Whippet Snippets
And now...a fox!
Two whippets, a red Kelpie, 2 cats and...now a fox. Bringing home a rescued fox cub to live with whippets !! Yes...whippets! What were we thinking??? Normally our animals just accepted any rescued creature without fuss but this could be tricky. After seeing the sheer terror in his eyes as he clawed and chewed at his small holding cage we decided he must have his freedom eventually.
He was immediately introduced, one by one, without fuss, to the other creatures and son and daughter, then set free in the house , to find a hidey hole he felt safe in to eat cooked chicken and chokky biscuits and venture out to make friends in his own time. He was neutered in a few days and had various injections and a nice elastic collar with his name, Holly, and phone number on it ready for the day we felt he was ready to be let out into the wider world, being fairly confident he would choose to stay with us and not get into trouble .
His being only a few months old was in our favour as he bonded with the dogs and cats very quickly and very soon they were tearing through the house over and under furniture with him up and across the benches and billiard table as quick and agile as only a fox can be, with a very definite smile on his foxy little face .
THEY, had the greatest of fun, WE, had the most chaotic time of our lives. After a fortnight of his unbelievably destructive behaviour and sneaky playfulness we decided it was time he was allowed to go in and out at will with Zoe and Bluebelle. We were slightly apprehensive about Sarky the Kelpie's reaction
to "up close and personal" and not just through the window contact. Holly ran straight up and grovelled around him in his usual submissive way, grizzling and whinging, then they sat together as Sarky nonchalantly chewed on a bone.
From then on he came in and out with his brothers the whippets, as he pleased, shut inside as usual through the night, sleeping on chairs with the dogs or on a chosen bed with a cat or two, to be let out in the morning to go and fossick about as foxes do and to sit and watch the goings on from a good vantage spot or sleep for a while in the sun. The three dogs and I, ( sometimes a cat for a little way), would walk along the river boundary of our 80 acres every morning, the whippies taking off suddenly after rabbits, a duck or kangaroos having the most marvellous time leaving old Sarky and me to catch up later. Holly would start off with us but would shortly go off up the hill a bit to cut through the trees where he felt less exposed and vulnerable. It was a truly good feeling watching him keep pace with us undercover.
On the way back he and the dogs would meet up and head for home where they arrived panting and happy, racing to the giant shell under the tap for a long drink before flopping down together on the lawn in complete contentment, chewing on old bones. Life moves on and they are all gone now but it was a truly privileged and unique experience all round, though very certainly not one I would recommend.
Kay Harris
Anyone for knitting?
Hi Whippet Lovers,
Who loves to knit? Below is a link to a site where you can find a coat pattern. I guess those who are really clever can adapt it to fit a whippet. I would love to see the end result!!!!!
This is a link to a site offering up a free dog coat pattern for the knitters of the world.
http://www.cstone.net/~glass/DogPattern.html
Narrow Dog fame
Introducing Terry & Monica Darlington & their two whippets Jim & Jess of “Narrow Dog” fame.
I guess by now everyone has read the two “Narrow Dog” books written by Terry Darlington. I have forgotten the first person who emailed me about these lovely books, “Narrow Dog to Carcasonne” & “Narrow Dog to Indian River”. To be honest, although I have both books they have been tucked away til I retire!!!!! Or break a leg whichever comes first!!!!!
I emailed Terry and received this charming reply.
Dear Rae
Thank you for your letter - it is great to receive mail from so far away, and thank you for promoting my wretched books.
We have never been to the Antipodes but have watched a lot of films with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, not to mention Bryan Brown and Helen Morse, and I guess that's the same thing really.
The pics on your site were delightful.
I attach a piece of verse you can use in your letters or literature.
Yours in the whippet universe.
Tits Magee, Gulfstream Rose, Jim, Jess, Kilroy the fearless eft and Leroy the meanest armadillo in the whole damn town. (Leroy the concrete figurehead - one of our very few posessions on the boat to survive the fire. Yes, Jess will come with us on our long summer voyage next year.)
7 Oulton Road STONE ST15 8EB, tel 01785 814120 and mobile 07875 457840
www.narrowdog.com
MY GRANDAD’S DOG
My Grandad’s dog is very thin
There’s no-where where he can’t get in
My Grandad’s dog has big soft ears
I can’t believe how much he hears
My Grandad’s dog is smooth and so
There’s nowhere for the fleas to go
My Grandad’s dog is very fast
Before he gets here he’s gone past
My Grandad’s dog hates Grandad’s boat
And shivers when he is afloat
My Grandad’s dog jumps out and then
Runs off to thieve from fishermen
My Grandad’s dog is known as Jim
And we are very fond of him
My Grandad’s dog is warm to touch
I think he loves me very much
Terry Darlington
(author of Narrow Dog to Carcassonne and Narrow Dog to Indian River)
Below is his description and pic of Jim the “Narrow Dog”
Brynula Great Expectations (Jim) is sprung from a long line of dogs with ridiculous names.
Jim can run at forty miles an hour.
He is cowardly, thieving, and disrespectful, and hates boating.
Sam's saga 2009
On Friday 27th November Sam was safely home again with Pat and her husband after being missing for two weeks from Ross Street Surrey Hills. He was extremely tired and thirsty and presented very emaciated, foot sore and dirty. From the advert Pat had placed in the local paper she received a call from a lady saying she had seen Sam at Gardiner’s Creek. Pat and her husband searched for hours in the vicinity their heart sinking at every sighting of debris being washed down in the recent flood of rain.
Pat said her husband was crying when they eventually gave up looking as he said he would never see Sam again. On arrival home their answering machine was blinking. There was a call from City of Whitehorse. Their rangers has spent 3 days trying to catch Sam in the vicinity of the railway line around Box Hill as he had been seen by a lady in her front garden 3 days in a row. Unfortunately she didn’t have a gate so every time she approached him he ran away. The rangers tried to catch him by hand on the first two days but on the third day he was back they came armed with a noose and a net and he was taken to the RSPCA. Poor Sam had endured heat of 30 plus degrees and the stormy weather late last week. 
Pat asked me to thank all the people around and about the Surrey Hills area who had kept a lookout for Sam. She is most grateful for your help and concern.
I guess there is a lesson to be learnt from Sam’s saga. Please put a disc on your whippet’s collar engraved with YOUR mobile phone number as if someone does find your dog especially on a weekend the first person they will contact is YOU. Sam was fortunately microchipped but please make sure YOU chip your dog as this is a sure way to reunited you and your whippet. Now days all registered whippet puppies must be microchipped by their breeders but this has only been in place for a few years so if you are unsure if your whippet is chipped have your Vet run a scanner over him next time you are passing.
If he isn’t scanning, for security have him chipped straight away. You might say “my whippet never gets out, so why bother” but you can never predict circumstances. Another thing to remember for people reading this message in circumstances such as Sam’s where the poor dog was terrified beyond belief if anyone sees a whippet in flight and obviously “lost” please don’t chase because the more you try to chase and catch the more they will run. Try to coax with food, or by getting down on your hands and knees and speaking softly to the dog. If the dog does come into your front garden just put a little food down, leave and watch what he does. If he takes the food try coaxing him with more food and an outstretched hand. Try to win his trust. This might take a bit of time and patience but it’s the only way you will catch a very frightened “lost” whippet especially if they an adult.
