Life with Earl

Earl is a minor celebrity. All my daughter's friends want to see Earl. The neighbours want to visit Earl. My co-workers want to take him home. Life is good for Earl.

I have been extremely fortunate in having a boss who has generously allowed Earl to come to work with me. This has made life with Earl wonderful. Our routine consists of an early morning walk each day for 30 minutes, a short walk around the company property at 10am, another 30 minute walk during the lunch hour, another short walk around 2:30 around the company property again, then we head home at 4pm. In the evening Earl and I also go for a walk in the evening for 30 minutes to an hour.

Life in the household has been great with Earl. He has staked out his own piece of property in the living room, where he drops himself like a dead deer, no matter where we put his special dog pillow bed.

Earl went for his first local vet visit and did great. No behaviour problems. The vet said she would like to see him add 10% to his body weight, so we have been feeding him a bit extra with his meals. Next appointment is in a couple weeks, so we will see how he does with his weight gain.

Initially upon taking up residence in our home Earl was pretty low-key. He is starting to come into his own, developing his personality and playing with his stuffed animals.

Each night when it is time for bed, we turn out the lights... and shortly thereafter, Earl wanders into our bedroom to make sure we are safe and sound.

Earl has also started collecting some of our personal items... t-shirts left carelessly on the floor... sandals, slippers...and one time... almost my wristwatch!

So far, having Earl has been exactly what i expected and we all love him!

Release the Hounds!

I made the drive to Coon Rapids, MN on Friday so I could visit the a couple dogs which were being fostered on Saturday morning. It seemed like the hounds were going like hotcakes throughout the week and crossed my fingers there would be a suitable one available by the time I arrived.

I used a GPS to find my way and when the GPS stated "you have arrived at your destination" I pulled over and found myself parked in front of a funeral home. This couldn't be right, could it? It turns out, the vet clinic where I was to meet the dogs was two doors down (thank goodness).

After introducing myself I was shown a video about owning a greyhound, and immediately after that I was introduced to the first dog, Alan. Alan was sweet, adorable, brindle in colour and very laid back. I took Alan for a short walk and he was great on the leash. The only problem I had with Alan was he obviously had a tendency to shed and one of my reasons for getting a greyhound was for their lack of shedding. While this did not immediately put Alan out of the running (pun intended) it did make me consider waiting a few weeks until another batch of dogs would be coming available.

I was asked if I wanted to see another dog that they had brought in for me, and I acknowledge that I would like that very much.

The next dog, THUNDERING EARL was a fawn-coloured male with a black snout. He had a bit more energy than FLASH ALAN and had a mind of his own, which he demonstrated while we went on our walk. It was a hard decision to make. I felt like I would be letting down FLASHY ALAN if I did not adopt him, since this was a "rescue", right? But in the end I had to consider the shedding problem and how that would affect life on the homefront... so in the end, THUNDERING EARL made the trip home to become a Canadian citizen.

The toughest part of the entire 7 hour trip home was coaxing Earl into the van the first time. Once that was accomplished he hopped in and walked right into his travel crate. We stopped three times on the way home and Earl came to recognize that the sound of the side door of the van sliding open meant it was time for a walk.

Dwindling Options

As the day approaches to drive to Minneapolis to select a hound, it seems another one gets adopted each day! If I don't find one that I like... I will have to drive home empty handed and see what comes in the next few weeks when the next shipment of hounds is due to arrive.

Over the weekend I received a plethora of birthday gifts from a friend... which consisted of things my new dog would need. Thanks Paul and Michelle!

Success!

I got 'THE CALL" today! I have been approved. Tentatively (but a pretty firm "tentatively") I will visit Northern Lights Greyhound Adoption on Saturday, June 13th and select a hound! Can't wait!

Vetted

Vetted. Not the dog. Me. Like a Supreme Court judge. My first reference check has gone through. Apparently with flying colours. Awaiting the next reference check now. Perhaps I should start accumulating doggie things? Crate, blanket, toys, dog dishes (do they use cutlery?).