Introductions Please

So, I'm giving myself a crash course in blogging, and thought the most logical place to start would be with introductions. My name is Kristin, and from day one, I was an animal lover. My first word may well have been, "Woof!" We had an assortment of pets when I was a child, including a cat named Frisky, a not-so-friendly Pekingese dog named Charlie, and at one time, two male gerbils, which turned out to be a male and a female gerbil. (Gerbils were a learning experience for me. You get the picture.)

I figured one day I might choose veterinary medicine as a career, and took a job at an animal hospital for after school and summer money while in high school. I quickly learned that I really didn't have the stomach for all the things veterinarians encounter. It is very rewarding, and very heartbreaking work. I continued to work at the animal hospital part-time throughout college. I got to interact with many different breeds of animal, and still recall the first greyhounds I met. They were unlike any other dog I had encountered, and it was love at first sight. Their calm, sweet demeanor, and soulful eyes were mesmerizing, and I knew one day I would have a greyhound of my own. In 2001, that dream became a reality with the adoption of Roxie (then named Pickle.) She's 11 years old now, but has definitely exceeded my expectations of the breed. My fiance and I frequently tell Roxie's whippet housemates, "Why can't you be more like Roxie." She is affectionate, well-mannered and very easy going. Nothing ever bothers her, and she never finds herself in trouble.

As for the whippets, Xander (white & buff-colored male) is 8 years old. Once submerged in the world of greyhounds, you're likely to make a few whippet friends along the way. We were introduced to Xander's breeder through a mutual friend. She had removed Xander from his first home for ill-treatment, and just wanted to find him a good home with someone she knew and trusted. We tried him out for a weekend, and he was here to stay. Xander is a quirky boy, with what I believe is a nervous habit of walking in circles. When we first got him, we thought he would wear holes in the carpet from constantly making laps in the living room. It was difficult to get used to, but the behavior declined as he became comfortable in his new surroundings. Today, we see it when he wants to go outside, which is useful information, and when he gets really excited. Xander is terrified of thunder, and has caused many sleepless nights for all of us, by trembling and whining during storms. This has been helped tremendously in recent months, thanks to Melatonin, and the Facebook friends that suggested its use.

Finally, there's Miss Zoe, our 1 year old whippet baby (blue brindle.) Zoe came along to fulfill my puppy desires, and to inject some youth into the older dogs. She has completely taken care of those needs, and then some. Zoe, like many puppies, is our troublemaker. She's very active, and knows her way to trouble if she gets bored. We used to call Xander the "bad dog," but Zoe makes him look like a Saint. On the flip side, Zoe is extremely affectionate, and the best snuggler of the three, so her place in our home is very secure.

I guess that's it for now. Roxie, Xander, Zoe and I welcome you to our blog. I'm not sure what we have in store for the future, but I can promise we'll have some fun, and probably post lots of photos. I'm sure my hounds feel like they are rock stars, and I'm the paparazzi, constantly stalking them camera in hand. That's why I always say, "Dogs Rock!!" Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. - Please visit our first blog entry with details on the Pedigree Adoption Drive!