Greyhound Nation

By: John Parker and Michael Burns
  • Summary

  • Greyhound Nation is a podcast for Greyhound enthusiasts, produced by Greyhound enthusiasts. Each episode will feature informative discussions with a diverse variety of people from the Greyhound community. The format will include one-on-one interviews and moderated roundtable discussions. Topics will cover all aspects of the breed, including but not limited to sports, history, adoption, wellness and behavior. Host John Parker and producer Michael Burns invite you to join the “nation.” Learn more about the show at greyhoundnation.dog.
    ©2020-2024 Greyhound Nation. All Rights Reserved.
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Episodes
  • “Electric Rabbit”: Charlie Blanning’s Latest Work of Greyhound Fiction
    Aug 24 2024
    Episode 45: Recorded August 11, 2024 "You need to write about what you know. You need to write about what you've experienced." Charlie Blanning on how his father's and grandfather's Greyhound breeding inspired elements of his new novel Show Notes Greyhound author and historian Charlie Blanning has released his second work of Greyhound fiction -- Electric Rabbit. His latest novel picks up many of the dangling narrative threads from his first novel, Rags to Riches. His latest work stands alone, but he recommends reading both novels to get the most of recurring characters and full historical context of the story. Speaking of that historical context, Electric Rabbit reads very much like historical fiction. The narrative continues Charlie's incorporation of elements factual Greyhound sport -- Greyhound racing and coursing in Great Britain. This new novel is set in the mid-1920s and focuses on the first Greyhound racing activities in the country. Without giving too much of the plot away, host John Parker and Charlie sit down to talk about the novel and its Greyhound sport underpinnings. Charlie shares how his family's background in racing and coursing Greyhound breeding informed Electric Rabbit's narrative. As always, he brings to bear his considerable corpus of historic Greyhound sport knowledge to paint a vivid and engaging portrait of the Greyhound in early 20th century Great Britain. Links The Greyhound & the Hare (Facebook; place your order) Text: 0 79 01 824 556 (UK SMS to express interest) Owen Patrick Smith, Greyhound Hall of Fame inductee (Website)
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • American Perspectives on International Greyhound Rehoming
    Jun 22 2024
    Episode 44: Recorded June 5, 2024 "People have jumped to the [conclusion] that, because tracks are closed in the United States, there's no more Greyhounds..." Debra Hardman, of GALT-Arizona, describing the state of affairs for Greyhound adoption applications Show Notes Former racing Greyhounds are still available to adopt in the United States. However, those Greyhounds will likely be sourced from outside the United States. Adoption organizations that partner with groups like Greyhound Racing Ireland / the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW) and Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) have effectively resuscitated their programs. These organizations' leaders, including Bob Koch of Nittany Greyhounds and Debra Hardman of GALT-Arizona, are navigating the ins and outs of rehoming these overseas hounds. Bob's adoption group in central Pennsylvania serves adopters regionally -- basically the mid-Atlantic and Midwest. At any given time, he has about 50 approved adoption applications. Nittany works with two organizations in Australia -- and GRV and GRNSW -- but they started international rehoming with Irish racing Greyhounds. According to Bob, the Greyhounds handle the long travel very well and share the same temperament as American racing Greyhounds. Debra's experience in the American Southwest is very similar to that of Bob's organization. GALT-Arizona -- a chapter of the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT) -- serves Arizona and surrounding states. Her Australian Greyhounds come directly into LAX for pickup, and she describes the hounds as happy as ever as they finish their long journeys after transport. In this episode, host John Parker talks with Bob and Debra about these and other experiences rehoming international Greyhounds with American adopters. They discuss the logistics of bringing the Greyhounds into various ports of entry, the paperwork involved and the care given to the hounds as they make their way around the world. Bob and Debra also share a bit about each of their organizations and how they're adapting to this new source of Greyhounds while also maintaining high welfare and breed support standards. Links Nittany Greyhounds (Website) GALT-Arizona (Website) Irish Retired Greyhound Trust (Website) Greyhound Racing Victoria (Website) Greyhound Racing New South Wales (Website) Episode 15 - Featuring GALT founders; discussing The Greyhound Project (Podcast) Episode 41 - Highlighting GALT and Australian racing Greyhounds as PTSD dogs (Podcast)
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Steve Austin: Training Greyhounds as Police Therapy Dogs
    Apr 25 2024
    Episode 43: Recorded April 3, 2024 "They're built to be a service dog in terms of physicality and temperament..." Australian animal trainer Steve Austin, on the Greyhound as a breed suitable for therapy dog training Show Notes Steve Austin had a knack for training animals at an early age. Growing up in New South Wales, Australia, he realized the value of positive reinforcement for dog training. As a teenager, Steve and his first dog -- a stray by the name of Sooty -- entertained the crowds on paydays at the local pub. Sooty was trained to balance a "schooner" of beer on his head. In Steve's words, "When he got it right, I made a lot of money that night..." Steve describes Sooty as rough, tough, black and mean -- a dog that would live to the age of 17. "He loved me, and I loved him." Along with dog obedience competitions, Steve fed his passion for animal training, and his skills as a trainer would expand beyond dogs to other animal species, including elephants and pigs. Steve's accomplishments include training animals for TV and film, prison dog behavior programs, and preparing PTSD dogs for Australian soldiers returning from combat. His book -- Working Dog Heroes -- is a heartfelt memoir of all these experiences as a trainer. In this episode, host John Parker explores Steve's latest initiative -- training former Australian racing Greyhounds as police therapy dogs in the United States. Steve shares the inception of the partnership with Greyhound Racing New South Wales and the results of the first Greyhound placements. He discusses the characteristics of the Greyhound breed that make them suited for training, and he waxes poetic about his expectations of his first ever personal Greyhound adoption. Links Working Dog Heroes (Amazon) Steve and Vicki Austins' Dog Training Education (Website) Steve Austin's Canines (Facebook) GRNSW Celebrates Major Milestone: 500th Greyhound Rehomed in the US (Article)
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    1 hr and 11 mins

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