New Frontiers

I did something Monday night that I haven't done before.  I'd thought about it, but I hadn't gathered the courage to do it yet.  I guess the bronchitis has addled my brain a bit.  At least, that's the theory I'm going with to explain my bout of temporary insanity. 

I suppose you're wondering what it is that I decided to do.  I decided to take Morgan for a walk by myself for the first time.  Of course, I also took Bunny along, too.  We had to get our Idita Walk minutes in before the bitter cold hit on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Fortunately, Monday was just warm enough that the snow on the roads was a bit slushy and not slick as ice like it had been previously. 

Morgan gets serious bouts of Cabin Fever when she doesn't get her regular walks.  Mr. Taleteller has a bit of an aversion to the cold weather walks and I often settle for putting it off when he doesn't want to go.  I could go out by myself and take Bunny, but that seems unfair to Morgan who really needs the exercise.  I'm also guessing that my nieghbors appreciate not having to hear her howl the whole time Bunny and I would be away from the house.  I know Morgan well enough to know that walking her is not like walking the hounds. 

Still, I'm no stranger to walking two dogs.  There was even a time when I regularly walked three Greyhounds at once.  Bunny is used to walking with me and Blueberry, so I knew she could handle it, and it's not like she and Morgan don't know each other.  What could go wrong?  I told myself that we'd just walk the short route and get our thirty minutes in.  That would kill the time it would take Mr. Taleteller to get home from his after work meeting. 

As we started out, I was patting myself on the back.  We were walking along and I even had both dogs' leashes in one hand.  Morgan was surfing the snowbanks while Bunny was demonstrating her perfect walking techniuque for me.  I couldn't believe I'd waited so long to try walking the girls together on my own.  I didn't need Mr. Taleteller to wrangle any dog!  I could do it all on my own.

When we got to the turning point between the short walk and the long walk, I started to think about doing the whole long route.  However, that's when my bronchitis decided to rear its ugly head and remind me that I am not invincible after all.  So, we made a turn and headed towards home, albeit reluctantly on all our parts.  We passed the school and there was some event happening that had a lot of cars parked or driving along the road.  I muttered a bit under my breath about people refusing to stop and let us by and we crossed the street to walk in the church parking lot, which was cleared much better anyway. 

As we passed through the parking lot, Morgan could see people walking around across the street and she went into alert mode.  I talked to her and she managed to make it past them all without showing her wolfy side.  I was so proud of my girls as we crossed the street and got within a block of our house.  At the corner, there was a house with a giant black lab tied out in front for his powder room break.  Morgan was on full alert by this point, but still holding it together.  I kept reminding her that I was there and thought we'd actually make it past when Bunny was overcome by the spirit of playfulness.  She did a little play bow and I said her name with that warning tone that signals I'm serious and must be obeyed.

Morgan's control snapped when Bunny started trying to get the lab to come and play.  The next thing I knew Morgan was leaping over Bunny in a move that the makers of the Matrix movies would have been in awe over.  Bunny ducked under her in perfect execution of her ninja play bow and I braced myself to go down hard as Morgan and the other dog both started to bark.  However, they had managed to twist their leashes together and instead of pulling against me, they pulled on each other.  I had to laugh as they both took a moment to pause.  The woman came to the door and reeled the black beast inside and I convinced Morgan and Bunny that going home was a good idea.  

I learned some things through this experience.  First is that I can walk Morgan and Bunny at the same time.  Second, there's a big dog that now lives along one of our usual walking routes.  Third, the next time I take Morgan and Bunny out together it will be warmer and dry on the ground.  Fourth, if I decide to walk Blueberry with Morgan and Bunny both then I need some sort of intervention.

We’re participating in this Saturday’s Pet Blog Hop, hosting by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.  If you’d like to participate, please follow the rules and follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste the html code into your html editor.  Thanks again to our hosts for putting on the hop!

Winter Challenges

Bunny here at the keyboard with a few fitness challenges to share.

Most of you know that I have a big race with Pip tomorrow.  I've been doing a lot of training to get myself into racing form.  It's not easy maintaining your figure when there are all these dog bakery treats and pup cakes around, but I've been motivated. 

