Category: Greyhounds

Say Hello to a Brace of Greyhounds!

What a wonderful experience I had at the annual “Gathering of the Greys” also called the Greyhound Picnic, at the Nittany Greyhounds facility outside of State College! I learned several months ago that a bunch of greyhounds is called a Brace. I’m not sure how many folks attended but I know over 100 had signed up to come…most with their dogs!

I thought I had some idea of what to expect because I had hugged quite a few greyhounds over the years as I made coats for them. But one at a time was nothing compared to more than 75 dogs (all on leashes of course) at a gathering. It was amazing!

As they arrived a few at a time with their special humans, their calm personalities showed how well they fit in, in a variety of settings…waiting in lines, standing beside their humans as folks caught up with friends they hadn’t seen for a long time. The dogs checked each other out of course, but no barking or growls were heard. A few had muzzles on for general safety but I didn’t observe any issues among the crowd. I suspect any dogs that were uncomfortable in large groups might have stayed home.

Folks came with chairs, mats for the dogs and a casserole to share for lunch. Nittany Greyhounds provided the meat, drinks and a huge cake! It felt like any normal gathering of people at the beach…except each human had one or more dogs beside them. The field had some shade so of course folks set up their chairs and mats for the dogs in the shade.

I felt welcomed by owners and dogs alike. All owners were delighted with my interest in their companions. Any dog I put my hands on leaned into my touch and let me give them a scratch.

These greyhounds came in many colors, but the brindle shown here was especially striking.
We had a beautiful summer day…about 80 degrees, not too humid and no threat of rain. Just perfect!

About noon everyone was encouraged to gather together around Bob Koch, the president of Nittany Greyhounds, for announcements and a prayer. At the end, one energetic person (who remains unidentified) let out a howl of, “ROOOO”. All the dogs responded with their unique sound of “ROOOOO”. It was wondrous!

Over the next hour or so folks went through the buffet line and enjoyed lunch with friends. A huge delicious cake was shared by all.

I wasn’t able to get the picture before the cake was cut!

One event that I was not able to watch was the timed runs. The participating dogs were timed as they ran, one at a time, a 60-foot course. I had read that a greyhound could hit over 40 mph in just 6 strides. The fastest dog on this course was timed at 34 mph! Amazing! I had to chuckle when Toni shared that the slowest dog was just 16 mph…because he stopped to pee! Too funny!

Of course, the reason I was at this gathering in the first place was to share the products we had developed to help with specific greyhound issues…a healing salve for their paws, a healing soap for their sensitive skin and a bug repellent to keep the fleas and ticks away. (See my post from August 5, 2021 for more about the products…Greyhounds Still in my Heart.)

Feedback was generally positive with quite a few folks using the bug repellent spray on their dogs and the salve on various sores evident on their noses and skin. The soap was hard to test, but no one really requested to test it. A few did buy it anyway.

Once they realized they would be able to purchase the product at Nittany Greyhound’s store on Etsy, many decided to wait to order them when they got home. I could see why. Being a vendor at this event was certainly different from any other conference I had attended. All of the participants who stopped to look at stuff had at least one moving dog on a leash beside them while they tried to ask questions.

I did hear many great stories about the needs of the dogs, but trying to put a salve on the dogs’ paws while they were standing on the grass was out of the question. The Bug Repellent was easy to spray but they did not have an extra hand to rub it onto the dog’s fur. Everyone did comment that the spray smelled good and were glad to give it a try since they were going to be sitting around in the grassy field.

So, while we did not sell a lot of our products, I learned a lot about trying to be a vendor when each interested human had their hands full with one or more dogs moving around them.

Nittany Greyhounds is a dedicated group of greyhound owners that have the well-being of their dogs in mind as they deal with issues common to all dogs, and many issues specific to the breed. Marketing to this group will need to be creative and supported by word-of-mouth advertising. The internet Facebook group and Etsy store will be instrumental in getting the word out.

Thank you, Nittany Greyhounds, for letting me share a day with this “Brace” of greyhounds. It was wonderful!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net. Enjoy!

Greyhounds Still in my Heart!

Over the last few months I’ve been working on researching and producing various products to make life more comfortable for greyhounds and their owners. Thanks to Toni Duchi and Nittany Greyhounds, their wealth of knowledge and experience with greyhounds gave me a lot of guidance on what some of their issues were.

