Whippet, Whippet good
Life is really cool sometimes, if for the simple fact that one day you might be driving to Ikea in a Chevy Cobalt and the next you're watching Whippet's chase a stuffed rabbit. Made particularly interesting by the fact that you really had just intended on staying home and painting your nails while watching Sex and the City re-runs. It's alllllll a big mystery! I was invited to a "Gathering of Whippets" last night, which contrary to how it sounds is not at all like a gathering of wiccans or in any way, shape, or form related to witchcraft. Or Scientology.
No no, Whippets are lovely little dogs that are basically a smaller version of the greyhound. "Poor man's racing dog", as it were. A friend of mine is literally on the verge of buying a Whippet and for the past month he's been attending these informal get-togethers around Minneapolis so he can become more familiar with the breed. My translation is a bit rough, but that means about the same as get slobbered on, catch running dogs, drool over the pretty pups, and quickly put out of mind all the other ways in which one can nest so Whippet remains center of Universe. Lucky me!, I got to tag along last night with Sophie and a 1 gig memory card.
So basically it was a bunch of local, hip and with it Whippet owners who get together and let their dogs run for fun. Good exercise for the dogs, a fun little social gathering for the parents, and a good reason for me to be kissed by multiple cute-lings within a 2-hour period. What girl would pass that up I ask of you? NOT ME!, that's for sure. My mama didn't raise no dummy. The whole setup was pretty slick - they had a decoy attached to a long cable, which on signal, was quickly dragged across the field by a motor at some 30+ mph. After that it's just basically Go Dog!, GO!
The beautiful thing about this group of people was that they really, really love their dogs. The dogs were soooo happy, soooo well cared for, and most importantly complete naturals when it came to posing for my pictures. And apparently you can't get just one Whippet, almost everyone there had 2 or more Whippets which again has nothing to do with a cult. Frankly I can't disagree with that rumor, these dogs were that friendly.
Plus one woman brought her Border Collie's. After working in a kennel and having a family full of animals I was fairly certain I wanted a Golden Retriever at some stage. Noooooow, I'm not so sure. I have completely fallen head over heels for Border Collie's, which are actually quite similar to Australian Shepards but with fluffy, furry, soft tails. And well, I've always wanted a tail.
My analysis? If you ever get invited to a Whippet running I say do it. And don't forget to bring along a nice cold drink cuz man! Ninety-something degree weather is heeeeeee-ot.
Comments
If you own a Whippet in England, the likelihood is that (a) you come from West Yorkshire, (b) you wear a flat cap, and (c) you say "Tha' knows" a lot. Only in America could it become some kind of genteel gathering / fashion statement combo.
If you don't understand a bleedin' word of this, ask The Tourist Guide - he'll probably be able to do an impression of one of these fellas for you. Oh yes.
Although in true English fashion I was hoping they'd bring out the hares and we could watch a little coursing.
But sadly I just found out they banned that in England this year, thereby spoiling all my fun.
Whippets are with a brilliant demeanor, and it is true, locally and otherwise, that those with one don't stop there (sooner to get two). We ought to thank Matt Groening for introducing Santa's Little Helper, long mistaken for a mere mutt, when in actuality, a Whippet. Italian Greyhounds are quite similar, yet even more small. Praise to Maggie for dedicating the day's blog to these canines. Cheers >>>
I completely adore Whippets...