Terry has a new friend

Monday, 8:42 am

By Kate

Terry, my greyhound, is a sight hound. That means she is supposed to have an instinct to chase just about anything that moves. Chase and catch first, think later. Fortunately, she has a low prey drive so that she’s teachable. For instance, she gets that she isn’t supposed to chase cats and other dogs that she knows. I would never trust her to not chase a dog or cat with whom she isn’t acquainted. Therefore, a fence around the property.

Yesterday, she was introduced to the next door neighbor’s new Jack Russell terrier puppy. Tiny little guy, only 9 weeks old. He, of course, loves everybody, including Terry. She was fascinated by the new puppy and wanted to get a good sniff. He’s about the same size as Peeps. Mark held the puppy over the fence to let her discover the new puppy. She was very polite and even licked his nose, which made the puppy squirm and wag his itty bitty tail. After that it was pure love. Mark put the puppy down on the ground and the two of them communed through the pickets in the fence. Terry dropped to the ground and poked her nose through the fence to let the puppy sniff and lick her nose. Her tail wagged a mile a minute. And then it was time for the puppy to go back inside.

Well, you’d have thought Terry’s last friend in the world deserted her. She waited by the fence. And waited. And waited. She looked at the puppy’s house and woofed a few times. She wagged her tail expectantly and finally gave up. She wandered back to the house rather dejectedly.

And, ever since, she has been posted by the back door watching for the puppy to come back outside. It looks as if she has adopted him into her family already. By the time summer arrives, she will be impossible to peel away from the fence. The two of them should provide hours of entertainment, for themselves as well as the rest of us.