Our First Sunday with Walker

Walker loves sleeping in our room on a dog bed - just like our other two hounds, Truly and Maggie.  He slept there all night.  He had his breakfast in the kitchen with them about 7:30 this morning.  He no longer cares to eat seperate from them (in his crate), in fact, he doesn't care to have anything to do with his crate any more.

We were supposed to have a quiet day today.  I thought everyone would be home all day.  It didn't quite work out like that.  Sawyer had someone pick her up for a movie.  I had several errands and so did Tim.  Friends came over unexpectedly.  There was vacuuming, lawn mowing, and leaf blowing.  We were in and out of the house all day long.  Walker seemed to be curious about all of the activity.  He was not overly frightened.  He watched us carefully, at a distance.

When my dog-savy friend came over, he observed her for a while.  We were very surprised when he walked right over to her while she was sitting on the sofa.  He let her pet him, then he'd walk away, and then come right back again.  Then he went and layed down on his favorite pillow and watched us for the rest of her visit.

When it was dinnertime, he ate in the kitchen again.  He went outside with Truly and Maggie with no problem.  Most importantly, once he finished his business, he came right up the deck stairs and across the deck and right straight in the door with no problem at all!  He's not wearing his harness any more.  Yay!

There's been a lot of rain today so I still don't have good outside photos of Walker.  I do have this video of him with Sawyer taken yesterday.  The video quality isn't great but you can see how good he is with her -

Lazy Saturday

Walker went to bed about 10:00 last night.  He slept on a dog bed in the bedroom.  I don't think he moved a muscle all night long.  In fact, Tim woke all the dogs up at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast.  Walker's willingness to "sleep in" was a big surprise.  Any other new greyhound we've brought into our home wanted to be fed about 5:00 a.m.  This is not a problem Monday through Friday, but that's a little early for the weekend.  Good boy, Walker.  His first foster mom gets credit for this one!

Walker likes to eat his meals in his crate, but that's the only contact with the crate he wanted today.  I thought he might hang out in there as he did last night.  Nope.  He was perfectly happy to lay on a dog bed where ever we were.

Sawyer, our 16 year old daughter, seems to have a special affinity for Walker, and he for her.  She sits with him, sings and talks to him and he is visibly more relaxed when she's nearby. 

Walker is such a well-behaved boy!  There was not one potty accident in the house, no chewing, no counter surfing or any of the other "challenges" we've experienced with a new hound in the house.  Again, thank you foster mom and thank you, Walker!

Walker Takes A Ride

Since Walker's foster mom has a full fall travel schedule, the SEGA Foster Coordinator asked for other potential foster parents to step up.  We've wanted to foster a hound for a while.  After reading Walker's blog posts, and after talking to his foster mom on the phone, we drove over to meet this special boy.  We took our hounds with us to make sure we were a good fit for him.  They all got along just fine - so Walker's going to be staying with us until he finds his forever home!

I always thought my greyhounds traveled well.  Walker has both of them beat by a mile.  Once the car was in motion, he stretched out and really seemed to enjoy the ride.


Walker is in the middle.  He is a beautiful dog -

 

Walker with his harness

Tim talking to Walker



Awww . . . He's so sweet!

When we arrived home, Walker explored the house just like my dogs did when we brought them home the first time.  Once he had a chance to settle down a little bit, he ate his dinner in his crate.  He seems to find comfort in there.  We haven't closed the crate door - he's been free to move in and out of it as he chooses.  When we sat down to watch some tv, he flopped down on a dog bed and went to sleep.

We're looking forward to tomorrow to watch him as he explores the backyard in the daylight.  Lots of new sights to see, smells to smell and LOTS of photos to be taken!

Walker and the Puppy

This is a little love story about Walker and a little puppy. I unexpectedly ended up with a short term foster. She's a little 10 week old pit bull puppy, Penny, who was slated to be euthanized at a high kill shelter that does not adopt out pit bulls--regardless of age.

Penny is cute, smart, bold, sassy and confident. She is not fazed in the slightest by big dogs. She met my dogs and Walker with her tail straight up.

