New Family

Well, I've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to post an update. My Aunt loaded me and my 4 dog cousins up in the pup mobile (conversion van) and off we headed to Kentucky to meet up with my Mom and Dad. My Aunt said they had just gotten back from their trip the night before. They got up early and left Ohio at 6am to meet us in Kentucky at lunchtime.

We met up at a Starbucks in London, Kentucky. I was reunited with my Mom whom I had not seen since May 14.

My Mom and Dad had everything all ready for me in their car for the trip to my new home in Ohio. I'm going to miss my Aunt and my dog cousins, but, man, oh man, I think I'm going to LOVE my new family. On the trip home to Ohio, we stopped and had a hamburger, and then later a frosty. YUMMY!

I napped and rested. A girl has to get her beauty rest, you know...

We finally got home to Ohio and I got to meet my dog sisters, Phoebe (Goldendoodle) and Roxy (Chihuahua) and all my new cat brothers and sister, plus my human brothers.

There's lots of new smells and things--and MORE hardwood floors for me to get used to. Geez--what's with all the hardwood floors! My Mom put a bunch of rugs and runners down for me so I could navigate around. Aside from the hardwood floors, I think I'm really going to like it here.

I just found out my Mom is a great cook! My Aunt doesn't cook so imagine my surprise when I found out my new Mom is wonderful cook. I already like to help her in kitchen.

I'm happy to finally be home--really home!

Later folks--I'm chilling with my family. I like the sound of that--my family.

Short Video of Me

Here's a little really short video of me tonight running through part of the yard and jumping those deck steps I like to jump. Cousin Cori was in the way. My Aunt told her to move to I could jump the steps :)

Visit Time Drawing to a Close

I went with my Aunt early this week to the feed & seed store near her house, TC Country. We went in to get some cat and dog food. I got to visit with the owners Sabine & Fabio Yepes. They were very nice. I also met their dog, Sissy. She kept wanting to sniff me, in public no less! I let her though since I was trying to be polite.

So today, my Aunt told me I'll be leaving Sunday to go to my family in Ohio. I'm not sure what all that means yet, but it sounds like changes are a coming. Ohio sounds so far away. My Aunt said me and my Mom and going to come back for a visit later this year though.

I sure hope my new family likes me--but honestly, how could they not! I'm so adorable. I'm sure I will like them once I get to know them. I've been pretty happy here, EXCEPT, I would like more of my Aunt's attention. She gives attention to me and all my dog cousins, but I would like it better if she gave all or most of it to me. She also always has the yummiest treats too.

I have to admit, I have been enjoying playing my dog cousins lately. They aren't so bad after all. In fact, I really like my male dog cousin, Blaze. He's lots of fun and he's pretty cute too. I think he likes me also. He doesn't growl or get grumpy when I lay near him. My Aunt says it usually takes him more time to let a new dog hang out so close to him. I know that I'm just special.

I've been having lots of fun here. I like to spin around sometimes when I play. I LOVE to run out in the backyard with Blaze & Cori. The only thing that sucks is my Aunt makes us wear muzzles when we go in the backyard. I guess that's a small price to pay to run and play.

I like to play with toys that squeak very much. There's a really cool snake squeaker toy here that I just LOVE! It's so much fun because it was so many squeakers! I like getting toys out of the toy basket. I hope my new home has lots of toys. My Aunt says it will, but I want to make sure it does. Otherwise, I'll be borrowing my Mom's credit card for some online shopping. Blaze showed me how to do it when my Aunt wasn't looking.

Another thing about me is I love to cuddle and give little kisses. I like to lay on or right next to my Aunt whenever I can. I also give her sweet kisses. I have to admit though, sometime I forget to take treats nicely from her. She'll scold me and tell me to be more gentle when I take treats from her. I keep trying to remember that but I get so excited, especially if she's giving my rotisserie chicken! YUMMY!

Whenever I think she wants something from me, I sit. She tells me I'm such a good girl.

I've become a really good watch dog. Nothing escapes me. When a squirrel is in the front yard and I see him, I give him what for. Me and Blaze take turns on the squirrel patrol. Most of the time, Rio, Cori and Chloe just roll their eyes when me and Blaze do our duty and bark at those darn squirrels.  Yesterday some people we're mowing the lawn and trimming bushes at my Aunt's house. I barked at them and told them I was watching their every move and they better not try anything. Sometimes, the whole pack joins in to warn someone or something they better leave our yard.

