Cool Memories

As I sit here trying to cool down after 3+ hours of yard work, I can't help but reminisce about our recent trip to Gatlinburg where the mornings were cool and crisp. It was very refreshing.

A few of us traveled there the last weekend in May to attend an annual event known as Mountain Hounds. And yes, it involves Greyhounds! It's just a weekend or rather about four days, set aside for Greyhounds and Greyhound people to socialize, play games, shop, and generally just have fun.

We rented a cabin not far from downtown Gatlinburg where the festivities took place. It had three floors with a bedroom and private bath on each floor. A full game room on the lower level, decks surrounding the place, flat screen TVs, fireplace, gas grill, etc. It truly was a beautiful place and oddly enough, is owned by someone in the Atlanta metro area. Here is a view taken from the front deck. Isn't that just beautiful?

We drove up through the Smoky Mountain National Park. What a beautiful drive that was. The road paralleled the Nantahala River. Watching the rapids and rafters made me so badly want to make another weekend trip to do just that. It is so much fun!! And that water has to be the coldest on earth! Just beautiful!

The weekend was filled with many wonderful events, both for the Greyhounds and for their humans. One such event was the Luau held that Saturday evening. Most of the Greyhounds wore Leis and some even went so far as to wear grass skirts. There were hamburgers and hotdogs complete with all the fixings as well as ice cream treats for the dogs. Everyone had a wonderful time!

Another highlight of the weekend was a presentation by Dr. C. Guillermo Couto who is Professor/Chief, Oncology/Hematology/Transfusion Medicine, in the Greyhound Medicine Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Ohio State University. Wow, that was a mouthful, huh?

Dr. Couto is a highly respected Greyhound veterinarian who's speciality is oncology. He has also led numerous research studies, all of which will eventually lead to better veterinarian procedures and medicine for our Greyhounds. His staff and clinic are wonderful and as I told someone after the seminar, the Greyhound breed is very lucky to have someone as knowledgeable and dedicated as Dr. Couto in their corner.

The weekend was soon over and it was time to head back to Atlanta and to reality. It was a wonderful weekend and I definitely plan to go again next year!

As the days get hotter and hotter as we progress into summer, I will continue to reminisce about the cool, refreshing mornings of Gatlinburg.

We're In a Prison

Well, not quite yet, but we will officially be moving five Greyhounds from the Birmingham Race Course/Southern New England Kennels, to their home for the next three months, Gadsden Correctional Facility, on Thursday, June 25th. Gadsden Correctional Facility is located in Quincy, Florida and has a little over 1,500 beds. It is an all female, minimum/medium-security prison that has been managed since 1998 by Corrections Corporation of America.

This particular facility currently is home to a canine companion training program and in the past they had a canine bomb sniffing training program. With that being said, the facility, staff and inmates are accustomed to having dogs in the facility and training these dogs. They already have a large turnout/training yard and the in-house knowledge to bring in another program. It's an ideal fit for us and for them.

So, watch for blog updates on our Available Greyhounds page for those Greyhounds in prison. They will be represented with an orange icon - which you can't miss! Of course we are very excited and are looking forward to seeing and hearing how this program benefits the women as well as the Greyhounds.

Super Sunday

Well, it's Super Sunday in many ways. Today is Super Bowl Sunday for one. I have a few friends coming over with their Greyhounds. It should be a full house with six humans and nine Greyhounds. Not to worry, we are always outnumbered. We just learn how to deal!

The other reason it's Super Sunday is that today we launched the website of our new Greyhound Adoption group, Second Chance Greyhounds. We are very excited about starting this program from the ground up. It's quite a bit of work but we are determined to make a go of it. We've made great strides in the three weeks we've been working on this and hope to make many more great strides in the future. Check out our website at http://www.secondchancegreyhounds.org/.

Are Greyhounds as Intelligent as Other Breeds?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is NO. According to S. Coren*, author of "The Intelligence of Dogs", there are three types of dog intelligence:

1. Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability). This is specific to the individual animal and is measured by canine IQ tests.
2. Instinctive Intelligence. This is specific to the individual animal and is measured by canine IQ tests.
3. Working/Obedience Intelligence. This is breed dependent.
   

