Greyt Love

The one thing you will notice about Greyhound owners is we begin spelling "great" as "Greyt"…like "Greytfully Yours" and "Rene is doing Greyt!"

On Wednesday I left Meg a gushing message about how in love with Rene I am. Not just because she is a doll and very sweet. Not just because she is my new companion who I now spend my waking hours doting on her. I am in love with her because she has stolen my heart. It has been a long time since I have been in love with someone new. Of course, I am in love with my friends, family, and miss Greytly being in love with Mike, Ches and Stan. The newness of loving Rene has hit me like a ton of bricks. One reason why is that I am so proud of her. I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a co-worker about the feelings of being proud of someone…how that seems to take love to the next level.

To Rene, everything is new. Everything! Cars on the street, dogs walking on leashes, trucks making the "psssst" sound, doors opening, stairs, things falling on the floor, humans coming toward her, squirrels, birds and rabbits, a car ride, elevators…you  name it, it is new to her. And she is conquering these things one by one, facing her fears head on and going out into this new, scary world to see what happens next. And she does it with me, by her side, with the expectation that I will protect her from bad things happening so that she can gain confidence and try new things again and over and over.

On Wednesday morning, we didn't have a Greyt start to the day. We had a walk that didn't go well, she was very anxious, and I thought to myself…"Can I really do this?" But I called the adoption coordinator, she suggested a harness and to expose Rene to everything, not baby her, and so I did. I bought a harness that holds her in, and we took an amazing walk that afternoon. She heeled, she waited, she came when called. She stood while I talked to a neighbor I just met instead of balking and pulling away. And I felt so proud of her. Yesterday, she took the elevator to the parking garage, took a car ride, walked in a new place with new sights, sounds and smells, and did so well. I was, again, so proud of her. She sleeps through the night, she handles being at home in my bedroom when I am at work, she watches TV with me in the living room, she eats her food and drinks her water. I am so, very, proud of her.

So, yes…I can do this! My confidence and providing structure/routine and exposure is vital to her success. Not only do I hold her accountable, I hold myself even moreso. I have committed to trying something new every day. Today, Grandma and Grandpa are visiting; tomorrow, a trip to Petsmart. Sunday, dealing with the vacuum cleaner. And with my confidence, and her bravery, we will build a Greyt little life together that we both can enjoy.