Dedicated to the ones we loved

sky, thor, macho

To all the greys I've loved before
Who traveled in and out my door
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this blog
To all the greys I've loved before

twiggy

 To all the dogs I once caressed
And may I say I've held the best
For helping me to grow I owe a lot I know

Ollie

To all the dogs I've loved before

fog

To all the dogs I've loved before
The winds of change continue blowing

And they just carry them away

To all the greys who shared my life
Who now are in someone else's lives
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this blog
To all the dogs I've loved before

macho

 To all the dogs I once caressed
And may I say I've held the best
For helping me to grow
I owe a lot I know
To all the dogs I've loved before

ace,macho,duke,river,effe

To all the greys we've loved before
Who traveled in and out our doors
We're glad they came along
We dedicate this blog
To all the greys we've loved before

ollie, mindy, kacey

To all the greys we've loved before

Thor, Rest in Peace 

A home for Khan

The first Saturday of each month, Erie Shore GreyhoundAdoption of Ohio has a Meet and Greet (M&G) at Petco, near Rocky River Ohio.  Bill and Ace normally go, and if we have a foster dog, the foster dog gets to go too.  So, on December 7, Bill loaded the Retired Racer Bus

with Ace and Khan and went to the M&G. We get a lot of interest in greyhounds and a good bunch of adoptions from this Petco.  This is the Khan’s story of how he got adopted.

Ace and I were standing in this store, which had all sorts of interesting things, critters, rodents and dog treats out on a big table.  Ace said we can’t help ourselves.  Since I had never been in a store, this was all pretty scary to me, but I was on my leash and Ace said it is fun to go there.  There were a couple of girl greyhounds there, Rain, came up from FL with me, and a couple others I didn't know.  It was nice to see some different greyhounds.  Anyway, I was standing there, and a human girl came up and started touching me in the nicest way.  Soon she was petting me, rubbing my back, using the right amount of pressure and oh my, it felt so good.  I leaned against her to let her know that felt good.  I lost my mind for a minute and pressed my whole body weight into her.  I felt her brace to hold me up, but she didn’t stop petting me.  Soon my man, who was talking to another man handed her my leash.  I was worried, but there was something about her that told me, I would be fine.  Plus my man was watching and I don’t think he would let me get hurt.  The girl took me to look at something called Ferret, and small rodents.  We looked at birds and something called cat. Then we looked at dog snacks and returned to the man and the other greyhounds.  Before I knew what was happening another man was petting me.  He reminded me of the girl and she was standing next to him.  I liked him, and he was petting me too. So I pressed against him so he could feel how strong I am and that he could pet me.  Next thing I knew, the girl was petting me again and the man was writing.

Soon we left.  It was fun being at the store with Ace, the man and other greyhounds; it was hard on my feet.  It was nice to get back to the lady and my bed.  I don’t know why we go to stores.

A few days later, my man took me for a ride in the car, by myself.  We went to see the girl and man that were at the store!  It was so nice to see them again.  I was so happy, I pressed against the girl and then the man, which is her Dad, and back to my man.  Then a cat came by and told me that the cat is in charge.  It scared me when it hissed at me, but I was brave.  Soon, my man left me at the house with the Dad and daughter.  On the way out, my man told me to be nice cause these people want me to live with them.  My man said he would be checking on me and if there were any problems, I can come back to his house.

I like living with the new man, and his daughter.  My soon to be Dad is Larry, and my sister is Alyssa.  I will officially be theirs in about another week.  Larry walks me and I got to meet some neighbors.  Soon the fence will be finished and I can run in the yard, once it warms up.  Larry and Alyssa love me a lot and I am starting to get into their routine.  The cat comes and hisses at me sometimes, but I don’t want to bother it.

Larry has purchased a new collar or two for me and is getting me a couple of new coats.  I am a happy pampered pet.  I hope all the dogs that came to Ohio with me get good homes like I did.

I am Khan

Prelude:  Khan wrote this about 10 days ago.  I was waiting to post it till I got a new picture of him.  But in the meantime, we have received an adoption application for Khan.  So, I thought I would post Khan's blog before he goes to see if he wants to live with the new people.

 My racing name was PGs Khan, they call me Khan.  I am 3 years old and taller than the dogs I live with.  I am Black.  I have 4 white feet and a white chest and underside.  My teef are beautiful and my front top teef are vewy long.  When people rub my chin, they can feel my top K9s.  I have white hairs on my back.  The man says, I want to be grey, so, I am growing in white hairs.  The lady says I have a Red undercoat, which she can see when I am in the sun light.

I like getting petted.  I like being gently held and petted and have words said to me.  Macho and River lay on the floor with the lady, and they look like that is heaven.  I would like to try that, I think.  I watch them and want to ask her to lay with me, but Macho and River will not allow her to get on the floor without one of them being right there.  They have made it clear that that they get most of the attention.  The lady takes time with me and sits on the stairs so I can come to her.  I stand with my side against her and she rubs me.  I press harder against her cause it feels so good, and she just keeps petting and holding me.  It is the second best part of my day.

Khan in the snow

The bestest part of my day is running in the yard.  They have a nice yard here, and I have figured out that I can run.  Macho will sometimes run with me, since I am faster than him, he gets grumpy then he cheats while running.  The best part is having the yard to myself and the lady comes out to watch me run.  She tells me I can run, and jogs in the yard to show me what she wants me to do, and I go and show her how fast I am!  I love the feeling of running.  I am fast, it feels so good:  I am a confident, proud, happy dog when I am running in the yard.  I run 8 figure 8s in the yard when she is watching, then I run to her when I am done.  She rubs me and tells me I did good, and she hugs me.  I am hot and panting, but she doesn’t care, she just keeps petting me and talking to me.  I like that.  Then she asks if I am done and together we walk back to the house.  I hold my head high and my arch is out of my back when we walk together, I know she is proud of me.

The other part of the day I like is the food part.  We get fed twice each day.  I have figured out where MY bowl is, and that the humans won’t take the food away while I am eating.  They don’t like it when I eat the other dog’s food.  I know it is theirs, but for a while, they were leaving part of their food just for me. Not anymore, so I don’t get to eat as much as I did when I first got here.  We also get treats here.  The others line up for their treats.  I stay on the bed next to the man’s chair, where I am safe and out of the way.  The lady makes sure I get treats too.  If I am feeling especially insecure, I will go in the other room when she brings a treat for me.  She leaves it on that bed, and keeps the others away from it so I can get it.  I sleek to the bed and snatch the treat and eat it.  She likes us to have Milk bones.  I don’t really like Milk Bones, but they are fun to crunch.  After I crunch them, I eat the big pieces and leave the crumbs for the others.

At the end of the day, we all go upstairs and go to bed.  We sleep on dog beds on the floor.  It feels good to lie down knowing the other dogs are with me.  I know that if I get scared the humans will get up to comfort me, and that if I need l go out, I can tell Ace and he will get the man up.  I feel safe, loved, and content when we are all sleeping together, and look forward to what things I can do tomorrow.

