Greyhound Gang & Get Up & Go are very pleased to host this gathering. We are going to have such FUN! To make sure it stays fun, all the time, I ask that you read the following very carefully.
Expectations for Guests is that you are coming to have fun and to help hounds. Email Claudia if you’d like to help during the Shivoo/Gathering, or with soliciting of items for donation prior to the event.
What follows is all common sense and common courtesy. I’m sure everyone practices all this faithfully and daily. I’d appreciate it, however, if everyone who is coming would follow these guidelines, so this Sighthound Shivoo – Kanab 2019 will be FUN and perfect in every way.
Kanab is welcoming us with open arms, and we have a greyt chance to strut our stuff and show that people and their pets, particularly the best pets in the world — OUR HOUNDS — can travel anywhere! FYI – Kanab is a very small town, and please understand that hotel owners, and store owners personally know me, and will let me know if anything untowards happens. Of course, they will also be telling me how wonderful all the hounds and humans have been, too! Which, of course, is what I love to hear.
Motels
Please respect that the owners of these motels have opened them up to you and your hounds. Having this many dogs at one time in their establishments is not common. And they have graciously agreed to do this. Please treat their rooms and properties with respect at all times. You are responsible for any damage your dog does. Please DO NOT leave your dog unattended in the hotel room, if they are not used to being left alone. Use a muzzle if you are at all unsure about their behaviors left alone in the road. In the past, we have had unattended dogs doing damage to rooms, and people not reporting it to the hotels, or taking responsibility for payment of damages. This is unacceptable, and has resulted in less rooms available. If you are NOT going to take responsibility for the hounds you bring, and their care while in the hotels, please do not attend.
When you arrive, you will receive a DO NOT DISTURB sign for your hotel door, which you can put your phone number on. If your dog cries and whines continually when you leave him or her, this is a quick way for someone to let you know.
Please walk your dogs outside and often. Please get them to go on the grass, and please clean up every single bit of poop that you can. Some suggestions follow.
Water
Fill water bowls only part way, so slobber and water spills can be kept to a minimum. Place bowls in bathroom on the tiles or bring plastic or towels to put under bowls on the floor.
Food
Place carefully – clean up after.
Beds
Please bring sheets to put on bedspreads, so you take all dog hair with you.
Crates
They are not required, but if your dogs are used to them, please bring them.
Muzzles
Bring a muzzle if you are going to leave your greyhound unattended in a hotel room, or with new, strange dogs in a hotel room or want to run more than one dog in the Blur of Fur at the same time. This will PREVENT – and prevention is a good thing – bad things from happening.
Shedding
Most hounds don’t shed much, but when they are stressed or in new situations, they will shed. Please bring paper towels, or whatever you use, to wipe down your grey and take off the shedding hair as much as possible. Please don’t pet a shedding dog and then leave the hair on the hotel floor or bedspreads. Please put it in the garbage. If you can, bring a Dirt Devil with you to clean up stray hairs. Don’t forget those extra sheets to cover the bedspreads in your rooms.
Mishaps
Please report any chewing, destruction, door scratching, vomiting or pooping to the hotel management immediately. They can help with clean-up. The reputation of all greyhounds, and the Shivoo, is on the line with your behavior. And I WILL hear about everything that happens, this is a very small town.
Pee, Poop and Hair Pick-up
Items to Bring
- Backpack or Tote to carry all this stuff!
- Nature’s Miracle or other dog cleaning solution
- Fantastik or other regular cleaning solution
- Paper towels
- Bags to clean up poop
- Canned Pumpkin or Slippery Elm or RX Clay to add to food to help with big D
- Slippery Elm is a very good diarrhea correction and prevention
- Water bottles
- Sheets
- Pet Hair removal brushes or tape
- Plastic/towels to put under food and water bowls
- Dirt Devil
Poop and Big D
Please get up as much as you can and then spray down with water and cover with leaves or something, so others don’t step in it. Since no one will be leaving their poop behind, there shouldn’t be a need for others to pick up poop that isn’t their poop. But on the off chance you see poop not picked up, please pick it up too. I believe places in Doggie Heaven belong to people that pick up others poo.
Pee
Please have Nature’s Miracle or some other cleaner and paper towels and plastic bags with you at all times.
