Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 12/11 - Blankets, Sensitive Toes, and a Status Change!

Hi again everybody!! It's me, Eyes, here to wish you a happy weekend! Right, let's get down to the important stuff you came to see, shall we??

Goodness gracious, has it ever gotten COLD out. You have to remember, I'm an Alabama dog - and us southern boys aren't used to this ridiculous freezing weather. Coats? Blankets? Pajamas - seriously people?

Seriously? It's even too cold for the ducks 🙄

If you've been watching the GEGR facebook page, you've been seeing lots of greyhounds and their blankets lately. And I'm not immune - if you've been checking out my posts, you've seen me pretty covered up with blankies, too.

Comfy blankies for only $10 at one of those membership discount stores!

Right, cuteness alert - I have sensitive toes! Since it has turned so cold out, I don't like walking on really rough sidewalks on my daily excursions. But being the genius dog that I am, I have found a solution. I walk in the gutter for a bit to avoid the sidewalk, then I walk a balance beam on the curb for a portion, then it's safe to walk on the sidewalk again! Am I smart or what?

And big news! If you go to the "Available Dogs" section of the GEGR website? You will likely notice that my portrait is now taking up new real estate in the Pending Adoptions section!! That's right - I'm getting adopted! Isn't that awesome? I'm so excited: I'd like to begin by thanking the academy, and my family who have always been so supportive... wait - wrong speech.

So here's my suggestion for you - go to the Available Dogs page on the website and find one of those awesome pups who is still looking for a home. I bet if you check out their blogs you'll find some super cute pictures that will melt your heart 💖.

All-righty then, time for me to go. I haven't napped in the last 10 minutes or so... Okay fine, one last cute picture before I go.

I have mentioned before that me and my Kitty toy have a special relationship.

Love and snoozy weekends,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 12/7 - Meeting New Friends!

Oh. My. Gosh. Guess what?? I love meeting new friends!!

So even though I can be a little shy sometimes meeting new people? I had a great opportunity this past weekend. I got to meet new friends and it was so amazing. Check it out...

First, maybe some snuggles with my new friend, Miss Sam.

Well yes, as a matter of fact - I am a bit of a love bug.

We had a great visit. 

Which might involve a few more cuddles.

But, alas, all good things come to an end sometime.

Wait! You can't leave me here all alone with that weirdo Uncle Chris!

And then I was sad...

So depressed.

But not to worry - I think everything will be okay in the end. Because how awesome is it that I have a new friend!! 😀

Though it wasn't a perfect day. Before I met my new friends? It was Bath Time. Oh man, that was not really on my list of things to do on the weekend. Sheesh.

Pro Tip: If you get forced to take a bath, pout afterward by looking sad on your blankie in your crate.

If you want to meet a super snuggly new friend like me? You should contact the awesome people at Greyt Expectations!

Love and Super Snuggles,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 12/1 - Snuggles and Fun

Goooooooood Morning Greyhound Pals!!! 

It's me, Eyes, again! How are ya? Did you have a good Thanksgiving? Yeah? Mine was pretty quiet, as you might have seen from this post, but I certainly appreciate you asking. It was a bit of a snoozefest. I think that's what you're supposed to do on Thanksgiving, though, right? I'm still learning since this was my first one 🙂.

Today's post is all about the cuteness that could be yours if you decided to be my Forever Family! So let's get right down to brass tacks, shall we? (wait, that sounds ouchy. maybe we should get down to memory foam nuggets, instead?)

First up? Uncle Chris was at the store the other day and they had super soft looking blankies - so he got me one! Check it out...

I might just have to put a blankie on my requirement list.

Don't you think?

Now if I could just get Uncle Chris to stop being such a Scrooge McDuck about turning on that nice fireplace, I'd be all set.

Hey, we've talked before about how much I like snuggling and cuddles and hugs, right? How about a little photo evidence?

Am I a cutie pie puppy or what?

