Wednesday, December 31, 2008

I'm waaaaaayyyyy behind!

Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote. We've just been oh so very busy!

A few quick notes.... back on the 10th of December we got 5 1/2" of snow! In Louisiana! It was amazing!
All the pics can be found here! I have videos too, but have yet to get them off of my camera! I post a link when I upload the videos.

Christmas was greyt! The pups got a ton of toys thanks to us, family members and their Greytalk secret Santa's (thanks again!)

Today is New Year's. Tonight is the LSU game. We are going to watch it with my parents and chill with some close friends and watch movies. They are in the midst of losing one of their dogs, a lab-mix. It's a very sad situation. They just want a quiet evening, so no fireworks, but that's fine by us.

We're getting our first foster of the New Year this weekend. I'll post about him once he arrives.

On a non-grey note, I got a new car on the 20th! It's a 2009 VW Rabbit! I love it! I think we're going to call it Esca, which means lure or bait in Italian. It maybe should be a German name, but all our cars have Italian names, whether they are Italian or not, and German is just not a fun language to speak. The words all sound vulgar :oP

So that's my quick notes. I'll try to get back to posting at least once a week again as soon as things get back to normal, whatever normal is :o)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Another quickie

1-GPA Christmas party was a blast. We came away with a coffee cup and a martingale.

2-We brought Hero to the party and he went home with another family who are fostering with intent. We should know this weekend if their intentions are true.

3-We got Anna to eat consistently with water in her food. Whatever works.

4-Berry White started giving us trouble, turning his nose up at his food. He would eat bread and such we put in his food as well as sour cream and peanut butter mixed in. He got to the point where he would remove the liquid and leave the kibble. At the advice of L, we decided to try Beneful Healthy Radiance. Berry White loves it! This morning he even picked it out and left the Nutro (we are mixing the food for now). Anna likes it too. Dax has not tried it yet, as he gives us no trouble eating and will eat just about anything! I am just glad Berry White is eating normally again.

Monday, December 1, 2008

a quick note on Anna

Well, it is the usual up and down with her. Breakfast was drawn out, but eaten this morning. This evening, she just stood there for a while. When Berry finished, I added water to her food and she ate it all. Kudos to her for that. So, I guess, at least at dinner for now, we will try water. I looked her teeth and everything looked fine. Someone suggested picky-ness could be a sign of a kidney problem. Not sure what to make of that. For now, we will just battle on.... take it a day at a time....

Sunday, November 30, 2008

many things....

First, we had a nice Thanksgiving. Relatively quiet. We visited my parents and ate there. Friday, we had some friends over for Greek food. It was nice. I have started some Christmas decorating. I put lights on the column in the house and hung the stockings.

Next, I want to express my condolences to a friend who lost a very young greyhound yesterday. It's tough to lose one, but I would think tougher so young. No details here, but I will say he will be sorely missed.

We still have Hero. He is doing well. He has been a perfect house guest. He will be a fine greyhound for someone. He has a few quirky traits, as they all do, but overall he is a good boy.

Berry White thinks he has to talk to us all the time now. He has always been vocal, but it seems like the last 2 months or so have lead to him talking more. It seems like he just fusses a lot. He wants out, he wants to be petted, he wants in the room you're in, and so on. He just barks, roos, and whines on. Goofy boy.

Dax is just Dax. He is still funny about certain things, but that's just him. I have not had time to work on training him to do things as I had hoped. Hopefully, after the holidays.

And then there's Anna. She is still giving us a hard time eating. I've explained what she does before, but I'll brief it again. She just walks to her food and walks away. Sometimes, she stands over it and will eat some. Other times, she just eats. She will eat any treat with no issue. We have changed them to another flavor of Nutro, with the plan of switching every couple of bags back and forth between the 3 or 4 available flavors. We changed the first time recently and she ate with no hesitation for about 5 days and then went back to her old habits. Sometimes she tries to eat Berry's food, which has water added. We had done that for Anna before, but then she started her eating issues and was wasting food. Water peaks her interest some but not all of the time, so I won't do it. I am not wasting food. We talked about switching to the Sam's Member's choice I think it is, but we are too far away from any Sam's and would have to make trips out just for that, whereas now we have close access to a small local pet store and Tractor Supply which carry the Nutro. It seems like the Nutro is the best we can afford. We go through so much food, it would be a financial strain to switch to anything more costly. I'd consider doing it just for her food, if she would eat it, but I'm not sure that anything would keep her interest for more than a few days. I also will not add cheese or anything like that to her food. I have done it before but the boredom thing persists after a few days no matter what we have tried. Sometimes, if she does not eat her breakfast, about 20-30 minutes later she will scope out all the bowls like she is looking for food, but I can't just leave her food out, especially since during the week we are on such a tight schedule in the mornings and any unattended food for any amount of time will be eaten by Dax, who is the opposite of Anna, as he is ALWAYS hungry. I am just getting tired of fighting her to eat. Nearly every meal is a battle. I just don't know what to do with her or if anything could be wrong. I'm getting my Mom to bring me a scale today. I'm going to start monitoring her weight..... I may post this on greytalk to seek more advice....

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone out there a Happy Thanksgiving! For those of you here in Louisiana with us, I hope you are enjoying our wonderful fall weather. Cold yesterday and now it's wet, balmy, humid, and warm. Ah, South Louisiana weather!



I will also note, that I am trying to get into the holiday spirit, in a way other than all that darn sewing! I updated my greytalk signature today to something more, holiday-y....enjoy! If anybody wants one, just let me know. It may take me a few days, but I'd be happy to do it.

Have a greyt Turkey Day everyone!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Hero & Crafts

First, Hero is doing very well. He has excellent house manners and seems to just go with the flow in our busy house. He is a gentle boy. I think he will end up being a snuggler. He seems to be heading that way. Last night, he got on the couch with me for a few minutes and, between T & I going to bed, he snuck in the bed and slept between us all night. We do not encourage our fosters on to the furniture, but we don't stop them either, unless we know where they are going and that it won't be allowed. Otherwise, they are treated like one of the pack. I also have decided that if he were mine, his name would likely be Mogwai, as in the little creature that Gremlins are before they become Gremlins. Anyway, I think that's what he looks like. It would be that or Mojo. I keep goign back to Mo names since he has a little mohawk. Oh well, not my place, just my opinion.

On to crafts. I just want to say that I have completed all of my first greyhound project and am working on the second one. I will post pics and such after Dec. 6th, which is when the GPA Christmas party is and some of both are for that, so I don't want to spoil anything. Anyway, that's all for now....

Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Play Day and Hero!

The Play Day was awesome! We had, at last count, 37 greyhounds out running and playing together! It was awesome! The human company wasn't too bad either :o) Overall it was a greyt day! I think everyone, hound and human alike, had a fantastic time. It was a little cool at times, mostly when the wind was kickin', but it was fun. I have more pictures to upload to my image site and will post the link when I do.


The second happening of the day was us getting a new foster. I came home form the Play Day with one more hound than I came with! Who knew 4 greyhounds would fit in a Scion xb!!!! I NEVER believed it was possible, but 4 tired greyhound will fit! So anyway, I came home with Causey's Hero, AKA "Hero". He is a very calm, quiet and sweet 3 year old white and red boy. He is just so cute! I'm interested to see if he becomes more active and such in our house, but it's cool too if he doesn't. He seems like he will be an easy foster. I sure hope so. No crating. We shall see what tomorrow brings....

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Today is Rex Manning Day!

Okay, so I would suspect only a few people would get my Empire Records reference in the title, but today is going to be a good day! Today is the GPA Play Day! I am so excited! The hounds have no idea what today will bring, but they have figured out they are going somewhere (we put martingales on earlier) and are VERY excited about it. It should be a fun day. I'm bringing both the still and video camera. Hopefully they run a bunch. We shall see!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I've been busy....

Okay, so I have started on some of the crafts that I have mentioned before that I wanted to start working on. I will not share what they are here yet because some may be part of some secret Santa or white elephant gifts in the near future. Let's leave it for a surprise....

