It's Been Just Over 6 Months

Since Beryl came to live with us and I got to thinking about all the things she's had to learn in that time and some things she learned with Frankie's help:-)  Probably the first thing he showed her was how to jump onto my bed

2 days after arrival - this beats my kennel!

And she's still trying to wrangle her way to sleep up there with me and Frankie instead of in her crate:-)  Which HAS to have at least 2 folded duvets in it for her to lie on or else she softly expresses her low opinion of me as a Mum the one time there was only the one in there for her!  Talk about the Princess and The Pea!  So that's something I've learned:-)

She now knows some basic obedience including the usual

Sit - tongue poking out is optional!

Down - with or without Frankie there

Shake hands

She's learning some Rally O moves and that she can sit and eat a treat at the same time.  She way prefers to stand up, sitting still isn't comfortable for her. 

After wandering around aimlessly for the first 2 weeks she worked out that it was OK to wander around or lie around and began to relax.  On walks she learned that it's good to go to Mum when I call her as she'll get a yummy treat.  And if she comes when she's called she won't have to go on a lead ... except when Poppy is approaching!  Poppy is a lovely, little JRT/Fox Terrier cross.  Very squirmy and very submissive and Beryl would really like to toss her in the air!  When we see Poppy Beryl goes on the lead and gets lots of treats while still being with Poppy and gradually she's learning that Poppy really is a dog as Poppy begs for treats instead of lying on her back like a stuffed toy just asking to be thrown around.  Both girls are getting much more relaxed around each other:-)

When Beryl first came to live with us Frankie seriously questioned my sanity at times.  He'd give me The Look, which meant, can you send her back now Mum?  She's being a pest and keeps telling me off.  I'll let you know when I'm ready to play with her again, OK?  And at times I did wonder if I'd done the right thing getting another dog, or if Beryl was perhaps the wrong dog for us.  While I got her for me Frankie still had to be happy.  And the main reason I got a Greyhound was because Frankie gets on so well with Louie and Lucy.  As the weeks went by The Look became less and less frequent and I don't think I've seen it for a couple of months now.  It's been replaced by Another Look, Hey Sis, come on, we've got things to do:-)  He still occasionally gets told off but it's no longer the traumatic experience it once was, he just shakes himself and usually gets right back in there asking for more. 

And Beryl seriously loves her little brother.  Well, he's the best pillow she's ever had:-)

She loves him so much she sometimes feels the need to help him control Lucy, his absolutely BFF.  Lucy is also Beryl's BFF but her love for Frankie sometimes overrides that

Other times she thinks Frankie can fight his own battles

But she's still there if he needs her:-)

She has learned that she doesn't have to bark at every little noise.  She's very quiet now.  She knows to go lie on their couch in the sunroom with Frankie when I go to work at an ungodly hour of the morning.  And how to use the dog door.

That being a GAP Greyhound she gets to go on GAP walks and meet up with lots of other lovely Greyhounds

and also to go do a bit of fund raising and spread the word about what wonderful pets Greyhounds are!

And pet Greyhounds get to go to the beach!

And some of them get horribly spoiled with lots of lovely collars (see both pics above and next 2)

My collar is nearly as pretty as me:-)

She has learned that if she comes and stands by me while I'm sitting at the computer I can rub her chest at the same time.  She's not a pushy girl, pretty subtle actually, as befits a Princess,  but she usually finds a way to get her message across. 

For the first few months after she came to live with us she would bounce up to strangers, wagging her tail and smiling as if she was asking them if they were going to be her forever people.  It took her quite a while to realise that our place is home and I'm her Mum, not just someone looking after her in the interim.  Now she gracefully glides up to strangers, politely introduces herself, lets them admire her beauty and comes back to stand with me:-)  I love it!

I think Beryl is still learning who Beryl is, she comes up with surprises every so often.  But I know I'll love whatever she comes up with. 

Life doesn't get any better than this:-)

And we've got time to sneak in on the Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop - the instructions are at Life With Dogs have fun!

Look what I got the kids this morning:-)

A double bed full of soft toys!!

We went to a garage (yard) sale this morning and I came home with all these toys and 3 duvets:-)  There was barely room for Beryl in the back seat!

All sorts!

Most of the toys I will take out to the GAP kennels, some are tiny and too small for dogs and will end up in a charity shop.  The strongest toys will stay here as Frankie is in a 'disemboweling' mood and everything is getting pulled into pieces these days.  So I was pleased with what I got and the kids are VERY impressed with me.  Obviously the toys are in my spare bedroom and the door stays shut, lol!!

After I dropped all the goodies home I took the kids down the park for an early walk.  They hadn't had one for 3 days as I'd been working and getting home too late to take them out.  So I promised them 2 walks today:-)  It had rained all night but is very warm.  We made some new friends as we don't usually go down there in the morning.

Beryl was funny with Buster the Boxer.  He's a neat dog, we haven't seen him or his Dad, Jim, for a couple of months.  Frankie has a bit of a love/hate relationship with Buster and there's lots of tearing around and noise when they meet up and as Jim was pushing a pram with his new son in it I thought it would be a good idea to put Frankie on lead (and Beryl) when I saw them.  Well, Beryl was bouncing on the end of the lead and barking wanting to say hi to Buster, so I let her off lead and she looks at me and says "Why did you do that?  I was only pretending!" and proceeded to ignore Buster!  Typical female, give them what they want and then they don't want it any more, lol!