Don't mind all the junk in Auntie Kate's office - she's workin' on it.

You want more? I think I just heard a cheer for more!

Cute puppy with floppy ears and an soft blanket. Very Norman Rockwell.

And a warm nosie.

One thing we haven't really touched on in these posts is how much fun I am outside. I love to play with my toys and run around in the yard. Unfortunately, UC doesn't have a yard 😕. But? My super cool friends, Mr. Derek and Miss Sigrun have one, and they told me right away I have an open invitation to go visit. It's fantastic!

And there's this one...

All right - that's it for me today. I'll chat with ya later this week, okay? If you think you might want to meet me, just talk to the nice people at GEGR and they'll get it set up!

Don't forget to take a look at my other blog posts by clicking here.

Love and warm blankie snuggles,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes) 11/27 - Happy Post-Yawnsgiving!

Hi everyone, Eyes here! Just wanted to *stretch* wish you all a *big yawn* Happy post-Thanksgiving *snore*

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 11/24 - Me and LeBron James

Hello there - it's me, LeBron James! Oh, wait - that's another dude who's really talented, but we're here to talk about my awesome skills. Aren't we?

It's actually me, Eyes. But I'm starting to think I could compete with Mr. James. Oh no, obviously not in basketball (though I am pretty tall), but just in comparing how good we are at our skills. Check it out...

He's good at 3-pointers, right? Well, take a gander at my version of a 3-pointer - I now sit from standing just about every time I'm asked. You say Sit? My bum hits the floor. BOOM.

Booya! That's three from way downtown!!

Swish... Nothing but Net.

Not bad from outside the arc, right? Why is this important, you might ask? Again, it helps me learn that I have a place in the family - and that place is not at the top of the pecking order. That's your job, and it helps me feel more comfortable and confident knowing that if anything happens that I'm unsure what to do, I can turn to you for direction. These aren't "tricks", these are life skills for me. I'm going to be happiest if I learn to be polite and do simple things to earn my keep. Think of it as like when your Mom or Dad or whoever told you how important it was to say Please and Thank You - exactly the same.

Now, back to the trash talk 🏀🏀 We all know LeBron has some skills when it comes to getting above the rim. But I've got that covered, too. You might remember from this post that I was learning to Sit and Stay, but maybe hadn't quite mastered all the nuances. Yeah, I can totally dunk on LeBron with Stay now. Just you watch and see!

See how good I am at that now? I think that's going to be on SportsCenter tonight!

And just for fun, how cute is this puppy? I think we should meet up and cuddle a little bit - does that sound good to you?

Don't mind the purple hue - UC was watching the Ravens game.

Okay, last thing? Don't forget how much I love adventures! Maybe my Forever Family will want to take me for super fantastic hikes? (hint, hint).

I think Everest should be on the 2021 calendar.

Don't forget to check out my previous posts if you haven't seen them. I make progress every day. And I'm ready for my Forever Family to come pick me up! I'll talk to you later this week with more developments (but less basketball - sorry about all that, Uncle Chris doesn't actually know much about BB but I thought it might be fun).

Love and Sweet Snuggly Hugs,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 11/19 - More Skills

Eyes reporting for duty! I heard you were interested in seeing more of my skills (and maybe some cute stuff, right?).

First, let's talk about my work from home skills. We've all had to make that transition this year, and let me woof - it hasn't been easy for any of us. But we have to persevere. I've been working hard to do my part by being a good office-mate to Auntie Kate. She has those dreaded video meetings a lot, so it's important for me to use my skills in a support capacity. So I guess I'm really her K9 assistant? She better not ask me to get coffee, though...

I'm excellent at shorthand: S...L...E...E...P...Y...

You may notice that I have my very own assistant, Skeeky Puppy. I carried him up to the office from downstairs all by myself. He specializes in Data Analytics (just kidding, he specializes in Skeek). So if you need a good work partner for all those ridiculously boring video meetings? I'm your pup!