I will share the little logo I came up with to go with the items I create. Who knows, maybe something could come of it someday.... Anyway, so here is the logo: (click image to enlarge)

So, I think it came out pretty nice. Color could be used in place of the gray sometimes, which could be neat. Maybe I do red and green for Christmas or something.

As for the name, this actually holds a good bit of meaning. First, Bauhaus. I will utilize Wikipedia to get a concise definition for those of you unfamiliar with it. So Wikipedia says, "Bauhaus ("House of Building" or "Building School") is the common term for Staatliches Bauhaus, a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933.
The Bauhaus school was founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar. In spite of its name, and the fact that its founder was an architect, the Bauhaus did not have an architecture department during the first years of its existence. The Bauhaus style became one of the most influential currents in Modernist Architecture and modern design. The Bauhaus had a profound influence upon subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography." I have had an interest in and appreciation for this particular realm of design for a while and appreciate the works of many that arose from the school and related movements. This is not a blog about design, so I will NOT go into detail about the movement, who and what I like, etc.

So, in case you also are not aware, T (my husband) and I both work in the field of architecture and I have a degree in Art History as well. Design culture runs deep in my house. I designed our house. When we moved in, T decided it had to have a name. I am not sure how long it took to come up with it (months I think), but we wanted it to reflect us. We eventually came up with Greyhaus, which tied together greyhounds, architecture and a little play on words.

When I came up with the idea to include a little card with my crafts, after a little discussion with T, I decided to carry the Greyhaus name over to this endeavour as well. It seemed appropriate. Greyhounds and creation, craft, design. I think it's cool....

Sunday, November 9, 2008

A greyhound in the White House?

The country is a buzz. Obama has won and promised his girls a "puppy" by the spring. Well, one has allergies, so their breeds are limited. Also, Obama has expressed interest in rescuing a dog. As you can imagine, there is now much discussion in the greyhound community about the possibility of a greyhound in the White House and what that would do/cause?

I think there would be positive and negative effects. I must also say that it is a bigger deal because of them getting the dog post election. To be frank, I doubt they will adopt a greyhound. There are too many political connotations and too many people that would be pissed off by it and trying to read something into it. Is he pro-racing, anti-racing, or does he even give a crap? I just think it would be too political. I do have some worry that people who do not need and should not have greyhounds would end up with them in a sort of 101 Dalmations sort of situation. There may be some cases of that, but the fact that many if not most groups require home visits, a lot of that would be prevented with the exception of direct from the track adoptions an such. On a positive note, there would be increased awareness of the breed and how great they are as pets, as well as the plight of many former racers and the like. I could go on more, but I won't. This is a sticky subject. I am torn as to which I would prefer, yes or no...

I would like to wih the Obama's the best in their dog choice. Please rescue. Purebred or mutt does not matter, but NO DESIGNER BREEDS. I just cannot support that at all.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Greyhound Racing banned in Mass.

So, yesterday, the voters of Massachusetts passed a ban on greyhound racing. There are two tracks in that state that will be affected over the next two years. One of the tracks is not currently open and only runs seasonally. The anti-racing people are very excited and hope to move more states to a ban on greyhound racing. I am not anti-racing. I believe that the racing is not the problem. Yes, accidents happen. Dogs are injured and some die on the track or from injuries sustained on the track. It is true. BUT, that is not the problem in my opinion. I am more worried about what happens when their career is over and how they are treated off the track. I think the answer is not to ban racing, but to regulate it more. Make the tracks safer. Hold people responsible for the care of the dogs during their careers and make sure NO greyhound is needlessly put down when their career is over. More oversight.

What would happen to the breed if there were no more racing? How long before there were no more greyhounds that needed to be rescued (or very few at least)? I'm sure there would always be coyote hounds, but what about all the others? What about the breed in general? Would the just become just some other dog breed, because right now I think they are pretty damn special? I pose those questions to the anti-racing people out there. YES, some people are bad. YES, bad things happen to some dogs, BUT many owners are honest, caring, and trustworthy. I have met many owners through Greytalk that do a fantastic job taking care of their hounds throughout their careers and afterward. I like to hope they are the rule rather than the exception.

My three hounds come from varied race backgrounds. Without these race backgrounds, I would not have these wonderful creatures. I am sorry some dogs suffer on the track, and wish that did not happen. I want all greyhounds to have their own couch, BUT I don't think that ending racing is the way to make that happen. Some people will always find a way to do bad things, and through this industry, some accomplish that, BUT I believe racing can be better, safer, and lead to those couches....

.... let's see what the courts say. I'm sure there will be a challenge, since many people stand to lose jobs...

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Just wanted to wish everyone out there a Happy Halloween and share my greyhound pumpkin!

Yes - I carved it. I found a picture online, printed it, use a spiked-wheel tool to punch the pattern onto the pumpkin, traced the dots, and cut and carved my way to a greyhound head. Enjoy!

Dax has hurt himself, again....

Last night, we come in from handing out candy and take the dogs out back. They ran around a little bit, but nothing too crazy. We come back in and all 5 of us head into the office. We hang out in there for 30-45 minutes. Dax gets up to leave the room and he is limping on his back right leg, holding it up. That is his broken hock leg. I figured he just maybe twisted it playing. So, I get him to lay back down in the office and he is licking his foot pretty good. When he finally lets me see, I notice it's bleeding and it looks like it is between his toes. So, I pull his toes apart a little and he has totally split the webbing between the two middle toes! This is the second foot he has done this on! 6-8 months ago he did this on his front left foot between the inside and next toe. And he split is all the way too! Nothing left between the toes! We have no tree in our yard, or any of the neighbors for that matter, so there are no sticks or anything that he could be stepping on. Neither of the other two have had any foot problems in our yard. I just don't know what to make of it and it just seems too ironic that he has done this twice!

So, I put some neosporin on some gauze, put it between his toes, vet wrapped his foot, then put a sock over it and vet wrapped that to his leg. He slept muzzled because he would not leave it alone. This morning, I put neosporin between his toes and re-wrapped the foot. No sock this time. Poor baby....

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Berry White update

Berry has been taking his Medicam since the vet visit yesterday, and I am happy to say that he is back to normal. He is eating, not that he stopped, playing, rooing, jumping up and so on. We are still making him go out alone to limit his running, but he seems to be back to himself. The Medicam is for 10 days, so let's hope that he is still feeling good AFTER he is done with the meds.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

a scare...

So, yesterday afternoon, we let Berry White spend some time by himself playing in the yard with the soccer ball. He LOVES this. He does not do it often, but he seemed interested, so we let him go. That was about 5:30 p.m. We went out to dinner with friends and then came hound a little before 10 p.m. When we got home, Berry did not seem himself. He had his head hung low and let out a GSOD (greyhound scream of death) when bumped. We let them out, brought them back in and watched tv for a bit then headed for bed. Berry could not get settled and when he would lay down, if he shifted around, he would let out a GSOD again. He woke us up throughtout the night. He just could not settle and he was in pain.

Fearing the worst, I called the vet to see if we could get in this morning. We did, but not with our normal vet, which was okay. We brought him in and the vet was able to find two things that bothered Berry: turning his head towards the right a bunch and a spot on his humerous where the tendon meets the bone. Xrays were called for. So, we went back to the room, while they x-rayed Berry. Luckily our vet uses the newest digital xrays, so he did not have to be sedated.

The vet entered the room without Berry and closed the door - my heart sank, but the news was not as bad as it could have been. The point on the humerous where Berry reacted seemed fine on the x-ray. His leg bones actually looked very good. No arthritus or anything. When x-raying the leg and shoulder, he noticed a spot on his spine. He then did an x-ray of that. He said Berry has one fusion and another poor looking vertibrae. He thinks the pain today was from the tendon though, but said we should watch for any neuroloical changes, as the spine issue seems to be nothing now, but could be bigger later. So, we were sent home with Medicam and instructions to limit his activity for the next week or so. So, something is wrong, but it's not the BIG C as I feared it might be. I had already shed some tears, thankfully, it was for naught.

He is resting now and has had his meds. I think they are finally starting to work and he is relaxing. He just seems unsettled and is still keeping his head low, well he was last time he was up. I know he hurts. Hopefully the meds will help. If not, we see the vet again....

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Gus is home - and now there were 3....

