February is rather bleak in our area. It’s about the only month down here when nothing is blooming, the grass is patchy brown and most of the trees look scraggly. On cloudy days it’s worse, but as weather goes we have it pretty easy – especially right now when most of the rest of the country is dealing with snow and ice.
So to create a little February fun, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite adopted greyhound winter memories on Grey Saturdays this month.
Bubbles was our first greyhound – a wedding gift to ourselves- and basically our first ‘baby’. We wanted to do everything right. We learned all we could, took notes (like responsible students of life) and generally tried to be perfect adopted greyhound parents.
Greyhounds don’t pack a lot of extra weight, and it was January in Indiana, so the adoption group advised us to get her a sweater and even boots to protect her from snow and ice. Noted. Done. Prepared.
When we brought her home, the temperatures weren’t too bad for Indiana in winter so we weren’t worried about the cold weather gear. We got her acclimated to our home and schedule and things were going pretty much perfect.
Then it snowed. Temperatures dropped to single digits. The wind howled.
According to the experts, Bubbles needed her sweater and protection for her dainty feet. After several minutes of trying to get all four boots to stay on a greyhound who was doing the prancing, circling ‘potty dance’, I gave up on the lousy boots. With a sincere apology for any potential suffering, I put the sweater on my baby girl and opened the door.
Prancing and circling stopped. Any and all urgent behavior ceased. In fact, she refused to move anything but her eye lids as she blinked at me with a look of pure misery.
Through the open door, the cold weather battered us both. The outside beckoned, relief was but a few paces away, but Bubbles would not move. I bravely charged forward, only to stop short at the other end of the leash. She was firmly planted in the doorway. (if you don’t know, adopted greyhounds are mainly muscle and while they look skinny, when they are determined to stay in one place, they can usually stay in that place)
None of my pleading worked. Bubbles was not impressed with my lead-by-example coat wearing or the opinions of experts.
So, before I succumbed to frostbite, I removed the sweater, tossed it inside and told her to make it quick. She did. My happy and pleasant greyhound was back as she swiftly cruised around the block taking care of business, and within fewer minutes than it took to get out the door, we were once again safely ensconced in the warm house.
Live the greyhound adventure!
For more on life with adopted greyhounds and how to adopt the perfect greyhound for you, pick up your copy of the Adopt A Greyhound Guide today!
