Hound party at my house!

Still no fosters, so we will tell one more tale about Mr. Moon and Bettis. One day, I came home from work to the scene in the picture! While I am not totally sure who to blame, I am pretty sure that this was the doings of Moon. Someone opened the pantry, got out chips, beans, rice, crackers, you name it and threw them all over the house! Yep, upstairs, downstairs, everywhere!!!! I was pretty sure there was quite a party that occured that day. As if to show how much fun it had been, when I walked in the door, instead of grabbing a stuffie to toss around, Mr. Moon picked up a bag of dried kidney beans and was flinging them everywhere! What fun to see the little beans falling on floor and making the pitter patter sounds! When we moved, we ended up finding beans everywhere. Greyhounds don't clean up after their parties very well, but those long skinny noses taught me to lock the lower cabinets that have food. In fact, we just rearranged the kitchen after this one. My greyhounds will make a better housekeeper out of me yet!

Crazy Moon

Due to the holidays, some travel and other commitments, there may be a slight lull in the foster stories. In order to keep some interest, we have requested some of the more infamous fosters come back and tell their stories (as you may know, the first blog was a former foster, Mischief). Today, we invite back Mr. Moon who may get a couple blogs due to his many antics...

Hi Folks,

I have to tell you that I am not sure I am Mr. Moon, Crazy Moon or No Moon. I have been called all of the above. I have a couple of stories for you of my rough days in the foster system. You see, I failed out of the foster program to begin with. I was in my first foster home and I was a bit of a thief...Well, maybe a clepto, but I really wanted the things I took, so I guess I will let you decide. The last straw was the day I took my first foster mom's glasses. That is when I got sent to doggie bootcamp with Michelle. He He He...They call it boot camp, but I gave one of my looks and pulled my antics and Michelle started laughing at me...She said I was hilarious, whatever that means. I stole her purse, her laptop, and even Rob's gym bag. The funniest part was that I took most of them outside (she caught me stealing the laptop) through the doggie door and emptied them. It was AWESOME!! What a fun game of hide and seek we had! Michelle said I wasn't very good at it because I hid everything in the same spot.

I'm a little embarassed by this next one, but Michelle will tell it if I don't. One day, Michelle came home and her neighbor stopped her before she pulled in the driveway. That neighbor was a snitch! She told Michelle to not be alarmed when she found a very weird item on the front porch, but that she saw me playing with something outside and thought I was going to hurt myself. Betcha you can't guess what I took outside to play with!!! I took the iron. What fun! I don't know why people do such tedious motions with an iron. They should try throwing it in the air and playing catch with it. It comes to the ground with such a marvelous thud. I dream of stealing an iron again...Oops, I let emotion carry me away, but it was so much fun. Anyway, Michelle just hugged me and laughed and told me she was glad that someone was watching out for me or I could have been hurt. Well, I may have carried on a bit too long on this one, so check back next week and I will tell you the story of the "Pantry Party"!! TTFN

Topper goes home

Hi Everyone! Topper here for one last blog. Just wanted to let everyone know that these crazy undignified pictures of me stop now! Can you believe they took a picture of me with a cow! HOW RUDE! It doesn't matter anymore, though. I got a new forever home and I really love my new people. I was so happy, that when my foster mom gave them to me, I didn't even look back at her to say good-bye!! I have a new fawn brother named Larry and he and I have soft, cushy beds and a couch to share. I won't tell this to too many people, but I've heard that Larry likes to get in the bed during the day. This is good for me because if I do it, I can blame it on him and no one will know! Well, guys, it's been fun even though you've seen some crazy pictures of me, but I am going to enjoy my new family who says they will keep me forever even if I do some little "mischievous" things. Topper out!

Wonderful Picnic

My foster family took me to a picnic on Sunday. It was quite a suitable place for a gentleman like me. In fact, I am pretty sure the whole shindig was thrown just for me. I was very pooped when I got back, so I found myself a spot on the couch that dogs are allowed on and fell asleep. Let me tell you about this wonderful shindig!

As soon as I arrived, a wonderful lady and man walked up and asked if I was Topper. I was thrilled to see that my reputation of being the debonair gentleman that I am had preceded me and the people at this shindig understood who I was! Before I could respond, my foster parents responded that indeed, I was Topper. Then, the nicest people in the world who truly understood me, took me from my foster parents and walked me around the park. Then we went and rested on a blanket where they gave me water and petted me. Boy did I like them!! Apparently they liked me, too, because I heard them make plans to meet my foster parents on 4 October and they are going to take me home with them!!! I am the happiest dog in the world!!! I tried to go with them that day, but they said they needed to go on vacation, then they would come back for me. Funny thing, happened, though. After they left, everyone wanted me! My foster parents told everyone they could not have me because I found my forever people. Have I mentioned how happy I am? Well, I am going to go back to sleep for a while. I'll let you know when I go to my forever home!

Build a better mouse trap…

I am here to attest to the fact that someone built a better mouse trap and boy am I happy about that. Yesterday, my foster mom put some new mouse traps out in the backyard. She was setting them in the little box where those little critters are hiding. She left one on the deck that was set. Have I mentioned how much I love peanut butter? Well, I don’t think it is fair that we are feeding those little critters peanut butter, so I decided I would take it out of the mouse trap and we could put something that I don’t really like in the trap for the mice. Well, I started to stick my nose in the trap and SNAP!!! Yeah, I know what you are thinking…”Poor Topper!” No worries, though, someone built a better mouse trap!!!! I liked it so much that after it snapped, I picked it up and ran away with it. I really wanted that peanut butter. After she caught me, my foster mom told me that I am lucky she thought about Bettis and I when she got the traps or my nose might have been snapped right off- OUCH!!! She said that if it didn’t have a tunnel around the snappy bar, I would have been toast. Peanut butter does go really well with toast, though, so maybe that would have been okay. Hmmmm, I need to go find peanut butter toast…Have I mentioned I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER!!!

