Thanks Honey. I took the opportunity to have a birthday wee in the utility room because I knew no one would tell me off. Hee hee. Olive and I hope too see you all again soon. Ruby x

Think I just lost my last posting!

Happy birthday Ruby. Love to Olive and your Mom and Dad too. Honey xx

Happy birthday Ruby - 7 today and still as lively, cheeky and curious as a puppy. Love from mum, dad, granny and greyhound sister Olive. x x

I think I might be a celebrity because my picture is on the Pet Blood Bank facebook page with my sister Ruby. Dad gave them the photo quite a while ago so we were very excited to see they've decided to use it. Do celebrities get extra bonios or cheese?

So sad to read about the recent returnees, so here's a positive post. Ruby and Olive found their forever homes with us between Christmas and New Year 3 years ago.

It took Ruby some time to settle down to home life (see previous posts), but persistence paid off. She's always been a happy and quirky dog, everything is done at the double, and long may it continue.

After it taking what may be a record-breaking 18 months to pass her bronze Good Citizen award, Ruby passed her gold award in early 2012. Amazingly she actually got the hang of 'stop the dog'. We still go to classes sometimes on Wednesday nights to meet the other dogs and Ruby is very chuffed to be classed as 'non-reactive' at long last.

She's always been excellent with pepole and was a great ambassador for greys when we had our first hotel stay with the dogs earlier in the year. She didn't put a paw wrong and loved all the attention from the staff and other guests.

However she did put a paw wrong in the summer when she managed to fall in the canal on her regular daily walk. We already knew she could swim (see previous exploits), but she fell in next to a lock when the water level was low and it was really difficult to get her out.

Ruby's not averse to getting wet and loves lying down in shallow water. Unfortunately with all the recent rain she's developed a new variation on this called 'lying down in muddy puddles with my coat on.' Thank goodness all the coats are machine washable!

Happy New Year to everyone at Daybreaks. See you all again at the next blood donors session. Love Ruby x x

Happy Birthday for yesterday Ruby, it sounds as though you had a perfect day. xxx

Happy birthday Ruby, 6 today! Ruby's been spending the day with her big sister Olive. They bumped into our friends who have 5 greys on the morning walk so they all had a special birthday sniff and fuss. Then a trip to the pet shop to choose some pigs ears, an afternoon walk along the canal, and an evening snuggled up in front of the fire with a jumbone. Bliss. x x

Hello everyone. It's 2 years and 2 days since I've been in my new home. I've had an exciting year. It didn't start off too well when mum shut my tail in a door, I wagged blood everywhere including a 360 degree wag around our new kitchen which was still being fitted at the time. Fortunately after a trip to the vet and a few days rest it healed and is as good as new.

In April I learned to swim. We went on holiday to a farm with a private beach and as soon as Olive and I were let off the lead we ran straight out to sea. Olive stopped when the water reached her shoulders, but I just kept going. I always run very fast and when my feet didn't touch the bottom I just pretended to carry on running. Mum said I looked like Bambi on ice, my legs were going everywhere, but I turned round OK and swam back to Olive. I didn't try that again because I found out that I could lie down in the shallow water with my head and tail sticking up and just pretend to swim. I looked like the Loch Ness Greyhound. If a pesky wave came in and splashed me I barked at it and then it went away - until the next one.

My biggest achievement was in the summer when, after 18 months of dog training I passed my bronze award and I passed my silver award too. After we were given our certificates I got called up again and was presented with a special engraved trophy from Carole and Yvonne that says 'Ruby - About bl**dy time!' It is my most prized possession. I'm going for gold now, but it might take me another 18 months to master 'stop the dog'.

The biggest coincidence that happened was when we were walking in the village where we live (near Worcester) and a lady stopped her car and came over to talk to mum and dad about us. She asked what my racing name was and when dad told her 'Icemaid Rubie' she said she thought she recognised me, she used to follow me racing at Monmore! (Dad got a bit worried at this stage in case she'd lost any money and asked for it back.)

My brain hurts now from all this writing so I must go and have a lie down for a couple of hours by the fire. Happy New Year to everyone at Daybreaks, doggies and people. Ruby x x

Happy 5th birthday yesterday Ruby (we were at Granny's for the weekend so no internet access until today.) Ruby was thoroughly spoilt yesterday by granny and human brother Ewan, and she made sure to share her treats with her greyhound sister Olive. When we arrived home this evening we took the girls straight out on their leads for a walk on the pavement after dark. Unfortunately only a couple of minutes from home a young lad on a bike came cycling downhill on the pavement behind us. He was going too fast, failed to see us and the dogs and hit Ruby despite the fact that she had a red flashing light on her collar. Fortunately it was a glancing blow and after the intital shock neither she nor the cyclist seemed too much the worse for wear. We will be keeping a close eye on her though - I think more liver sausage and cottage cheese cookies are in order!

Ruby joined our family a year ago along with her new sister Olive. Olive was a very timid dog; Ruby was the complete opposite, outgoing and friendly. Ruby had only just finished racing when we rehomed her and it took her some time to settle into home life. Although she was very friendly with people, other dogs were another matter! We also struggled to get her clean at night. We asked for advice from Daybreaks and from Julie, Carole and Yvonne at Wednesday training classes, but nothing worked for more than a few nights. In the end after 6 months she worked it out for herself and has hardly had an accident since. At about the same time she also started to calm down at training classes and the cry of ‘Brace yourselves, Ruby’s coming off the lead’ were less frequent. Ruby’s racing notes show that she was always ‘fast away’, and that’s her – she does everything at the double. After a lot of patient training she’s now much better with other dogs and was playing off the lead in the snow last week with 2 springer spaniels! My advice to anyone else who has similar problems is to ask for help – some dogs take longer to settle than others and things can be turned round with time and patience. Ruby is a wonderful addition to our family – thanks Ruth and everyone else at Daybreaks

Happy 4th birthday Ruby. Lots of love mum, dad and Olive x x (loved your birthday card from Granny!)

Rubie is going to a new home with her new sister Olive, they seemed quite happy together and Rubie had a proper cuddling session with her new family. well done little girl i am so pleased for you and Olive. xxx

Cara is now a much loved wonderful girl, she was very confused and had desperate eyes when we first took her home to see if she would be OK with our first 2 greys Izzy and Dylan, and we did have the expected growls and grumbles from her when our older 2 came to us to be fussed, but you have to bare with this and as we have no young children to worry about getting in the way while they sorted it out, we just gave her loads of love and Izzy and Dylan seemed to know she was a scared little girl looking to find a forever home and gave her time to find her place in the pack.
It has been well worth it she has her passport with the other 2 and will be off on holiday to France in the New Year.
So looks like its a happy ending for her.
Hope Rubie finds a good home to she's a sweetie.

how is pearl, sorry cara!! we stillmiss her cheeky little ways, our home was her first home, and we were so upset that it didnt work out, almost broke my husbands heart taking her back...hope shes doing well lou,mark,kids and sparky xx

Saw her today, and nearly bought her home with the other 3. as she fussed my husband more than I do!!! (poor fella) she looks like our Cara (Pearl as was) who after a few initial problems with her first home is now a beloved girl with us, However I am sure she will have a home soon as she is so pretty, so resisted the temptation, just about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

is this little beaut cat friendly??? lou mark, kids and sparky xx

eyes to die for!!! xxx

she is so beautiful!! looks a proper cheeky chopsxxx

What a beautiful looking girl.

Uh oh, another beauty! Em xxx