Indy's Chicago Dog Blog

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2010-04-07T08:41:00.001-05:00

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More Sleeping?! - Seriously?!

2008-06-09T14:29:00.002-05:00

As if greyhounds really do anything other than sleep.

Reindog?!

2007-12-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays from Indy the reindeer-greyhound!

Indy's Mini Vacation

2007-10-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago, my family took an overnight trip out of town and for some reason I wasn't able to join them. I listened in on some phone conversations and determined that Michael Mann's cats and a stray dog that had just turned up at the house were probably the reasons. I was a little disappointed since they were going to my namesake, Indianapolis. But they promised that my neighbor Marianne would come visit me a few times and feed me and let me out. I figured that was ok, since Marianne is such a nice girl (snausages!!) Once my family was gone, Marianne and I decided I'd enjoy a mini-vacation at her place. So I raced up the stairs (which is an acquired skill for greyhounds) and spent some time laying on her rug and trying to practice my social skills with her cat Spike. Spike wasn't so interested in socializing with me, but who can blame him, I tried to eat his food. All in all, I had a fun time. You can hardly tell that I'm 8 yrs old, since I look like such a vibrant young dog in this photo. What can I say, the camera loves me.

That Baby

2007-10-05T13:35:00.001-05:00

That baby loves me. She thinks I'm a pillow.

Nappin' With My Baby

2007-06-26T12:31:00.001-05:00

Here I am, caught napping again. I'm not the only guilty one...my baby is napping right along with me. My mom says that the sleeping baby shouldn't be disturbed. I'll try not to fart, but sometimes that's hard. They don't call me "whistle butt" for nothing.

I Love My Couch

2007-06-08T17:07:00.000-05:00

I Sleep Funny

2007-06-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

My mom is used to seeing me sleep in strange positions. Most common is the one called the roach with all four of my legs up in the air. That one's a greyhound favorite. But this week she saw me do a new one...the head dangle. I must have been thinking about something really complex and needed to get a little more blood to my brain so I hung my head over the edge of the couch. It was pretty comfy.

My Baby Sister

2007-05-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

It been a while since I posted anything to my site. But things have been busy around my house. At first I didn't know exactly what was going on. My mom started to put on some weight. I am a gentleman, so I didn't mention anything about it. Then her belly started to get so big that it was harder for me to lay my head on it. Eventually the belly started to kick me. In addition to that clue, I noticed that furniture was being moved around a lot. And some new furniture started to arrive. Strange furniture like a big wooden crate on legs. I hope they don't plan to put me in there. And I'm certainly not wearing any of those new outfits...they are all pink and some come with bibs.

Last week, the gig was up. My grandparents came to stay with us and my mom and dad had bags packed. Then I didn't see my mom for 4 days. I hope she had a relaxing vacation. But now she is back and she brought me a baby sister. My little sister is very sweet. She does whine more than I do but we both like to sleep a lot on get attention from mom and dad. I enjoy the family trips we have made to the park by our house and to the dog park. Yesterday at the dog park I got to introduce my little sister to the other greyhounds in our part of the city.

I've posted some pictures of our first trip to the park as well as a picture of me sharing the couch with my baby sis. I'm so proud of her.

Su Case es Mi Casa

2006-06-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

This new house is alllllright. With a little encouragement from Liz and Jace, I've finally decided that it's okay for me to be on the couch. Liz has taken to putting-down a blanket for me to lay on, but I've decided that I also prefer the comfort of a nice soft pillow as well. I still prefer the comfort of my doggie bed most of the time, but the couch is a welcomed change every day or so. Sometimes, I also decide it would be nice to cozy-up next to Liz and Jace while they are sitting on the couch. I like the added attention, but they tend to move around a little too much to be a suitable pillow.

At night, they've also decided that I can sleep on the couch downstairs in their bedroom, too. I think they also appreciate not having to haul my doggie bed to their room every night, too.

Neighborhood Romp

2006-06-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

What a blast! I'm not only coming out of my shell at home, but I'm starting to enjoy the dog park with my fellow greyhounds, too. Today, we went back to nearby Eckart Park to romp around with some friends. It was much cooler this time, and there were more friends to meet, too.

This time, we all needed to wear our muzzles since we were in a running mood and they say that's when we're most likely to snap into a competitive streak and nip at one another.

Like last time, my very talkative friend Turtle was there to steal the show. I found out she not only barks a lot, but she's also an expert at retrieving tennis balls -- two things most greyhounds aren't known to do. But I did get in on the act a little bit, barking with her once and chasing the ball a bit. I enjoy dashing after the ball, but I really don't know what to do once I reach it. I might have managed to figure it out, but Turtle and a couple other breeds were never far behind and didn't really give me time to ponder the situation.

After all that running around, some of my buddies got a little winded. Ryan and Mattie both collapsed on the pavement while the rest of us continued to work out our spare energy.

