Zap's 2nd Day At Home

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Emma wanted to sleep with him the first night, so I let her sleep with him downstairs. Jasper kept stirring up trouble by sticking his paws under the door.

She tried to get him out at 5:00, but he is afraid of the dark and wouldn't go outside with her. She came and got me and I took him outside, then they went back to bed.

After we all got up, Lucy tried to meet him. I am pretty sure that she jumped and scared him because he snapped at her and she ran away. (He had his muzzle on.) He was yelled at for not being nice to her.

Next he went with us when I dropped the girls off at school. He seemed upset when Emma left him and tried to go after her. He wasn't upset when Maddie left, but I told her that he was.

I brought him home and took him for a walk.

He had his first visitors, his "Aunties" who came to see him. He sat there for about an hour while they visited and had to endure three people petting him at one time. (He slept through most of it.)


Towards the afternoon, he started becoming more independent. On Wednesday he followed me everywhere, but by the afternoon, he found a spot on the stairs and slept, so I could get some housework done. (He likes Jazz music.)

We locked up the cats in my room and let him roam around the house at will. He preferred to stay downstairs, even when I went upstairs to fold laundry.

I took him to the park next to Emma's school when it was time to pick her up. He got to meet many of her friends and was really sweet to them. Some of the girls asked me why he was so skinny and I told them that it's just the way he was made. At 69 pounds he is at his perfect weight, but still looks thin. Some of the braver girls felt his muscles and through that it was neat that he used to race.

In the evening, I put him in my room and let the cats roam around the house. The girls were watching TV at one point and he wanted to get on the bed with them, but we made him sit on his bed in the corner of the room. (The adoptions manager said that if he sleeps in the same bed with people, he will think that they are at his level and not respect them.)

He did a good job sleeping through the night. I put a fluffy towel on his doggie posturepedic bed and he slept on it. While he sleeps, he makes a strange blowing sigh, almost like a horse snorting, and it woke me up a few times.

At 5:00 a.m. I took him out to pee and he didn't hesitate to go out into the dark, so I am making progress on that front. When he came back inside Lily was waiting for him. He didn't go after her, but snorted at her. When she ran away, he didn't go after her.

I tried to make him go back to sleep after he was done peeing, but he was took excited. His Daddy yelled at him for the first time and he laid down.


Progress made:
1. Less of a need to follow me everywhere.
2. Can go out into the backyard in the dark on his own.
3. On Wednesday he was constantly panting and couldn't relax. He has calmed down a lot and will lay down and relax.

Today
1. He is going to the vet for a well-baby check.
2. He needs to get used to being alone. I have to go run an errand and tonight he has to be alone while we got to Maddie's play.

[AnnieCamaro]

The adoptions manager said that if he sleeps in the same bed with people, he will think that they are at his level and not respect them.

That adoptions manager is so misguided! I have great respect for all two-footers, but nobody should give such bad advice. I sleep in the bed because I am thoughtful and considerate. I help keep my mom warm during the cold night. That's one of my important jobs.

I may reconsider today, though. I'm supposed to get delivery of a gigantic 6-in.-thick orthopedic dog bed, because my mom thought it might help my achy bones. I will try it out during my late-afternoon nap to evaluate its comfy level. If it's really, really good, I could always tell my mom to get an extra blanket.

/:P\

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Annie, they told me that Greyhounds were couch potatoes, but Zap just won't relax. He follows me everywhere. The only way to get him to relax is to sit down.

I actually went to the store and left him alone this morning. He whined a little, but settled down to sleep on the steps until I came home.

Annie you should tell your mom that Sam's Club has doggie posturepedic beds for $27.00. Zap slept on his last night and really liked it. We put a big fluffy towel on top and he was content alll night.

[AnnieCamaro]

Annie, they told me that Greyhounds were couch potatoes, but Zap just won't relax. He follows me everywhere. The only way to get him to relax is to sit down.

I actually went to the store and left him alone this morning. He whined a little, but settled down to sleep on the steps until I came home.

