Four-month-old male puppy available

Well, we had a puppy buyer simply vanish into thin air on us, so Slate, a lovely blue fawn male, is available from the Julliet and Blue litter. He is a sweet boy, middle-of-the-road temperament, well on his way to being housetrained. We're also working with him on crate and leash-training. There are advantages to buying an older puppy!

He's had all the vaccinations appropriate for his age and is healthy and playful. If you're interested in buying Slate, check out our price and guarantee page (which also tells you a little about our breeding goals) and fill out our puppy questionnaire and give me a call at 540-464-8046. We don't ship and he's too big to fit under a seat to fly home, so his new owner will have to drive to pick him up. We're located about an hour north of Roanoke, VA at the intersection of I-81 and I-64.

We don't have many hard-and-fast rules about our owners -- we think that good dog homes come in lots of shapes and sizes. The one thing that 's nonnegotiable is that we don't want one of our pups left alone all day. Little puppies need interaction and a couple of hours in the evening after work just aren't enough. Besides, I can't imagine coming home to a wound-up, lonely puppy who wants to kiss-kiss-kiss, play-play-play while I'm trying to clean up the mess he made all day! If no one is home during most of the day, we suggest an adult whippet and will be happy to help you find one (Yes, an adult whippet will bond with you. This is the original love-the-one-you're-with breed!)

We like to stay in touch with all our owners. The Timbrebluepups email list is restricted to Timbreblue and Marnay whippet owners and is a fairly busy group. People swap stories, problems, and photos and we've really developed into an extended family over the years. Once a year, we have a whippet reunion, where the people who have gotten to know each other via email get to meet in person...or get reacquainted from the previous year. Some years there are well over 60 whippets and their owners, and this year, even in the pouring rain we had 40! Needless to say, it's the high point of my year and, I understand, for many of the Timbreblue owners as well!

Available: The Amazing Alexis

Alex just might be the smartest whippet puppy we've ever had here at Timbreblue and she's looking for a home that's a good fit for her.

Alex was bred by our friend Jo Pelton and we helped her find the pup a home with a couple in Waynesboro, Virginia, last summer. But Alex turned out to be a lot more puppy than her people could handle. Though Jo and I both worked with them to help them deal with her, it became apparent that, although they were a great home and Alex is a great whippet, it was just a bad match. They are an older couple who had not had a dog in years and Alex, it turned out, was an awfully smart, awfully active puppy! When it became obvious that Alex needed to go back to her breeder, though, Jo was in the hospital having some knee surgery, so Walt and I offered to take Alex back here. Her father, after all, was our Aero, so we have some responsibility for her too.

Alex has turned out to be an absolutely delightful and entertaining temporary addition to our household. Okay, the truth is, we have been enjoying her so much that we have been remiss in trying to find her a new home. But she needs and deserves her own family, so she is now officially a whippet in need of a home.

First, the basics. Alex is a red and white female whippet, born last April. Her bloodline is pure Appraxin -- her father is Appraxin Aero, who came to live with us shortly after he fathered this litter. She's about medium sized for a whippet, maybe a bit smaller framed, though she's going through a lanky stage right now. She looks very feminine, but Alex is a tough little tomboy who will take on anything.

She's well housebroken, crate trained, and leash trained, and she knows a few obedience commands. This is a bright little girl who can learn anything she wants to!

She's a little shy when she first meets someone and has not been exposed to children. When she saw my grandchildren at Thanksgiving, she barked at them, but I think she would do better with older children. She had just never seen people that short before!

When I asked Walt what words he would use to describe Alex, he said, "Intelligent...active... funny...troublemaker..." I agreed. We have had more fun with this little girl than we've ever had with a "foster"whippet, and if we didn't have seven (eight? I forget) whippets already, we'd be hard pressed to let her go at all.

The main reason we haven't been actively trying to place her is that she really needs a very special owner who will appreciate her intelligence and drive. I have never known a whippet who could figure things out as quickly as Alex. She can open her crate from the outside (we keep a clip on it when she's in it to keep her from opening from the inside!) and often does so when she wants a drink of water or a toy she left. She would excel at obedience training, agility, and probably lure coursing...anything that will keep her busy.

Alex is also extremely affectionate. She loves to drape herself over your shoulders or just plop herself down in your lap. I woke up from a nap on the sofa one day to find her wrapped around my neck like a mink stole. She often props herself up in the corner of the sofa, hind legs extended straight out and front legs crossed, almost as if she is imitating a human. This puppy has made us laugh more than any dog we have ever owned, and that's saying a lot when you've had as many whippets as we have!

If you need a best friend who is willing to go anywhere and do anything with you, a dog who is eager to learn and loves to try new things, Alex may be your puppy. Give me a call at 540-464-8046. There are more pictures of her at our Picasa site.

Looking for a whippet?

I've been missing in action for awhile now, taking care of Juliet's litter of 11 puppies! Though we had them all placed by five weeks, one of our future owners has decided to wait for the next litter, so we have one male puppy (Jasper) available after all. We also have Alex, an eight month old red and white female available and Naydene Mitchell of Marnay Whippets in Chesapeake has a two-year-old male, Frosty Gator.

Jasper is a solid fawn with white tips and a white blaze in a charcoal face. He's a fairly laidback fellow as whippets go. He will be 12 weeks old Friday and is well on his way to being housetrained. All shots appropriate to his age, dewormed, AKC registered, microchipped, 100% guaranteed.

You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about us and this litter on the website. If you think you'd make a good home for Jasper, fill out our questionnaire and give me a call at 540-464-8046. Pictures of the puppies are on our Picasa site -- this is the Gemstone litter. Pictures of Juliet and Blue, the parents, are also there. Here are a couple of photos of Jasper taken recently. He's a typical whippet puppy, full of fun and trouble, but needs a relatively quiet home. Not a good one for rambunctious kids. He likes to take things a litter more slowly, but once he gets to know you, he's full of himself!

We do require that someone is home with the puppy for most of the day for the first few months and that you stay in touch to let us know how he is doing.

In addition to Jasper, we have a funny little girl named Alex, who has stolen everyone's heart who has met her. Alex is eight months old and was bred by a good friend of mine, Jo Pelton. When Alex's first home did not work out, I offered to bring her here for evaluation and rehoming since Jo was about to have surgery. Well, we have enjoyed Alex so much that I've really dropped the ball on trying to find her a new home, but it's time for us to let her find her real family.

Alex is a beautiful red and white girl. Her father is our Aero (pictures at the Picasa site. She is an exceptionally smart whippet, and extremely busy.

Alex needs a home where someone is home with her most of the time. She is so full of herself and full of life. I can't imagine leaving her in a crate all day, though she is well crate-trained, sleeps in one, and stays in one when we're not available to keep an eye on her.

