Notice anything?

It doesn't stop me from playing.

But it's new, so I'm not sure I like it, and I think I'll try to bite it off.

OK.  So I'm a pumpkin.

But I'm a GREYT pumpkin!

Eat your hearts out, you flashy parti-hounds.

I'm naturally fashionably seasonal!

Some pictures

Once a hound settles into their foster home, there usually isn't a lot of news.  That's actually a good thing!  So here are a few pictures of Essie from the last 4 weeks.

A portrait of a precious pixie girl...

Not shy with other greyhounds...

Running to me joyfully when I called her name...

The girl roaches!!!

Essie also chatters but you can't photograph that!

The flower blooms

Essie has lost 99% of her shyness here at the house.  She comes to me on her own, and she's coming when called, too.  She knows her name!  She plays hard with stuffies.  She's around me all the time.

In the morning, Essie will fly up onto my bed to tell me it's time to get up (I'm now telling her to get down - not working very well, lol).  Her future home would be wise to accept this - she's just joyful in her morning enthusiasm!

She is very tolerant of me touching her, hugging her, ear scritches and really most any contact.  And she nitted this morning!

Yea, Essie!

Essie is still very uneasy with the big TV on.  She can be sound asleep and zooms off when she hears the sound!!  She doesn't come back til the TV is off.

Still working on that  :-))

She was ok with houseguests.  She ducked contact at first but did warm up through the visit.

We're about 95% on housebreaking, but she's made great progress and most of her accidents are when I'm gone too long.  Essie has house privileges now and is doing well!

Essie's very competitive for treats and isn't hesitant to step in front of the other hounds to be first in line.  She's also taken a treat out of the mouth of another hound more than once - danger danger!!

Such a sweet sweet little girl  :-o

Essie's first M&G

I've been distracted and haven't posted about Essie's first M&G last Saturday!  Bad foster mom!!  She did pretty well actually - better than I expected for a shy girl on her first outing  :-))

Essie rides well in the car.  She hops in and out without hesitation, and when we're moving, she looks out and settles down without a lot of fuss.

At the M&G, she was nervous, but not in a panic.  She allowed petting a few times.

Mostly, though, she avoided eye contact.  She'd look at the other hounds, or out to the parking lot, but not at people. 

Essie did get to explore the store, and she really liked that - not hesitant at all.  Now she know where food and toys are born  :-)))

It will always take Essie some time to warm up to people, so her "first impression" is going to be hard to overcome when other, more social, hounds are wagging and leaning into strangers.  I told Essie that a special family will see her for the treasure she is, so not to worry.  Someday she, too, will have her forever home.

Don't tell the foster police ;-o

Essie has been making some real progress overcoming her natural reserve with humans!  She's much more accepting of petting, and being approached, and I've actually been blessed with a small slurpy kiss!!

Imagine my surprise when this precious little girl decided to hop up on my bed!!

She explored (yes, she was standing on the nightstand).

And then she settled right down and made herself at home.  Triple approved :-))

Normally I would have shoo'ed her off the bed but I was really thrilled to see her do that and didn't want to discourage her from socializing :-))  Yea, Essie!!

Hello. I'm, ummmm, Essie...

Essie, day 1

Hello, ummm, goodbye...
:::duck and run:::

Ummm...  :::blink blink:::   Are you looking at me?  Stop it.
:::duck and run:::  again

Stop staring and I might stay in the same room with you, but don't touch me, don't come near me, and don't turn on that loud picture box.  :::pant pant:::

Essie, day 9

OK, this isn't end-of-world bad.  Just normal average scary.

I have friends.

I found some toys and they're crazy-fun.

Beds are nice and soft.

The sun is so sweet.

And, if you're real slow, and everything's quiet, maybe I'll let you touch me now.

Foster-mom here... 

Essie is one of those greyhounds you want to hug and cuddle and protect because everything seems so scary to her.  She's settling in pretty well, and has made measurable progress in the 9 days she's been here.  I can sometimes walk right up to her now, and she seems to enjoy some petting, too.  She's almost always in the same room I'm in, unless the TV is on.   That is still an evil monster.

Although she was thought to be not-cat-safe at MSGAO, she was completely non-aggressive with the cats at the clinic.

Essie has not yet "gone" on lead, probably because she's too nervous, so she will probably do best with a fenced yard.  She's still having some "accidents" here, so we're working on that.

She eats well, crates well, and does stairs beautifully.  Essie will always take some time to warm up to people but when she does, I expect her to be devoted to her family.