Moo has really started coming out of her shell the past week or so. She is still nervous around strangers and loud cars freeze her up, but I'm starting to see her personality rather than nervous dog who doesn't know what to do.
She is incredibly food driven-but then again, show me a greyhound who isn't! She has also started walking on a leash like a PRO, no more harness for her. She doesn't balk or freak out like she had been, she follows quietly and allows you to guide her. It's like the switch flipped because one day we were practically dragging her behind us and the very next day she figured it out and it was like the skittish, non-leash-walking Moo never exisited before.
Thanksgiving was fun, we were going to travel out of town and take the dogs with, but at the last minute our out of state family got sick, and then I got sick, and then I said "screw it" I don't want to make that drive with the three dogs, one of which is not comfortable in the car....let's just stay here and try to track down a turkey. The dogs got their Thanksgiving plate, nobody liked the cranberry sauce, but the green beans were a huge hit, so were the pumpkin cookies I made them [next entry I will share the recipe because I am really weird about additives and preservatives and giving them to my animals...]
Moo still does not chase the chickens, but she does chase any bird, squirrel or cat that enters our yard, so I'm not sure if that means she has a high prey drive or not...but what I do know, is that she can be trained to live in harmony with small animals, once she understands that they are part of the pack.
Moo also received a handmade pair of pajamas and a jacket, I have plans for a few more clothing articles for her, once I get some time to hit the sewing machine and produce!
She has also learned to share her crate; not that this is something we make a habit of doing because I firmly believe that as high stress as Moo is, she really needs her own safe place to go and be alone when she is stressed out, but our little italian greyhound has started sleeping where ever Moo sleeps. In the crate, in the blankets, on the rug, on the floor etc.
We have also figured out why Moo wasn't the best racing dog ever...she LOVES the mud...I imagine she would have done wonders on a wet track. I've never seen a dog so excited to run through the mud and puddles before in my life. It's literally the only time she does zoomies; but, with the never ending rain we've been having here in NC the past month, my poor yard is a nightmare [I'm not sure grass will ever grow there again!] and my floors are perpetually covered in little dirty paw prints, I'm just going to start telling guests that it's a pattern in our hardwood because I can't sweep and mop fast enough to keep the floors clean!
Moo also has a weird skin thing going on. I've treated her with flea treatment and a low dose steroid to rule out a flea allergy, and the next step is an anti-biotic treatment, but her symptoms stopped after the flea treatment so hopefully that was the problem...she did get a bath and have to wear her muzzle while I put antibiotic ointment on her butt wounds though and she was not a happy camper [she was chewing]
She also took a few trips this week, we went to the Petsmart to get a pedicure where she had the best time sniffing all of the dog food bags and treats and stuffed animals and fish tanks, she didn't care as much for the actual pedicure, but she did great. Not an issue at all.
And to top it all off, we took our very first trip to the beach this morning. This is something that I'm used to doing a few times a week because we are so close, but with her failure to walk on a leash, the fact that people can drive their trucks on the beach this time of year and her general skittish behavior, I didn't want to risk a trifecta of freakouts with her by myself...but she did great! We chased the seagulls, sniffed all of the jellyfish, and managed to take a bunch of selfies!
It has been a GREAT time having Moo with us. I am so tempted to keep her for myself but I can not, that was not part of the deal. She just has SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVE. Won't you please consider her for yourself?
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