Where to sleep...

My foster family is a bit rude to me. First of all, they put all of my stuffies on top of me because they thought I was cute like this. I took every one of them out of my toy basket to play with...then I got tired. I went to sleep next to them in my bed, NOT with them on top of me. As if this is not bad enough, a greyhound as dignified as I am realizes that he is a guest in this house and thus, should sleep in the guest bed. NOT HERE I DON'T! I was very careful to not let my foster parents know that I was using the bed- well, until last night. My foster mom was cleaning up in the bedroom and I forgot and, well, when she turned around, there I was, standing on the bed. Oops! Anyway, I really thought that a guest bed was for guests and I am a guest, you know. I am very polite and do not get into bed with my foster parents at night. I was just hoping to get my own bedroom with my own bed. It's not like they don't have spares. Anyway, that is right out now, so I have to go back to sleeping on a dog bed. Don't they know who I am? Everything else is going well, but I am really hoping that I can find someone to love me who is not going to post embarrassing pictures of me and banish me to a dog bed. Of course, in my new home, I will not be a guest, so I guess the guest bed won't be an option. Just having a home will be good enough for me!

I can't believe she is doing this to me!

Oh my gosh...Seriously people, what is up with my foster mom? How embarassing, a guy can't even sleep around here without her sneaking up and snapping a picture. What is up with that? I'm going to have to start wearing my boxers when I sleep to keep her from catching me in these poses.

So, how does one recover from this kind of a photo. Well, I will take myself back to my dignified self and tell you how well things have been going for me. As you can see, I USED to be relaxed (now that I know a camera is right around the corner, we will see how that works out). I do sleep on my back a lot. What can I say, it is comfortable. I will do a rocking horse jog around the yard if you throw me my stuffies, but I am retired and don't care to run much. I am diginified, so my walks are happy little strolls through the neighborhood. I am not in a hurry to go anywhere now that I am retired. I absolutely love my people. I hate when they leave me, but if they give me a milk bone before they leave, I don't give them sad eyes. I LOVE TO EAT! I have to say that I don't need caviar, just food. I have a very healthy metabolism and don't gain weight easily. I don't really like to have my toenails dremeled, but there is not much I can do to stop it, so I just sleep through it. In fact, that is pretty much my answer to everything. I just go to sleep. Well, rather than bore you with my dignified ramblings, I am going to go back to sleep. Tally Ho!

A Perfect Gentleman

Good afternoon, everyone. I am Topper (formerly known as Top Gun). As you can tell from my greeting, I am a perfect gentleman. I have recently hit a rough spot in my life when my family moved to California without me. I have been lucky enough to be taken to a foster home and my foster brother, Bettis, is comforting me by letting me know that all foster dogs get a home and things will turn around. My foster mom says that I am the best walker she has ever seen. I don't pull on the leash and I truly do not understand why Bettis must stop and mark every tree we see. How undignified! I love my people and will follow them everywhere. While I have lived as an only dog in the past, I had many human family members to keep me company. I really do not like to be left at home alone. My foster mom says I am really smart . I bark to be let out and let back in. I also learned the doggie door in my foster home in just a day! I really would like to find a new home soon. A gentleman of my distinction should not be kept in a foster home for the rest of my life.

Happy "10th" Birthday, Mr. Bean

Hi Yinz guys!

I am loving Pittsburgh! By the way, this is Mr. Bean, the grand old man of my home! As you can see, I had a wonderful birthday. My human brother brought me a REAL cupcake! YUMMY!!! And, my new Mom gave me a doggie birthday cake. I did share some of the cake, but the Cupcake was ALL MINE. Look how jealous Tally is in the picture. He didn't get a cupcake. I guess they just have to realize that I am older and wiser than them.

For all of you who have been wondering what I have been up to, I have been really busy. I had to make a new hole in my new backyard. It hardly seems fair that I should have to do all the digging, so I taught my fur brothers how to dig, too. Funny how I should be in trouble, but I am still loved! I've also had to be the guard dog around here. I protect my new home by barking at everyone who goes by. They don't know I am really not ferocious. I really hope I never have to back up my bark...I don't have enough teeth to bite!! I got a new bed and a new collar, too! I love my new bed!

Well, I guess I should go nap on my bed. Just wanted to tell everyone "hello" and let you know that I am doing well!

Bettis- Animal Idol!!

Bettis has decided that this is the day to pull out this head shot and prepare for his first album. Today Bettis made his singing debut on the Mike O'Meara show. They auditioned 5 dogs, a cat, guinea pigs, and some birds- Bettis clearly obliterated the competition! We'll let you determine his singing ability, but the judges saw his talent. Bettis has been practicing his singing ever since he retired from the track. He decided he would start a second career in singing and this is the result...His first big win! To listen to his winning performance, go to this link: http://www.wjfk.com/pages/2158873.php and click on 6-04-08 Animal Idol Seg 5. You will see the title when you open it of "Bettis can sure sing". Hit the play button and you will know when it gets to Bettis. Congratulations Bettis, all of your practice paid off!

My heart belongs to Pittsburgh!

I LOVE PITTSBURGH! Yinz guys are not going to believe this, but I went to Pittsburgh this weekend and decided to stay here. That means I had to get a new forever home. I got a wonderful new Mom and Dad and two new brothers named Tally and Aries. Aries is black greyhound and is my best bud. We get into trouble together and have so much fun! Tally is very jealous of how handsome I am, but he will just have to get over it and realize I am here to stay. He is a fawn greyhound, too, but I think I am much more handsome and lovable. I am trying to learn the new language around here, but I am starting to figure it out. Yinz should come up and visit me sometimes. It is probably better in the summer because I hear it gets slippy around here in the winter. I just wonder how's come I didn't come here long ago. Don't worry, I am earning my keep by acting like a vicious guard dog! We won't tell anyone that I am really rather ascared of things. Well, this will be my last post. Maybe my new mom will tell my foster mom what is happening and send some pictures and I can let you know what is happening around here once in a while. Guess you will just have to hear about Bettis and his new foster brother or sister!! Bean out... (P.S. Yes, I realize I have made some grammatical mistakes, but that is how to speak Pittsburghese, so I am just trying to fit in here!)