Anyroo, I came across a couple of challenges that I thought I'd share with all of you.  One of them is the Idita-Walk.  It's a physical fitness challenge that you can do with your humans.  Basically, you try to walk for thirty minutes for thirty five days between February 1 and March 31, for a total of 1049 minutes, which is the amount of miles between Anchorage and Nome, Alaska.  The focus is just to get out and walk with your humans a little every day.  You and your human can both register.  So far I've logged in sixty minutes.  If anybody out there wants to join in, we'd love to share notes!

The second one is shorter and has to do with a big event that a lot of people are all excited about here in the States on Sunday.  That would be Super Bowl Sunday.  I'm going to be honest, I don't care who wins, but I do enjoy watching the commercials.  Especially the funny ones where the dogs outsmart the people, like that Doritos ad from last year.  Anyroo, Subaru has had some funny commercials with dogs this year and now they have the Subaru Game Day Dog Walk Event.  It's simple, sign up and pledge to walk your dog on game day and you get some cool loot.  So, see if you can get your humans off the couch and paying attention to you for a bit on Sunday!

I hope these ideas help you to get your people motivated to get out there with you and enjoy a little bit of winter weather.  It's fun as long as you dress for it and you don't overdo it.  Now, I'm off for my pre race nap.  Wish me luck for tomorrow!

Training Begins...Or Continues

I remember when we first brought Bunny home two years ago.  In some ways, that feels so long ago, and in others, it feels like just yesterday.  In most ways, she moved into our lives seamlessly.  It was as if she'd been here with us forever. 

However, there was one area where she was really difficult, and I've talked about it here on the blog before.  She had never been on the end of a leash, as far as we could tell.  Walking a trout on a line down the street would have been easier, and possibly less amusing for my neighbors.  It wasn't her fault, she just didn't have the experience.  I'll confess that we didn't walk much that summer.  Every time we did, it was a struggle.  I saw Blueberry walking perfectly with Mr. Taleteller and it reminded me about how easy and fun Treat had been to walk, not to mention how hard it was, and it just depressed me.

That Fall, I decided that something had to be done.  I wanted to return to nursing home visits, as well as take her to all kinds of other fun events.  We entered obedience class.  That whole experience was great for us, and Bunny tied for top honors on graduation night, which is a story in itself that I can't remember if I've told on the blog or not.  She did so much better in obedience than I'd hoped for, and afterwards, although we still mostly use the harness, she was a much better walking companion.

Now we have added Morgan to the mix.  She isnt terrible on the leash by any means, but she pulls like a frieght train.  I have avoided taking her anywhere by myself thus far because I'm not sure I can hold her back, and I really don't fancy the idea of me being in the local papers or on the news as the woman who was dragged along in the first-ever German Shepherd rodeo. 

Of course, this problem is easily remedied if you're willing to do the work required to teach your dog how to walk with leash manners.  Morgan's education began Tuesday night.  As we headed out for our evening walk, a training collar was slipped over her head and Mr. Taleteller took along his bait bag full of treats.  Bunny and I walked on ahead.  Blueberry was busy with a bone and decided not to join us and Lilac was napping, no doubt getting ready for her early wake up call.  After we got down to almost the end of our street, Mr. Taleteller called out and asked us to wait.  Bunny and I stood patiently waiting while he reminded Morgan about where she was supposed to be walking and to have good manners.  When they caught up to us, he switched back to her other collar and we walked at ease for a while. 

Occasionally, when Morgan was walking well in the place where Mr. Taleteller wanted her, he would give her a small treat.  Bunny is no stranger to the bait bag.  She knows exactly what that means.  Soon, she was showing Morgan exactly what you have to do to get treats.  She pranced along in perfect heel position, sat on command, and just generally exhibited model behavior.  She had Mr. Taleteller treating her at every turn, and she was quite proud of herself.  She batted her eyelashes at him and treats fell right into her mouth. 

I have a feeling that Morgan's going to learn how to walk with manners very quickly!

Dipping Our Toes

Sunday afternoon, Mr. Taleteller surprised me by sending Bunny out on the front porch with a note attached to her harness.  It seems that he had the idea that a walk would be fun.  He even had all the stuff packed up in the van and ready to go.

