Monty The Great
Little Chicken
This site is about two retired racing greyhounds who live in England and the blog follows their daily activities. Although it is a work of lighthearted fiction, I’ve tried to show how confusing the world outside kennels can be for dogs who’ve lived their whole lives in them.
Monty, for example, had never seen the inside of a family home until he was seven years old.
Dogs which have grown up in family homes learn about things like kettles and stairs and the TV, at an early age. When you adopt a retired racing greyhound, it really is like having a middle-aged puppy and it’s very funny watching the way they react to all the things that they are seeing for the first time. It must be very confusing for them at times – not understanding what things are – and I have used this when writing about their exploits.
It’s best to read the blog posts in the order that they are written as it’s an ongoing saga!
A Message From Monty
My name is Monty The Great and I live with Little Chicken and The Fairy. Chicken is a retired racing greyhound just like me, and The Fairy is a human being who flits about in my house and never seems to know what she’s doing. I am so fabulous that I thought everybody should know what I’m up to.
Rehoming a retired racing greyhound is serious business, but I fully recommend it, especially if you end up with one as perfect as me.
Every year, thousands of greyhounds are born into racing. Some are fantastically fast and have long careers like Chicken and I, some are not so good and only last a few years, whilst others never really get started in the first place! In addition to this, there are many who are forced to stop due to injuries, irrespective of their level of ability.
Either way, at some point they have to retire, be it at age two or age five. Most trainers will ensure their dogs go to responsible families when their racing careers are over, or they will ask a greyhound rehoming centre to do it for them. There is a nationally recognized rehoming charity in the UK which has branches all over the country, and there are also many independent charities.
Chicken and I came from the same independent charity. I retired when I was five and spent rather a long time looking on Rightmove for the best possible home. Chicken also retired when she was five, in order to concentrate on having babies. She had 13 pups in total, who are now grown up and busy with their own careers.
The Big Move
Two years after my last race, I found a great little house and moved in. It needed a bit of redecorating but I sorted that out in the first few days. Training The Fairy turned out to be quite a challenge but I was making headway. Chicken joined me just before Christmas 2015 and messed up my system. Obviously I knew I was in charge but poor Chicken was a bit slow to catch on. I decided to let her think she was in charge, as this seemed to be the best policy at the time.
Chicken was seven years old in July of 2015. I was seven years old on the first of August 2015, and finally found my home a week later. I had waited two years. If you are considering adopting a retired racing greyhound, please ask about those dogs which have been there the longest, or those who are middle-aged. Greyhounds live an average of 12 to 15 years, so even at seven or eight still have a lot to give.
A Word Of Caution
Also, don’t believe a word Chicken says about me. She’s lovely bless her, but she doesn’t really understand the level of responsibility I have to deal with. She doesn’t take anything seriously and spends all her physical and mental energy playing with toys and taking the micky out of me. Which shows her immaturity and lack of military training. Bless her.
Monty
Greyhounds In Charge 
Fabulous. Looking forward to hearing more about your exploits Monty and Chicken. Girls Rule😀😀
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Thank you for your lovely comment. Monty and Chicken say that Daisydog is beautiful! 🐾
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How absolutely fabulous! Monty and Chicken I can’t wait to read more of your brilliantly written, funny, endearing exploits. 🐾💕🐾💕
Mandy xxx
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Thank you Mandy, it’s so kind of you to say that.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
Tess 🐾
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I am glad to hear that there is a rehoming centre. I am always concerned with racing animals, especially the ones that are not real famous.
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When they finish racing they can’t stay with the trainers so the rehoming centres are essential. They do fabulous work rehoming ex-racing greyhounds, and the independent charities do it all on charitable donations. They are such lovely dogs and deserve safe, caring homes when they finish their working lives. It’s good that people take an interest in them, and all the other cats and dogs that need rehoming. Thank you for your comment. 🐾
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Beautiful page! I currently have an exracer as well:) I am looking forward to seeing more of your posts!
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Thank you so much! We have looked at your Keke. What a stunner! Beautiful.
Monty and Chicken 🐾
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Yeuna says hi! It was lovely to chat with you yesterday (in Brigg)…loving the blog! xx
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Thank you so much! We found Yeuna on the kennel website! I’ll be writing about her very soon so keep your eyes out for her picture. It was lovely to meet you all. Greyhound people are the best. 😁 I hope you’ll stop and say hello when you’re next in Brigg on a Thursday.
Tess xx
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Hi Tess, a black greyhound has gone missing from it’s home in Broughton, Lincs this morning (@4am!). Was his first night in his new home…can you help at all? Xx
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Oops…was me posted that!
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Drew has been found!
