Brody is currently the grumpy ‘old man’ of the house, but when he was just over two years old, he came to us as part of our local adoption group’s foster program. The greyhound foster coordinator had barely put the leash in my hand before my daughter declared, “We’re keeping this one!”

That poignant story is just one of many personal anecdotes included in the Adopt A Greyhound Guide that is currently being re-formatted for an upcoming release to kindle.  I’m very excited about having the book available on kindle and I had fun creating a ‘second edition’.

The Adopt a Greyhound Guide!

The Adopt a Greyhound Guide has always been for the dogs…as well as for the people who work tirelessly in greyhound rescue and adoption groups to match greyhounds with forever homes.

Written for people who want to get to know the beautiful, fast friends that are retired racing greyhounds, the Adopt a Greyhound Guide is a charitable effort, with 50% of all proceeds going to help support greyhound rescue and adoption.

As I went through the book again, I thought about one of Brody’s quirky habits. He always stood over the foster greyhounds he liked. Sure it’s a stretch, but give me a little latitude here, could it be that he started this little quirk because of how our daughter first embraced him?

Yes, I know he’s ‘just’ a dog and I have a tendency to humanize the pet behavior around here. (goes with being a fan of retired greyhounds combined with the fiction gig). But I also know greyhounds are some of the smartest, most intuitive creatures on the planet.

He’s had a bond with our daughter since that very first moment. There have been rare occurences when he thought she needed help and he interceded to the point of growling and putting himself between her and the perceived threat. Just fyi, that’s not typical greyhound behavior.

From the moment we met Brody, we have discovered he is unique in all things. He’s forever breaking the standard ‘greyhound rules’. Probably another reason the two of them get on so well, as my daughter is forever breaking free of expectations and limits to reach her goals.

Please stay tuned for news of this book coming to a kindle or kindle app near you.

Live the greyhound adventure!

When I wrote the Adopt a Greyhound Guide, I had to go through all of our notes on our greyhound foster dogs, looking for the typical, the fun, the goofy, and the informative. In general, I was looking for the all-around best experiences to share with people interested in adopting retired racing greyhounds.

And I was immensely grateful for my weird habit of keeping notes on the greyhounds we foster.

In a recent conversation, I tried to list, just off the top of my head, all the greyhounds we’d fostered in the years following the rather calm era of Bubbles and Kayla. Without my list I overlooked a few. You might think they all run together (pun intended) but every greyhound is so unique that it’s fun to look back and think about what stands out with each of them.

Like Sadie, the sweet girl who loved to watch herself in any available reflective surface. Or Hank, the first greyhound we’d fostered who sported the white blaze on his face that you see pictured so often.

Of the many greys who’ve traveled through our home, only four were mainly white.

There was the foster greyhound who got the bloody nose chasing a squirrel through the wisteria in the yard. And the little female who was so happy romping and racing with Brody and Faith that she didn’t notice when one of her toenails came right out of her foot.

There was the very special foster who recognized me when I came to pick him up when his adoption failed. Brody and Faith welcomed him home as if he’d only been gone an hour rather than six months. He stayed with us for the rest of his days.

There was the panic when the gate had been left open and the foster greyhound who didn’t know her new, retired name got loose. And the foster greyhound who stole a wisk from the kitchen set of a morning tv show while we were live during a greyhound adoption awareness spot.

That’s no where near all of them, but it’s so fun to realize every foster greyhound has given us uniquely memories amid all the typical fun of teaching Retirement 101 to greyhounds finished with racing life.

Live the greyhound adventure!

Right or not, Bubbles was our first greyhound, a wedding present to ourselves, and our first child. In mostly blissful ignorance we were matched with her by a man who found greyhound rescue to be a hobby that was just as rewarding, but more affordable than flying.

We didn’t know much about the breed, but we eagerly listened to everything that experienced greyhound rescuer told us. We got our greyhound education primarily through one chance meeting at a vet and the greyhound adoption coordinator’s storytelling.