I hope the people that adopt me are patient and kind.  And I hope they will occasionally take me for a walk.

A New Attitude?!

Thank you everyone for the kind words after the last Blog.  I appreciate it.

This is a happy blog about Khan. 

Erie Shore Greyhound Adoption of Ohio had a booth at a show called the Christmas Connection.  It is held each year and thousands of people go to buy unique gifts from private vendors.  We go to encourage people to consider adopting a rescued greyhound, and to raise money. 

This year, the foster parents were encouraged to bring the foster dogs.  Bill and I signed up to take Khan on Saturday afternoon.  Saturday, was only a couple days after the “treat” event.  I was feeling that this may be too much for Khan to handle; but, we agreed if he panicked one of us would bring him home and take Ace back. 

We had a couple problems getting him to come through the entrance, but a little love and encouragement got him through the entrance uneventfully.  The entrance for vendors is at least 1000 yards of polished concrete until the first booth. Our booth is near the huge Ferris wheel and 500 feet from the first booth.  River can’t do the show because of the polished floor, Bill had to carry her in last year.  Macho is afraid of the Ferris wheel, so he can’t go.  Lots of things against us.  Anyway, Khan pranced across the long unending stretch of concrete.  We got to the show, and he didn't want to walk on the carpet that covers the walkway from vendor to vendor!  More love and assurance and he was walking again, not so proudly, but walking on his own.   We arrived at our booth and set to work.  Khan allowed everyone to pet him, wore the donation jacket and was all around a good guy.  When he got overwhelmed, he would go to the back of the booth and lean on another group member, or do the greyhound sit on a lap of a member until secure.  Then he would go and get more attention.  GOOD GUY!  Near the time for us to leave, he was trying to walk down the aisle way.  I realized he needed to go out, so we headed toward the 1000 yard walk.  Of course, people want to pet him and ask questions, so we didn't get to the walk to the entrance for about 10 minutes.  Right in the middle of the floor he stopped and pooped!  I told him we had to stop and clean that up, and I got on the floor to pick up the poo.  He was straining to get away.  I stopped picking up poo, and reached out and gave him a big body hug and told him it was ok.  He relaxed, and I finished, and out we went.   We returned and then shortly after, our time was over and we returned home.  Fog was there, along with a couple of the dogs that came on the hauler with Khan.  And Duke and Effy were there, they are the friendliest greyhounds. Maybe they all chatted.

Khan in his new collar

Khan was tired.  He didn't even eat standing up.  I put his food near him on his bed and he ate, laying down.  At 9, he marched up the stairs, without help, encouragement, or permission and went to bed.

He got up at 730 the next morning.  His legs and feet were obviously sore. He gingerly came down stairs went out came in and went back upstairs.  I fed the other boys.  River and Khan came down at 930, the time she normally gets up.  I fed them, he stood and ate and went back upstairs to sleep. When he got back up 4 hours later, he had a whole different attitude.  He is coming for attention.  I don’t have to be in view for him to come in or go out.  He will come for treats.  This evening, he even took a treat right off of my open hand!  He’s got a new attitude!  He seems happier and more confident.  Bill said Khan conquered some of his fears at the show this weekend. I think he realizes that he is safe with us and even if something scares him, we are there to support and protect him.

Poor guy

Khan is probably 28 inches tall at his shoulder.  He is black with a Red undertone.   He is starting to get white hairs all over him.  Khan has really long top K9 teeth.  When he got here he weighed 63 pounds, he is now around 70 pounds.  Khan has bonded to Bill, as my dogs believe Bill is the protector, so does Khan.  Khan would be a lap dog, if he could get on the furniture.  He loves to be cuddled, stroked, and gently spoken to.  His ideal place would be right next to a human with a hand that just gently rubs on him. He has a gentle soul.

This Blog is about the hard part of fostering.  Similar issues probably occur with non greyhounds, but all I know is greyhounds.  Khan is 3 years old now.  He is starting to have separation anxiety, but not bad yet.  We can work on that.  But this little guy, has been severely mentally abused, I’ve decided.

It appears that whoever worked with him in his formative years were bullies.  I believe the abuse occurred at the hands of his handlers. Khan will not walk past you unless he can see both hands and you are at least 3 feet away.  If we reach for him to reassure him that everything is ok, he backs away, tail tucked, head down trying to find an escape route. But his eyes never leave the person.  They must grabbed him or hollered at him every time they let him out or tried to feed him.

He literally snatches treats out of my hand, just missing me with those huge K9s.  If Bill tries to give him a treat, Khan is scared.   He paces and comes quickly, snatches the treat and runs to his bed, where he feels safe and he can watch what is happening.  So the other day, Bill tossed the treat to Khan.  OMG! He tucked his tail and ran to his bed and stood on it and shook.  It was very sad.  Bill felt bad. I felt bad, and Khan felt betrayed by the protector.  Bill gave him lots of love and kindness and Khan is forgiving Bill and becoming comfortable with Bill again.  One simple gesture that works for other dogs, undid 3 weeks of work. 

I am concerned that he may accidentally bite my finger when I give him a treat.  He is getting to the point where he stands with the pack and waits for a treat.  He is even coming for more treats, as my dogs do.   My dogs take treats so gently that a baby could give the treat to them. So, I decided that he is comfortable with us, and I would hold the treat as he took it from me, to show him I won’t hurt him. A mistake on my part.  OMG!  He had half the treat in his mouth and I had the other half lightly in my fingers.  When I didn’t let it go he started crying.  Crying like he was going to be tortured.  He let it go and he was whimpering and backing up while looking at me.  When he made it around the corner, he just stood there, shaking.  I  told him it was ok, and (stupidly) tossed the cookie near him.  That sent him running, as far as he could. (why didn’t I learn from Bills mistake?)  He found his safe place, next to Bill.  I went to pet him and he hung his head and winced, like he was going to be hurt.  I said to Bill, with tears in my eyes “what did they do to this poor guy??” 

Khan on his safe bed

I suspect they used to grab him when he walked by.  Probably by the neck and scream at him or something.  There is no sign of physical abuse. I have also decided they would throw things at him or on the ground and then run toward him screaming or something to harass him. They may have double teamed him and let him pick something off the floor and then ran toward him while someone behind him caught him.  Terrible treatment this guy must have endured, it breaks my heart.  Khan is by no means an alpha dog, so this treatment destroyed his confidence and made him a scared guy.  I don’t understand abuse of  any kind. Mentally abusing an animal would result in what?

He is still arched in the back.  He eats if people are still.  If I move or Bill moves, he leaves the food and runs in another room.  He does; however, love to walk on the leash, with dogs, without dogs it doesn't matter.  He is a strong confident happy guy while on his leash or alone in the yard.  The trainer would have been working with him for this stuff, which is why I don’t think the trainer abused him.