And you do have to keep an eye on her or she will steal you blind. She's into everything, loves to chew up pens, pencils, books, paper, anything plastic, cell phones....you name it. But she's easily re-directable, and you just figure out what the Alex-targets are and put them away. She gets along very well with other dogs -- males and females, loves to run, but needs a fenced yard. We have a four-foot picket fence and she has never dug out or gone over it -- I've never even seen her try, but left alone in a yard and bored, she might -- she's a VERY social girl.

She is a little shy around new people and is not at all familiar with children -- my young grandchildren (one and three years old) were here this weekend and she barked at them until we had to put her away. I'm sure she would adjust and would probably make a great kid' dog, but it would take some training and desensitization. I don't believe she had ever seen a short person before this weekend!

She doesn't take long to warm up to people, and then she is all over you. She's doing better with manners and we're working with the leash training problem daily -- she only "hits the end of the lead" once a day or so now (and we take her out on a lead seven or eight times a day). Her only real behavior problem other than general puppy wildness is that she is food and toy aggressive with other dogs. Not people at all. I make it a point of taking her treats and chewies away regularly and if she planned to be snappy with people about it, she would have certainly done so with me. However, she's guardy with those things around other dogs, and that can be a problem with a dog who's not very laid back. All of our dogs tolerate the behavior except for Ivy, who tolerates nothing -- so we have no treats or chewies unless in the crate for the duration of her time here. She has been a great nanny for Juliet's litter and they have kept her busy for the past few weeks.

Alex has the cutest habits of any whippet I know. She loves to drape herself over your shoulders if you're sitting in a chair. Yesterday she was looking out the window over the back of the sofa, and she was sitting on Ivy's head (Ivy was sleeping on the sofa) She often leans on the back of a chair, sitting on her tailbone, with her back legs extended straight out in front of her and her front paws crossed in the air at about chest level. It's as if she is imitating a person sitting in a chair! She loves wearing her jammies, and when she is tired of them, takes them off herself. She can also open her crate from the outside...not from the inside yet, but we keep a clip on it just in case.

Alex is up to date on all shots and worming, but will need to be spayed.

If this sounds like your dream whippet, let me know -- we are looking for very special people for her and even though she is not officially Timbreblue, she and her owners will definitely be members of the family to us!

We don't ship and we do require that people come here so we can meet them and they can meet us before we place a pup. Our dogs can always, always come back here again if they need to for any reason.

And finally, if even eight months is too young for you, contact Naydene Mitchell about Frosty Gator, a Timbreblue great grandson. He's two years old and needs a home with no other male dogs. I'll get some pictures of him tomorrow too.

Reunion Update

The annual Timbreblue/Marnay Whippet reunion for our extended family is scheduled for this Saturday in Leesburg, VA, where the temperature will be around 40 and rain is predicted. We're still going and we'll have fun, dammit! We're going to bundle up ourselves and our whippets and we may spend the day snuggled with our whippets under the tent drinking hot cider and chocolate, but it's still on! We'll get there around ten and it will last until we all give up and go home! Sweatshirts saying "I survived the 2009 Timbreblue/Marnay Whippet Reunion" will be available next week!

Our celebrity whippets!

It was an exciting weekend for some of our family. Lucia and Conner (from Marnay -- great daughter and grandson of Ivy) won a place in the Smiling Dogs slideshow for The Bark magazine. They're the last photo in the slide show and are pictured with owner Vanessa and her friend Susan. Watch the whole slideshow -- it will definitely give you a lift!

And some of our New York contingent, Rebel, Simone, and Henry did a photo shoot for the Houndz in the Hood whippet clothing line. Really. Here is the Scintillating Simone, who belongs to our dear young friend Rachel of Brooklyn.

The Handsome Henry, owned by Rachel's mom Joy, apparently has become a real New Yorker. Here's a photo of him after he shopped till he dropped. The whippets were paid for their services in merchandise and are definitely going to be the best-dressed dogs on the streets of New York.

People who have managed to stick with this sometimes-blog may remember Rebel as Red, the shy boy who came to us from a breeder who was retiring. He had never been away from home in his eight years, and there were times I despaired of ever finding him just the right home. But Walt and I believe that with only a few exceptions, there is a home for every dog, so we just kept waiting and watching and working with Red here to develop his confidence.

Well, out of the clear blue came an email from Nance in Long Island who just loves working with dogs with problems! Boy, did I have a dog for her. The only trouble was getting him to her. And again Fate was kind. It happened that Joy and Rachel had brought Simone and Henry down to stay with us for awhile when they went to England. They agreed to take Red (now Rebel) back to New York with them when they picked up their crew. And you would never know Rebel as that same shy boy we had here. As Nance says, "Forget Fabian...there's a new stud in town!"

Congratulations to all our stars and an extra hug for Rebel. I always knew he had it in him to be a great dog!

Pickin' Puppies

A number of you have emailed asking how we determine who gets which puppy, so I thought I would respond here. If you are not on our waiting list and want to be. now's the time. We still have a couple of males available but there are a few people who are trying to decide, so those may be spoken for at any time. Also, we usually have one or more people whose plans change when time comes to take the puppies home -- new job, divorce, move, whatever -- so sometimes there's a puppy available at the last minute. Now: How do we match puppies to people, do you get to choose, etc.

If you pick a dog solely by the way it looks, the relationship runs the risk of working out about as badly as a marriage based solely on looks. We try to match puppies with homes where they will fit in best -- in other words, we don't place

a quiet puppy in a home with four kids or the rowdiest one in a home where the people just want a snuggle-pup.

That said, most of our whippets are fairly similar in temperament --- we're not going to come up with one as slow-moving as a St. Bernard puppy or as hyper as a Jack Russell. We hope not anyway. There's a range in each litter -- usually a big mouth, a pushy one, a quiet one, a whiner, a goodie two-shoes...the usual mix you get on any playground!

That does not mean you don't get to pick your puppy. We try to arrange it so that you have a choice and we certainly do our best to match you with the puppy you want. Here's how we do it:

-- Between two and three weeks (about now) we ask for deposits on the pups. That way we can be sure how many we actually have placed and can let anyone "wait-listed" know if there will be a puppy for him or her. The deposit is usually half the purchase price but if that's a problem, let me know. If for any reason you decide later you don't want one of our pups, you get the deposit back -- it is not intended to force anyone to take a puppy, just to give us a solid-as-possible count.

-- Also about now, we ask prospective owners to give us three or four choices. If you WERE going to base your selection on looks alone, which would you choose? (You are always welcome to change your choices later)

-- When the puppies are about six to seven weeks old, we start seeing distinct differences in temperament. Often there are one or two who are more reserved than the others, and though we immediately start giving them extra attention to bring them out, those will probably be the pups who should go to a quieter, more sedate home. There are always one or two "wild children" and we like to see them go to more dog-experienced homes, The temperaments we see at this age are not always how they end up, but they're usually close.