Our experience with Bubbles soon added to our knowledge base and we were fortunate that Bubble’s vet had significant knowledge of a breed that was a fairly rare pet at the time.  (It was somewhere just shy of a hundred years ago.)  ;)

I can only assume the greyhound rescuer knew more about us and our lifestyle than we did. Bubbles was the perfect adopted greyhound for us and from the day of her adoption to the day she succumbed to osteosarcoma twelve years later, she was the perfect ambassador for retired greyhounds and the wonders of greyhound adoption.

Kayla, our second greyhound, adopted us. We’d intended to just help out and foster her for a couple of weeks. She’d been surrendered during a meet and greet and she was stressed out and suffering physically. But she liked it at our place, Bubbles eventually approved, and she had a few great years with us before the prior years of neglect caught up with her.

Faith was the adopted greyhound we inherited when we found ourselves in the uncomfortable stage of not having a dog for the first time in all the years of our marriage. To be honest, it made me a little twitchy not having a greyhound keeping me company. Faith was an absolute blessing, much like her racing name: Faithful Message. With her, we officially entered the world of fostering for our local greyhound rescue and adoption group.

That was a journey our family fell in love with. Sure there are challenges, but watching a dog learn about the world – and enjoy that world – is so very gratifying.

Yes, the kids cried when we transferred our first foster greyhound to his new family. On the way home, our 10 year old daughter proclaimed we would keep the next one. On February 13th, Brody arrived with a cute little heart shaped patch of white on his neck and our daughter considered it a confirmation of her proclamation. He’s been keeping us on our toes ever since.

Brody is the clear exception to the ‘adopted greyhounds don’t bark’ rule and he has happily taught foster after foster how to properly vocalize the joy of retirement. A few of the foster dogs Brody ‘corrupted’ have found permanent homes with us (Levi, Boo, Bandit) and many more greyhounds have been adopted to forever homes.

Live the greyhound adventure!

Adopted greyhounds make greyt pets! Learn more at the Adopt A Greyhound Guide!

It’s been over twenty years since I met my first greyhounds up close in the back of my vet’s office as they waited for or recovered from spay and neuter procedures. So stoic – and quiet – they sat in the kennels, seemingly oblivious to the chaotic barking and crying from the other dogs and cats.

I love big dogs, married a man who felt the same, and an adopted greyhound became our wedding present to each other. Bubbles was the best, a lovely ambassador of the breed, and a perfect ‘first child’ for us. She and our cat became fast friends and were often caught napping or playing together.

Ten years later, with two kids and another (rescued) cat, we’d moved cross-country, and got involved with the local greyhound adoption and rescue group. I thought we’d stay a one greyhound home, until Kayla got dumped at the pet store during a meet and greet.

With what looked suspiciously like a shallow bullet wound in her side, she was malnourished, flea-ridden, and scared. After sitting as close to me as possible for the duration of the event, my husband and I agreed to foster her.

Adopted greyhound, Bandit, the youngest of our pack

Bubbles was confused and stared at us soulfully even though we told her Kayla was temporary. Bubbles clearly thought Kayla was fine at the store, in public, but this was her home, her domain.

Poor Kayla was thrilled to be in a safe place and she was still a little edgy after her ordeal. When she tried to play, Bubbles laid down the law and announced her supremacy with one sharp bark, then they were good friends for the duration of their lives together.

Bubbles knew us better than we knew ourselves, I guess. Kayla wasn’t temporary. She became a beloved member of our family and started us on a road of fostering within our local greyhound adoption and rescue network. In the years since, we’ve only been a one greyhound family for short periods after losing one of our adopted greyhound pack.

I used to think the adopted greyhound volunteer who said, “three greyhounds is the perfect pack” was crazy. Now, I understand completely. While I prefer to keep our pack at two with a regular flow of foster greyhounds, we’re currently holding at three: Brody, Boo, and Bandit. (and no, I didn’t name them that way on purpose).

Live the greyhound adventure!

Find out if an adopted greyhound is right for you and your family with the Adopt A Greyhound Guide!