RCM
Kissy Cruz
“This lovely letter came from Julia Wurf written of course by Cruz”
Hello again, Jen and Paige,
I am having a great time and growing like you wouldn’t believe. They say I’m getting really heavy to carry around now and I got a new, bigger outside coat the other day as the first one is too small already.
I go on lots of car trips and usually a walk on the lead at some stage. I like walking on the beach and we have been up the hill and down the cliff path at Mornington a couple of times. I like the big park at Hastings too. We usually start by walking along the path at the shoreline and then come back through the park on the grass where I find all sorts of lovely smells, sticks and THINGS. They reckon I make walking a bit hard though because I keep running in front of them and tying the lead around their legs , or a tree – it really is great fun!!!!
Thanks for the news about my sisters in Canberra, I was so excited to hear they have done so well. Not sure that I’d like showing though, I think it’s probably more fun at the park. I’ve sent a couple of photos of me trying to be show dog, but don’t think I’m much good at it. Not enough practice I guess.
That’s about all for now. Hope I don’t get you into trouble sending these to work!
Lots of nice wet licks to everyone,
Cruz
I like to get really comfortable on her lap at night. She’s not even doing cross-stitch at the moment!
However they wonder how I can be comfy with my head hanging down like this!
Chris's story
Chris Parmody is a local resident of Wodonga who is well known to the community. Chris and his beloved fawn whippet Suzie, could be seen any day of the week around the streets of Wodonga. Chris and Suzie were certainly a popular pair!
Chris suffers with an acquired brain injury, and Suzie was his constant companion of 10 years trotting along either beside Chris’s motorised scooter, or walking quietly beside Chris when he would venture out for a short walk. I would often see Chris when I was walking my own whippets, and they all enjoyed having a play together.
To see Chris and Suzie together would warm up even the coldest heart. Chris was so devoted to his dog and she clearly adored him!
In a cruel twist of fate, Suzie died when a car hit her on the street during a storm. I had called into my local vets to book in my dogs for their vaccinations and heard the very sad news that Chris had lost his whippet. Naomi Lynch from the Family Vet Centre asked if I could find him another whippet. By the time I returned home I had had an email from Narelle Robinson and Greg Jennings from Ray White Real Estate in Wodonga with the same request, and an offer to pay for the new whippet. Family Vet Centre were happy to assist with some of the Vet bills associated with a new puppy
After numerous phone calls, emails, and calls to friends in the whippet community we had still not had much luck as there seemed to be a definite shortage of female puppies available.
Rae Mitchelson from Whippet rescue was also working tirelessly to help us locate one. We eventually contacted Lorraine Downing and Donna Pollock who turned out to be our saviours! They made a beautiful little girl available for us to acquire for Chris! They had also generously given Chris a collar and lead and a soft crate for his new whippet, and had the puppy microchipped as well!
Greg and Narelle were going to Melbourne to a conference and picked up Chris’s new ‘Suzie’. They phoned me and said that they would be home around 8.30 that evening and we should all meet at Chris’s home to deliver the new arrival. My granddaughter Paige came along as well. There was much excitement as Greg and Narelle came up the road with their lights on full beam, tooting the horn. Chris walked out his front door just as they pulled into his driveway, his hands were shaking and he had a grin from ear to ear as soon as he spotted his new puppy. The look of sheer joy on his face is something I will never forget. Paige and I looked across at Greg and Narelle, and between the five of us, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!!! Paige commented that it was a very special moment and she was glad she could be there to see how some simple acts of kindness could make someone’s life so much happier.
The puppy and Chris immediately bonded, and the puppy draped herself round Chris’s neck and promptly fell asleep! I tend to get the feeling that the puppy stayed around his neck all night! We also presented Chris with some ‘goodies’ for his new puppy…new toys, dog beds, shampoo etc. Chris was very emotional, and extremely grateful to all of the people who helped to mend his broken heart.
I have seen Chris and his puppy since that night, and they certainly bring a smile to your face. The new Suzie has settled in very well, and is much loved. Not by Chris’s cat however, Suzie keeps pinching the cat’s toys! ( typical whippet!)…other than that they get on quite well !!
Chris and his mother Judy would like to say thanks to all those people who helped to make Chris’s life happy again. I would also like to extend special thanks to Lorraine Downing, Donna Pollock, Greg Jennings, Narelle Robinson, Family Vet Centre and Rae Mitchelson, with out whose help this would not have been possible.
It really is a shame that all those involved were not there to see how much joy was bought back to Chris’s life, but believe me…. it was one of life’s special moments!
Jen Johnson
Too big?
Do you think that this pup is too big??? I know I took a risk with a double American outcross...I am a little worried about the ear set as well, and maybe the coat is a little heavy..............
I came in from outside and this is how Kate was laying with her favourite toy, luckily I had the camera handy!
Whippet Good
Pictures & article courtesy of Herald Sun, Melbourne
They’ve thieved for gypsies, raced for a living and put dinner on our tables
in the Depression. Now they’re making a comeback in Victoria. Bob Hart explains the attraction of the icon of the English working-class, the whippet.
WHIPPETS attracted the attention of Britain’s roving bands of gypsies, who quickly saw the possibilities.
They called them ‘‘pocket greyhounds’’, carried them in poaching pockets under their overcoats, and made dishonest dogs of them.
Gypsies taught whippets to pull down and retrieve live game—rabbits, hares and pheasant—from grand estates. Gamekeepers, however, would shoot the dogs whenever they saw them. So the gypsies responded by developing a line of black whippets they would release just on dusk; these were almost impossible to see, let alone shoot.
Legend has it that the establishment then had black whippets banned from the show ring in an attempt to breed them out of existence. Whippet Good ArticleThey failed, of course. And these days, solid black whippets have a special, racy appeal because of their shady past. Once you have owned a whippet—and, yes, I confess to being the owner of a black whippet called Bart (right)— you are unlikely to switch to any dog a whippeteer would regard, snootily, as ‘‘a lesser breed’’.
WHIPPETS are smallish, quiet, sweet-natured dogs that run like the wind. Only faster. And for those and other reasons, their popularity is increasing at a cracking pace in Victoria. The short-haired speed machines come in pretty much any colour — fawn, tan, brindle, white, black, blue and any combination thereof. There are no rules. They are easily house-trained, impeccably clean and almost devoid of doggy odours. They are dogs, some would say, for people who don’t really want a dog.
Whippets, unlike some of their owners, are known for their athletic ability. And yet they are indoor dogs — perfectly happy curled up on a couch or, in the winter months, under a doona. And they love kids. They are neither fragile nor delicate, though they should be kitted out with a warm coat for winter walks.
Whippets can also demonstrate speed and agility that will often save their bacon: few breeds can match their ability to turn on a 10c piece and accelerate quickly to about 60km/h — a speed that will keep them well clear of the jaws of a rogue pitbull or an illtempered rottweiler. But though whippets are now more popular than they have been since between the world wars, their numbers still fall well short of the most popular dog breeds — a circumstance the Whippet Association of Victoria, curiously, hopes will continue.