I'm going on a trip!

Hi everyone...I've got some good news and some bad news. First the bad news- I can't grace you with any new pictures of me because my foster mom went on a business trip and Bettis doesn't have opposable thumbs to take a picture of me. You'll just have to look back and see how handsome I am. Now for the good news- when my foster mom comes home, I am going on a little trip (without Bettis) and, if I decide I like it, I may just stay there! My foster mom is going to take me somewhere called Pittsburgh. Bettis just raves about this place. He says that his name sake used to play a game called football in Pittsburgh and used to steal things from there. Bettis must have been named after him because he steals my favorite bed all the time!!! Anyway, Bettis says they have really good food and that I should go to Primanti Brothers and Quaker Steak and Lube. He said I should have an Iron City beer, too. I'm not so sure about the beer thing, but maybe someone will let me try some before I get a whole one. Anyway, I can't wait!!! I'll let you know if I decide to stay or come back home with my foster mom!

Nails done, Hair combed, and out I go!

I knew today was going to be special from the moment I woke up! My foster mom took me outside and brushed me and gave me a massage. Ooooh how I love to be brushed. Thank goodness I can trust my foster mom or I would have fell right over I was leaning on her so hard. Then (after she brushed Bettis, too), she trimmed my nails. I looked so debonair...Just look at me!!! As the finishing touch, she took this stuff she called toothpaste and put it on something on her finger and brushed my teeth. I know a lot of people say this, and you can call me crazy if you want, but the toothpaste really tastes like Chicken!! I couldn't believe it!!! Guess where I went after I was all gussied up! I went to the Meet & Greet today. I got to meet some of my fans today and see Agent (I am pretty sweet on her- she is a blue greyhound and a little bit older than me. I think she likes me, too). Well, I am going to go back and look in the mirror at how handsome I am. I have to say, my foster mom is completely right...I am a handsome prince!

SFM age 9.5

So I did some surfing today while my foster mom was at work and realized I am going about this trying to find a home thing in all the wrong ways. I went on Match.com and I think I figured it out. Here it goes:

"Single Fawn male, 9.5, seeks family of at least one. Gender not important. Prefer older mature children and like companions of a canine persuasion. I am a former star athlete who has kept my slim figure. I am rich with unconditional love that I would love to share with you. Call me if you would like to take long walks in the park and gaze lovingly into my deep brown eyes while cuddling with me in the evenings. Still a pup at heart, I love to play, yet I'm mature enough to take time to smell the roses. Sophisticated, sleek, and of Egyptian descent, a handsome man like me does not come along every day. Contact me at mmworster@gmail.com if you would like to see if we are a match made in heaven.

Healthy as a greyhound!

Hi Everyone, Bean here. Well, now that my buddy, Jelly, has gone home, I can finally get a word in edgewise. Boy does that girl like to blog!!! First of all, this is not me in the picture. I would never let anyone do that to me! That is my foster brother, Bettis as he celebrated his 9th birthday at Dewey on April 11th. So, why did I post his picture? Well, let me tell you! I turn 10 in July. Know how many medications I am on? ZERO!!!! I am healthy as an ox...I mean greyhound. Know how many Bettis is on? MORE THAN I CAN COUNT!!! So, what does that say about me? I am much better than those young guys and I am just like a fine wine-getting better with age. So, "How am I doing without Jelly?" is the common question I get these days. Well, I am really branching out on my own. I got to stay here alone today while Bettis went to the doctor. I did just fine. I do like having a friend around, but I can handle anything!! And, while I was at the meet and greet on Saturday, I met a black lab named Sunshine and really liked him. I truly like pretty much everyone, especially of the canine persuasion, with some time to get used to them. On the way home from the meet and greet, I got the whole back of the car all to myself, so I took advantage and stretched my legs out as far as I could! You know how someone said I was a nervous pup? Well, last night it stormed here and I did not even flinch. Would a nervous pup do that? I think not!! You know what else? When it rains, I do not hesitate to go outside and do my business. My foster mom says that she thinks I may be even more perfect than Jelly Roll. You know what? I think she is right!!!! So, the perfect Mr. Bean, now signing off!

JELLY GOES HOME!

Today was a bitter sweet day in our household. Jelly "Roll" found her forever home. This sweet little girl adopted a wonderful, retired woman who just lost her 13 year old greyhound companion of over 10 years to bone cancer. Jelly was thrilled with her new friend. Okay, so she slept through the entire process, but she was very content with the whole thing and very happy with her new companion. She jumped right up into her new car and laid down. While I am going to miss the little Jelly Roll, I believe she found her best forever home...Bean still waits for his, though! A sweet old gentleman like him does not come along often. Get him while you can!!

I didn't go to Dewey, but...

My foster mom and Bettis went to Dewey, but Jelly and I had to stay home because there wasn't enough room in the car or hotel room for us. But guess what! They brought home new stuffies!!!! I do not like the monkey because it screams at me and I am a bit of a sensitive soul. The duck that grunts is kind of fun, though. Well, after being here for a couple of months and doing some training, I decided to try a game of fetch with the duck. I was really good!!! My foster mom threw the duck and I went and got it. I approached it with respect and play bowed to it before I pounced on it and began running laps with it. Who said I was old? Then Jelly got into the game and she chased me trying to steal the duck (I guess it became a game of keep away). Now, let me tell you something about Jelly that she won't tell you. See what I was doing afterward...I was wide awake taking in the world. Guess what Jelly was doing. I'll give you a hint: ZZZZZZZZZZZZ. You guessed it...That young buck was sound asleep. I guess all of my training has paid off and I am in shape again. Don't tell the track that, though. I prefer the cuddling I get in a home- my foster mom says that I will get cuddling in my forever home soon. I think I will take that nap now and dream of my forever home. Bean signing off...ZZZZZZZZZ.