So, off we went to the East Peoria Bike and Walking Trail.  It's a pretty nice trail, and it's paved.  We saw a lot of bicycle riders on the trail since it goes all the way to the next town over.  There were also a few walkers, too.  The part of the trail that we were on wasn't the most scenic.  Actually, it turned out to be quite a bit hotter out there than it had been at home.  The girls were troopers, at least, on the way out they were.

On the way back home, a funny thing happened.  As soon as Mr. Taleteller turned around, Blueberry immediately started her tired, exhausted dog routine.  She was as far behind him as her leash would allow.  Bunny's pace slowed down considerably, too.  She was still easier to motivate than Blueberry, though.  I now suspect that for several years we've been hoodwinked by her on our walks.  We had an interesting chat about it all.

Me:  Blueberry, what are you doing?

Blueberry:  (tongue hanging nearly to the ground in dramatic fashion)  The heat!  My God, the heat!

Me:  You were fine ten seconds ago when we were going the other way.

Blueberry:  No I wasn't!  Weren't you watching?

Me:  Yes I was!  You were walking just fine!

Blueberry:  There was a tailwind.  It was blowing me along.  Now I have to walk into the wind!  I'll never make it!  Dad, carry me!

Mr. Taleteller:  There is no way I'm carrying you all that way!  Your legs work just fine!

Blueberry:  If you loved me, you would carry me!  I'll die of heatstroke!

Mr. Taleteller:  Do you know how hot it will be if I carry you back?

Bunny:  Blue, he's all sweaty and that is NOT a good stink coming off him!  You don't want that on your blue brindle furs!

Blueberry:  I must have been adopted!

Bunny:  Come on, it's an adventure!

Me:  You were all adopted!

Blueberry:  Hmph!

Still, it was pretty hot.  Even I was feeling the heat.  The girls were panting and moving slowly.  So, we decided to stop and go down to take a dip in the creek.  The girls were both decidedly happier.  Actually, I was, too!  I took off my shoes and waded in with them.  After we'd cooled our jets, we headed back to the van.  Bunny thought about trying to hitch a ride on the train, but the caboose wasn't going anywhere on its own.

They were both pretty happy to get back to the van and feel the air moving on them.  When we got home, they both took decidedly long naps.  I think we'll try the trail again, but probably on a slightly cooler day!

A Lovely Spring Stroll

Friday Mr. Taleteller took the day off and joined Blueberry, Bunny and me for a hike on the I&M Canal Trail.  Our walk was a delightful Spring walk filled with things the girls enjoyed sniffing and lots of sights to see.  It's got some neat history to it.

The I&M Canal was created as a thoroughfare from Chicago to downstate Illinois.  It was somewhat prosperous until the railroads were built across the country and made travel and commerce much easier.  The railroads pretty much shut down the canals.  The boats that were used were somewhat flat bottomed and had no sails, motors or paddlewheels.  Instead they were pulled along by mules.

Last year they reopened the canal with a boat that volunteers made as a reproduction of the ones that used to travel the canal.  Mr. Taleteller and I rode on the boat last year with my sister, dad and stepmom.  It was really educational and interesting.  They still pull the boat with mules, too.  The reproduction is named The Volunteer.  People in period dress tell different facts about the boats and canal as you ride up to the lock.  The trail winds along beside the canal and offers wonderful biking and walking.  It was a very nice day to be out and we're looking forward to heading back at some point. 

Funny How Things Sneak Up On You...

Two years ago, I was extremely spoiled in the dog walking department.  My first greyhound, Treat, was the perfect first greyhound.  She'd raced just long enough to have excellent leash manners and to be able to appreciate the cushy life of retirement.  Walking her was a dream.  Most of the time, you never knew she was on the other end of the leash.  She naturally walked right beside me and loved to walk.  If she had to choose between walking and breathing air, she'd have chosen to walk.  Hawk was very skittish and constantly tried to herd us home, so we got to the point where it wasn't worth the fight.  Lilac was a bit older when we got her and wasn't used to walking.  She just didn't have the stamina and she moved at a snail's pace.  Blueberry is a sweetheart, but she is not a good walker.  She's all over the place and it's a constant battle between us about where to walk, how fast to walk and it ends up with one or both of us sulking.
After Treat died, a part of me never wanted another dog and the other part really needed another dog.  After we decided to get another greyhound, I felt immensely better about life.  My plan was to get another dog around the age that Treat was when we got her, which was just shy of four years old.  That seems to be the magic age when they settle down, lose the puppy foolishness and their brain grows in.  They're very trainable at that age and I figured that I'd get a dog who still had energy and stamina, but wasn't too crazy.  When we went to the adoption kennel, we met a lot of dogs and most of them were around that age.  Not a single one of them really showed a particular interest in me, however, and Blueberry let it be known that she was not even slightly impressed by any of them.  Then, finally, they let us meet a dog they'd just gotten in and knew very little about.  I fell for Bunny right away and she fell for us, too.  It was really hard to leave her there at the kennel as we waited for her spay surgery.