The treat event, damaged the confidence he was gaining with us.  He is better today; he came with the pack for a treat this morning.  He is not as confident as he was, but he is better.  

Play?

 My dogs are spoiled. They have a box of toys.  The box of toys is near their downstairs beds.

Ace likes to play with toys, so periodically, he’ll dig one out and toss it around and play with it.

Khan is still learning what retirement is like, so he watches what my dogs do, and learns from them what is acceptable.  My dogs are warming up to him.  Khan is frightened by unusual noises or movements: introducing toys was not going to happen for a while.

Ace in his younger days, was a player.  Now that his playmate is gone, he doesn't play so much, but when he does, he spins and tosses toys and chases after them, and occasionally, it is ok for Mom to toss the toy for him.

So, Ace had a squeaky toy and he was chewing on it and tossing it around and running 4 feet to get it.  A little while later, Khan got up and pranced his happy self over to the box of toys.  He gently took one out, and promptly put it down.  He went and laid down in what he believes is his bed.  I went and got the toy he got out of the toy box, and gently put it by his bed.  This particular toy doesn't squeak.  It is an elephant that crackles when chewed or tossed, I figured it wouldn't scare him, if he chewed on it.  I went about my business and soon heard crackling.  I peered around the corner and Khan was gingerly chewing on the toy.  Well, this inspired Macho so he went and got a toy and started throwing it in the air and catching it on the fall, and then spinning and doing it all over. Macho puts his heart and soul into playing, which right now is way to intense for Khan. Khan watched from the safety of his bed.  Soon Khan was carrying the elephant around the house. 

Later I let them all out and in through the patio doors. Near the patio door was a red stuffy bone, that is about a foot long and 6 inches wide.  He smelled it, looked at me and quickly ran in.  I took the bone and put it near him.  He grabbed it and pranced around with it.  He put it on his bed and in greyhound style, invited the toy to play with him. He decided he could chew on it and when no one said no, or moved to take it away, he gleefully laid on his bed and chewed and chomped.  Soon Ace came in and showed him that you can play with one toy for a minute and then get another and another and no one says anything. 

We have Kong toys.  They are heavy and are generally for heavy chewers.  My greyhounds love them. Every foster dog has found the Kong toy has managed to do some serious damage to the toy and or their teeth.  Khan found the Kong softball.  Fog had found the kong softball and was in the process of taking the bright yellow cover off of it, before he got adopted.  I looked at Khan, and he was carrying the kong softball all around the house, by the partially removed cover.  It looked like a Christmas ornament hanging from his mouth! He dropped it and it scared him so he ran to his bed.  Ace got up, grabbed the ball, tail wagging, and took it to his bed (nearly 20 feet away).  A little later, Ace moved from his bed to another bed, and Khan, got up, and stole the ball and took it to Khan’s bed.  This was deemed a challenge by Ace, so when Khan was looking for more food in the bowls, Ace stole the ball back.  They stole the ball from each other the rest of the day.

Now when Khan is feeling especially good, he gets the big red bone and chews on it.  The yellow kong ball is missing, it must be under something and I haven’t found it yet.

A side note, the boys are taking turns playing in the yard.  Khan invites Macho to play, so they chase each other, then Ace runs with Khan, and Macho stops, and then the three run together.  I noticed yesterday, that Khan is now inviting River to play too.  While she does not play with him, she does not stop him from running in the yard.  I watched him run in the yard after he talked to River. (boy is he speedy)  River went and stood near the deck and pretended to not notice while he ran a couple laps.  When Khan came in, he found his elephant and chewed on it, then found his big red bone, picked it up and dropped it in front of Ace, trying to get Ace to play.  I think Khan is gonna be a dog that plays!

Fog and Khan

So, I noticed with Fog, that he had an arch in his back for the first couple weeks and Khan has a similar arch.  With Fog, the arch came out when River finally accepted him to the pack. We’ll see how long it takes for Khan’s arch to go away. 

But my dogs aren't excited to have a foster dog in the house. They are not inviting Khan to be part of the pack.  I showed Khan where to lay the first night and that is where he stayed when he wasn't following me or jumping at every new noise or movement in the house.  My dogs are ignoring him, except Macho.  Macho is not inviting him to hang out with him, but he is tolerating Khan hanging around Macho, leaning on Macho and stealing Macho's favorite bed.  River stayed upstairs for two days after he got here, and Ace laid on his bed and just watched what was happening. 

Khan is just looking for a dog to tell him what is happening.  I figured, Fog recently went through this, maybe Fog would be able to explain to Khan what is going on.  And they came from the same kennel, they may know each other.  So I called Fog’s parents and arranged to borrow Fog. When we got off of work, I drove over and got Fog.

Fog came over and greeted River, then Ace, and lastly Macho.  Macho was not impressed, someone ELSE to take attention away from him.  Then Fog discovered Khan.  Sniff, sniff and all of a sudden both of them back up and their hair is standing on end.  I told them to stop.  A little paw stomping and huffing continued, but Khan ran off.  Soon Fog got done talking to the pack and I took my eyes off of them for a minute.  When I looked up, Fog and Khan were walking right next to each other, like a team of reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh.  Same pace, almost as if they were tied together. It would have been a terrific picture, but no camera at the time.  Fog spent some more time hanging out in the yard, but Fog didn't want to run in the yard. And, he wasn't too interested in hanging out with Khan or River; although, he and River had a conversation which made River sad.  I let them all back out, my dogs came right back in, and Fog and Khan stayed outside.  “Good” I thought, “they’ll play now”.   I came in to get my phone to capture the perfect picture of them hanging out together.   This is what I got. Fog standing and Khan lying in the yard!

I took Fog home. When I returned, Khan was prancing around the yard.  When greyhounds are happy, they prance, it is sort of like a fancy horse trot.  When my dogs prance, I know that they are happy with themselves.  He came galloping to me and proudly took himself into the house.

Although they didn't get to run or play in the yard, the short time Khan and Fog spent together had a positive impact on Khan.  I suspect Fog told Khan that this is a good place, and he doesn't have to run any more or live in a cage.  I think Fog told him that it is good here. 

Khan has not had any “accidents” in the house since Fog left.  He sleeps through the night. He is still jumpy, but Khan will now take treats out of human hands.  And Khan really likes Bill!

Khan- the first 12 hours

Khan’s first hours of retirement in a house were pleasant.  He and his 7 companions arrived just after 5 p.m., after traveling for approximately 20 hours.  They were all happy to get out and stretch.  Fortunately, there were plenty of volunteers on hand to help get them off the hauler and attached to leash with a human at the other end.  All was well. 

After a couple hours of microchipping, bathing, pictures, romping in the yard, and food and water, 7 dogs and their responsible humans, departed to start their retirement life, leaving Khan with us. 

