Stish

1992-2003
A Tribute

"Superstition" was known to everyone as "Stish".  He was an A graded racer, who became an A-Plus companion.

Now, he didn't come willingly.  A call to the Greyhound Pets of America chapter office in David's home in Spofford in 1997 from a woman in Spofford led to his new home.  "There's a greyhound walking up and down our road.  But no one can get near him", said the woman. "He has a muzzle on, so he must have come from the track."

"Not necessarily," explained founding chapter president David S. Calef.  "Some people use the muzzle on a greyhound when it first becomes a pet.  Particularly if they have cats or small children."

David got directions, and quickly loaded his greyhound Lady into the back of his SUV.  It was easy to find Stish on the road.  It was a hot summer day. He was laying in the shade among the tall grass and vegetation at the side of the road.  David drove past him by 30 feet or so, and stopped.  As David got out, Stish decided he was safer to trot down the road away from these intruders..  Quickly, Lady was out of the car and on her leash.  David and Lady made enough noise that Stish looked back over his shoulder.  "Oh," he must have thought. "Another greyhound.  Hmmmmm"  and back he trotted to say hello. As Lady hopped up into the SUV, so did Stish, and home the threesome went.

He spent the day with David as Norm Dupont, who is in charge of the Hinsdale Greyhound Park adoption kennel, tried to locate the owner using ear numbers and the description.  Early in the evening, a knock on the door took Stish away to his home on the same road where he was found.

A week later Norm called David and reminded him that David had said if the owner hadn't been found,  he was seriously considering letting Stish stay in his home. Stish was so well behaved and comfortable at David's home.  Seems that Stish's owner had given up on him as he continued to escape and run away.  So Stish was returned to Norm to adopt out. Well, with a little persuasion by Norm, David agreed to "try" Stish in his home.

Stish was the third dog in the home.  Lady was a ten year greyhound resident and the assistant pack leader to David.  Abby was a dobie-shep who had been with David even longer, but who acknowledged Lady was in charge at the canine level.   Stish fit in quickly.  He remained very respectful of both Lady and Abby.  As it turned out, Lady was in her final year, and showing  her age and infirmities. She still spent most nights on David's bed and most days on the coach.  At night Stish would adopt the coach as his space.  During the day he would make way for Lady, sometimes sharing the opposite end if Lady made the room.

At times when Lady did not jump up on the bed to join David immediately, Stish took her place  But if Lady entered the room, he immediately jumped down and gave up the spot.  Although he was a rambunctious 5-year-old, he was gentle around Lady, respecting her aging body. Abby was a little older then Lady, but a little more playful and agile around the 3-acre fenced in yard.  Stish would race around and Abby would try to keep up. Lady wanted no part of these doggie antics.  It was beneath her dignity to play with dogs!  She watch in apparent distain for the likes of these creatures. Her relationship was purely with David.

Stish had a little trouble in the housebreaking department when he first arrived.  Abby and Lady had gotten used to the 8 to 12 hour plus days that David would be gone.  But it was tough for Stish who was used to being let out on a regular schedule at the track.  So he had a couple of accidents.  The second time Stish had left a large pile in the dining room, he and David had a chat.  David took him over to the pile, and pulled Stish's bare muzzle to his face, nose to nose.  That was unacceptable, was the message and Stish really did hear it. He wasn't going to need that reminder again! Greyhounds are often quite sensitive, and even a slightly raised voice sends them away, head down, tail tucked under their body.  Stish never had another accident. He solved the problem in his own unique way.  The next day, when David returned home, Stish met him in the breezeway, a stairway between the garage and house that had access to the fenced in yard.  As they climbed the stairs together to the door into the house at the top, David apologized to Stish for leaving him outdoors all day.   Stish seemed none the worse for the occurrence.  But a little while later as David sat in his chair, David heard  "thunk", "thunk" at the screen door in the sliding glass door in the dining room.  Looking up, he watch Stish walk through the closed screen.  Well, the frame was closed.  The screen had been ripped right out of the frame.  David laughed out loud as he realized Stish had solved his problem of needing to go out.  Sure enough, a few minutes later, back in bounded Stish, wagging his tail furiously as he went over to David, demonstrating what a well-behaved, house-broken dog he was.  For the rest of the summer, Stish used the torn screen as his access.  As cooler weather approached, a doggie door with a vinyl flap was installed at the top of the stairs that led to an outside access.