-- You'll find that usually your "rank" on the waiting list won't matter -- I'm always surprised at how few times the same puppy is wanted by two people. When it does happen, obviously we go by order on the list, but just because you end up last on the list doesn't mean you won't get the puppy you want!

-- We'll be talking with all of you throughout these last weeks to be sure everyone's happy.

-- We'll have a puppy party when they are seven weeks old -- that will be October 24 -- and all of you who are close enough are welcome to come meet all of the pups, Juliet and Blue, and us,

-- At eight weeks, we'll "evaluate" the puppies for show/breeding possibilities and decide which one, if any, will stay here. At that point, we'll get in touch with each of you and settle your choice.

-- They go home at ten weeks.

And you bring them back to the reunion every year!

I'll be talking to everyone "on the list" in the next week and in the meantime, feel free to call me at 540-464-8046. I'll be home most of today (Friday), gone Saturday, and home again after that.

Peepers!

The puppies' eyes are open! It's funny the difference that makes -- they turn from moles into actual little dogs. They're walking now too...well, lurching and staggering anyway, and I occasionally hear a little bark from them.

Mama Juliet has gone into full bore High Princess. She no longer gets in the box with them, but reclines on her big dog bed next to it. When they cry, she stares at me. During the night she

wakes me up by nudging me in the mouth with her cold, wet nose. Then I put about half of them out with her to nurse. When they are full and dozing off, I replace them with the other half. That way she doesn't have to deal with all of them at once. She says this is much more acceptable than having 11 at a time groping at her.

Everybody is still gaining weight and coming along beautifully. We have not had to supplement any of them, so I guess if Juliet needs a little "domestic help," I don't mind providing it!

The puppycam is on most of the time at Ustream -- the password is whippets. The camera doesn't cover the whole whelping box, but I do try to keep the camera aimed at the majority of the puppies. If you check it out and it's down, try back a little later. Ustream occasionally drops the connection. Now that the pups are up and

walking, it will be a little more interesting!

I have been so busy I haven't had much time to check in on the chatroom there, but I know some of you have been using it. I'm going to try to get over there Friday evening. It's at the same Ustream address.

I'll get two-week pictures of them tomorrow and will post the link.

We got puppies!

The pups were born Friday, September 4, all day long. Juliet was finally done at 2:45 pm after having started labor at 2:00 am. Needless to say, we were both exhausted.

Eleven puppies -- three girls, eight boys. We have several solid blues, some blue and white parti-colors, one black, and several mostly solid fawns, at least one fawn and white parti. (The colors are hard to pin down this early. There is one that I think is blue but might be fawn) All healthy and happy and so is mom.

I am taking them to the vet today for dewclaw removal and puppycam with chat will be back up at 6 pm. We're trying to keep it up most of 24 hours a day, with occasional downtime for technical difficulties. The address is http://www.ustream.tv/channel/timbreblue-whippets

and the password is whippets

Join us tonight at six! You can watch the cam just by signing in, but if you want to chat you'll have to set up a free U-stream account, which only takes a few minutes. They'll ask you to do it when you sign in, I think, or try to chat and they will definitely do it then.

Juliet's expecting ten or eleven pups!

The x-ray was today and our vet thinks she has ten or eleven pups. We're asking for ideas for litter themes ... let us know what you think in the comments. A few suggestions we have heard so far:

• Gemstones
  
  
• Trees
  
  
• Flowers
  
  
• Disney characters
  
  
• Care Bears
  
  
• Triple Crown Winners

Remember these are just litter names -- the new families have no obligation to keep these names once they go home.

Thanks in advance for your comments! We'll post a poll on our website in the next couple of days to find out what is the most popular theme idea.

-Johannah.

Update on Upcoming Litter

Juliet is widening daily. She certainly is happy though. Every morning she grabs her toy (favorite today is a big floppy white bunny) and runs around the house showing everyone her "new" toy. When Walt gets up, the whole routine starts again. She has her favorite comfort zones in every room: in the kitchen, it's a bed under the counter by Walt's feet; in the living room, it's Nathan's cuddle bed or my chair, when she can get it; in the "nursery" it's the giant smushy bed Johannah sent Ivy for Christmas. Juliet certainly seems to feel good for looking like a walrus!

We took down the whelping box yesterday for scrubbing and re-varnishing (should have been done after the last litter left it, but you know how those things go....I cleaned it and got it ready to take down and that was the end of it till yesterday.) Walt pressure-washed it and because it has been raining every day and night lately, took it to the basement to dry -- there is a dehumidifier down there. Probably tomorrow he will get the new varnish on and we'll reassemble it Monday or so.

I'll make an appointment for an xray for Juliet on Thursday or Friday. We always like to know how many puppies are there -- if she stops delivering them before they are all accounted for, we'll have to get her to the vet pronto. She looks veeeeery big, and considering that and the fact that she had a litter of 11 last time, I expect at least eight and possibly more.

I'm so glad she's happy -- we have had one or two who seemed simply miserable the last week or so, and I hate watching them try to get comfortable. Juliet just wags and smiles and flops down wherever there is a soft bed. She even still runs when I take her out for a walk, but not for very long!

I was a little concerned she might be upset about Henry and Simone, who came to stay with us for a couple of weeks while their owner Joy is in England, but she's completely unconcerned. We've had so many "boarders" this year that I don't think my dogs think twice about a new kid any more. She just waddled up, checked them out, and plopped back down, as if to say, "You'll pardon me if I'm not a very good hostess right now..." She didn't even mind when Simone took over the cuddle bed in the living room. She just made room for herself on the sofa next to Henry.

These puppies should have wonderful dispositions. Juliet is just Miss Congeniality around here and Blue, their daddy, is the most laid-back whippet we have. He just goes along to get along.

I had thought we would not have brindles -- from my reading, I thought you had to have one brindle parent to get brindles, but yesterday I talked to a woman in Illinois who bred a black to a fawn and got three brindles. Back to the genetics books... We have one on color genetics, so maybe I'll try it. I'd been using the web, but maybe I need to get more basic. It's been a long time since high school biology and the fruit flies.

We'll get the webcam up for a test run Sunday or Monday (I will be gone all day tomorrow) so we'll be ready to go when the action starts, More news as it develops!

Sharyn

The Timbreblue Reunion

The Timbreblue reunion is October 17th in Leesburg, VA. The following details are for our owners who plan to attend. If you don't have a Timbreblue puppy but would like to meet some whippets before you make up your mind about whether you want one, give me a call at 540-464-8046. Guests are welcome as long as arrangements are made ahead of time.