Last Friday night, Gus went to his new home in Mississippi. Last I heard, he was doing very well. His new Mom and Dad loved him from the get-go and he will surely be spoiled.

I must admit, I do not miss him as much as I thought I might. As I have said before, he may not have caused any trouble and my hounds did not mind him, but he was not right for our pack. He is a greyt boy, but never to be my greyt boy. When they left with Gus, my 3 immediately went to sleep. It was like a weight was lifted from them. The last few nights, it is not a mad dash to get in the bed and everyone doesn't have to sleep with us. It's just no big deal. That goes back to me saying he did not really "fit" here. My hounds are not "needy". They all like attention, but none of them are velcro dogs. Gus is. He wanted to constantly be in contact with SOME human. Mine normally do not, but became jealous because he got all this attention. This bothered them and I ended up with a house full of velcro dogs! No one ever got snippy or anything, there was just always a hound there. I am by no means suggesting my hounds are not spoiled rotten and the center of attention in my house, but it's just different. Some of you will understand what I mean.

Either way, Gus is in a happy home. My home is settled again. Life is greyt!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Gus is going home!

Gus is being adopted! He goes to his new home in Jackson, MS on Friday! We love him and will miss him, but I am so happy to see him go to his forever home and know that we played a role in that. It is greyt news! I'll post more about it after we meet his new family.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Greyhound Crafts

So, lately I have been looking around greytalk and the web and checking out all the greyt greyhound related crafts that people are doing. I am an artsy person, so I think I need to do something too. I'm going to have to try out some of the things I have seen lately. I'm not sure where to start or where any of this will lead, but it's been a while since I've done anything artsy other than some photography. I have a few non-greyhound things I need to do. I think I might get the pups to paint something. I've got a pretty good idea about how to do it now. I think it would be neat. I'd also like to make some Christmas stockings for the greys. I saw some on greytalk that someone did and I think I could do something similar. I already can make coats. All mine have coats already. I need to make some new beds. I'm pretty much just rambling now. :o) I'll figure something out.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

more life with the hounds... more Gus

I really don't have anything in particular to write about, other than wishing that I could commit to writing something regularly, even if it was about nothing.... We still have Gus. On the 20th, he weighed in at 72 pounds! We just finished a round of de-wormer today. Nothing major. He is doing well. He is very stubborn sometimes. Loves attention of all kinds and follows whoever comes to the house and leans on them. He is very sweet. Tomorrow we will have had him 6 weeks. He is a greyt dog. This is where the questions really start to come in about, "Why don't you keep him?" "How can you let him go, he is so great!?" And so on. We get this with every foster. Seems to be more with Gus since we have had him so long. He is a fine greyhound. He does well with our hounds and they don't mind him. I love him to pieces and treat him like my own, but he isn't. I don't feel compelled to keep him, I mean there are times, but generally, I don't feel like it's right. It's one of those, I wouldn't mind if he stayed, but it's cool if he goes too. We have had a foster that we were so glad it left. Others, we have liked a lot, but didn't go well with our hounds... the situation is different with every hound. Gus is special. He has his sad story, but that does not compell me to feel any different with him as it does/might some people. In the end, he is just like any other greyhound. He really is. He is just your average goofy boy greyhound. At this point, he looks like a hound that just left the track not long ago. You would never know what he has been through. You know when the hound is right. Most people don't really get to "pick" so to speak as we have. We adopted Berry White and Anna in "love-at-first-sight" moments and Dax was only from a picture and a description. I knew when I saw him that he was different and would take work. He was so shy, and still retains some of that. BUT he is my boy. My boy. Gus is not my boy. And I know that every dog you have isn't. I will let him go. I will let others go. Maybe 3 is our comfort level. I don't know. Four for this long has not been hard. I think the reason we have no fallen head-over-heals for Gus is because he is too needy. Clyde was KINDA like this, but not as much. As T (my husband) said the other night, Gus needs more love than we can give him. He needs to be with another dog, but maybe just 1, so he can get more attention. Something. Gus is a greyt hound, but he is not our greyt hound.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Gus is still here...

Just wanted to give an update. Gus has been with us for 3 weeks now, and we MIGHT have a home for him.... (fingers crossed) He is doing very well. No accidents. We are moving out of the crate as we speak. We still have to keep him under wraps when we feed all the hounds. He started stealing some stuff, but has not hurt anything. He stretches, plays with the hounds, plays with toys, snuggles, climbs up in our laps, he is just all around a FANTASTIC hound! If we only had 2, he would so stay! Our house just can't handle 4 on a permanent basis. He is just such a love and will be the hardest to let go. He is up to 65 pounds! Which is about a 10 pound gain for him. He looks and feels much better. We are working on walking on a leash, which is his only problem right now.... he pulls quite a bit. He is just so loving and affectionate! A near-perfect hound! I hope the potential home works out, as he has a few restrictions on him: must have another dog, preferably a grey, and must have a privacy fence. No 4' chain link - he would probably climb it (as he climbs baby-gates like no one's business, when he feels like it). Otherwise, he is fine with cats (as we have 2) and should be fine with small dogs... just curious. He doesn't need a crate. He's a good boy. If anyone is nearby and interested, he is available...

I have included some updated pics...

Friday, September 5, 2008

Hurricane Gustav - Post 4 (several days later)

Okay, so we lost power at around 2pm on Monday September 1. I took quite a bit of video. Things went as good as could be expected. The winds got pretty high and it rained a bunch. No damage to our home or property. The hounds took it well. Didn't get too hot, because it was raining and windy.

On Tuesday, it continued to rain. And rain. And rain. And then came the flooding. First the street started holding water as did the creek that runs behind the houses across the street. Then, the pond at the end of the street (to the right in the pictures) began to fill up. As it continued to rain, the three began to come together. Neighbors began scrambling for sandbags. The house to the right of the pond flooded a little, as well as at least one house in the neighborhood that backs up to ours. It came very close on about 4 other houses along our street. Our house is the highest on the street, so it never came too close to us. And of course, I had to go and play in the rain and show how deep the road was at that point.... not as deep as it got. The hounds still did okay this day, once again, rain and wind kept the temperatures down.

On Wednesday, the tide began to turn. The clouds began to break and the temperature rose as the rain left. The daytime was relatively bearable, but the night was terrible. We had all the windows open, which we now know was a mistake. It was so humid. Humidity is something we are used to here, but not at this level of constant exposure. It seemed like we could not get the dogs to lay down and relax. We were all so hot. I think Berry White was beginning to distress a little in the night. Tim said he almost sent me and the hounds to my parents in the middle of the night. They had a generator and a window unit. We made it though. No breaking of curfew necessary.

Wednesday night, very late, my grandparents got power back. So, on Thursday morning, the generator migration began. We left the hounds with the evacuee/friend we had at the house and set out to help move the generator. We met my mom and grandmother at her house, loaded up the generator and they followed us back. We set it up and ran it on and off throughout the day. It was nice to move some of the humidity out of the house. If we could not have gotten the generator at this point, I would have had to take the hounds to my parents house.

Thursday night, we sent the temperature to 60 on the window unit and let it go all night. It got the temperature in the front of the house down to about 70 by morning. Tim slept on one couch. Dax slept on the other. Anna and Gus ended up with me on the mattress on the floor, UNDER the covers. Berry White slept on a dog bed, above my head, UNDER covers. My sweet babies. I much preferred to see them all cool and snuggley over the panting they had done on and off for the previous 3 days.

This morning, Friday, the alarm went off at 6 am. Tim had to go in today. I was supposed to, but no power. I could not leave the hounds in the house alone with or without the generator. Too risky. Tim showers and then comes into the kitchen and begins making breakfast. He turns a lamp on (plugged into the generator) and gets out the milk and then THE LIGHTS AL TURN ON! I was never so excited to have power in my life! We turned off the generator, cranked up the A/C and started the day. I went in to work for a bit and then brought work home, just in case anyone needed the generator that we had or needed any help. I came home and started working. Then all of the sudden, the cable comes back on, along with the phone and the internet. We are back in business! So, all is mostly well now. My parents are still without power. All friends are pretty much accounted for. Some have some damage, but everyone is physically okay.