River of course was snarky.  Ace was tired cause he had been with Bill at Petco for 4 hours, leaving Macho to fend for himself with this dog, that is a skinny version of Macho.

Khan is not shy.  He is just not brave.  Any sudden movement, or unusual noise sends him 20 feet away from the fearful thing.  Tail tucked and a look of panic in his eyes.  A simple gentle touch and some kind words relax him and all is well. 

I fed him last night after the people left.  He ate 2 cups of food and drank a tablespoon of water.  Then he ate the rest of Aces food and then polished off Macho's.  He would take a break between eating.   He is eerily thin, so he can gain 20 pounds.  Soon he needed to go somewhere to poo. Ace came and yelled at me, so I figured Ace wanted to go out.  I got up and the 3 boys followed me:  only Macho and Khan went out.  Macho showed Khan all the good spots for a guy to pee, and then Macho showed Kahn, Macho's favorite place to Poo.  Since it was dark, Macho waited for Khan and they came running back.  Good Macho.

Bill carried Khan up the stairs so Khan could sleep with the pack.  Eventually, after River snarked and Macho growled, Khan laid down on the bed I had shown him after he got upstairs.  At 3 this morning, all  four dogs started moving around, which woke Bill up.  He got up, carried Khan down the stairs, waited for him to finish his dog business, and then, carried him back up the stairs. Once Khan got settled, they all slept till 730 this morning.  Yay!

Ace and River bounded down the stairs this morning.  Khan stood at the top of the stairs, so I decided to see if he could come down without waking the elevator.  Sure enough, Khan let me move each of his feet, down each stair, and together we made it to the main level, which allowed him to happily trot outside with the others.

No one wants to eat this morning.  Macho and River abandoned us and went back upstairs to sleep with Dad.  Ace claimed his downstairs bed and has not ventured off of it. Khan, well, he paced, he snacked, he drank 3 cups of water, he marked, he paced, he went out and in 20 or more times, drank some more water, and finally laid down next to me and appears to be nearly asleep.I think he is waiting for Macho to tell him what is happening but Macho is still sleeping!

Kahn will not leave my side. He will stay with Bill, but he knows who has the softest heart, and 

he can wrap me around his toe.  I can't get a good body shot cause he is with me when I am moving.For those that know Macho, this is NOT Macho.

Coming Soon!

Tomorrow afternoon, around 5 the new foster dogs arrive!

I am getting a black greyhound whose racing name is PG Khan.  He is roughly 3 years old.  I looked him up on some racing greyhound website and his racing weight was 71 pounds.  This tells me he is a big guy, just the way I like them.  I believe he may be between 27 and 30 inches tall at the shoulder.  We’ll see.

PG Khan

When he retired, nearly 2 years ago, he was what is defined as a Spook.  As near as I can tell a Spook is so afraid of everything he/she rarely seeks attention, and actually shuns it.  The kennel manager tells me they worked with him for a year and a half, and he is no longer a spook.  So, we’ll see.

Ace was defined as Shy when we got him.  We couldn't pet him, when he walked by I would touch him.  Eventually he would let me pet him.  A lot of patience and love along with Oliver and Mindy, brought him out of his shell.  I am hoping that a lot of patience and love and my three dogs allow Khan to become the confident dog that lives within all of the greyhounds.

I asked the kennel manager what they did to help him, assuming they had a dog psychologist or pet psychic work with him.  She tells me that lots of attention and treats brought him around.  No outside help.  She said just give him treats and talk to him, he should be fine. Well then, he is coming to the right place.  My dogs almost live on treats!  They prefer treats over dinner, but I make them eat most of their food before they get a treat. So, free-flowing treats it will be.   I asked the kennel manager what she thought the trip in the trailer would do to him.  She said he should be ok. 

We are looking forward to having another foster dog.  He may be more challenging than Fog was.  The next blogs will be about Khan.  Here is the picture they kennel sent me of Khan, the foster dog.

They're coming!

Blaze

Foster dogs are coming.  7 no, wait 8, foster dogs are coming to Erie Shore Greyhound Adoption of Ohio on October 26.  And yes, I volunteered to foster again.  Since River doesn't like girl dogs, we are gonna get another boy.  Probably a black greyhound. Ollie was my first official greyhound, and he was black.  Macho was one of my foster dogs, a black greyhound. I sorta have a soft spot for the black dogs.  Since adopting Macho, I've had 2 other black greyhounds, one for maybe a month and one for a week. And I believe the black greyhounds are more centered, and confident  and just want to make the humans happy.  Maybe it is just what I expect out of them. They are also very attentive and need human touch.  I like that in a dog.  The other greyhounds I've had in my life that weren't/aren't black don’t seem to have the passion that a black greyhound has.

Macho

My dogs adjusted pretty well to Fog.  But he worked real hard on River.  I am not sure she will feel the same about another foster dog.  Especially a black one, she really doesn't like Macho.  But time will tell.

So I am again going through the feelings of OMG what did I get myself into, and Oh boy another dog to love and find a good forever home for.   In my heart and head, I am hoping for a big boy.  I like the big ones; I treat them like spoiled dogs. The smaller greyhounds, I treat like baby dogs.  

Since I don’t know too much about the dog I may be getting, I have posted pictures of the black dogs that have been in my life.

Olliver (Ollie)

How I started Fostering

In 2004, the e-mail from Sally, the director of Lake Erie Greyhound Rescue read, something like:

“Winnie has been diagnosed with cancer. She has been undergoing chemotherapy for 6 weeks.  Her greyhounds, Twiggy (11) and Kacey (7) have been at the vet in the kennel for 6 weeks at a cost of $1500.  Winnie is getting ready for a second round of chemo.  The vet has said the dogs can stay there again, but Winnie is hoping they be fostered while she goes through this chemo.  She has had Twiggy for 7 years and she would like to occasionally be able to see both dogs, but specifically Twiggy. They live in North Olmsted.  If anyone can foster for her, please let me know.” With tears in my eyes I read this message to Bill.  I said, can we take them? He said yes.

Twiggy

I cannot imagine what those  dogs thought while they were at the vets office kennel.  Those cages are meant for short term stays.  So I called Sally. Told her we would foster.  She was silent, then she said, ‘thank you so much.  Winnie will be delighted.”  So after a few more calls, we went to get Twiggy and Kacey.  Twiggy I learned from Winnie, was a champion and retired at the age of 5, and she and her husband got Twig about a year before he unexpectedly died.  Kacey she got to keep Twiggy company about 3 years ago.  Twiggy was a tiny previously Champaign brindle, but at the age of 11 was now gray and black, brindle.  Spunky as could be but was on Rimadyl for pain as needed.  Kacey, was a stunning boy. He had the markings of a husky, but the body of a greyhound.  He was an incredible dog.

