I took this photo while Daniel and I were on the porch of the cabin while we were on vacation in Tennessee earlier this year.
I never intended to have two dogs. We adopted Emma in 1999, after Murphy, our labrador, died. For six years Emma was happy as an only dog, and I was satisfied being a one-dog family. Then I met Daniel.
Here's Daniel, the first time I saw him.
Daniel was one of two dogs I picked up in Cary, NC, to take to a greyhound adoption group in Richmond, Va. Neither dog was adopted, and I was to deliver them to a foster home. I was instantly attracted to Daniel ... the little voice in my gut was telling me that this was my dog, but I refused to listen. During the ride from North Carolina back to Virginia, the little voice was persistent. I was a good girl, and I dropped the dogs off at the designated place, and I drove home. But I couldn't get Daniel out of my head.
For a week, I thought about him ... wondering if he'd been adopted. How could he NOT have been adopted ... he was such a great dog. This was a really foreign feeling for me, because I am a VERY seasoned greyhound transporter, as a member of the Greyhound Underground Railroad. (Click HERE to read more.) More than 300 greyhounds have traveled with us on their way to new homes, and I have only felt this way about a dog once before. (I couldn't even consider bringing that one home, though, because he wasn't cat safe.)
The Husband and I talked about it, and he saw how much Daniel meant to me, so he agreed to have an open mind about possibly adding another dog to the family. I called the adoption group, and they said that no one had showed any interest in Daniel so far. We arranged to meet at his foster home, The Husband liked him, Emma didn't care one way or the other, and we brought our new boy home.
Daniel immediately made himself at home with the humans and the other animals in the family. As we got to know him better, we discovered that he had some quirky characteristics. First and foremost, Daniel hates to be left alone. Because of this, he can probably never be an only dog. Many times, he has ridden along for one of Emma's vet appointments if there wasn't anyone to stay home with him. He isn't destructive, he just howls and whines and paces and is miserable till his family comes back home. (He is also afraid of hammering and balloons.)
This photo of Daniel was published in Celebrating Greyhounds calendar a few years ago.
Daniel is a collector. When he needs something to do, he will prowl the house and collect things.
He was taking this blanket from the family room to his bed in the other room.
Two shoes, a slipper, and a one-eyed dog toy.
He usually just makes piles of his treasures, but sometimes we find that he has chewed a shoe. This helps remind us to keep our shoes put away where Daniel can't get to them.
Good boy ... chew on toys instead.
Daniel is a great traveler. Two or three times a year, we used to pack up and take the dogs to various greyhound gatherings. Two of our favorite destinations are Dewey Beach, Delaware, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Daniel and Emma and me, freezing on the beach in early spring.
Emma and Daniel taking a drink during a rest stop on the way to Gettysburg.
Though Emma was happy being an only dog for so long, I'm glad that she accepted Daniel as a member of the family.
I have never met a greyhound that is as cat safe as Daniel is. The first time I saw him, while he was on the leash in the yard at the house in Cary, NC, an outdoor cat ran right in front of him and he didn't flinch. (Looking back, I wonder if this was what made the little voice in my gut start to work on me.) He has never made a move toward any cat (or kitten) in the house or outside. What a good boy!
Daniel and Alice sleeping in the sunshine.
He is curious, though. He found this turtle in the backyard.
You may remember this photo of Daniel from last year, as he modeled the sweater I crocheted for a charity auction.
Daniel's racing name was "Forbes Nakdaniel" and he raced for two and a half years at three greyhound tracks in Florida. (He was four and a half years old when we adopted him.) He loves to run, and I'm not surprised that he raced for as long as he did. To this day, he is happiest when he's running in the yard ... usually with a squeekie toy of some sort in his mouth. His version of playing fetch is to have me throw a ball or a toy, he chases it, then he runs laps of the yard with the toy until he wears himself out.
When I think of Daniel, I see this.
My sweet boy.
But, this is the reality. When did his face get so white?
Happy Birthday, Daniel!
You are I are PERFECT together.
