You can't see me...

Sweet Frio has found yet another way to get comfortable...or "hide" from the humans and resident hounds. This boy is such a calm, affectionate sweetheart. He loves to play with toys and the other hounds, or run in the yard for quick bursts, but then he's all about resuming the couch potato lifestyle. Especially if there's a nice human to cuddle with.

Frio's week

The pic above proves that Frio doesn't spend ALL his time sleeping. He just loves to be comfy! Frio went on a home visit this weekend but it was not the home for him. He continues to be a very calm, loving, easygoing boy with no behavior concerns.

Relaxed

I think Frio is relaxed in his foster home. Being such a cute, sweet boy is hard work. This boy loves to roach (and is not at all modest...) :)

Welcome, Frio!

Frio is back through no fault of his own and has been one chill, sweet pup in his new foster home. He loves all comfortable surfaces and is learning which ones are off limits to those with 4 feet. He gets along well with the humans and resident hounds and loves to cuddle.

Frio's Weekend

This guy has embraced retirement FULLY. It's almost 3 weeks since he came, and he's passing every hurdle home-life has thrown at him!

When he came, he was quite a counter surfer - no more.

When he came, he didn't understand the idea of indoors-is-clean. He hasn't had a housebreaking accident in 10 days - maybe more.

When he came, he really really didn't like stairs. Now, he does them on his own volition.

He's calm in the crate but does not need to be crated. Most of the time he's loose in part of my home behind a baby gate and without a muzzle now. He's behaved perfectly. I still crate him occasionally so he stays comfortable with it, but I doubt it'll be necessary once he settles into his new home.

This BRAVE boy has overcome several fears, and here's a video showing him with a noisy vacuum cleaner now. He used to run off!! The soft whirring in the background is actually a very loud vacuum.

Frio pretty much went straight to his vetting surgery when he arrived in Nashville, so he never got his post-retirement bath... until today!! His stitches came out on Thursday so it was time to suds-up today!!

Whattaguy - he was his usual perfect. And now he's even more handsomer, lol!! He is the deepest red color I've ever seen in a greyhound.

When I try to think of lessons he has yet to learn, I can't think of any. He's jumped in the van. He doesn't try to get on furniture. He's calm and sweet and not pushy. I guess we'll see what happens with the inevitable fireworks this week.

Frio is everything a greyhound should be.

Frio's Guide to Becoming a Post-Retirement Vegetable

Umm, Frio here...

I thought there should be a training manual to help us retirees figure out all the new things in our new kennels... I mean in our new homes. Sorry.

I wanted to donate the chapter on napping. It just comes naturally to me and I've been here a week now, so I think I'm an expert.

Ahem...

First, you have to find the best bed. That can take some time, and you may have to work around other greyhounds, but you'll finally pick one. SCORE!

This is My Bed. If you're looking for me, check here first.

In this picture, I'm demonstrating The Curl - resting (of course), but awake and keeping up with everything. Do this just long enough to be sure your nap won't be disturbed. Then you can close your eyes.

Here I demonstrate that sleep can be achieved from any angle. It doesn't matter where your butt is. The important thing is to sleep. Soundly.

In fact, as long as any part of your body is on your bed, it's still your bed. And you can still snooze.

And, I STRONGLY deny that I fell out of bed... vicious rumors started by others who want My Bed. :-o

Sharing a bed with your friends is possible. Here I allowed my new friend Ess to use one corner of My Bed and my legs as a pillow.

I'm very generous.

Note that I'm still asleep.

Parental warning - PG-13 photo! - or maybe I'm R-rated? :-o

Hey, I'm the handsomeness hound in the world so here I am! This is called a Flag Roach. It means I'm really really relaxed. Of course.

This concludes my chapter on greyhound napping. I hope it will help lots of greyhounds who come after me. It's a very important skill for every greyhound to learn.

Well, I'm exhausted. I need a nap.

It's been 7 days

Frio has been here a week, and he has really taken to life at home. He's learned the house routine very quickly.

Social skills - does very well with my own hounds. He respects their territory and food dishes. He's a little reserved with humans he doesn't know, but he's very affectionate once he knows you. He's not likely to be a greyhound to ever jump on you.

Housebreaking - Frio has figured this out perfectly! Initially (fresh from neutering) he did mark so had a belly band, but that's over and his manners are great!

Crating - he is calm in a crate. I've left him, alone, up to 5 hours with no problems. The last few days, when I've left the house, I've left him babygated with 2 of my hounds. I'm delighted to say, he's done GREAT! No soiling. No chewing. Nothing wrong when I got home. This is where he is when I leave :-)

Stuffies - Yes. Frio absolutely likes stuffies. 'nuff said.

