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What our Volunteers say: Ruth
I got to take Boost out today. He is such a sweet, polite boy 😊.
He needed a little help getting into the back seat of the car, but once he was in and we set off, he lay down and I didn’t hear a peep from him all the way there. When we arrived, he jumped out with no problem and we set off walking.
On the way, he saw a swan and looked, but he wasn't particularly interested. There were ducks, too. We went a bit further and encountered a family with a young Rottweiler. A child was holding the lead when the dog pulled her over and ran straight at Boost! My heart sank, but I am delighted to say that both Boost and the Rottweiler were fine 😁. Boost didn't react at all; they just had a little sniff of each other while the man caught up and grabbed the lead. After a quick photo, we went our separate ways. I was so impressed with how Boost coped with it.
On the walk, he happily trotted in front of me while I strode out. I was curious to see what he’d do if I walked more slowly; he adjusted his pace to mine and didn't pull at all. He was alert and interested in the sights and sounds but remained very well-behaved.
Two men stopped to talk to him. He was a little nervous but allowed them to stroke him 😊. We saw a few other dogs and he was fine with all of them. There were no small dogs out today—they must have stayed home!
When we got back to the car, he managed to jump in on his own with a bit of encouragement. I took him to the pub, planning to take him inside to see how he got on, but when we reached the door, he became very nervous and didn't want to go in. Since he’d been such a good boy, I didn't want to push him, so we sat on a bench at the back for a little while before heading home for a lovely brush.
He has been very good; he just needs to build up a bit more confidence ❤️.
What our Volunteers say: Julie
Boost was an angel when we went to the event on Saturday. For both car journeys, I needed to pop his front paws into the back of the car and lift in his rear quarters. He travelled quietly both ways. On arrival, I felt he needed a little time to take in the surroundings, then a lift to get down from the boot. It wasn't a crowded event, but there was noise from the PA system, and there were many other dog types, breeds, and sizes, as well as a number of children. On gentle introduction, he responded well to them all. He walked around the show area well enough, occasionally needing to stop and take in the sights, sounds, and smells a number of times before agreeing to move on. Like many, the presence of other Greys gave him confidence. Boost proudly represented the breed in the Best Rescue class in the show, and watched his neighbour, little 'Peaches' from Romania, take the rosette with good grace.
What our Volunteers say: Jonathan & Lynne
He sat down immediately in the car and travelled beautifully. He wasn't bothered by food, steps, or children, and he wasn't interested in other dogs—though he was briefly startled when some off-lead dogs ran past, but there was absolutely no aggression. He walks very well on the lead, moving at our pace rather than his own, and handles a variety of walks with steep steps and hills with ease. He was happy to meet people both with and without dogs, wasn't fazed by small dogs, and got on very well with Otto. We met quite a few greyhounds when we walked around the gardens at Quarry Bank, and he was completely unfazed. He was also quite happy to go in and out of shops, showing how patient and calm he is—he even tried to buy a book called "The Hound of the Baskervilles"! He is a gentle soul who would be ideal for first-time owners.