June! And it’s already hot here in the South Carolina Lowcountry. This distresses our youngest greyhound, Bandit because he doesn’t get as much time outside, playing fetch and racing around the yard.

He’s about two and a half now, so it’s a bit easier this summer to manage him and convince him to take a break when he needs it. Boo and Brody, the more experienced of our adopted greyhound pack will romp in the early morning, or near dusk, but otherwise they know summertime is the season to bask in the sunshine.

Greyhounds are not outdoor dogs. They don’t have an undercoat and are therefore more susceptible to temperatures and the whims of mother nature.

Most adopted greyhounds love to play or bask, but they need your supervision to be sure they don’t overdo when temperatures climb.

I’m especially careful with Boo. Being a black adopted greyhound, she can overheat more quickly than our fawn colored boys. You might not realize it, but adopted greyhounds – with such a thin coat and often bald thighs – can get sunburned quite easily.

The best protection is limited exposure, so keep an eye on your adopted greyhound to prevent any injury or unnecessary discomfort.

At the track, after a race, the trainers will send the greyhounds through a water trough, or spray them with a water hose to cool them off. With all the foster greyhounds and greyhounds we’ve adopted, we’ve met several who love water and a few who don’t, but all of them had preferences.

Bubbles, our first greyhound, would bark and jump at the sprinkler, finding it a fun game. And Faith loved to cavort in the rain.

Of course greyhounds can’t swim, but if you have a water-loving greyhound consider a baby pool or sprinkler they can play in on hot days. It will amuse you and your grey.

As always, supervision is important, not only for safety, but to thoroughly enjoy the summer fun with your adopted greyhound.

Live the greyhound adventure!

Find out more about adopting the right greyhound for you with the Adopt A Greyhound Guide.

Yup, it’s another Boo post! And another Memorial Day tie in, but stay a minute because I don’t think I’ve told you this story before…

My husband, a soldier in the US Army Reserves, deployed to Iraq in the fall of 2007. He’d been gone most of the nine months before the actual departure with various training and schools. Early in that process, we lost two of our adopted greyhounds to liver disease, just weeks apart. It was gut wrenching. Brody was the only adopted greyhound here for the first time in his life.

My husband had only been gone a couple of weeks when we acquired a new foster dog. She was small, black, with a goofy track name. It wasn’t long before Brody (and the rest of us) decided she was a keeper. (My husband and I talked over via email and he agreed Brody needed a new friend) And we blame her new forever name on the adorable way her ears resemble the perky ponytails on the character Boo from Disney’s Monster’s, Inc.

For months, Boo only knew me, the kids, and Brody. She met neighbors, and other dogs of course, but we were her new pack.

A couple months before my husband’s return, we babysat two adopted greyhounds, Ransom and Ozzie. Brody likes Ozzie because when he was a foster greyhound at our house and he didn’t steal the tennis balls. Ransom is a gorgeous, easy to love brindle who gave Boo her first queen lessons.

Adopted greyhound Boo, with her Daddy

But Ransom and Ozzie had a Daddy. During the drop off and pick up, Boo was mesmerized by this tall man with the deep voice and gentle hands. She laid her face in his palms and just soaked up all the lovies she could get from the Daddy.

So we started telling Boo that she had a Daddy and would meet him soon. She’d perk those ears at the D-word and look around, but she just didn’t seem convinced.

I can’t express how fabulous it was to hug my husband and see my family reunited when he returned safely to Ft Bragg with the rest of his unit.

Then we brought him home. He walked through the door and when Brody saw him, he started to shake and whine with happiness. But Boo hung back and looked at me.

“That’s your very own Daddy,” I said.  “I told you I was bringing you a Daddy.”

My husband reached out a hand. “Hi, Boo.”

That’s all it took. Ecstatic, she rushed into the love fest with Brody and has adored her Daddy every day since. She loves to walk with him, snuggle with him, and just generally delight in his presence. And I like to believe she loves me all the more for delivering her very own Daddy.

Live the greyhound adventure!

Learn more about what makes adopted greyhounds such wonderful forever friends with the Adopt A Greyhound Guide!

