An Obtuse Hello!

[Guest eL_jEfE]

Greetings to all!

 

Um, I'm Jeff.

 

I hath no doggie.

 

I've been lurking for quite a while, and today I figured I'd make my presence known.

 

Now, for what I do have.

 

I do have an e-mail from an adoption agency clarifying what I'm going to need to get me a doggie. I'm feeling much better about this.

 

Most importantly, the recommendation letter from the Vet was freaking me out a bit.

 

The adoption process seems a bit intimidating to me. I'm so used to just forking over cash (when I have it) and getting what I want.

 

I do aquariums. I can name a TON of fish I shouldn't have, but should I bomb in to my favorite fish store, and fork over the cash, no one is going to stop me. Or even ask me any questions.

 

I managed to buy a car, nigh on accident! No one stopped me. I'm still a bit amazed at that one even after I payed the whole thing off.

 

My wife and I bought a house. No one tried to stop us. The last cardboard box hit the floor, and we looked at each other and said: "Bloody Hell! We pulled it off!"

 

I/We have never been asked "Why" and that, is a freaky thing to me. I can answer every ounce of it, but to have someone stop me makes me feel...

 

Well, I feel freaked out and good at the same time.

 

The dedication and devotion I've seen here only inspires me more.

 

I'm a Medical Laboratoy Technologist by trade. CBC's are how I make my daily bread. Things like polythycemia or reading a titre are old hat to me. Of course, that is only for people. Animals are a differant matter. And I make no presumption to be a doctor or a vet. I always tell people who ask me, I can look, but don't ask me to interpret beyond simple.

 

Other than that, there is tons to tell.

 

I like horror/kung-fu/horror-kung-fu/giant monster stomping on something/just has a decent plot movies, video games (not on-line ones though) all kinds of music, and animals in general.

 

My Wife and I try to make at the least two trips a year to a Zoo. Any Zoo. We both love animals, and with that comes the burdon of "can you take care of it?"

 

Were it up to us, we'd have camels, a rhino, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, sheep, ect...

 

As it all stands, we have two cats, a betta and a 10 gallon tank with assorted fish. A 30 and 55 gallon tank are in my future (reads:garage) but that, again, is neither here nor there.

 

I do plan on keeping the updates comming on the adoption process. I'll post the updates here unless directed otherwise.

 

My first step was getting my cats up to date on their shots. They are 100% indoor cats. Ok, the shots thing kinda got left to the wayside. After I've managed to stuff my beasties into their travel crate, get their heinie shots, bring them home and deal with the scorn, I'll clean the blood off of myself. That would be my blood. They are de-clawed, but there are still sharp parts. Then, I shall fill out my application to get me a greyhoundie.

 

That will be May 27th.

 

After that, who knows?

 

We don't care what it looks like. Ever see an ugly one? We don't care if it is a boy or a girl. There is room for a handsome guy or a pretty princess in all of this. What we do care about is there is going to be a beastie in our future. Reading will only take you so far. It isn't untill you have to deal with it that the truth comes out.

 

And besides, no matter how much you prepare, the X-factor always has so much more to say about things...

 

And now that I've treated you to the first of many rants, told you more than you needed to know, I shall end by saying...

 

Hello Everybody!!!

[Shaysmom]

Hi and welcome from Oregon! I enjoyed your introduction and look forward to the updates as you go through the process of adopting one of these sweet puppers. Congratulations!

[Kelly]

I think that's the best introduction Ive ever read!

Welcome!

[Neighsayer]

Hi from New Jersey! Make sure you have a camera on your list. Pictures are required!

[JerseyGirlInOz]

I/We have never been asked "Why" and that, is a freaky thing to me. I can answer every ounce of it, but to have someone stop me makes me feel...

 

Fish, cars and houses rarely get dumped in a shelter or returned to a group due to lack of commitment. Don't take it personally.

 

Hopefully the stringent requirements of your group scares off all the tire-kickers (and good on 'em for that)! Stick around and read some of the bounced-hound horror stories and you'll understand why groups take this sort of stuff so seriously.

 

[Guest TuxsMom]

oh it sounds like you'll fit right in around here

 

good luck on the adoption process....be prepared to give up a lot of your personal space...you know, places like your BED, your COUCH, you favorite spot on the porch, you get the idea!

 

unless you don't want him/her on the furniture, which is your choice, but then you're gonna miss out on a lot of good pics

 

welcome!!!

[RobinM]

Welcome from LI!

[Guest LokisMom]

Best introduction ever!

 

About the fish tank, don't toy around with 30 or 55 gallons. Go 75 gallon or bigger. Trust me. They actually take less work the bigger they are. They become their own little world and need hardly any help. We clean ours every 2 weeks and otherwise it does it's thing. My dad has a 250+ gallon and he doesn't even have to have a heater in it. It just stays the right temperature! Okay, I am a fish geek. I will stop now. But trust me, 75 or bigger. And you waste less money bunny hopping up in size. Which you always do, whatever size you have is never quite big enough. Freshwater/tropical fish or saltwater?

