Many of you have heard that greyhounds are like potato chips: you can't have just one. Well, this October I adopted #2. Her name is Ariana and she is a gorgeous white and blue three-year-old female. I have had her four-week-old photo on my bulletin board for over two years just waiting for her retirement.
Ariana was kept on the farm for breeding and was never trained for the track. It turns out that she was never even bred. Due to downsizing of this particular farm we were asked to assist in moving six greyhounds. We successfully passed five of the six off to Kansas City Regap and all were adopted. One stayed with me - yes, Ariana, fondly nicknamed Airhead.
Ariana was untouchable for weeks. I had to teach her all about loving, touching, and squeezing. She learned furniture all by herself. I think one of the funniest times was when Judy Tomlinson was at my house and Ariana hid behind the chair and peered over the back just enough to check out the situation. I guess what makes this so funny is that Ariana had stayed at Judy's house twice while I was out of town and yet she acted scared to death of her at my house. Ariana is fairly sociable now and quite a joy to own.
The one aspect of her behavior that puzzled me was her obsession with stalking squirrels. She can hear the squirrels calling her from inside the house and will bark nonstop until I let her outside to stalk. She stalks low to the ground and in very slow motion (very much like a cat stalking a mouse). She will spend hours watching and stalking the squirrels. Once she even caught one and, well, she got the worst end of the fight and the squirrel got away. Boy, that was quite a sight to see! I have been very confused about this behavior, as I have never seen this obsession with another greyhound. And after five years I have had hundreds of greyhounds pass through my house.
Just the other day I was talking with her previous owner about this behavior. Well, it seems that at the farm where she grew up there is a multitude of squirrels. One in particular who loves to tease the greys is affectionately named Herman. The mystery is solved and now when Ariana goes crazy wanting outside, I know she wants Herman.
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