In the ranking of dogs for obedience/working intelligence by breed, our beloved Greyhounds fall into the Average Working/Obedience Intelligence level which is actually on the lower end of the spectrum. They have an understanding of new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions and obey a first command 50% of the time or better.

During this ordeal with Sugar, I have come to realize that she is VERY, VERY smart, despite what the research says (or maybe just stubborn?). This is especially evident when it comes to taking her pills. She can find them no matter where I've hidden them at which time she immediately spits them out onto the floor, whilst continuing to eat. (This holds true for any food item except ice cream - thank God she swallows a scoop all at one time!) You can ease them into her mouth while she is kicking and fighting, only to see they are hidden in her gums and as soon as you think she has swallowed them, she spits them back out. She is surely incorrigible and is certainly testing my patience and creativity.

Last night I tried a little cottage cheese in her dinner, hoping she would eat it just for the nutrition of it! But alas, she licked it a bit and then when she saw the white curds, which look oddly enough just like her antibiotic she takes every day, she stopped eating. I suppose it was just the association of the two, not so much the taste. Most dogs like cottage cheese. Anyway, being the servant to the little princess that I am, I then grabbed her food bowl and removed any trace of cottage cheese. I placed the bowl back onto her feeder at which time she then proceeded to eat the whole thing. Go figure.

Just for the fun of it, I found a list of the top ten "brightest" dogs. They are listed below. Although these are all wonderful breeds, I'll think I'll keep my Greyhounds!

1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog

I found this out there in Internet land . . . here are some simple and fun ways to measure your dog’s intelligence.

• Throw a towel over your dog’s head and time how long it takes him to free himself. An average may be 15 to 20 seconds.


• Place three paper cups upside down on the floor, three feet apart. Allow your dog to see you place a bit of weenie under one of them. Turn him in a circle twice or lead him into another room for about 30 seconds and then see if he can go to the right cup the first time.


• Split a weenie in half so that it has a flat side. Place it just under the edge of the sofa. Time how long it takes him to get it out. An average may be around 60 seconds.


• Take your dog outside the yard on a long leash and walk along the fence several feet from the gate which you will leave open. Toss a bit of weenie back over the fence. See if he figures out to go back around through the gate to get the treat

You can also visit this MSN article for a few more IQ tests for your dog. This is definitely pretty interesting stuff. I have to say though, that I don't necessarily agree with Dr. Coren's assessment of the Greyhound. I think, for the most part, they are pretty intelligent animals.

Before I close, I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to applaud Jen Bachelor for her work with Greyhounds. She has the patience of a Saint and the drive and determination needed to train her Greyhounds to levels most trainers only dream about! Her Greyhounds perform in agility and obedience trials all over the country and hold more titles than any Greyhounds in the sport. Way to go Jen - you do the Breed proud!

Just goes to show you that you can teach an old dog new tricks! Even a Greyhound!

*Stanley Coren is a neuropsychologist and professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Coren has published articles in medical journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health and Sleep. He has appeared on numerous television programs including Good Morning America, CNN, The Osgood Files and The Today Show. Dr. Coren is a fellow of the American Psychology Association, American Psychology Society and Canadian Psychology Association. He was recently awarded the Killam Memorial Fellowship.

The Nesting Experience

Everyone knows I have a doggie cam, right? Well, I bop in every now and then just to see what the girls are doing. It's usually the same answer - sleeping! I joked with folks after I got the camera working that it was a total waste of money and time (specifically, the 4 hours or so I spent with tech support in India) because all they ever do is sleep, sleep, and sleep some more! I don't know what I was expecting but now at least I am comfortable leaving them crated during the workday, knowing they are safe and sound, sleeping all day!

But, both yesterday and today I checked in on the girls and both days, I caught Remi doing the same thing - nesting. It's hysterical to watch her dig and turn, dig and turn, and dig and turn, I mean, for minutes on end! I don't know how many times she does this before she decides everything is just perfect enough that she will then lay down and sleep. All the while, Sugar and Lucy are sound asleep.

