We were warned about "white dogs" when they called us. Oh sure, they said they were just kidding. When they did the home visit, the words "communal" and "free" had been used to describe our house. My brother lived upstairs with his Golden Retriever who had run of the property and they thought we could use a dog that was "sure of himself." That's how they described it.

So they brought Flyer.

Flyer is a Lab in a Greyhound's body. He is a DOG. See, I think when people get the bug for adopting a Greyhound; they are not necessarily looking for a "dog." They want what they see at those event booths or at the mall: docile, loving, QUIET animals. That's what attracted Michelle to Greyhounds, too.

The first thing Flyer learned from his upstairs neighbor was to bark - loudly and often - whenever you hear anyone coming. We people might have forgotten that there's a dog in the house, you know. He also learned that he could jump right up on top of the kitchen table (which USED to be in front of the window) and see us coming. Can you say, "top crate?"

Oh yeah, that crate thing: Flyer wanted NOTHING to do with that. You see he wanted to be where we were. ALL THE TIME. After a couple of shredded blankets (in a couple of days) we just left him out while we were away. At least there was less loud whining to go with barks on our return.

You are probably visiting this site because you want a "Greyhound." That's a good thing. And that's why we foster the dogs first, so you can get the kind of dog that works in your home. Flyer, for us, was perfect! We're DOG people. We love DOGS. And Flyer is a great dog. But he's not the Greyhound most people are looking for - and we love that about him!

Oh, you want to know the black to Flyer's white? That would be Chief. We must have passed the first test because the next time they called us they had another hound they "thought would work" in our place.

Chief barked, too, but his said, "You just stay right there until I decide you're okay." Not nasty, just cautious. You couldn't go up to Chief. When you were still and practically ignoring him, he'd sneak up behind you. He might let you pet him or scratch his head, but then it was right back to his crate, usually as soon as you showed him any attention.

Yes, he likes the crate. In fact, he's just as happy to be in there and when he's not, he's in HIS spot on the corner of the couch, or in HIS chair in the rec room, or on HIS pillow in the bedroom at night. Once he's in HIS spot, you can come up to him, pet him, scratch behind his ears or just about anything. But don't come up to him when he's standing in the yard. And don't expect him to come to you when you call him over.

Then again, you never know. After a couple years of letting him do his own thing, he's starting to approach visitors. He's great on a leash and doesn't shy away from people as much at events. He's a certified Ambassadog; motion, noises and those things don't phase him. And he'll actually play in the yard sometimes. When HE wants to.

Like Flyer, he isn't what most people are expecting in a Greyhound but for exactly opposite reasons. He's more like a cat than a dog -- and we love that about him. Even if Michelle is the only cat person in the house.