Frederick is a charming, laid-back Greyhound. He is in his second home now, and he is very happy there.
He has a sofa to sprawl on, room to run outdoors, and every day, he gets to pursue his favorite hobby:
Driveway NASCAR.
On hot days, Frederick camps out on the cool cement floor of the open garage. Despite his lack of a visible timepiece, the Rolex in his brain has his family’s schedule memorized.
At around 4:30 pm, when the sun hovers just above the tallest trees, Frederick stretches, yawns, rises, and stands, ears alert and haunches poised. Sure enough, the family SUV appears far down the long gravel driveway.
Ready. Set. Frederick launches from his post.
A blur of Greyhound lifts dust from the stones. The car slows as the driver spots the dog. Fred veers to the rear bumper, head down, in full chase mode. Inside the car, you can see the owner’s terrified face as she rolls the window down, shrieking “No, Fred, no! Get away! Go home! Go! Go!”
Her frantic screams, of course, do absolutely nothing.
Now, we know that Greyhounds are sight hounds, though admittedly the Chevy Tahoe is a far cry from a chipmunk. So the appearance of an object speeding by awakens his deep, inner need to pursue it.
Yet, we also know that repeating this pattern of chase/yell/near-collision is not fixing the problem.
This is an issue of an error in perception.
Frederick seems to think that chasing is the only thing that impels the car – with his pack members – to come home. We had to convince Fred that the car would successfully make it up the driveway, even if unaccompanied by a canine escort.
Here’s what we did:
1. We taught Frederick to Sit and Stay in his garage spot.
2. We praised him like crazy for holding the Stay.
3. We enlisted the assistance of a willing neighbor, who drove the SUV, inch by inch, up the driveway.
4. If Fred moved, the car stopped.
5. We reminded him to Sit and Stay. Good dog!
6. We repeated 1-5 until the car made it all the way up to the garage without Frederick’s help.
NOTE: If you are considering adopting a Greyhound of your own, please contact the wonderful people at Forever Home Greyhounds. They will help match you up with the perfect dog to complete your family.
In memory of Kramer
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