I Can't Figure Out My New Goggies.

Seriously.

These dogs have never had a family. They have never even been in a house. When we took them home, they didn’t understand stairs, the television, or our sliding glass back door.

Even greys with some home training usually require a real adjustment period when placed in a home environment. They don’t know they aren’t supposed to pee on the floor. They have been raised in crates and on the track, that’s it. So they usually go through a ‘puppy’ phase, even as adult dogs, when they first get adopted, where they are sort of reliving their childhood that they didn’t get to have in the first place.

The suggestion is, when you get one, someone stays with them, watching them, for the first 48 hours, to make sure they learn the house rules right away so they don’t have to UNlearn bad behavior. Our rescue agent told us again and again that adopting two greys at once, especially one with an injury and one that is a little older, would be a big challenge. They WILL pee on the floor, they WILL have anxiety…we would have to work them through it. Be prepared for some sleepless nights at first, she said.

Vixen and Elektra have done NONE of that. They haven’t peed in the house, they sleep the night through every night, they don’t beg, they don’t squabble (they aren’t litter mates and yet they insist on eating out of the same bowl), they come when called even with unfamiliar new names, they are sweet and love attention and being groomed, they have not chased the cats they have seen on walks (greys are sighthounds, some are never, ever allowed around small animals). They love toys and treats, they love being brushed, they sleep on their beds and haven’t once even tried to get on the furniture.

I seriously don’t get it, we were prepared for a real struggle at first, and these dogs are like perfect little angels. Vixen, the younger one, is a little skittish, but still comes when called every time and is completely not aggressive. Elektra has just decided this is her home and we’re her people, she wags her tail and sits, both things most greys don’t do.

We haven’t yet taken them to the dog park, that’s next. But so far, holy crap, these dogs are amazing. Our previous grey never got over some of these behaviors and he lived fifteen years!

We picked the good ones!