June 2009: Boone moved in as a foster. Mom said she sensed that he was depressed at the kennel and he needed to go into a home. I liked Boone. Although he was a little quirky at first, he would run with me at the doggie park and we had a good time. After only a couple of days, Boone was no longer depressed and adjusted to home living very quickly. The guy was smart. Nailed that doggie door the first night. Never soiled the home nor did he chew on anything but a Nylabone. Mom was elated. After a couple of weeks, on his schedule, Boone would approach Mom for cuddles and kisses. Boone learned early on that I was the alpha dog when it comes to greyhounds and he was quite content to be numero dos. One smart hound. Four is a nice number: me, Ice, Daisie Mae and Boone. This was definitely doable.
Later that month, Boone’s sister, Izzy, moved in after her spay surgery, supposedly for a couple of days. Mom is such a mushball. She could not face returning Izzy to the kennel after her surgery because Izzy suffered with allergies and needed some special care. Now we’re up to 5.Training a female greyhound that I was the alpha is quite a challenge. She constantly ran to Mom with complaints about me being a dominant male. She was one cheeky female, but Mom mediated situations that arose, so we learned to live together amicably. Actually, Izzy turned out to be a good roommmate. She would let me chase her at the doggie park, and was not intimidated by my enthusiasm. Izzy stayed with us until a long-term foster guardian was available, and then she moved on.
July 2009: Boone found a fabulous permanent home so now we’re back to 3. This I liked. Sadly, Daisie Mae passed over the rainbow bridge shortly thereafter. She was a sweet dog, age 15, and had a good life with Mom, but Mom was a mess for three days. Crying jags and extra cuddles for me and Ice. I felt bad for her so gave her extra kisses, did not goose anyone that visited the house, and did not invade the trash conainer – this was a tough one because, Oh boy, do I love to check out the trash.
While I was happily adjusting to life in a smaller pack, in the middle of July, I’m suddenly introduced to Shadow and Nina: two terrier mix dogs that weigh no more than 21 lbs. How on earth does an 80 lb. grey play with these ankle biters? Mom explained that their stay was temporary while her girlfriend’s daughter was recovering from a severe vehicle accident. Shadow and Nina are what Mom calls Mr. & Mrs. They are seldom apart and Shadow will growl if another dog gets too close to Nina. However, his protective instinct has quelled over time as he realized that neither Ice nor I intended to hurt Nina. Shadow is one savvy pooch. He learned very quickly that Mom’s chaise – which is available to no one but her – was very comfortable, so it didn’t take long before he took ownership of this furniture when Mom was not around. So now we’re back to 4.
In late July, Alyse moves in while Marlene, her owner, goes on vacation for three weeks. Alyse and I hit it off immediately. She loves to run at the doggie park and I love to chase, so we were a great team. Now wer’re back to 5. One week later, I’m introduced to Apollo – a pomeranian pooch – and roommate of Alyse – that arrived along with his kennel. Mom said Apollo is alone for too long each day, so he’s moving in for a couple of weeks. Now we’re at 6! The kennel was tossed and Apollo mingled with the rest of us. While he had a reputation of using the home as his private bathroom, he only did this once while with us. It was funny to see me, Ice, Shadow and Nina charge through the doggie door with Apollo following. However, his little legs and small stature did not allow him to jump through the doggie door so Mom had to hoist him through. This worked, and he enjoyed time outside in the cool early morning and evenig hours. Never tried to play with this fluff ball – just thoroughly sniffed him and left him alone.
August 2009: Alyse and Apollo returned home and we’re back to 4. Or so I thought, but I was wrong. In late August, MimZy, a small terrier mix, came to stay for a week while her Mom, Cynthia, went on vacation. Now we’re 5. My God, will this never end? I live in a doggie motel. MimZy turned out to be a very sweet dog that schmoozed Mom and began sleeping on her bed and her chaise – and Mom allowed it! Ice didn’t care as long as MimZy did not sleep on his section of Mom’s bed, and I have commandeered Mom’s couch, so I guess that’s fair.
It’s now September 209. MimZy has gone home and we’re back to 4. But for how long, who knows. What a summer.
BEAMER
Beamer
You know what they say — Eight is enough.
You are one gracious gentleman to be such a kind host.