherwise unnecessary. Subsequently, this has limited her access to parts of our home. The morale of the story is that this situation was avoidable for the foster and for our cat. Had we listened to the recommendations with open-minds, we would have decreased stress for everyone involved.
When the time comes to bring our next rescue to his or her "forever home", we have learned not to try and circumvent the process. There is not a Grey out there that could bless our home and not be loved before they even cross the threshold. Their grateful, kind and loving spirits have won over our family, friends and every neighbor we meet while camping. We've learned that color, size and sex matter not when they look at you with those loving big brown eyes that say "Thank you for taking care of me". Those eyes that melt our hearts one hundred times a day and remind us why this process is SO IMPORTANT and SO REWARDING! Troy, Lisa, Brennan, Emma......Mays, Khi & Sparkle
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Also, I have been reading all the wonderful emails about you picking out the greys for people and how well it works. I just wanted to say that although our experience was slightly different, Steve and I agreed that next time, it's up to you. We totally love everything about Sixx and wouldn't trade him for the world (he is exactly(more than), what I was hoping for in a greyhound, but, the night we saw all the greys in your garage, we both said we would take any one of them (even the black one, lol). We've discovered that all the Greys we meet, we love instantly, and we would be happy with any Grey we could provide a better life for. Thank you so much Deb for being such a caring, devoted person, with a passion for Greyhounds! I can only imagine how proud your kids must be of you and Charles, showing them what really counts in life, Loving what you do and working hard to achieve it. You set a grey't example for the rest of us! Doline and Steve
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I just had to respond to this email...When we lost our dear Blitzen in September , we were left with Jewel who had just turned 10 and quite set in her ways.
I knew we wouldn't be getting another greyhound because Jewel can be "difficult" and as I said, set in her ways.
She's lovable with us and people she knows and in her own way she did love Blitzen...but, to bring another dog in, I thought would never work.
However, Deb had a little foster girl at the time named KB's Instock. She thought she would be a great choice for us with Jewel. I have to admit, I had very serious doubts...
It seems that Deb once again knew what she was doing cause as you can see from the photo below, the 2 girls get along GREAT!
Thank you Deb for such a great match and making our family whole again! Judy
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I must admit, I too looked at the greys on the website when I was adopting and had my favorites, but when Cheri did my interview she was very clear that MGAP would pick the best grey suited to my lifestyle and needs. This didn't really bother me as I was just so happy to have a dog back in my life again, but of course like everyone else is saying you worked your magic and picked my dream guy. Askem is just perfect and I couldn't imagine having any other grey. Now that I'm fostering I completely understand how important our whole process is and couldn't imagine just giving my foster to anyone. He's a specail guy just like all of our greys and there is the perfect home out there for him and I know you will find it ;-) Thank You! Angela
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Actually, Deb, before I met my first greyhound, Everine, I had a fixed idea in my mind that my dog had to be brindle - at least it was fixed there until I met Evie. She was everything I could ever have wanted in a dog - until I lost her and met Effie, my second greyhound. She was even better. Knowing that you are able to match people and dogs so well also makes fostering easier. No matter how wonderful a foster dog is (and most have been pretty spectacular) it's not a big problem to give them up to the adoptive families because I am confident that they will be well matched. Gail
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I don't mind admitting when we were looking to adopt we picked out three or four that we wanted....."Bella" was the last one on our list. I told my wife on the way to Moncton for the training session..."we'll probably end up with "Bella". Well we did....After having her in our home for only a couple of weeks, I wouldn't trade her for any of the other greys that were on the site at the time...(not that there's anything wrong with them). "Bella" is perfect for us & our lifestyle. She's such an angel! A good girl...still a little timid...but so well behaved and obedient. Thanks Deb for giving us the grey that was, indeed, right for us! Lindsey & Dorothy, Saint John
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I thought that I would prefer a brindle, and when I first saw this black grey, I said to my friends, but she is not brindle! But the more I looked and saw this very uneasy black dog, I said that I hope that she was for me, because I knew that I would leave no stone unturned to make her happy. First we came to an understanding that she did NOT like the crate, and waking me up for an outing in the middle of winter nights, she learned very quickly, knows what is not allowed. She wants to go with me all the time, but will accept a bribe and gladly stays home.
After walking the bridge, I fell on the way to my truck, broke my nose etc, after coming from hospital, bandaged up, it took a few minutes to figure out who I was, THEN she became a guard dog, barking at anyone who came in until I said "OK". . She is now laying down on a piled up bed sheet that I was going to discard, until she thought differently. Of course she has a bed, So now Safari Tease, now Teaser, glances up at me, as much to say, "A brindle! What could you be thinking??? We are very suited, great choice, Deb. I am lucky to live with Teaser..... George R.
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I remember when I got Zoey people were surprised that I didn't get to choose my own dog. After having Zoey I understand how important it is to be matched based on temperament, home situation, kids, cats etc...... I had planned on getting a male and naming him Gus! The biggest challenge was finding a female name. Every dog is so different. Zoey wouldn't have done well in a house with kids or without structure. She's a pretty dominant little 55 pounder but will back down from any cat. I'm so glad she was chosen for me. I believe they are chosen for us long before any of the humans get involved in the process.
