Eileen

I'm taking Nadya to visit my friend Eileen who's been a dog trainer and has been involved with Sighthounds, particularly, Salukis for over thirty years. She's going to try to help me brush Nadya out and get the last few tiny mats out of her coat. Every time I try myself, she sits on her lovely tail feathers and I can't get at them. After we get her be-u-ti-fool, she's going to attend her first puppy class with Eileen.

We're going to go slowly at first. She'll mostly just be there for socialization, but that's what I think she needs right now. To meet as many people who are sensitive to her situation as possible.

The Russian princess has been trying her paw at lying on the sofa lately. but as soon as one of these other mugs tells her to get lost, she does. I'm going to have to teach her to ignore them. She does, after all, have as much right there as they do.

She also now dons a brand new fancy, Russian looking collar that I've been saving for later. I knew I was saving that thing for a good reason!

She looks gorgeous in it and she doesn't seem to mind at all. In fact, when I took it off to add a St. Christopher's medal, she seemed lost without it. It seems to have given her a sense of belonging.

I was watching her as she slept on the floor the other day and decided that she could use some of my friend, Debi's "fattening" recipe. Foster greyhounds at Debi's house get Yogurt, Cottage cheese and Sour Cream with their regular food to give them a boost into their new pet life.

Nadya really dug into it the first two times, which really thrilled me since she hadn't eaten much of anything at all up to that point. I try to feed her two to three times a day, but she usually only eats once. She seems to eat best at night when it's quiet..

We took our walkies last night and paid another call on Nadya's friends the horses. I really have to take my camera next time. She strikes a charming pose while watching these guys. On the way back home, we walked along the edge of the lake across the road. Nadya was facinated by the dragonflies. One big fat fella almost landed on her nose! She sat back a little, but didn't back down. (I do think she may have gone a little cross-eyed though.)

After that, every little midge and noseeum that buzzed past her was prey.

By the time we got to a patch of cattails, she started to focus on the wild flowers growing there. She had to taste every single kind too! Daisys, Black-eyed Susans, Daylillies, Forget-me-nots, (and she won't), all sorts of sights and sounds and smells to explore. What a girl!

This morning she had a real nice run around the yard with Tia and Malachi. She must have had a lot of fun, because she got filthy! I'm still not sure about giving her a bath yet though. I don't want to make her hate me. She avoids me like the plague when I just try to brush her tail and pants. I can't imagine picking her up and plopping her in the tub!

Malachi's little Zoi toy, Nadya has really taken to running and playing with him in the yard. This morning we threw Tia into the mix and Nadya decided that she was fun to play with too. To watch the two of them leaping and charging around the yard is really a sight to see. Once while Tia was leading Nadya across the yard in a play lure course, Malachi figured the only way he could catch them was to cut them off. He darted right in front of Tia who slammed on the brakes, thus causing Nadya to launch herself straight up into the air, thereby landing, straddled, over Tia's back. I rushed over to them praying that no one snapped a spine, but by the time I got there, they were gone in a flash! Spinning off in another direction, flying counter clockwise around the yard again. Both, none the worse for wear and happy as two muddy clams. (By the way, both of these girls are white. At least they were before this!)

I figure they are like kids, the dirtier they get, the more fun they must have had. By this time Malachi had given up on the whole darn thing and was lying in the grass panting! Poor Mookie! I'm not sure that poor old Mom can keep up with these two young ladies any better than the big guy can!

We headed out again to Eileen's house for puppy class. Eileen told me to come early so she could help brush out Nadya's tail and pants. Once we got to there, I held Nadya and talked to her while Eileen combed and brushed and seperated. She finally got the ropes out of her tail and cut a few more mats out that I had missed previously. When all was said and done, Nadya was even more beautiful than she was before. As if that were possible!

Then people started arriving for puppy class and we went outside to show off her beautiful new coat. There were plenty of oooo's and aaahhh's and one lady asked if she was a greyhound.

Another asked if she was one of Eileens dogs. I explained, "No. She's mine."

"Oh so you have Saluki's too?"

"No I don't."

"Well what kind of dog IS she?"

"She's a Borzoi."

"She LOOKS just like Eileens dogs.

I pointed to Eileens Saluki twenty feet away and said, "THAT'S a Saluki!" (She still thought they looked alike! What are you gonna do?)

Puppy class started and Nadya became enthralled with my friends mixed breed, Wesley. Wesley is a wire-haired, happy-go-lucky character that HAS to meet and greet everyone in class before he can start. Nadya fell in love at first sight! She did her heels and turns and about turns perfectly, (except when she tried to run her nose up Wesley's butt!).