As the association’s secretary Rae Mitchelson explains, growth in a breed tends to come through unregistered ‘‘backyard’’ breeders disinclined to explain the special needs of whippets to those prepared to write a cheque — usually about $700 — for a pup. These dogs, sadly, all too often find their way into the whippet rescue system operated by the association.
‘‘Whippets are a gentle and sensitive breed without a nasty streak in their bodies,’’ Mitchelson says. ‘‘But that does not mean they are suitable for everyone. They are not, for example, for anyone who wants a puppy to chuck in the back yard and leave to train itself. ‘‘Whippets love companionship: if you leave one outside in a lonely back yard, it will look for a way to escape and try to find a better place to live. ‘‘Also, whippets are not suitable for boisterous or wild families. ‘‘Too much rough and tumble and, again, a whippet will set off in search of somewhere quieter.’’
Whippets are of moderate intelligence, easily trained to do most things, but are hopeless in traffic. Most have the road sense of a blind koala. Almost. They are prized in the bush for their rabbit-hunting skills — something that allowed them to earn their keep during the Depression years in Australia when a whippet could keep ‘‘burrowing mutton’’ on the table of a family in dire circumstances. But it is as city dogs with a recreational twist that the breed is now enjoying a resurgence. Despite their modest proportions — an adult whippet can weigh from 10kg to almost 20kg — and charming dispositions, whippets are not toys.
Whippet racing is popular in Victoria:
the fact that owners can enjoy a day out —in Healesville in the Yarra Valley, say, where our photographer caught up with a group of Victorian whippeteers — is a bonus to whippet ownership. On some courses, such as Tooradin, the whippets are started in boxes, like greyhounds. But on others, such as the scenic Healesville track, they are ‘‘slipped’’ by their owners to chase a lure over distances from 150m.
These days, whippet racing is purely a social activity in Victoria. But this has not always been the case. Whippets were hugely popular in Victoria in the 1920s and ’30s as competitive track dogs. Professional whippet racing, however — which once involved punters, bookies and, inevitably, dubious tactics — ended with the start of World War II and has never been revived.
THE breed is not ancient, like greyhounds and the tiny italian greyhounds, as some people believe. The fact that italian greyhounds, often mistaken for whippets but smaller and more delicate, appear in paintings dating to Roman times is responsible for some of the confusion.
Whippets emerged as a distinct breed late in the 19th century in the UK. The miners in England’s northeast bred them — from greyhounds, italian greyhounds and English bedlington terriers — as racing dogs: unlike the greyhounds owned and raced by the aristocracy, whippets were cheap to feed and easily accommodated in miners’ tiny cottages.
That was how the legend of the English working man with his cloth cap and whippets began: there was a time when whippet racing was said to be a more popular sport in England than soccer. And given the way the Poms play soccer these days, those times could easily return.
Pictures Mike Keating
Famous
These are our three animals, Billy the three year old Whippet, Anna the three year old Greyhound and Coco the six year old Birman cat.
We have had the dogs since they were pups and have progressed from puppy school up through the obedience clubs to reach a good standard of obedience. Not always easy when training the sighthound group of dogs, who sometimes require a different approach from other dogs. They were temperament tested by Dogs Victoria to qualify for Pet Therapy dogs, both demonstrating a calm, friendly manner , unfazed by sudden noise or people crowding them.
They have represented Dogs Victoria at several busy Pet Expo’s, coping well with the noise and constant patting from all ages and sizes of the general public.
Animal Assisted TherapyBoth dogs have taken part in a study by Monash University, representing Animal Assisted Therapy, in comparison to other therapies in aged care. This was quite intensive work with small groups of residents, the dogs having to demonstrate a good level of obedience and some entertaining tricks, as well as being calm whilst being groomed and petted.
Anna, the Greyhound has just gained her obedience title of Community Companion Dog CCD, whilst Billy the Whippet seems to enjoy the more active sport of Agility.
Coco, the cat is with an animal acting agency and has become a cast member of the television series “Neighbours”.
All the animals enjoy being together, Coco often going out for walks with the dogs in her harness. I think we are very lucky to have three wonderful animals, and I’m sure in their various roles they bring pleasure to other people as well.
Sue Coad September 2008
Whippets and kids
Hi Rae,
It's Kimberly from Ballarat. I contacted you six months ago looking for a puppy for my very gentle, sensitive, darling 18-mo-old little boy, Ryan. Ryan and TuffyWe were fortunate enough to get the perfect puppy from the perfect breeder, Ellen Gallagher. She told me that she emailed you a photo of Ryan and his puppy 'Tuffy'. I was so tickled to find it on the Victorian Whippet website photo gallery! We just cannot praise Tuffy or his breed enough from what we've enjoyed of him just in the short time since we got him. Ryan is an uncommonly sensitive, gentle, special little boy, and finding a puppy that could really connect with him in just the right way was an almost impossibly big ask.
But we believe no puppy could have done it as perfectly as Tuffy, and certainly no breed other than the Whippet could have come close. I recently took Tuffy to the vet to be desexed, and brought Ryan along.
Ryan and TuffyTuffy was terribly nervous being in the clinic, and the only place he was willing to be for every minute of the half hour we wandered around the clinic before his surgery was pressed up against Ryan, while Ryan continually stroked Tuffy's side. No one could call or pull Tuffy away from Ryan on his lead, he had to be picked up and carried away! This, of course, caused Ryan to run after Tuffy from room to room wherever they carried Tuffy. Ryan and Tuffy
This can only be the start of a lifelong unbreakable bond and enduring love between them.
My husband and I continue to be so moved every day by the incredible bond that little boy and his puppy share. It's deeply heartwarming to witness. I thought I'd send you a couple more photos, just in case you have more room in your photo gallery, or any other use for them!
(Note: Ryan MUST suck his left index finger whenever cuddling Tuffy as, evidently, Tuffy serves as Ryan's favourite security blanket)!
Kindest Regards,
Kimberly Berlyn
Wandering Whippet episode 1
Hallo everyone! I'm Clancy, a 9 month old and lovable, if I do say so myself, young Whippet boy. I was born in Victoria , near Ballarat, where I lived with Lulu, my Whippet Mum, and my first people.
All my litter mates went off to live with their new people whilst they were still quite small and for a while I got overlooked, but then my new person came along. Her name is Annie and I share her with Carlin - a 6 year old Black Labrador. Labradors make quite good 'big brothers', it's just that they cannot do proper 'Whippet Rips' (very fast circle runs) to save their lives! Annie picked me up in a rather strange sort of car thing, it has our bed in it and a kitchen and a fridge (very important) and a TV/stereo..just like a little toy house!
Then, in our house on wheels, we went for a drive on a road called the Great Alpine Road. Very aptly named to my mind, the Alpines really were great big high ones, with wet cold white stuff on top, (Annie said it was called 'snow') I liked trying to eat it & playing in it, although it was a bit chilly on my little paws.
Living in our little house on wheels is quite cosy, we all snuggle up to watch TV or listen to music, often staying in these Park places where lots of people make a big fuss of Carlin and me, other times we camp in the bush, which is really good fun as there are usually lots of good smells and things to roll in there - then it's good fun to watch Annie's face when we try to get cuddly again!
