Ciao, amici! We’re Luce and Mateo—10-year-old Italian Greyhounds, Shadow Valley residents, and neighborhood charmers. You can call me Matty (I’m the fun one), and that’s Luce.  He’s the bossy older brother (but just by a few minutes).  We’ve lived in this beautiful neighborhood since we were wee pups—just 8 weeks old! Our parents brought us home, and let me tell you, life has been bellissimo ever since. 

Our familia moved to Shadow Valley from Russellville about 11 years ago. It’s been our kingdom of squirrels, sunshine, and steep hills ever since. Sadly, our dad passed away from a rare cancer a little over a year ago, but we still feel his spirit every time we go out for a jog or ride in the golf cart he used to take us around in—oops, sorry, the Dog Cart. The cart has never seen a golf course, only golden retrievers and schnauzers. Priorities!

We’re Italian Greyhounds—basically, miniature versions of the big racing greyhounds, just fancier and snugglier. Since we’re Italian, of course we have Italian names. Luce means "Light" and Mateo means "gift from God".  Had our mom known how difficult we would be to housebreak, she might have named us "Buio" and "Diavolo".  We'll let you guess what those mean.  She's kidding of course.  Our humans used to have a second home in Italy and fell in love with everything about it: the art, the food, the people... and now, us. We are art on four legs, as some might say.

One of the best things about Shadow Valley is the people—and their dogs! Everyone here is friendly, active, and clearly understands the importance of belly rubs and treat variety. We walk and jog all over the neighborhood, especially around the Circle (whew, that’s a workout!), and yes, we do it off-leash. We’re that good. We know what you’re thinking: “But what about squirrels and bunnies?” Don’t worry—we chase them, but we slam on the brakes at the curb. No street crossing unless Mom gives the green light. We take safety—and squirrels—very seriously.

Now let’s talk about our party trick: “roll over.” When we were younger, Mom taught us this classic trick. But somewhere along the way, we added our own flair - spinning in wild circles before launching into a dramatic, full-body slam. If the floor is hard or we're on pavement, we’ll politely relocate to the nearest rug or patch of grass. We have standards.

People often stop us on walks to take photos or ask, “Are they puppies?” (Flattery will get you everywhere.) We’re 10, thank you very much—but we wear it well. Mom eats up the attention too. When people say, “Oh, they’re adorable!” she beams and says, “Thank you!” like she did all the work.

Some of our favorite hangouts include the Bentonville Farmers Market and Crystal Bridges. Honestly, we don’t get far—people love us. We’re like local celebs. Photos, pets, compliments... we soak it up. Sometimes the walk turns into a meet-and-greet, but that’s fine by us. More talking than walking is fine with us.  We love people and being admired. It’s hard work being this good-looking.

When we really want a day out, we head to Coler Mountain Biking Preserve. So many smells! So many fellow four-legged adventurers! It’s a sniff-fest, and we’re here for it.

Shadow Valley is more than our home—it’s our playground, red carpet, and runway. We may be small, but we live large. And if you ever see two sleek little guys zipping by, spinning in circles, or posing for photos on a golf cart... yep, that’s us. Just two Italian gentlemen living their best Arkansas life.  Let us know if you’d like us to “paws” for a photo!