I took videos throughout the storm (well the first 2 days) and they can be found at: HERE

I am just glad it is almost over and things are starting to get back to normal. I will say there has NOT been enough nationaly media attention. Most people we know STILL do not have power 4-5 days later. Just because the levees did not break in New Orleans, does not mean that nothing happened. We are here. People are in need. There is a lot of damage in Baton Rouge and outlying areas. I hope everyone can get back to normal soon. That's all for now. I will write more as I have stuff to talk about. Sorry for the hurricane hijacking the greyhound blog, but it was a big deal in our lives right now and it affected the hounds as well. All four are fine and enjoying the A/C!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Hurricane Gustave - Post 3 (Monday Morning)

Well, It is morning now. We had some rain overnight. Definitely raining now. Wind is picking up. We obviously still have power. They say it has moved a little west and won't be as bad here as it was expected. But we will still have HOURS of wind and rain. So far so good. I think it will be fine. We are watching the trees sway across the street. When it gets stronger, I'll take some video. The pups are all still calm. I think it may be because we are letting them stay in the bedroom if they want to. So far, all have chosen to. Go figure.

And by the way..... today is the 1 year Anniversary of us moving into the new house. It is also 1 year today that Dax came home. Happy 1st Gotcha Day my blue boy!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Hurricane Gustave - Post 2 (Sunday Evening)

It just started raining here. We are under a tornado warning. I can hear the wind a little outside already. Tried to get the dogs to go out. The rain had already started. Berry White ran out and peed, but that's it. I even went out in the rain to try to get them going. Need to take a shower. Have not done so today. Should do it soon just in case we lose power. Can hear some thunder now. May have to shut off the computer soon if the weather gets too bad. May, at least turn it off for the night soon. I'm kind of frustrated because it is going to start hitting at night tonight. It just makes you more nervous. Off for the note. Hopefully I can post tomorrow.

Hurricane Gustave - Post 1 (Sunday Morning)

It is 9:47 am on Sunday August 31st. Hurricane Gustav is coming. We may start seeing rain this afternoon to early evening from the outer bands. The intensity at impact and once inland keeps changing. We just have to see what happens. AT this point, most everything is going to be shut-down on Tuesday. We don't know about work and won't know until Tuesday morning. Will the storm be over here? How widespread will the power outages be? We won't know until we get there.

I think the hounds should handle this pretty well. Anna and Berry White are not phased by much. Gus seems to be the same. Dax doesn't like bad weather, so we will see how he does. I am considering giving him a benedryl to help calm him, but I have not decided yet.

We know some people that are leaving or have already left further south. One of our closest greyhound friends is in Kenner in the hospital with her husband who cannot be moved. She will weather the storm there with him. She has some other greyhound people from Gulfport, MS who have offered to stay at her place and care for her hounds. I'm glad someone was able to do that.

Now we continue to wait.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Our foster Gus and Hurricane Gustav

So first Gus, and then to Gustav.

Back on August 12th or 13th, there was a raid by animal control in a nearby town. Link to the story can be found here. Anywway, many animals were taken, including 3 greyhounds. They were very malnourished and underweight. Our group got the greys and is taking care of them now. They now have new names and are working on new lives. The first male is now called Ernie. (they were all retired racers, so we know who they were and I won't get into the backstory too much.) Ernie has already been adopted by our Baton Rouge placement rep's. He is a 3 year old brindle boy. They now have 6 greys in their house! Next is a 4 year old white and brindle female who is now being called Bella. She is being fostered with Dax's brother Bud's family. If things work well, they are considering keeping her. And we are fostering a 3 year old red boy who is now being called Gus. (how ironic huh?) Gus is quite sweet. He is adjusting pretty well. No accidents so far. He doesn't chew or steal. He did a little counter-surfing at first, but we have curtailed that so far. He crates well. He does jump over baby-gates though. He will most likely need a home with another greyhound and with a 6' wood privacy fence. We think he would jump a 4' chainlink with little effort.


And now in Gustav....we have been watching for the past week as things have progressed and now we are preparing for a potential hit. It could be quite a big deal. We are just watching the weather and waiting. We have food until into next week for both us and the hounds. We are far enough inland that we don't have to worry about storm surge, flooding or anything like that. We are just hanging in there. I will try to post throughout the storm if possible, if not as soon as I can once it's over.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Happy Birthday Berry White (written a few days late)

Just a quick note. July 31st was Berry White's 8th Birthday. July 29th was also Berry White's 2nd Gotcha Day. He turned 6 just two days after we brought him home. He was our first greyhound and his presence has forever changed our lives. We love you Berry White, Berry, Mr. White, and the many other names you take. You are the sweet kissy, lover-boy of the house. You are Daddy's heart-dog. We can't imagine our lives without you. You will be the first of many. You got treats on your Gotcha Day and new toys on your Birthday. Enjoy big guy! We hope for MANY more years to come!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Dax is allergic?

So, two weekends ago, my in-laws came to visit for my husband's birthday. They arrived around 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon. About 6:30 p.m. we leav to go to dinner. Before we left for dinner, T's mom kept talking about how their friend's bulldog had totally been interested in licking her legs earlier that day. It must be her lotion. The greys had shown some interest as well, but no licking. So, we return from dinner and let the pups out and so on and Dax starts coughing, like he needs to hack up something. We get him to drink some, but it won't go away. So, we take the hounds to bed and he seems fine. He does not cough the rest of the night. We get up in the morning, let the hounds out and feed them. T's parents get up and the coughing begins again, on and off, throughout the morning. T's parents leave. We go grocery shopping and come back. Dax coughs 2 or 3 more times. I call my friend L who runs the rescuse kennel for our group and she suggests benedryl and an allergy. We give him her suggested dose and he is fine. No more coughing. We decided it might have been the lotion. Now the joke is that my in-laws can't come over anymore because one of the kids is allergic.... LOL... just kidding. It is funny though. My poor blue boy.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Happy Birthday Anna!

I just wanted to make a short post to say Happy Birthday to my baby girl Anna! She turns 4 today and will soon celebrate the beginning of our third year together. We adopted Anna in late August of 2006. I don't know the exact date, because it didn't seem like such a huge deal then,but now i know how important a hounds "Gotcha Day" is. I appologize to Anna for not having an exact day for her (or Berry either). Anywho, Happy Birthday sweetie. We love you!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

My Trip to North Carolina


Okay, sorry it took me so long to post after the trip and sorry that I didn't post on the trip. The trip was busy and it took a while to recover and get life at home back settled.

On Tuesday July 1, 2008 I boarded The Crescent Amtrak Train in New Orleans, LA bound for Salisbury, NC. It was supposed to be an 18 hour journey. It turned into 20. It was a long, but comfortable ride. I had a seat to myself all but a few hours late that night. We arrived in Salisbury around 4:30 a.m. on July 2nd. J and S were there to greet me. We then dropped S off and J and I drove the near hour back to Cool Springs. We were greeted by J's herd and promptly went to sleep for a short few hours.


The next few days were full of work and spending some time with the hounds. There was some relaxing in there too. I fixed the gate, helped tile the floor, organized some things, fed hounds and did a few turn-outs. We spent an evening at T's house in Lewisville, about an hour away. We had dinner, visited and looked at some craft projects that J & T are working on.


I loved visiting with all the hounds. There is one fellow in particular that I took out several times and worked with one on one. His name is Frisky Lyon and he has the same sire as our Berry White. He is a big sweet black boy who has been at CFGA for over a year. He is a little rambunctious when you first get him out. He then settles down very well, is very sweet, walks well on a leash and is an overall fantastic greyhound. If we were not at our capacity, he would so come home with me. He is just so sweet and I fell in love. We are trying to work it out to where he and another hound, most likely Go Go will be brought down to Louisiana to our group. If he comes, we will foster him unless L has a home lined up for him before he comes. I felt like Frisky and I really bonded. He just needs someone who is calm, patient and affectionate. Firm, but not harsh. He is a good boy. He just gets really excited to see people and does not show well in the setting of a kennel.

On Friday July 4th, I was able to help a family select their first greyhound. J thought that a certain boy named Bandit might be right for them, but in the end, a little brindle girl named Kessie was the one. They took her home that day.

