Whippet Blog

I am a lover of whippets, but not a breeder.  I don’t have a “kennel name”, I don’t have famous dogs.  But I’ve been watching this breed with an eagle eye since 1994 when I bought my first whippet from an ad in the paper.  (Don’t do this).  I embroiled myself in the race dog/show dog controversy by adopting my second whippet from a kennel considered by some in the breed as “questionable” in terms of purebred dogs.   I later watched that much beloved dog die from a running injury on the field, doing what he loved, what he was born to do.  My third whippet was selected from a local AWC member/breeder after agonizing temperament testing – I wanted an obedience and agility dog.  Nike had other ideas.  Nike wanted to be one of them runnin’ dogs.  It almost didn’t happen – one of his littermates was diagnosed with a heart problem.  I was awakened to some of the developing health problems in the breed.  After a color doppler image of Nike’s heart in 2000, (long before it became a generally accepted health test in the breed), Nike got a clean bill of health to run.  My brain didn’t get the memo.  I couldn’t accept that I should let this dog that was my heart and soul do what he loved if he was just going to end up dead.  It’s not a logical argument, but logic plays no role in that kind of emotion.  I spent two years watching lure courses in the rain, without entering a dog – I had to see that the accident that killed my sweet rescue was an anomaly before I let another dog go out there.  And Nike badly wanted out there.  Finally, hyperventilating, nearly passing out, and scared shitless I let Nike lure course.  I could barely watch that first race.  He finished with an NBQ.  He went on to finish his Canadian Field championship in tough west coast competition and earned his TRP and DPC in CWA straight racing.  He also introduced me to the show ring and finished his Canadian championship.  By then I was hooked.

Whippet number three was from a lovely breeding of two beautiful dogs that I will always admire.  I am forever grateful to breeder Karen Lee for allowing me the opportunity to own and show such a beautiful dog.  I finished Travis in the US and Canada, unfortunately he was not a clean runner, and he did not like children.  He lives now with a lovely family that had just lost their greyhound and have no exposure to children.  Trav taught to me to show competitively, to really get in the ring and fight for the win.  I love the competition of the ring because of Travis.

Upheaval in my life prevented me from obtaining another dog until 2008.  I picked up Tara, Northwind’s Southern Manor from breeder Kay Nierengarten at the Eugene National.  She is finished in Canada and learning to straight race and lure course.  I suspect lure coursing is going to be “her” thing.  I will support her desires, with my heart in my throat.

In December of 2008, we lost my first boy, my beautiful Carson, bought from an ad in the paper and our constant companion for 14 1/2 years.  Carson was an odd fellow, running wasn’t his thing, showing wasn’t his thing, his thing was hanging out in the sunshine guarding his toys.  But he was a sweet, dear dog who did a wonderful job addicting me to this beautiful breed.

In April, 2009, by happy, lucky circumstance, I was able to add Morgan to the pack.   Morgan came from Mary Downing and Linda Buchholz and is Whimsy’s Swiftsure Pyrat Pistol.  He is Mr. Atty-tude, and probably will get to do whatever he wants.

I’ve been to every whippet National since 2000, save Kansas City.  Trav was second in his class in both Denver and Crystal Lake.  I hope to be able to enter Tara in the Triathlon in Tuscon, Nike in Veterans, and Morgan in the appropriate class.

So while I may not be well known, or have bred umpty-some litters, I’ve been here.  Watching, learning, and enjoying my dogs. After 15 years, I know a thing or two about whippets.  Oh.  And for those of you who were watching Whippet Idol in Atlanta – I was Kara.  That takes a couple glasses of chardonnay.  Trust me.

Carson, Travis, and Nike

Tags: whippets

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 31st, 2009 at 8:00 pm and is filed under whippets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.