It was nearly five years ago that we first brought the Princess home with us. We had just lost a dog to kidney cancer and her companion, my beloved James, was pining, so we went to the RGT kennel and asked to see the older hounds, because we didn’t want our arthritic oldie knocked about by some young hooligan. Anyway, among those brought out for our inspection was a long-legged red brindle with a black snout and pretty white chest and toes. James took to her, she took to him, her trainer assured us that she was as calm as any dog she’d seen and unlikely to bounce at James, so we signed the adoption papers, and took her home.
The Princess turned out to be a most affectionate and easy dog, content to sleep and go for walks and follow me around in the approved greyhound way. She and James got along beautifully, and she provided reassurance and comfort for him until his death from heart failure. She chewed a few things in those early days – if we’d known what signs to look for we’d have been forewarned, because she has brown marks on her front teeth from chewing the wire in her kennel – but we provided her with alternatives and eventually she learned not to eat drawer knobs and walls.
But she has never been that big on stuffies – unlike the Pirate who adores them – or stealing things like socks or slippers or TV remotes and mobile phones, as so many dogs do. So why is it that today, five years after being brought home with us, she has seen fit to steal one of my shirts, and take it to bed with her? I didn’t see her do it, but I know it was her.
I wonder. Did she think it would add something to the colour scheme? You have to admit it does look rather fetching there, on the royal purple bed. Or is it – as OH would have it – that she simply wanted to take my smell and snuggle up with it?
I suppose I should be flattered, huh?
Except … I’m sure that the curve you can see impressed in it was made by her bottom, and the Princess does killer farts.
You live ‘in a very flat part of England’….so do I, is yours the same flat part?? ;o)
gemmaks last blog post..Ribbit!
What a sweet post. I’ve thought about adopting a greyhound, I hear they make wonderful members of a family…this was such a sweet post…now I’m going back to see if you have any pictures posted of this sweet girl.
Thanks for coming by to visit me and leaving a comment.
Sandi
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she likes the smell of you…that’s it. hey as long as the dog does not get in my bed…that’s pretty much where i draw the line.
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she loves you Jay, but I would wonder if something was disturbing her. keep a close eye on her food and water intake. was this before or after a therapy visit? she may be feeling anxious because of what is going on around the place?
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Gemmak – I dunno, we’re on the edge of the fens in Cambridgeshire. How about you?
Sandi – Thank you, and welcome to TDE! Yes, they do make fantastic family members. All breeds have their good and bad points though. Greyhounds tend to chase (surprise, surprise) and they can be surprisingly delicate in some ways. They’re very sensitive, too. Pop along to Greytalk and take a look around. The link is in my sidebar!
Natural – LOL! No, we don’t allow them in bed, either! Can you imagine a 60lb dog rolling on you in the night? Uh-uh. I don’t think so…
Dawn – It’s a good thought. No, she hadn’t been anywhere, or done anything unusual that day. There was thunder about though, and the DAP has run out. Normally she shakes like an aspen in thunder, but maybe it was far enough away just to unsettle her?
I was just happy to get to the end of this post and find out nothing horrible had happened to Princess. I can still remember English Mum’s post about the sad ending of one of her dogs – I cried for a long time after that post.
I would wash the shirt, if I were you!
Don’t Bug Me!s last blog post.."Waiter, waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!"
DBM – Oh gosh, I can see how it might read like that, especially with the empty bed and all! Sorry to have scared you! The Princess is fine – she’s flat out on the couch right now with her head on a small pink velour cushion, as befits royalty.
I took this five minutes ago!
I vote for the scent! All of our critters do the same thing with the people that they are attached to the most. It’s so very cute!
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I have two English Bulldogs, and boy can they lay the scent down. They know how to clear a room!
Peace – D
JT – It is cute! Especially since she doesn’t chew them.
Momma – I hear you! Greyhounds are famous for it too!
Oh, she is gorgeous! I am sure my cats would love her……
Don’t Bug Me!s last blog post.."Waiter, waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!"
LOL – she does have an eye for colour
She sounds like a sweetie. That’s awful about her chewing on her cage … breaks my heart. She’s one lucky dog to have people like you welcome her into your home. And how kind of you to provide her with such lovely items to snooze on!
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DM – She most probably did it during thunderstorms, through anxiety. She chews when she’s nervous and she hates thunder. She actually had a lovely trainer, who adores her dogs – last time I saw her she had five pet greyhounds in her tiny house, four ex-racers and one pup that was born deformed. She also does the rescue and rehoming for the RGT for this area. Oh, and over here, the dogs don’t live at the track as they do in the US, and they don’t live in crates. Each trainer will have a number of dogs (this one has about seventy) housed in roomy kennels, two dogs to a kennel. With a kind trainer, it’s not a bad life for a dog. The problem comes when they retire and there simply aren’t enough homes for them.
St Ives, Cambs! Can’t be far away
)
gemmaks last blog post..Ribbit!
I would love to be able to have a dog myself, but with the wife’s and my work schedule, it would be too cruel to leave the dog alone for such a long time during the day. If I had my druthers though, I would want a Golden Lab…..My fav dog………
Thanks for stopping by my blog Jay, and I am starting to feel better…….
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Gemmak – Not a million miles! I’m up near Peterborough!
Mr Nighttime – Labradors are lovely. I used to ‘borrow’ a neighbour’s lab when I was young and my Mum wouldn’t let me have a dog! She was gorgeous! But you’re right, it’s not fair to have a dog if you’re gone long hours. We waited a long time to get one, till conditions were right. With my allergies, labs were out on account of how much they shed for ten months of the year, but otherwise they’d have been our first choice.
never underestimate such royalty
sandy ks last blog post..Stop and Eat the Clover along life’s way I always say!!
Yes, greyhounds are FAMOUS for that. Or is it notorious?
I had one growing up. Lovely animals. We have a lab now, and he is just so precious.
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I KNEW you shouldn’t have taught her how to ‘shop’!!!
SandyK – You are so right!
Godless Sunday – They are notorious for it! But the Princess has never done it before! So funny. And you had a greyhound growing up – you are an honorary member of the greyhound club!
Jeannine – I didn’t teach her how to shop! You must have done that while you were over here! Or … maybe it was that purple handbag that did it. She still plays with that! LOL!
Half hour max. then!
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