When my husband and I talked about getting married, we covered the basics of priorities and life choices. Two careers? Yes. Kids? Yes. Plural and eventually. Dogs? Yes. Cats? Yes, mainly because I already had a cat (one that thought it was a dog). Since pets were the more immediate negotiating point, we reviewed the ‘rules’.
Dogs on the furniture? Of course!
We were both raised in homes where dogs shared couches and sometimes beds (depending on the sleeping habit of the dog). Which means it should come as no surprise that as we are currently owned by three retired greyhounds, they have dibs on most of the furniture.
Soon after we began fostering the greyhound puppy, he discovered the absolute joy of our bed. It became the spot where he went to relax. And why not? No one was using it during the day. Now I top it with a less decorative, but more adopted greyhound friendly blanket and it keeps him out of trouble.
The puppy, Bandit, has never been one for the couch. I don’t know if they feel too small for his large and lanky frame, or if our other two adopted greyhounds have used canine communication to tell him he’s not welcome, or maybe not ‘mature’ enough. It’s possible, but unlikely. I know they love him (though Brody won’t admit it) because we often find the other two greys hanging out near Bandit’s crate when we come home.
Nope, Bandit doesn’t mind playing or getting loves from a person on the couch, but he’s all for the dog bed or unstuffing a toy on the floor when he’s downstairs with the family. When he’s really ready to relax, it’s up to the empty bed and enough space for a ginormous puppy to really sprawl!
Live the greyhound adventure!
For more information about finding the greyhound that will (or will not) share the couch with you, check out the Adopt A Greyhound Guide! A project that helps potential greyhound adopters and the groups dedicated to greyhound rescue and adoption.