And come back tomorrow for my special tribute for the Memorial Day Blog Tour de Troops!

It’s true we all start out as babies, and this truth applies equally to greyhounds. We didn’t have Bandit as a ‘new baby’, though I admired the tenacity and dedication of the family who volunteered and first fostered this wonderful greyhound.

Greyhound puppies are notoriously smart and active. Racing greyhounds usually stay with their mother (God bless her) and their litter mates for much longer than other breeds and this helps a greyhound learn community rules that help them in training and the track.

But Bandit left his mom and litter mates at eight weeks and I’ve mentioned in previous greyhound posts that it ‘shows’. He’s bigger than our two greys, so when he arrived at our place at about a year old, he thought he was in charge. Brody disagreed. He’s older and a bit grumpier now, and for months he sighed and pouted and pretended to dislike the wily pup.

Boo disagreed with the would-be usurper, and though she can actually walk right under Bandit, as the reigning ‘queen’ she taught him the ropes.

After a few days, everyone settled into the new routine (we thought we were fostering this greyhound). Bandit’s daytime routine was simple. Sleep for 90 minutes, play hard for 10-15 minutes, sleep for 90 more minutes. Fortunately, he slept through the nights just fine.

Adopted Greyhound loves toys

But he was still a baby in more ways than one. He showed up with that lanky look so many young teenagers get – all knees and elbows and a bit clumsy with the growing. He was smart and curious and still looking to discover most things with his mouth first. He was a chewer but, thankfully, not destructive about it. And while we continued his training and sent him on home visits, no one was ready for the work and time he still needed.

So Bandit became a permanent addition to our family. While Brody still claims to despair, and Boo tries to be aloof, they both love our goofy newest adopted greyhound dearly.

Of course, Bandit’s just over two now, the age when most greyhounds settle down. Play sessions are a bit shorter, naps are longer, his manners are better (though the cats disagree), and whenever he can get away with it, he still tries to sneak up onto our bed at night.

But he’s a ‘toddler’…and you only have to look at the dog beds to know which one is his.

Live the greyhound adventure!

To help greyhounds and greyhound rescue and adoption groups, check out the Adopt A Greyhound Guide today! You might just discover your own fast friend!

I mentioned it last week, in my little trip down memory lane, that Brody sings Happy Birthday whenever we celebrate. Last week was the daughter’s eighteenth, but this week is another milestone: my baby turns fifteen! The time: it is a-flying!

In the coming months, there will be driving permits and lessons and applications to the science and math school. But first there will be cake and a party this afternoon. (prayers are welcome).

Oddly, Brody didn’t sing along last week when we lit the birthday candles, though he soaked up lovies and encouragement. He is getting older and it’s starting to show. But the cool thing was how he helped us teach Bandit, greyhound puppy extraordinaire, to ‘roo’ along with us. Poignant for everyone, and it brings tears to my eyes as I think about it, but still it was a lovely moment.

Bubbles and family 1999

This afternoon might be different. There will be a houseful of boys (Bandit will be ecstatic!) and maybe all the commotion will inspire Brody to put forth his best voice again. There’s nothing like a greyhound going the extra mile for an adoring audience. Maybe he’ll perform a duet with Bandit, or maybe he’ll let the puppy go solo.

Brody, once a wild and crazy young greyhound, is aging along with the rest of us – albeit a bit faster – but he’s still full of everything silly and unique that makes him such a great fit with our wild and crazy household.

It’s amazing to look at that picture with Bubbles shortly after we arrived in our new town and think about just how far we’ve all come. As a family, as greyhound foster parents, and as a domestic zoo. Life is definitely an adventure and adopting greyhounds is something that’s filled our lives and our home with much happiness.

Live the greyhound adventure!

What kind of fast friend would fit your life? Find out with the Adopt A Greyhound Guide! This book benefits both greyhound rescue and adoption groups as well as people considering adopting a greyhound.

Martingale collars…have I mentioned this fabulous invention lately?