Jelly's admission- final one

For those who have been following my admissions, this will be my last one- maybe. This one is a doozy!! You see, when meal time comes, my foster mom puts out a dish for Bettis, a dish for Bean, then a dish for me. Well, I have something going for me- I am really cute and cuddly! So, I figured out that if I lay on my bed and don't go get my food, my foster mom is afraid that the boys will take my food and I won't get to eat. So, if I wait long enough, she gives me my food in bed . I have her wrapped around my little dew claw! Bad news is that she is taking Bettis with her to Dewey this weekend and my foster dad will be feeding me. He hasn't succumbed to my cuteness yet, so I don't have him wrapped around anything. I may actually have to stand up to eat for a couple of days! On a side note, my thyroid medicine is working. My T4 count is a little too high now, so they are giving me a little less medicine, but with the help of my foster mom and the medicine, I have lost 7 lbs!!! My foster mom says I need to drop another 10-15 lbs, but I am starting to look and feel a lot better. Hmmm, maybe I should start a doggie diet blog...No, not enough time in my day. After all, Spidey still needs my attention! P.S. Bettis turned 9 today. We got some canned food to celebrate...YUM!!!

Jelly's admission #2

So on my last post, I said that I would reveal all. I never said I would do it all in one post, though!! So here goes admission number two...I'm in love. I know this is silly, but I am in love with a jumbo, green, fuzzy spider that has legs that just won't quit. I visit Spidey (that is my pet name for him) in the morning before I go for a walk and tell him how excited I am. I take him into my "sleeping" room during the day when my foster mom and dad go to work. I grab him when everyone comes home in the evening and I take him outside for a lovely game of chase. He lets me catch him after my foster mom throws him. He truly knows how to treat a girl! I have fallen head over heals for him many times (okay, so those long legs get under foot when I am running with him and I trip. Just like a girl in love to be clutsy!). Anyway, don't tell Bettis, but my foster mom says that she is going to try to find Bettis a new Spider so I can take my Spidey with me when I get a forever home. I say "when" because someone is going to want me soon. Spidey and I talk about it and he says that I am such a joy that someone will have to love me sooner or later. And, I say what a bargain...You get me and Spidey! I don't think you can go wrong with that deal. He is such a charmer! Well, I better get going before Bettis and Bean find me typing this. I don't want them to start the "Jelly and Spidey sitting in a tree" song again. I mean, really, when have you seen a greyhound in a tree anyway?? BOYS!!! They are nothing like my Spidey!!

Jelly Reveals All

In an effort to not cause a rush to adopt me, I, Jelly was holding a few things back. I have decided I have graced my foster family with my presence long enough and it is time to reveal all (okay, this picture may reveal a little more of me than most would like to see, but I really needed my belly rubbed)! So, here it goes, my big revelation...I AM A PRINCESS!! I realize that the phone is probably going to ring off the hook with people clamoring to get me which is great, but I am going to have to trust that my foster parents will screen people carefully to ensure that my lifestyle won't be cramped. First, I do require a nice cushy bed. The royal red that I am on in the picture is quite appropriate. I require at least one person to rub my belly daily. I do require a periodic stroll or a yard to get a bit of royal exercise. I also require my daily cuisine delivered to me. So, make your calls and get screened to determine whether you are worthy to obtain me, Princess Jelly and you just may receive the Princess Jelly kisses that I give as pay. (Note from foster mom: Jelly will reward you with kisses and really isn't as pretentious as she sounds...Although, she is a little princess.)

Old my @#$%!!!

Bean, here! Oops, I guess I am not allowed to use the bad word on my blog. My foster mom "Bleeped" me. I just want everyone to know I am not old-. I am just more experienced at dealing with my humans and giving them unconditional love and attention. Have you ever met an old guy that is technologically saavy enough to keep up a blog? I bounce a lot to keep myself fit. That being said, I am still too fast for my foster mom to catch me with the camera even though she wanted me to bounce for it. This is me playing keep away from the camera and a little game of tag with Jelly. Check out how nimble this "old" guy is!!

Jelly and the Little Purple Pill (aka update on her thyroid)

I mentioned several blogs ago that we discovered Jelly had low thyroid levels and that I would update you in a couple of weeks on how she was reacting to the new meds (aka "the little purple pill", hence the title). Wait till you see this little girl. Just take a look at her now! Just look at the energy radiating from her face! Her eyes are almost open here. Okay, so she is still very lazy and laid back, but she is starting to show a difference. Before the meds, she would drag behind in every walk and I almost had to pull her along. Now she keeps right up with the boys. She also attempts to inspect every drain pipe for the creatures that live in there. Her walks have taken on a new life for her. She also seems to be awake a little bit more. Okay, not much, but if you are around her all the time, you would see the difference. Now, I am about to say something that no one has ever heard me claim about a dog before. I usually like to give everyone the vices of the greyhound they are about to own, but with Jelly, I have not found a vice yet. She is intelligent, obedient, loving, and the absolute perfect greyhound. The squirrels in the backyard may tell you she has a vice as would any small, fuzzy animal, but she is trained to chase them, so you can't blame her there. One little story about Jelly will tell you how good she really is. I usually choose to open a pup's mouth and put a pill down their throat rather than try to trick them into taking it. It goes faster and usually they don't know what hit them. After a couple of times, they figure it out and will get away as fast as possible when they know I am coming with the bottle of pills. For Jelly, this is not the case. She has realized that after she eats she gets a thyroid pill pushed down her throat. Instead of running away, she finishes her bowl of food, then she walks into the kitchen and stands and waits until I give her the pill. If I forget, she will follow me until I do give it to her. Once I am done, I give her a quick pet on the belly and she gives me a Jelly kiss on the chin and goes and lays down. What more can you ask for, a pup that is responsible for her own medicine? Jelly is an awesome pup, you should come check her and Bean out. You may just find yourself walking away with Jelly and Bean!

