Update from Lucas (Lauretana Boy)

By Fatima |

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Lucas (Lauretana Boy) has been a great racer (he had 90 starts!), and upon his well-deserved retirement, he was given to GAP by his trainers Penny  and Keith Sutch-Jones. He now lives in Auckland, with his new parents Julie and Geof, and their 2 cats.

I just got an update and some gorgeous pictures from Julie (thanks a million Julie!):

We have now had our beautiful boy Lucas (aka Lukey Bear or just plain Bear)  for almost 6 weeks and we have all settled in to our new routine. It was love at first sight for me and when Lucas practically dragged me to the car when we first picked him up, jumped up into the back and proceeded to kiss (lick) my face I knew I had made one of the best decisions of my life. He was out to impress that first day and certainly did so!

He quietened down after that and it took him around two weeks to really settle in and find his paws and me about two weeks to stop being neurotic. :) My husband had a wee mishap with him on day three and they were both a little wary of each other for a week or so but I can happily report that Lucas now looks at him adoringly and Geof now proudly tells friends and family about his “ferrari” of a dog hehehe.
Our two cats have been great apart from the first evening when one of them stalked Lucas around the garden and then proceeded to launch an unprovoked attack on him! This took us totally by surprise as we thought it would be the other way round. I then spent around a week of disciplining the cats. Lucas, needless to say, has a very healthy respect for them.
He absolutely adores going to Kakamatua Beach and it is such a joy to watch him race along the beach and swim. The only problem I have had personally is not wanting to leave him! :)

Lucas at Kakamatua Inlet beach

 He goes to doggy day care once a week to keep up his socialization skills with other dogs and I have talked my mother (it was not hard) in to looking after him one day a week so he is only home alone two days per week. If you have not yet adopted a hound and are still considering it I cant urge you enough to just go for it. They are so unique and it really is like having an extremely well behaved young adult in the house who just adores you. As the weeks go by it just gets better and better and I am excited at the thought of all the great years to come getting to know my new best friend.
Ps. Week 6 and we have heard him bark six times....unbelievable!