Now, one of the really important skills that any pupper needs is to be good on a leash, at least I think so. Especially if that particular pupper (ahem, ahem) likes to go for awesome walks with all the good sniffs and stuff. 

So what constitutes good leash manners? That's easy:

• A loose leash. This is most important. It's okay to pull a little if you see a bunny rabbit or something really interesting, but for the most part? There shouldn't be any tension on the leash (unless the person is putting it there for a reason).
• Responding to a gentle tug and a friendly word. If I get really interested in something (like another dog, which are awesome!), just a gentle reminder tug on the leash and a "C'mon Eyes" is all it takes to get me moving along again.
• Not jumping off the dock to go see the duckies. Well, not yet anyway - no promises 🙈. Just kidding...

Here's a good example of my leash walking skills. Don't mind the weird video - Uncle Chris had a hard time figuring out how to film this himself.

I really like my harness - it works extremely well for me. But see how the leash is loose and I'm just trucking along with UC? That's how we do it!

Okay, that's it for now. I'll have more pics and videos of me doing awesome stuff soon. I've still got to show you my mastery of Stay. And how I sit from standing now? I think that's going to be one that I'm going to come to regret - I believe that it's going to be involved in getting to go for walkies. Blech.

Oh, and remember my new pal, Ollie the Onion, from this post? Ummm, yeah... Turns out that he's not like Miss Kitty who I am so careful with. He didn't make it.

Poor Ollie.

Hey, don't forget to catch up on all my adventures in my previous blog posts.

Love and office help,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 11/16 - Downtown Adventure!

Omigosh, I had so much fun yesterday! Wait, right... Hi, it's me - Eyes! Sorry, I'm just so excited to tell you.

I just love interesting walks. I like to see new stuff and sniff stuff and pee on stuff... it's just awesome! Yesterday was a nice, albeit windy, day and so Uncle Chris and Auntie Kate took me downtown on an adventure.

A regal profile in the state capital if I don't say so myself.

We walked down to Ego Alley first (that's the water behind me in the pictures). I got compliments from pretty much everyone on how handsome I am *Blushing*. I even won one lady a couple bucks on a bet she had with her husband on whether I was a whippet or a greyhound. Given that I'm a pretty big boy greyhound, I'm guessing they'd never seen either one in real life in the fur.

Checking out the duckies - have I mentioned I have cute ears?

Then we got to go to an awesome doggie store down there. It was so cool! I was looking around and saw a particularly interesting toy. Auntie Kate let me pick it out for myself and I got to take it home. Who knew doggie stores were so cool? I hope I get to go back, or just maybe when my Forever Family finds me we could go to a doggie store together?

I picked out Ollie the Onion all by myself!

Then it was time to head back home, so off we went up Main Street. I sure like walkies to new places - would you like to go on cool walks with me?

Heading back up main street.

And of course when we got home it was time for me to play with the toy I had picked out - I'd like everyone to meet Ollie the Onion!!

As you can clearly see, Ollie is the most amazing onion ever 😁.

In other news - I am learning to Sit from a standing position! I haven't quite got it mastered yet, but I'm sure it will be good soon. And my Stay gets more flawless every single day.

Lastly, I want to give a quick shout out to all the really nice people I met on Saturday. If that was you? It was great to meet you and thanks for all the pets and ear scritches!

Okay, time for my nap. Roo at you soon!

Love and stretching while my feet are on top of yours,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 11/14 - My Favorite Friend

Hey, Eyes here again with a quick note to introduce you to my favorite pal in the whole wide world! 

Meet: Kitty 🐈

I love to play with Kitty! She doesn't squeak anymore, but that's okay 🙂. Snuggling with her is pretty awesome, too!

Talk to you soon, okay??

Love and Kitty Snuggles,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes) 11/11 - Check it Out!

Whoa, hey everybody! It's me, Eyes, again!