Am I too old for a home

"Give me your answer, fill in a form, Mine for evermore. Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four." ~The Beatles

Bean here! I was listening to the Beatles today with my foster family and even singing along to it (See my singing the blues video). When I got to the end of the song, I got very sad. My family decided they didn't need me and didn't want to feed me before I turned 64. In people years, I am now about 63. I am hoping that someone will decide they want me before I'm 70!Anyway, I guess I will write new words... Here they are: "Give me your answer, fill out the app, my Forever home. Stuffies a plenty, play like I'm twenty, when I'm 70!"

Note from foster mom: I know how difficult it is to decide to take an older pup. I hesitated to take Bean as a foster dog. I am so glad I chose to take him and Jelly. What a fun, wonderful guy! Any amount of time with him and Jelly has enriched my life. I often have to remind myself of his age as he bounces around the backyard, throwing stuffies to himself and making them squeak. As I learned from Highway (my first greyhound) a dog can get sick and go to the Rainbow Bridge at any age. Highway left us 2 weeks before his 6th birthday and after only 21 months of touching our lives forever (It is very unusual for a greyhound to get cancer at such a young age). Bettis came to us at 4 1/2 years old. We were nervous about Bettis meeting the same fate as Highway and weren't sure we could handle it again, but Bettis has taught us that every dog is different and they all need homes and will greatly reward you no matter how long they stay with you! By the way, Bettis will turn 9 on 11 April!

Escape attempt?

After reading the Greyhound Rescue listing on Jelly and Bean, it has come to my attention that there is an escape attempt planned. This wouldn't be so worrisome if Mischief (see the first blog entry) was not back to celebrate St. Patty's day while his family is away. During his days in the "foster system", Mischief, together with his buddy Nan, escaped two times and nearly ended up in doggie jail one of those times. Fortunately my pitiful pleading with the dog catcher resulted in them spending only a short time in the cold, steel cages of the dog catcher's van as opposed to days at the shelter. Anyway, it seems that Jelly and Bean have brought in the expert on how to escape. In their defense, I'm sure it is a little unnerving to be a "foster dog" for a long time. I would implore anyone out there reading this to help keep Jelly and Bean "Off the Streets". I only hope that their escape attempts land them directly in a forever home!

A picture is worth a thousand words

From a nervous pup (Left) with bad teeth to a very happy dog (Right). There isn't much more to say. A picture is worth a thousand words. Wouldn't you love this smiling face to be part of your life?

Poor Jelly (aka confessions of a guilty conscience)

It only takes a short journey back into previous blogs to find the statements that are sparking this confession. I believe I have used the word "chubby" in reference to my foster dog Jelly. I may have also been guilty of calling her "a rug that I have to feed." There may have been times that I have told her she was the laziest greyhound I have ever met (and for anyone who knows greyhounds, that is pretty lazy). I believe the words "fattest greyhound I have ever met" may have escaped from my lips, too. So, to my little Jelly Roll (yes, I call her that, too) I am so sorry to have called you all those names and referenced your heftiness in such a negative light. Many of you may wonder what brought on this sudden wave of guilt. All I can say is that medical records and blood work make a huge difference. Poor Jelly seems to have a hypoactive thyroid. Never fear, though, meds are on the way and you will get a bit of a journey with her on her way to becoming healthy. Fortunately for me, Miss Jelly Roll is willing to forgive my cruel comments for a good belly rub and an extra chicken tender treat. Check back in a few days and see how Jelly is making out with her new meds (which will most likely arrive on Monday). I guess I should enjoy the sleepy Jelly while she lasts!

Small successes

Valentines day has come and gone and Jelly and Bean are now realizing that Jelly Beans are for Easter. These two are the sweetest Jelly (and) Beans around, and whoever gets them will have their sweetness around for a long time. Well, the blog was titled small successes. We had several of them this week. As you can see, Jelly found a new toy to play with. (I think we mentioned previously that she is prone to stuffed animal thievery). It seems that she found the duck in a rabbit disguise just in time for Easter. The funny thing about this duck/ rabbit is that it giggles and shakes (similar to tickle me Elmo) when you press the right spot on it's tummy, then pauses, then starts again and finishes out by saying "that tickles." Well, the "spooky" dog Bean decided to play with the duck/ rabbit. As soon as it started to shake, he jumped back and stared at it. Then it paused and he went back up to it. Just as he grabbed it, it started again. He jumped back again. This time, when the duck/rabbit finished off with a "that tickles," Bean cocked his head and tried to figure out what it was saying to him. Well, apparently my "spooky" pup was not spooked by this as he repeated the above routine approximately 5 times in a row. The next day, it began again!!

As for Jelly, I know it is hard to believe she does anything because every picture is of her sound asleep. Yes, that is pretty much what she does- Sleeps, eats, sleeps, steals stuffies, sleeps, gives her people kisses, sleeps, and will roll over on her back for a belly rub sometimes- did I mention she sleeps? Jelly's success came this morning. I ran out to pick something up and came home to find Bettis in the backyard. This is not unusual as he has a doggie door. However, I could hear Jelly in the backyard crying. I ran inside and, after chastising my husband for letting her out and forgetting to let her back in, I found out that she let herself out (yes, I had to apologize to hubby, too). One part down, she just has to figure out the getting back inside part!!! By the way, apparently Jelly is pretty smart as we have not taught her how to use the door at all. She just figured it out by watching Bettis, I guess!

