Introducing.... PANDA!
We adopted Panda in February of 2019 from the Greyhound Adoption Center. We brought our two other dogs to the facility in hopes that they would help us pick another hound to fit in with our little pack. The others are greyhounds too - we love these quirky creatures and the thought of saving another one from the brutal life and death at the track makes it easy to bring another one home. Plus, they are lovely creatures.
When we got to the rescue center, they asked us what we were looking for. We replied that we really just wanted to find a dog who got along with Frankie (female) and Walter. They would decide. So, they brought us Panda. He is a very tall, black, two-year old male who seemed very friendly. Once all three dogs had spent a few minutes sniffing it out, they signed and lay down on the grass together. That was that - it was a match. The rescue rep asked if we would like to see another dog and I said "I guess not". Everyone was content. So, we made arrangements to take Panda home two weeks later.
The day that we picked up Panda from the rescue, among the supplies that they gave us were some herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety collars. We asked - "is he anxious? "And they said, "oh, he's just Panda". We also asked if they knew why he had spent nine months in the center without being adopted. They replied that they didn't really know. They also gave us his paperwork and family tree, and mentioned that one of the male dogs in the bloodline had something called PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy. They explained that it's just something to be aware of, he probably doesn't have it, but it is hereditary, so you never know. And with that, we took Panda home.
For some background information, a greyhound from the track has never lived anywhere but in a crate. He has never been a pet or been loved. He has not seen a mirror, stairs, grass, a pool, a horse, the ocean. It's normal for a newly adopted greyhound to be anxious, to fall down the stairs or into the pool. It's normal for him to bark at his reflection in the mirror or sliding glass door. As a new owner, you introduce the dog to these things slowly, one by one, and help him understand his new environment.
Since Panda is the 4th greyhound that we have adopted, we were ready to deal with all of these things. He fell down the stairs. He fell into the pool. He barked at his reflection. But three days after we brought him home, he was playing with Frankie in the yard, and ran full speed into a palm tree. This is when we realized that something was not right.
When we got to the rescue center, they asked us what we were looking for. We replied that we really just wanted to find a dog who got along with Frankie (female) and Walter. They would decide. So, they brought us Panda. He is a very tall, black, two-year old male who seemed very friendly. Once all three dogs had spent a few minutes sniffing it out, they signed and lay down on the grass together. That was that - it was a match. The rescue rep asked if we would like to see another dog and I said "I guess not". Everyone was content. So, we made arrangements to take Panda home two weeks later.The day that we picked up Panda from the rescue, among the supplies that they gave us were some herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety collars. We asked - "is he anxious? "And they said, "oh, he's just Panda". We also asked if they knew why he had spent nine months in the center without being adopted. They replied that they didn't really know. They also gave us his paperwork and family tree, and mentioned that one of the male dogs in the bloodline had something called PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy. They explained that it's just something to be aware of, he probably doesn't have it, but it is hereditary, so you never know. And with that, we took Panda home.
For some background information, a greyhound from the track has never lived anywhere but in a crate. He has never been a pet or been loved. He has not seen a mirror, stairs, grass, a pool, a horse, the ocean. It's normal for a newly adopted greyhound to be anxious, to fall down the stairs or into the pool. It's normal for him to bark at his reflection in the mirror or sliding glass door. As a new owner, you introduce the dog to these things slowly, one by one, and help him understand his new environment.
Since Panda is the 4th greyhound that we have adopted, we were ready to deal with all of these things. He fell down the stairs. He fell into the pool. He barked at his reflection. But three days after we brought him home, he was playing with Frankie in the yard, and ran full speed into a palm tree. This is when we realized that something was not right.
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