Annie you should tell your mom that Sam's Club has doggie posturepedic beds for $27.00. Zap slept on his last night and really liked it. We put a big fluffy towel on top and he was content alll night.

My mom doesn't have a Sam's Club or a Costco. She said that the Federal Express truck was bringing my new bed. I can't wait.

It's just a hunch, but I sort of think that Zap will learn to relax in a few days. I think he will learn that really, really well, because greyhounds are so smart.

/:P\

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

[speakiing softly because Zap is sleeping] I hope that he learns soon because I think that the little guy is wearing himself out.

I took him to the vet today and she said that he looks beautiful, except for the bald patches on his butt. From what I have heard, they grow back for most of the dogs that go to forever homes. (If they don't, I will still love him.)

[ulysses5019]

[speakiing softly because Zap is sleeping] I hope that he learns soon because I think that the little guy is wearing himself out.

I took him to the vet today and she said that he looks beautiful, except for the bald patches on his butt. From what I have heard, they grow back for most of the dogs that go to forever homes. (If they don't, I will still love him.)

Maybe he needs some plugs......

[gsabc]

[speakiing softly because Zap is sleeping] I hope that he learns soon because I think that the little guy is wearing himself out.

I took him to the vet today and she said that he looks beautiful, except for the bald patches on his butt. From what I have heard, they grow back for most of the dogs that go to forever homes. (If they don't, I will still love him.)

There's always Hair Club for Dogs.

[AnnieCamaro]

[speakiing softly because Zap is sleeping] I hope that he learns soon because I think that the little guy is wearing himself out.

I took him to the vet today and she said that he looks beautiful, except for the bald patches on his butt. From what I have heard, they grow back for most of the dogs that go to forever homes. (If they don't, I will still love him.)

My brother Rusty has gotten bald on his butt and the tops of his back legs. His skin is pretty much the same color as his fur, though, so it's not very noticeable. Mr. Dr. David said (or so I heard) that greyhounds sometimes get bald areas on their rears, which he compared to male pattern baldness. I made fun of Rusty once about his rear end. I'm nevernevernever going to do that again. He seemed somewhat oversensitive.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

[speakiing softly because Zap is sleeping] I hope that he learns soon because I think that the little guy is wearing himself out.

I took him to the vet today and she said that he looks beautiful, except for the bald patches on his butt. From what I have heard, they grow back for most of the dogs that go to forever homes. (If they don't, I will still love him.)

Maybe he needs some plugs......

Butt plugs for a dog, I don't think so...

[Catfish]

[speakiing softly because Zap is sleeping] I hope that he learns soon because I think that the little guy is wearing himself out.

I took him to the vet today and she said that he looks beautiful, except for the bald patches on his butt. From what I have heard, they grow back for most of the dogs that go to forever homes. (If they don't, I will still love him.)

He will probably settle down in a few days.

Some greyhounds have bald butts because of the nasty conditions in which they are kept at the track, ie, peeing in close quarters, sometimes in the cages in which they are kept, which in some cases are stacked two or three high. These dogs' hair usually grows back.

Our lttle female Joy (RIP) wasn't a track dog but did have a bald butt. She was put on thyroid medicine (Soloxin?), and most of her hair grew back.

[peacock2121]

I am enjoying reading about how a new family memebr adjusts and how the family adjusts to the new member.

[Evil Squirrel]

That adoptions manager is so misguided! I have great respect for all two-footers, but nobody should give such bad advice. I sleep in the bed because I am thoughtful and considerate. I help keep my mom warm during the cold night. That's one of my important jobs.

I may reconsider today, though. I'm supposed to get delivery of a gigantic 6-in.-thick orthopedic dog bed, because my mom thought it might help my achy bones. I will try it out during my late-afternoon nap to evaluate its comfy level. If it's really, really good, I could always tell my mom to get an extra blanket.

/:P\

Mind if I share that bed with you? My tree gets a little chilly this time of year....