A few weeks later, we returned to pick her up and we brought her home.  Did I mention that she was just a puppy at eighteen months old?  Most of the time, you can't tell how young she is by her behavior.  However, one thing became painfully obvious when we stopped at the dog bakery to celebrate her arrival home.  Bunny had hardly any experience walking on a leash.  It would have been easier to walk a trout down the street than it was to walk Bunny.  I began to suspect that a pony took over her body when we walked out the back door with her leash on, since she'd rear up on her back legs and buck around.  As soon as the collar would tighten on her neck in the slightest, she balked. 

I began to despair about having a walking partner.  She was as close to perfect in every other aspect, but that was one area that needed improvement.  Most of that first summer, we did hardly any walking.  In the fall, we went to a greyhound reunion and bought a wonderful invention.  Bunny got her first Wiggles, Wags and Whiskers harness.  It was amazing how much it curbed her pulling, right from the get go.  She was a bit uncertain about it, but she began to get more comfortable with it. 

Later that fall, we began obedience classes and Bunny learned where she was supposed to walk and what she was supposed do to.  She still wasn't keen on doing it without the training collar on, however.  When we went places, we still opted for the harness since she behaved so well in it, and because I've read that it's better for dogs, particularly greyhounds, to walk in a harness as opposed to a collar. 

This Spring we've become a lot more committed to walking.  I noticed something this Spring, too.  Bunny has become an excellent walker.  I'm not sure when, how or why it happened, but she's become a dream to walk.  Part of it might be age, she did turn three in November, and certainly, there's been more experience being on a leash.  I also feel like she's really becoming an extension of my arm, much like Treat used to be.  I'm finally really feeling like we're ready to try the therapy dog test and see where the chips fall.  I think she's finally become the perfect dog, but please don't tell her I said that.  It'll go straight to her head!  And for those worried about her interest in horses, she is very keen and goes into stalking mode, but she doesn't go crazy or actually try to go after them.  She has done a wonderful job of staying in control.

Walking With Royalty

I suppose it was bound to happen.  I used to refer to Treat as a social butterfly.  There were no strangers in the world, just people her highness had not formally been introduced to yet.  Now that my walks with Bunny and Blueberry have become regular again and the weather has begun to warm up, things are changing.  They may become more famous than Treat was, but I haven't had anyone gasp at a dinner party at a greyhound gathering over either of them yet. 

When I was walking Bunny during the cold, it wasn't an issue because few people were out walking besides us and those who were out were heavily bundled up which isn't too conducive to stopping to chat.  I should also mention for those who don't know that we live in a very small village, population 2500 the last I heard, but I'm sure that includes a lot of the rural farm population and possibly a few pigs.  It's like living in Mayberry and we enjoy it here for the most part.  While we are not natives to the village, many of the people here are quite friendly and chatty.  You never pass someone on the street without at least saying hello. 

Perhaps you already see where this is leading.  The girls have already won over quite a few people out on our walks.  Everyone we pass seems to know them by name.  I doubt that anyone knows my name, but that's quite alright.  I suspect that I wouldn't even be recognized without one of the dogs on a leash at my side.  Wherever we go, I now here people calling greetings, mainly to Bunny, who dutifully stops and accepts their attention.  It has firmly reinforced the idea in her head that everyone in the world is waiting for their turn to pet her. 