Healing Salve for your Paws!

An issue shared by the greyhounds was the difficulty owners had with keeping their dog’s paws soft and their noses undamaged. The salve that I made with calendula-infused olive oil and beeswax felt good on our hands as a lotion bar. Why not make something a little softer with the right essential oils that were safe for dogs? I also discovered the great healing properties of Manuka Essential Oil while I was researching Manuka Honey. I tried using the honey in my products but it just didn’t incorporate easily into soaps and lotions easily. I found Manuka Essential Oil had many of the same healing properties but incorporated well into those products. This salve was soothing and helped with healing paws and noses.

I’ve now made over 60 salves and they are ready for labels. We will share them at the Greyhound picnic on August 15.

Healing Shampoo Bar for your Fur!

I was asked if I could make a flea soap for the dogs. I’ve been making soap for several years…actually, it’s melt-and-pour soap with enhancements…so I made a batch with a goat milk soap base to see if I could incorporate the necessary essential oils to repel bugs. I gave this soap to a volunteer at the kennel who also grooms dogs. I also gave her one of my Aloe Vera soaps that I make for myself, since I’m not happy using goat milk soap…may be my allergy to milk? She used them on two dogs that were in the kennel at the time. She said she preferred the Aloe Vera soap! Interesting! Thanks to Teresa for testing these out!

Why not just medicine for fleas?

Dogs can be given a pill that will kill the bugs if they bite the dog. This medicine is hard on the dog’s system and really is too little too late. If they have already bitten the dog, they leave behind a sore, itchy spot that is irritating. According to the research any soap will wash off the fleas, however the flea soap can aggravate the sore spots.

So now the focus shifted to a healing, soothing soap and then we’d figure out a topical spray that could deter the bugs from landing in the first place. Essential oils have a good track record of being soothing to the dog while offensive to bugs. Let the experiments begin!

My Aloe Vera soap recipe uses an Aloe Vera soap base with an additional Shea Butter soap base. Then, extra Aloe Vera gel and powder is added. Finally, Lavender and Manuka essential oils enhance the healing qualities of the soap.

Even the shape of the bar matters…a smooth oval was deemed too slippery when wet. The heart shape seemed to give the appropriate hand hold in the notch.

I now have 50 shampoo bars of Aloe Vera soap ready for the picnic. Since I can’t put a label on the bar, I’ll put each bar in a mesh bag so I can include the card with each one. It’s important to me that folks know exactly what’s in the bar.

Natural Bug Repellent for Dogs, not Cats!

The next challenge was to figure out what kind of spray would keep the bugs off the dogs. The first issue was to research which essential oils are safe for dogs. After reading many lists from many sources, I settled on this combination of oils:

For healing (and apparently the bugs don’t like these either): Lavender and Manuka Essential Oils.

For bug deterrent: Eucalyptus, Lemongrass and Rose Geranium.

Because there are very few essential oils that are safe for cats, I’ll make sure to put on the label that this spray is not for cats!

I was going to mix up the spray in 8 oz. spray bottles but decided that they might not travel very well. So, we’ll offer the refill and folks can buy the spray bottle or go home and use their own.

We’ll offer these tester spray bottles at the picnic so folks can try it on their dogs right there.
Now I have a bunch of bottles ready for labels!

These are not necessarily the finished products, but we’re hoping folks will give them a try and give us feedback. As I said at the beginning of my blogging adventure back in March, the Greyhounds are Still in My Heart! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Natural Bug Repellent for Dogs

All my work with essential oils has been geared for human use. I’ve been asked if this salve or that lotion can be used on their dogs and cats for their skin issues. (At the end of this post is an article from a veterinarian about which essential oils are safe for dogs and cats. This helped me a lot in choosing which oils would be safe in my spray.)

Today was my “chemistry experiment” day…where I experimented with making a Flea and Tick Repellent for dogs (but not cats). Here are two books I just got that have lots of recipe ideas.

The recipe I’m using today came from a website on the internet. Most of the recipes are pretty similar, with water, essential oils and something that serves as an emulsifier to disperse the oils in water.

Forgot to add the 1/4 teaspoon of Polysorbate 20 to the recipe. It was the emulsifier.

