George and Stripe: The Unbreakable Child and Greyhound Bond

This loving story began when George (aged 4 at the time) was asking his parents for a dog. They had lost their previous greyhound just before George's first birthday. Glenn and his partner kept putting him off for around 6 months, however had secretly been looking at puppies of different breeds. But they wanted a dog that was greyhound size and sweet natured like a greyhound... it inevitably had to be a retired greyhound!

Finding the Perfect Match: When Child Meets Greyhound

They had half watched the Crossing Cottage website thinking George's phase would pass, but they spotted Micky and fell for him, so they arranged to visit him at the kennels. It was one of the 'let's just go and have a look' days. When they got to Crossing Cottage, George was super excited to meet Micky and they sat and spoke to the staff there who suggested they may want to meet Stripe, they told them about his lovely laid back outlook on life and how they thought he would be a good match for the family.

Out came Stripe…. Very chilled. He didn't pull on the lead, jump up or really make any kind of play for attention. They took him for a walk and George kept saying how much he liked Stripe. Glenn wasn't sure if it was because it's a dog or if he really did like him, so when they got back to the kennels, they decided to meet Micky. Micky also went on a walk with George and his family. Micky was a lovely dog with a different personality. On the walk George kept talking about Stripe. The family thanked the team at Crossing Cottage and went away to gather their thoughts.

Making the Commitment: Building a Child and Greyhound Bond

Glenn explained to George what a big commitment it was to adopt a dog. It would mean no more trips to Legoland or holidays on an airplane. George didn’t care; he wanted a dog, he promised to help feed, walk and train him. They went to the kennels a few more times to walk Stripe and every time had the same reaction from George but started to get more of a fuss from Stripe. They then made the decision he was the dog for the family and agreed to adopt him. Stripe went to his forever home on 09/11/24.  

The Early Days: Patience in Building Their Bond

When Stripe came home, George kept all his promises to help feed, walk and train Stripe and to make sure all his toys were tidied away when he had finished. The first few months were a little hard with Stripe. He wouldn't do his business on a walk, there was a bad spell of heavy snow, and he just lacked energy. They began to worry as they hadn't seen this in any of their other hounds before. They remained positive and patient, but it was a bit of a struggle managing a young child and a dog.

George began to get disheartened at the lack of attention he got from Stripe. He had become a bit nervy in the house, but they tried to reinforce all the good behaviour and encouraged him to interact with them. After a few months things started to change. Stripe started to come out of his shell, he started to run around, chase his tail and play. George started to join in! Their child and greyhound bond was strengthening all the time.

The Beautiful Bond Blossoms

Stripe started to look for George coming home from school and go for a fuss, would sleep on the floor under his feet (George sat on sofa) and play football with him on the garden. As the weeks and months pass their bond just got stronger. Stripe loves to be around George and George loves to show stripe off. Stripe now comes to collect George from school, sits with him while he reads and watches him play football rushing for a fuss at the final whistle! 

George won't go for a meal or ice cream without Stripe and insists on fetching him new toys and nice treats whenever they pass a pet shop. As you will see from photos George is happy around Stripe and Stripe is happy and content around George. Was it love at first sight? Not so sure. Does it demonstrate what an incredible unbreakable bond you can build with love and patience? Absolutely. More importantly it shows what great family pets these dogs are and with a child they build each other's confidence!

Thank you so much Glenn, for sharing this heartwarming story of George and Stripe the greyhound.

Ready to Create Your Own Special Bond?

Inspired by George and Stripe's incredible journey? There might be a gentle, patient greyhound waiting to become your family's newest member. Whether you have little ones at home or you're looking for a calm, loving companion, these amazing dogs have a special way of fitting perfectly into family life.

Find your family's perfect greyhound companion

Your own heartwarming story could be just beginning! 🐕👦💙