I'm home!

Looker would like to let you know that she has found her forever home, and is adjusting very well to her new family. Her adoptive parents, Jim & Freida, and her canine sister, Peanut, are very excited to welcome Looker to the family, and will post updates and some new photos in the near future.

Don't delay

Looker would like you to know that if you've had your eye in her, been considering putting in an adoption application but still hesitating... Well you will need to start admiring some other hounds. Looker has been adopted and will soon be going to her forever home. She plans to spend her last days in foster care relaxing and showing us that she has no inhabitions. With her fabulous girly Greyhound figure, who could blame her? I've titled this photo "Uninhibited"

You've come a long way baby!

Kiss was not bad with the cats when she first arrived but she was showing enough interest in them that she was listed as Cat Workable instead of Cat Tolerant. My first Greyhound, Venus, tested this way also & has lived very peacefully with cats for years. The speed of Kiss' progress toward good canine/feline relations has been a nice surprise. She has now earned the privelege of going without a muzzle. Kiss will still need careful introductions to new cats in new locations close supervision with them, including being muzzled, at first but it is completely reasonable to expect many, many more scenes like the one below:

Good girl, Kiss!
[Note her collection of toys.]

Have not yet mentioned anything about housebreaking Kiss. That is because it has been a non-issue. There have been no accidents so far including being left for as long as 5 hours. She has not chewed anything except dog toys. Her access is limited to living room, dining room & kitchen, and she is still in an x-pen or crate when we are not here. (She sleeps in a crate in our bedroom at night.) With proper supervision she should adjust just as well in a new home.

Stealing kisses

What's in a nickname? Well, I have not been able to get a picture of this yet but it is so sweet & cute I wanted to mention it. Looker's nickname Kiss comes from her habit of coming up to you & giving you a quick kiss. Most Greyhounds are not kissers or lickers so the ones that do this are noteworthy. I do not like being licked but I LOVE sweet, Kiss' kisses. It started with her up coming up from behind & planting a tiny kiss on my hand. Now when we are down on her level she'll give us a little kiss on the cheek or our arm if a face isn't accessible. She isn't licking repeatedly like a lot of non-Greyhounds. She just gives you one quick little swipe. It is so gentle, so sweet, & just infrequent enough that you feel you have been given a gift.

Today I made Kiss a promise. Soon she will have her own family to give kisses to whenever she wants, a family who will treasure every kiss as much as they treasure her. Will you help me make that promise come true?

And now for my next trick...

An ongoing lesson is learning to wait in doorways. She is getting very good at this trick. "Wait," I say before opening the door. All the dogs wait patiently, well except the puppy who waits not so patiently. There stands Looker, who I am more often calling Kiss now, waiting calmly in the middle of my pack. On the way back in it is hard. She must wait her turn as I bring the dogs in one by one, so I can wipe their feet before releasing them. I am happy to say that today little Kiss waited patiently as two other dogs were let in one at a time. She then stood calmly in the entry way while I wiped her feet.

She is also learning to wait for me to put her food bowl down & then release her before eating. She is already a polite girl with people but these things are rules in my house to prevent chaos in our multi dog household. The Greyhounds catch on to these things as faster or faster than any other fosters we've had. These may seem like minor niceties to some folks but it helps life to be calmer & easier for all involved.

The dogs learn quickly & even enjoy this. We keep some structure & order without making things too rigid. They still get to show their own style in everything they do. When I bring the dogs in, I wipe their feet then release them to do their own thing. Venus just trots over to her bed to lay down. Luke bounds through the living room, sometimes grabbing a toy & doing a "victory lap" around the dining room table. (He's an almost 12 yo Greyhound, btw.) Kiss/Looker acts more like Luna the puppy. When I release her she stays put in hopes of getting extra lovin'. I have to shoo her off so I can let the next dog in. Only then does she trot off to find a toy to play with or a bed to stretch out on. She would be happy to just stretch out & let you give her tummy rubs all day.

The Game is On

Looker is playing with toys now. She is so cute with them! The other morning she found a cat toy which is a small mouse. She just loved it. Her favorites are the squeaky toys but that's no surprise.

Take that Mr. Squirrel!

We have a breakthrough!

She watched Tasty kitty run through the room and did not even bother
to get up! What a good Looker. Was it that she's accepting the cats as
part of the pack or is it just that she was soooo comfy on the dog
cot? I've no idea but she got lots of praise regardless. Guess we
should thank Tasty for the dog training.

Settling in well, part 2

Do not worry about the muzzle in the picture below. It is just a precaution. All the dogs including Looker are doing well together. We just want to make sure no harm comes to our cats while Looker is learning how to behave with feline roomates. Our more active and outgoing cat, Tasty, is busy giving "play nice with kitties" lessons. Looker seems to be taking these to heart and I am pleased with her progress so far but she still has lessons to learn.

Would you like a dog who is thrilled to see you? Well, in spite of her sleepy, laid back pose below, Looker is a champion at giving happy, exuberant welcomes. Trust me. She will make sure you know she loves you without being too wild and crazy. She is a very loving hound.

Laura

Settling in well

Though still restless on occasion, Looker is settling in quite well.
She is looking pretty relaxed in this picture. This is so typical of
this highly adaptable breed.

Good girl, good Looker!

Looker is just settling in with us tonight as our new foster dog. So far she is very good. She did well in the yard with our dogs and is now resting quietly in her xpen in the living room.

We are calling her Looker since Ed seems wrong for a girl. Calling her Good would be confusing, leading to strange statements such as "Good girl, Good" or "Good Good" or the worst of all, "Bad dog, bad Good." Huh...?

We are looking forward to having Looker as our guest but you could have her for life if you hurry & put your application in for Ed's Good Looker.

Laura