Ready For The Big Day!

The past 10 weeks have flown by faster than Kara's trainer would have liked.  This past week has been spent relaxing and preparing Kara for the big day...graduation and her forever home!  It has been both happy and sad.  Happy because he knows she is going to a loving home, but sad because he will miss her.   She has really debunked the myth that you can't teach a dog new tricks.  Kara has learned all of her basic commands and extras to boot!  She is also a sweetie. Good luck to you Kara.   Team Hawkins

Lovable Lady

It's swap week here at the second chance Greyhound program. This swap week, one of the trainers was given a sweet girl named Kara. She is such a well-behaved greyhound. She knows all of her commands extremely well. Her swap week trainer has no complaints about her, and one of the best things about her is her leash walking. She stays right beside him and responds very well to the let's go command. She does what most greyhounds do best...lay around, hang out and be lazy. Kara is no exception.  The play sessions were short and fun and it doesn't take much to get her tired. Kara is a great dog and her swap week trainer really enjoyed their time together. He knows that she'll make her new family happy for years to come!

Spin! Spin! Spin!

Kara Von Cute Face checking in with all my admirers out there.  I have to say I am so proud of myself.  Ms. Patti came to visit and I did all of my commands like a champion I am!  I even threw in a "spin" just to top it all off.  I love to spin, spin, spin my way to treat heaven!  It's my favorite, but I cannot live by the "spin" command alone.  No sir.  We greyhounds have to do all our commands at the SCG center for higher learning. This way our forever families can see how much we have learned.  I know my family is going to be very impressed. Till next week...

Playtime in the Winter time

This week was a relaxing week for Kara and her trainer.  She already knows all her basic commands and a couple extras, so they decided to put training on the backseat and enjoy the ride.  This just gave her trainer an excuse to love on her even more.  He's not sure who enjoyed it more, her or him.

The cold weather didn't hinder playtime.  Kara is the first dog he has ever seen who will squint her eyes when she sees a toy she likes. It reminds him of an old western showdown at High Noon. Each sizing the other up, tension filling the air, waiting for the moment when they draw. And Kara would always win. She's the fastest paw in the west. Everyone knows that! Till next week.

HO! HO! HO!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Kara and her trainer have spent the past week in preparation of the "big dog" himself....Santa Paws!  Kara even decided to learn a new command just in case she runs into him leaving presents under the tree.  After careful consideration, it was decided "spin" would not only look super cute, but will quite possible impress him enough to bestow upon her a few extra jerky treats she so loves.  Once Kara got the hang of it, her trainer thinks she is quite possibly the best spinner the world has ever known.  With her new trick down pat, milk bone cookies left by the Christmas tree, Kara and her trainer settled in for a night where they would fight sleep, tooth and nail, in hopes of getting to meet Santa Paws.  Eventually they lost the fight and fell fast asleep.  When they woke up, it was a race to the tree.  Which her trainer lost, by the way.  LOL  Sure enough!  The milk bone cookies were gone and in their place was a newly hung stocking overflowing with yummy treats and a new squeaky sheep!  Who knows if Santa Paws was watching or not, but Kara did several spins of approval.

It is easy to feel the magical spirit of Christmas when you are around a truly amazing greyhound like Kara.  Her sole purpose in life seems to be to give more than she gets.  Merry Christmas from Team Kara!!!

"Santa Paws" is Coming!

Have you ever been driving and you hit a certain stretch of highway where you want to hit the cruise control, roll the windows down and just enjoy the ride?  Well, that's where Kara is at...  Cruise control.  She does all of her basic commands with no problems, except jump.  That's a work in progress.   In fact, the people from SCG were at the prison this past weekend and Kara gave a perfect performance!  She even threw in a "bow" at the end, just to top it off.

Kara has single handedly put to bed the myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.  Her trainer is very proud of her and looks forward to another week with her.  Now if you will excuse Kara and her trainer, they have to go and finish getting ready for "Santa Paws".  Kara is super excited!!!!  Merry Christmas!