My Aunt has been packing up all my stuff. Yes, I already have stuff :)
I have toys, food, adoption paperwork, training book, a leash, muzzle, collar, my ID tags and pet transfer stuff (my Aunt filled it out for my Mom so all she has to do it mail it), and a cute little pink bag to hold some of it.

Well, time to go play. Talk to you later!

Checking In

I know it's been a few days since I checked in, but I've been busy. I've learned to go and down the carpeted steps to the dog room where we eat our breakfast. I still do NOT like the carpeted steps up to our den (bedroom) though. They look different and feel different than the other steps and I don't like 'em. I'll go down them but I really don't like going up them.

The steps off the deck out back are fun because I jump those. My Aunt keeps trying to get me to walk them but I refuse. I like jumping them.

I haven't slept in a crate the last 2 nights. I've been sleeping on a dog bed in our den (bedroom). I've been being a good girl and staying on my bed unless someone else gets up. I did go wake my Aunt up last night to take me outside. I guess I drank too much water before bed. My Aunt was happy though and said I was a good girl for getting her up to go outside.

I've decided the food here isn't so bad. I've been eating most of my meals. The treats are my favorite though. I've had greenies, beef gullet, Chewie Louies, cooked pulled pork, rotisserie chicken and tried some chees treats. All were pretty yummy. I think the rotisserie chicken was my favorite though. My Aunt said I'm like a little shark though when I go to take treat from her hand.

She's been making me work lately too. I have to sit, down or shake for treats. I don't mind though because the treats are worth it.

My dog cousins are ok, but I'm more of a people dog. My male cousin Blaze is kind of cool most of the time. He and I got in a squabble today. That made my Aunt really mad. But when I stepped him by accident, he actually growled at me. I gave him what for with a nice growl/snarl right back. My Aunt got really mad at both of us. I didn't mean to step him. The grump!

Like I said, I prefer people anyway. I like to be with someone all the time. I keep a close eye on my Aunt. I don't like her to be out of eyesight. I whine if I can't see her, especially if she leaves a room that has slippery wood floors and I can't follow her. Those wood floors are dangerous. If I walk REALLY slow, they are ok, but when I get on them, I get worried and it makes me want to walk faster to get off of them. And then when I walk faster on them, I slide. It's an awful predicatment! I avoid them as much as I can.

My Aunt's cat is ok. I pretty much ignore him. I saw my cousin Blaze chase him today though, so the next time I saw him, I thought it might be fun to chase him. My Aunt told me emphatically, NO. Ok, I get it. I just wanted to have a little fun. She also has this green thing, named Reggie. He's a parrot or something. He looks like he might be a tasy treat but my Aunt won't let me anywhere near him.

My Aunt says I'm a watch dog wannabe. I bark and growl when I see something out the window. Today a lady came to my Aunt's house to do some things around the house. Everytime I saw her I would bark. I didn't like that lady in the house. I felt like I had to protect my Aunt even though my Aunt told me I didn't need to. My dog cousin looked at me like I was crazy and kept trying to figure out why I was barking.

My Aunt said tomorrow evening she's taking me on an outing. She said she's taking me out shopping to some pet friendly stores to get me out and about. I'll let everyone know how that goes.

My Aunt talks to my Mom everyday to tell her how I'm doing. My Aunt told my Mom that she and I will be 2 peas in a pod...whatever that means.

There's lots of things to learn here and it wears me out. I catch a nap whenever I can.

I'm having fun and can't wait to see what's in store for me next.

Catcha Later!

Whirlwind

Everything feels like a whirlwind right now. I arrived at the first stop in Bremen yesterday for the next leg of my journey to Atlanta.

Then we headed to Atlanta (someplace called Smyrna to be exact).

Patti with SCG (Second Chance Greyhounds) gave me to my Aunt after seeing if she could talk my Aunt into leaving me to go home with Patti. Patti is a very nice lady. I liked her. I especially liked leaning on her.

Then another ride to my Aunt's house. Geez, all this traveling is making me tired.

I arrived at my Aunt's house and met my 4 dog cousins. They all wanted to sniff me. I was not happy about that but I got over it. I'm a lady, you know. I just thought it was rude of all these strange dogs (cousins or not) sniffing me. After we met and visited for a bit, I settled down for a little rest. There were dog beds everywhere, but frankly, I just wanted to chill on the carpet at first.

I have decided I am not fond of the hardwood floors so I try to stay on the strategic placed throw rugs or the carpeted rooms. My Aunt's backyard was pretty cool, but the grass was wet with dew last night and this morning--and I do NOT like to get my feet wet. My Aunt called me a little Princess because I didn't want to get my feet wet. She just doesn't understand. Pretty little girls don't like to get their feet wet. Geez.