Everyone is always curious about how retired racers do learning to be super awesome family members. Well, as you can see from the blogs of all my GEGR dog friends (and my blog, too - did you see my last post?), we all adjust pretty fast to life in a loving home. There are a bunch of things that help us get acclimated - especially to new people. Hand-feeding us, leash walks in calm places, and learning new skills together; those are all things that will help us bond with our new family members. I've discovered that learning new stuff is so cool!

Here's a cool skill I'm learning - STAY. See, I really like food, so I get excited when it's my mealtime. But I'm learning to wait politely until my meal is put down for me. (Note that this is already after I've done DOWN for some of my kibble like you saw in the video in a previous post)

Cool, right?? Just like Down, Stay is a skill we can work on together for us all to become family. Which is awesome.

Now, you might have heard that greyhounds are different from other dogs - stuff like the idea that we don't bark, don't shed, or we can't sit. Ummm, total malarky. We're individuals when it comes to barking - I'm not that much into it unless I'm being playful (or giving that weird robot vacuum a piece of my mind), and just about any greyhound can learn to sit.

Proof, you say? Ha.

Not a Problem, UC!!

I'm still learning, so I have to do Down first, but I'm a sittin' fool after that. And I can learn to do it from standing; it just might take me a while to get the idea.

Last thing - I heard from a little birdie 🐦 that some of you might want to meet me? Okay, but just be prepared that I'm a little shy around strangers when I first meet them, so you might not see my awesome personality right away. Okay? But I promise that as soon as we're friends, you'll be getting the best greyhound hugs a Forever Family could ever want.

If you want to learn more about me, check out my Other Blog Posts. Hopefully, I'll see you soon, okay??

Love and two paws on your lap asking for hugs,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes) 11/5 - The List

 Hi again, everyone! It's me, Eyes! Are you ready for important information??

I've decided to compile a list of my likes, dislikes, skills, etc... so you know whether or not we'd be a good fit as Forever Family. Good idea, right? You can't just go by my handsome good looks (well, I guess you could, but we all see what happens when people in Hollywood do that 😃).

But first, how about an awesome photo?

Where are the duckies??

Right - back to the list. First thing is obviously those super cute ears, but I digress. Here are the things I'm really good at:

• I'm a super sweet, loving, and personable pup. I will follow you just about anywhere around the house. Hugs? Absolutely! I like to give and receive loving hugs. One of my favorite things is to push my head into Uncle Chris's chest and have him love on me.
• I'm sure I'll be a fantastic snuggler if your house rules let me on the sofa with you!
• Potty stuff. Yep, no problem. When I need to go out, I head downstairs to the front door here at UC's house - I'm sure we'll develop a good signal together at your house, too. And crate trained. I sleep in the crate at night (I do prefer a comfy bed in there), and when I'm left alone in the house. I've also been working on my alone time training in the crate even though everyone is home a lot, just so I'm used to it if things ever get back to "normal". This is a good skill we can work from as I earn your trust being left at home alone.
• Leash skills? Ohhh yeah! I am a fantastic walker on the leash. I don't generally pull at all, and am easily reminded to be polite if I might forget with a little gentle pressure on the leash and calling my name. I walk on a harness that is great for me - you can see it in the picture above.
• Eating. Have you ever had or heard of a dog that isn't too interested in their food? That can be frustrating for pet parents - but no worries here. I. Love. Food. Breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses - it's all my favorite. It's also a great way for us to bond and for me to learn. If you watch the video from the last post (I think? It might have been the one before that), you'll see me learning DOWN by being hand fed.
• Skills - that last bit leads right into the obedience skills I'm learning! First, I learned DOWN (in like my 3rd try at it - not bad if I may say so myself), and now I'm working on SIT, and STAY - and I've got the concept of both already. If you help me keep learning? It's a great way for us to get to know each other and learn where I fit in with the family.
• Fun. Hey look, who likes dull stuff? I mean, really. I'm still a greyhound, so I sleep a LOT. But I like to kick up my heels and have a good time. I'll play bow and say silly stuff and be a whole bunch of fun!