On Saturday July 5th, we were having our big gathering. There was going to be lure coursing, but it rained. The hounds were still allowed to have a fun play run in the big coursing field. Before the gathering, a couple drove up form South Carolina to select a hound. They had recently moved from Michigan and lost one of their 3 greys. They had applied at a group I will not name in SC and had selected a dog and I think even put a deposit down for him or her. When they went to pick up their new hound, the group has adopted it out to someone else. They turned to our group, over 200 miles away, to find their new hound. They brought their other two hounds and checked out the crew. After looking at many hounds they decided on a young red girl named Fanny. They brought her home that day. I have since heard Fanny is now Annie and she is doing very well.

Once the gathering began, I was able to show a hound to another family who had also recently lost a hound. They brought their little blue girl and met the crew. They settled on a shy, slender white and red boy named Bandit. They will take him home as soon as he is neutered.

The gathering was a success. We had a greyt group of hounds who ran up a storm out there and had a good time. I think the people enjoyed the hot dogs and watching the hounds have fun. J, S & I rested after the gathering and I prepared for my trip home.

The ride home was not as nice as the way up. S took me back to Salisbury and I hopped on the train in the wee hours of the morning on July 6th. It was so crowded. I had to sit with someone in an assigned seat as soon as I got on the train. I only had a seat to myself for a few hours and slept very little at night. I picked up a seat-mate again in Atlanta, but she was a nice young girl from SC going to her current home in Slidell. We talked and had a nice time and I was able to sleep a little more. The one really good thing was that the train was on time.

Overall I had a greyt trip. I got to see some old friends and met a few new ones. I hope J gets to come and visit us in the Spring sometime. It would be nice to be able to return teh favor of hospitality to her and anyone else we know or have met from up there who ever end up down our way.


Saturday, June 28, 2008

posting a lot & trip to NC

First, I must say that I am proud of myself at the frequency I have been posting lately. I shall try to keep it up.

Second, on Tuesday I leave for my trip to North Carolina. You may ask what that has to do with greyhounds and the answer is EVERYTHING! I am going to be staying with Julie at Circle of Friends Greyhound Adoptions in Statesville, NC. 4 full days at the rescue kennel! It is going to be so much fun! Anna and Berry White came from Mama Julie (that's what everyone calls Julie). The adoption of Berry White was such a life-changing event, that Julie has a special place in our hearts. We spent a lot of time there when we lived in NC. It made it more pleasant I think. Made us less homesick, because Julie and everyone there became like family. Tim isn't coming this time, no vacation yet. Next year, we hope to drive up there and bring the hounds with us. I plan to take tons of pictures and will try to blog if I can. If I don't all of you have a greyt 4th of July!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

lacy went to her home....thankfully


I have to say that little girl was a handful. It wasn't necessarily her, but her combined with Berry White was just a bit much. Nothing like 2 rowdy greys having a good time :) One roos, the other roos. They played, rough-housed, were just all over the place! An example of the roo play in the photo. Sometimes it was fun and funny, other times it was just a bit too much. Especially when you are trying to do something and they start up. She was overall a good girl. She did have a few accidents, but some just can't or don't hold it for 10 hours. Mine do. All of our previous fosters have. I am not complaining. Every new foster comes with it's joys and pains. We don't mind. Just goes to show you that you don't want to keep everyone. I mean, she was tiny, adorable, the rooing was cute, but she definitely did not belong in our pack.

People often ask, "How do you foster? I couldn't do it. I'd want to keep them all! I'd get so attached!" Yes, you get attached to all of them, but the letting go part was only a little hard the first time, and she was not a dog I would have kept either, mostly just because she was a girl. You learn, at least I would hope, that it's about the dogs, not just you.
The pack changes. You have to see what is best for your pack. When there are four greys here, mine are all different, which is to be expected. Anna is always the alpha of our pack. It took us a while and a few conversations with L to understand that, but she is. When a fourth dog is added, it comes out more. It just becomes more obvious. The boys are funny because there positions of 2 and 3 among the dogs changes. When we are at 3, Berry White really seems to be at the bottom. He is insecure and it shows. Those insecurities are still there when another hound is added, but it's the change in Dax that moves Berry up. When there is a fourth, Dax backs off. He doesn't sleep with us as much. He just kinda keeps to himself. I don't think he likes a pack that big, which is ok. I further that statement with the fact that he did not do as well in his foster home where he was with 5 other greys. He acted out and such. I will say though it depends on the foster. When Clyde was here, he was pretty much normal. All our other fosters have been girls. Maybe they just make him nervous or something. My Dax-man slept next to me, on the pillow, last night. I think he was glad the house was calmer. Like I said, do not interpret this as complaining. I love fostering no matter the challenges, it helps me recognize what a nice pack we have and how different greys fit in better in different situations. Besides, I don't plan on having another hound permanently any time soon. I can only have one crazy child in my life, and right now that's Berry. Would I foster another wild child, sure, but that's one foster we are guaranteed not to fail with.

Monday, June 23, 2008

foster #4 & dumb owners


So, the grey we cat-tested at the beginning of last week is now our foster! Lacy came to us last Saturday and will go to her new home on Wednesday of this week. She is just a doll. She is staying with us to further her cat okayness and work her back into being crated, which was not happening at her previous foster home. No biggy. She is readjusting fine. She is quite a tiny girl. She must only weigh about 50 pounds - despite what he race records might say. Here is her greyhound-data page: linky
She is actually the half-niece of Berry White. She roos whenever she feels like it. She will just walk up to you and start talking. She also will run up to you and slide across the floor. She has a ton of energy, but that's too be expected at barely 2 years old. She is going to be an only child for a younger owner (he's 22), so she should be well-spoiled. Gotta love being able to be a small part of the lives of these hounds and so many more to come!

On a side note, and I will keep it brief. Our group is removing a hound this week from her home. Her owner called initially because the grey got out and attacked a dog that was on lead. She claimed she now did not trust the grey with her other dog and feared it.... well, as more of the story came out she admitted having the grey off lead in her front yard and implied (by amongst other things saying the grey got out while she was getting ready to go out of town... which led to the discovery the grey was being left outside). So, you have a grey that is at least being partially kept as a yard dog and is being walked off lead, too things that are against the contract that you sign when you adopt from our group. The lady said there was no rush to get her, but she had to go. L's response, no, there is a rush, the group will get her ASAP. Poor grey. Put in such a terrible position. Now with a bite on record. We will find her a new home. If we didn't have Lacy and I wasn't about to be out of town for a week, she would be coming here....

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

She passed, Anna eats, we have a new couch

So, Lacy passed her cat test. This does not mean I would leave her alone in a room full of cats, but she is definately not in immediate kill mode. She perked her ears up when she saw the kitties and then walked over and shoved her nose in their face/butt/side whatever she could get to and sniffed. Then she would walk away. Even when one of the cats ran, she perked her ears up and followed sniffing. I would suggest a muzzle and lots of supervision for a few weeks, but she should be fine in the long run. She reminded me a lot of how Dax was at first. This was in drastic contrast to Tails, her current housemate. We were not cat testing him but he was there. Wow, he wanted the cats. Ears perked, body tense, barking, the whole nine yards for the most part. he is somewhat correctable, as in he does not like to be fussed at and would generally stop, but he was a little too focused and overly interested. I would not put him in a home with a cat. MAYBE with an experienced grey owner and a cat that would defend him or herself, but even then it would be touchy. It doesn't matter though. They have no cats and never will, especially after that little show he put on at our house! No cat was ever in danger. Safety first with us. ALL the greys were muzzled both for safety during their introductions and time in the yard as well for the cats safety in the house.

On a side note, we have won the battle with Anna. We had a minor setback for a few days over a week ago, but now she knows we have won. We are in charge. She even eats her food straight dry, no water, now. It's nice. She may have had a little bug or was just showing her butt. We will never know, but she is eating now. We were out of town Friday night to Saturday afternoon, so my mom did two feedings. Friday dinner Anna tried to push her, refused to eat and mom gave her a little cheese. Sucker. Saturday morning she gave her no trouble. She gave us no trouble at dinner Saturday or at all since. Good girl.

