Eddie (formerly Prancer) left on his trial adoption on January 12 2020. His new dad Richie was totally chuffed and not at all phased that Prancer peed on absolutely everything (including GR volunteer Paula!) during their meet and greet.
Six months on, Richie has sent us the most heart-warming update about this beautiful, vivacious boy. Read on for all of the feels.
“My greyhound’s name is Eddie. He was named this in honour of two famous rock stars – Eddie Vedder and Eddie Van Halen. He was originally called Prancer but it didn’t seem to quite fit such a boisterous star personality.
Eddie is a robust, friendly young-Greyhound-about-town with white fur and black patches.
Notably, he has one particularly large black patch near his butt which a vet assistant once remarked was in the shape of Mickey Mouse. When out and about, he has frequently drawn compliments from the general public as “handsome” – and he’ll receive these well-wishes enthusiastically.
Eddie’s personality can basically be described as extremely friendly and outgoing. It’s often noted (by other greyhound owners in particular) that he’s particularly boisterous for his breed.
And yes, to be honest, we haven’t quite managed to curb his enthusiasm for leaping in delight at anyone new he meets. In this respect – he’s particularly drawn, it must said, to (human) women … especially those who stop to say hello to him, who often find one (albeit very friendly) greyhound snoot flying toward them.
His only antipathy is for cats – and ibises (hey, fair enough) … and wants to pursue both species. Curiously enough, other dogs – particularly small dogs – can absolutely loathe him, for no apparent reason. It must be something to do with his height – or perhaps they just resent his general good health and cheer.
He was originally retired, as I understand it, due to his broken leg. My theory is that this was both a blessing and curse – because while he’ll have long-term arthritic issues, he doesn’t seem to have any overt signs of the trauma displayed in veteran racers.
His favourite pastime is going for walkies – second to sleeping, eating, snuggling and pooping.
The sense of expectation in the morning is palpable until he gets a walk – I can expect a steady gaze from the couch and heavy sighing if there are any delays. When out and about, he noticeably “swaggers”, with his tail perpetually flicking from side-to-side. This “lust for life” is particularly palpable after his first poop – which typically causes him to zoom round-and-round me in circles (while I try to pick up his poop or stop it being sprayed in all directions).
While this might make him seem like hard work (at times) – the vivacity, positivity and sweetness of his spirit is both loveable and kinda inspiring. I work from home – and he’s definitely been great company during the last few months of lockdown (or semi-lockdown). Like any flatmates, we can get on each other’s nerves (like when he borks at me at 3am to go for a walk) but we’re generally the two amigos.
It should also be said that while, yes, he is very boisterous – he spends the vast majority of his time either happily on my lounge or curled up in his bed. In fact, he is extraordinarily low maintenance in many respects – and (importantly) has been pretty much house-trained from day one.
I suspect Eddie wouldn’t be necessarily a great fit for a family with young kids – but he’s perfect for me as well as my partner. With that in mind, I want to thank Greyhound Rescue again for matching me so astutely with a greyhound that’s right for my lifestyle.
On that subject, if there was one bit of advice I’d give to anyone looking to adopt a greyhound, is to be completely open about your expectations and circumstances to get the right fit. Also, I would absolutely recommend Greyhound Rescue to find the perfect pooch. And, okay sure, brace yourself for picking up one or two poops – but these guys are definitely worth it …”