Stairs - Stairs have been a challenge. Frio mastered the outside deck stairs fairly quickly. He's not excited about them, but will do them on his own. The inside stairs have been much more of a hurdle for him. He will use them now, when the other hounds are going up and down, but sometimes he's still afraid of them.

Frio stopped racing because of a broken hock. The fracture was casted, and he convalesced at the farm before moving to adoption. The leg has healed - he doesn't limp - he runs - but I think it may contribute to his hesitancy on stairs.

Car rides - Frio is more settled riding in the van now. He has not yet jumped in on his own - I have to lift his back end. Again, I'm not sure if this is because of the hock injury or just his natural reserve about new things.

Yard appreciation - throwing this picture in to show his old hock injury does NOT slow him down!!

Appliances - big TV's, vacuums, noisy things... are still a little scary but not as much as a week ago.

For a guy that's only been in this strange new world a week, Frio is settling VERY nicely! He's been an easy foster, and will only get better :-)

TGI Sunday

Frio met lots of people and greyhounds at his first M&G yesterday!! He was a little anxious - panting - but he's only been out in the pet world for 4 days so that's not really unexpected.

He met several small dogs at PetSmart, too, and either ignored them or just glanced at them and kept walking. One little guy even got several Frio kisses - cautiously!! It's possible he'll be small-dog tolerant but he needs to meet more to be sure.

He was greyt with the other greyhounds. Here he's looking for friendship with Oprah!

Frio was a little more reserved with human strangers. While he's not shy, he doesn't go up to strangers and snuggle at this point. Who are all these people?!?!?!

He was more relaxed in the van, and laid down for the ride home.

Frio was a pooped greyhound when we got home, and napped most of the rest of the afternoon. Frio LOVES the soft beds - all of them!!

When he woke up, he was rewarded for his long day with a treat, and he wasn't too tired to chew!!

For a guy less than a week off the track, and 5 days after his vetting surgery, Frio did GREYT at his first M&G!! He's learning fast, and watching him grow into the magnificent pet he will be, is a real treat for me :-)

Meet Frio at the M&G tomorrow!

Frio is "the new guy" in Nashville - he just came this last weekend and is learning all about life in a home. He's a doll!!

OK... he's a handsome doll :-)

Well, he's really stunning actually.

But looks aren't everything and Frio is quite a nice fellow, too! He's getting along perfectly with my own hounds. He's social, but not pushy. Frio is a fairly calm boy for just 2 1/2 years old. He wants so much to please :-)

And he can sit! Sorta ;-)

Frio will be at the 100 Oaks M&G tomorrow til around 1 PM. Come meet him!

Getting settled

Frio had his vetting 2 days ago, and came home with me yesterday. He's a gorgeous red fawn with a beautiful face, and a very... very... short tail!! At this point, we don't know the story behind the tail but the good news is that he'll never have "happy tail" problems!

Before leaving the clinic, I let him meet our clinic cats and, despite testing not-cat-safe in Birmingham, he acted afraid of them and didn't try to hurt them at all. We'll see how he does with more cats and maybe he'll be ok.

Frio wanted to drive - and drive fast!! "Faster faster faster!!!" Nope, sorry, Frio. He did finally settle in the back.

When we got home, introductions went pretty well. Frio was great with my hounds, and he really likes Rising!

Frio is a social boy, not shy. He respects others' space, and hasn't been pushy with me. He understand "no" and "stop", and is learning nicely.

Yard time was greyt! He could show off his handsomeness!!

And then there's all those new smells to take in...

It was a HUGE day for Frio - a completely new world for him - and by evening he was pooped. He loves those soft beds already!

He's quite a nice boy, and I think he's going to settle into pet-life very nicely :-)

Frio comes to Nashville

This handsome fella came to Nashville on June 16th.

Hitchin' a Ride to Nashville!

Every hound that hitch hikes a ride home with me from the track always grabs my heart but Frio was just so happy. As we were leaving the track Frio looked a little unsure of what exactly was going on...

And as we were driving out of the front gates of the track George Michael's song Freedom came on and I was able to get this great shot of Frio enjoying his new found freedom. It was so sweet!

His excitement was rather short lived. He snoozed the rest of the way home. LOL

Since I am unable to foster at the moment, driving to the track and donating to 401(G)rey allows me to still be helpful.

Love these hounds!

Jennifer Norton & Quixote

While Frio isn't the most accomplished racer he had a shining moment or two. One was on August 11th 2012 where he ran a excellent race with a decisive win. You can watch that race at Track Info.

Frio is quick to point out that you do not have to be the best racer to be the best pet and he is determined to prove that to all the fans.