Walker is enthralled with her. He really likes her. As soon as I have her out, he runs over to greet her. When we are outside he runs over to see her. He'll nose her and sometimes give her a little kiss.

 

It's so funny to see the 2 of them together. I haven't gotten any good video of Walker trying to get Penny to chase him. But he clearly enjoys Penny's company.

Walker is a sweet and gentle soul. He enjoys the company of other dogs. And with Penny around, Walker will actually approach me more when I have Penny's leash. He's walk up behind me and sniff me or even nose my hand a little.

 

It's so sweet to see the friendship that has developed between Walker & Penny.

 

The other day, Walker was running circles around me and Penny showing us how fast he could run. He would stop and wag and then take off again. I didn't have the camera with me then though. 

 

It's just very cute to see how much Walker likes Penny.

Visitors for Walker

Walker had visitors this week. A very nice couple, Angela & Bill came by to meet Walker earlier this week. They had read his blog and seen his photo on the SEGA website and wanted to meet him.

Walker can be anxious when he meets new people, but he actually was not overly anxious to meet Angela & Bill. Strangely enough, he actually did some things while they were visiting that he does not normally do. He walked (calmly) around my kitchen (usually he won't set foot in there). He drank out of a water fountain I have for my dogs. In the 3 months I have had him, he has never done that before. I was blown away.

Walker used to come into my living room, but apparently one time he felt trapped in it so he has pretty much stayed out of the living room for about the last 6 weeks. While Bill and Angela were visiting, he came sauntering into the living room like it was something he always did.

Maybe he was showing off for Bill and Angela. I don't know but it was refreshing to see this side of Walker. I got to see more glimpses of the dog inside.

We went outside for a nice little visit with Walker on a leash so he could meet their houndie boy, Bucky (whom he liked--I have yet to find a dog that Walker didn't like). Walker LOVES to go outside in my fenced yard. It's probably his favorite thing to do.

Bill and Angela sat on the ground and Walker let them pet him. He even went up to Angela initially and then Bill to solicit pets. That is HUGE for Walker. Before they left, he was letting Bill rub all over his face and ears. He seemed to enjoy it.

Bill even commented that he thinks Walker is a very smart dog. I have to agree with Bill. Even though Walker has a lot of anxiety, I actually think he's a pretty curious, confident dog. He just likes to know exactly what to expect. He likes his routines.

I am kicking myself for not taking pictures, but I was so in awe of how Walker was acting with Bill and Angela, it just didn't even cross my mind.

I'm so glad Bill and Angela got to see the glimpses I see sometimes of this awesome dog trying to come out. In the right home, with patience, love AND the right amount of pushing his boundaries, he will end up being a great companion dog.

Not Your Average Greyhound

I have been remiss in posting on Walker lately. He's just not your typical greyhound. He's a special boy who needs a special home.

Walker is what some would classify as a special needs dog. BUT, he is as adorable as they come. He's a gorgeous brindle boy with warm caramel eyes that just melt your heart. When he's happy, he wags his whole body, and he play bows and stretches out so adorably in front of you. He runs up behind you to sneak a quick sniff or lick in.

Walker definitely needs a home with other dogs. But, I don't think it even has to be other greyhounds. Obviously, he really likes other greyhounds, but he also really likes other medium to large sized dogs. He seems empathetic to other dogs. The other day, a neighbor's dog was crying on their back porch. Walker cried right along with her as if he was trying to comfort the other dog. He has done fine with my cat and even a small dog at a sitter's house. He ignores my parrot so I think a home with a bird should be ok also.

Walker does need a home with a fenced yard though. No "ifs-ands-or-buts" about it. He LOVES to go outside and often times finds a nice shady spot to lay down in the grass--for extended periods of time.

I am not normally a fan of doggie doors for greyhounds, but in Walker's case, I think a doggie door would be blessing. He could go out and come in of his own accord. He is not a fan of being on a leash, yet he doesn't mind going in the car.

He is hilarious in that he will take toys from inside and trot off outside with them just as pleased with himself as can be. He likes toys. He mostly likes to carry and hoard them, but he will shake and toss them around too. He even recently did a little tugging when a friend of mine (who is greyhound savvy) when she stopped over for a visit. I think he had a crush in her. He did things with her and let her do things with him that he doesn't with me.