The Breakout

Coming to you straight from the scene of the crime, this is Bettis, the crime dog. Okay, maybe it isn't as catchy as McGruff, but I'm not Irish, so that name didn't really fit me! Anyway, I have to tell you what my foster sister, Jelly, did today while my mom and dad were away. As you can imagine, I am in charge of making sure things are going smoothly when my parents go to work. I even have a doggie door to make sure the squirrels and cats don't mess with anything in the yard. Well, Jelly and Bean are really well behaved, so I don't have much work to do. (Don't tell my mom and dad this, but they are better behaved than I am. Boy do I hope they don't read this...). Anyway, Bean is like Goldilocks in a way. He doesn't want too much space when his people are away, but he doesn't want to be put in a crate (lots of pups actually like those) and have too little space! So, my parents compromise and when the last of them leaves, they give Bean a space that is just right. He spends the day in our bedroom with a baby gate so he can still see us if he gets lonely (yes, we all sleep in one bedroom, but I am thinking about asking for my own one of these days). Well, Jelly wanted to go in there, too. So finally, dad gave in and let Jelly stay with Bean in the room. Apparently, Jelly had some ulterior motives. I knew I was going to be in trouble for this one, but mom came home to three dogs greeting her when she opened the door. (I broke my little white, fluffy cousin, Skippy out once when everyone left us at home alone so I figured I would be the likely suspect). Anyway, it's a good thing that mom is smart enough to look at the baby gate and tell which way it fell, so she guessed right away that it wasn't my fault this time. Just to make sure, I waited at the gate outside to tell her but I don't think she knew what I was saying. I don't think it is really fair, though. No one got in trouble because mom said that Bean would have liked his little space better, but that she doesn't mind getting many greyhound hugs and kisses when she comes home from work. That's a good thing because Jelly, Bean and I have lots of hugs and kisses to give her when she comes home. Well, I better go check on Jelly and Bean. I think they are doing what they do best which is sleeping! Check back and see if they have found homes. Someone is going to get really lucky if they get to have these two. I barely have to watch them at all!

Bean sings the blues for his forever home.

Hi there, this is Bean again. I have been at my foster home for several weeks now and I am very sad that no one wants me (even my font is blue). My foster mom and dad say I can stay until my luck gets better and they really love me a lot, but I know that there are other dogs still in the kennel waiting for foster homes. This is why sometimes I get my foster dad to play the piano and my foster brother, Bettis, to sing the blues with me. The song I am singing in the video below goes like this:

"I'm so bluuuuuuueee, that's why I roooooooo. I want a hoooommmmme- to go home with youuuuu. I'd be so happy if Jelly came, tooooooo, but forever is what I want from youuuuuuuu."

How not to fail fostering 101 when you see things like this!

As a greyhound foster "mom", I get asked a single question often- "How do you give them up?" So, in the best way I know how, I am going to tell you the secret of not failing fostering 101 while bragging a bit on my current fosters (Yep, Jelly and Bean are still here and as you can see are very settled with each other)! For any of you with multiple greys, you understand the concept of playing the hallway game. You know, the one where you walk down the hall with all of the greys walking in front of you, but they keep stopping to turn around to make sure you are still with them? Unless you have a new house with handicap accessible hallways, you probably now realize that hallways are built with a standard measurement of two greyhound bodies wide (3 if they are newly off the track dogs that are still thin). Armed with this knowledge brings us to RULE #1 of fostering and not failing- Set your limits before you bring the foster dog home. My hubby and I established our limit to be no more than 2 dogs in the house at a time. We have broken the rule 3 times (Ginger and Fancy- 2 littermates; Mischief and Nan- who had been together for 3 years; and now Jelly and Bean- who have been together almost 7 years). RULE #2 of fostering and not failing- Inform the rescue group president of Rule #1 and your established limit. This helps because every time you have one that really tugs at your heart strings (See Jelly and Bean in the picture above), she (Yes, Denise, I am talking about you!!!) will refuse to let you adopt the dog because she knows you will not foster anymore! RULE #3 of fostering and not failing- Okay, if you read my profile, you will know I am a retired Marine. To survive Marine bootcamp, you have to play mental games with yourself. Otherwise, you go insane. Believe it or not, this is the same technique you must apply to fostering. The mental game is to do a little math and realize that adopting this one (or two- See Jelly and Bean above) greyhound will help only this one greyhound. If you continue to foster (which can not happen once you reach your established limit), you can help many more greys find their forever home. If all else fails, get a house built with hallways in the standard measurement of your newly established limits of greyhounds! (Does anyone know a contractor that builds in terms of greyhound measurements?)


Now, I said I would brag a bit on Jelly and Bean. I have already mentioned they are the perfect dogs, but I definitely have more to say about them. Jelly is a solid, unchanging dog. This is good because her only vice is that she believes every stuffed animal in the house is hers and will take the human's stuffies as well. She will wash your face with kisses if you let her and will roach to get her Belly rubbed (Rule #1, Michelle, Rule #1). Bean is what I call a success story. We started him on glucosamine because he is almost 10 years old and was a bit stiff. I think it is working as he started a race in the back yard yesterday and ran an entire lap! He was grinning from ear to ear! He is such a happy, well-adjusted dog and is just a sweet, cuddly guy. (What was rule #3 again?) I am going to stop typing now and go call Denise to enforce rule #2 or I just may lose on the fostering and not failing game!!

Jelly Beans for Valentine's Day?

Not Jelly Beans, but Jelly and Bean for Valentine's Day! It is now time for me (their foster mom) to talk about these two wonderful pups. I have to say I was a little tentative about taking a senior pup and I was even more weary of a senior that was deemed "spooky". I have now realized the error of my thinking. Jelly and Bean were truly returned through no fault of their own. They have NO behavioral issues (except for the occasional stuffed animal thievery). They do not counter surf, they are house broken, they play well with my grey, don't try to get on any furniture and they settled in within a week. Bean is the senior of the two. He is almost ten and was deemed "spooky" by the previous owners. While Bean is a little nervous, he will try things, he just needs time. He gathers strength from his buddy Jelly and will eventually get used to anything if he is treated patiently. When he first arrived, any gesture (like touching his collar) that indicated he was going to be drug into doing something would result in him yelping. Petting him even gave him some fear. Within a week, the yelping stopped and he realized he would no longer be hurt and can be treated just like any other senior. He is a bit stiff in the mornings, but he still likes to play. If you look below, you will see he had 19 teeth removed before he arrived, too. Again, this seems to have had no effect except to produce a giant toothless grin when he is happy!

