Birthday Boy!

It's my birthday, let's get this party started!

But first Mama's going to check  out the Pet Blog Hop!  I wonder what Veil and Maddy got me...

The city decided to resurface our road yesterday, so no walks tonite unless we want to be showered with flying rocks and have tar covered feet.  We tried for some backyard fun instead, although the mosquitos were almost as bad as the rocks...



I gonna catch that ball...



That was fun, just let me relax here for a minute.



Ha Ha Ha, No bugs in here!




I still look pretty, even thru the screen...and I won't have any of those ugly red mosquito bites either.



Look what I got, Ma. You want it??

You'll have to catch me!
I think I lost my head there...

I was SO surprised when I received an Inspirational Blogger Award this week from one of my favorite bloggers at Tales and Tails. I really enjoy and look forward to reading her blog and keeping up with the antics of Lilac, Bunny, Blueberry and Morgan.  If you aren't already a follower of theirs, check it out.  I highly recommend it - both for the beautiful photography and the hilarious stories and conversations with the dogs. I haven't been doing this very long, but it is certainly becoming addictive.  As a recipient of the award, you are asked to share ten other blogs that inspire you.  All the bloggers I have conversed with have been extremely friendly and all their blogs are inspiring to me so it will be hard to pick 10 of them to pass on the award but here goes:

1.The Greyhound Beckett & His Dog Treats. This was actually the first dog blog that I ever came across, while I was searching for home made dog treat recipes.  It caught my attention because she has a greyhound named "Beckett" too.  Veil, Beckett and Maddy recommend the Peant Butter Pumpkin dog treats - yummy! She hasn't posted anything for a few weeks, but my guys are anxiously awaiting a new recipe!

2. Retired From Racing...Not From Life. Check out this blog for the Art Book Project, where the proceeds will be going to the Greyhound Health and Wellness Program at Ohio State University. A worthy cause for sure and it inspires me to think about other ways to benefit greyhounds.  I know I am looking forwarded to the day when the book is published and available for sale.

The rest of the blogs are well known to everyone.  I'm sure they have received this award many, many times but I will list them anyway because they have inspired me to (a) start my own blog and (b) more importantly; to do more things, go more places and take more pictures of my own greyhounds.

3. Never Say Never Greyhounds
4.Two Greyhound Town
5.Dogs Rock!!
6.Greyhounds Can Sit
7.Its A Greyt Day
8.Cult of the Greyhound
9.From Sophie's View
10.Hiking Hounds

Believe me, there are many more that are inspiring to me too. 

The start of a new career?

Beckett is becoming quite a model.  I have to say I didn't take the photo...I may have to ask Mr. J. to be my official blog photographer, he seems to have a knack for it.

Look How Far We've Come

Beckett will be 6 Years old next Saturday. Sometimes I look at him and see the crazy puppy he must have been and sometimes I see the old man I hope he will become.  I often think how strange it is that our retired hounds all had a whole other life before they met us when I really can't even remember my life without them in it. 

Beckett, you can still pick'em up and lay'em down with the best of them!

We’re participating in this Saturday’s Pet Blog Hop, hosted by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.  If you’d like to participate, please follow the rules and follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste the html code into your html editor.  Thanks again to our hosts for putting on the hop!

When Is Summer Going to Arrive?

Veil and Beckett at the campground last summer...Hopefully we will get to go soon, but we will need to add another x-pen to make room for Maddy!

Maddy meets a "Friend"

Maddy spied this concrete "dog" at my in-laws.  She wasn't too sure if it was friend or foe.





I don't know what she thought was wrong with "him", but she seemed quite concerned.

Hello, Complaint Department?

Hello, Veil here - I have taken over the keyboard thingy to lodge a complaint...

I take offence at the suggestion made by Mama that Maddy may be smarter than me.  I was here first and I had my two humans almost trained perfectly before the arrival of my two grey siblings.  If I could just teach Beckett and Maddy of the power of the "stare in the face" til you get what you want...

We’re participating in this Saturday’s Pet Blog Hop, hosted by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.  If you’d like to participate, please follow the rules and follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste the html code into your html editor.  Thanks again to our hosts for putting on the hop!

I Spy.

A quiet afternoon on the deck...

Wait a minute, Maddy said "I think we have a visitor".

Let me get a closer look...Yep, we do!

Finally!! Today was a beautiful day... 
We got out for a nice walk, no black flies or rain for a change.  Maddy is doing great with the clicker training. 

Maddy practicing her sit.

Sorry about the poor video quality.  Hard to hold the clicker, leash treats and camera at the same time.

Beckett and Veil are starting to understand that the "click" means something but are behind Maddy on this.  Maybe it's because she had the 10 week prison training course.  I don't know if they used clickers there or not,  but she just seems to pick up on things faster.

Beckett out for a stroll.

Collars and Clickers

After watching some great instructional videos at Never Say Never Greyhounds on clicker training, I think I finally have a better understanding of what the outcome of it all is supposed to be.  I have done hand targeting with my guys but all I seemed to end up with was a wet nose being shoved in my hand all the time so I'm assuming I missed a step some where. :) So today I bought a clicker.  Wish me luck! I also decided that summer has to come sometime, so I should make Maddy a new summery collar --

I'm thinking I was more excited by it than she was.



BECKETT'S TRIP TO THE LIQUOR STORE 2011

Hi All - Beckett here.  Just got home from doing my ambassa"dog" shift at the liquor store.  I don't know what they were buying in there but it sure was a busy place! I checked out their bags on the way out but nothing too interesting to me. Everyone patted me and said how calm and gentle I was. They should have seen me acting like a nut when mama got out my blue racing silk this morning and I KNEW I was going somewhere. Anyhow - we collected quite a bit of money to help the cause.  I hope all the greyhounds waiting for homes find good ones soon.

Retired from Racing...Not from Life: The Countdown Begins!

Retired from Racing...Not from Life: The Countdown Begins!: "June 30th is quickly approaching! Here's a summary of the Art Book Project details. The Retired from Racing, Not from Life Art Book is bene..."

Hanging out at the Liquor Store

So, this weekend is our adoption groups big annual fundraiser.  Beckett and I will be at one of the NB Liquor Stores for a couple hours, taking donations for MGAP.  Here is a picture from last year; I think it was getting to the end of his shift by the tired look.

Three Beds are Better than One!

Maddy thinks the beds should always be piled like this. Comfy!! Even Beckett looks jealous from his position on the chair.

Wordless Wednesday