Ode to Achilles

Happy birthday Achilles!

My greyhound is 3 whole years old today. We're going to go buy some Frosty Paws (dog ice cream) and some specialty dog cookies when the kid wakes up from his nap.

Obligatory how we got him story:

We got Achilles Sept 2nd, 2004. When we walked into the pet store, he was all alone in his little cubby thing, jumping up and down. I thought he was just the cutest thing ever. Somehow we ended up in the back, holding him. I think I might have begged Caayn, lol. He was the softest pup I have ever felt. His fur was like a mix between chenille and suede and smelled deliciously like puppy. I was over the moon!

When we brought him home, he was exactly the same size as our Jack Russell Terrier, Raina. In fact, the two of them had identical markings and the only difference in them was her short tail. (We have video of them running around together for the first time, its adorable.)

He's also been through a life-threatening illness, which he pulled through. In Sept of 2005, he came down with a particularly vicious strain of Parvo, which is pretty rare in adult dogs who have been fully vaccinated. This same strain hit several other dogs in the area, and he was the only survivor (other adult dogs had been hit too). He spent a week in the hospital, lost 10 lbs--which is a HUGE deal for greyhounds.... it was awful. We bought our minivan simply because we wouldn't have been able to bring him home in our Dodge Neon with Sully's carseat in it too and needed something with enough room for him to do whatever.

Achilles is now a big, healthy greyhound who loves to sleep, play, run and eat. His favorite snack is some tasty milk. He's also a pretty big pansy and doesn't like loud voices. He has the most lovely eyes, they are a shade of delicate light brown, with a darker circle of brown around the pupil... I could gaze in them all day. All in all, he is the greatest dog ever and I look forward to many more years of delighting in being his human companion. I thank Caayn every day for giving me the greatest gift of that canine soul.