Kacey

We arranged to keep them for at least 6 weeks with weekend visits, when Winnie felt good enough.  I talked to Winnie every week.  The 6 weeks turned into three months, with a couple of visits.  I almost had to insist they go home, but they did.  She called one day, a few months later and said she was going on vacation and could the dogs stay with me.  Of course they can.  I went to get them and when I walked in, they were very glad to see me.  Winnie said they had not greeted anyone like that in many years.  They liked what I came to call their Country home…

About 6 months later, Winnie called, another cancer.  “Can you take them?”  Of course we can.  I really don’t remember too much about them, except Kacey was a very nice dog.   But when there was snow, he was a coward.  Ollie, Kacey and Ginger would look outside and see the snow and turn around.  Twiggy, the tiny old greyhound, would go out without a coat, and put her head down in the snow and just plow through it and return.  Then the others would go out.  She was the leader of the pack; although, she let Kacey think he was.  But when he failed to lead the way she wanted, she would yell at him.  And he would hang his head and tuck his tail and scamper away.  She was an amazing dog.

Winnie died while the dogs were here.  Twiggy knew when Winnie died.  At 1038 p.m. Twiggy stood up and just started howling.  I looked at the clock, and thought ‘that is weird, she’s never done that before’.  Then I thought, uh oh.  Winnie must have passed.  The next morning, Winnie’s son called and said she died last night.  I asked what time, and he said it was around 1035. 

In one of many conversations, Winnie had told me that if she died, her son was coming from Colorado to take the dogs to Colorado with him.  He arranged for me to keep them for a couple more months until he could come back and get them.  We kept in touch for awhile.  In 2009, twiggy died.  She was 16.  Twiggy was cremated and put with Winnie’s ashes. Kacey died shortly after, he was 9.  Although I don’t remember a lot of stories, they were my first foster dogs and they hold a special place in my heart.  I  cried when they died.

Fog's Down!

I always invite my former foster dogs to come and run in the yard and to get some greyhound guidance from my dogs.  All greyhounds and their owners are welcomed, but I especially enjoy seeing my former foster dogs.

Craig said Fog was getting grumpy, so I told him to bring him over and let him run in our yard, and so he can get some greyhound guidance from River and the boys.   Fog’s yard isn’t finished yet, so he has no room to run right now. Fog came to run in the yard Thursday evening. After a few minutes, he started running, with Macho hot on his trail.  YAY! Macho hardly ever runs.  Soon, River was out running with them, which means she quickly stopped them, but they got a couple laps in!   On my deck there are 7 dog beds.  So after the run, he trotted his happy self right up onto the deck and laid down on his favorite bed.  This is not running….

 I told Bill to go get the gator.  The gator is a John Deere yard truck. (Normally, when a football player gets seriously injured they haul him off on the extended gator), we have the compact version.   For some reason, the hounds love to run with the gator. I accidentally found this out many years ago. 

Gator outside of fence

So when I am too lazy to walk the dogs, I drive the gator outside the fence, calling the dogs.  I drive it around and around and back and forth and they run around and around and back and forth and wait for me to catch up with them.  It is great fun for the dogs, they are almost gleeful, that they can chase the gator.  So, Bill drove the gator for about 10 minutes, and Fog chased it.  Then Bill stopped, Fog got a drink and he looked at Bill like, “you’re not done are you?” so Bill let Craig drive the gator.  I should note that everyone loves to drive the gator, it brings out your inner child, and Craig was no different.  Fog had a great time.  Fog paced Craig for about 5 minutes, and Fog was slowing down, so Craig  stopped.  As Craig closed the gate, Fog was waiting for him.  Fog all of a sudden let out a yelp and laid down. (OMG did we kill him?)  Bill and I looked at each other like WTH? And Bill went heading to the fence to see WTH happened.  As he is walking across the yard I said to Bill, look at his tongue. (my cocker spaniel died from a heart attack, it was tragic.  The vet said when a dogs tongue turns from pink to Black, the dog’s heart is not working).  Bill and Craig are now on the ground one on either side of Fog.  Sandy and I are standing on the deck, secretly panicking.  I holler to Bill, how is his tongue.  Bill says, it is pink! (yay) Craig and Bill are touching fogs legs, feet, back trying to find any problem.  Nothing.  No yelping, not even raising his head.  He is breathing, his eyes are normal looking.  WTH is wrong?  I want take over, but he is not mine.  I tell Sandy to take this bowl of water out there and see if he will drink.  Bill takes the water and trickles it from his fingers into Fogs mouth.  No reaction.  Then, Oops, a little too much water, like a splash in the face and he pops his head up and then starts drinking!  Again I send Sandy out to the fence with a wet towel and tell her to rub him all over with it. 

Fog loves this attention, two men sitting with him, and the new lady rubbing him all over with a cool cloth, ah, this is the life.  I see him looking like he is enjoying the pampering, and by this time, my dogs are looking for their evening treat.  So the evil foster mom, gives a treat to each of my dogs and sends them onto the deck.  Fog knows the evening routine here, and sees they are eating something, and sits a little higher, almost getting up.  I say to myself, ok, he is fine.  So I give Sandy a treat and tell her to take it to Fog.  She does, he eats it and follows her up onto the deck so he can get another.    All is well. 

Saturday, Fog came to the meet and greet and had his new collar, happily coming for some loving from me, and hanging out with River and the boys.

Our dog's dog's dog

Ok, Fog seems to be living happily ever after, and this IS a good thing.  Secretly hoping his folks adopt another dog to keep him company, they will find 2 greyhounds are nearly easier than one.  But time will tell.

I thought I would share this story.  Many of my friends have heard this story, but it is the beginning of my greyhound experience.

We adopted Oliver.  He was two. Ollie looked a lot like Macho, Black with a white chest, but Ollie was taller than Macho.  The top of Ollie’s head came to my waist. Ollie didn't know how to be an only dog, and didn't like being in the house alone, and would have nothing to do with a crate.  He would skip over baby gates, so he had full run of the house.  Ollie quickly learned how to open the doors, we had flip handles at the time.  He would hit the handle with his nose and let himself out. Fortunately, our neighbor saw this and would keep an eye on him and let him back in.  We changed the flip handles to round handles and Ollie chewed on them so much they are no longer round.  I called the rescue group, “what do I do?”,they said get another greyhound.  Ginger had just been returned after being in a home for 4 years, I said, we’ll take her.  She came in, jumped on the couch, said, this is good.  And she taught Ollie how to be a house hound.  Ginger died 6 months later.  Realizing Ollie still needed a friend, I called the rescue group.  Mindy was available, Mindy was a brindle female.  Some time I will tell you about me and Mindy.  She was my best friend.  Anyway, Mindy was two, Ollie was 3.  So we got our dog a dog. They liked each other, except, Mindy loved to play.  Ollie didn't understand the concept of play.  So while he had company and that was good for him, Mindy needed a playmate.  Another call to the rescue group, get a dog she can play with.  Ok,  She understood I needed a dog that would play, and when she told the kennel manager we wanted a boy who would play with a girl, and white and brindle, the kennel manager immediately said, “take Ace”.  So we got our dog’s dog, a dog.

