LBass

What a funny, pretty girl.

KNOT a turdle but a tiny pine cone! Here those happy surprises are acorns that somehow seem to come in between Nate's toes.

Happy 11th, LaVida!

Happy 11th, Odin!

TMS

I wonder how that happened? Wiki, you can't look anything but like the pretty girl you are.

Punkin, you have Tongue Management under control! Oddly funny how the only teeth you have left are the very teeth that Nate had extracted. Between you, you've got a full set!

What a lovely morning tradition.

I'm so glad that Punkin is improving.

I'm so glad the Punkin reports are positive.

Punkin, you are getting the superb nursing care that you deserve. Feel better soonest and eat something, OK?

What a beautiful loving tribute to your beloved Lucas. I'm so sorry he couldn't stay longer. Lucas sounds a lot like my first Greyhound, Piper the Perfect. I know what it is to lose your heart to such a one.

Those are such great pictures of your gorgeous, careful crew.

Aw. Adorable with or without sound.

How interesting. Thanks for this, Ducky!

What a handsome boy.

I'm so glad that Dune is a happy hiking buddy. Off leash dogs are a dangerous nuisance everywhere and their clueless owners are the root of the problem. I wonder if it would help to just announce that he doesn't like other dogs? I really am sorry that PRA ambushed you and Dune. When I first adopted Nate I did a lot ob reading of books and on a Facebook forum for people with blind dogs. Many of them used something to protect their dogs eyes. Brimmed hats, visors, Doggles. So far, I haven't gotten anything like that for Nate and he hasn't damaged his eyes. We may have been lucky so far and I may regret that decision eventually. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have something for Dune to wear. The only thing Nate's worn on his punkin' head so far was this cute snood and dear Greyhound friend sent him when her own beloved Isabelle died. There was lots ob woe face and head shaking to free his ear. No eye protection either, for all that flapping a flurry. Nate has been quite happy to be around most other dogs, particularly other Greyhounds. In terms of chasing, he does hear the squirrels rushing to leave the deck bird feeders when he goes out and he will indeed chase them to the big oaks at the back of the yard. So far, he always knows where to stop and he never runs as flat out as my other Greys have, thank goodness. I love that Dune trusts you for walks and hikes. Dealing with this was not something you'd planned but you and Dune are clearly rising to the challenge. Nate is not the first special needs dog I've had and there is something about dealing with such challenges together that forges an especially strong bond.

How true! That satisfying sound of ripping paper. Nate is a shredder too, but then he eats the shredded pieces. I suppose he'd be useful for super secret items in deed of disposal. I love that Doolin is just thinking of helping with that bit of paper right at the end of the video!

Nate's PRA seems to have hit him much earlier in his life than happened for your Dune. Nate was pretty much sightless at 1.5. It fascinates me how well Nate manages. He has clearly got a map of the house and yard in his head and it serves him well 99% of the time. About once a year I'll see him suddenly, clearly lost. At that point I take him to one of the touchstone areas of the house--the water bowl, the deck door, one of his beds--and that helps him get his bearings, after which he is fine. I've got a large back yard and he is quite confident there. I introduced him to it by walking on leash all around the perimeter, walking him to all the trees, shrubs, and garden beds. If anything changes, I can take him to the new item and let him become aware of it and generally that's all he needs. He does generally walk rather than run in the yard. When he's got the need for speed, he spins, like a reining horse. Interestingly, the moment the leash is clipped on, Nate seems to transfer all responsibility for his safety to the person on the end of the leash and he is full on going forward. It sounds like he's been dealing with blindness for a bit longer than Dune, so I hope that Dune will begin to learn and adapt as he gets more experienced. Nate's ability to sense objects has been really fascinating over the last 6 months as we've rebuilt our deck. I was surprised to see that the moment all the big flower pots were removed from the deck, Nate knew and was suddenly more cautious because of the change. Last weekend, I put 4 flats of annuals and a couple of hanging baskets on the deck. Again, Nate was immediately aware that something was there. He carefully avoids the 2 ferns to his left and the flats to his right as he navigates toward the stairs. Originally, I walked him down the deck stairs to the yard but now he manages that happily by himself with a mat in front of the stairs so he knows how to find them. I do watch, just to be sure. All this is by way of saying that Dune's confidence may actually be a blessing as he deals with the loss of sight.

Nate is part of that study, though it's been some years since I went through that process with UCD. I did recently receive an email gently asking if I'd be willing to donate Nate's eyes to the study when he dies. I think it might be worth the effort to contact them again.

My current Greyhound also has PRA. Nate came into the adoption group at 1.5 as a racing school failure. It wasn't until he reached the adoption group's foster home that anyone figured out that he couldn't see. The adoption group took him to the specialty vet where he was diagnosed with PRA. At 1.5 Nate's vision was already almost completely gone when I adopted him. He's 6 now and living his best life. His confidence is quite amazing. Like your boy, Nate gets excited and tends to jump on people, including me. Times for feeding and walks are when he gets particularly jazzed and jumps. Meeting new people as well. He too is quite protective of his own space. This turned into quite an ordeal when my elderly Grey needed help at night and Nate turned into a growling, snarling, lunging Cujo impersonator in my tiny bedroom in the middle of the night. In trying to figure out what to do, I decided that I wanted help from a veterinary behaviorist rather than "just" a trainer. I found a great resource, a behaviorist and a trainer working together, who were able to work with Nate and me over Zoom, since we weren't in the same city. They were able to help me find ways to help Nate and and to work with his specific problems. I used https://behaveatlanta.com/ IMO, money well spent. For the jumping, I would keep your boy leashed for a while so that you can have some physical control. That will help you work with him on "off" at home around you and any guests. Think of it as being like the way people leash a new dog to themselves to help with house training. You'll have that constant physical connection to help you teach him in the moments he's jumping. Perhaps decide on another greeting behavior you'd like him to use and work on training that behavior at the same time you work on "off". I've lost my older Grey (Spirit, 14.5) so the canine space issues are, sadly, not a problem. I did muzzle both dogs when they road together in the car. Their dynamic was slightly different than the one between your 2. Nate would encroach on Spirit's space. Spirit would growl, then snarl. Nate would just stand there. Spirit would then get up an move. Spirit, poor boy, qualifies for sainthood in my book. Most of Nate's space issues are directed at humans and we abide by the rules of not petting him when he's in his bed and speaking before we pass his bed.

Nate is not the athletic genius that Nutmeg is, but I did laugh myself silly once watching him change his mind about going down the deck stairs. I suspect rain was involved. His front end was 3 steps down from the deck surface and his back end was one step down. He paused and then carefully reversed each footstep until he was on the deck. Nutmeg is a rock star!

Genius! And able to transfer what she's leaned from one situation to another. Brilliant! However, the mental vision of this backward walking...

What a treat to meet up with fellow GTers Tiger and Clare! Tiger is lovely.