 

And the process is intimidating but it is that way for a reason. I have two bounces living in my home and am picking up a foster tomorrow who is a bounce. A good screening process would have weeded out at least one of these bounces. I could go on and on about Loki and his first family and how they returned this perfect gentleman of a dog, only after they had him he wasn't a gentle dog any more. He was scared and he bites people and... they broke him. We are putting him back together. There are worse stories than Loki's. Don't let the process scare you. The group is just trying to do right by the dogs.

 

Also, we had to take our cats and get them up to date on all their shots before we adopted our first grey also. They never go out and we just sort of let the vaccinations go. Since they are indoor only, our group did not make us put them on heartworm prevention or anything though.

 

Oh yes and welcome from Indiana!

[fsugrad]

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida! Good luck with the whole adoption process!! I remember the night before the "home visit" where one of the GPA reps was coming to our house to do a home study to make sure we would be suitable greyhound parents...my husband and I were laughing, because it was a Saturday night, and here we were scrubbing kitchen counters, vacuuming, and cleaning the bathrooms in anticipation of the GPA rep and his personal greyhound coming the next morning to check out our house! You would have thought one of our mothers was coming for an extended stay or something!

As you know, this group on GT thrives on pictures, so we want pictures--lots of em--right away. Good luck!!!

[Guest adoptagreyhound]

For our first adoption we had a required reading list, a telephone interview and quiz about what we read, and then a long visit with an adoption counselor in the office. It was all SO worth it as we came out of the process with one of the best greyhounds ever - our Sandy who just turned 8 this week. She's been with us for 6 years now. She was afraid of her own shadow when we got her and every page of every book we read came in handy, as did the amazing support of our adoption group. You are very lucky to have found an adoption group who loves and cares about the pups as much as you will!

 

We adopted a child and we didn't have to read ANY books - sure could have used one or two!!!

 

You are a great and entertaining writer and I really look forward to hearing all about your new family member. I think he or she is going to be one lucky pup. And it won't be long before you'll need a "chip." (If you've done your reading, you'll know what that means )

 

WELCOME and remember, we will need PICTURES, and lots of them!!!

[4greyhounds]

Very Touching introduction.

 

I really look forward to hearing about the new updates on the new member in the family.

[Guest GreytMuse]

A big welcome from Texas! Please keep us updated on your adoption process!

[Guest Greyglo]

Hello from New Jersey - Loved your introduction. Hope you'll keep reading; there are some incredibly touching stories here. Best wishes with your adoption process!

[Guest AaronsMom]

Welcome from Delaware. My husband was somewhat annoyed at the stringent application process (which is why I handled it), after the two of us have raised 8 dogs over our adult lives, but we had no problem passing the test. He now understands it I think. The Vet will simply help state that you care about your animals enough to ensure proper health care. Taking in an animal that has been bred for racing and has had a much different upbringing than one who is a pet from birth, can be challenging but oh so rewarding. The rewards outweigh the challenges a hundred to one! Good luck. Looking forward to hearing more from you!

[Guest TBSFlame]

Welcome from North Carolina.

[FosterFlunker]

Welcome. By any chance are you English? Your use of Bloody Hell kinda gave you away. I am also English but have lived in the US for almost 30 years. Hope you get your greyhound soon.

[Guest shelbygirl07]

Our application process wasn't stringent at all. We are extremely knowledgeable and I think she sensed that through our conversations and the amount of time we spent at the kennel, checking it out when we went to look at the facility. We filled out the application, they called a few references and we showed up the next day to get our pretty girl. We only waited until the next day to bring our Louie back there to see if they would get along and to set up her crate, bed and get all her neccessary things..

 

Oh yea and WELCOME FROM MASS!

 

You will find a greyhound to be one of the most rewarding additions you can make to your family.. (i love Pomeranian's just a wee bit more! but only because i have been around them more then greys...)

 

LOTS of pictures requried, that is the

[Guest Lovely]

Hello from Michigan...looking forwards to updates!

[Guest LindsaySF]

Welcome to GT! I loved your intro.

 

I agree with LokisMom about the fish tanks. I have two 10 gallons and a 30 gallon, but I have heard that the larger tanks do better. Someday when I have more room I'll upgrade to a larger one.

[Guest momto5greys]

Don't freak over the application process. As another poster wrote, it's there for good reason.

 

Some people don't take owning a dog as that big a deal and if it becomes a problem they can just "get rid of it". That is the kind of mentality the process is trying to weed out. Groups want you to accept the responsibility of this dog for it's lifetime and not to treat it as a rental. They want to be sure that you know what you are in for. See they accepted the responsibility of finding that dog a forever home and they take that responsibility seriously. If you decide not to keep the dog, you are not the one who has to watch this dog mourn for it's family.