Since we have a number of people who are coming to their first reunion, I thought I'd do a little FAQ -- more information will follow as we get closer to October.

Q. Are the dogs are on or off-lead at the reunion? Do they race around constantly?

A. Most people allow them off lead but a few keep their dogs on leash for various reasons. That is entirely up to the owner. They all run when they first get there, and then it settles down. Since people arrive at different times, it's not quite the chaos you would expect. Okay, so there is a fair amount of chaos.

Q. How many whippets and people are there?

A. I expect we'll have in the neighborhood of 60-70 whippets this year, and enough people to give them rides to the reunion. Some people stay the whole time; others drop in for just awhile and leave, so the number is a bit fluid.

Q. Do the dogs ever fight?

A. Not so far. The main thing we have to watch is when suddenly all the dogs decide someone is "prey" and the whole crew takes off after him or her. Sometimes the dog playing prey is perfectly happy with it, but it makes me very nervous and we try to stop that kind of behavior right away. Before the reunion, I'll post some things to watch for that indicate an impending barroom brawl and tell you what to do about it. We do have "emergency dog fight kits" scattered about the area (more on that later) but have never had to use them.

Q. What if my dog is the worst-behaved one there?

A. I assure you that every person at the reunion will believe that his or her own dog is the worst one there. Like children, your dog will attempt to embarrass you by telling everyone there that

1) No, he has never been trained and has no idea of the definition of "come," "sit" "down," "get off that table," "drop that hotdog!" or any other command that doesn't fit in with his agenda at the time.

2) You never, ever feed him and if everyone at the picnic would give him ONE little snack, he might survive to the next reunion ("no begging" is also a concept they tend to forget at the reunion)

Remember we all have whippets and we all understand that they are perfect at home (well, after a year or two) but whippets in public.

Q. What if I am afraid to let my dog off-leash?

A. Obviously anyone who is uncomfortable with the dogs being off-leash should keep his or her whippet leashed and we will also have crates available for rests and time-outs (whether the people or whippets call for it!) I keep Ivy on a leash some of the time because she tends to be the fun police with her offspring.

Q. If the dogs don't run all the time, what do they do?

A. It really is a bit like a doggy cocktail party. Some of them work the crowd, some stick right with mom, and most do a mixture of the two. Candy and Juliet, I never see again till we get ready to leave -- they're too busy socializing. Some whippets are more social than others and either is normal. Diamond used to stay right under my feet the entire time we were there. She wasn't scared -- she just preferred to be with her mommy. Ivy is somewhat like that too, though she doesn't mind taking off after some rascal she sees having too much fun. (Thus the leash for her) There's often someone throwing a frisbee or ball, there are wading pools, but mostly, being whippets, they lounge around.

Q. What are the rules?

A. The reunion rules for whippets are simple: No fighting, no bullying, no humping. And believe me, that third one will be tried by about the half the dogs there, neutered and unneutered! It's just a natural doggy thing, but we correct it just like we would a child picking her nose. "It just doesn't look nice, dear. No one wants to see that."

Q. What if I don't see my dog is acting up?

A. We are all family and if someone else's dog is being obnoxious, it is perfectly okay to grab a collar and say, "You cut that out!" No one's feelings will be hurt. Every reunion has some bratty cousins that get corrected by each and every adult there at some point. We all keep an eye on our own but if there is a problem developing, whoever is closest should deal with it. (Note: It is not fair to deny ownership if your dog gets in trouble)

Q. Are there structured activities?

A. We've tried that, but I am just not good at gathering people up and getting anything organized. Professional dog trainers Bev Crawley and Karen Haynes are going to offer some (free) basic training lessons for anyone who wants them throughout the day. I also think we can talk Bev into doing a couple of freestyle dancing sessions for those of you wanting to learn some basic dance steps with your dogs!) so we're in the process of getting a separate area for that. We will have some door prizes....gate prizes? I'm hoping Fred and Bobbie Lutz will be there with one of their portable agility sets (for sale at http://www.agilitytools.com) so some folks can try a little of that too. We have a swap table for dog stuff you don't need any more and if any of you make things to sell (leashes, collars, coats, etc) you're welcome to set up a table.

Also anyone who wants to bring business cards or brochures or samples of whatever is welcome to consider this a business networking meeting as well. In the family we have personal trainers, artists, attorneys, interior designers, architects, CPAs, web designers, and all kinds of other things I can't think of right now. Fred Lutz might even sell you a damn fine Toyota while you're there. We distribute goody bags as people leave (which I forgot to do until most people had already left last year -- We need to put someone other than me in charge of remembering that!) and anyone is welcome to drop flyers or business cards into them. In the current economy, any networking you want to do is just fine.

Mostly we just eat and socialize and talk about how we really ought to do this twice a year!

Q. What do I bring?

A. Your dog, a leash, a bed for him or her, treats, and a covered dish. Suntan lotion and insect repellent if you need it. It will be October, and the club will provide some tables and tarps, but if some people want to bring a card table or two and one of those pop-up tarps, it would be very much appreciated. And bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.

Q. What kind of food?

A. We'll get the food organized shortly -- we try to keep a running "menu" going so we don't end up with 25 desserts and no vegetables. (For some reason, that doesn't seem like a good idea to some people though I cannot imagine why not)

More later, and I'll upload some pictures too, to give you a better idea. And all this information will also be in your invitation -- I hope to get those out at the beginning of September.

-

Red still needs a home

Red is a beautiful, sweet, sensitive whippet who is looking for a home. He is eight years old and has been a kennel dog most of his life. Though he has never been mistreated or neglected, his experience range is limited, so he will require patience, time and love. He is adapting to house life very well, plays with toys and other dogs, and is extremely affectionate, though he doesn't seek out attention. (He's still learning that!) He is up to date on shots, heartworm and Lymes negative, neutered, and ready to go.

Red is leash and crate trained and would do better in a home with another dog or a human who is home most of the time. Although he is gentle, he has never been around children or cats, so I think a home with no cats and with older children or no children would probably be best. He's going to take some time and patience, so a busy household will not work out well. You'd need to have time to commit to him. I'd like him to stay within 200 miles of us (Lexington, VA, north of Roanoke) in case he does need to come back to us.

Although he's eight, he's in good health and should have several more good years to enjoy. He would be an ideal companion for an only-whippet of the female variety or for someone who for whatever reason is hesitant to make a 12-15 year commitment to a new pet.

As with any Timbreblue dog, Red can always come back here if for any reason his new home doesn't work out. All we're asking for him is $250 t0 cover his neuter, microchip, and associated vet costs.

If you know anyone with room in the heart and home for this guy, please let me know. He needs to get settled fairly soon.