Last week I prepared to make this spray by ordering the 8 oz. spray bottles, the Lavender Hydrosol (basically lavender-infused water) and Rose Geranium essential oil. I already had the other oils. Then it was recommended I include an “emulsifier” to help the various essential oils disperse in the water. So, I ordered the Polysorbate 20.

I chose 8 oz. spray bottles because I was planning to give these to several folks that would test it for me.

I did not have enough Lavender Hydrosol to use only that instead of plain water, so I portioned it out so each spray bottle had 2 ounces. It smells really good!

Since the total amount of drops of essential oils measured to about 1/4 teaspoon, I added 1/4 teaspoon of the Polysorbate 20 that would help disperse the oils in water.

Then I filled the bottle the rest of the way with filtered tap water, screwed on the spray top and shook it up. Looks like the oil is dispersed just fine!

This spray is just for dogs. My research into which essential oils are safe showed that this will work for dogs, but NOT for cats. See the information below:

What Veterinarians Say About Essential Oils

I’d like to share what various veterinarians have recommended for which essential oils are safe for dogs and cats. There are many long lists of essential oils that are BAD for your pets. It’s easier to show you the list of oils that are SAFE for your dogs and cats.

This list came from Dr. Maranda Elswick, who is a licensed Veterinarian in Florida and Virginia:

Essential Oils Safe for Dogs include:

Cedarwood oil, Chamomile oil, Citrus oils (including lemon oil and orange oil), Eucalyptus oil, Fennel oil, Frankincense oil, Helichrysum oil, Lavender oil, Lemongrass oil, Certain mint oils (peppermint, spearmint), and Rose oil.

Essential Oils Safe for Cats include:

Chamomile oil, Jasmine oil, Lavender oil, and Rose oil.

So you can see, it matters what your pets are exposed to.

If you find your dogs or cats are experiencing mild respiratory irritation after inhaling an essential oil, move them to an area with fresh air.

If an essential oil causes irritations after contact with your pet’s skin or fur, wash the area with a pet-safe dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn.

If your dog or cat ingests an essential oil, consult with your veterinarian or poison control center immediately. Do NOT induce vomiting.

Good advice from Dr. Elswick!

I will make sure that the label on the final spray bottle will say NOT FOR CATS! I may also print out the list of safety warnings above on how to help your dog or cat if they have a reaction to this spray.

That was my chemistry experiment of the day! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly if you have questions at marykisner@comcast.net.

A Dog Shampoo for Fleas and Ticks

Now that I’ve fallen in love with making my own soap and learning about the uses of essential oils in skin care products, why not think about making a shampoo bar for dogs that would help with fleas and ticks? While I don’t have a dog to care for, my greyhound connection is always giving me great ideas about products I could make.

Usually, I start collecting ideas by going to Pinterest. That always gives me ideas about what other folks have tried. Lots of folks have dog shampoo bars for sale or recipes to make your own. They are “all natural” and “safe” and cute!

I guess a dog’s needs are becoming just as important as they are to their owners. The chemicals in commonly used treatments for fleas and ticks are pretty strong and frequently systemic.

“Give your dog this pill and fleas and ticks will die if they bite your dog.”

“Put this chemically-laced collar on your dog and the chemicals will be absorbed into their skin…and the fleas and ticks will die if they bite your dog.”

Then dog owners are faced with the side effects of the chemicals…skin irritation, vomiting or even respiratory problems. Just like with people, sometimes the side effects of a treatment are not worth it!

Basically, you want to remove the fleas and ticks before they bite your dog. Any soap and water will do the trick. Often Dawn dish washing liquid is used as the base for a liquid shampoo. Shampoo bars start with simple soap bases, like Goats Milk or Shea Butter soap bases. Then essential oils can be added that naturally repel fleas and ticks.

CAUTION: Do not apply essential oils directly to the skin. Essential oils are extremely potent and can cause irritation, itchiness, redness and other side effects when applied undiluted. Always use a neutral, plant-based oil that is safe for the skin (like coconut oil, sweet almond oil or jojoba oil) to dilute essential oils before applying them to your pet’s skin.

Just as burning a Citronella candle will keep mosquitos away, essential oils like Lemongrass, Eucalyptus and Neem oil have strong scents and will serve the same purpose.

