One wonderful old Greyhound started it all

Some of us, sometimes think of good projects we really want to do. We make the plans, take the first steps towards the goal but then... Life somehow intervenes. More urgent things arise or we of the flighty thoughts get distracted by something else just a bit more shiny. It was over a year ago when I conceived of this pet project, more accurately a project involving pets. I set up this blog to promote the versatility of Greyhounds. Had planned for my first post to be about the most unexpected thing I had found after adopting my first Greyhounds. That entry was not actually going to be anything about my first Greyhound though but instead about the second Grey I adopted. My first Greyhound was a little, dark brindle female. She is a great dog and has proved that contrary to what I had read in various sources, Greyhound are not difficult to train. In fact, these are some of the easiest to train dogs I have ever worked with. She has come farther and done more than I could ever have imagined. She will be the subject of a future post but not this one. She was a part of but not the major inspiration for this long delayed project.

The idea was actually planted by the amazing versatility displayed by my second Greyhound, the sweet and wonderfully surprising Luke. His racing name was Alabama Duke and he was called Duke when I adopted him at 10 years old. Luke appeared to be happy being fully retired with no particular job. Actually, that was a factor in adopting him. I thought there would be no incentive nor strong need to split my training time and money between the two dogs. The senior could just lounge at home or ride along and hang out, his choice. When it turned out he enjoyed people and going places though, I thought perhaps he could be a therapy dog. My first Grey, as much as I loved her, is a bit on the timid side and just not outgoing enough to be good therapy dog material. Many other Greyhounds though are very people oriented but in a calmer, less exuberant way than some other breeds. At the same time, they are usually tall enough to visit people in their beds while still keeping four on the floor. These qualities can make them excellent candidates for a new career in pet therapy.

Therapy work is something many pet dogs with good temperaments can do but it really requires more than just a friendly hound. Good manners & obedience are very important. The first step in preparing for therapy dog work is learning basic obedience. Luke took to this training with surprising enthusiasm. Of course, Luke took to any activity that involved food. However, he caught on to marker/clicker training in a way and to a degree I would never in a million years have expected from an outwardly sedentary, senior Greyhound who had first had to learn how to learn. Plus, he went on to show that he enjoyed working for his rewards. By all appearances, he was much more enthused, showed much more enjoyment when he had actually earned a treat rather just being handed one. The mental stimulation seemed to be good for him, helping to make him brighter, happier & more alert.

At this point though, I should state that Luke was already working to get his treats even before I started training him. Luke arrived at our house as a very practiced beggar. He worked hard sniffing everything to find a hidden treat. This hound would go above and beyond to convince everyone currently possessing, having recently possessed or merely been nearby food that he really had never been fed ever in his entire life and very, very, very much needed your food and then some more. "Please, sir, I want some more." The only hard part of training my old man for therapy work was teaching him not to go for any food he found.

So here is what I had originally written over a year ago for what was supposed to be the start of this blog:

Luke seems to be proving that lifelong learning helps keep you young. Luke was a bounce, returned to SEGA at the tender age of 10 years old at which point I was lucky enough to adopt him. Though a wonderful guy and very well mannered, I still decided some training was a good idea. He was a quick study on all the basic obedience commands and within a few months he had both his CGC, the AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate, and his TDI certification for Therapy Dogs International. The test staff were impressed when they learned his age & found out his story. Luke does therapy dog visits to a nursing home each month. He also does several Meet & Greets each month to help spread the good word on how wonderful Greyhounds are and to promote adoption.

Luke's 12th birthday is Jan 27, 2009. I am so happy my elder statesman is still bouncy, playful, always eager to train & have fun. Though he has some arthritis he doesn't let it stop him. We just keep his age and creeky joints in mind when we are working. Lately he has taken up a new hobby. Luke didn't like being left behind when I took the girls to training classes so I enrolled him in an Intro Agility class. I figured he'd basically trot around the ring while I doled out treats just because he looked cute. That would have been enough to make him happy, I thought. Luke decided it was more fun to actually work for his treats & now he keeps everyone in class smiling at the old dude who loves to learn new stuff.

Luke remained in intro agility for many more months after I wrote that. True to his senior status though, his favorite piece of equipment became the pause table. We jokingly started calling it Luke's treat dispenser. He remained the most enthusiastic dog in class until advancing arthritis eventually forced retirement. Occasionally though I would pull out some practice equipment & invite him to play. He was always thrilled with his short sessions. Our wonderful old man turned 13 this year, looking greyer, moving slower, sleeping longer. Still he enjoyed a good game of gentle tug & would bounce on slightly shaky legs across the room to grab a stuffed toy I threw, then trot back by me offering it again for tug.

Earlier this year I attended a K9 Nose Works seminar with my youngest hound. It is a version of scent detection training geared to the average person and their pets. This fun, reward based activity starts with dogs finding treats or toys, whichever they work best for, inside cardboard boxes. Of course I came home, set up training sessions & let Luke give it a try. He loved it! He would get so excited, his nearly prehensile nose twitching rapidly, trying so hard to move quickly from box to box that his legs tended to get a bit tangled up. No bother to Luke. He just stumbled on to the next box. At this point Luke had lost much of his hearing and I believe his vision was a bit diminished but that sniffer still worked like a charm and we had now found his new favorite game.

From racing to promoting Greyhound adoption to basic obedience to pet therapy to agility to scent work to being a most wonderful friend and companion, Luke proved that Greyhounds in addition to their other fabulous qualities love a good game and are very versatile indeed. Even more, Luke embodied what I have espoused for quite a while. Senior dogs have tremendous potential and yes, great versatility as well. Do not let the grey faces or slightly cloudy eyes fool you. They have the smarts and desire to play and work. Give them a chance and you will be rewarded tenfold by watching the joy of a senior being allowed to use their smarts and find fun new ways to play.

"Luke" Alabama Duke 1/27/1997-6/29/2010

Portrait by Anne Houben http://www.windhonden.net/webshop_en/

We were blessed to have Luke in our lives for three years. He was a joy and a wonder. Early this morning we said goodbye to my beloved old man. Farewell my friend. Thank you, Sir Luke, for sharing your love, joy and infectious enthusiasm with us. You will be missed more than I can ever express.

Thank you, Rita, for this beautiful card in memory of Luke.