Sergio!

I'm going to write up a proper reply to Alan in my next post, but I did want to post a pic of the Italian Greyhound we're adopting on Saturday! His name is Sergio and he's 3-4 years old. The greyhound rescue woman got him from the humane society, where they told her that he'd been "mistreated" by his owner, who ran a pet shop. (She says that she sees no sign of abuse or mistreatment in his behavior.) He's very shy and needs a good bit of reassurance, but I'm sure he'll settle right in once he realizes that he's safe and loved. He's SO submissive he should be a good match for Louie, who's pretty submissive and passive himself. One of them will end up dominating the other to some degree probably, but the key is that they're pretty evenly matched in terms of energy level, temperament, and disposition. I'm so excited that Louie's going to have a friend!

Here he is with some of the big greyhounds at the greyhound rescue center. (He's the little guy on the bottom.) While he's crate-trained and pretty much housebroken (it's always a struggle with Italian Greyhounds,) it doesn't seem that he's been trained otherwise. He doesn't walk on a regular leash, only a harness, and he doesn't know "sit" so it's doubtful he knows other commands. I'll have a little work to do with him. He's just such a sweetheart, though, and smart too, so I am completely confident that with some steady love and some consistent one-on-one attention for the first time in his life, he'll just blossom. He may never be a totally at ease, happy-go-lucky fella in public or large groups, but I know we can help him to feel more confident and less fearful.

I'll post more pic's when we get him back home.