Argus' big toothy smile.
| Argus has changed the most this last year. It has been a good year for him. He has lived with me for over 2 years and for that entire 1st year, as much as he liked me, there was something in his eye that just told me he was mourning for someone. He wasn’t "home." That has slowly changed this year. We have really bonded and when I look deep in his eye (remember, he only has one) I can tell he knows we are together forever. He will still perk up and get very interested when he sees someone with grey hair so I stand by my theory that he lived and was loved by someone older. |
|
| He chatters all the time! For folks that don’t know, greyhounds do this thing when they are supremely happy. Their bottom jaw quivers and sometimes the teeth clank against each other and you can hear them chattering. It means they are happy happy. Although I have a theory that it is a little like purring for a cat. They do it when they are happy, but they also do it to comfort themselves. Sometimes at the Meet N’ Greet Argus chatters. He thinks they are OK but I can’t believe he is supremely happy at them. Maybe he is tho… |  |
| Anyway, he chatters all the time, grins at me constantly (he has the best grin!) and lets me snuggle up to him now. If you have read his past story, this was a little difficult for him. Now he gets on the couch all the time, plops in my lap and even lets me get down on his bed and cuddle. He likes it. If I try to stop scratching, he swings his head around with his mouth open in this sassy "don’t stop" move. He looks like he is going to say something. |  He is a great relaxer, and that tongue often makes an appearance. |
|
|
I catch him gazing at me all the time. It is such a worshipful look! I usually have to say sweet nothings to him then which makes him chaaaatttttteeeerrrrrr. He is such a sweetheart! He is petrified of thunder. He will do OK if I give him Rescue Remedy ahead of time, turn up the TV loud and talk happy to him. But if it surprises him, he stress pants big time, shakes and has even crawled into my lap. I don't mean he put his front paws and head in my lap, I mean his whole fanny was in my lap and his head and front paws were on my shoulder. It was the first time he saw me as a source of comfort and I just melted. |
|
He is a very bouncy boy. He gets riled up and slaps the floor, turns his head and waits for me to do something. It is hilarious. Last night he even ventured a growly play noise. Hilarious! I think it was doing one of those bounces that caused him to lose a tooth. I came home from work one day and his right canine (the big pointy tooth in front) was sticking out at a 90 degree angle. He acted like nothing was wrong. I had the willies of course. There was almost no blood. We rushed right out to the vet who had to give his anesthesia and remove the tooth. It wasn't rotten or anything. I still can't figure out how he broke it. The vet thought it was from fighting with Sapphire but she didn't have a mark on her and she has that paper thin skin with almost no fur. If he had made contact hard enough to break his tooth, she should have had some mark. It was much more traumatic for me than for him. Now he just splashes more water out that side when he drinks and his tongue has a gap to slip out more but he chews fine without it! He is so smart too. I talk to him in complete sentences and he seems to get it. When I had to go on vacation and he and Sapphire were going to board with Retired Racers, I explained everything to him well ahead of time and kept him posted all along the way. The day we left to go up there he was in great spirits and never seemed to have a problem. Not even when I left! He was happy when I go back and never showed any trauma at all. I really think he knew he was having an adventure for a little while and I would be back to get him soon. Argus is my soul dog. I heard another greyhound owner refer to one of her dogs that way and it didn't make sense until Argus came to live with me. And he and I ARE soulmates. |
| |