Now, Walker has started letting my pet him when he is relaxing as long as I approach him on his level (on the ground) which is not something he would let me do before.

He has not had any accidents in the house since the first days or so that he was at my house and he and I were learning about each other. He has not counter surfed. He has pulled some paper out of a trash can in my office to shred, but it's a small open trashcan. He has not touched the big one in the kitchen. He has not chewed anything up. I have given him more freedom than I have EVER given a foster dog before. He's just so good.

He enjoys sleeping on a dog bed in my bedroom. He doesn't stir until it's time to get up in the morning.

During the time I have had Walker, he stayed for a weekend at Many Hounds Inn. He also stayed for a week with a foster sitter while I had my elderly parents visiting me. He did great at both places because both people are very greyhound savvy as well as calm and patient. They understood his need for schedules and routines.

Walker needs a home that is stable and operates on a schedule. He needs dog friends as well as very patient and understanding humans who will give him time to settle, but who will also know when to push his comfort zone just a little. As mentioned he needs a fenced yard (and a doggie door would be  good).

I am only able to foster Walker until the end of September due to upcoming travel this fall. I would LOVE it if the perfect home would come up for Walker before then. I know that might not happen, but that is my wish for Walker.

I know this blog entry has gotten pretty long, but I want people to get a feel for how wonderful and special this boy is. I know that in the right home, he will thrive and become the light of someone's life. Walker is a sweet soul and he deserves a committed and loving forever home.

Baby Steps

I haven't blogged on Walker in a while. I've been giving him time to settle in. Walker is such a sweet handsome boy, but Walker is not your typical greyhound. Walker is a skittish greyhound. Some people calls them spooks.

From everything I have read about dogs like Walker, it's genetic. It's not from any specific event or abuse. Some dogs' wiring just gets messed up. That doesn't mean he can't be a wonderful pet.

Walker is cute, smart, playful, funny and happy most of the time. He loves to go outside. He's starting to enjoy toys. He picks them up and carries them off to a dog bed. It's not uncommon for him to have a bunch of toys piled up in a dog bed somewhere.

He is house trained and has good house manners. In fact, he's so good, I have broken many of my own foster rules. He's become a stairs expert. He doesn't counter surf. He doesn't bother with trash. He's done wonderfully with my cat. He ignores my parrot even when Reggie makes all kinds of noises. Storms don't seem to bother him at all either, although loud noise can sometimes startle him (but that IS normal for most dogs in a new environment).

He loves his crate, but he prefers to have me and or his pack (my dogs) with him. He has really gravitated towards my confident male greyhound, Blaze. He likes the girls, but he likes to be with or around Blaze. He also prefers to be in the same room as me. He's not interest in going off and being by himself. He definitely likes to be part of everything.

He will even run up to me and sniff me from the back or give my hand a little lick when I am playing with my dogs. He play bows and wags his tail, in fact sometimes he wags his whole body. He so wants to engage more fully but he's just not there yet. His anxiety still gets the best of him right now.

He doesn't like changes in routine. He and I have certain little routines that he finds comfort with in everything from coming back into the house from outside, to where he eats breakfast and dinner to how I walk by him so he knows that I am walking by him and not to him.

He's clearly a dog that wants to know what is expected of him. He doesn't like change, but at the same time, he is curious and likes to explore his surroundings which is very encouraging.

He stayed last weekend with Kate at Many Hounds Inn with 2 of my greyhounds while I was out of town. At first Kate said he was not happy. She reconfigured some things for him and made sure he was near my 2 dogs. He did great after that. He learned the schedule and routine quickly at Kate's. He even enthusiastically greeted some little girls (10-12 years old) when they came to pick up their greyhounds. But best of all, he ADORED Kate's mom, Jack. I guess he decided he prefers older women!

With time, and I do mean time, plus patience, a stable household with other dogs and consistent routines, I think he will be a loving, sweet and playful companion. I'm not saying that he'll be an easy dog to acclimate in a new home, but based on his reactions and the glimpses of things I see in him, I truly believe he will end up being a wonderful and loyal companion. All the work will have been so worth it!