Whippets and Toys

When Ivy is in a really good mood, she has to take a toy out to the bathroom with her. She can hold the toy (no matter how big it is) while peeing, but not while pooping. Her little game is to "forget" the toy, come flying back to the porch and stare at me, wagging her tail. I say, "IVY!! Where's the toy?" She turns around and either:

1) Flies back out to get it and bring it back or

2) Wags her tail harder till I say sternly, "You go get that toy!" THEN she flies out to get and and comes to a sliding stop against the front door.

One of the things I enjoy so much about whippets is their love of toys. I used to buy toys for the collies all the time and they never really played with them after about six months or so.

We finally had to replace the big cardboard box that'd been in the living room since Christmas. My friend Carol sent us a giant box of stuffed animals (I'm talking 2 1'2 foot square box here) Ivy and the Shakespeare litter opened it, I cut a more attractive opening, and we just let it stay here for awhile. Gracie liked to climb inside and sleep in it so we hated to move it. Then the Pelton puppies came and they decided the box itself was a great chew toy. Two days ago it finally fell apart and I replaced it with a big plastic box. Our living room has definitely lost a little of its...um, character, since the cardboard box is gone.

We go through a lot of stuffies around here. I keep a good supply in the living room and just a few in the dog room. The good ones have to stay in the living room or upstairs though because Candy and Juliet simply HAVE to have toys in their mouths when they go outside, and they generally forget to bring them back in. Which means when SinCin and Dallas go out, we have the Chainsaw Massacre out there. Part of the reason I try to clean the yard every day (and sometimes twice a day!) is to get the fluff out of the yard. SinCin (Lab/Chow) is amazing to watch. She picks up the toy, lies down with it delicately between her paws, and with one wrench of the jaws, rips its head off. Dallas will carry one around for awhile and sometimes even sleeps with one all night without destroying it, but it eventually falls prey to the German Shepherd Jaws.

Goodwill does a booming business with us. Fifty cents a stuffie, no matter the size. And ours like the almost-whippet-sized ones best.

The Timbreblue Toy Wars, where the toys never win.

Puppy Plans

Aero's puppies are all settled in their new homes and we are planning a litter of our own for late August. We've bred Blue to Juliet and (fingers crossed) due date should be in the neighborhood of August 30. I'm hoping for a real rainbow of colors with this litter. Juliet is fawn and white but both of her parents are brindle and white. She did produce a couple of blue brindles in her first litter, so we know she carries that gene. Blue has red, black, and steel blue in his pedigree, so there is just no telling what we'll get!

That was quick!

Aero's two daughters have already been sold to families in Virginia. Sawyer, the boy, is still available. He's an energetic, smart little guy, very full of himself. The girls here have been putting him in his place. When he arrived, he had always been the biggest pup in the litter and figured he could pretty much do what he wanted. Wrong! I think Granny Ivy was the first one to nail him to the floor and since then Zoey (one of Candy's pups who is boarding with us for a couple of weeks) has given him a few talking-to's about proper behavior around ladies.

Mostly he and Bonnie (the other pup, whose family will come for her tomorrow) are just rolicking around the house creating more havoc than we already have....which is considerable, with one girl in season and four intact boys (not counting Sawyer!) in the house.

NEWS FLASH! PUPPIES BY AERO AVAILABLE!!

Three puppies still available in Virginia, bred by Jo Pelton -- these are sired by our Appraxin Aero (echoed clear for mitral valve disease) and are sweet, easygoing puppies (unusual for whippets!) There are one fawn and white male, one fawn and white female, and a brindle female, around 14 weeks old, all puppy shots and dewormed. Call me at 540-464-8046 if interested.

How NOT to Start a Monday

Our sincere thanks to Lisa Ochoa for this account of a morning in the life of a whippet owner in the country

How NOT to Start a Monday

AKA Smart Decisions at 4:00am: Mom 2, Banjo 0

The alarm woke me at 3:45 from a sound sleep and a pleasant, albeit
unremembered, dream. I hit the snooze and contemplated sleeping in a bit, until 4:15 or so, then decided that I would get up on time and give Rafa some extra runs with his Frisbee. So I got up and went to the bathroom to get dressed. Once in the bathroom, I looked at my work clothes and decided that, since we had had an overnight thunderstorm, I would go down in pajamas and dress for work later.

Both of these simple decisions turned out to be much smarter than they appeared at the time.

I came yawning down the stairs, started the coffee, and let Banjo and Zorro out. After a few minutes, I went out to bring them back in. Zorro showed up right away, so I let him in the house and started yelling for Banjo.

I did not realize at the time what a mistake this would turn out to be - not until an unbelievably dreadful odor smacked me in the face like a sack full of rabbit guts. The said smell was closely followed by Banjo, who came leisurely trotting around the side of the house, licking his chops and wearing a satisfied expression.

Without a word, I went right back in the house and mixed up a box of baking soda, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and a couple of squirts of dish soap. I grabbed the bowl of mix and a leash and went back outside. By now, Banjo had figured out that the morning routine was no longer on track, and he eyed me warily. The wariness became disgust as I tied him to the flagpole and covered him thoroughly with the destinkifying mix.

Banjo in full Pout Mode is a sight to behold; you would never guess that a skinny black dog could push his lower lip out that far. I left him tied to the flag pole to soak while I considered my options.

I still had four dogs left to take outside. I had a pretty good idea what Banjo had caught, but I didn't know if it was dead or alive or wounded, or where it was, or if it still had any ammo left in its body (based on the evidence I doubted it, but you never know). It was still dark out, and while I didn't exactly relish the idea of searching all three acres with a flashlight, one dog tied to the flagpole was one more than I wanted there at that hour of the morning.

I finally compromised by leash walking the remaining dogs. None of them were amused by this unexpected break in the routine, but they all survived and none of them joined Banjo at the flagpole.

Then I went back to Banjo, rinsed him, and took a sniff. He was still pretty gamey, so I coated him with the remainder of the destinkifier and went in the house and fed the rest of the dogs. Then I came back out and rinsed him off, and followed that up with the old stand-by, Fluffy Puppy shampoo, which has an agreeable baby powder scent. As I was lathering him up, that old line from Mel Brooks' Frankenstein "could be worse - could be raining!" ran through my head.

And right about that moment, the drops began to fall from the sky ...
I finished rinsing Banjo as fast as I could (helped along by the
sprinkle that quickly became a downpour); then we ran into the house.

I toweled him off and he made a beeline for his La Z Boy, where he lay GLARING at me and muttering under his breath. (It's a lucky thing that I don't speak whippet as he would almost certainly have had his mouth washed out with soap.) I gave him his breakfast, which he refused to touch until Suckerdaddy Pat came downstairs and commiserated with him about the Dreadful Treatment he had received.