The scent of Lavender oil naturally repels fleas and ticks, making it unlikely that any will burrow into your animal’s fur. It also prevents tick eggs from hatching, so if they did make it onto your dog’s skin, they would not be able to reproduce and would quickly die off. Lavender oil is extremely soothing and has antibacterial properties to help prevent infection.

Fleas hate the scent of Lemongrass oil and will generally stay away from it. The active ingredients, citral and geraniol, are natural repellents.

Cedarwood oil, Rosemary oil, Clove oil and Manuka oil are some of the others that are effective.

Basically, you can mix 5-10 drops of these oils to your dog’s regular shampoo and it will keep the pests away. In a solid shampoo bar, the oils are added after the soap mixture is melted and before pouring the mixture into molds.

You can also mix the oil with water and make a spray for your dog’s coat or pet bed. Adding essential oil to a diffuser is another great way to debug your house.

I made up a simple batch of a dog shampoo bar with Goats Milk and Shea Butter soap bases, Vitamin E oil (for a preservative), and Lemongrass, Lavender and Manuka essential oils. Amounts of each are still being tested with a pet groomer.

Now we’ll wait and see if the bars are the right size and shape for the groomer to use. My experiment of the day! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Make your own Dog Paw Balm & Protection Wax

Is your dog having trouble with his (or her, of course) paws in the winter with salt on the sidewalks? Is he biting or chewing on his paws like they itch…especially after a walk around the block in the spring? Taking care of your dog’s paws is an important part of being a dog owner. While this is true no matter what breed of dog you have, the greyhounds that are newly re-homed are not used to walking on gravel, salt or ice. They may be especially bothered with exposure to lawn care chemicals. Their feet are like our bare feet in the spring…remember how tender your feet are after a winter of protective shoes and boots. At any time in our lives, our dog’s feet could be affected by changing weather conditions, chemicals around them and their own changing health issues.

There are quite a few salves available on the market, from the simplest DIY recipe from the American Kennel Club to very expensive salves with Hemp oil in them and everything in between. I’d like to think we would have choices to find the one that works for our dog and is affordable.

In general, ingredients in these salves include oils (like olive oil, coconut oil and almond oil), shea butter and waxes (like beeswax, carnauba wax and paraffin wax). In addition, Vitamin E oil helps healing and serves as a preservative for the mixture. Essential oils like Lavender or Rosemary can also help with healing. I’m not sure the dogs care about the smell one way or the other but it can’t hurt.

The recipe I’ll share with you is very similar to the DIY recipe suggested by the American Kennel Club.

Here is the recipe I’ve used:

As you can see, I started with the calendula-infused oil I made recently (see the article, “Making Calendula-infused Oil…” published on April 8, 2021).

I kept the oil in the refrigerator until I needed it. The shea butter, beeswax and carnauba wax can be ordered from Amazon. The food-grade carnauba wax will leave a thin shiny coating that will help protect the paw pads from ice, salt or lawn chemicals.

This recipe begins with the glass measuring cup and saucepan with boiling water. Measure out your oil, shea butter, beeswax and carnauba wax into the measuring cup and set it in the saucepan of water. Bring the water to a boil and let it simmer until all the oil and wax is melted.

Remove the cup from the saucepan and stir in the Vitamin E oil and the Lavender essential oil.

Pour the melted ingredients into your holders. I first tried one ounce jars and then realized if I were trying to apply this balm to a dog’s paws, the jar would not be a convenient way to store and access it. Using these mini deodorant holders seemed like a much better idea. Even lip balm tubes would be easier to apply the balm. These are not too expensive from Amazon.

Allow the wax to cool completely before capping to prevent condensation from forming on the inside of the lids.

And my last step is always making a card to go with the item that lists the ingredients, with information on the back about how to apply it.

Take good care of your pets and they’ll have happy, healthy feet!

Please leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net! Enjoy!

Greyhounds In My Heart

It all started with a friendship and a sewing challenge. Toni Duchi and I have been friends for over 30 years. We first met while we were both employed by the University in the College of Education and that friendship has been steadfast through the years as we each pursued our goals.

Toni’s passion was always for the fate of the many retired racing hounds who needed homes. Her involvement was as much for the dogs as for the interested adopters who wanted some guidance in understanding the needs of these gentle hounds.

