My whippet Thistle died a couple of years ago. He was a rescue whippet, who had an awful start in life, but we loved each other on sight, and he was seldom apart from me for the rest of his long life. He was my little grey shadow – when I drove somewhere he was curled up on the passenger seat; when I gardened he was sniffing flowers next to me; when I camped he was down the bottom of my sleeping bag, keeping my toes warm.
His loyalty to me was a constant joy, but the flip side was that he didn’t think much about anybody else. In particular he didn’t think much about my husband, who came back from a business trip to find Thistle comfortably ensconced in an armchair, looking down his long nose at him.
If Thistle had been a human being, he would have been a Regency Buck, all close fitting silks and impeccable Mechelin lace. And he would have challenged my husband to a duel, with foils. As he was just a recently rescued whippet he did the most creative thing he could think of in the circumstances, and deposited a finely-sculpted meringue-shaped mess in my husband’s place at the breakfast table the next morning. As you can imagine, it didn’t improve the relationship and they finally reached a sort of stand-off which continued for the next 14 years.
When Thistle died in my arms at a fine old age I mourned him deeply. He left behind him our two jolly Labradors, who are classic slap-you-on-the-back-and-buy-you-a-drink types. We agreed that two dogs was probably enough, and that was the end of my whippet keeping. Or so I thought.
Then last winter I was ambling past the village post office and I saw a car parked outside with an elegant whippet smiling at me out of the window. I tracked down her owner who was buying stamps in the post office. And yes, the whippet was adorable. And they would be breeding from her when she was old enough. I pressed my phone number on her owner and awaited events.
Last week I received a text saying the whippet is about to pay a call on a gentleman whippet, with great hopes from all sides. Of course she may not take to the whole courtship and maternity thing. But if she does, I just know I won’t be able to resist putting my name down for a puppy. I’ll keep you posted!
Loved the Whippet story! Thistle reminds me of Mr. Magoo my daughter Susan’s retriever. Each year the family sends a family photo as part of their Christmas card. It’s a big “yours, mine & ours” family picture including pets. And as always Mr. Magoo is right out in front with his back to the camera. He refuses to be photographed from the front but instead to face Susan and to gaze adoringly and worshipfully at her. (at least the card recipients can see that he has a lovely thick coat!) Yes! If the courtship was successful go for it Aly!
Hi Marilynn, love the sound of Mr Magoo (fab name too!) If the mating is successful I am completely sure that a whippet will shortly be joining the gang! Aly x
and if the mating isn’t successful, you can always get another rescue whippet (or a nice greyhound, how about that?;-) PS. I’ll get my Labrador puppy in September (had to wait 5 months), he’s just 2 weeks old now…
I’ve often thought of a retired greyhound, but we have two biggish dogs already, and I really want this to be a lapdog. How exciting about your lab puppy, there is nothing sweeter (biased, but true!) Aly x
Oh Aly, what a beautiful post. It made me smile and cry at the same time (we lost Millie our Golden Retriever, too soon, last year). Dogs give so much unconditional love and devotion, and Whippets are such beautiful, elegant little dogs, I can understand your dilemma. Who can resist them?
The answer, of course, is: there is no such thing as ‘enough’ dogs.
Janet x
Hi again, so glad you liked it. I really loved Thistle, and still miss him. So sorry about your Millie, why don’t they live as long as we do? No power on earth will stop me booking a whippet puppy, if puppies there be (self knowledge). Aly x
Hi again, so you can keep whippets with smaller animals like chicken, rabbits, cats etc. ? They don’t chase them around? Sabine x
Hi Sabine, it’s all in the early training. Though Thistle was 7 months when he arrived here, we made it absolutely clear that he was not to chase anything within our boundaries. And he was very good about it, once he understood. He was probably young enough to take it in, and he was a sweet chap who wanted to please. I think that sometimes greyhounds who have raced have a compulsion to chase that won’t leave them. With a puppy though it is plain sailing. The cat, hens etc were here first and I’ll introduce them all and have ground rules from the start. Aly x