So after watching this two days in a row my curosity was peeked. What is it that makes these dogs do this little ritual every time they lay down? So, of course, I Googled it! Here is what the SCPA of Texas says:

Why Dogs Spin Before Lying Down

For a dog owner, watching your dog chose a spot to lie down is often at least as amusing as the morning comics. For some reason, your dog will circle an area two or three times before lying down and sighing with contentment. Why, dog owners wonder, does my dog do that? Does the carpet change so much in the second it takes to circle around?

This behavior appears to be related to the dog's ancestral tendency to dig its own shelter. Owners often describe the ritual of lying down on a carpet similar to that of a wild dog lying down on the grass of the prairie: first, the dog will sniff at his chosen spot, then perhaps dig with front paws, his toenails extended. After some digging the dog will turn several times, lowering his body into a semi-crouch, then "nest" into his imagined hole.

In some cases the dog will turn several times, dig again, turn some more, and repeat the process until asked to lie down by an exasperated owner. When outside, dogs often dig into cool soil to escape hot weather; by digging and then turning several times they can direct their bodies into the curled posture that will best take advantage of the depression's coolness.

Thus, the turning behavior seen in our homes is most likely derived from the denning behavior of our dogs' wilder relatives. So, like other members of your family, your dog is making himself at home.

This sounds logical to me so I'm going with it - at least until someone else comes up with a better explanation! :)

Obviously Remi is quite the nester. She will even nest in my bed. I'll go into the bedroom and she will have the blanket, comforter, and sheets all piled together with her on top! I guess, as the article suggests, she is just making herself at home! Now, if I could just teach her how to MAKE the bed!

Greyfest is Over!

Finally Greyfest has come and gone . . . just like that! After months of preparation, it's over. I know that sounds as if I miss it but truly, I am happy it's done because it can be all too consuming of one's time and efforts. I feel as if I can breathe now.

I'm not sure of the final tally of dollars raised for SEGA but it should be close to $5,000, I think, which is less than last year's tally which was closer to $8,000. We had about 30 fewer folks this year but you know, as bad as the economy is and with the gas shortage the week before and the week of Greyfest, I'm actually quite pleased with the turnout.

But seeing as how I get bored with things so quickly and was at that point with Greyfest, I am glad it's over. Now it's on to bigger and better things.

The next project on my agenda is the 3rd Annual ASFA National Greyhound Specialty, which is October 25th. I am trophy chairman, webmaster, banquet coordinator, etc. - you get the idea. I try to help John as much as I can as it does take quite a few hands to pull off an event of this magnitude. We're hoping for a big entry of 30-40 Greyhounds but here again, you never really know until the last minute just who is entered. But I do know we have folks coming from California, Texas, Washington, and Illinois.

With all that being said, it should be a fun weekend at Bear Creek Farm in Moreland. (I must remember to fill the Bubba Keg with margaritas!) Come join us, if only to watch the spectacular show of Greyhounds running at breakneck speeds as they maneuver the course. It truly will take your breath away.

My Lucy will be running in the Open stake. She has 93 points, only 7 short of obtaining her Field Championship title. I am hoping she will get those 7 points on Saturday so that we could move up to the Field Championship stake so she can "run with the big dogs".

Then after that event, it's the Callaway Gardens Steeplechase on November 1st. This is always fun and isn't anything that requires my involvement except to be there, eat wonderful appetizers, drink some good wine and chat with interested folks about Greyhound adoption. Oh yea, and watching the Steeplechase. :) Forgot about that! Yes, we bring the Greyhounds, too. Remi just adores horses and I think she wants to run with them everytime they fly past us! It's funny to watch.

After that, we have SEGC's Holiday Dinner on December 6th. This one I do coordinate but it's not that much work. Heck, after Greyfest, everything else I do is a breeze!!

Rub a Dub Dub, Three Men (Actually 62 Greyhounds) in a Tub!

Yes, I said 62 Grey-hounds, actually 62 beautiful Grey-hounds. My BFF Kim came up with the idea to get a few volunteers together and carpool over to Birmingham Race Course to wash all the Greyhounds in the Southern New England kennel, belonging to Alan Olsen.

