Pharoah masters his domain

Pharoah taking in the sunset
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Pharoah, the young white greyhound formerly known as Taylor, hasn't allowed his gimpy leg to slow him down. The boy has mastered the long, steep stairwell in his new Coconut Creek townhouse and is settling in perfectly, Crystal told me in an email.

To review, Pharoah landed in the Friends of Greyhounds kennels in the spring with a badly injured right hind that wasn't treated properly. The injury healed, but because it wasn't properly set, the ankle/foot area became malformed to the point where it can't bear weight.

Pharoah can use the leg for balance, but he essentially walks and does most things with only three legs. Michelle's orthopedic vet examined the leg -- she said Pharoah feels no pain from the injury and has adjusted perfectly. The vet said he will have no short- or long-term problems with the leg and that expensive surgery would only fix the appearance of the leg.

That said, when Michelle and I delivered Pharoah to Crystal a couple of weeks ago, we did have a little doubt about how he might be able to navigate that stairwell.

No problem, Crystal said yesterday in her email -- with assistance from Bailey, the miniature pinscher who is Pharoah's new sister.

Pharoah lounging in his new bed
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"Pharaoh has completely mastered the stairs and no longer requires any assistance up or down." Crystal said. "He is an amazing dog and recently was able to show that he still has some running power at the dog park we visited on Sunday.

"He and Bailey have become fast friends -- and, in fact, Bailey is the reason he is now a master stair climber. She was able to walk slowly next to him while he tried on his own like she was giving an example and direction. They are amazing buddies now.

"Pharaoh has become such a wonderful part of my family, and I couldn’t be happier," Crystal wrote.

Crystal said Pharoah has gotten the hang of living in a family home for the first time in his life. "The house training is going as expected," she said. "Besides a box of Milk Bones that were accidentally left at his level, he hasn’t gotten into anything. He is very receptive to correction when needed and has left everything in the house alone (like those baskets on the floor).

"He is simply amazing. I will be looking toward another Greyhound for sure when ready."

Thanks for the upgrade, Crystal. Sounds like you and Bailey found a great match.