This post I dedicate to Lilly. I miss the dog. She drove me to insanity and back on an average day with her sheer enthusiasm for life!
Hubby fell in love with Whippets years ago and we found ourselves 2 bitches. They were really cute and cuddly. They slept on our bed and went through normal puppy training. They grew and got bigger. But they never grew out of their toddler shenanigans!
Since I’m your perpetual student, I started researching the bread to learn more about them. Things like health problems, trainability, temperament, etc. Nothing. Nada. Not a thing was available about these dogs. Today there’s quite a bit available about the breed. I sometimes wholeheartedly agree with the information. Occasionally, I call the writer out on the crap they peddle. With that said, I thought I’d share some of the things we learned on the job about this breed:
- Jack Russels are a walk in the park. In my eyes, Jack Russels are the epiphany of naughty dogs. Whippets invented naughty!
- Clothing lines are the mother of all challenges. And whippets accept it with glee. These dogs jump about 10 times their own height to reach morsels of toys.
- Toys entertain the people who buy them, not the whippets. Whippets destroy heavy-duty, double-rubberised toys as if they’re made of fabric and stuffing.
- Running drains unfit candidates. Walking or running is like oxygen for whippets and can never be skipped. Rain or shine, whippets love it. Skip that nightly walk and your washing line will become the touch down line.
- Cold belongs in snowy regions. They are the most cost intolerant breed I’ve ever met. They shiver and shake that grandma’s shaking teacup looks like gentle pulses.
- Cuddling is not just for teddy bears. If you lie still enough for just a few seconds, they will cuddle so cutely.
- Food bowls always have holes. They eat the way a teenager does.
- Great Danes are Einsteins compared to Whippets. They are 100% primal dogs with instinct as driving force and no brainpower necessary. Every training lesson is like their first.
- Bed space is always theirs. I don’t know if it’s their build or lack of insulation. These dogs almost need the comfort of a mattress and bed.
- Clothes are the menu. And underwear and towels are their favourite. I’ve never met any breed of dog that loves eating clothes more than the whippet.
At 11 years old, Rose is still going strong. She’s prone to growths and tumors, so she has an annual visit to the dentist. He removes them, only to have them regrow. According to the vet, they’re benign. She’s my sunshine, this dog, and I love her to bits.
Her sister, Lilly, died 2 years ago at 9. Lilly ate everything and anything. Tragically, she ingested poison. A gang of a-holes went on a killing spree to kill dogs in the neighbourhood. The vet tried what he could but in the end, she died. The cruelty that humans rain down on animals is staggering at best.
Until next time everybody.
Cheers