Ace-now

Ace was so shy, we couldn’t even pet him and hugs were out of the question. He’d walk by and we’d reach out and pet his back.  He would wait till we were at least 20 feet away to eat.  But Ollie liked to hang out with him, and taught him that human touch is good.  Mindy loved to play with him, and he loved playing with her.  They would spin inside or outside and gallop across the yard chasing each other every day no matter what the weather.  Ace would watch Ollie and Mindy getting cuddles and petting and eventually came to expect petting and hugging.  Ace loves going to meets and greets cause he gets petted by lots of people and hugged by small children.

Mindy died in 2010 on a Monday and Ollie died on Friday, the same week.  Both had cancer, Mindy’s was a fast growing cancer, and Ollie’s was a slow growing cancer.  The vet said Ollie had to have been in a lot of pain for many months, but loved us so much he didn’t want to go. Ollie would get a hug in the hallway every morning before breakfast.  After Ollie died, Ace started standing in the hall, in the same place Ollie did, and look at me with his most beautiful soulful eyes, wanting me to hug him like I did Ollie.    Ace is now 9, and every morning he gets his hug.  He is looking for a playmate.  River is too alpha, and Macho, like Ollie doesn't understand the concept.  Our dog’s dog’ dog, now needs his own dog, but four forever dogs are too much for me! So we foster...

Fog's got a boy!

Part of the adoption process with ESGAO is the foster family speaks with the adoptive family during the weeks following the adoption, to see if there are problems or questions that the foster family can help with.
It also gives the adoptive family someone to share their dog stories with, so their friends don't have to get sick of hearing the stories.
So I called Fogs' adoptive family and they relayed this story.  I may have some of the details wrong, but it is a cute story nonetheless...
Friday night, Sandy's 18 years old son came home from work and finally met Fog.  They enjoyed meeting each other, and life went on.  Later,  Fog went upstairs and found the son in his room, sitting on his bed.  Fog put his nose on the bed, thud, and looked at son. When greyhounds want attention and you are somewhere they can't get to you, they use their heads to bang to make where you are, move so you pay attention. Soon, Fog decided he needed more attention and looked at son, (no one said no), and ventured to put one paw on the bed, and paused.  No one said no, so the other front paw went onto the bed.  Pause, and then, the rest of the dog got onto the bed!  (He never ever even tried to get on the furniture here, and my dogs don't get on the furniture.)  By this time, Mom is seeing what the dog is doing, and Fog, goes and curls up right next to the son on his bed, puts his head on the sons leg and looks at mom.  Son knows Fog is not allowed on the furniture, but he gives mom the look, "can't he stay here???" Mom agrees to let Fog stay on the bed, but only the sons bed, no other furniture.
Everyone went to their designated sleeping spot until morning. In the morning, they took Fog outside and he had breakfast.  Then, he went upstairs and started scratching at the sons door.  The son was not up.  They let Fog into the sons room and Fog leaped onto the sons bed, and stood over the son, wagging like crazy and licking him.  Son is sleeping and stunned to find big dog standing on him, wagging his tail and kissing him on the face.  Mom said, well, you needed to get up, I guess we've found a new alarm!

I have no new pictures to share, but this is Fog sleeping after he got here.

He's got a furever home

We took Fog to Craig and Sandy Friday evening . I can now talk about it.  I have to say, that I did really good.  I only got teary twice.  When my last foster dog got adopted I teared up when we were leaving.  I only had him for a week!  When the one before that left, I cried like a baby for 2 days, but in my defense, we had him for 6 months.  And the one before that was equally as bad.  But anyway… 

 Bill put a "Its a boy" sign and a balloon in their yard so everyone would know they adopted a boy...dog.

The happy parents

When we agree to foster, I tell myself, it is only a dog, he is my foster dog , he won’t be here for long, don’t get attached.  I didn't immediately get attached to Ostn, it took a few days.  And blogging about him I think helped too.  But, Fog had the best face, and had the best disposition of any dog I've fostered.  Sandy and Craig only live 10 minutes away, and since we have a large fenced yard, they will bring him over to play in the yard. So I will see him again.

I can say, that Macho is glad he is gone.  I was worried that River would miss him, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue either.  We were sitting on the deck, (Bill, the dogs and me) and River stuck her head in the door and looked around, and then went about her business.  No problem with him being gone.  Ace? Ace is his normal self.  He doesn’t mind having them around, but he is happy to have the house back to normal.

I heard Carrie Underwood singing this on the radio today, it seemed appropriate for a foster dog leaving, the song is called, See You Again.  This is the part that made me thing about Fog.

Sometimes I feel my heart is breaking
But I stay strong and I hold on cause I know
I will see you again
This is not where it ends
I will carry you with me

Said goodbye turned around
And you were gone

Adopted!

Ok, in case you haven't figured it out, Fog is being adopted.  Tomorrow.
This blog is about him, the next blog will be about me and how I feel about his departure from my care.

Sandy and Craig decided that they wanted a dog.  She has allergies and was thinking about a little dog, he said no, I want a big dog.  So, they did some research and decided on a greyhound.  Somehow, they found our website (ESGAO.org) and saw the adoptable dogs.  They saw Ostenfog's face and knew that he is the one for them.  They went to a meet and greet we were supposed to be at, and we weren't.  Then they went to a big greyhound event in eastern Ohio and ran into Donna, who is THE BEST foster mom in the greyhound world AND a member of our group.  Donna found out they were interested in Fognostn and immediately called Bill. That was the day they came to meet Fog.
It was love at first sight for all three of them!  They say the dog picks you.  I this pairing was made in heaven or something.  Fog has been bitten or pounded at least 7 times, based on the number of scars on his side and face, and they don't care.  Fred wears his scars on the outside, but as near as I can tell, he has no scars inside.  He is happy, playful, intelligent dog that loves life and looks forward to each day.  He is curious, but responds very well to correction and praise.   He is a very special dog, and Craig and Sandy seem to be the ones he needs to make him the best dog he can be.  I have told him he is going to live with his special friends, he seems to understand something is happening.  I told River that he is leaving and she is now laying 3 feet away from him.  This is unusual, she goes upstairs at night and "wants to be alone" as some movie star used to say.  Macho will be glad to see him leave.  Ace won't care either way.
Anyway, today I gave him a bath so all his nasty clumps of hair would fall out, and his skin the dead skin from his infection would wash away, to reveal the beautiful dog I knew he would be.