 

My little Drummer is a bounce. I've had him almost a year now. He was adopted as a puppy and kept for nearly 4 years. I could never get the whole story out of the gal who surrendered him to me but what I have pieced together is that basically they moved to a new house and he didn't get to go. They put him in a kennel and started trying to find him a home even though they signed an adoption contract that they would return him to the group. When I got him, I could count every vertebrae in his back and lay my fingers between his ribs. He has a deformed back leg and through lack of exercise and not having treated the deformity, both his legs were extremely thin and he had difficulty walking. He didn't appear to be in pain. Our group sent him to see an orthopedic vet but nothing could be done for his legs. Since he's been with me, he has gained weight and from playing with Hildy, he has strengthened his back legs and they don't look like sticks any more. He actually bears weight on both of them. And you should see the little sucker run!

 

This is a mild bounce story there are some that would have you wanting to hunt down the previous owners.

 

 

 

[Guest eL_jEfE]

Thanks for the welcomes and kind words everyone!

 

Have I got it right a "bounce" is a dog that got adopted and then sent back for whatever reason?

 

Some of the language/abbreviations around here are new to me. It took me forever to figure out what a DH was!

 

Back to the bounce thing, I did see on the application that if for any reason I was going to part ways with the dog they send me, it had to go back to them. No where elce. I like the concept that they make this harder than say, stopping in a pet store and impulse buying a dog. Which at some of the less than savory pet stores in the area, I get the impression you can. A while ago, I was looking for an aquarium stand and I watched someone from start to finnish buy a dog! I have an opinion on that, but in the interests of not beating a dead horse, I'll keep it to myself.

 

And not to animal research?!

 

I'm reminded of when we were at the lawyers to buy our house three years ago. There was a clause in the paperwork that said the sellers agreed to leave the plumbing! No one was amused when I burst out laughing. I should have realised that A) there was a contract in front of me, and there were lawyers involved here. As rediculous as it seems, this was an issue at one point or another.

 

I still can't shake the immage of someone saying: "Son, this gas-trap has been in our family for five generations. And now it belongs to you."

 

On the darker side of things, that wouldn't be in there if it wasn't an issue. Once again, in the interests of not beating the dead horse...

 

Whoever we end up with is staying for good. I might just be a groupie at this point, but I'm doing my homework. I'm on my second read through of "3rd Edition Adopting the Racing Greyhound," by Cynthia Branigan. There is another one I want, but I can't remember the title off-hand. It's a "Barron's" book and the title is about 12 miles long. I came here because books don't have chapters like "Look at me, I just rolled in poo!," "Hey Ma, I just ate a stuffy and boy does my bum feel wierd," or "Hey, there is a pet-food recall, but it isn't being broadcast on NPR."

 

I'm just excited at this point. And a lot less nervous (reads:doesn't like interviews) after all the responces. Thanks again to all for that. I also didn't want to give off the impression that when I DO start posting more, I just ran out and did this. This is all after a month of debating, two months of lurking about on-line (and feeling kinda creepy about that, who knows why) and finaly starting to move on the whole process. Then again, adopting kinda negates the whole "running out bit." I'm trying to go into this armed!

 

@Lokismom- Strictly low-tech, freshwater fish. I do live plants, but nothing amazing. The computer room is actually going to double as an aquarium room once it gets redone. And that, is all pending finances. I'll open something up in "off topic" later this week if you wanna talk fish!

 

@Fosterflunker- Um, not English. Not even a little bit. Never been to either. I'm a bit embarrassed the explative slipped! I can however, recite all two seasons of "The Young Ones," verbatim, and entirely too much Monty Python for my own good. I have a small circle of friends who are the same, and no one raises an eyebrow if one of us slips up and uses a phrase/"ism" from the aforementioned. Or all the other geeky stuff we watch too much of. Unfortunately, I type the way I talk. And I sometimes forget the internet is an international place. And I'm a big nerd!

 

Enough of my rambelings! I'll keep the updates comming as soon as I get them. Pics eventually as well!

 

Cheers!!!

eL jEfE!

[Guest LindsaySF]

Have I got it right a "bounce" is a dog that got adopted and then sent back for whatever reason?

You are correct.

 

 

I love reading your posts!

[Guest guinness_the_greyt]

Welcome to GT! Can't wait to hear all about your new hound!!!

[FosterFlunker]

Yes please keep posting I find them very amusing. No problem about the expletive. I use it all the time.

[Guest adoptagreyhound]

Wow, you're really gonna be fun! Thanks for joining GT!

 

The book you have already read is required reading from our first adoption group. I believe that many groups also recommend Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies. I loved both of these books. I also got a lot out of Turid Rugaas' book called On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals. Honestly, this helped me so much even though I have cared for dogs all of my life. I learned many new things from this book and it seems to me that greyhounds use body language more than any other dogs we've ever owned. It will be a HUGE help to you, even on the first day you bring your new grey(s) home.

 

You're going to be a GREYT greyhound daddy!

 

(I remember when our son quoted Monty Python constantly - we never knew what he was going to say at any given moment, no matter where we were. Well, I guess we still don't and he's almost 40 now!)