Treat Tales -- The Beginning

While I was on vacation, I travelled with a friend I've known online for a long time.  I knew her long before Bunny was in my life and while Treat was still here with us.  One day we were talking about the blog and I mentioned that I wasn't sure how I felt about not having the blog going while Treat was with us.  I don't know if I could have continued the blog after she passed away, but there were many, many funny stories that involved Miss Treat.  My friend mentioned how great she thought they were, so I thought about it some and decided that from time to time, I'd write some of the funny stories about Treat here on the blog.  Today, I'll tell the very first story that I know about Treat.

When Mr. Taleteller and I first got married, we lived in an apartment for a few years, since we were both right out of college and trying to get our start in life.  Those three years were the first time that either of us had lived without a dog.  We had two cats, a cockatiel and two fish tanks, but we couldn't have a dog there.  My husband got a new job in the small, rural county where I'd grown up and his job required us to live in the county.  After almost a year of searching, we finally found a cute little house that was perfect for us.  I knew, without even talking it over with Mr. Taleteller, that we'd have a dog soon.

Mr. Taleteller had always wanted a German Shepherd, but I didn't want a dog that would be like a bull in a china closet in our house, and I knew that any dog we got was going to be in the house with us.  I grew up with Border Collies and an Australian Shepherd at my dad's house and Shetland Sheepdogs at my mom's.  I didn't feel that it would be fair or safe to a Border Collie or an Australian Shepherd to have to live in the house, Mr. Taleteller did not like the constant barking the comes with Shelties.  One day in the beginning of December, we were in Petsmart and saw a Greyhound there promoting a local adoption group's fundraiser of pictures with Santa.  We were smitten!  It was the perfect compromise for us.

We talked about it all afternoon.  There was a book that we were supposed to read, Adopting the Racing Greyhound by Cynthia Branigan, before adopting and we stopped to pick it up at the local bookstore.  At that time, we didn't have a computer at home, so we stopped by his office on our way home and looked up the adoption group online.  We filled out our adoption application online while we were there.  After pouring over the pictures of the adorable hounds in their kennel for almost an hour, we headed home.  We figured it would be weeks before we got a response since everybody must be waiting in line to adopt one of these magnificent dogs.

Imagine our surprise when we got a phone call the next evening.  We spoke to the adoption coordinator for quite a while and after it was over, she said to call the kennel and tell them we needed an appointment to come up and meet the Greyhounds.  That was a long week as we waited. 

We arrived at the kennel at dinner time, so we waited patiently while the volunteers finished getting them their food in the meeting room.  Soon, they brought in a large Greyhound who almost changed our minds about adopting one.  He nearly leapt through the window behind our heads and bounced off the walls like a ping pong ball.  Next was a dog who only wanted to go back and eat his dinner and had very little interest in us.  A shy fawn boy was next, and he did stand and lean against us for quite a while.  Finally, they brought in a little brindle female, the only female we'd met.  She leaned against us and took turns giving both of us a chance to pet her.  When they led her back to her kennel, she turned and gazed back at us.

The reading we'd done had given us the impression that male Greyhounds were better with young children, and since there were a lot of those in Mr. Taleteller's family, we thought that was what we wanted.  When we spoke to the adoption president on the phone again, she said she didn't recommend the fawn male we thought we wanted because he was so shy and we'd have to be leash walking the dog all winter.  She was afraid he'd slip his collar and get loose.  We were invited to come back up right after Christmas and decide which dog we wanted to bring home. 

There had been a wicked snowstorm the day before we were supposed to go up to meet our new dog.  We borrowed an SUV from my mom and stepdad to make sure we could get up there and set up a crate in the back to bring the dog home in.  I can't begin to express how excited we were and we still hadn't decided which dog we wanted to bring home.

We talked to the group president and a couple of volunteers and they kindly and patiently brought in the dogs that we were thinking about adopting for us to meet.  Soon, three of the dogs we'd met before and one foster dog were all loose in the storefront with us, milling around.  Three of the dogs were busy going around between the volunteers, but would come over to us when we called them.  That little female was on a mission, though.  She stood beside me, letting me pet her until she saw one of the boys go over to Mr. Taleteller.  She'd go and worm her way in between him and the other dog, then settle in contentedly for him to pet her.  Then she'd turn around and see me petting another dog and she'd have to come over and worm her way between me and that dog.  This went on for a good half hour or so.  Finally, we narrowed it down to her and one other male.  We took them out for a walk to see how they did on leash.  At last, we made our decision, the little female named Treat was our choice.

We chose a new winter coat for her, since it was so cold and snowy, as well as a collar and lead to bring her home with.  I finished filling out paperwork while Mr. Taleteller went out to take down the crate after we were told it wouldn't be necessary to bring her home in.  I looked up from writing the check and saw Treat standing in her new coat at the door, her nose pressed to the glass as she watched for Mr. Taleteller to come back for her.  So much for having one animal in the house who liked me the best!

Looking back, we definitely made the right choice, and one that certainly changed the course of our lives.  Treat was a perfect first Greyhound and she took us to places we never dreamed we'd go.  She also won our hearts and many others' over to the breed.