Kim scouted and emailed several folks who had adopted Greyhounds that had come to SEGA from this kennel. Most were very willing to commit to the project. In the end, we had 10 volunteers who made the trek over to Birmingham this past Saturday afternoon.

We all met at the Park and Ride off I-20 in Villa Rica. Once the intro-ductions were done, we determined who would ride with whom. After all was said and done, there were three vehicles making the trip over. We arrived in record time (about an hour later) only to find that Alan nor his wife, Linda, were at the kennel. Yikes! We stood there chatting and waiting and soon enough Alan and Linda pulled up in the hauler filled with dogs who had just run in the matinee. After they had pulled all the dogs off the hauler, cleansed their eyes, squirted their feet with Betadine, handed them their "treat" and put them back in their crates in the kennel, we then started organizing the dog wash, preparing the flea shampoo, getting hoses in the right spots, etc.

Then the work commenced! Alan would let 10 or so dogs at a time into the "wash area". Once they were washed, they came to the "rinse area" where they had to sit 10 minutes or more with the flea shampoo on them. After that time, they were rinsed with cool, fresh water. Then it was on to the "drying area" where they were allowed to air dry in the afternoon sun.

The dogs kept coming and coming and everyone continued with the flow of things - washing, waiting, rinsing, drying, moving dogs from one turnout pen to another to get to the right "wash station".

Several times during the afternoon we asked Alan if he had been grabbing dogs from the kennel across the street because it seemed we must have washed 80 or so dogs by then. Each time, he'd tell us "only 15 more".

We took advantage of the cold sodas and cold water Alan had on hand for us to drink as it was pretty hot that afternoon and we were doing this in the afternoon sun, as you can see.

We finally neared the end (for sure this time), and then it was more of a waiting game waiting for them all to dry. They dried pretty quickly and everyone was returned to their respective crates.

Whoo hoo! We were ten very tired and dirty, flea soap smelling folks. A few of us had decided prior to this that we would stay at the track that evening and grab some dinner and watch a few of the night races so we came prepared with a change of clothes. Alan secured us a complimentary sky box which was really nice. We each changed clothes in the kennel bathroom and everyone scrubbed down with Baby Wipes! Nothing like a Baby Wipe bath after an afternoon of washing 62 Greyhounds! Oh, the picture below is that of one of the volunteers, Scott, who obviously bent over one too many times! Hilarious and thank goodness he had underwear on!

What fun we had though! I think Kim mentioned wanting to do this again in the fall while it's still warm outside. I believe all the volunteers expressed an interest in doing it again and all were very happy they had volunteered. What a great feeling knowing we helped 62 Greyhounds in a 3-4 hour period.

I spoke with Alan on Sunday and he said to me, "Those dogs look like show dogs". Now, that's a nice feeling, for sure. They probably feel like it too!

What is wrong with this picture?

Yes, you guessed it . . . there is a dog missing. Much to my surprise, when I accessed my "doggy cam" yesterday morning, this is what I saw. Scared the mess out of me!

Thank goodness though, later that morning I did see Remi stroll by, gaze out the window, reach down to say "na na boggey" to Sugar, and then lay down on the dog bed there to the left. After seeing her, I was assured that she was indeed in the house and that I hadn't mistakenly left her outside for the day! Oh my, imagine if that had been the case! Anyway, apparently I had not properly closed the door on her crate or else I have a houdini in the house! :) When I arrived home, all was well!

I have checked the doggy cam today and this is what I like to see . . .

Three Greyhounds, sleeping away! Sleep soundly my girls!!

The Hotel

Blogging about this past weekend's coursing wouldn't be complete without some pictures or video from the hotel experience. We had five Greyhounds and two women in one room with two double beds for one night! Here is Sugar playing possum. She was no more asleep than I was!

And here is some pretty uncoordinated video recorded by me as we were getting back to the room after dinner (and drinks) and as we were getting attacked at the door by the dogs.

Not Your Typical Saturday Night

Nope, not at all. I have to say though, many fond memories flooded my head as I was preparing for our first ever Greyhound pajama party! Yep, you read that right! Remi, Sugar, and Lucy invited their Greyhound buddies Rosie, Lindsey, and Bella over for an old-fashioned pajama party.