It's not so great for me, since I'm walking for exercise, but there seems to be no end in sight.  It does strike me as a reminder of how much Treat opened the world to me.  I'm generally a shy, quiet person, but there's something about having a dog with you that seems to make you more approachable, and honestly, it's not difficult to get me to talk about my dogs, either.  It wasn't as if I felt that I was left out before I had dogs, but having them certainly makes me see and experience things that I wouldn't have otherwise.  Walking a little slower is a small price to pay for that.  We wouldn't want to disappoint their loyal subjects!

Merrily We Stroll Along

Walking in our neighborhood is an enjoyable experience for the most part. Somehow, though, throwing two grehounds into the mix makes things infinitely more interesting. Two different styles of walking could not be found. Bunny is always eager to go. As soon as I pick up her harness, she is dancing around, barely able to be still long enough for me to put it on. It is at this point that Blueberry enters the fray. She, too, is all shades of excited, however, I am hesitant to take her. Blueberry and I have a long history over her walks. If I zig, she zags -- if I am trying to move forward, she has to stop and sniff the flowers -- if I want her on my left, she will always end up on my right. I dearly love her, but she has never been easy to walk. She also has never seemed to have the stamina for it. So, as I get ready to go for a walk, Blueberry walks between Bunny and me and gazes up at me, very soulfully. Guilt kicks in.

Me: Blue, we're going for a walk, you don't like walks.

Blueberry: I never get to do anything!

Me: That's not true, but when I take you, we always end up having a problem.

Blueberry: Oh, I see! You just love Bunny more. Woe. Is. Me.

Me: Blue, come on! Don't be like that! You'll get exhausted and I can't carry you back home.

Blueberry: I've been working out!

Me (suspiciously): Running in and messing up our bed at night is not working out.

Blueberry: Please, please, please!

At this point, she breaks through, barrels past me and stands at the door wagging her tail wildly. I know two things in this scenario. One, she is going to sulk outrageously if I don't put a leash on her and two, if i take her, I am going to end up tired and frustrated on the walk. Sadly for me, I seem to be unable to resist this one small request of hers. I know that she needs exercise and that it will make her happy to go along with us. She really does ask for very little from us. So, I give in and grab a leash for her.


In the beginning, it's all sunshine and roses. Both girls have tails wagging and the thrill of what we might encounter makes everyone's steps light. As we get to the end of our street, Blueberry is suddenly walking quietly beside me while Bunny continues to forge ahead. I try to keep Blue enthusiastic and moving along. Another two blocks and her tongue begins to loll out of her mouth. I try to sound upbeat and cheerful. As we arrive at the park, Blue is now walking behind me, switching sides on occasion so that I have to keep switching the leash back and forth to keep her moving. Bunny is now intent on the park, ecstatic with the knowledge that there might be kids to pet her, pee mail to sniff, possibly a dog to greet, and maybe even a toad to catch by the creek. Her little feet begin to dance on the sidewalk and she prances over to the grass to get to her destination even quicker. I drift over into the grass, hoping to cut corners a little and make it a tad easier on Blueberry. Finally, we reach Bunny's favorite spot to sniff and leave pee mail and Blue gets a few seconds' reprieve.

By now Blue's tongue is hanging out nearly to the sidewalk. Walking has never been her forte and now that she's getting a little older, it is even less so. Still, she doesn't want to be left behind. She soldiers on. As we leave the park, it begins to become ridiculous. I will say here, for the record, that I strongly believe that a lot of this is for dramatic purposes and that I do not believe it is possible for a brief walk to overexert a hound to this degree. This is the point, as we slowly walk up the gentle hill where her sides begin to heave. She walks as far behind me as the leash will allow. A desperate gasp escapes her lips. I look at her and realize that I have lost the battle yet again. I don't think she realizes how lucky she is to be born during the age of cell phones.

I pull out my cell phone and call Husband. I explain that I need him to come and pick up his dog in the van. He doesn't even ask where we are. The scenario has played out enough times that he knows where we will be sitting on the edge of the sidewalk like poor, shiftless drifters. A few minutes pass and he arrives. I open the door and suddenly Blue jumps in with remarkable enthusiasm. Bunny looks in the van and then hopefully down the street. I tell her to make up her mind. I see her weighing the option of greeting Husband and going for ride versus the possibility of being petted by someone she has yet to be formally introduced to, since there are no strangers in her world. Blueberry sighs from the back seat of the van and Bunny decides she doesn't want to miss an opportunity like a drive through window. We both get in and she stands between Husband and I, excited to see what might be out there.

