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Doctoring and Cat-Testing

One More Road Trip
[Image: a dog carrier] Our hounds are brought from our kennel facility directly to the place where we administer their shots and test them for cat tolerance. Sometimes they come in a professional dog carrier, like the one at right. More frequently they travel in the private vehicle of one of our volunteers.

Give It to Me Straight, Doc
[Image: hound doctoring] [Image: hound doctoring 2]


The dogs are given de-worming medication and the necessary vaccinations (DHLPP, Rabies, Bordatella and Corona).




[Image: hound doctoring 3]


The hounds are given a basic, overall examination to check for obvious signs of illness. The dog at right is having its ears examined. They are taken to a veterinarian, if necessary.




Rabbits with Claws?
[Image: cat testing] Our greyhounds are then checked for compatibility with cats. They are introduced one at a time, and at a safe distance, to cats who have lived with greyhounds. They are first taken to a cat who sits on a cat tree , just above nose level (as pictured at left). If the dog sniffs, but show no real interest, he passes. The next cat is a "swatter." The hound is brought up to the cat (on a tight leash, of course) and the cat is allowed to swat its muzzle. If the dog backs off, it passes. If it shows aggression or strong interest, it fails.

[Image: cat testing] The third cat is a "runner." With the greyhound firmly in hand, the cat is released on one side of a home and allowed to run past the dog and up the stairs. If the dog shows virtually no interest in the cat, he passes that part of the test. If he shows aggression or even strong interest, he fails.

The dog's reactions are observed by experienced GPA folks. Dogs which ignore the cat are considered cat tolerant or compatible. Those which express interest in the cat may be able to live with cats with training and under the right circumstances. Those which show aggression toward the cat will not be adopted out to homes with cats.

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