Banjoman

Way to go Nate! Nutmeg waiting to see iffn I yam still limping ( but problee KNOT) to go to ower lokul wun.

Havva Greyt day. Wagz frum Nuttymeg.

Have fun, all of you! Lunch sounds ideal.

I wouldn’t want to meet Doolin in a dark alley on a late night!

My lurcher Nutmeg hates my daughter’s laminate floors and the more she panics the more she scrabbles and slips. Last time we were there we had the same panic then later during the day I saw her turn around and come carefully backwards into the room until she reached the central rug when she turned around and walked up to me. Clever or what?

I thought she was wearing a flowery hat in the first photo.

There’s nothing quite like a brindle, Wishing happiness to all of you, whatever his name is.

As The Forestry Commission say, don’t leave dog poo on the path, find a “stick and flick” it into the undergrowth at the side.

It took Chancey just two weeks to get up on the settee. I was sitting at one end and she put her front feet up as though she wanted to look out of the window, turned her head to see what my reaction was, then went back to all four feet on the floor. The next day the same thing happened and when I didn’t remonstrate her back legs carefully joined the front legs. By the third day she was curled up comfortably and soon after she was stretched out full length and for the next eight years I had about six inches of seat left for myself.

This is the first time I’ve seen all your earlier dogs Chris.

Hi, My name is Carol and I am a whippet lover, owned them since 1989. One of the reasons I have a greyhound is because I couldn’t find an older whippet when I wanted one and retired racing greyhound’s were easy to adopt. I had wanted a greyhound anyway but basically I am a whippet person. I am in England and have contacts in the whippet Showing world but for someone new to the breed I would say go to dog shows, talk to the breeders (after they’ve finished showing) look at the different animals and see if there is a type you like. I believe you breed them a little larger over in USA. Blues can be lighter framed than some of the other colours. Like greyhounds they come in a variety of colours and like greyhounds they are thin skinned and need coats in cold weather. Once you find a breeder you like then see if you can put your name down for a puppy. My granddaughter had to wait the best part of a year for her first whippet and has just brought home her second one from the same breeder. I currently have a rescued whippet lurcher bitch who is very loving and attention seeking but all my pedigree whippets have been dogs and I have always been told that dogs are more people orientated while bitches are more stand offish. Mine have loved snuggling under blankets, hated wet weather, mostly avoided puddles and loved cuddling up to or on top of me. They came home at eight weeks old and started at dog training classes as soon as they were able to meet other dogs after they’d had their injections. Recall training was usually reasonable providing you could stop them before they started chasing something i.e. you saw the deer or squirrel before they did. Once on the move we couldn’t stop them. I took three out into the forest and could let them off for a run providing I was careful about where we were and if other dogs were around. The ideal thing for them, as with greyhounds, is a safely fenced field. A couple, who were distantly related, would retrieve a ball, the other two would chase it a few times then leave the humans to go and pick it up. They could do a one hour walk easily and have been known to go on longer hikes with the local Scout Group. The boys took great delight in counting how many times Rolo did a wee on the way to their halfway point and, after having a drink, how many times he did one on the way home. I wasn’t there but I believe 27 was a number mentioned! Training needs to be little and often or they get bored but if they enjoy it they can be good obedience dogs and of course are really fast for agility and flyball. They are very strong, two puppies managed to bend the bars of their cages when objecting to being shut in. Rolo’s neck and jaw strength meant he could carry home quite long, thick “sticks” from the forest, bigger than most Labradors would carry. One day a friend was visiting with her German Shepherd dog and gave each of them a hide chew. Rolo finished his before her GSD was halfway through his. You need to keep worktops clear - Rolo nearly had the ham joint from the back of a friends kitchen worktop one Boxing Day, Delta would take an apple from the centre of the dining table and Banjo ended at the vets twice after stealing Christmas cake. The first time my fault when on Christmas Eve I went out for less than half an hour to deliver a Christmas card and he found it at the back of the kitchen worktop, the second was a couple of years later when visiting a friend. He brought a cup of tea and slice of cake in to the living room for me and when he went back to collect his it had gone! I have been told about a whippet that climbed to the top of a Welsh dresser to reach the butter that had been put up there out of her way. A six foot fence was one of the conditions my whippet breeders insisted on before agreeing to let me have our first puppy. My girls need their supper now but if there is anything else you want to know about I am happy to provide answers if I can.

Definitely the whippets. I have handled four whippets at a time and it can be great fun!

The Greyhound won the Hound Group at Crufts. With the Whippet 2nd.

When I need a chuckle I watch the Dogumentaries.

As both parents are working gundog breeds that would happily be out in the field all day that will be a dog that is going to need several hours of outdoor exercise every day. Not too bad at first while the dog is growing up and shouldn’t have too much walking but a lot of hours of wet, muddy walking once it becomes an adult. Will you still be up for that in 8 - 10 years time? Will Grace feel abandoned when she can no longer manage that sort of exercise regime and has to stay home?

Ha Pee Gotcha Day Sid! Wagz frum Chancey and Nutmeg.

When I first got her Chancey was a screaming, leaping fury when we saw other dogs out on a walk. I kept a muzzle on her for over three years for her own safety as she could suddenly snap even at dogs we knew. The problem with the muzzle ( pink so that she didn’t look so aggressive) is that it is difficult to feed treats so “Look at me” was a bit difficult to manage. I used a martingale collar that I could hold tight up behind her ears as she jumped straight up in the air beside me, my hand ending up the same height as my ear! Providing I was standing still and balanced she couldn’t pull me over. We walked in the forest most days and the regulars got used to us standing at the side of the forest path with me making her stand still beside me. I read that it takes 18 months for a dog and 2 years for a bitch to calm down after they come off the track and I have to say that worked out about right for Chancey. I was eventually able to take her to training classes in a village hall, still wearing the muzzle, and I think that helped her get used to small fluffy dogs but even now, out in the forest , after eight years I still call out to people with small dogs and ask them to control their animals and not let them come running and yapping up to us. I have to explain that instinct can still overcome training, although nowadays it’s really to keep the annoying little things out of our way!

Thinking of you at this difficult time.

Who could forget?

Fank yu Miss. Ducky. C. & N. & Mum.

Unusual and handsome!

Salukis were known as “Horizon dogs” by a friend of mine. Her son had them and when let off lead they disappeared over the horizon! As rescue whippets aren’t easily found maybe you could contact some breeders who may have an ex brood bitch or an unsuccessful show prospect that they would be happy to rehome to you.

Chancey and Nutmeg hope that the campers are having a Greyt Christmas.