Annie has a sort of a job to do on the road, she says she is a 'quality controller' and that someone has to make sure all the country bakeries & coffee shops are maintaining a high standard - Annie says it is a hard job, but someone has to do it. That is ok with Carlin and me, 'coz we are the assistant quality controllers!
We visited some of Annie and Carlin's friends and then we started driving a few hours each day, having lots of play breaks and getting a little bit warmer every day. When we are on the road like this Carlin and I take it in turns to be Navigator and sit up front with Annie, it's good to sit up front as a little Whippet like me can see so much more from the front seat!
We traveled this way for quite a while, sometimes it got very hot, even at night, but Annie kept us as cool as she could and then we reached a place called Darwin . We have stayed in Darwin since last November. We live a few minutes from where we send Annie to work (so as she can keep us in the manner in which we feel we should become accustomed). Annie comes home twice during the day just to see us. While we are here we spend our days stretched out on this really big verandah, where it stays shady all day, we have a puppy couch of our own and we can peer through the railings and keep an eye on the world.
There is a beach not too far away, it is a free run beach and we have a lot of doggie pals to play with, the funny thing is that the water here is so warm that even I swim quite happily, in fact even the rain here is warm!
Just lately Annie has been putting 'stuff' into the little house on wheels (it seems to me that people have lots of stuff), Carlin, who knows the signs, tells me that we will be going somewhere very soon. I have heard Annie talking about Broome. I don't really know where that is, but as long as I am with Annie and Carlin I am sure I will like this Broome.
Tell you what, I will send you all another letter when we get going.
Love to all my Whippet friends
Clancy
As Clancy's 'person' I would just like to add that Whippets do make extremely good travel companions, they win friends everywhere they go. Whenever we stay in caravan parks I ask the Park Manager to sign a short note I have typed up to verify that Carlin and Clancy have been no trouble and that I have kept the area clean and tidy and cleaned up any mistakes. I have made up a Pooch Passport for the dogs so that I can show it to any Park Managers along the way, to prove my dogs are well behaved. Annie
Wandering Whippet episode 2
Hallo Whippet friends, it's me, Clancy! I am now living 'on the road', that is traveller speak for living in our little house on wheels! Yes, eventually Annie got all her stuff into the HoW (house on wheels) and we drove away from Darwin . We travel slow and enjoy all the stops along the way.
In Katherine we found a nice shady spot to park up for most of the day and we visited the School of the Air, where Annie was asked to record a short interview to be used over the air at a later date about Labradors and Whippets and travelling with dogs.
We returned to our shady parking spot to have lunch, on the way we met a little Aborigine person who pointed to us dogs and exclaimed 'a dog!' - Annie said 'No, 2 dogs, see?' but the little person looked at her a bit strange, shook his head and said '1 dog & a Wallaby'..fancy that he thought I was a Wallaby! After Katherine we turned West, free camping along the way, where there are always other dogs to have a chat with whilst our people are doing something they call 'happy hour'.
At Timber Creek there was a boat trip on the Victoria River, which runs through Bradshaw Station (now an Army Base) and one of the old Durack properties - the river is really wide all the way down but with many sand bars to fool the boatie people, at the mouth it is some 45 kilometres wide and really hard to find the true river. Only 3 people turned up to do the cruise, the other people had a little dog to and the operators said we could travel with our people as long as we are were all well behaved! Annie played safe and tied us to a seat as well as holding our leads, (well Carlin is a Labrador after all!) There were Crocodiles and Wallaby (real ones, not the Whippet types) and fish to see it was such fun and this little Whippet was so excited! I didn't like the Archer Fish that kept getting us with water spurts though! ugh, what awful manners.
Then it was on to Kununurra where we stayed on the Showground and had a great oval to play on and lot's of doggie friends, in fact everyone had to have a dog or a really big house on wheels to be allowed to stay at all! One of our new friends was Tiger, a Silky/Aussie Terrier X who rides in a special seat on a side-car and motorbike with his 71 year old person Mary! We went to see Lake Argyle , it is sooo big, I got a bit worried that Carlin might try to swim right across, but I convinced him not to try it or we would have been waiting there still.
Whilst we were at Kununurra I had my 1 st Birthday and we all had a party and I even got presents! I think I quite like birthdays. We had to leave Kununurra after 6 days as they were having their Show, there were dog events that we could have gone in..fastest eater - Carlin would have won that easily, he sort of vacuums his food!. and fastest recall, I would have won that I am sure!
Then it was on to Wyndham, where would you believe it, a big person thought I looked just like a Joey? I woofed at her and told her 'I am not a Joey, I am a Clancy!' Here at Wyndham we drove up this really steep hill and could see over the whole world, or at least it seemed that big, even I could not have run around all the Country I could see!
Here we said good bye to Tiger and Mary and we headed for Halls Creek, but I think that might have to wait until next time!
Love to all my Whippet pals and their people,
Clancy, the Wandering Whippet and Carlin and Annie
Wandering Whippet episode 3
After Wyndham we turned off for Halls Creek, and all points West. We bush camped for 3 nights staying in some wonderful spots, but it was so cold, do you know it got down to 10 degrees?!! I almost wrote to my friend Bob in Darwin and asked him to come and get me!
The rising of the moon here in The Kimberley's is quite lovely, the moon comes up sort of soft gold in colour and sitting on my special persons lap watching the moon come up at the end of a long day, sharing her nibbles and treats (and a lick or two of her dry red if I am quick!) is quite special to this little Whippet.
At Derby we saw some interesting stuff, like a really big Boab Tree that was hollow inside and the people used to put bad people in there - Annie said they could still put bad Whippets in there so I was very good, just in case! There was also the longest doggie drinking bowl I had ever seen! I think about 3 thousand Whippets could drink there all at the same time! Carlin jumped right in and laid down, but I wasn't so sure about that, I don't like making big splashes and Labradors are just not as couth as we Whippets! Annie told me that the long doggy drinking bowl was really designed for about 850 store cattle - who on earth would want 850 cattle when one could have three thousand Whippets? I think Annie must have got that bit wrong, don't you?
Next it was off to Broome. Broome is the tourism ' Mecca ' of the North West . Just like the real Mecca there are a great many Camels, Annie wanted me to have my photo taken with some. Now I quite like Camels, from a distance (of about a kilometre) but get up close and personal with one? No Thank You! They all have the hump and are quite spitty sort of animals - very uncouth.
We were not allowed on the famous end of Cable Beach , but Annie sat there one evening and drank a very yummy cocktail as the sun went down. The next morning we all went on the doggie end of the beach for a long, long run. We stayed in Broome for a week and made great friends with some of the local dogs and shared their beach runs with them. One was an elderly Labrador who lives in a 3 storey house and his special people have installed 2 moving platforms so as he can get up and down the stairs easy!
From Broome we traveled South and spent a few nights on a lovely Cattle Station at Barn Hill, right on the beach. Driving in was a bit funny as Annie had to keep opening and closing gates along the 10 k track and at more than one gate she had to 'race' the Brahmans, who seemed to think she was opening the gates for them!