Kara Von Cute Face

Hi Ya'll!  This is Kara...AKA Kara von cute face.  Have any of you heard of Santa Paws?  My trainer tole me an amazing story about this special greyhound, named Santa Paws.  He lives all the way up at the north pole.  I know right!  Brrrrr!!  No thank you!  Anyways, it gets better.  So, this greyhound Santa Paws has a list of naughty and nice pups that he keeps, and if you are on the nice list, once a year on Christmas eve, he pays you a visit.  He leaves you cool toys and yummy jerky treats.  And in my case, chicken.  If you are on the naughty list, you get nothing, zero, zilch, a big ol' goose egg.  Which makes sense, why I never heard of him.  I mean I was not always the angel I am today (bats eye lashes).  Anyway, It's not my fault!!!  No one ever told me!  This also got me thinking... How in the world does he deliver all the toys and treats in one night?  Then it hit me!  Duh, he is a greyhound and we ARE the fastest dogs on the planet!  So I, Kara von cute face, am going to go the extra mile to ensure my name is on the nice list.  I am doing all my commands with no fuss.  Gosh, I hope the big guy takes notice.  I would love nothing more than to wake up on Christmas day with a new toy and some delicious treats.  Oh, and maybe something for my trainer as well.  He has been good this year.  I Love Christmas!!  Till next week.  Peace on earth and all that good stuff.      Yours,  

                                                                      Kara

#IbelieveinSantaPaws

Give Me Chicken or Give Me Cuddles

This week in The Life and Times of Kara Von Cute Face, we find ourselves unearthing more and more reasons why she is absolutely the best dog ever. For one, we just discovered that when she first sees a favorite person of hers she is quick to give them a huge grin while running up to greet them as if they were old college chums reunited for the first time in years. Who wouldn't want a dog that actually smiles? This is YouTube material!

Next is her tail wagging. It is totally infectious and leaves you no choice but to smile at the ferocity at which she wags it. I would be willing to bet that if you could somehow harness the energy from it, you would be able to power a city the size of Atlanta with no problem.

Training is now a breeze since she has found a treat she values above all others... Chicken! When chicken is involved, she throws decorum out of the window and it's off to the races. Sit, down, heel, stay? No problem! Just please give me chicken! She would make the Chick-fil-A cows so proud. Till next week!

A Real Golden Oldie!

Hi y'all, this is Kara! You will have to bear with me. I'm not used to all this new technology. I'm just a simple ole girl from Alabama, but my kids insist that I get with the times. So here I am writing my first blog! Okay, so since I am now in my so-called golden years and all of my 19 kids have careers of their own, I decided to go back to school. For the past few years back at the farm, all the talk was of this wonderful school called The Second Chance Greyhounds Center for Higher Learning. Those lucky enough to get accepted to the special program just couldn't wait to go. It was yap yap yap, Second Chance Greyhounds this and that, yap yap yap. I'll be honest, at first I didn't understand what all the fuss was about. I just chalked it up to the silliness that seems to run rampant in today's youth.

Then when I found out that I myself have been accepted... Well, let's just say I danced an Alabama two step that would have made Fred Astaire green with envy. Boy howdy was he a cutie. Anyways, so far I'm having a great time. My professor / trainer is not only easy on the eyes but also a born leader. He has been very patient with me, and has even worked our lessons around my nap times! How awesome is that? He even told me I was the best student he has ever had I believe him because first off he has an honest face, and second I already know bed, heel, sit, and sometimes down.

So to all the haters out there who say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, just stop on by the Second Chance Greyhound Center for Higher Learning and watch me, Kara, show you just how it's done... As long as it's not nap time. Hey, you don't get to be this cute without lots of beauty sleep. Till next time! Now if I can just figure out how to take a selfie...

Love At First Sight

When Kara's trainer first found out he was getting a 9 year old, he pictured them spending their days together cutting coupons or maybe sitting around waiting for the mailman to deliver the latest AARP magazine. Then she walked into his life and they locked eyes. He knew his rush to judgement had been all wrong. The first thing he noticed were that her eyes shine, not only with an inner wisdom that comes from experience, but also a twinkle that hints at a wild side soon to be discovered... intriguing!! Already reeling from her radiant eyes, her trainer then noticed her gorgeous coat of red, yellow and orange. It resembles an ocean of fire. It's that ocean of beauty that my heart now finds itself at sea, forever adrift in a serious case of love at first sight.

Training wise they have decided to let Kara set the pace. So far she is motivated by a toy turkey that giggles when you shake it. I guess the turkey is happy to be a toy for Kara instead of a Thanksgiving meal!

Kara's trainer feels confident that she will put an end to the myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Now off to bingo with Kara or she will be late. LOL Till next time...