I talk about this with folks in home interviews. It is much more important that a dog is chosen who is well suited for your family than the fact you like the "look of them". There isn't a greyhound you won't come to love but there is only 1 that is perfect for my family. Rena
*****************
I have to send in my comment on this one. We didn't actually pick a dog out from the site but when we saw our first grey to be, Chance, we were both a little disappointed at the fact he was a black dog. Never could I have been more wrong in my thinking. Chance turned out to be the best grey and the greytest MGAP ambassador. I have since read somewhere that black dogs can be hard to place for some reason and to this day I'm not really sure why we thought we'd rather have a different color. I also stress during my interviews when someone brings up a certain dog because of the color that the color has nothing to do with it. Dogs are matched according to the best pick for the family and certainly you may inquire but don't be surprised if Deb has another plan. Now that I've met a lot of greys, I know just how special they all are no matter what the color. Cherri
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I do feel strongly about that when doing interviews. I remember one lady that I contacted for an initial interview and she told me right up front that they wanted the black one on the website. This was in the first 2 minutes of conversation! She was pretty put out when I gently explained to her that that isn't quite the way it works. She didn't end up adopting....I don't even think she went ahead with the interview...but she probably wouldn't have been an ideal grey owner anyway. As you've said before....some people just aren't meant to own dogs, let alone our sweet greys. She was one of them for sure!
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Don't mean to clog your inbox but wanted to comment on how important I think that is as well. I know you had originally picked out a different dog for us in the beginning but after meeting our family and finding out more about our lifestyle you matched us up with Charlie. He fits in with us so perfectly! This is something I am always very careful about during interviews and make sure to stress that it really does work and people just need to trust the ones with the experience. Janis
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When Rob and I first decided to adopt, we picked out the dog we wanted from the foster page as well. In fact, it was Beatlejuice LOL LOL. Once we got to your house and met our dog, Dash (Hannibal), who totally looked different than Beatlejuice, (Dash was a brindle) we fell right in love with him and he was the handsomest, big boy ever. Then, after Dash’s passing, you suggested Hope (Sarressa for us). I looked her up on the site and to be honest, I didn’t feel any heart strings being pulled toward her picture. The funny part is that she looked like Beatlejuice, the dog we THOUGHT we wanted at first. Now I find our Hope to be the prettiest and cutest dog ever! She fits perfect in our life. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with her. We have a lot of company coming and going, and sometimes it can get pretty loud in here LOL. Hope meets and wants to kiss each and every one of them.
So........for all of you who want to pick out your own dog from the picture, I recommend instead that you just trust Deb. Let me tell ya...Deb knows how to pick em!! Angie Lanteigne
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Helen is settling in very well. She gets along great with my dog and is quickly adapting to our schedule. I am taking it slow with the cats but so far she has been good with them. She is such a little lady, very polite and well behaved (unlike other dogs who live here!). I think in the future I should always have someone else pick out my dogs!
So thank you all for doing such a great job from start to finish - I have been very impressed with how well organized you all are. Jan
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I first got introduced to greyhounds through Jane and Seamus. When I applied I indicated to Deb that i would prefer an outgoing dog that could go places with me, but I could also manage one that needed extra attention and TLC if need be. I then ran into Jane and her foster dog at the Irving Nature Park one day and the foster dog literally dragged Jane over to meet me. Talk about outgoing!!! I immediately went home and emailed Deb to tell her about this wonderful dog I had met - and she promptly emailed back that she was really glad I liked him because he was the dog she had chosen for me. She couldn't possibly have picked a better match. Alex has been my constant sidekick ever since. He is the last one to say goodnight to me every night, the first thing I say hello to in the morning, he runs with me at the Nature Park, he is truly my wonderful, wonderful companion. When we adopted our second hound last year I was a little taken aback to have Deb point to a rather timid black and white female in the corner of her garage. Like others have said, my reaction was "a black dog"?? Well our little Enya has turned out to be quite a princess. The timid thing is totally an act, she too has discovered that running is great fun and she has settled into our household like she was always there. She is a completely different personality from Alex, which is a good thing, but she too has fit into our lifestyle with great ease. Deb knows instinctively which dog is the correct one and I would trust her opinion every time. Marilyn
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It's been over four years now since I was lucky enough to have Deb pick my big, handsome boy, Eddye for me. At the time there were only a few fosters available on the website and because I really liked the brindles he was one of my favorites. I remember my Mom asking me if I wanted a female as she favored them. I told her it didn't matter who was picked, I just wanted my forever friend and WOW that is who I got and a brindle too! I know now though that if Deb had thought there wasn't a match for me I would have been waiting for the next group of greyhounds to arrive. Things are pretty low key at home which suits Eddye fine as he likes his routine life which include; a few walks a day where we often stop to visit his many friends along the way, some squeaky toys to play with and regular visits to grandmas for a walkabout the farm. I will never get tired of watching him get excited when he spy's grandma's car arrive in front of the house and what a warm feeling I get everyday when I come home from work and he is looking out the living room window waiting for me before I even getting to the walkway. Eddye honestly makes me smile everyday! I couldn't have asked for a better buddy, thank you so much Deb for giving me my forever friend :0) Tracy Wills