We then headed for Port Hedland....Port Hedland scared me a bit, we sat there at the dock, watching lots of really really big boats taking tons of Australia away (mostly to other Countries to be made into things that Australians want and will eventually buy back) what worried me is that if they keep sending all these boats away with Australia in them there won't be enough for a Whippet to stand on, let alone a Whippets Lab mate and his special person....or his home on wheels! We only stayed in Port Hedland 1 night then had 3 lovely nights bush camping by rivers then we reached a place called Roebourne.
There were a few old buildings in Roebourne that were sort of interesting....seems to me that if there are more than 3 or 4 houses and a pub in any given area and at least one of the houses is a bit older than my special person, then the area qualifies for a 'Museum', now history is good, but almost all these 'Museums' have the same stuff in them! And some of them have stuff that Annie, my special person, says she has used herself - I know she has a lot of grey hair and all that, but really, she is not so ancient that she belongs in a museum! (Well, she says she isn't anyway!).
There was a nice little old port area called Cossack that we visited. The place is now most famous for the Cossack Art Prize awarded each year. All the paintings were still on show when we got there, I looked at them but not one painting of a Whippet to be seen. There was an artist in residence and I did offer to sit for him, or stand or even lie down and roll over, but he just wasn't interested in painting me.
The other towns in this area were a lot like Port Hedland....very industrial, as it were. We did find a few nice things to do though and also had a lovely fish tea with Annie watching yet another sunset, at Dampier.
It was at Dampier that there is a statue in memory of a Red Cattle Dog - he was a free spirit dog, owned by no-one, loved by all it would seem coz' when he went to that big paddock in the sky they built a statue in his honour...it bought tears to Carlin and I.
Off again, heading for Carnarvon, via a sort of detour to a place called Coral Bay on Ningaloo Reef. There was no room for us at the dog friendly Caravan Park but we went into town 2 days in a row after camping about 12 k's out at a free camp with other dog owners travelling and having the same problem. It was lovely and cool here and a pleasant place to wander around but we were not allowed on the beach. Annie had a bit of a splash in the water quite often and hired some snorkel gear too as the reef is very close to the beach. Our HoW was parked very close to the beach so Annie could watch over us and have drinks and lunch in it too.
On to Carnarvon, it was nice there with real ovals with real green grass too, and doggy litter bags too, so they must like us there I think. We went for a ride on a funny little train that took us out to the end of a very long jetty - Carlin was worried about this but I thought it was great fun! We met a lady who has 2 retired greyhounds, 2 ducks, an old small white fluffy dog and 2 goats - they all get on really well too!
One day we went out to The Blowholes, they are spurts of water coming out of the rocks going up about 20 feet or so....I wanted to get very close and investigate but Annie wouldn't let me, she said it wasn't very safe and I wouldn't like it if I was sniffing away and a big spurt of water came up under my tummy!
Further South was Denham, where we bush camped right on the beach and awoke in the morning to Dolphins playing in the little bay. There were also Kangaroos and rabbits and goats....I was in heaven!
We went for a drive to Monkey Mia, there were no monkeys there but Annie went and had an up close and personal flipper experience with a Dolphin or several! After that we all went on a bush walk to the next bay around from where the Flippers are, it was deserted and just lovely. Our next camp was at Hamelin Pool where these really old things that look like rocks live (yes, really live) in the water. If it wasn't for these things called Stromatolites that create oxygen there wouldn't be any Whippets or Labradors or Annie's either.
On our morning walk the next day I was running ahead, as I do, and found a baby goat, no bigger than me, she wanted to play and although her Mum was telling her to 'come away' rather insistently, she hopped over me and I did the same and she pawed me to play and we did for a little bit, Annie thought it was really cute and wished she had bought her camera along.
Did I tell you about our Sunday mornings on the road? Instead of getting up very early to go to the beach as we used to in Darwin we stay in bed a bit and listen to a bloke called Macca on the radio- we love it!
Off we went again, this time after a few bush camps on the way we arrived at a place called Kalbarri, surrounded by National Park with deep, deep gorges that were really quite spectacular! So was the wind and the crashing waves just a few 100 mtrs from our caravan park! It was a good thing that Annie ties us up with long leads to the Van as the wind was so strong it might have blown me away, in fact one night there was a really big blow and the van shook all night long, poor Carlin didn't sleep at all he was so worried, but I just cuddled up to Annie!
As well as the River Gorges at Kalbarri there are places along the Coast where the crashing waves have made coastal gorges. These places were equally spectacular as we could walk at these spots too!
At the caravan park there was a very friendly Staffie girl called Velvet, she was an old lady Staffie and felt it was her duty as resident dog, to wander around all the camp sites and have a chat with all the dogs and people staying, Carlin and I liked her a lot and so she spent quite a while with us, curling up for a sleep with us in the afternoons!
After a few days at Kalbarri we went on to Geraldton, a real town with traffic lights and roundabouts and all, they even had a dog club and we went out to visit with them. Annie loved the Museum here and all the well marked walks that the Council have put in place right around town, we enjoyed them too, nothing like walking with the locals!
From here we had 4 nights of bush camping, we visited Ellendale Pool, Mullawa - where there should have been oodles of wildflowers but there were none because of the drought. Still we did visit the 'ag' show and camp at an old Pioneer Well, all on our own, so we didn't have to be tied up at all. This was good as I did have the feeling that with all the Coffee Shop and Bakery QA work we had been doing I was putting on a few pounds, one of the hazards of the job I suppose.
Then it was on to Dongara. There was a lovely beach to run on, and I got to play with another Whippet, a Blue and White boy originally bred in SA, what fun we had!!! In fact I am so tired I don't know as I will be able to assist Annie with all the Coffee Shop QA work that needs to be done here...oh, maybe just a smidgeon perhaps.mmm! What a good coffee shop, they even bought Carlin and I our own water bowl and a bone shaped biscuit each. There should be more like this one!
After Dongara we spent another few days bush camping along the coast, including a side trip to a place called The Pinnacles, it was in a National Park so we just peeked out of the windows, it was a bit eerie though and we were not sure as we liked it that much.
After this we went in land through farming towns and went to visit a rather strange sort of a place called New Norcia. It is a Monastic Town (whatever that means) there were Chapels and art galleries and a museum, there was also a pleasant chap who is a monk and lives there - he put his hands on our heads and blessed Carlin and I, I think that is a good thing, anyway he seemed like a good sort of man. Here too we caught up with our little Cavalier friend Tahnee again, which was very good.
After we were all done with being blessed and all that at New Norcia, we went to a place called Bullsbrook to meet our new and very special friend Joan and her two girls Neve an Irish Setter and Breeze a Curly Coat Retriever.
I loved being at Auntie Joan's house! She talks to us all the time and she gives us biscuits for supper, a habit that I hope Annie will take up!
Auntie Joan has a very, very big garden, about 200 acres with horses and cows, so you can imagine how much I loved all the smells there! Neve and I had lots of play time sessions and then she got very serious about some smells on the wind, she told me they were wonderful little things called 'quail' and when you smell them you have to find out where they are and then lift a front paw. She calls it 'pointing', I watched her for a bit and then got the hang of it. In fact I have started 'pointing' any sort of smell that I rather like!
