A sighthound person, through and through

India Calaby of Hound on Heart Dog Training with a greyhound

If you'd told me 10 years ago that I'd now have 5 of my own dogs and work with dogs full time, well, I'd probably believe you, because that was exactly my dream!

It goes without saying I've always been a huge dog lover, so as soon as I moved out at 21 I got my first dog, Hank. I dedicated everything to having fun training him and learning various ways to enrich his life. I was obsessed!

A year later I adopted another dog, Vinnie, who had health and subsequently some behaviour issues. It was working on these complex issues that really opened my eyes to working with dogs, so I took the leap, completely changed career paths and started working at a well-known dog rescue.

Since then I have worked and volunteered with various rescues, working hands on with a huge variety of dogs, providing post-adoption support to new owners, and I completed my PACT canine instructor accreditation. Working in rescue is also where my love for sighthounds came from. I now have 4 myself! I have spent the last 3 years working as a self-employed dog trainer through Quality Canines, where I've been so fortunate to work with so many incredible people and their dogs.

Whilst I LOVE working with so many different dogs, I will always have a soft spot for sighthounds and overseas rescue dogs.

Both can be very different to your average dog and can need specialist help to fully understand how to genetically fulfil them and channel their personalities into their training, which I am more than eager to help with!

I am also a self-confessed obedience nerd and have fallen in love with FCI competitive obedience. I have been fortunate to attend many workshops, online mentorships and training competitions with incredible trainers such as Anna Herzog and Onfire Obedience. This is how Lincolnshire Obedience Club was created, so if you are interested in trying something new and fun with your dog then come along. I am always excited to introduce people to the sport.

Dogs really are at the heart of everything I do. In my spare time you'll find me training my own dogs in fun, sporty stuff, exploring new walks with them and meeting friends for a coffee (with the dogs, of course!).

I am very proud to now be launching my own business, alongside my work with Candy's Sighthound Rescue, to be able to help more people with their hounds!

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Meet the gang

Dorothy

Romanian mixed breed · approx. 10 years

Dorothy lived the first 5 years of her life as a Romanian street dog. She then came to a rescue in the UK after finding herself in a kill shelter. Shortly after being adopted, Dorothy was returned to the rescue I was working at the time. Her family said she was terrified and had hidden in a crate for the 4 weeks they had her, refusing to come out.

When she came back to the rescue she was much better, although still an incredibly nervous dog. She used to enjoy playing with the other dogs at the rescue but refused to walk on a lead. I decided to foster her and she never left!

The first year we had Dorothy was tough. She was totally different in a home environment and completely shut down. She just wanted to hide away, and she wouldn't eat, drink or move if we were present. Even when she started to make progress, every little thing would set her back, and she had a huge issue with doorways and was terrified of people.

She has taught me more than any educational course ever could. It didn't happen overnight and took so much work, but the transformation of Dorothy is incredible. Believe it or not, Dorothy is now the happiest girl ever. She loves people and demands fuss from everyone she meets. She has gone from a dog who wouldn't walk and was terrified of the outside world to a dog that loves nothing more than exploring new walks.

She has amazing social skills with other dogs, and not only has she overcome her own battles, she has been a huge help to our foster dogs, showing them how they can overcome their fears too. She is now estimated to be around 10 years old but is showing no signs of slowing down. She loves to be out and about!

Boo

Lurcher · 4 years

Boo was my first sighthound and it was love at first sight. She came into the rescue I was working at when she was just 7 weeks old, with her brothers, after being dumped in a box. From the second I held her I knew she would be a 'failed foster' and never leave our home. It was a week before Halloween, so they all got spooky themed names, quite fitting for dogs that are naturally 'spooky'!

Boo and her brothers were quite poorly, but thankfully she made a full recovery. Boo is a prime example of the impact genetics can make. She is naturally a cautious and sensitive girl and we've had to work on building her confidence.

She is the dog that got me into sport, and together we've dabbled in hoopers, scentwork, KC and FCI obedience. She also enjoys coming to work with me and being a stooge dog for clients. She loves training (although that wasn't always the case), long walks, zooming around and playing with the rest of the gang. No matter how many dog beds we have in the house, you'll always find Boo squashed against one of the others!

One of my biggest challenges with Boo has been her toy play. She showed very little interest in playing or engaging in tug games and it has taken SO much work, but she really does love it now! It's been a real game changer for building her confidence and bringing out her silly side.

Pea the Italian greyhound sitting in a field

Pea

Italian greyhound · 2 years

Anyone who has met Pea knows she has that 'main character' energy. It's her world, we just live in it! She is a great example of how incredible Italian greyhounds can be: confident and silly, and she loves people, dogs and pretty much everything life has to offer.

By far my highest energy dog, she just loves to train and join me at work. She is a take-anywhere, do-anything dog, which despite her great temperament still took plenty of training. She attracts a lot of attention, and for a dog that thrives on attention from everyone she meets, I have poured so much time into making sure she can listen even when things are exciting.

I am very proud of the dog she is growing into and cannot fault her. She's a proper little firecracker! Together we love training FCI obedience and showing everyone that sighthounds can do cool sports too. One day we hope to represent the UK at the European Open!

Sushi

Lurcher · 4 years

Sushi was a very unexpected addition to our gang last year. I kept seeing her rehoming advert online and was really drawn to her, but we had not long welcomed Pea to the family so the timing didn't seem right. It wasn't long, though, until I drove across the country to pick her up, and the rest is history!

Sushi slotted into our home like she'd always been there, which isn't always the case with rescue dogs. We had limited information on her background. All we know is she was in a domestic violence situation and was handed over to rescue. When she came to us she had some low-level people reactivity. She is never a dog that goes looking for trouble, but if she felt trapped or someone surprised her, she used her big girl bark to try to make herself feel better. We have worked on this and she is now good at regulating her emotions.

Sushi is an amazing dog and very much a two-sided coin. She can be the most gentle and sweet girl, but on the flip side she can be highly driven with a crazy (and amazing!) energy. Such a sweet girl, but with an 'edge'. The best of both worlds! Sushi loves long walks, any activity that taps into her prey drive, her ball and toy play, and swimming!

Rip the whippet x Bedlington terrier puppy sitting on a garden wall

Rip

Whippet x Bedlington Terrier · 4 months

Rip is the newest member of the gang and was very unexpected! I was having a hard time following the sudden loss of my soul dog Hank, and we were also fostering a dog with medical needs at the time, so I definitely wasn't looking for another dog. But sometimes the universe has other plans, and here he is!

Rip's parents are working dogs, so he's going to need plenty of activities to fulfil his needs. So far he is a confident, resilient and social boy, and I'm excited to see what we get up to together.

Forever in my heart

A special mention to Hank & Vinnie, the OG boys

Hank

I got Hank when I was 21 and he was without a doubt my soul dog. We had a special bond that I don't think I'll ever find again. He had his quirks for sure, but he was social and well trained, although if I was around he'd only have eyes for me, and my husband never did manage to get him to listen to him, haha!

He was such a character and was a grumpy old man from the age of 8 weeks. He loved coming everywhere with me and would get involved in all sorts of activities, but his favourite was always plonking himself on my lap.

Vinnie

Vinnie was the total opposite. We adopted him a year after we got Hank, and he was a crazy, high energy boy that we often joked was 'off his rocker'.

Vinnie had severe medical issues that also affected his behaviour. We always knew we'd lose him young and made sure he lived his short life to the fullest, which he certainly did! Vinnie loved running, playing and just generally being a whirlwind of chaos, but he also loved curling up with us on an evening.

These boys are the reason I changed my career and delved so deep into the dog world. I miss them every day.

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