One of the most unique and ‘challenging’ traits of greyhounds is that their necks are bigger than their heads (due to their amazing musculature), so normal collars are useless and put your adopted greyhound at risk by making it too easy to slip away from you when they see something intriguing. Yet for all the strength packed into a greyhound neck, they’re long and also delicate, which means a choke chain type of collar is too harsh and potentially dangerous too.

Martingale collars are the best solution, really they’re the only solution, because you can size them so your adopted greyhound can’t slip that aerodynamic head free just because they’ve seen something they want to chase. Plus, they’re gentle enough that you won’t injure your forever friends in the effort to protect them.

I’ve found many talented people make custom collars out of beautiful fabrics to dress up your adopted greyhounds for any occasion and I love to support their industry.

Boo has a red everyday collar as well as a special Autumn/Halloween collar in a lively candy corn print. Bandit arrived with an everyday collar in green plus a gorgeous martingale collar in hunter green woven with a rather noble design in a metallic thread that suits him perfectly (when he’s calm or worn out from romping). And Brody came to us with a an everyday collar of blue, but when I bought Boo’s candy corn collar, I found a pumpkin print for him. It’s too cute, so he wears that most of the time now.

I like the wider collars for the design and control. I’ve always been a fan of functional things that look good too.

Our first experience with the uselessness of normal collars was when we took our first adopted greyhound Bubbles to a greyhound reunion. They had coursing and our normally quiet and docile Bubbles turned into a barking, excitable creature. She cheered on the coursing competitors, then as they neared the finish line, slipped out of her normal collar to join the fun.

That’s frowned upon, by the way.

We were forgiven since it was so obvious we were newbies to the greyhound world. Then we were kindly directed to the martingale collar vendor. Greyhound people are good folks. After our purchase, Bubbles waited for her turn. Impatiently, cheering furiously, but the martingale collar kept her with us – until it was her turn to take the course.

Live the greyhound adventure!

Learn more about how to prepare and choose your own fast friend with the Adopt A Greyhound Guide!

When the Adopt A Greyhound Guide went live nearly a year ago on Clickbank it was a small personal victory.  The project took a lot of coaching and convincing from my support network of family and friends because I wasn’t sure I could do it.

What did I know- other than the day-to-day stuff with foster greyhounds and the adopted greyhounds we’ve been blessed to add to our family?

The people involved with the race tracks, veterenarians, and those who volunteered within the greyhound adoption organizations – they knew the important stuff. I was just a foster mom and greyhound adopter.

But all those people who knew the facts and important stuff encouraged me to gather my thoughts and experience into an organized and informative guide. They reminded me I was the writer. (I reminded them I wrote fiction).

Bandit's concerned ears

Eventually, it worked out and the Adopt A Greyhound Guide made it through the stages of publishing until it was ‘complete’. The people ‘in the know’ liked it. Whew! I don’t think I’d ever been so nervous about reviews.

And then came the best part: Putting the guide up on Clickbank. Why was that the best part?

Because most fees charged by greyhound rescue and adoption groups don’t actually cover all of a group’s expenses and these dedicated volunteer groups need our support more than ever to accomplish the mission of finding forever homes for these amazing fast friends.

Clickbank makes the Adopt A Greyhound Guide accessible to any greyhound rescue and adoption groups who need to raise money for their cause. Clickbank pays affiliates directly, so there was no stress over sending out checks or making wire transfers.

With Clickbank, a greyhound rescue group can sign up as an affiliate, choose to ‘promote’ the Adopt A Greyhound Guide and start earning 50% of the cover price for each guide sold. Without scheduling car washes, dog washes or bake sales, greyhound groups can boost their funding every time someone buys the book.

This was the reason I wrote the Adopt A Greyhound Guide, to give back to the organizations who have helped me connect with over thirty greyhounds so far. Greyhounds are incredible on the track, but they’re even more wonderful in retirement.

Letting people know about the fun, joy, and love of adopting a greyhound is a passion of mine and the Adopt A Greyhound Guide is one way I share that passion with others!

Live the greyhound adventure!