Former racing dog makes new friends

By Phil Cobb | July 21, 2018 |

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Jack Moose is shown Monday, July 16, at Oak Pointe of Maryville.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Barb Biffle, former Maryville resident, brought her greyhound Jack Moose to visit the residents of Oak Pointe of Maryville on Monday afternoon.

Jack, a former racing greyhound and current Canine Good Citizen, walked around meeting the residents of Oak Pointe, getting ear scratches and doing tricks.

On July 2, Biffle received word via email from the American Kennel Club that his applications for Purebred Alternative Listing and Canine Good Citizen has been approved. Biffle explained that the CGC requires extensive behavior training and testing, and he aced it all in June. Because of his approval, Biffle has been taking him to visit retirement homes and memory care centers throughout July.

Biffle has owned six greyhounds in her life and Jack is the latest.

Biffle explained that greyhounds get tattoos in their ears as soon as they’re born, in order to identify them and track lineage. On Jack’s maternal side, he’s part Irish Greyhound and on his paternal side he’s actually related to some of the previous greyhounds Biffle has owned.

Born March 2, 2012 in Texas, he was the second in a litter of three. His racing name was Bob’s Jack. In his career, he raced in 75 races at tracks in Texas, Arizona and Florida, winning 11 times and coming in second four times during a two-year period. He retired and was rehomed through an adoption agency to a couple in Oregon.

Biffle received Jack in March, after a family who called him Moose moved to Omaha and realized they wouldn’t have the amount of time necessary to give him a good life. They did, however, send along a document explaining in detail all of Moose’s personality, quirks, food preferences (bananas), things he should not have (cheese), words he knows, tricks he knows and what motivates him to be “Moose.”

Talking to the residents at Oak Pointe, Biffle explained that greyhounds are sight dogs, meaning they must be indoor dogs or have a very good fenced-in yard. If Jack were to see something and there be no fence, he would be a quarter-mile down the road before Biffle could even see he was gone, she said. Greyhounds run 40 miles per hour.

Biffle said Jack weighs 85 pounds so he’s been on a diet. She takes him for three half-mile to mile walks per day, unless the pavement is too hot, then he runs the length of the basement about 40 feet and then when he’s finished exerting himself Jack falls over on the floor under the ceiling fan.

Some Jack Moose peculiarities include his love of bananas.

“They (his former owners) said he can hear you peel a banana from two rooms away,” Biffle said.

After testing with two rooms between a softly opening banana and Jack Moose, Biffle turned to see Jack in the door way.

She said he’ll do “drive-bys” at someone, but that the person shouldn’t move, because he’ll swerve at the last minute.

“He tolerates cats,” Biffle said. “We have a cat that rubs on his head.”

Jack has his own Facebook page, if anyone wants to keep up with his travels, it is located online at https://www.facebook.com/JackMooseFriends/.

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Barb Biffle, former Maryville resident, holds her greyhound Jack Moose on Monday outside Oak Pointe of Maryville. Jack is the sixth greyhound she has owned in her life. He is a Canine Good Citizen and has been approved for visits in retirement homes and memory care centers.

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Jeanne Reever, Phyllis Napiecek and Gladys Strauch, residents of Oak Pointe of Maryville meet Jack Moose, the former racing greyhound on Monday. Jack is a Canine Good Citizen and his owner Barb Biffle has been taking him to retirement homes and memory care centers telling his story.

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Barb Biffle asks Jack Moose if he will do tricks for the residents at Oak Pointe of Maryville.

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Jack Moose lies down Monday, July 16, while Barb Biffle, former Maryville resident talks about his peculiarities and love of bananas.

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Janice Wiederholt and Connie Madden, residents at Oak Pointe, plays Monday with Jack Moose the visiting greyhound.

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Janice Wiederholt and Connie Madden, residents at Oak Pointe, plays Monday with Jack Moose the visiting greyhound.

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Janice Wiederholt rubs the ears of Jack Moose on Monday, July, 16 at Oak Pointe.

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Megan Stilmock, an intern from Northwest Missouri State University, gets an up close and personal sniff Monday from Jack Moose, the former racing greyhound cared for by Barb Biffle, right.