In a surprise move, Liz and Jace met somebody named "Ms. Vet" at the dog park. She seems to have some special attraction to us greyhounds. And I got the faintest impression that -- even though they'd never met -- they'd already made some type of plan to meet; and that I was somehow involved. As we left, I heard them say "See you on Wednesday." Now what does that mean?

Hello Wilson

2006-06-24T13:10:00.000-05:00

After the meet and greet, we made a trip the Pogany's to visit Wilson, the Lab of Liesure. We had a fun time.

When I first arrived, Wilson was sequestered elsewhere. My first official act upon arriving was to make myself at home and help myself to Wilson's food. After Jace put a stop to that, I made my way to the back yard and had fun romping around. I wanted to make sure Wilson would be able to to remember me later by marking his backyard in a few choice places. I enjoyed exploring the back yard.

A little later, Wilson joined me. We had fun loafing around, and trying to decide who was the bigger man. I'm not sure we came to any firm decision. He probably has the stature to take me, but I'd like to think my strong will and winning pedigree account for something. We never really got to decide, because the Mouse's and Pogany's kept close watch to ensure we kept things socially acceptance in human terms.

After a short visit, it was time for us to head back to the city. I'm starting to miss Wilson a little bit. With some luck, maybe we'll get a chance to correspond over the Internet and trade a few haiku's on occasion.

The Meet and Greet

2006-06-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

Today, we hopped in the car and headed north to Highland Park for our meet and greet. I enjoyed the ride, though it was difficult to keep my balance in the moving car. Eventually, I got comfortable enough to lay down in the seat.

The goal of these events is for others to learn about the greyhound breed. For most greyhounds, I'm sure these things can be tense -- all that friendly, outgoing, on-your-best-behavior business. But for me, that's just my inherent nature. (Did that sound arrogant?)

This event was a little unusual. As a "fawn" colored greyhound, I'm a little unusual. Not totally rare, but not all that common. But as I walked in, I was shocked to find three other fawn colored hounds there! So there we were, just the four of us! Whenever someone came to the store, we had to explain that not all of us were this color.

The store gave us a great location right up front. Unfortunately though, there weren't many people coming into the store. We hung out with the others for about and hour before moving on.

Man on the Town

2006-06-17T12:26:00.000-05:00

I made it out to meet some new friends today. As it turns out, there are a ton of other greyhounds in the Wicker Park area. We all met at Hamlin Park this morning. Liz and Jace muzzled me up, and let me off leash to meet my neighbors. We had a fun time romping around, but it was hot and that limited our energy.

All the people stood around and talked while we trotted, sniffed and lazed around. The other parents are very nice -- they even pretended not to notice when Jace tripped and fell while running with me (and to think that people say I'm a klutz just cause I don't take stairs well...).

It was interesting to see all the different personalities of my new neighbors. Some of us tend to be rather social, while others like to hang out and keep to themselves. And it turns out that one of us, Turtle is a real barker -- especially when Turtle is eager to romp and play.

With all the stuff Liz and Jace packed for the park, they ended up leaving the camera at home. But they snapped this photo of me when we got back.

Books to Buy

2006-06-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

My owners like to read dog books. I don’t read – especially dog books, because I’m already an expert on the subject.

But before they got me, they did a lot of reading to make sure that a greyhound was right for them, and to prepare for my arrival.

Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies by Lee Livingood
This book has plenty of advice on how to take care of me. But my owners felt there were some problems with the way the book was organized, which made it confusing to put the advice into practice. Still worthwhile to purchase it, though.

Adopting the Racing Greyhound by Cynthia Brannigan
My owners thought this book was a really nice read. The style of the book was conversational, which makes it pleasurable to read.

Squeaky Clean Indy

2006-06-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

I got a bath today. My coat had gotten dull and my fur was kind of "crunchy." So Liz decided it was time for me to scrub up.

First time, I ran away when Liz turned on the water. But with a few treats and some coaxing, I was up for anything. Jace lifted me into the tub, and Liz used puppy shampoo and warm water through a hand-held shower to wash me up.

I wasn't too happy with the whole process, but Jace and Liz were close at hand to make sure I did not bolt. Liz was cautious around my head and eyes - just a little shampoo and a rinse with the water on her hand. She rinsed the rest of my body with a shower sprayer.

Afterward, they draped me in towels to keep me from shaking and throwing water everywhere. They gently dried me -- boy, was there a lot of water for them to towel off. Once I was relatively dry, they held up towels around me and let me shake.

After all that, I had a ton of loose hair that was eager to come free. Jace brushed me with a grooming mitt to get the remaining hair free.

I feel like a whole new dog!

Crunchy Cleanliness

2006-06-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

I've been working on improving my breath and the health of my teeth. Part of my regimen includes chewing on some pieces of rawhide. I find it irresistibly enjoyable. Liz and Jace don't really care for the nails-on-chalkboard sounds I make, or the little bit of bleeding from my gums that follows, but they are getting used to it.

I usually devour one piece in about five minutes. It take me the first couple just to get it moistened up and to find the weak spots. Then, I proceed to break it into chunks and devour them one by one.

