The running joke among greyhound adoption coordinators is: A potential adopter is asked just what they are looking for in a greyhound, and they answer, "I’m looking for a small light colored female." The adoption coordinator’s reply is usually "keep an open mind, and the right dog will find you." Unfortunately some people cannot break away from the picture they have created of their perfect pet and adopt the first small light colored female that comes along. Yet time and again, if the potential adopter heeds the advice given, they end up with a greyhound entirely different than they imagined. Now, I don’t know if anyone can really say why this scenario is played out time after time, but I do have a theory. I had a random thought some months back that many of us fall for, and subsequently adopt, a greyhound who in some way reminds us of ourselves or a loved one. I have no idea why this is, but the theory has proven itself in many instances. I will use the greys in our home as examples both because I know them well enough to evaluate their individual personalities and because I know their "special person" well enough to see certain connections. The greyhounds in our home are Addie (a.k.a. Queen Elizabeth), Rian, Ben, Soffie (a.k.a. Sofa Loaf or The Wing Nut) and Able. In our case the only exception to my theory is Able because he was an emergency rescue that was "here just for the weekend" and decided to stay.

ADDIE - Addie and Carole just seemed to fall for each other on sight. Carole was not even really looking for a dog, or so she says. From what we have been told, Addie didn’t seem to warm up to anyone. Carole is by far Addie’s favorite person on this planet; I am merely hired help that will work in a pinch should "Mom" be away. Carole and Addie have a lot in common. They are both just natural leaders yet neither of them seems truly comfortable in this capacity. They demand respect and have no time for those not willing to give it. Both Carole and Addie are sensitive, compassionate and willing to hold their ground in order to get what they want. They are both very complicated personalities who live by the credo "once bitten twice shy."

RIAN - Rian was the first greyhound Wendy, Carole’s daughter, ever walked. To say it was love at first sight is an understatement. Wendy and Rian are so much alike it’s almost spooky. Kindness is the word that first comes to mind in describing Wendy and Rian. They are both just friendly, non-judgmental beings who are open to anything. They are both happy, fun loving and gregarious. Neither Wendy nor Rian seems to need to be in charge of anything. They just seem comfortable going with the flow and letting life play out before them. They may not always be the most commanding force in the room but are both nice to have around. Carole and I are continually amazed that Rian is always overlooked at show and tells for the "flashier dogs" when he is by far the best of the bunch.

BEN - Ben is not at all what I was looking for in a greyhound, yet after spending two hours with him as I shuttled him up to Retired Racers, I could not get him out of my thoughts. I went back three weeks later to bring him home. Ben and I are VERY close, to the point of reading each other’s thoughts on occasion. I can’t imagine a time when he was not here. We just fit. Ben is much less gregarious than the typical Grey. He is very happy to play by himself. It is wonderful to watch as he invents new games to entertain himself. Neither Ben nor I need a large group around to be happy, actually preferring a more one on one scenario. We are both fun loving but quiet at the same time. There was a time when Ben aspired for leadership, challenging Able, our alpha, whenever possible. Yet now that Able has retired his position Ben just doesn’t see the need to fill his shoes. We are both kind of "take care of ourselves" types. We are willing to work as part of the group but not really interested in being in the alpha position. Neither Ben nor I have any time for hyper-activity whether it is canine, child or adult based. Ben gets very wary, and I just prefer to move on when in the company of such individuals. We are both much more comfortable with less chaotic atmospheres. We like what we like regardless of popular opinion and we only care what those we care about think of us. We will do what we need to keep them happy but it takes substantial effort to win back our trust once it has been broken.

SOFFIE - I fell for Soffie the first time I met her and believe we were just destined to be together. Unlike Ben, Soffie is the vision in my mind’s eye of what I was looking for in a greyhound. She is black, female and shy, at least she was. Soffie was home with us for about a month, blossoming everyday, before the revelation hit me, "Oh my God, I’ve adopted my mother!" It started with the fact that Soffie is totally a morning dog. She’s happy and ready to go first thing in the morning. It used to drive me crazy that my mom could be so cheerful first thing in the morning while it was all I could do to stand upright. Soffie and my mom are both just naturally happy beings, grateful for the gift of a new day. They both love to "entertain", the more visitors the better. They will make sure to greet all of them and make them feel welcome. Both Soffie and Pat, my mom, are very kind souls, "not a mean bone in their bodies", as Carole would say. They are both total pack animals, out of their element unless others are around to share the day. They love their families and make sure we know it by reminding us often. So, what do you think? Maybe you can see some similarities between yourself or a loved one and your greyhound(s). Give it some thought. You just might find this theory plays out for you as well. Now if I could just figure out how to be built like a greyhound!

• Larry and Linda Brown for their loss of the wonderful Casey.
• Susan Beever for her loss of thirteen year old Leo.

Thank you to all who participated in our "Frame It" contest. We received many greyt suggestions for our new license plate frame. In search of impartial judges, we took the slogans to Gary and Lorri Tracy, and several of their wonderful volunteers with Greyhound Adoption League in Tucson. The voting was very close between two slogans, and the winning entry actually won by one vote! The runner-ups (all who entered!) will receive a free license plate frame. Congratulations to our winner, Janie Ulrich, who will receive her choice of a David French greyhound print. So everyone grab a frame (or two) at the next Needle Nose Crew show or event, and "BEAT THE ODDS – ADOPT A GREYHOUND".

I am the proud Mom of three greys named Sassy, King and Kandy. One afternoon,
I returned home from running errands to find the TV cord chewed up in small
pieces. At first I was shocked, and then relieved, that my babies were not hurt. I wondered which one did it, thinking it must be Kandy since she was the newest one. An hour later King vomited up the evidence. King loves to shake his leash, and in one of his playful moments, he must have discovered the cord. Fortunately the shaking unplugged the cord before he ate it. So I learned a lesson - cover all electrical cords!

Send your articles and pictures to: Joy Moss, Editor, Needle Nose Notes 4857 Royce Road, Irvine, CA 92612 greytjoy@msn.com  Contributions are always welcome and help our cause. Needle Nose Crew, P.O. Box 3012, Laguna Hills, CA 92654-3012  

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Editor: Joy Moss

(949)552-1373 or (949) 951-5444

or e-mail gogreys@juno.com