Rock

Enjoying the sunny weather...

2010-07-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Despite the heat, Rock loves to lie on the bed on the deck. The past couple days, he's laid down, only to be joined by the younger resident female Lana. He doesn't seem to mind her at all!

He's still been doing great, just as sweet and happy as the day he arrived here in early April. He's grown rather attached to us and has worked up a great deal of trust in us, although we still think he knows this isn't his forever home.

The other day he was in the back yard when I pulled up into the driveway. He stood at the fence, wondering who it was in that automobile machine thing he gets to ride in from time to time. When I got out, he got very excited, wagging his tail and turning circles. Then he decided to trot around the yard. Such a goofball!

It's been a year and a half since he came off the track, so he's more than ready to race into your heart!

Such a happy boy!

2010-06-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

Rock is never in a bad mood. He gets very excited when we get home. I shot this video shortly after returning home and letting him out of his crate.

He's been back up to his racing weight about a week. His injury somehow involved his hindquarters, making him a bit weak in the hips, but he absolutely doesn't let it get him down, as you can see.

He loves hanging out on the back deck on an old bed we put out there. I'll leave him out there with the door cracked because he can open the door by himself when he gets too hot.

He's very laid-back and has gotten along great with the two resident female greys, which is a true test because they're the princesses of the household. But his calm, affectionate nature would make him a great fit for any household. All he asks for are food, a comfortable place to sleep, and the occasional head rub.

Still doing good...

2010-06-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

As some might have noticed, Rock has been placed on a medical hold. He's been tight in his hips since we got him, so he's been to a specialist a couple times for some adjustments and observation. He showed some improvement between visits, so we're confident that he'll get his hips back in shape with some home physical therapy. Very little is known about his racing injury, so it might just be residual tightness as a result of a stress injury.

But he really shows no signs of distress. He's still the same happy, easygoing, affectionate dog when we first got him. When he's not sunning himself on the deck, chilling on the bed in the living room, or playing with stuffies occasionally, he's putting his head in your lap to be loved on. So sweet. He'll be the perfect only-dog or in a home with less active pets.

So stay tuned! We're going to do some home physical therapy and see how he does.

Update!

2010-05-20T18:47:00.001-07:00

Wow, has it really been a month since our last Rock update? Well, we have lots of news! Rock is such a good boy and really receptive to training - in the mornings, when I am getting his food ready he already gets in his crate waiting for it - and when he's done and comes out, he immediately runs to the back door to go in the yard! Several nights ago, Paul heard Rock whining and was surprised to find him at the back door - he was asking to go out! Our girls don't even do that. He is a real snuggler - noses me every morning in the bed to wake me up. He crates well, as we've known for a while, but has really warmed up to beds throughout the house as well. And you wouldn't believe how well he knows his name! To his credit, he also knows a very firm NO. I've gotten some video of him playing in the house - so look for that coming soon.

He's very ready for a home visit and his forever home. Could it be you? I hope to bring him to Borders in Brentwood this weekend... so come by and say Hello to this special boy.

Doing great!

2010-04-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Rock is really coming along. He's eating well, loves treats, has finally discovered the joys of soft beds, and really enjoys going outside. The stairs leading from our deck to the yard are always a problem for fosters, especially coming back up since they don't have backs on them. He's coming up with no hesitation at all, although he's still having a little bit of trouble going down. Sometimes he'll follow the other hounds down into the yard, but other times, I'll have to stand down in the yard to coax him down. He'll come to the edge, sniff, then trot back to the door. Then he'll trot back, sniff, repeat. Words of encouragement usually do the trick after a couple rounds.

He still doesn't seem to enjoy the crate and whines a little bit if he knows you're still at home. But he goes in with a little leading on the collar. I even caught him napping in an open crate a couple times, so he shouldn't have any trouble being left alone crated.

A real test for new fosters is how they do at meet and greets. It's very common for them to get sensory overload and get snappy. He had his first one on Sunday, just three days after we picked him up and he did perfectly! He was there a full two hours. Over 20 other hounds came and he didn't seem to mind at all. He also seemed to love the attention he got. He was taken inside Petsmart to look at the small animals and he seemed very interested, so he probably won't do well with cats and other small pets. But he's gotten along great with our other two female hounds.

Rock at the Nashville West meet & greet:

"Looking for my forever home! Is it you? Or you? What about you?"

Striking another dignified pose...

His personality is also really coming out. He gets really excited when we come home and enjoys being around us, even if he's just being a typical napping greyhound. He's very goofy and has a funny, bouncy gait. He's also discovered what fun stuffies can be, tossing them around for short periods of time. Very cute.

He's a very handsome, easy-going boy. I doubt he'll have any trouble finding a great home.

Getting used to this thing called a "home…"

2010-04-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

We picked Rock up from Grassmere late yesterday afternoon. His medical and dental showed no problems.

He's definitely new to such concepts as "storm door," "soft bed," "stairs without backs," and "having a yard to run around in," but he's taking it all in stride. I heard he's been at the kennel since July of last year, so I think he's happy to be in a more comfortable atmosphere. He's very calm and gentle, and has gotten along very well with the two female permanent resident greyhounds.

He's eaten well, and although he doesn't seem to enjoy the crate, he's willing to go in with gentle guiding and settles down quickly.

We'll be updating often with more stories and pictures.

"What is that weird thing with the eye on it?"

"What is that in the yard? What did you say? Skwerl?"

"Here's my dignified pose…"