Monday, October 23, 2017

Settling In

Today is Day 12 with our new dog Petal.  She is settling into our family as if she has always been here.  All of our greyhounds have been like this, so I'm not surprised.



She is such a mellow dog, and I love it!  I have no idea what her bark sounds like because she hasn't barked yet.  (Ruby does that enough for both of them.)  Petal can generally be found sleeping or quietly playing with toys.

The antler chew is a favorite.


There's the antler again.


"Hi, Ruby."


Dog stuff has taken over our family room, in a wonderful way.  Three dog beds for two dogs ... seems perfectly normal to me.

... and, of course, there's a hoard of toys.


The cats are becoming accustomed to Petal's presence.  Alice came around quickly, resuming her normal habits and attitude within two days.  It is taking longer for Dorothy.  She's an anxious little thing anyway ... having a big new dog is something that's gonna take her a while to completely accept.  For now, she spends her days on our bed, instead of under it like she did for the first four days, and she does come downstairs from time to time.  It's great progress for her!

Hanging out on the bed.


That's Dorothy sitting on the bottom step, checking Petal out from a safe distance.


Some evenings she gets very brave and comes downstairs and sits in my lap!


Our only issue with Petal continues to be teaching her to do stairs.  Our front six stairs are almost mastered at this point, though sometimes she stops and freezes for whatever reason and won't move.  We are patient and positive, and generous with yummy treats, to encourage her to go up and down the steps and walk the yard without fear. 



Petal and Ruby get along perfectly together!  They are both gentle dogs, and they really seem to enjoy each other's company.





Last Friday, we made it official ... changing Petal's status from Foster Dog to Adopted.

Am I overdoing it by taking a photo of the adoption contract envelope before I mailed it?


Earlier today, I took a few minutes and made Petal her first custom collar with a piece of velveteen that I have been saving for something special.  Special fabric ... special dog ... perfect match.



As I sit here in the family room right now, Petal is sleeping peacefully on one of the dog beds.  The little voice in my gut was right on this one ... she is ours, she is perfect for us, and I am thrilled to have her in our family.  



Welcome home, Petal!

18 comments:

  1. She is so sweet and I love how she and Ruby have become such good friends already. Your heart once again has brought you the right dog for your home. Hugs!

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    1. She really IS the best dog! Our most important consideration is the safety of the cats, and Petal is totally okay with them. The bonus with her is her super sweet personality and mellow attitude ... win-win!!

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  2. I so love reading your blog. Petal is very fortunate to have her new family. Lis

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    1. Thank you! I think that WE are the fortunate ones. Petal is a real sweetheart.

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  3. I missed the previous post, Connie, but I am thrilled that you have adopted another family member. It sounds like she is fitting in and is comfortable already. Bless you for taking another sweet baby into your home. xo Diana

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    1. Thanks, Diana. We are thrilled, too. She is turning out to be a really great addition to our critter family.

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  4. So happy for you and Petal! Looks like she is a great addition to the family.

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    1. Petal fits in almost seamlessly. It's wonderful to have her.

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  5. Sweet, LUCKY Petal! Thank you for adopting/rescuing her! It certainly seems like a match made in heaven. So fortunate for all of you! She is lovely!

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    1. It's wonderful to know that Petal was never in any sort of peril, so her adoption is not truly a rescue. Her racing owner took fine care of her, and provided for her adoption. It's that way with most retired greyhounds now. They make such wonderful pets!

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  6. Stories about pets are the best, thank you for the update.

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  7. I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face as I read about Petal. My heart just grew tenfold. I love everything about this story. Congratulations on the new addition to your family. A house full of love! Thank you!

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    1. Petal is easy to love! Dorothy has decided to be brave today, and has been downstairs with me for most of the day. It won't be long till we are all back to normal, but better with Petal in the mix.

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  8. So many people think that Greyhounds are high strung and need constant physical activity. Those of us who are Grey lovers know that to be completely opposite of what they truly are ~~ total couch potatoes!! Well, we have 2 and one is a couch potato, and the other is a dog bed potato as she just won't go on furniture. They love their daily trip to the dog park and run and play for 20 minutes or so, and then when we get home they sleep for several hours. I hope your pictures encourage others to see how gentle they are. I actually think that they would be good apartment dogs if people could walk them regularly. People are shocked when they visit us and the dogs greet them and then take a long nap! Petal is a beauty!!!!! Congrats again.

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    1. I think we all spend most of our time dispelling misconceptions about greyhounds. They are my favorites, and I can't express how happy I am to have one in the family again.

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  9. Congratulations on your new sweetheart - she is beautiful! And a very lucky girl.

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    1. Thank you! I think that WE are the lucky ones for having Petal in our family.

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