As for Jelly, she is a bit chubby for a greyhound, but a truly wonderful girl. She loves to cuddle and give kisses. She loves to play with stuffies and will steal stuffies if left in her line of site. She has soft, silky fur and is very much a couch potato. She does love a good game of fetch with her stuffies, though. She could easily be an only pup, but truly loves her humans to be around. She provides a great boost of confidence for Mr. Bean. Jelly has one drawback. If put in a hectic social setting, she does not do well with dogs she does not know. Kept in a pack of about 3-5 pups, she is just fine, though.

I realize that many do not want to devote their lives to seeing a greyhound through their golden years, but Mr. Bean is truly worth it. He has been through a lot in the past few weeks and he has been a champ. Won't you consider giving him the best years of his life?

Beans are good for you!

Hi there, This is Bean. I figured I better get on here and take a turn telling you about me. My sister wrote some crazy things. I can't believe she laughs at me! I am what they consider a "senior", but I have to tell you I am young at heart and I love EVERYONE! My foster family had a little shindig last week and I greeted every person and dog that showed up. What a great day. I just love a party! At the end of the party, I got to show off my lovely singing voice when my foster dad played the piano for a bit. Like was said earlier in this blog, I lost 19 teeth. Those were pretty disgusting, huh? They hurt pretty bad, so I wasn't the happiest dog in the world then. Now, that they are out of my mouth, though, I love to lay on my bed, basking in the sunlight, and chew on a rawhide. Yes, I still have enough teeth to chew on rawhides, thank you! My foster mom does tell me that I have very good manners. I don't countersurf, I don't get on the furniture, and I am housebroken. I don't growl or bite, either, and I am very good on walks. I love to be petted and scratched and I love to eat!!! I am starting to wonder if my "senior" status is going to hold me back from a home forever. I like my foster home, but there are other dogs that need to come here, too and there is only so much room. It really isn't my fault that my family gave me up in my golden years. Please think about me and my sister, Jelly (I would really like to have Jelly with me, too. She gives me lots of confidence!), when you are considering a greyhound. I promise to give you the best years of my life and the best of yours, too! Remember, Bean(me) is good for you!

Superbowl Sunday has gone to the dogs!

What happens when a professional photographer volunteers to take a picture of rescued greyhounds on Superbowl Sunday? You end up with a house full of greyhounds and Superbowl Sunday has gone to the dogs.

Today Paul Ebelein, a professional photographer, volunteered to take pictures of retired racers that have found homes. As you can see by Thunder on the left, he does amazing work. 19 greyhounds and 3 pups that thought that they were greyhounds showed up for a day of fun and photographs. Armed with squeakers, squawkers, toys, and treats, we desperately attempted to get the dogs to lay and "smile" for the camera. Thunder and Sophie took the award for the most seasoned professionals while the party girl Delila just wanted to party with no photos of her fun. Jelly wanted to boss everyone around and ended up muzzled a lot of the day and Bean, who is supposed to be shy, became the official greeter. Girl Bear had the biggest smile of all and Tiffany just wanted nothing to do with it. Austin, the non-grey, took the prize (along with Sophie) as the most well behaved on the photo platform. All in all, it was a fun day that ended well before kick-off. Let's hope the success of the photo shoot is shared by the Giants!! Email me for Paul's information if you would like to have a photo shoot of your pup!

Won't you be my Valentine?

Hi there! My name is Jelly and I want you to be my Valentine. I know, you are used to Michelle writing wonderful things about us pups, but she said she is either going to write about us or play with us and she hasn't had time to do both. Frankly, I prefer her playing with us, so I figured I would help out by posting here.

My brother, Bean (he is the one on the right in the picture. I am the pretty one on the left!) and I fell on some hard times when our owners decided to return us. We really didn't do anything wrong. They just didn't want us anymore. My foster mom says that we are wonderful dogs with very good manners. We don't countersurf, we are housebroken, we don't beg for your dinner, we won't jump on your guests, we won't bark all night, we don't bite, and we love to be cuddled. Did I mention that we will sing if Bettis starts singing first?

Now for specifics. I love my brother. He was named Bean because I was named Jelly...Get it? Mr. Bean is a sweet boy that had to have 19 teeth pulled when he came back. He can now eat crunchy food again, but I don't know how! He still has trouble taking treats sometimes because they slide right out of the side of his mouth. Don't tell him, but I laugh to myself when that happens. Mr. Bean will smile sometimes, too- A big toothless grin- when he is happy. He is almost 10 years old, but he stll likes to romp around outside. Mr. Bean is a little nervous and, while I am sure he would rather have me, if he can't have me to help him not be scared, he would really like to be with another greyhound. He learns to trust in time, but wants someone willing to give him some time to be comfortable.

Now for yours truly! Like I said, my name is Jelly. I know it is a weird name for a dog, but it was part of my racing name. My foster mom calls me Jelly Roll because she says I am a little portly (whatever that means). Maybe that is why she tells me not to eat the other dogs' food? I LOVE TO PLAY! I will grab a stuffie as soon as I get up in the morning and play with it. When I go outside, I grab a stuffie and run outside with it to play fetch. When my people come home, I get excited and grab a stuffie. Sometimes I even race after Bettis to try to grab the stuffie out of his mouth! I like having a friend, but I would probably be just fine as an only dog. Did I mention I really love my brother, Mr. Bean, though?

Well, enough of tooting my own horn (and Mr. Bean's, too). I know how much my foster mom loves us and I am sure she will tell more stories about us as long as we stay here! We would really like to find our Valentine and be home with them for Valentine's day, though!