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Helloooooo! I’m sorry that I didn’t reply to you when you left this message. I read about Drew on Facebook so I set off to walk my two in Broughton woods, armed with an extra collar and lead, fresh water and a bowl, a box of dog biscuits and my mum and dad! I thought if he was near by he’d recognise other greyhounds and might come to us. I also talked to a man at Brigg Market who had done the same with his Rottweiler. We were so pleased to hear that he’d been found safely. We didn’t even know him but were so upset! My parents live in Broughton so they might see him around the village. I’d love to meet him. I’m doing my blog again later – I’m afraid it’s been a while since I have written a post. I hope you are all well.
Tess ❤️
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Hi! Sorry for late reply, been so busy just lately. We have a new addition to our family, Fred, a white & black very lazy boy. We gave him our sofa about 3 months ago, hope you get to meet him one day.
Love the blog you wrote about Yeuna 💓
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What great news! Monty says not to confuse ‘doing research’ with being lazy. He’s always researching something in his bed! Chicken wants to know if Fred and Yeuna are getting married, but I’ve told her not to be so nosey. I hope you all have a brilliant Christmas. I’m sure we can arrange to go for a walk in Broughton woods next year. Tess 🐾❤️🐾
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Carla – formerly known as Jay Pressicarla, now known as Carla Who Likes Shoes – sends her greetings!
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Hello! You are very welcome. 🐾❤️🐾
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a very good blog, my girlfriend and I wait for instalments, the cat muncher journals have stopped for the time being
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Welcome aboard! I’ve had a look at your blog page and your greyhounds are lovely! I hope you can start writing again sometime.
Monty and Chicken 🐾❤️🐾
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You haven’t written for some time so I will share a story with you, Stubby has a brother called Captain, they both came from the same trainer at more or less the same time, both have an obsession with balls.
Captains owners mother had a major operation on her shoulder that involved her arm and shoulder being put in a full cast (almost like a peter sellers scene) so she decided to pop round with captain to cheer her mother up.
What she didn’t know was that at the end of the cast was a ball on on a piece of metal the aim being that her mother could squeeze it to exercise her hand and tendons.
I think you can imagine what happened when she opened the door with a large red ball in her outstretched arm, Captain immediately went for it and had a great game of tug with her.
Fortunately she was on a lot of painkillers and no damage was done.
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That’s hilarious! I’m laughing out loud. Poor mum though. 😃
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good to see you back and writing, loving it all.
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Thank you! 🐾❤️🐾
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Love these blogs they make my day! 😍
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Thank you so much. They’re a real pair of characters. 😃
Tess 🐾❤️🐾
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Hello Monty, hello Chicken, this is Mouse from north Queensland, Australia. The Staff (ie, Mum and Dad) adopted me from GAP Queensland, which is the Racing Commission’s official retired greyhound adoption program. I’m only a young’un at three and a half, but I was forced to retire due to injury. Now I am the Boss of the household and everything revolves around me except when the Staff forget themselves and fail to supply treats, walkies, belly rubs, zoomies, balls, etc, on demand. I am black and shiny except for a white bib and some white toes on three of my feet and the tip of my tail. I had Staff (Mum) read your blog post to me and I would like to hear more about your life in England, which is very different from here. Staff said she would too, as she’s originally from England herself. Mouse
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Hellooooooo Mouse! It’s so nice to meet you. From your description of yourself, you sound stunning. 😁 I hope The Staff are improving their snack delivery service. The secret is continuous training as they are difficult to control at times. I have been rather busy lately with important government business so have not written for a while. I will be posting more often from now on though. Where in England did Staff live? And does she want to adopt Chicken? Because I can send her through the post. 😂
It’s great to have a new friend to join our gang. 🐁🐁🐁🐁🐁
Monty The Great 🐾❤️🐾
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G’day Monty, I’ve had to have words with the Staff; Mum had unFollowed because she thought you weren’t posting any more, which is why you’ll see us Following again. Sorry about that, you just can’t get the help these days. I’ve been able to apply some really intensive training recently as the Staff aren’t allowed to go out as much, which results in more strokies, treats, snacks and growly games on the bed in the morning for Me. Staff says to tell you she was brought up in Newbury, Berkshiire and lived and worked in London for 25 years before emigrating. She’d probably love to adopt Chicken, but I’m afraid I really must draw the line; I might have to share food, bed, attention, etc, and I can’t be doing with that. Besides, our post is getting a bit irregular just now and it would be unfortunate if Chicken was stuck in the mail depot for a week or two.. The Staff regularly arrange trips for me, and travel with me to see to the catering and entertainment. We have a caravan for the purpose, and Mum tends to write up our expeditions on the blog. I believe they’re still hoping to take me on holiday in July, up to Far North Queensland and the tropics, but that depends on whether we’re still on lockdown. Anyway, toodle pip for now, and I’ll look forward to seeing what you and Miss Chicken get up to. Mouse 🐾
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