I finally got to have my long-delayed cup of coffee, and then polished off the rest of the morning tasks in record time. By now, the sun was starting to rise, so Suckerdaddy Pat went out to see if he could locate the Scene of the Crime. I joined him about halfway through the search, and we walked purposefully around the vegetable garden and then around the house toward the orchard.

We were hit by a wall of Eau De Skunque Le PEU! in the middle of the south field, close to the lean-to. As if that weren't enough, several large clumps of black and white hide were lying around the area.

We pieced together the evidence (no pun intended), and decided that Banjo had apparently made the spur-of-the-mom ent decision that Chunk O Skunk would be a nice addition to the morning menu. The skunk declined to be so honored, but Banjo is fast enough that he avoided the full extent of the skunk's displeasure, while the skunk was close enough to the lean-to to be able to make its escape (we assume, there were no major body parts in evidence).

Thoughts about this incident:

1. It just goes to show that listening to those little whispering voices that say "get up on time!" and "don't get dressed for work quite yet" is a wise idea.

2. Coffee should be drunk BEFORE the first round of dogs comes back inside.
3. Don't tempt fate by saying such things as "could be worse "
4. It would have taken a lot longer to bathe a long-haired dog.
5. This might be one of those times when Banjo is Suckerdaddy Pat's dog.
6. Time to replenish the mothballs out in the lean-to!
7. If Banjo is going to start beating on skunks, I am going to have
to start keeping the ingredients for Destinkifier at work. Despite
numerous washings in everything ranging from kitchen cleaner to
heavily perfumed hand lotion, my hands still smell faintly skunk-like.

And, of course, the obligatory poem, for all you Lynyrd Skynyrd fans out there:

That Smell

By Banjo Ochoa-Reynolds
(with apologies to Allen Collins & Ronnie VanZant)

The mornin's dark, Mom lets us out,
To pee and start the day
There's something furry up ahead,
Look what's movin to the lean-to.

Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell

The smell of skunk surrounds me

I grab it up, and spit it out,
Then grab it up again,
CHORUS: (you fool you!)
Its skin and hair lie all around me,
But the O-Dare would defeat most men.

CHORUS: (hell, yeah!)

Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of skunk surrounds me

Now they call me The Main Man
Tacklin nasty critters is my job
I'm sure I'll be all right tomorrow
And tomorrow I'll bite that thing again!

Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of skunk surrounds me

One little problem that confronts me

Got a skunky odor on my back
Just one more fix, Lord might do the trick
One hell of a price for me to get my kicks

Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of skunk surrounds me

So how's your Monday going?

Congratulations to Ashley!!

Our Ashley, daughter of Diamond and Calvin and owned by Bobbie and Fred Lutz, finished her championship Sunday at the Asheville shows. She is now CH UGRCH UAG1 Timbreblue Windrydr Biker Girl, FCH, SC, RN, CGC!

For those not familiar with the dog fancy's alphabet soup, here's the translation:

CH = AKC Championship

UGRCH = UKC Grand championship

UAG1 = UKC Agility 1

FCH = AKC Field Champion

SC = Senior Courser

RN = Rally Novice

CGC = Canine Good Citizen

In other words, Ashley has been a busy little girl since she left here! Finishing a whippet's championship these days is much, much more difficult than it used to be -- Bobbie and Fred put an awful lot of time and money into getting those titles, and we are ever grateful.

Ashley was a handful as a puppy. I remember telling her when she was five weeks old, "You're not staying here, honey!" And when Bobbie said she wanted a puppy with a lot of drive, I knew just which one to steer her towards.

We are so proud of our little girl and sincerely appreciate all the Lutzes have done with her!

Red Report and Puppy too!

Red has progressed to the point that I think we can call him "reserved normal." He's still a bit spooky, but has adjusted amazingly quickly. He has an appointment to be neutered in a couple of weeks and will be ready to go. This is a sweet, sweet boy who needs a quiet home. He's playful and loves toys, but must have a very gentle, patient owner.

And Puddin arrived two days ago. He was bred by my friend Jo Pelton and is just staying with us till he is sold. He's a fawn and white male, 12 weeks old, and simply precious. He's a real snuggler and wants a lap to call his own. Anyone interested can contact me for more information at sharyn@timbreblue.com. Here's one picture of him and you can see more at our Picasa album.

Red Progress Report

Well, just as I was about to think Red would never come out of his crate under his own steam, we began to make real progress. This morning he came to the front of his crate to get his leash snapped on to go out -- I have been crawling into the crate to get to him! After breakfast, I was lying on the sofa, sort of reading, sort of snoozing, when he wandered out of his crate and began to play with a toy! I was astounded! This is big.

He took cheese from Walt's hand and has almost completely stopped ducking away when I hold my hand out to pet him.

I think this boy might actually make a good pet. It's hard to imagine how he feels. He has spent every day of his life in a kennel setting...either in his crate for the night or out in a paddock with several other dogs. He has been well-loved, but not as a house dog. Now suddenly he has brand new roommate dogs and lives inside the house. It has to be unsettling, even if he is more comfortable.

Spread the word...he needs a home! I hate for him to have to go through all this adjustment twice. He might as well start where he will be for the rest of his life.

Sharyn

As promised, photos of Red

Anyone up for a challenge?

We have a beautiful whippet here who needs a home, but it has to be one with tons of patience and love. Red is a male, about six or seven, who was very happy in his first home, but never really went anywhere other than his own yard and house. His owner is having to move into an apartment for reasons of age and health, and is unable to keep him. We're looking for a home where Red will be loved and cherished for himself. He's a gorgeous solid, deep red with a full white collar (picture later today).

This is not a rescue. He's a well-bred dog with an impressive pedigree who came from a good home -- it's just that his range of experience is severely limited. He is very gentle, well crate-trained, walks on a leash, and has had no accidents in the house since we brought him home. He eats well and appears healthy -- he'll have a vet exam this week. There have never been any signs of aggression, either towards people or other dogs.

Our household is just too large and busy for him. He needs a quiet home, where he can proceed at his own pace. We'll provide lots of support and of course, he can come back if it just doesn't work out. There are several internet "support groups" for owners of shy dogs, and our own Timbreblue Pups list for our owners is a tremendous resource as well.

Because of his age and lack of worldly experience, I doubt Red will ever be a dog-park/rollicking-around-the-house/go-anywhere dog, but I'm sure there is someone who would love an easygoing companion to share the sofa with. He was very, very devoted to his previous owner and I am sure he will transfer that devotion to a new owner, though it will take a little while. Whippets are the original love-the-one-you're-with breed!

He would probably do best in a home with another sighthound, preferably female, but an only-dog home is not out of the question if there is someone home during the day. Ideally his new owner would be someone who has dealt with a very insecure dog before, perhaps a rescue greyhound. He's really not a project for a first-time dog owner.

