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It amuses me that all of our adopted greyhounds, including every foster greyhound, romp and run with more exuberance when we clap for them as they circle the infield I lovingly call a butterfly garden.

I’ve met plenty of people who’ve gone the greyhound adoption route and said the same thing about their new forever friend. A few even say their retired greyhound won’t run at all unless someone is applauding the effort.

This just cracks me up.

Greyhounds as pets are so laid back and easygoing, and yet they know how and when to ham it up for an audience. We know they love to run period, and applause isn’t required if my greyhounds are out there running or romping together, but if we’re watching we’re expected to be active spectators.

You’d think Bandit, product of an ‘oops litter’, who only spent the first 8 weeks of his life at the track with his mother, would be different.

Surprisingly enough, he isn’t.

Though he never spent a single moment on a track in front of a crowd, he likes us to clap and cheer if we are outside when he bursts into a frenzy of laps around the yard.

Even during fetch lately he clearly has a bigger ‘smile’ and will take a victory lap (or two) if I clap for him as he’s bringing that poor dingy toy back to me.

You can’t really call it a genetic thing, unless there is a gene for showmanship. Although with the breed-wide consistency it makes you wonder what goes on in those bright greyhound minds.

Maybe it’s just something inherent that makes a retired greyhound want to work the ‘crowd’. I know it works for me as I smile, cheer, applaud and otherwise enjoy all the delightful quirks of our youngest, happy retired greyhound.

Live the greyhound adventure!