Our trip was to visit T's grandmother, two friends, JT & Batman, and go to IKEA! We came back with a new couch, new chair, bookcase and some small stuff. The greys did not care for the living room reorganization, even though it included a new couch. We ended up putting a blanket on the couch and slowly they began to approve. How they dislike change.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

cat test today


Today we will give our first offical cat test. There is another coupe who is fostering a greyhound that has not been cat tested. The guy who is interested in here lives with his parents (for the next few months) who have a cat. He really likes this grey, Lacy and we just aren't sure how this is going to turn out. Lacy is barely too and very wired. She has done pretty good with the small dog at L's house (L is our head of placement who keeps fosters and does boarding at her house, she will probably come up frequently in future blogs) as well as with the black lab puppy at the foster home. L is just unsure of how crazy Lacy will do with a kitty. We shall see. Our kitties our calm, well relatively. Lacy's foster dad is also bringing his greyhound, Tails. I think we will put Tails, Anna, Berry White & Dax outside for a bit after everyone meets so Lacy can see the kitties alone, which is how she will be. This will be fun....

Monday, June 2, 2008

Oh how special they are!

Today I had a doctor's appointment. Last year when I was there, I only had 2 greys. Well, my doc asked how my pups were and I old her that we now had three and began to brag on my babies. She asked a few questions and I went on to describe the little idiosyncrasies of greyhounds (blood values, low body fat, being on a leash or fenced in yard and so on). She and her nurse were fascinated. They just kept telling me how they had no idea how different greyhounds were. My doctor also complimented me on how wonderful it is to have people that care so much about a single breed (she had no other patients that have greys that she knows of). There were nothing but compliments and inquiries. It was fantastic.

On a side note, I think we have finally beaten Anna's not eating without much fuss thing. I was really starting to worry about her. I had one good feeding last Friday, no corral necessary. I was out of town until Sunday evening, with just Tim here with them. She gave him trouble all weekend. We had decided to try a mix in of another flavor of food, which I did for dinner on Sunday. So far so good. We will just have to see how it goes.

A little background. Anna, for the last few weeks never wanted to eat. You would have to add a mix in to her food, which only worked sometimes, or hand-feed her some food to get her to eat. Also, we were using chairs to corral her into an area to eat. We tried waiting her out, but she would eventually just lay down. We praised her and gave her a treat when she finished eating. Nothing was consistently working. We were advised to praise her, take her food away if she didn't eat in X time (I couldn't do that due to past experiences with Berry White), don't feed her right after she comes in (in case she's hot, since it is VERY hot and humid here already) and/or change her food. We tried it all and finally made it to the food change. Like I said, so far so good. Dinner is in 15 minutes, so we shall see if we can get 3 in a row!

Monday, May 5, 2008

I don't really have much to say, but Anna is cockroaching on the couch and has her face in Berry White's butt. Now that's funny I don't care who you are!

Actually, I will say things are well with the hounds. Anna has also, in
the last 3 days, decided that she wants to sit with us in the recliner. Berry White is Berry White. Dax's left ear has been sore for about a week now. He had a red spot on the inside that I noticed this weekend. I am pretty sure it is from him rubbing his head on the wall outside with his muzzle on and he squishes his ear and pinches it. He has a vet appointment next week, so I will have the vet look at it then, just to be sure.

No fosters in a while. That's cool. We thought we were going to have one last weekend, but everyone found homes, which is greyt! Maybe next time. No big deal either way. Not much else to say. No news is good news I suppose, not that anyone reads this anyhow. ...

Monday, April 7, 2008

A Rant of Sorts

Not everyone should have a greyhound. They are just not right for everyone. I say this as someone who is in a profession that made it very clear in school, that it was not for everyone. It was only for the few they chose were good enough to continue. Anywho, greys just do not fit the lifestyle of everyone and sometimes they do for a while and then things change. Other things get in the way. The newness wears off. The dog gets pushed to the side and ignored. The dog is still "loved" but not "loved" if that makes sense. I won't go into why I write this today, but I am saddened. I know it is very hard for people to admit failure, not even failure or even defeat, but that they have taken on too much. No one should suffer for that. It's not fair. So how do you handle such a touchy situation. There is love, minimal care, no imminent danger, but really only basic care. Good enough for a yard dog but not a greyhound. That may seems like a harsh thing to say, but it's true. Having had many other dogs who both resided inside and out, the lives of many regular old dogs may suit their needs, character and demeanors just fine, but a greyhound is different. Yes, in the end, they are just dogs, but they are dogs with specific needs. They prefer to be with people and/or in groups. They cannot or at the least should not be left outside. They should have a soft,conditioned place to sleep. Food. Water. Something to play with. Interaction, not confinement. And I don't mean don't crate, we have done that in the past, but not 20 hours a day. Deep breathe. I hover somewhere between pity and anger at the moment. I know that I cannot make them all safe and happy. No one can. But what about this one. What about this one in front of me that deserves so much better? Right now, I just don't know. It's not my place to say. It's a shame.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Clyde is going home

Today begins week 2 with Clyde. On Easter Sunday we found out that Clyde will be going to his new home on Wednesday April 2nd. I will miss him, but am very excited he will have a home. His new parents are a young engaged couple who seem very excited to have him. Clyde will be their first dog together. They called to arrange when they would pick him up and with questions about him. I am going to write them a letter to give to them along with his purple hippo stuffie and his nice new martingale. I tihn the letter will go something like this:
Dear S & B,
We have been delighted to have Clyde in our home for the past three weeks. He is a very sweet, affectionate, snuggly boy. He doesn't mind the kitties in our house, but has shown a little interest to those running around outside. He crates pretty well. He eats in his crate and goes in super easy when food is involved. When we have to leave, it just depends on how he's feeling. Sometimes, you grab his collar and he walks right in. Other times, you have to get behind him and give him a little boost. He has never had an accident in his crate and only one outside of it. He likes to play with balls in the yard and will almost bring a tennis ball back. He likes to romp around and throw his feet. He likes stuffies and anything else he can take. If you don't watch him and he can reach it, he will take it. He even tried to take a loaf of bread twice in about 10 minutes. :) He walks well on a leash and is not easily distracted. He loves to sleep on the couch and snuggle with us in the bed. He has no sleep or space aggression. I don't think I have heard him growl at all, even with our rowdy crowd. Congrats on adopting this very sweet boy. May you have many years of happiness with him. Please feel free to call or e-mail us anytime if you ever need anything.
Clyde's Foster Parents,
Britt & Tim

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Things the Adoption Group Forgot to Mention

collected from Greytalk 03/19/2008
http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showtopic=195723