I'm not sure this is ultimately the best way to clean my teeth, but I'm going to give it a try as part of an overall regimen.

Lounging Dogs

2006-06-03T13:26:00.000-05:00

Like I said earlier...I do what I do best, crash in the living room. This time I snuggled up with my stuffed dog pal. Sometimes I think he is as handsome as I am. He has big, bright eyes and adorable, floppy ears too. Liz likes to smile at me when ever I take a nap break and look up at her. Lately I'm feeling pretty happy so sometimes I smile back. I smile with my lips in a grin and my teeth showing just like Liz and Jace. Of course some people think when dogs do that it's more scary than a smile, but don't be fooled, I'm just really happy.

Get 'em!

2006-06-03T11:42:00.000-05:00

As I get used to my surroundings and family, I am really coming out of my shell. I'm starting to really enjoy my squeaker toys. In particular, I like to gnaw around on them till I find the squeaker portion, and go to town.

My current favorite is a green frog, but I also devote time to the Canadian goose toy that Kristen brought along with me when I came to my new home.

Checkout the video of me in action.

And afterwards....I do what I do best -- crash in the living room.

I am a winner!

2006-06-01T21:29:00.000-05:00

When Kristen brought me to my new home, she brought some papers that listed my pedigree and told a little about my racing history.

Jace went online to Rosnet Racing International to find out more about my racing history. After a quick free enrollment, he was able to use my official name ("KK Larry") to pull the history for all my races.

I raced 131 times in my career, and it turns out that I won 15% of my races! I finished in the top two 34% of the time! In terms of win, place, or show, I won a whopping 39% of my races!

Each race listing includes a short recap of my performance with reviews like "Up for the Win Inside" and "Bumped Far Turn Inside."

See my entire performance roster here. Jace has no idea what all the extra columns mean. If you do, please drop him a comment to let him know!

Exploring My New Neighborhood

2006-05-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

I took a little stroll in the new neighborhood, to tire me out a bit and relieve myself. I did great.

When I was adopted, Liz and Jace had to promise to keep me on my leash at all times. So when we were ready to start, Jace tried to call me to him so he could attach my leash. I didn’t budge. But when he grabbed my leash, I knew what that meant – I was up and ready! I would probably learn faster if Jace would say “come” while I was actually walking toward him, but he’s going to need more practice before he gets that right.

I was very curious about everything I saw, but I didn’t shy away from anything. I got to see another dog across the street, but my new parents thought it best not to let me get too close.

After a few minutes, I found a nice place to relieve myself – near a fire hydrant. My new parents were quick to praise me, and had even brought along a treat. Liz tried to tell Jace to break the treat into smaller pieces to stretch the effect – but she was too late. After “my performance,” Liz and Jace continued to walk me around the neighborhood. If they keep up the habit of walking me after I’ve relieved myself, I think that will make it less tempting to “hold it” just to prolong the walk. I’m sure there will be days when my parents are in a hurry, and they’ll appreciate this small forethought.

While out on my stroll, I got to hear the L train in the distance. As I passed one house, a small dog snuck to the window and unleashed a surprising bark and growl. Much to my parent’s surprise, I didn’t bat an eye.

While out on a walk, my parents needed to stop at the grocery store. Since they’d promised to never leave me tied to anything, Liz stayed with me outside while Jace did the shopping. While waiting, a little boy and his father came by and wanted to pet me. I’m not sure how wise it was, but my parents let them meet me.

When it was all done, I came home to drink some water and crash on my new doggie bed.

I have a new home!

2006-05-30T21:37:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day in my new home. Kristen from Greyhounds Only brought me to Liz and Jace’s house today. I was ready to hit the ground running.

There are some basic skills for city living – things like housebreaking and stair climbing – that I never learned at my old job at the racetrack. So before I came to live with Liz and Jace, Greyhounds Only made sure I had all the basics figured out. They also made sure I’d been to the vet to get all of my basic care done – things like neutering, shots, flea treatment, and teeth cleaning.

Kristen spent about 30 minutes with my new parents, going over a lot of things. She had coupon voucher to Petco, a pedigree history on me, and a copy of my medical history, a 20-page reference manual, and a nice recap of my time and experiences in foster to get me ready to come home.

My transition was actually easier than most, because I came to Greyhounds Only from a previous owner who wasn’t able to keep me any longer. I didn’t know any commands, but I was already housebroken and very well-behaved.

Liz and Jace’s stairs are a little unusual, so I was still a little skittish when it came to their stairs. But with a little encouragement, I was hitting them like an old pro within 15 minutes.

My $200 adoption fee also included a leash, a muzzle, and a screatch call (to lure me back if I ever get off leash).

My parents planned for my arrival by getting me a new doggie bed. I didn’t lay on it at first. But after Jace turned the hot wool side down to reveal the cool cloth, I took to it within 20 minutes.

I also love my toys – especially the ones with squeakers.