As soon as I walked in the door, he greeted me with a hug and a kiss.

He's been in his new place for only two weeks, but he's already comfortable . He's a lot calmer than I thought a race dog would be.

"He's a 45-mile-per-hour couch potato, a large cat," says his owner, Michael Wimbs, 30. "Everyone expects him to be real hyper, but he is very laid-back and naps a lot."

Pharaoh, once known as Ralph, used to race at The Woodlands track in Kansas City, Kan. He's about 3 years old and retired after only 11 races. He wasn't exactly the fastest greyhound on the track , Michael says with a smile.

But he did find a home more quickly than some of the other dogs.

On Sunday the track will close, and hundreds of greyhounds will need new homes. Employees have committed to taking care of them until they are adopted or bused out to other racetracks and kennels.

Michael hopes the more people learn about greyhounds, the more they will want to adopt them (www.pups-without-partners.org).

Some people assume race dogs would be high-maintenance and overly energetic. Others see their muscular physique, the strong protruding nose and sharp teeth and think greyhounds might be too aggressive for their homes.

Michael, a Kansas City real estate agent, hadn't thought much about greyhounds at all. He was on the hunt for an older dog, one that shed less than other breeds . He thought he wanted a Weimaraner or maybe a German shepherd, but he found out that greyhounds fit what he was looking for.

He did some research ("Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies") and then headed to the track and looked around. A slender, dark brindle male caught his eye, and when the dog jumped up, gave him a hug and nibbled on his chin, Michael knew he'd found the one to take home.

That was about two weeks ago, and Michael says the transition has its challenges. Pharaoh is already answering to his new name, but he's still learning to sit, adjusting to his new food and learning to be home alone while his "dad" is at work. But overall, Michael says, everything is much better than even he anticipated.

"He's so much more affectionate than I thought," says Michael, as Pharaoh snuggles up against his leg. "He carries his blanket around and cuddles up with it. I can just lie right on top of him and he doesn't mind. He's just really loving and social."

When I get up to leave, they both walk me to the door. Pharaoh's tongue hangs out of his mouth. Just looking at them, it's as if they've been together forever.

It would be nice to know that more greyhounds will meet their match so well.