Try to not allow your males to lift their legs on the corners of buildings. If they do, please have water on hand to wash down the building and sidewalk, and so dissipate the pee so others don’t step in it or smell it. Please keep an eye on those boys when you are talking and in stores too.
If you are out walking and you forgot (but you won’t!) your clean-up materials, then please ask another greyhound owner or storeowner to help you clean up your mess. Do not just leave it or ignore it, please!
Hair
If you have a lighter colored greyhound or stressed and so shedding greyhound, please try to keep the hair in garbage bags and not all over motel floors and bedspreads, people and shops downtown. Use wet paper towels to take off the shedding hair. Bring a Dirt Devil vacuum with you.
Walking Around Downtown Kanab
Kanab is opening their town to us. You can go into most shops with your greyhounds. You can walk around town. All this took a lot of conversations. There were town meetings, individual meetings, a lot of information sharing, and lots of promises. Please, please, please be courteous and polite and pick up really, really well after your dogs. Watch those boys like a hawk when you are in the stores. They have sneaky lifting legs. The impressions you make will last a lifetime.
Shops
Most shops in Kanab will allow you and your hounds to visit, so please carry cleaning stuff with you. Paper towels, cleaner, bags. Please watch your males CAREFULLY in their stores. Kanab shops are not open on Sunday.
People
It is hard for us to believe, but not all people love hounds and dogs the way we do. Don’t assume everyone wants to pet your dog. If they indicate they do, then go for it. But let the person make the first move to pet, not your dog.
Other Dogs
It is always easier to leave other breeds at home. If you can’t, then please do not approach other hounds with your dogs — small dogs in particular – unless you receive permission from the owners. When all hounds are together, like lunches, group roo, parade, Blur of Fur etc., it would be best to leave your other dogs in the hotel or car. All incidents occurring in the past have been with another breed dog. It’s usually not even their fault, but some hounds take exception to other breeds and owners don’t watch carefully enough.
Leashes
Please do NOT use flexi leashes. We have had problems with dogs on flexi leashes. It wasn’t the dog’s fault, it was the person not paying attention, but for safety reasons please just do not bring them. Please use nylon and standard leashes, and please keep an eye on your dog – ALL THE TIME. Keep them close to you when you are socializing with others. Always be aware of what is going on around you.
X-Pens
X-Pens are lovely to use. Just please use common sense with where you put them up, so humans and hounds around you can still see.
Dog Aggressive or Insecure
Your dogs, if they display any aggressive behavior, would be better off kept at home, as putting them in a stressful situation is not fair to them or everyone else around them. If you have a dog who will potentially bite and growl at others — either 2-legged or 4-legged — you MUST let others know by having your dog wear a red bandana at all times, and verbally letting others know to stay away. Not following this simple rule can have serious repercussions for guests and for all future Shivoo/Gatherings.
By insecure or aggressive behaviors, I mean any behaviors (space, alphaness, fear, shyness, etc.) which could cause your dog to growl or bite another dog or person. This doesn’t mean you have a bad dog. Just one who doesn’t particularly like being in groups. Again, if you have a greyhound, or other breed who might bite when in strange or group situations, it would be best if you could leave him or her at home.
Muzzles
Please bring them, as they can be used if you leave your dog alone, or with a new group of dogs in a hotel room. They can also be used in the Blur of Fur if your dog is running with other dogs. I also ask that red-bandana dogs wear muzzles when with large groups of dogs.
Leashed
It goes without saying, though I will say it, all dogs must be leashed at all times.
ID Tags
Please make sure your dogs have up-to-date ID tags on them, should they get loose.
Safety
Please be safe in all that you do. No dogs off leash. No insecure dogs near any other dogs. It will be a wonderful party, and we want everyone to enjoy it. Please gauge your dogs’ moods and don’t push them to do more than they can, just because YOU want to do something. People, kids, small dogs, space, and too many dogs may stress them in ways you’ve never seen. Watch them, listen to what they are telling you and be safe.
Greyhound Gang is not responsible for any mishaps, accidents, misdemeanors, whatevers, etc. of any participants – two-legged or four-legged. But we are responsible for all the fun you will be having at Sighthound Shivoo – Kanab. Guaranteed!