Corn- It's not just a vegetable

Meet Pekaboo. He is a beautiful, dark brindle, retired greyhound that had an impressive track record. In spite of his sweet, yet dopey personality, he was bounced around from home to home. When he finally made it to his forever home, he developed a limp that got more severe with time. After many visits to the vet's office, many x-rays, a misdiagnosis of a torn ACL, a trip to Virginia Tech Vet school to get the ACL repaired only to have them diagnose a sprain, and many pain killers, the problem was finally confirmed at Dewey Beach when the Thera-paw lady pointed out the corn on his pad. The corn continued to grow until it was a small lump protruding from the pad (See the picture to the left). These are common among greyhounds, but almost non-existent among other breeds. Many vets will not touch them and the testimonials of many greyhound owners will tell you that removal will only see the corn returning over and over again. As you can see on Pekaboo's corn, it was protruding far above the surface and was akin to walking on a small pebble. He had a severe limp. Today, we used a dremel and dremeled the corn to below the surface. While it probably felt pretty weird to him to have this instrument vibrating his foot, it did not cause him pain. The ending result was the picture to the right. The hole in his pad may look extreme, but we just barely breached the surface of the pad. Once we completed this, we added some Dr. Scholls corn remover and will continue to do so for the next few days. We will continue to keep you posted on Pekaboo and will hopefully see some improvement in the near future! (Note: Just a side note that the Therapaw provides great relief. You can also find more information on corns on the therapaw site).

Jelly, Beans, and Teeth

No, I did not make a mistake by adding a comma in the middle of Jelly Beans. While Jelly Beans may be detrimental to human teeth, not caring for your greyhound's teeth may be detrimental to your greyhound. This is the story of my newest foster dogs, Jelly and Bean. Jelly and Bean were returned with very bad doggie breath and in severe need of a dental cleaning. Bean would not let anyone even touch his face. Well, if your mouth was harboring what Jelly's and Bean's mouth was harboring, you would not let your face be touched and would probably be much grouchier than these two were. Take one look at the picture, then ask yourself if you would want 19 of your teeth pulled because you didn't brush them (Bean had 19 teeth pulled and Jelly lost 3). If you can say no, then follow these simple tips and you can help avoid this in your pup: 1)Grab the doggie toothpaste and a toothbrush and make sure you visit your greyhound's mouth with it at least weekly. If your pup has bad teeth, try a little more often. 2) If your pup has bad breath, chances are he/she has a bad tooth. Regular vet visits and periodic cleanings (at your vet's recommendation) will help with this. 3) Feed your pup some dentabones, greenies, rawhides or other treats that will help keep their teeth clean. Aside from keeping your dog's breath fresh, it could also save their life. Many mouth bacteria can affect a dog's system (just like humans) and cause them to have life threatening problems (like heart disease). Please take the time to make your pups teeth a priority. They will thank you with fresh breath and doggie kisses!

The disadvantages to being tall

Some may believe that being tall and skinny is an advantage to a greyhound. While racing, their long, skinny legs truly carry them to great achievements. As a house pet, their stature can sometimes get them into trouble. Unfortunately, the long, skinny legs put a greyhound's long, skinny nose at countertop level. This leads to unbearable temptations to surf that nose right across the countertop and glean any morsel of food that smells good. Bettis LOVES to countersurf and his successful surfing even helped the family relive The Christmas Story when he managed to "acquire" the Christmas roast one year (trust me, this did not go over very well)! While there are some greyhounds that never touch a thing on the countertops, Bettis is not one of them! Today, I made the mistake of cleaning out the pantry and leaving some stuff on the countertops while we ran out. While the lack of opposable thumbs caused a little sanfu in his plans, Bettis attempted to cook up a little dinner while we were gone. Apparently the combination of bread crumbs and chai tea mix was not as appealing as it originally sounded. He was very upset by the crumbs that "somebody" left on his bed, as you can see.

Foster Brother Extraordinaire

When Bettis arrived at our house in 2003, he had met a rough patch in his life. We had met a rough patch in our life as well. We had just lost our greyhound, Highway, to bone cancer one month prior. Bettis was being returned and the wonderful people with Greyhound Rescue knew my weakness for the male brindles. We agreed to take him site unseen but we were about to go on vacation so he went to a foster home for a week and we picked him up on a warm August day. It didn't take long to figure out he was returned due to a nasty streak. Four years later, with lots of love, we have a wonderful, mild mannered greyhound, that has been described by some as the "perfect greyhound". He is pretty sweet as long as you don't leave food on the countertops or a garbage can he can get into! Anyway, after seeing how a foster home works, we decided Bettis needed a friend but we wanted to "test" them out by fostering ourselves. Bettis readily agreed to this and has welcomed every pup into the house since and teaches them how to be a pet. Funny, though, we haven't found the one to adopt yet. We like them all, so this fostering thing may just go on forever!!!

How to tell a greyhound is at his forever home

Mischief (left) and Nan (right) came to me a bit confused. Mischief's littermate, Mikey, was taken from them and went back to the group he was adopted from. Their human family split in two by divorce, Mischief and Nan came to stay at my house. Nan quickly found her forever home and became a surprise Christmas present. Mischief found his forever home shortly thereafter and after a visit to his new home confirmed that he would be perfectly happy as the only canine brother to two human sisters, a human brother, a Mom and Dad, a gerbil and an AWESOME squeaky toy that moved on it's own called a guinea pig!!! After realizing his "love" for the guinea pig, Mischief's family knew that the two could never meet. Well, approximately a week after Mischief's "gotcha day," a slip up occurred and Mischief did meet the guinea pig. Not one for the gory details, let's just say that this was a tale of fatal attraction for the guinea pig. Even though Mischief was responsible for the "break up," his family forgave the love affair gone bad and still loves Mischief and plans to keep him...That is how you know a greyhound is at his forever home!!!