Notes from a new Greyhound mom

It's been a long, long time since I had a dog who would curl up in an armchair! This is my sweet Val, who is 8 years old.

It's very interesting watching these two girls. (I adopted two rescue Greyhounds, for anyone who hasn't been following. They have been here five days now.)

Val is a very confident dog, calm, and fairly stubborn. She reminds me of my Scottish Deerhound, Lillie, in many ways. She wants what she wants when she wants it, and seems to expect that she'll get it, too.

Little Stella, who is 2 years old and very underweight, is much needier. She likes to be under the blankets on the bed. She can't sleep by herself; she needs to be physically touching Val, me, or Rawley. She's far less demanding than Val, easily startled, and defers to everyone while still being eager and ready to play, cuddle, or go out for a walk.

My guess -- and I could be wrong; the guesses of people who adopt rescue dogs are notoriously inaccurate -- is that Val had a long period of her life where things were stable, but Stella has not. Whatever her first two years were like, they coincided with huge changes in her previous owner's life, which culminated in the two dogs being given up in a less-than-ideal way.

This is why the rescue group, GRACE, was so adamant the two girls had to be adopted together. I think Val would have been okay, but Stella might not have made it.  What's lovely to see is Stella bonding with Rawley and with me. She and Rawls play all day long, and at night, when they're too tired to run or even stand up, they'll lie on the floor or on my bed and kind of feebly mouth-wrestle until they fall asleep. If you wake them up, they'll half-heartedly resume their game until their eyes drift shut again. It's absolutely adorable, and I've never seen it in my adult dogs, only in puppies.

Stella is also only the second dog I've ever had who likes to sleep under a blanket. Kyrie would do that when she was young, but hadn't done it in years. Stella noses her way under my comforter and finally settles in that way, not even her little nose poking out. Just like a cat!

Comments

[Gwp Rescue-Inc]

I love reading about the girls and Rawls. Love the mouth wrestling, as Baldwin and our newly adopted girl Gretchen do this too. Wires are not generally cuddly, but Gretchen is and that makes her special. Stella reminds me much of Gretchen, and at a time in my life I need to be needed in a good way...her being is such a gift. What is interesting to me is how these dogs find us at precisely the right time. I love Val's confidence....much like our Holly, whom we have had for 8 years...and how she has formed this bond with Gretchen, and she is not known for loving female dogs. And then the sliding right into our hearts and home of everyone including our other two dogs. Seeing our mild mannered two year old male become a two year old male, playing and wrestling...running laps around the coffee table with his new sister...something he would never had done before. Such gifts they are...looking forward to many Val, Stella and Rawl's stories!

[YesBiscuit!]

Oh you know you're going to catch ditheatheth and stuff from sleeping w/your dogs. But otherwise, good report.

[Cindy Steinle]

Stella was a pibble in her former life. Games of Bitey Face and blanket hogging are the keys. I am so happy you all are there for each other.

[Christie Keith]

Bitey face is a TOTAL sighthound thing!

[Cheryl]

Under the covers is fine - just as long as it doesn't include a freezing cold nose along your backbone on the way in. :-) My westie used to do that and I could feel that nose through flannel.