Maybe it would be easier to just pile them into the car and go for a ride. Is exercise really that overrated?

A Tail of Two Bunnies

As some may know, and some may not, one of the greyhounds I share my life with is a young two-year-old hound named Bunny. She is a very good girl and is extremely mellow, most of the time. She never raced, I imagine because she is so petite and as a result, she did not come to us as, ahem, easy to walk on the leash as the retired racers that we've adopted. We're working on the issue, and she's come a long way from the leaping trout at the end of the line that she once was. I am in the process of losing some weight from stress eating the last few months and I've decided to be a lot more diligent about taking walks. Bunny is a great companion for this. She's always enthusiastic about going for walks, a lot like Treat was. The other hounds here are less enthusiastic about walking. I get ready and it goes a bit like this:

Me: Who wants to go for a walk?

Bunny: Me me me! There might be people out there who want to pet me!

Lilac: I'm an old lady and my feet hurt! Can't I nap in peace?

Bunny: Pick me! (now dancing in circles) I want to go!

Hawk: My God, the sky could fall at any minute! No way am I going out there! (As he hides in the crate.)

Bunny: ME! Here I am! People are out there waiting for me! (Now at the back door.)

Blueberry: Well, how far are you going to go? I don't want to miss anything, but a lady never works up a sweat...

Me: Okay, Bunny, lets go!

Bunny: Smell you old farts later! I'm going with Mom and people are going to pet me!

This has all been well and good for several weeks, but last week, Bunny met her arch nemisis in our backyard. Perhaps some of you may be familiar with him. He is quite a rascal.




This little fellow has been taunting Bunny from behind the turn out pen for a week now. She would love to get better acquainted with him. It also appears that he and his friends and family have been multiplying, well, like rabbits! They are all over the neighborhood all of a sudden. So, everyday, Bunny heads outside and she is on full alert, in case he's out there.


At first I thought it was simply youthful curiosity on Bunny's part, but then I realized he'd created a serious faux paws. He'd insulted her by giving the rabbit version of flipping the bird, as seen here. He lives to taunt this innocent little puppy. It really is a sad state of the world when those flea-bitten varmints get so uppity that they think they can sit outside a young greyhound's turn out pen and distract said hound from even taking care of business out there. I have a feeling that Bunny is not the only greyhound, or even the only dog suffering this indignity at the moment, but she's not aware of this. She is also not taking this lying down. Bunny has gone on full alert and she is ready to teach those devils in fur suits a lesson. If only she could get close enough. I suspect that one of these days it will happen.

She is definitely on watch now. At first it was just when we'd go out the back door to the turn out pen. Then, one day this week, one of the cheeky little critters leapt out of a shrub as we were walking, did a little rabbity dance in front of her and then skedaddled off. I don't think he was taunting her at that moment, he was probably showing off for some doe that looked like Jessica Rabbit and couldn't help himself. Spring has sprung in a big way here this week. Bunny, however, takes it as a personal affront that he would taunt her so cruelly.

So, now is she not only on the lookout, she has her nose to the ground, sniffing out where they've been and where they might turn up. They do not disappoint her. Those rabbits leap out in front of us several times on every walk that we take. I see Bunny trying to work out in her brain how that rabbit can get around the neighborhood so quickly. It hasn't occurred to her yet that he brought all his friends and cousins with him when the warm weather hit. I'm not sure I want her to figure it out. The fact that they're everywhere might haunt her puppy dreams and terrorize the sweet little pup. For now I'll let her believe that there's only one until she gives up her belief in Santa Paws and the Easter Bunny.

Thursday was the last straw for her though. One leaped out from a shrub, right under her nose. If I hadn't been walking her in a harness, she would have had him. She leaped and then barked her threats after his insult. His eyes got huge, like a cartoon character, before he retreated around the house, probably to leave a pile of rabbit pellets and collapse to recover from his racing heart. She was so close to catching him.

Hopefully he spread the news around the neighborhood that there's a new hound in town, who might be faster than a speeding rabbit. For now, Bunny is dreaming about the day she runs free of the leash and the rabbits finally learn their lesson. I'm dreaming of the day when the rabbits shake off this Spring Fever and we can walk in peace again.