Toni was instrumental in helping Nittany Greyhounds expand from foster homes to a non-profit organization with a dedicated kennel. I watched her dreams come true and to-date Nittany Greyhounds have found forever homes for more that 1900 greyhounds. Very impressive and a lot of work! Check out their website: https://www.nittanygreys.org

My involvement with Nittany Greyhounds was subtle at first. I may not have a greyhound but I’ve always enjoyed a sewing challenge. Twenty years ago I was asked to make coats for the newly arrived dogs, based on a coat being used at the kennel. There was no pattern as such and obviously an ordinary commercial dog coat pattern wouldn’t work.

Thus began my introduction to greyhounds! With an initial attempt at tracing around a coat, I made many coats. Every few batches, Toni would suggest a way we could make them better for the dogs. Translating suggestions into pattern changes has been ongoing for at least 20 years! Toni was able to see how the coats actually worked when the dogs ran hard and then watched how they fit when the dogs curled into a cozy ball for a nap. Interpreting these needed changes to actual pattern changes was fun and a real challenge, especially since I do not have a greyhound at home to use as a model.

By now, I’m pretty confident we’ve designed a coat that meets the needs of the dogs…two sizes to accommodate the larger males and the smaller females; a coat that hangs down long enough to cover their rear end; a neck shape that can be folded down like a turtleneck and still unfold to provide cover for their sensitive ears on especially cold days.

The latest changes involved increasing the width across the chest area so the coat is more comfortable when they lie down. Finally, I discovered two layers of fleece (rather than one of fleece and one of flannel) made the coat warmer but also made the whole coat more flexible as the dog moved. I could never have done this design work without Toni, who understood the needs of the dogs!

Some things I’ve learned about Greyhounds

While I did not need to know a lot about dealing with the breed while sewing coats, throughout my time working with Toni I have learned a lot about Greyhounds. Many of the dogs that have come to Nittany Greyhounds come from Florida. The weather is quite different here in Pennsylvania…especially in the winter! The coats have been a necessary part of caring for the dogs. They have thin coats and sensitive skin. They are low to average shedders, but the lack of a heavy coat leaves their skin vulnerable to scrapes, tears and nicks. Many dogs new to the area are comfortable wearing a coat even indoors. In icy conditions some dogs will even tolerate booties to protect them from the snow, ice and salt-treated sidewalks. (I’ve decided to not expand my coat production into booties!)

How are racing Greyhounds raised differently from other dogs?

If you were to adopt a greyhound as a puppy, I’m told he/she would be just like any other puppy. He would need training like any new puppy of any breed. Retired greyhounds come to adoption agencies after 2-3 years of a very different background. Greyhounds are pack animals and kept with their mothers and raised as a pack, comprised of their litter mates and/or other greyhounds their age. Once they begin their racing careers, they are kept on a program of vigorous exercise, training, handling and grooming. They are kept busy, and at all times, share their lives with their pack members.

Once a greyhound is adopted they still enjoy outdoor exercise!

Their down time is enjoyed as true rest from vigorous activity. Much of this downtime is spent in a large crate. It feels safe because in the crate they are not touched by strangers. They are fed on a strict schedule. No one asks them if they are hungry or what they want to eat. The dogs are never asked if they need to “go outside.” Their interactions are with their pack, not necessarily their keepers.

When a greyhound is adopted they are suddenly expected to be a “civilized person in a fur coat.” Some of them don’t even know their names, because they were not used. Suddenly, they are expected to behave in places they have never been taught how to act. They are expected to take responsibility for saying when they need to go outside, to come when called, not to get on the furniture, and not to eat food off counters and tables.

A newly adopted greyhound may need help learning how to navigate stairs, tile or hardwood floors, and glass doors. They are also facing this new environment alone, instead of with a pack of other dogs. Understanding these issues is critical for new adopters. It is no wonder many adopters find their dogs are happier when there are several greyhounds in the family. They’ve been given a pack to hang out with.

And finally…for your next Trivia challenge, a group of greyhounds is called a “leash” or sometimes a “brace.”

Thanks for letting me share my adventures with Greyhounds. If you’d like to chat about this post, send me an email at maryjkisner@gmail.com .