It was great! Just as I remember those I attended as a teenager. We didn't have a seaonce nor did we make prank phone calls but the Greyhounds were just as happy to jump into their jammies for their version, while we all enjoyed the movie "Pretty Woman" and some great food, if I say so myself.

The problem with having a Greyhound pajama party is this - all they want to do is sleep! Check it out!

Perhaps next time we'll invite some boys over and have a co-ed pajama party. Don't you think that would excite the girls a bit? Maybe they would get off the couch or off their dog beds long enough for the popcorn! And they totally missed the ice cream!

Silly dogs, we'll just have to keep them up to midnight the next time so they can truly experience a real pajama party with all the necessities (perhaps I'll make some Frosty Paws for them). Just like the ones I remember so well!

I must put in a plug for the jammies. I purchased them from http://www.greyhoundlove.com/ . All proceeds benefit greyhound adoption groups. If you decide to order from them, check with Polly, greylove@ptd.net, before placing an order to see what prints she has available and what sizes. She can send you a PayPal bill as well so you don't have to snail mail your order. Well worth it, I say, and much as I hate to say it, I hope we have a few more cold nights so the girls can enjoy their jammies before the season is over.

Mondays

Another start to the work week and this one will be longer than most because I must work 50 hours to make up for being off next Monday and Tuesday for the holiday. Next week, I'll work 30 hours. So, that would make it 80 hours for the two weeks. Whew! Being an IT contractor is nice but the downside is NO HOLIDAYS and NO VACATION or SICK days! This time of year is the toughest, it seems.

And I made it through the birthday! It was pretty low key this year. Dinner at Kim and Guy's home was nice and relaxing. My navigational system got me lost on the way over. I know how to get there but thought I'd go "her way" this time. Big mistake! She had me going down two pig trails (in my SUV with three greyhounds in the back nonetheless). I thought she knew how to get me there but she didn't. I managed to find my way there without her help. Guy made his trademark barbeque ribs for dinner. Yum, yum. He'll make them again for Christmas day. I could eat ribs every day of the week, I think. We had corn on the cob, salad, and butter muffins. Dessert was praline cheesecake. I should have jogged home after all that but I didn't! :)

On Sunday Kim, Guy and I met at the kennel to cat test the 11 new greyhounds who came in on Saturday and also do their photo session. With Guy's help we finished in record time and were able to then enjoy our afternoons. I went home and built a huge fire in the fireplace, put in a movie and worked on the laptop in front of the fire all afternoon. The three girls were passed out on couches, dog beds, and the floor and the cat even took her afternoon siesta on one of the dog beds. She was a bit tired herself from the morning spent testing the newbies. It was nice to just hang out with them for the afternoon.

But on to getting through Monday! And on to the next holiday, I say!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

To help explain why I've been so busy, I must tell you about our latest Fundraising activity for the Southeastern Greyhound Adoption program. Remember I'm the fundraising chair. In any event, I was approached by our Club president one day about the possibility of us doing a calendar like the one depicted in the movie Calendar Girls. This was 15 months ago - around July of 2006. At first I immediately said no, there was no way I could pull that off (no pun intended). Well, I thought about it and did some research. The results of the initial Calendar Girl project back in 1999 plus the success of the Still Magnolias calendar the ladies of Aiken, South Carolina put together both inspired me so much that I said yes, I would do it.

It was no easy project believe me but eventually I found 11 other women who agreed to be in the calendar. That number swayed back and forth over the next several months, even up to two days before the final photo shoot. But in the end, there were 12 lovely women posing in the nude with their Greyhound(s).

The photographer is a friend of mine from a workplace years ago. We found a make-up person and stylist amongst our own volunteer force. As well, our graphic designer is also a volunteer who regularly designs for our Cafepress store, www.cafepress.com/greyhound1.

After months of hard work and coordination, our first photo shoot was this past June with the second and final shoot in July. The final photos were spectacular, if I say so myself, and the calendar presentation cannot be beat! You must check it out at http://www.greymates.org/. Oh, the website was also designed by another volunteer within the organization - Teresa Wheeler. What a fantastic job she did!

Check out the calendar and order yours today. As well, spread the news to your Greyhound friends.