1.We would have to buy endless amounts of stuffies.
2.You would spend more money on collars then your own clothes.
3.We'd never be able to have just one!
4.They sure didn't tell me about the "silent but deadly" gas some of these guys have.
5.That my lfe would never be the same
6.That you would have to explain why your dog is wearing a coat to everyone you meet.7.That coat buying is addictive and you need one for every sort of occasion (rain, cold, pjs, sun)
8.They give you the best behaved one first.
9.They failed to mention a small detail....separation anxiety. Ouch.
10.That your dogs would eventually end up wearing nicer coats than yours!!
11.That every outing would turn into a mini meet& greet!
12.That you swear there is a bit of bloodhound mixed in with them!
13.That you would become the neighborhood celebrity and everyone wants to know when you are going to start racing(never mind that it's illegal here) him/her
14.Crazy fits (aka: zoomies).
15.That our backyard would never be the same again16.That we would have to purchase a king size bed so there would be room for the humans17.That all my vacations would revolve around dog friendly hotels.
18.That even if they DON'T have separation anxiety, you won't be able to leave them with a boarder on vacation because you just don't know if they'll be "okay".
19.That your husband (who objected in the first place to getting a dog) would want to get #4!!!
20.That the most used phrase in the house would be "get the $&#@#&*# out of the kitchen!!!"
21.That some day you'd be having a birthday party for your pup, but never seem to be able to get one together for your spouse.
22.That you would take your hound/s to the vet for the least little thing, and spend more on their medical care than you do on yourself!23.Oh, one more thing -- you'll be buying all kinds of things to dress your hound up for every holiday imaginable.24.I keep thinking of more things -- you'll have to learn new meanings for words -- roaching, ETS, Frito Feet, and on, and on.
25.That you would be so addicted/obsessed with their loving spirit and unmatched loyalty you would spend every waking moment of "free" time researching, admiring, helping and loving on them. To the point that others think you have lost it
26.Your car windows and picture windows and low mirrors and door glass will never ever be clean again! And you won't even care...
27.That you would have to have more than 2 and your parents would be too scared to visit you. They say those BIG dogs belong outside then you have to explain no they are NOT outside dogs. They are my kids and I treat them like one, then they say you are better to those dogs than us, you spend more time with them.
28.that you'll need to have more that one couch, just so you have some place to sit other than on the floor!
29.That they can require large amounts of people bedspace.
30.my dogs will always be better dressed than i'll ever be.
31.That your car/clothes will become an advertisement for greyhound adoption.32.That even tho you chipped on your first adoption, the next couple of years you'd be adopting 5 more.
33.That your "family vacations" will now be going to Greyhound events all over the country.
34.That contrary to popular belief the ARE, in fact, actually dogs. Not hothouse flowers and fragile glass ornaments. They are wonderful, lovng, hardy *gasp* DOGS.
35.That the adoption fee is $200 and the new hound mobile you will buy next month will be $30,000...
36.That you will have to buy a new car/van to haul all of your hounds around. Never mind that you would never consider a new vehicle otherwise!
37.That your life prior to being owned by greyhounds was just a waste of time......
38.That other dog breeds will always look fat
39.That many many strangers, mostly men, will drop to their knees in front of your dog, cradle his face in their hands, murmur his name repeatedly and kiss him over and over again.
40.that every future purchase you make, whether it be a car, couch, house, etc. will ALL revolve around what works best for the dogs
41.that I would fall in love sight unseen with a pup!! Even though he has cut loose and peed all over the back of my truck, and this morning punched me in the eye with a paw (trying to love on me!) and has the worst gas ever (grandpa gave him a handful of milk bone biscuts) that all I have to do is see his sweet brown eyes and everything is all good again!!!
42.That your greys will eat better and more expensive food than you do...43.That you will have more places for the dogs to lay (ala dog beds) than actual seats in our family room..44.That you will join a message board full of strangers and talk about the breed nonstop...45.and you meet people from asid board you tell them the names of your greys before introducing yourself...
46.that we would be joining secret santa and sometimes secret bunny and buying stuffies, treats and greyhound gifts, not only for our dogs, but for other greyhounds thousands of miles away.47.that we would become addicted48.that we would sleep many nights hanging on the side of the bed for dear life because we don't want to disturb the dog...
49.That it is perfectly normal for your hounds to wear jammies so they aren't cold.50.That, yes, you do leave the tv on for the dog51.That you see nothing unusual about finishing a drink after the hound has decided they are thirsty too.
52.Not to expect much sleep the first night you bring home a hound. Hoo boy.
53.That when the GSD happens you run faster than if its your own kids crying.
54.That WE would experience separation anxiety every time we have to leave the hound(s) at home. 55.That "no dogs on the furniture," would lead to "Well, maybe just the bed," and then to both of us sitting on the floor, because the pups are sprawled across the couch and chair. 56.That I, a life-long vegetarian, would EVER buy, prepare and serve raw meat57.That our sense of our dogs' size would change so much. I talked about this in the "amazing, shrinking greyhound" thread a few months ago. Gabe, especially, seemed HUGE when we brought him home. Now, he hardly seems like a big dog. 58.That our sense of what's "normal," would change so much. Our families think we're nuts for having two big dogs. We've already preadopted #3 and will probably adopt #4 next year when I finish law school.
59.That I would avidly read and respond in so many posts about dog poop. (And yes, even write some of them!
60.That my father would ever touch a dog again, let alone buy her a special charm for her ID tagset (St Francis)
61.That I would even consider stalking someone because of their dog.
62.That I would turn the hottest guy down for a date ebcause he thought my dog was "Fugly"
63.That this xl breed would look normal and that other dogs would be midgets. (I actually asked my visiting brother last summer when i saw his dog - that they ahve had for over 10 years - "When did you get a new dog?" Because she looked SO much smaller than I remembered!!)
64.That greyhounds are attention-getters every place you go! When I was dating my fiance, we had Frank at the farmer's market and I handed him the leash while I went to buy some produce... I told him "be careful, he's a chick magnet!" and he laughed me off... ha... when I came back he handed me the leash and said I was right! He'd been practically mobbed with people wanting to meet and ask questions about Frankie. He's used to it now!
65.I won't board my pup because I am the one who developed separation anxiety!
66.That you would be willing to sleep on the corner of a king size bed!
67.That you would shed tears for dogs/owners you haven't met.
68.That you WILL risk getting a speeding ticket trying to chase down someone who has a greyhound magnet/sticker/license plate on their car JUST to see if it's someone from GT.
69.that I would break up with more guys than I can keep track of because they just don't get my obsession
70.That you'd graduate from buying collars that cost more than the clothes you buy for yourself to fancy coats. Then you'd buy more collars because they match the fancy coats. 71.Your pups will eat better than you do.72.That you spend so much time talking about your pups, your co-works a)think you're crazy, think you need to stop buying so many stuffed animals and c) mistake your pups for your kids.
73.All of the above and,,,that I would be vacumming the house more then i ever thougth i would ("these dogs don't shed,,,who came up with that one???).
74.That you'll decide to buy a house based SOLELY on the fact that your landlord veto'd a third dog, and that while buying said house, your realtor will throw his hands up in exasperation and say, "I KNOW what your dogs are looking for in a house...but what do YOU GUYS need????"
75.They failed to mention to me just how thoroughly these dogs wrap themselves around your heart.I truly can't believe how much I love them.
76.That when your landlord becomes a pain, you will buy a house to make sure you can keep your dog
77.That you would become so fascinated with poo that you would stand outside looking at it with your wife saying, "Yes it has improved a lot this week. I will call Diana and let her know."
78.Sometimes you have to bribe him to eat!
79.that your camera's memory card will hold 200 photos, 199 of which feature your greyhounds.
80.that when you watch your grey run his/her heart out, your own heart will fill with so much joy that you think it will surely burst.
81.They didn't tell you that you wouldn't be recognized by neighborhood people if you don't have the hounds with you. When they see me without the pups they ask where they are, not Hi, How are you? They ask how the hounds are
82.They did not tell me that my parents would suddenly have no interest in me and have actually banned me from coming over without the "grandbabies"
83.That when you adopt a greyhound you also get the most wonderful support and social infrastructure as a bonus84.That I would be picking out floor covering based on the needs of my dogs
85.that from the second you met them you wondered what took you so long to get one.
86.that your skin kids wondered why there were more pictures of the dog you have had for 2 months vs the teens you have had for no less than 14 YEARS.
87.that you time yourself when you are out of the house so you don't leave her lonely for too long - not because she will get in trouble but because you don't want her upset.
88.That at the vet or PetSmart, you quietly snicker when you see a white fluffy (or any other breed) being dropped off to be groomed, because yours hasn't had a bath in a year!
89.They forgot to tell me that my shattered heart would never be the same again after they cross to the Bridge.
90.How they can run like the wind, except at bath time. Brenda puts on the brakes and I push from behind to just get her into the bathroom.
91.That a Greyhound would make you smile everyday and show you what love really is.