Now, am I perfect? Nope. Not at all. There are still some things I am working on getting better at - but with your help, I'll do great! I'm good at learning and figuring out what you want from me, so together it's going to be amazing.

I'm also an excellent co-worker and office mate.

Hope this helps you by having a little more info about me. I'm off to earn a few cookies working on SIT. See you soon!

Love and head bumps for hugs,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes) 11/1 - What a Week!

 Whoa - What a week! Right? A Hurricane, Cold Temps, and Halloween!

Right, so things I don't like: 1. Hurricanes. Seriously? When I moved from Alabama, I thought I was done with hurricanes. So here I am like a thousand miles away and this happens.

Coulda Done Without This ☝

UC and Auntie Kate had a fleece coat (with the Baltimore Ravens on it!) that helped, but my head and neck still got seriously wet on walkies. Not a happy puppy.

And then? It turned COLD. BRRrrrrRRRrrr.

As a dog who up in AL, I resent the temps that require this.

I've never worn jammies before...

And then it was spooky Halloween! Here's my costume - can you guess??

I'm the Headless Houndsman. Get it?? 😁

In other news, I'm still busy in school here - and I have a new skill I'm working on that I'll show you next time! Until then...

Love and Ear Sniffs,

Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 10/27 - School Has Started!

 Hi Everyone! It's me, Eyes, again - but this week I've become Super Scholar Eyes!

One day this weekend at lunchtime my food dish disappeared. Wait, WHAT?? That can't be good, right? 👀

Uncle Chris then appears with some kibble in his closed fist, puts said fist on the floor and gently says, "Down." I gave him a confused look but started sniffing and nose bumping his hand. He said something about learning (I'm not sure. I wasn't really paying attention - he had my lunch!). I kept bumping and sniffing. Finally, I got frustrated and just plopped down on my belly. His hand magically opened, and he said, "Yes!" and I got to eat. Huh? We repeated this a couple more times until my lunch was finished. After a couple meals of this, I got the concept - I'm learning!! I can do Down now!

And I'm pretty darned good at it if I do say so myself!

How about a couple of quick pics you can share with your friends to show them how cute and awesome I am??

I am the greyhound and the greyhound is me...

I love meeting new people. I hung out with my new friend Mr. Rob all weekend!

And I love walkies! Here are me and Auntie Kate on one of our walks.

Okay then - I'll see you next time, okay?

Love and Nose Bumps,
Eyes

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 10/23 - New Digs

Hi Everyone! It's me, Eyes! 

I've moved to Maryland, and let me tell you - this Annapolis living is the thing! I've come to stay for a while with my new friends, Uncle Chris and Auntie Kate.  They seem pretty nice so far. I'd like to say a big thank you to my buddy, David, for being my best pal for the past couple of months.

I. LOVE. TOYS.

So far, I'm settling in really nicely. They have comfy beds and lots of fun toys, which are awesome!, and good snacks.

Can't wait until they turn this fireplace thingy on.

This Auntie Kate person seems okay.

Uncle Chris says I'm a people pup, and I guess he's right. I might follow my friends around the house a little. And prefer that we're in physical contact...

Must be touching. That's an Eyes rule.

That's it for now, okay? I'll see you around soon.

And watch this space - I've got a very important question for you coming up!

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 9/10 - Before vs After a Walk

Excited dog before a walk

vs.

Sleepy boy after a 15-minute walk

Eyes (Dyin Eyes): 8/25 - Ready to Cuddle

Eyes is posing for a quick photo shoot here in his foster home.

Eyes loves meeting new people and always wants to be cuddled up right beside you. Throw a pillow by you, and he will get curled up and comfortable nice and close. Whenever you get up to walk around the house, he will follow you around and show you how much he loves being in your presence. Even though he loves being around people and is great with all people, he also doesn't mind his alone time in his crate when you have to leave for work. That just means more time for one of his favorite activities, NAPS!