We stayed the night at Auntie Joan's and then went to Toodyay, where the 2006 National Retrieving Trial is being held. When we got there though I thought I had a few too many licks of Annies red wine...there were lots of Black Labradors, in fact so many I was a little confused and became concerned that we might go home with the wrong one - I know I sometimes give Carlin a bit of a hard time but I do love him really and I didn't want a different one to come home with us!
Here at Toodyay there is a little persons train line, with tunnels and dams and bridges and all. We walked around the track most mornings and evenings as it is down by the river and a nice walk. After about the 3 rd time we went there I noticed several Kangaroos sitting by the dam. I barked at them but they just sat there staring at me, I barked again and told them 'don't you know I am Clancy The Great Kangaroo Hunter?', they still just sat there staring at me, not moving at all. Funny thing is there was no scent either. Lucky for them Annie called me so I let them off lightly. They were there every day after that, just sitting there and staring back at me, very strange. I got so angry with them and Annie took photographs and she was laughing, that hurt my feelings and then she took me right up to one of these strange kangaroos. I felt so silly, it wasn't real at all, it was just a cut out kangaroo!
This coming week-end is the 'Nationals', then we will go back and say a good-bye to Auntie Joan and her girls. Then I think our friend Bob from Darwin will be here to join us for a week or two of traveling!
Love to all our Friends
Clancy, Carlin and Annie
Annie rang me last night. She has arrived at her final destination Geelong , but she had some sad news. Someone had broken into her motor home and driven it away, dogs and all!!!!!! Fortunately the police were quick off the mark when they heard that she had dogs on board and they found it abandoned, luckily in one piece, but the dogs had been let out. Both Clancy and Carlin were traumatized but physically OK. They were familiar with the Park in which the motor home was found so hadn't wandered off. Unfortunately the thieves had stolen all Annie's photos of her intrepid trip around half way around Australia . Of course her mobile phone and other odds and ends had gone but fortunately she had her wallet with her. So this was not a very happy ending to Clancy's story. RCM
Wandering Whippet episode 4
Hallo! yes it is I, Clancy, the Wandering Whippet!
I am still in WA, but away down South now. Such a lot has happened since last time I wrote to you all.
Our friend Bob came down on an airplane from Darwin and met us in Perth . At first I wasn't all that sure that I knew him but then he blew in my ears...and I chewed his beard - yep, it was him all right!
It was a bit of a squeeze in the little H.o.W for all of us, but much warmer, just as well as the weather had turned quite cold and windy. I got the chance to wear my dark blue raincoat for the first time, I do look rather dashing as it has a pale blue lining and neck warmer and sets off my coloring rather well, even if I do say so myself.
For the first few days of being in Perth Carlin and I stayed in a rather high class motel for dogs as it was supposed to be quite hot during this period. The rooms were lovely and shady and cool and the cuisine was excellent, but the best thing of all was when I went out to check the person in the next room it was our friend Marli the little Kelpie girl that we met in Broome, and caught up with in several other places too! We were all so excited to see each other again.
Annie and Bob went sightseeing in Perth and took a boat ride to a place called Rottnest Island . Annie showed me the photographs of some little creatures called Quokkas, I think I would have liked to have met them nose to nose!
When we all got back together again we went to stay in Fremantle for a couple of days as Bob has a grown up son who lives and works there. He is a chef at a Brewery/Restaurant where the manager is a very enlightened soul and has an outdoor eating area especially for people with their dogs, there are doggie day beds, water bowls and even some toys to play with! How good is that?
We stayed there on Grand Final night and it was an interesting night, with crackers and people walking around all night and lots of noise, none of us got a great deal of sleep!
Once we had said goodbye to Fremantle and Duncan (Bob's son) we headed South, breaking at Mandurah for lunch, there were so many people there, it was all very trendy and Carlin and I were really not that impressed...Maltese terriers with hair colour in, Pleeease!
From trendy Mandurah we traveled to a spot that had nearly been blown clear off the map only a few weeks before, Australind. We stayed in a lovely caravan park and Bob and Annie had tea at the local pub where the dinners were just so huge neither of them could finish and so we got the left-overs, yippee! At the pub some of the locals were singing C&W and they were rather talented too, even Carlin and I could hear in the H.o.W and we were wagging our tails in time with the beat!
Next morning we enjoyed a lovely run in a park by the river before wandering into Bunbury and checking out the Dolphin discovery centre and wandering around the town a bit for some socialization with the locals.
On the way out of Bunbury we took a stroll around The Maidens - a stand of extremely old and unique trees, so unique in fact as to be the only ones left in the world! I felt very privileged to be able to lift my leg on such a rare tree! They were really big trees too; I got a sore neck looking up to see the tree tops!
On to Busselton next -The weather had turned rather nasty by now but there was a lot to see and do in Busselton, Annie and Bob walked out to the end of a jetty that goes over 2 klms out into the sea. Carlin and I were not really happy about them going all that way out there, especially as it was so windy.what if they got blown off the jetty? At the end there is an underwater observatory, one has too go down quite a few flights of stairs but on the way down there are windows and one can see what is going on under the sea! Annie said it was wonderful and the closest thing to a dive that she will ever be able to do. Bob dives a lot but Darwin harbour is very murky and divers cannot see very far at all so even he enjoyed it. As the weather had turned nasty we stayed at a motel for the night (we dogs had to stay out in the H.o.W though, still it was warm in there)
But Bob was not well, he hadn't eaten for a few days and he couldn't sleep and his good leg was giving him trouble.
The next day we traveled along the coastal route to Eagle Bluff - a lovely spot! And took a walk around Cape Leveque Lighthouse, then we headed down to the lovely Wine and Chocolate and Cheese area of Margaret River .
There were no motel rooms to be found again, so we had to squeeze into the camper again, Bob went for a walk down to the main street and Annie took us to an oval to play, we got caught in a hail storm and the hail hurt my little head and there was thunder and lightening that scared poor Carlin to bits. We went back to our H.o.W to warm up a bit and went to meet Bob, who had found a lovely Pub to have tea at (it was Annie's Birthday a few days earlier so it was celebration time), poor Bob was still feeling rather ill though and by the next morning he had decided that perhaps he should head back to Darwin, this upset Annie as she wanted him to come along to Geelong and see our little 'home away from home' down south that she had bought.
But after spending some time booking Bob onto a bus to Perth and a plane back to Darwin we did a bit more touring and then had to say our goodbye's - we didn't like that bit at all and we were a very sorry and sad trio that evening I can tell you.
Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you that Carlin and I caught up with our little Kelpie friend 'Marli' here; she was staying with her people at the same Caravan Park , what a happy reunion that was!!
(As it turned out it was just as well that Bob did go home when he did, as he was a very sick man and ended up in Hospital again for a few weeks)
Now it was just the 3 of us as we headed to Augusta which is away down in the South corner of WA, there is another lighthouse here and a walking trail that we rather enjoyed despite the blustery wind and a bakery that made the yummiest pasties, mmm!
