Day two

Happy Easter!

So far, so good.

Grayson is doing very well. He has taken to us as well as we have taken to him. I had a kennel set up for him to use, but he is bigger than the kennel so I took a chance he was house broken and would not be a problem and I was proven right. He was fairly calm and quiet throughout the night but I still think he is nervous about his new surroundings/environment. Probably still has some abandonment issues. He is a very affectionate dog and craves attention, but not overly. My son and his girlfriend drove down from Austin last night and Grayson was elated to meet them. They are just back for the weekend and will head back this afternoon after Easter dinner. I honestly think that he only came back to see the new dog, but I can live with that.

I have not seen a lot of negatives with Grayson. For a stray/abandoned dog, he is remarkably well behaved. Is not hyperactive and is fairly playful. I think he has had a good amount of human interaction, but may be hungry for affection/attention. Speaking of hungry, he is very skinny for his size. He looks to be a medium to large frame dog but is about 10-15 lbs underweight. His coat is thick and full, but when you pet his back and hind quarters, you can feel his ribs and hip bones. The boy needs to put on some meat. We are not sure if it was because he was a stray or if it was because of the heartworms, but we are going to try and fatten him up. I have left food out for him but his is not wolfing it down like he was starving, but he has eaten ok. He eats treats, but not like Shadow. He will take a milk bone and eat a just portion of it and leave a pile of crumbs on the floor (Shadow would hoover the area for any remnants). He has not yet had any accidents in the house although he was eye-balling the area where Shadow had a few "events". He walks on a leash very well. Does not pull you down the block but will go to the limit of the leash (I have one of those 15 foot retractable jobs) and then keep pace with you. He is definitely not a sniffer like Shadow, but is actually more of a "cruiser" and keeps up a good clip. I am actually thinking about trying to run with him but he may wind up running my butt into the pavement. Aside of the hair (needs a grooming) and bad breath (needs a tic-tac), he is a great dog. We're off to church in a bit, so this will be the first test of him alone in the house (locked in the utility room). I am trying to determine his level of trust with us, so I am letting him roam the house but keeping a watchful eye on him, just in case.

Enough with the pictures, already!