Fog after bath

 He will be gorgeous in about 6 months, once his hair comes in and thickens up.  He is young so he has lots of energy today.  My dogs are tired from being at the kennel, so I fired up the gator so he could chase it and burn off some energy.  He loves chasing the gator.
So he is ready, mostly.  River, Macho,and Ace have helped him learn how to be a retired racer, and I have taught him how to be a house dog. The rest is up to him.
So here is a cute story about Fog. We took dog food in 5 gallon home depot buckets to the kennel for them while we were on vacation.  One bucket is almost empty, so I decided to see how much food was left in there, while preparing to feed them.  I took the lid off the bucket, looked in there and decided there is enough food left to feed them all, and went to get their bowls.

Fog eating from barrel

When I returned, Ostn was standing there, head in the barrel, happily feasting on the food in the barrel.  I asked him what he was doing, he looked at me and stuck his head back into the barrel and continued to eat! Then I fed him and he did eat his normal dinner.  He likes food!
This is his scared side.  He has gained 8 lbs in 6 weeks.

People, return!

The man and lady took us from the kennel to the house.  We were glad to be there.

Everyone wants attention. We got lots of attention at the kennel but it is soothing to get attention and love from people you are used to. Even though Ace is the oldest and been there the longest, he let everyone else get attention before him. He is a real nice guy.

ACE

Anyway, Macho is hogging the lady (still) and Rivee really wants attention, and me too.  I get jealous sometimes of the attention she gives him, so I just push between Macho and the lady.  She pets me a little, but doesn’t stop petting Macho.  Soon she gets up and goes to pet Rivee.

Macho

Macho and me stand there, like, Hey, you were pettin us, why’d you leave?  But Rivee is loving the attention and tells us to buzz off. She gets an attitude sometimes, but I like her anyway.

So the lady asks the man to call someone.  Soon, THE PEOPLE that came over to pet and talk about ME, I told you about in my blog called “All about Me”, came over again!  And sure enough they came to pet ME!  I heard my lady say that I was really clingy today, and I shouldn't cling to her, I should cling to them.  I don’t know why, but it was okay with me and them.  I was so happy to see them.  I jumped up and gave her a kiss, and got rubbed and talked nicely to.  I pushed myself against that lady and then the man, and oh boy, he rubs good.  I showed him how good I am, I sat down and looked at him.  He didn't even tell me to, I was just showing off.  That trick got me some good pats and good boys, (yesss)  so then, I showed them how fast I can run.  I ran in circles and every time, I would look at the new people to see if they were watching me: they were! Phew I was tired, so we went on the deck so I could get a drink. 

The new man sat down next to me and petted me for a long time.  I almost fell asleep!  The new lady petted me a lot. I got lots of attention. I kept hearing my name, I guess they were talking about me.

We all went for a walk.  The new lady walked me, Ace walked with his lady, and Rivee and Macho walked with the man.  I wanted to walk with Rivee; but, the new lady had my leash, and I was walking like I was taught, so I couldn't walk with Rivee.  I heard the people talking about how to walk me, and  signs to look for.   We turned around, and I had to go number 1, so I did.  The people talked about that for a while, I can’t help it that I can “go” for a long time.

The next thing I knew, my lady was showing them how I eat.  I don’t know why she showed them that, but I was hungry and happy to show them how I eat.  Then my lady gave me a milk bone, right after dinner!  She’s never done that before.  I always eat my milk bones by my bowl, the new people thought that was interesting. I like these people!

The new people said they had bought dog food, and dog toys and flip chips.  And beds and new collars. I heard my man say something about bringing Fog some where on Friday evening. I wonder what bring, means?

Some dog is gonna get some good stuff…

  

The Kennel experience

The people took us to the kennel!   I thought I was I going back to the track.  I was sad.  But this was a different sort of kennel.  There were no cages stacked on each other, the kennel was a deluxe version, much different from the one I grew up in. In this kennel, I had a bed the people brought for me, and room to get up and stretch and take a couple of steps, and a SQUEAKY toy! 

I was scared, I thought I did something wrong, but the others were there too and in similar cages. 

Ace is the oldest dog in this pack, and he said he’s been going there for years.  He said it is not like the racetrack kennels.  At this kennel, the people are there just for your convenience, and they are nice people who make sure your every need is met.  Rivee said we would be ok.  Macho was nervous too, but he said the people always come back for them.  The others agreed, so we stayed there, together, and they helped me.  We got to stay in cages right next to each other, and I got to stay closest to Rivee.

The people at the kennel, made sure we got to go out a lot.  Every time we went out, they cleaned our kennel and we got fresh water.  I am not good at keeping time, but it was like every two hours.  We got to go out, just to go out, and we got to meander for a while.  It was ok.  Rivee and I would have liked to lounge outside, but we couldn't cause there was no soft place to lay in the shade.  We got fed twice a day, and got dog bones.  And the kennel is air conditioned so it was nice and cool in there.  They made sure I had my squeaky and flip chip.  They petted everyone, each time we went out and each time we came in.  Not just a little petting, a whole bunch of petting for all of us.  I enjoyed that.

Retired Racer Bus

The lady and man came and got us today.  Ace heard the RRB, and started calling for his Dad! 

  I joined in, cause it is fun to talk, real loud.  Soon Rivee started and so did Macho.  That was fun.  Ace said, “See they do come back!”  Rivee and me were so excited, we ran through the building instead of getting on our leashes.  Fortunately, there are many barriers, so we couldn't get too far.  We got on the bus, and we all laid down.  It felt good to have someone leave you and come back for you.  I got up and came to the lady, she rubbed me as best she could through the fence in the bus.  I could tell she still likes me.  Macho was hogging her, so I couldn’t get a lot of attention, but I could tell she was glad to have us back! 

The kennel experience gets 3 Roos, but getting picked up and going home, 5+ Roos.

It's all about ME

The other day, the man was out and about.  He came home and talked on what Ace calls a phone.

The man and lady were mowing the lawn and I was supervising while the others were in the house.

Soon the phone rang again.  The humans stopped mowing the lawn, and pretty soon, two more humans came to the gate!  I got so excited, some new people to meet.  The lady closed the door so the others couldn't come out.   I got to meet these people and have them all to myself for a few minutes.  They petted ME!  The rubbed ME all over, it felt so good: I let my puppy side come out.  No one told ME No! 

We all stayed in the grass.  The humans talked for a while and all of them watched ME!  But they didn't know that I really liked the new people, especially the LADY.   The humans went onto the deck.  I couldn't take it anymore!  I jumped up and put my paws almost on the visiting LADY’s shoulders.  I licked her smack dab on the face.  My lady told me to get down, but the new LADY, just laughed, and rubbed my head.  I figured I shouldn't have jumped on her so I got down.  No one was angry.  My lady was smiling and the men were laughing.  My man told the new man, that I “look like was rode hard and put up wet”. 

The "Rode Hard" side of Fog

I thought that is what they say about horses.  The new man said he didn’t care,” how can you not love that face”, and rubbed ME all over, it was SO nice.  He petted ME real good.  The others came out to get petted, but they didn’t really like the people as much as I did. So they got petted and then Rivee laid down by the lady, Macho laid down so he could watch the lady, and Ace laid in the shade out of the way.

The humans sat down and talked.  I laid down in the tent right next to the new lady.  I kept hearing them say FOG.  They talked for a long time.  My lady told them about all my ailments since I retired, and they felt bad for ME.  My people were telling the new people all about Me! Then my humans told the new people about my travel partners, Newton, Baron, Chief and Rollie.  The people listened nicely, and said they want ME!

Today, I heard my lady on the phone talking about ME.  Something about a home visit and when I can go there and who will take ME there.   Apparently, something else is happening, so I have to wait a few days. .  I wonder what is going on?

Toy-mented

Hello, it’s Fog. I need to tell you a story and get your help.  I don’t know what to do!  The lady is no help, she just laughs. 

I love squeaky toys.  The others play with them, sorta, but not so much.  They don’t play with them until I start playing with them, then, they want to play.  But just for a minute.  The dogs in this house have many wonderful squeaky toys.  I am partial to the ones that have multiple squeakers, those are the most fun.  The guys have then in all different colors and sizes, so there are plenty to squeak.

Anyway, I will be happily lying on the deck squeaking toys with Rivee and the man and lady nearby.  The man gets a squeaky toy, and puts it on my back.  I stop squeaking the toy I am squeaking and grab the other one and start squeaking it.  Then while I am looking for the best squeaker in the toy I just got off my back, Mister, puts ANOTHER one on my neck.  Now I have two in front of me and another on my neck.  So I whip my head around and grab the one off my neck, and start squeaking it, and in the time it takes me to get one off my neck, the man, has snatched one out from in front of me!  He then puts that one on my neck.  So I have to get it!  I whip my head around to get the toy, and he still has a hold of it.

  He moves it just enough so I can’t grab it with my mouth.  Just as I get it, he holds it, so I can’t put it in front of me, so I have to squeak it on my back.  Then he lets go of it, and I throw it in front of me.  I start squeaking, and the whole process just starts over.  I ask Rivee for help, she just ignores me.  I look at the lady with my “big brown eyes” (she loves my eyes) to see if she will help me, and she is either laughing or egging him on.   WHAT do I do to stop him from toy-menting me?
As Sky would say, I give squeaky toys 5 Roos, but, for the man, only 2 Roos

Progressiono

Fog is my 13^th foster dog, they learn so much in such a short time. Today’s blog is about his progress.  Fog has been here for nearly 3 weeks.  In the three weeks, he has learned not to potty in the house, not to counter surf, how to look in the mirror, Barking is fun, where to eat (and that he gets fed regularly), and water is available all the time.  And dog beds are good.  Although he has learned many things, he is still unsure of what is happening. 

There comes a time in every foster dog’s life, when they just get it.  They get into the daily routine, they join in reindeer I mean, dog games, and their actual personality comes out.  In essence, they relax.  Fog still annoys River; although, for all her complaining I think she sorta likes him.  He is learning all her bad habits, but he is also learning Macho’s endearing habits.  Here is the “rest of story”:

Saturday, we took River and Fog to a Meet and Greet, he did ok.  Sunday we left River and Fog at home and went to a Meet and Greet with Ace and Macho.  When we returned, Fog greeted us at the door, as he has been taught by the others, but the exuberance displayed by my dogs when we return is not there.  He is almost just checking to see what is happening, instead of greeting us.  We went out that night, leaving the four dogs alone.

When we returned, there was delight oozing from Fog.  He was a confident, happy boy, yapping and dancing with the others welcoming us home.  Somehow, someone or something clicked with him, and he now understands his new life.  The change is not easy to describe.  I can only describe it as settled and confident. As a foster mom, once you see this change in the foster dog, you know in your heart that the scared, unsure animal is gone, and emerging is a beautiful, wonderful companion pet.  It makes you proud and happy, yet sad. His transformation from racer to retiree is an amazing thing to witness. He now entices River and Macho to play with him.  He gets up at 540 EVERY morning, hoping I remember that he trained me to walk him when the sun comes out.  He tears through the house squeaking toys, and chews on his flip chips any time anywhere.  His playful happy self is emerging.

There are no pictures this week.  He is becoming physically beautiful.  He will always have scars on his nose and sides.  His patchy blond hair is coming out in clumps and is being replaced by nice red fur.  He is itching all over.  His bald thighs are starting to fill in with fur, but he may have partially bald thighs for a long time.  His naked, but oh so soft belly, is starting to get fur.  He loves to be rubbed and scratched, especially where the hair is coming out, or coming in.    Right now he looks awkward, but soon, he will be a beautiful, confident Red dog, afraid of nothing and proudly wearing his battle scars, with really Big feet!

An afternoon with friends

For my friends who think their dogs talk oddly, Fog will be using his dog talk in this blog.

So the ofer day, the lady sdayd home all day.  She said peepl were comin over to play wif me and to meet me.  Soon, Mister Jim  dropped by and it was reele gud to c him.  He petts soo good. He hugs good and rubs me all over lik I am the most best dog ever.  He didn’t stay to vewy long.  I wanted him to stay and play. 

Later 2 ladies brought a cupl of the guys from the race kennel over. these r  the guys that came on the truk wif me. 

Pops

Newton

For sum reesun, we all really like the dog the peepl call Pops.  Pops came with Newton.  Pops said he and Newton live together now.  The ladies were vewy nice.  I had to wear my muzzle, but, so did rivee so I wasn’t the only one. I hear Pops is bein dopted.  I don’t know what that means, but the humans act lik it is a gud thing.  One lady cheked me all over and told my lady wat to do to help me look betr.  Then they talked about my potty problems, it embarrassed me, n front of the guys.  The new lady was vewy loving and wanted me to go home wif her, since pops is bein doptd she cud take me. Then, my lady said I couldn’t go cuz the new lady has cats and litle dogs that live wif her.  I like small animals, a guy can chase them or just eat them. I tink this is y my lady said no.

So the ofers pouted cuz I was getin all the attention.  Macho got peted my the ofer lady, he really likd her. Rivee went to her room, and Ace stayed in the hous.

So the guys were getting bord and Newton wanted to run, so we ran in the yard together, the ofers even joined in the fun. Sinz Rivee had her muzzle on we dint care wat she said.  I dint know I could run in the yard, cuz Rivee dint tell me I could.  She snarls when the ofers run in the yard, so that must be why she dint tell me about running.  I showed the guys my squeaky toys.  They showed their lady they could bark.  Then Newton started playing with my squeakies, and Pops dint.  Newton then found my flip chips. Then we got to eat.  The guys and I got fed in the garage by the man and new lady.  The ofers got fed in the house.  After dinner we all got treats, then the guys had to go home.  It sur was gud to c them agin n hang out with them.  i wonder how the ofer guys are and if they got dopted?

My lady forgot to take pikshurs, so we are postin pictures of me and rivee roaching.  Sum one askd what roaching is, so here is a pic.