We then had quite a long driving day, heading towards a place called the Valley of Giants - no, it's ok, don't be scared, not giant Whippets, giant trees! The drive there was just lovely with some pretty little towns to drive through, some nice short breaks for a little bit of 'wizzing', then we reached the Giants..and it dawned on Carlin and I that Annie was actually going to walk among the tree tops, away up off the ground - we were not quite so sure about that bit, we were not allowed to go up there, which was quite handy really as Carlin would not have liked it at all and to tell you the truth it even looked a little bit scary to me too. We both got pains in our necks trying to watch Annie and make sure she didn't fall off.
But she didn't fall and had a wonderful time up there and then we were off again! We drove into the next town along the way ( Denmark ), just as the sun was going down. But, alas, no dog friendly caravan park, so we back tracked a short way to a sort of roadside rest area just out of town and made ourselves comfy but then some one pulled in behind us with headlights on and we thought we were going to be moved on, but no! it was the farmer and his wife, they had seen us pull in and had come to ask us if we would like to camp in their driveway - people are so very nice! We moved on up to their driveway and before you could say 'bonios' we had met their Labbie and their farm dogs and their elderly little cross bred fluffy dog and shared a cuppa and a yarn with them all! A lovely way to end the day.
The next day started in the same way, a shared breakfast with our new friends, then it was on our way to Albany . It wasn't too long a drive so we had a good look around Albany during the afternoon, camped a little way out of town by another beach with even more crashing waves, then back into Albany early in the morning for a whole day of doing the sightseeing thing, checking bakeries etc and reading up a lot on Whales too! The it was off on the road towards Esperance, we overnighted in a rest area with a really big area to play in, which was lovely. The next day was an easy run into Esperence for a 3 night break.
It was here that I have to admit that I blotted my copy book big time - we were on the beach enjoying a lovely play when away in the distance a fairly frisky horse suddenly appeared from the sandhills...I (gulp, gulp) just could not help myself, I ran off after the horse, luckily the rider was experienced and stayed on, the horse got a bit of a fright to see me racing up..Annie called me and I (gulp, gulp, gulp) ignored her 2-3 times, she was very cross with me. She was just trying to get my lead clipped on and the rider said 'oh, don't worry, I'll just take off down the other end of the beach.' Annie was trying to tell her I was very fast and would catch up easily when the horse and rider went..and er I am ashamed to say, so did I..this time though I did go back to Annie as soon as she called me..oh yes I remember those Boab prison trees, haven't seen any down here but Annie was in the mood to find one and put me in it for a very l o n g time I think.
The rest of our stay was very pleasant and we all enjoyed an alfresco dinner on our last night at a lovely café where they look after dogs too, so that we could sit almost beside Annie while she ate her yummy tea.
Tomorrow we are heading for Norseman and then across the Nullarbor! I perhaps that we had better write about that bit next time though!
Bye for now,
Your mate Clancy, Carlin and Annie
The Obedient Whippet - does it exist?
Does it exist? Or are stories that I have heard about Whippets being sight hounds and not really trainable, true?
Our previous dogs were Border Collies and I gained a Companion Dog (CD) title in Obedience with one and two were therapy dogs. I assumed that obedience work with our new Whippet pup, Billy, was going to be a real struggle. I had never seen one doing obedience work in all the years I trained with various clubs and thought as sight hounds, they weren’t that reliable.
From the start we went to two different puppy pre school classes where he mixed freely with many other pups and I found he was a sociable and confident pup. After learning simple commands, he progressed well and won a prize for best sits and downs. The instructor at a local obedience school had seen Billy at the vet puppy school and was surprised how well he was doing. He told me he’d seen a couple of Whippets at his classes spinning around on the end of the lead, but he agreed to accept Billy as the youngest pup at 14 weeks and see how he coped.
This was a ten week basic class and Billy was one of ten dogs of assorted breeds, including Pomeranian, Beagle, Labrador, Border Collie and others, aged up to about 18 months. At the end of the course, he could walk reasonable at heel, sit, stand, drop, stay and best of all, be left on a sit while I walked away then come immediately when I called and sit in front of me. On the last night we had a competition where points were awarded for each exercise and the top scoring dog was Billy.
We have continued our training and he has progressed steadily up to the top classes. He now is part of the Knox Obedience Demonstration Team, representing the Club and also representing his breed. I see no other Whippets at the other clubs I attend, which is disappointing. He is almost 12 months old now and has passed his pet therapy assessment with the Victorian Canine Association, so will be working in nursing homes.
Obedient BillyTraining hasn’t always been easy; Whippets need lots of encouragement but I have been constantly surprised at how clever this dog is and how quickly he understands what is required of him. On the other side, he is a sight hound and one of the problems is his fascination with flying machines. He is often gazing skywards with a wrinkled brow, pondering on the speed and destination of an aircraft, as I am frantically trying to gain his attention at a distance.
The other Whippet problem is sitting. It is not their preferred position. He is always a slow sitter and the sit/stay exercise often sees him gradually extending his long front legs and very slowly sinking in a downward direction.
Next year, I may enter him in an Obedience Trial if I feel he is ready and perhaps do a little agility work, which I think he would love.
Whippets have wonderful temperaments, alert minds and socialize really well with other dogs – large or small.
My advice to new Whippet owners is to take your Whippet out and socialize him from the very beginning at puppy pre school, parks, cafes, car rides, streets and other people’s houses. Go to obedience classes and train at home regularly; be consistent and always make training an enjoyable experience with treats and games afterwards. I love it when strangers stop to pat Billy and say “I thought you couldn’t train Whippets – you only race them.” Or, “I thought Whippets were really trembling, timid dogs – he’s very sociable.”
Billy represents his breed well, but it does take time and effort. The long-term effect though is a dog I can take anywhere and put in any situation and know that he will be calm, obedient and sociable.
Does the obedient Whippet exist? I really think it is a definite possibility!
Sarah's story
My name is Wendy and I live with, and am owned by a Greyhound named Angie and a Whippet named Sarah. My two children, William and Ethan, and my husband, Trent together with two cats make up our family.
Angie came to live with us in December last year through the Greyhound adoption program. We fostered her first and fell in love with her and decided she had to stay. At that time I was working as an assistant financial planner and was finding the hours tough with two small children. A friend who also has a Greyhound told me about the Responsible Pet Ownership Program.
This program is aimed at teaching kindergarten and primary school aged children how to stay safe around dogs and be responsible pet owners. It sounded great, it would be a job with school hours and doing something I believed in. Angie had to be assessed through the department of primary industries, and this was done in April.
The assessment is to ensure that the dogs in the schools can cope with just about anything and recover quickly from unexpected shocks such as a loud noise and the high pitch squeals that children can make at times. Angie passed with flying colors!! After doing some training we were on our own and loving it. Our trainer coincidently, was a whippet owner named Bernadette Kelly and her beautiful Whippet, O’Malley.
Angie is a big Greyhound (35kg) and because of her size is only allowed to operate in schools and not Kindergartens. Each dog in the program is only allowed to work three 2 hour sessions per week. To allow me to work more, the family decided to adopt another dog in June. We loved the temperament of our Greyhound but decided we wanted a smaller dog to allow me to also work in Kindergartens. After meeting O’Malley and finding out about Whippets as much as possible, we decided we would adopt a Whippet.
