Bishop, aka Bishop's Nephew, is a fawn brindle 4-year-old male, born April 17, 2000. Bishop's sire was Ace a Matic, and his dam was Lucky Loretta. Bishop started racing in December 2001 at Valley Race Park and finished up there on November 29, 2003 after being at the Dubuque track. He logged in 107 races during that time. He is quite the playful and interactive boy. It is not known at this time if Bishop is small animal or cat tolerant.
First of all, and not that it really matters, but the boy is gorgeous! He has the body of a racehorse with muscles to show for it. His coat is a combination of some brindle and some solid color with a few tiger-looking stripes. His muzzle is an ash color, and his eyes have a hint of eyeliner. Very handsome indeed! He has this unique feature with his tail, and it is oh so cute. His tail curls to the left, which causes the tip of the tail to brush against your leg when you walk close to him on his left side. The happier he is, the more pronounced the curl. Bishop's long curly tail is constantly wagging and banging into anything in its radius.
But again, as looks are the least important feature of the dog, let's talk about what really matters - the spirit and the personality, and Bishop has tons of both.
Let's look at Bishop's perspective on waking up in the morning:
"We wake up, and if that isn't the most exciting thing in the world, I don't know? I LOVE waking up! I give everybody around me at least five kisses and a few light nibbles. I am SO happy in the morning, I stretch and yawn. Then I like to go get all the toys, (much to my foster mom's chagrin as she is trying to get me outside to go potty) one after the other, and run around with them, several laps around the house, and drop them off on my bed. Because, collecting toys on the bed, is great! After awhile, I find a smaller toy and attempt to conquer the doggie door, which I find to be quite scary, just don't like that plastic flap touching my back… but got to get that toy out there. Gosh, I am so happy! Got to love the yard! I throw my toy up in the air a few times, take a few running laps, then back in the house for breakfast. Wow, mornings are great!!" How can you not love waking up to that? There is no way you can be in a bad mood when you experience waking up with Bishop in the house…
Bishop is such the good boy, absolutely no counter surfing at all, and minimal-to-no begging. He will try, you say "no", at which point he quietly leaves the kitchen and goes to lie down. Although the excitement is great while food is being prepared, Bishop will patiently lay in his bed, anxiously awaiting his bowl. If it takes longer than expected, he will come into the kitchen and make himself noticed by offering up a quick lick on your leg, hand - whichever he finds. By the way, eating time is the only time foster mom can move around the house without having "little" Bishop in her trails. He is a great example of a Velcro dog…
Bishop is a gentleman on the leash, and if he starts pulling, you just call his name, and (most of the time) he will brake. Throughout the walk, he often gives foster mom a glance. It is like he is trying to say: "Are you still there? Am I doing OK?" On our walks, we meet people, dogs, children, and Bishop says hello in a nice and friendly manner. He lets people rub his head and love on him, just makes him happier, and the curly tail goes waggin'! If we see birds, bunnies or anything else that moves, his ears will go straight up and he will stop. It seems like he is contemplating: "Is it really worth it? Should I go for it? Maybe….nah, I think not." And that is that. Moment passes, and we are back to our walk. We are working on not having to say hello to every person who walks by…but to calmly stand there and let folks pass. This is a tough assignment for Mr. Personality. You see, if somebody doesn't want to say hello to Bishop, he becomes very eager and quite animated, by barking, bouncing and wagging something fierce. This happy boy just loves people!
The worst time of the day for Bishop is when foster mom goes to work. He will bark a few times to let us know that he doesn't care for it. Additional barking will take place if he is left inside and you are outside where he can see you. We think he is saying: "Hey, how about me, I am still in here, what is going on? I want to be with you." However, he soon quiets down as he realizes that the other dogs around him have gone to sleep. After all, those soft doggie beds, they are mighty comfy! There have been no surprises when we return at the end of the day, just a nice and happy greeting at the door.
Bishop is a sound sleeper. In seconds, he passes out like a log. Any time we sit down, he will lie down and invariably fall asleep. He spent the first couple of nights in his crate, but he quickly made it clear that he preferred the other beds. When it was time to go the crate, he had sprawled out on another bed, his legs up in the air, sighing continuously, and looking very comfortable... It was obvious that he was in 7th heaven. Well, nobody could resist that and that is where he has spent every night since.
At times, he gets up in the middle of the night; he comes over to foster mom's side of the bed, places a quick lick on the cheek, and back to bed. Not a sound, not a whimper, just a lick… You cannot help but smile. Maybe he feels reassured that we are still there, and thus, he safely goes back to sleep.
Bishop does fine in a crate, although he prefers not to be there. A little coaxing goes a long way, and with a few treats and rawhides, he quickly quiets down, although always eager to get out.
Bishop is an easy-going dog; nothing much seems to bother him. He gets along with small and big dogs alike, although we haven't tested cats yet. We have experienced no "marking" in the house, nor any Alpha dog signs. Even though the first game of tug-a-war was a bit too close for comfort. Suddenly there was this other greyhound in his face, and it was too close…Bishop is not yet comfortable playing rough with other dogs; it appears to intimidate him. So we take it easy, and we see progress every day. But running alongside another dog, chasing stuffed toys and tennis balls around the yard, is great fun and done as often as possible.
He is an affectionate and sweet boy. He loves to be rubbed and will flip over on his back, pushing at you with his long legs. He'll give you kisses and nibbles whether you want them or not. It is easy to get Bishop to play, all you have to do is say his name a few times, and soon he'll get his butt up in the air, his long curly tail wagging and he will bark in his deep baritone voice. He is eager to please, and doesn't like to get reprimanded. As so many other Greys, he is sensitive to tone of voice. It is easy to hurt his feelings; he gives you a look you really don't want again... but give him a big hug and all is soon forgotten.
Bishop is a happy, gentle boy, with a huge Greyhound smile on his face. His happiness is contagious, and his spirit is great. Bishop cannot wait to find his forever home. In return, he can guarantee you a lifetime of laughs and love.
Bishop's Foster Mom