After a bit, I was happy to go in a softsided kennel in my Aunt's bedroom for the night. It's like a procession around here to go to bed. My Aunt, me and all 4 of my dog cousins, the cat and some green thing my Aunt said was a parrot ALL went up to the bedroom together. I didn't care. I was very tired. This morning, when my Aunt opened up my kennel, I rolled onto my side and asked her to rub my tummy. I am a happy morning girl. I even gave her a little kiss.

When all of my cousins went to eat their breakfast, I decided I didn't want any. Instead I wanted to lay in the dog bed by my Aunt's desk in her office. I LOVE to be close to people. I noticed my cousin Rio likes that bed. So while Rio was eating her breakfast, I snuck into that bed. Tee Hee.

I did eat a greenie today and another yummy chew treat that my Aunt said was a beef gullet strap. Whatever it was, it was yummy. But, I'm just not feeling like eating any dog food. Not, the food that came with me. Not the food that my family wants me to transition to and not even the kibble that my cousins eat for breakfast. Just not feeling it. My Aunt said if I get hungry enough I'll eat it. But I'm trying to keep my girlish figure, you know :)

Man, there are a lot of steps at my Aunt's house. There's carpeted steps to our den (the place my Aunt calls the bedroom). There's carpeted steps to the basement where the dog room is and there's some wooden steps off the deck into the fenced backyard. I can do the steps fine. I'm just not LIKING to do them. There's just so much new stuff to get used to. It's a bit overwhelming for a girl.

I did do a little jaunt around the fenced backyard this evening. There's quite a bit for me to explore here. I don't like getting to far away from my Aunt though. I know she is the person to stay in good with. I know how to be a teacher's pet. Pun intended...only I don't think my Aunt is a teacher. Oh well. I still think that was funny.

Tomorrow is a another day! Till then, ciao!

Reflections

Well today I started on a new journey. As I am relaxing on the ride to my new life, I decided to reflect on the events that have gotten me to this moment.

Earlier this year, I was racing at the Birmingham Race Track. In January, I won 2 races. After I won my 2 races, I decided, been there done that. Now what? So off to the adoption kennel at the Birmingham Track I went.

In May, I was a lucky pup to be chosen to enter into Second Chance Greyhound's awesome partnership program with correctional facilities. While at the adoption kennel waiting to leave for my fostering and training, I met a nice lady who fell in love with me, and I with her. She was just visiting and couldn't stay. But she told me that she would be waiting for me when my training was done and that I would spend the rest of my life with her and her family. I left for my fostering and training at a correction facility the end of May.

I was paired up with a wonderful, loving inmate who would be my trainer. We bonded and had lots of fun. I met lots of other people and dogs. I played and had a great time, all the while learning how to be a polite, well trained and acclimated family pet.

It was hard work learning all the new things I needed to learn, but my trainer made it so much fun. She really took great care of me. I will miss her. I want her to know that I will always be grateful to her for all the love, time, fun and training she gave me. I hope our time together will leave her with happy memories too. She gave me the best gift ever--a chance to be a much loved, well trained pet with a forever family. I wish my trainer the very best. I hope the next leg of her journey will be as good for her as I know mine will be for me.

So now, I am on my way to Atlanta where my Aunt is going to pick me up tonight and take me to her house for 10 days to spend time with her and my cousins while my new family is on vacation.

Then in mid August, I will be heading on the last leg of my journey to be reunited with my new mom, dad and family. I will have 2 dog sisters, and several cat brothers and sisters, plus 3 human brothers and of course my mom and dad.

I understand my family has taken these last few months while I was in fostering and training to prepare for my arrival. They have beds, toys, yummy food and treats waiting for me.

I think I am going to really enjoy my new life. Photos of my arrival will be forthcoming.

The Final Countdown Begins

Unbeknownst to to me, my Aunt Kathy has made arrangements to meet me and pick me up when I arrive in the Atlanta area on Thursday. I have no idea what is in store for me, but I'm the kind of girl who likes adventure and knows how to go with the flow.

Who knows, maybe I'll meet my Prince Charming. I bet at least Aunt Kathy will have yummy treats for me. I'm looking forward to meeting my dog cousins, Blaze, Rio, Cori and Chloe, cat cousin, PJ and parrot cousin (whatever that is), Reggie.

Sounds like a fun sleepover to me!