They sounded like they had a temperament similar to the Greyhound in a more compact size. We did not want to get a puppy for two reasons, firstly it would be a long time before they would be ready to work in the schools and secondly because we have two small children and it is very hard to train a puppy and children at the same time. The problem was – where to get an adult Whippet with the right temperament (as although they are a wonderful breed, it takes an extraordinary dog to be able to initially pass the temperament test and then to be able to work in the schools).
I phoned the secretary of the Whippet association, Rae Mitchelson, and explained what I required and why. She was wonderful and said she would keep her eye out for me. She emailed me the next day saying she had found a dog for me. She put me in contact with Georgina Askew in Tasmania. She told me about a wonderful 16 month old bitch named Sarah. She had been shown but was not performing as well as some of her other dogs and she had decided to re-home her. She sounded perfect and although we were nervous about getting a dog without meeting her first, we decided to go ahead and adopt her.
She arrived on the plane from Tasmania at the start of June. She was gorgeous and it was love at first sight. She settled in beautifully with the family and after a few minor hiccups with the cats, everything was smooth sailing. After only two months with us, the department decided to do another round of temperament testing. I was a little worried that it was too soon, but Sarah surprised me and passed brilliantly. At the same time, Angie the Greyhound injured her back while playing with Sarah and was not able to work. Sarah had to take over all her school bookings. She took it all in her stride and worked well and the children loved her (although some were concerned that she was too thin!!).
Sarah and I also worked at Melbourne show, where she was again a hit and I think will inspire a whole new generation of Whippet owners. We are now working in Kindergartens, primary schools and special development schools. Not only is she a great work mate but a wonderful pet and my children’s best friend. She loves nothing more than going for a long run or playing on the trampoline with the boys.
Wendy
Ned's story
On a cold, wet and stormy day at the end of July dear old Ned’s life changed forever. Unfortunately a tradesman left the front door open and Ned took fright and escaped. As the Phillips family frantically searched for him, their first contact was a florist in the main road who said she had seen him being hit by a car but he kept on running.
Bruce and Jenny rang around the usual places to no avail so with the help of the City of Glen Eira’s Ranger, Kate, they started their desperate search. Their first sighting was his coat that must have been ripped from his body, eventually falling off. They were out all night with Kate searching too, which was truly wonderful. Eventually, some 19 hours later, the weather still wet and windy, an electrician found Ned shivering and scared out of his wits on a deserted verandah.
He was rushed to the nearest Vet at Caulfield South. Miraculously, he had no broken bones but had sustained a horrendous skin injury down the front of his chest and legs. In fact, if it hadn’t been for his coat he would have been literally skinned alive. The Vet sent digital photos to the University to get their opinion. I saw that first picture and it wasn’t for the faint hearted. It looked as if he had been through an inferno.
Bruce has kept me up to date with his progress and in himself he has really bounced back quickly, drinking and eating and doing all the normal "doggie" things but there is still this terrible wound with no skin. The Vet has taken his case on as a personal challenge and everyday has been a slow step forward. Gradually the skin is coming across and he is having treatment and his bandages changed twice weekly to prepare the skin for grafts. He is looking pretty cute in his specially tailored body suit. Didn't you see him at the Champ Show?
George the versatile Whippet
I was absolutely delighted to meet “George the 99% Whippet” when Dianne Wadsworth approached me at the Pet & Animal Expo at Caulfield in February one year. I think this clever little fellow deserves to have his story told. The following are Dianne’s words. RCM
The Lions Hearing Dogs have a phrase, which says it all:
“A Hearing Dog can give or restore independence and confidence to a deaf or hearing impaired person”.
This is very true and is definitely George’s role in my life. After having had him since August 2001 it is hard to imagine life without his help. He has certainly restored my confidence and independence. I am now able to do things and get involved in the community to a degree I would never had dreamed of prior to getting him.
The Hearing Dog program was conceived in 1980, first dog delivered in 1982. The training centre, in the Adelaide Hills, has 29 night kennels, 4 quarantine kennels, a utility room for washing, grooming and worming, outside exercise area and new training area – a replica of a house. Various breeds of dogs are used – no particular breeds. All dogs are selected from RSPCA and Animal Welfare shelters. They are medium sized and aged between 8-24 months. They’re tested for response to sound and their disposition. Only 1 in 10 dogs tested is chosen. They are trained in basic obedience and then their training on sounds begins.
George is trained to respond to the following sounds:
Door knock or door bell
Telephone
Oven timer
Bedroom alarm clock
Smoke alarm
And some deaf/hearing -impaired people need help with other sounds such as:
Whistling kettle
Microwave
Baby crying
Children crying
How does a Hearing Dog work?
The dog investigates the sound
Alerts the owner by touching – not barking as many Hearing Dog owners are deaf
Leads owner to source of the sound
The dogs are regularly assessed on their performance during training and graduate at the successful completion of it. Then they are matched as closely as possible to a waiting applicant’s requirements. The Lions Clubs support the program through the sale of Christmas cakes, mints and donations. The Hearing Dogs are provided free to the applicant although their training costs over $10,000. The Clubs assess the applicants for eligibility and provide ongoing assessment once the dogs are delivered.
Hearing Dogs make such a difference. Hearing loss and deafness are invisible disabilities. You seem like a ‘normal’ person yet you miss out on so much in your life. In my case this meant withdrawing, sitting on the sidelines, not having the confidence to go out or deal with people. George has changed that. He is a visual reminder to people of my hearing loss. He is an opportunity – people ask me about him, what does he do, how does help, what is a Hearing Dog? These things allow me to raise the issue of my hearing loss whereas before I would not have mentioned it. |
Without my Hearing Dog my life would be so much more difficult. He allows me to live my life fully and takes away much of the loneliness associated with a hearing disability. For example I used to miss family and friends when they came to visit. They would see my car outside, knock on the door or ring the doorbell but I wouldn’t hear them. They would even walk around my house knocking on the windows to see which room I was in – very scary! My hubby would come home, walk in the door unheard, walk in the kitchen unheard and then find me in my home office – still I wouldn’t hear him. He would walk up behind me and tap me on the back or switch the light on to get my attention – frightening the life out of me in the process. I never leave George home alone – wherever I go, George goes. He’s been to work, out shopping, to restaurants, to the cinema, to the Doctor’s, on a ‘plane Interstate to Adelaide and Perth and even on a coal mine tour!
My first impressions of George were - Timid, small, tiny. But now I know George I know not a lot fazes him. He’s loyal, friendly, playful and clever – a good Hearing Dog indeed – and he’s made such a difference to my life I wouldn’t be without him! He’s recognised when out and about by his orange collar, which states that he’s an accredited Hearing Dog, and his orange Lions Hearing Dog lead. He also usually wears a black coat with the words Lions Hearing Dogs on it.
So please come and say hello if you see us, or any other Hearing Dog out shopping or in the community. It helps increase awareness and you can tell your friends, family and neighbours about the program too.
Postscript: Unfortunately I received the unhappy news that Dianne’s hearing has worsened dramatically so now George is really earning his keep!!!!!