feather mouth

Captain, John, Cassius at Lakewood Solstice Steps Saturday

A few anecdotes:  I contend that greyhounds that went through the racing industry have been stunted. I speak from having two such hounds. Neither one really plays, the older one--a little bit; the younger--nothing. Both are males, and they get along. They only have growling instances in the backseat of the car. They walk well together, in the house they often course. Late one night last week, Captain was running in the hall, and he would go to the place Cassius was, and he attempted to get him to chase. This did not happen. Another time, he tried to get him to play with a toy--nothing. Captain rarely plays with toys, and it is a spirited engagement often less than five seconds. Cassius, not once.

We got Captain in December of '15, and Cassius April of this year. We would toss bits of food to Captain, and it took repeated attempts before he could catch. Now he is very good at this, and jumps forward, and to the side to meet the offering. Cassius does not respond to this. Food will bounce off his head. Cassius will pick the food off the floor. Only once did he catch a piece in his mouth.

Well, Saturday we went to Lakewood with the hounds. We made a few stops. The first was in a pet store. We came to get some kibble. It was a small store, with a few customers, and a few employees there then. John was ahead of me in line with Cassius, i was with Captain holding the leash short. Then something happened too quickly for me to see and grasp. Lighting in the store was not too good. Some commotion began, i look and see something of several colors in Cassius's mouth. I thought it was a multi-colored rope chew toy. It wasn't. He was shaking it, and what i had thought was colored yarn, was flying feathers. Several people gathered around Cassius. One, don't know which, got the parakeet. Cassius will give up on an object if it is touched. The bird was passed to someone who caressed the parakeet, and said he was alright. The bird flew from a cage, flew by Captain's head, and either flew right into Cassius's mouth, or Cassius snatched him from flight. I did not see the scene until the bird was caught, and people made gasps, and other noises. The clerk in front of me was a tall young man, and he was breathing with difficulty some moments after. I asked him if he needed a sedative, he and others smiled and chuckled. We quickly left.

That night, we had some popcorn. The hounds are good in detecting food, and if one knows, the other one comes quickly. Captain started staring at me. So i start tossing popped kernels, and he catches more than four out of every five. Soon Cassius comes, and he gives me the look. I toss to him, and each one hits the floor. When giving treats to the two, and asking for feats to be achieved, Captain is far better. So he gets the first treat, i coax Cassius, and sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn't, or gets confused and does another action. Captain then does the correct call, and expects to get the treat instead. But, Saturday night with the popcorn, he let Cassius pick up the drop, and he would catch the next. This series continued. Wow, when both mouths come to my hand in other distributions. Cassius will reach for Captain's piece, he has taken it from his mouth. When breakfast and supper time comes, if i place both bowls before the two hounds get there, Captain will nibble on the one bowl, before he goes to the second. After Cassius finishes his bowl, Captain will come by and see if he left anything behind.