I don't want to minimize how insecure this dog is. He has basically stayed in his crate (door open) for two days now, though he is beginning to come out and sniff about a little. He is just terribly confused. We're not pushing him at all, just letting him approach us and the other dogs. The only times we have "forced" attention on him have been for his bath yesterday -- he was very good, but not too happy about it -- and to take him out on a leash.

Ordinarily we would keep him here for six months to a year to socialize him a little before sending him into a new home, but in Red's case, I think the sooner he can get to a permanent home, the happier he will be. That home just has to be with someone who understands:

1) the need for security in a case like this -- shy whippets are at extreme risk for escaping;2) that he will need lots of patience -- it may be several weeks before he actually seeks out attention;3) that he will never be an outgoing, happy-happy whippet, but will probably prefer to snuggle with one person and stay home.
I'd love to be proven wrong and have him show up at our reunion in October as a bouncing, rambunctious boy, but I don't think he has it in him. He's a poet rather than an athlete!

We'd ask that his new owner cover the expenses he will have here, probably around $200, so we can afford to take on another whippet needing assistance. He will go to his new home up to date on vaccinations and neutered.

If you're interested, fill out our questionnaire and we'll talk. Let's get this boy settled into a new home soon so he can begin to take over a new owner's heart.

Finally...Available Whippets!

After months of telling people we don't know of any available whippets, I'm finally hearing about some available! We're planning to breed a litter in June or July, to be ready for homes in October-November -- details to follow in a few weeks -- but in the meantime, here's an update on whippets I know about who need homes. Write me at sharyn@timbreblue.com and I'll put you in touch with these folks. 

There is a litter in Wytheville, VA, owned by a very nice lady named Jo Pelton. They're ten weeks old, 100 percent Appraxin breeding. I haven't seen them, but from what I know of Jo, I'm sure they have been well cared for. I understand there are mostly fawn and whites and maybe one brindle and white, mostly males, though there may be one female left. 

Katie Rudolph in North Carolina has a male pup for sale to a show or pet home.  He's a half-brother to our latest litter and, I think, ten weeks old.

And now for my special boys.  We'll have three or four adult males to place in the next few months.  An old, dear friend is retiring from breeding and these are the last of the kennel. They range in age from four years to eight or nine and as far as I know, have no "issues" other than that they have lived mostly in a kennel situation and would need some TLC to adjust to home living. They are accustomed to other dogs, so I don't know how they'd be in an only-dog home. We'll bring them here one at a time, keep them for a month or so for assessment and to provide any vet care they might need, and then they'll be available for a nominal price to cover their care here. I'll post pictures and details about them as they arrive. I really want to find these boys homes where they can finish out their lives on their own sofas!

Marie Hand in Raleigh has a 10-month-old female for sale too. She is timid but very sweet. I haven't met her and don't know much about her, but I'll be happy to give you Marie's contact information.

More to come on our planned litter and our "foster" dogs. I'm going to pick up the first one tomorrow, so will post details and, I hope, some pictures of him tomorrow night or Saturday!

Sharyn

-Help us find MicMac!

http://findmicmac.blogspot.com/

Field trial success for Simone and Henry!

On March 29 at the Big Apple Sighthounds AKC trial at Stillwell Woods near Syosset on Long Island, Joy Holland's two Timbreblue whippets Henry and Simone had great success. Henry finished his JC (Junior Courser) title, and Simone won Best of Breed in whippets.

Even though the weather was cold and drizzly, Simone and Henry did what they do best -- run and chase. Simone is from the Midsomer Murders litter (Calvin x Diamond) of February 2005. Henry is from Ivy's last litter with Joker, July 2002. Henry will be racing in the Veterans' class starting in July when he turns seven years old.

Joy and her daughter Rachel live in the Greenwood Heights neighborhood (near Park Slope) of Brooklyn, New York. Joy's blog, frequently featuring the adventures of Henry and Simone, can be found at: http://anglo-brooklyn.blogspot.com/

Pictured is Simone, resting after her exciting day. Our congratulations to Joy and her racing hounds!

Sharyn Hutchens & Johannah Layson Hutchens Gage
Timbreblue Whippets

Simone

The Poop Wars

Here is Tybalt with new roommate Mico (Italian Greyhound) in a much sweeter moment.

This just in from Jessica, Matt, and Tybalt in Florida. Tybalt is one of Juliet's puppies by Justin (Ch Bohem Just in Time) Fortunately his new owners have a great sense of humor! Oh the joys of puppies...

Tybalt went out for a late night potty tonight, and when Matt brought him in, he was holding him like a baby (cradled in his arms feet up). Matt said in a cute-sy baby voice "you're such a smelly puppy!" And I noticed Tybalt's foot was caked in poop. I said "that's because he stepped in poop." We took him into the bathroom to clean it up. And of course, he chose the runniest diarrhea poop to step in so it was caked between his toes, in his nails, and in the fur.

As we were trying to figure out the best way to clean his paw, I noticed that Matt had poop on his shorts, and down the front of his shirt from when he picked Tybalt up. We both started to laugh. After trying unsucessfully to get the poop off with paper towels and soap, we decided to run his paw under the tub faucet.

This idea didn't sit well with Tybalt, and in his haste to tell us so, his poop paw smeared right across Matt's face and then landed on my bare foot. By this point, we were both laughing so hard we couldn't see straight. We finally ended up with me sitting on the edge of the tub, holding Tybalt in my lap with both of his back paws standing in the toilet (it was his back paw with the poop). He was so good natured about all of this. I'm sure he wondered why we were making such a fuss!

At the end of it, poor Matt was covered in dog poop from head to toe, and we both had tears of laughter streaming down our faces.

Happy Birthday, Ivy!

Our Ivy turned 13 a few weeks ago. In talking about another oldster celebrating a birthday, one of our friends said, "Girl is a real sweetheart.  Seldom asks for anything.  Loves just being in the same room with her humans.  Goes about her daily life with calm, quiet dignity."  Well, I'm afraid I can;t say the same for Ivy. She asks for everything -- no, doesn't ask....demands. She does love her humans, like Girl, but sees us more as her devoted servants.

 

As far as calm and quiet dignity, she has not gotten to that part yet.  She still acts like a puppy, stealing a toy from the real puppies and flying around the yard with it in her mouth.  She's known as Grumpy Granny around here and the puppies don't cross her.  Neither do the adult dogs.  What Granny sez, GOES. 

 

Every morning she dashes into the guest room as soon as I wake up, chooses a toy from the upstairs toy box, and flies downstairs with it.  She has to take the toy outside with her to pee, regardless of how big the toy happens to be.  One of her favorites is a bear that's almost as big as she is, and how she gets  it downstairs, I don't know. She literally demands her treats, grumbles if she is not covered up properly, and expects to be treated like the queen she is.  Yes, we have spoiled her terribly and we continue to do so. I can't imagine any of our other girls even considering the stuff she gets away with. 