Abby and Lady quickly learned about the new access to the outside.  And they learned how to use first the screen, and then the new doggie door.  Needless to say, Stish had solved a problem for David and all the dogs.  David could even go away for a day or two, leaving enough food and water out, and having someone check on "the family" at least once a day.  A dog door had been tried in the sliding glass door opening before, but neither Abby nor Lady got it, until Stish showed them what that could mean for them.

After first Abby and then Lady passed away, Stish became a velcro dog to David when he was at home.  Crissy, another greyhound, had joined the family after Abby left and just before Lady passed away.  But Crissy was very much a loner.  She kept her distance, slept in the living room and kept to herself.  She would come lean against David when things were quiet and the other were laying down, but she was very stand-offish.  She would occasionally put her two front feet together at the edge of David's chair and lean into his as she got a big hug and a good rub.  She would then turn and lick his beard for a moment as a thank you before she parted back to her spot.

So Stish followed David around their home.  His favorite spot in the office downstairs was underneath a counter near David's feet.  So, a doggie bed was added for his comfort.  But Stish was always a little slow to move. Then he had to catch up to David. No matter how many times he crawled into his spot in the office, every time he got up quickly to follow David, he would smash his head into the counter.  It's not that he wasn't a smart and clever dog.  But like many smart and clever people, sometimes he just wasn't too bright!

With David and his friend Chele beside him, Stish left for his journey to the Rainbow Bridge on September 9, 2003 .  He gently passed, and shed all his pain.  He had developed very painful rear legs that wobbled badly as he walked. He also, in his last two weeks, was able to keep very little food down, if he even tried to eat.  He never gave up, and still wagged his tail a bit when David came home from the track.  His roo at the top of the stairs was fainter and much shorter, but he called out in joy to see David.

Stish was a lover of peanuts. A large can was always in the kitchen for David to grab a handful as a snack.  Stish learned quickly to grab them in mid-air as David tossed them to him.   About a week after Stish passed away, David grabbed a handful in the kitchen and headed back into the living room.  One peanut started to drop to the floor.  As David watch it fall out of his hand, he lost sight of it in mid-air, which surprised him a little.  He bent down to find it since Stish wasn't around. David couldn't see it.  As he thought about how it seemed to disappear in mid-flight, David's eyes widened and he got down on his hands and knees to search.  It just wasn't anywhere.  Finally, David called out, "Hi Stish" as his eyes filled up remembering his missing companion.

A few days later, David was reading his newspaper and suddenly right beside him he heard the rattle of a dogs collar and tags as if a dog was shaking his body after being wet. David looked to his right, fully expecting to see his companion......  but the room was empty.  A couple of weeks went by. As David came home one day, he heard a faint rooing from the field.  The same call of joy he always heard from Stish when he returned home after work.   As the roo continued, David rooed back, as was the custom.  The first roo stopped briefly, and then started up with even more exuberance.  David smiled and called out Stish's name.  The roo went quiet.  Every so often when David return's home, he calls out a hello to Stish.  There is no answer, but there doesn't need to be.  The warmth of the treasured times flood back and make it worthwhile.

The house is very quiet now.  David has made the decision that after 50 years, it is better for him and his canine friends to not have any more dogs. He is traveling more on business for the track, and spending more and more time away from home.  But when he is home. there isn't anyone sharing the king-size at night.  No one nudging his head into David.  No one to pre-wash the dishes, grab the food scraps, or roo when David gets home.  It's too quiet, and will take some getting used to.

But the wonderful memories are there.  From David's first dog, "Lucky" as an eight year old, to Stish, 50 years later,  it has been wonderful.   Lucky, Keva, Alpha, Beta, Abby, Lady, Crissy and Stish. Eight wonderful companions who have enriched David's life.  Plus all their canine friends who have come to visit.  Especially, all of the greyhounds, many on there way to a new adoptive home.

to be continued..........