Mr. Berns, the Soul Gazing Greyhound
How the retired racing greyhound rescues you.
Mr. Berns. Bernsy. Bernadette.
This is our fawn boy, Berny.
This four-year-old majestic creature came to us nine months ago, following closely on the heels of our beloved Dottie’s release to Rainbow Bridge.
A companion for our lovable Mr. Tee, our Coonhound-greyhound cross, was imperative after Dottie’s passing. Tee is one of those dogs that simply needs the balance of a canine friend. (It worked, by the way; these two retired racers are fast friends in every sense of the word.) Stately, a light fawn with white and caramel brown eyes rimmed with kohl, he is as calm as Tee is kooky.
Because of our grief, at first I felt I didn’t or couldn’t give our Berny as much of the fawning over I might normally give a new addition to our pack. Grief does funny things, plays annoying mind games, and trying to let go of a dog I’ve never had a deeper connection with than Dottie… well, that was hard.
But over nine months, little pieces of your heart start to thaw out a bit. They begin to say, well what if we could enjoy life while it is in front of us? Let’s say we try to put grief aside for just a little while and wholeheartedly love this enormous patient boy who insists on nothing but occasional treats?
When you adopt a retired racing greyhound, there is a pretty predictable path they travel — from focused athlete to full-on pampered princess. Every single one of our greyhounds was unique but mostly we see the rule of threes applied like this:
- 3 days to become oriented to their surroundings;
- 3 weeks to relax and start to feel this is their home, maybe push a boundary;
- 3 months for new layers to come off — trust has been built and now you start to see their real personality shine through.
The absolute pleasure you feel as you guide them through these phases is immeasurable. When the “wait” command clicks. When he swats his front paws down to indicate play. When he nuzzles in close for kisses.
And it never ends. Every day, week and month I discover new little details about this 90lb+ muscle butt of love.
The latest? Martin pointed something out to me recently that I cannot understand how I have missed. Just below Berny’s left eye is a little scar, a remnant from his competitive racing days. At first blush, it seems like a Marilyn Monroe beauty spot. But when you look closely, you realize this blemish is in the shape of a heart.
He’s quietly been loving us through our grief and wearing it on his face, waiting for us to see.
I love you, Berny.
Challenge accepted from Lloyd Duhon’s The Daily Color Challenge.
Tuesday: Colour brown or red.
Have you ever grieved a pet? Did it feel a little like Grayson’s story?
Some things I learned from the outrageous, larger-than-life Dottie:
