Beautiful sights

Beautiful sights
Horses at blue water Lake state park

Monday, March 31, 2014

Fearless

I was camping in New Mexico at the time that I was searching for a greyhound in Arizona.   My male, Valentine (age 11 1/2) had needed to be euthanized due to osteosarcoma.
Val on left

Several agencies in Arizona wouldn't adopt to me because I didn't live in their town, but Greyhounds of the Verde Valley were very willing and accomodating.  I made arrangements to meet the adoption group in Arizona when they would be having their yearly appearance at the county fair.  The fair was at the end of Oct, and the weather was hot as blazes!  I could hardly walk from the shuttle bus to the greyhound booth.  They had set up in a shady area to protect the dogs as much as possible.  When I saw the dogs, they asked me if I wanted to take Power for a walk.  He had a bandage on his operated foot, but was walking on it really well.  I took his leash and tried to entice him to walk, but he was resistant.  I finally got him to walk and he was easy to walk.  (It was too hot to have much energy).
Power
I told the adoption people that I would like to get a dog who was not afraid of thunder. Val had been terrified of thunder and it was a matter of him suffering during a storm.  All the rest didn't really matter, such as color, size, age, gender. 

 When looking over the dogs at the greyhound booth, the dogs ran the gamut of color and behavior.  One dog in particular was an outstandingly beautiful brindle color, but he was like a wild mustang, trying to jump over the fence, break down the gate, etc.  Another dog was in a section of fencing by himself, because he had just got through killing a cat!  Then there was Power who was lying on a bed being very well behaved.  I decided to get Power because of his mild behavior.  I didn't think he was beautiful, and I was a little worried because of the injuries he had sustained.  But the main thing I was wanting was the lack of fear of thunder.  I really wanted to have a "fearless" greyhound this time around.

 Power has lived up to expectations.  When we experience a thunderstorm, he lifts his head, then puts it back down and goes back to sleep!
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14 comments:

  1. Two Greyhound TownMarch 31, 2014 at 3:45 PM

    It definitely is nice to have a fearless dog when you live in the a motor home. It can get really loud when it rains hard. It scares me at times. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HazelMarch 31, 2014 at 9:47 PM

      What kind of roofing do you have on your motorhome?

      Delete
  2. houndstoothMarch 31, 2014 at 8:57 PM

    Having a fearless dog is nice, and we had one who was afraid of storms for a long time, too. I think the last year of her life she was hard of hearing, because her fear of storms abated, but it's no fun having to go through that. Bunny would like to add that she thinks you made an excellent and very handsome choice!

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    Replies
    1. HazelMarch 31, 2014 at 9:46 PM

      Bunny has good taste! About the fearful hounds, they seem to suffer so much during storms!
      I don't dislike the scared hounds but wanted a break from the stress!

      Delete
  3. SueApril 1, 2014 at 1:58 AM

    Polly does the same with thunder. She'll look up and then go back to sleep:)

    Power is beautiful.

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    Replies
    1. HazelApril 2, 2014 at 9:13 AM

      Thank you for saying that Power is beautiful. I agree with you! He wasn't beautiful to me the first day I met him, but I loved him anyway and he won my brain over in the "beauty" part within a few days!

      Delete
  4. genjiApril 1, 2014 at 4:37 AM

    Jaime suffered through thunderstorms in a thunder shirt, but my current crew might raise an ear if the thunder is close enough to shake the house. Makes things much easier on us.

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    Replies
    1. HazelApril 2, 2014 at 9:14 AM

      I used the thunder shirt many times but did not feel like it helped Val. Fleur seemed more comfortable with her thunder shirt on, however!

      Delete
  5. cathieApril 1, 2014 at 5:12 AM

    For people who do have dogs who get stressed by thunder and other things, the Thunder Shirt works wonders for many dogs. You might give it a try.

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    Replies
    1. HazelApril 2, 2014 at 9:15 AM

      I did get a thunder shirt for both my hounds while I still had Val. I did not feel that Val got any benefit from it but Fleur did!
      Thanks so much for you helpful comment!

      Delete
  6. BarbApril 2, 2014 at 1:06 PM

    Power has been such a good dog for you. I think a dog's personality is so much more important than their beauty. I think on a beauty level, Katie and Power are equals - kind of average. Then you get to know them - their loyalty and their goodness - and the way they look at us, and they are very beautiful. Not all dogs have the wonderful qualities Katie and Power have, we are lucky to have them. :)

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  7. AnonymousApril 2, 2014 at 3:59 PM

    My Maggie was afraid of Thunder and any loud noise. The Thundershirt did make a difference along with homeopathic anxiety drops. My newest addition, Ziva, is also scared of Thunder. She also is a priss pot and must have her rain coat on to do her business outside when it is raining. :)

    I will take personality over looks any day. Power is a lucky guy!

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    Replies
    1. HazelApril 2, 2014 at 5:57 PM

      Thank you for those kind words! What homeopathic drops did you find useful?

      Delete
  8. Greyhounds Aren't GreyApril 3, 2014 at 4:18 PM

    We think Power is very beautiful :-)

    ReplyDelete

Due to strange comments from anonymous persons, I will be moderating comments for now.

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