92.That a roach was something you would WANT to see!
93.That a dog who barks very little can still be incredibly verbal -- tooth chattering, snuffling purrs, and lip wuffling come to mind.94.That you would be forever checking for those last 3 ribs and hip points just to make sure the dog everybody thinks is too skinny doesn't, in fact, get fat.95.That you would begin to think dogs with heads bigger than their necks look ungainly and odd.96.That you would willingly pamper an 80 pound grey more than you ever thought to pamper your 5 pound Yorkie. (Well, a grey does deserve it!)97.That a grey would forever spoil you in regards to other dogs. When I am old and can barely walk, I will still have a grey. Hopefully, a senior grey who won't mind my limitations.98.That a vacation without your dog is really no vacation at all.99.That once a grey shares his soul with you, you are never the same.
100.That your son and his GF, who rarely visit, now stop by often... to see THE DOG.101.That your DH didn't give YOU kiss one yesterday, but DID kiss THE DOG on the head last night.
102.That you'll just about have a heart attack after hearing the greyhound scream of death... only to realize your hound is screaming because her leg is tangled in a blanket or because he stepped on something gross. And that it's when you see your greyhound take a nasty spill of the deck and she gets back up and starts running without uttering a peep that you'll end up taking her to the vet for stitches.
103.That you're joining a cult
104.That you would more often show pictures of your hounds than your kids.
105.That you would get completely choked up reading threads like this (making your co-worker in the cube next to you wonder if you've finally gone mental) because everything is so TRUE!
106.That we would spend THOUSANDS of dollars in vet bills without blinking an eye....107.That our lives would be 110% devoted to them, their needs and wants to the point of scheduling our lives around their schedule and doing everything we can to include them to where we go. Arrive late and leave early to functions to minimize their time alone,108.We did not get a pet, they got themselves PEOPLE.
109.That you would want to adopt them all and that with just one look they can melt your heart.
110.That the dog would be a tourist attraction.
111.that of all the breeds I've had, this one would be my favorite forever.112.and that I'd become a collar addict...
113.Your unfenced yard was fine for 41 years, then when the greyhounds moved in, it was fenced within 3 months
114.That your hounds will get an account on a message board so they can "talk" to other hounds.
115.that you would quit your paying job to become the crazy greyhound lady...............and LOVE IT !
116.that I would become one of "those people" who have to take their dogs everywhere with them...117.that I would drive halfway across the country just so that my dog could spend Christmas with me at my parents' house...118.that my 98 year old Grandmother, who flat out told me I was crazy to have such a big dog in the house, would be disappointed that I didn't bring my dog with when I went to visit her while home on the aforementioned Christmas trip...
119.They didn't tell me that my skin kids would be jealous of our greyhound (I like to tell myself they are just kidding, but I'm not so sure sometimes!)
120.that my dog could tell a story with just the look in her eyes
121.that those who aren't fascinated by her will be scared by the sight of her- people in my neighborhood will cross the street to stay away
122.that the pupper who looked massive the day I got her would so quickly seem not to be very big at all
123.that every other dog we see will seem overweight
124.That your life will revolve around them.
125.That your time with them will fly.
126.They didn't tell us that after you've had a grey and lost him..a house without a grey is no home at all.
127.That greys are better at guilt trips then mom ever thought about being!
128.that you would spend more time and money than is sensible driving around to every store that sells meat or pet food looking for turkey necks or tripe...129.that a stop for gas in Alberta could mean someone formerly from Florida catching up to you just so she could talk to and pet your dogs, and find out she worked with greys at a Florida track...130.that muddy footprints and hair on the floor, on the bed and on your pillow are really a minor inconvenience...131.that a prize winning garden is much less important than the girlies who turned it into their own private race track...132.that even though you KNOW your dogs have enough toys, you still break down and get just one more (for each!) ...
133.That I would stay on the couch to sleep or watch tv instead of my own bed because I didn't want to disturb the sweet, drooling, sleepy grey on my lap at 2am
134.Your hands might be really dry for the first few days since you'll wash them all the time. But don't worry--you don't need special lotion or anything. Your standards of "hygiene" will change pretty quickly and that will take care of it.
135.That you become neurotic...... humm I might have been this way before but it was hidden.
136.That a thunderstorm could wreck such havoc on your night. 137.That you won't sleep the first week because you wake up every time your precious new houndie moves in her sleep.138.And that even though you swore you would never move again when you moved to Austin in August, you are now pretty sure you need a place with a fenced yard so the dog can run around...so pull out the packing boxes.
139.that a greyhound is not "just a dog", but a wonderful creature that shares his or her soul with you....something rare and beautiful that brings great joy and great sorrow....
140.no one ever told me that greyhounds smile!
141.That you can actually pas gas yourself, blame it on the dog, and no one will think that you are lying.
142.that even once you lose your first grey (and don't get another right away), you MUST go to M&Gs, events & Dewey just to get your grey-fixes!!
143.That you would have to give up your name and be forever known as "the greyhound lady/guy"
144.If you adopt one that needs ample leash work GOOD LUCK! Bentley does great at learning - its my neighbors that kill us!It's even harder when working with a pack. People expect you to be able to talk for 20 minutes when really you just want to work on walking (in my case) 4 dogs at a time. They all know "wait" when alone but it's so much harder with other dogs there!145.You're expected to know EVERY greyhound owner on the planet. "oh, Greg has greyhounds. He's a cop so I'm sure you know him." Nope. Never heard of him. Or my favorite; "Oh, it's a race dog! My daughter's pediatrician RESCUES those dogs! Dr...ummm...oh, YOU know who I mean." Yea, don't know Dr.Whatshisname either.146.Everyone (that's never owned a grey) knows what my greyhounds needs. One guy chased me down screaming to give me a GPA pamplet to "inform me". The gesture was nice, but I've read every book I can. Twice (with each adoption I read it...dorky but true). Then he looked at me like I was jerk when I politely declined. He was really uhappy looking when I told him my hounds have already been helping me at their meet and greets. what?
147.I was not told that I, an introverted (former) cat person, would look forward to meet and greets.148.That if my hound doesn't have an "eargasm" I feel disappointed.149."No, he's not a Great Dane, those are BIG."150.My favorite so far "How can you possibly get that dog enough exercise?" 151.My adoption group has learned from my hound just how successful these guys can be at drive-thru window mooching.
152.that i would buy doggie necklaces to match the collars that i bought for them -- matching & co-ordinating of course! (also must match the different coats they have!)
153.that I would gladly give up my spot on the king size bed and move to the couch if my greys need more room one night!154.that I wouldn't want to go on vacation and leave my greys!155.that I would get so excited and amazed everytime they choose to do their laps around the yard...poetry in motion...just beautiful!!156.that I would make sure that my greys are covered up at night so they don't get cold!! they often have more blankets than I do!
157.That your husband, who rolled his eyes at every greyhound collar, coat, treat, forum, etc, would TUCK THE DOG IN every night when you weren't looking.
158.that a dog wearing a muzzle doesn't necessarily mean that the dog will bite. More likely than not ~ poop is a favorite snack and the muzzle with a poop guard will help prevent that.
159.That you would brush your dog's teeth every day, and become obsessed with ways to improve their dental cleanliness and breath. 160.That time stops when you pet and snuggle with that bunny soft fur.161.That the expression "air snaps" is meaningful, and precious when your hound does it looking up at you, coming out of a stretch.
162.that your standards for proper dog behavior would be much higher after owning a grey. How can people let their dogs jump on you and pull them down the street and push at you constantly to keep petting, throw the ball, and drool on everything, etc.?
163.That I would ignore the king-size bed upstairs and destroy my back sleeping on the couch for over a year becuase my senior arthritic old grammaw-dog couldn't handle the stairs.
164.That I would be so excited to meet complete strangers and their dogs on vacation (people from GT).165.That though they do things that should make us mad, we find ourselves trying not to let them see us stifle a giggle.166.That you would spend as much time researching products to prepare for bringing home your first grey as you did preparing for the birth of your first child.
167.That greetings include great big kisses on the face, face-to-face, that is. And if you're not greeted that way, you feel sad!!
168.That talking about ways to stop eating poop is normal dinner conversation
169.That you will laugh harder than you've ever laughed before170.That you will cry even harder watching your remaining Grey try to imitate the behavior of the first one, just to fill the void.171.That the aforementioned experience will leave you forever changed, for the better.
172.That when your dog destoys a stuffy, tears apart the garbage, eats the couch, etc. rather than yell the first thing you will do is take pictures so that you can post them on GT.
173.That when you come home to find that your dog has pooped/peed/vomited in the house, your first response is "Oh, honey, I'm sorry I wasn't here to let you outside!" not "omg you stupid animal!"
174.That my small female greyhound would always get mistaken for a Whippet. (does a 65lb greyhound look like a whippet?)
175.That you will be the owner of a ton of worthless "nose print" art on each & every window or piece of glass in your house or car.