 

I hope she is still in this shape when the national rolls around.  I'm planning to show her in veterans if she feels up to it (which at this point, I'd say she will)  She has "honorable scars" in various places from having to put dogs (including a Doberman and a German Shepherd) back in line over the years and I don't expect her to win among the big stars who are bound to be in her class, but she dearly loves showing and it will be a nice last hurrah for her. I HATE showing, so I hope she will appreciate this!  I'd send her in with a handler, but she made it clear back during the show days that if SHE was going in the ring, I was going in the ring.

 

So happy birthday to all the old girls and boys who are hanging on, still enriching our lives and reminding us why it is we love dogs!

 

Sharyn

Ashley wins a major!

We are so proud to report that the very versatile "Ashley" (UGRCH, UAGI, Timbreblue Windrydr Biker Girl, SC, FCH, RN, NAJ, CGC) has won her first major (3 points) at the Clearwater Kennel Club show in Florida today under judge Mrs. Anne Savory Bolus, handled by Aaron Wilkerson. Ashley was bred by Timbreblue and is owned by Bobbie and Fred Lutz of Winchester, Virginia.

A key to Ashley's titles:

UGRCH = UKC Grand Champion

UAGI = UKC Agility Title

SC = AKC Senior Courser (lure coursing)

FCH = ASFA Field Champion (lure coursing)

RN = AKC Rally Novice

NAJ = AKC Novice Agility Jumpers

CGC = AKC Canine Good Citizen

Whippet Sub-types

It occurs to me that there are a lot of sub-types in whippets. We have had just about one of everything, and there may be more I just haven't encountered. Of course the trouble with these types is that it will do you no good to decide which one you want. You can't tell during puppyhood which you will get (except for the possible exception of Just Plain Dawgs and Shrinking Violets) and rescues often don't reveal their true personalities until they have settled in permanent homes either. So whippets are a little like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. Fortunately, they are all delightful pets. You will adjust to the whippet. She will not adjust herself to suit you.

The Ice Princess Whippet

Very devoted and likes (has) to be close, in the same room at least, usually on the sofa next to you, but is not a snuggle-bunny. As a matter of fact, if you try to lie down on the sofa or just rearrange yourself for comfort, and maybe touch her with your foot or disarrange her blankets, she sighs heavily and moves to a chair. Don't bother trying to get her to come back. You had your chance and you blew it. You can scritch her butt for her, but the worst thing you can do to her is pick her up or try to hug her. Yuck! The legs go stiff, the head turns away, and the eyes get wild. However, the Ice Princess definitely has Excessive Greeting Disorder and has to maul visitors for at least three or four minutes before she settles down on the sofa with them. In fact, she is so friendly to visitors that you wonder if she's not going to just climb in the car and go home with them. But you know once she got there, they'd get the ice treatment just like you do. They would be, after all, just her minions.

Timbreblue's Ice Princess: Ivy

The Benevolent Princess Whippet

Has all of the above 

but doesn't mind snuggling when she is in the mood. Make no mistake, it is on her own terms. And like a cat, a Princess Whippet will get up and walk off in the middle of a neck rub if you are not getting it just right. Except a cat will bite you first and then walk off. A Princess whippet demands the best of everything and may be a pound underweight because making you worry about whether she is eating enough is a major source of entertainment for her. (There are also Benevolent Prince Whippets, but I have never met an Ice Prince. It takes too much self control for a male.)  If you never forget that you are the subject and she is the Princess, you'll do fine with this girl.  Alexis was a fine example of the benevolent princess! 

The Groupie Whippet

Wants to share your DNA. If she could get inside your skin, she would. Her idea of heaven is to be snuggled just as close to you as she can get, and she really, really wanted to be an Italian Greyhound so she could ride in your purse. She is actually reserved around new people. Not 

unfriendly, but not all over them like most other whippets. She only has eyes for her Deity. However, as Diamond taught me when she went to live with Lisa in Richmond, although the Groupie whippet thinks she might simply wither away without you, the title of Deity is very quickly transferrable. In my experience, most male whippets are Groupies. Timbreblue's Groupie: Diamond

The Cheerleader Whippet

Just loves life and everybody in it. She not only adores her people but anyone else's people. She tells you she would absolutely curl up and die if you were not with her, but she is lying. She is happy with anyone who will let her snuggle up on the sofa and is not totally grossed out by French kisses and ear slobber from her. The main drawbacks to these girls are toenail scratches and head butts to your chin if you lean over to pet them. Don't bother leaning down -- they will come up to you to be petted. It is not possible to teach a true cheerleader not to jump. It's just what they do. Timbreblue's Cheerleaders: Candy and Juliet 

Their mother {F}Annie is the original Timbreblue cheerleader. She is currently leading cheers at the Lantzys' house in Sterling, VA

The Shrinking Violet Whippet

Is nervous and clingy when he meets people, but very sweet. He seems to want to disappear into the wallpaper in public, but does worship his owners. He does okay as long as his world is very small and pretty much the same thing happens every day. But a trip to PetSmart or the dog park is a major stressor. Our Shrinking Violet is Joe-Dog, who was completely unsocialized as a pup, so we're working with him to bring him out of his shell. Sometimes this is a hereditary temperament, which is why we will not breed Joe, but often it's just a matter of not having gotten out much as a puppy. With just me, Joe is a full-fledged Groupie and a delightful, affectionate dog, very happy in his own environment, but I don't know whether he will ever be a social dog. Joe, by the way, is looking for an understanding home where his owner will have lots of time to work on his self-confidence, or perhaps just a quiet home where he won't have to deal with much out of the ordinary. He'd be the perfect dog for a recluse!

Timbreblue's Shrinking Violet: Joe-Dog 

[Newsflash! Joe-Dog has a new home, and it's not with a recluse, but with someone who does understand his "special needs."]

There are a very few whippets, usually males, who pride themselves on being

Just Plain Dawgs

There is nothing foo-foo about them and they do not need those wussy coats, thank you. They like a good belly rub and to roll in foul-smelling things just like terriers. A Dawg does love to collapse on the sofa with his head in your lap after a long day in the woods and is very affectionate as long as you don't get into that baby talk stuff. He eats gross things and is proud of it and doesn't understand what the fuss is about when he drags a dead squirrel in through the dog door. He likes hanging out with the guys, riding in trucks, going camping, and he thinks girls are fun, but only if they know their place. Needless to say, Dawgs get beaten up by girls a lot. All girls think Dawgs are eeewwww. Timbreblue's Just Plain Dawg: Nathan

I imagine I'll discover more whippet types. But these are the ones we've seen here so far.

Sharyn