Post by polly on Sept 11, 2012 8:54:56 GMT 1
Hi. I'm Polly, and 3 years ago, after taking early retirement we moved from the NW to the SW. We bought a cottage in a rural hamlet with large garden & the remains of an old orchard. With us came a Lurcher Link girl, Lola (was "Peggy Pup" if anyone remembers us) and a Greyhound Gap boy, Rowan, who was one of Angel's puppies, rehomed by GG. My husband works, but I'm at home most of the day, although I do some volunteering for the NT.
Within 6 months of arriving, disaster struck - Lola revealed herself to be a dedicated sheep killer. Despite our best efforts, spending £1k having our grounds dog proofed, she wrought havoc in a pedigree flock. Local farmers were not impressed - LL were fantastic and she was rehomed to a good home in a sheep free area. Our 25 year old daughter lives with us and works part time locally.
Losing Lola broke our hearts and Ro was so lonely without his girl .... looking for a pup with no Saluki in her mix, I managed to find a tiny Whippet puppy, the last of a litter, and needing her forever home. I called her Willow. She is a dilute blue cream brindle/white but has one blue eye so was no use for showing or breeding. TBH, in terms of character she's a much better fit with Ro than poor Lola was; much more feisty. I have come to believe that Whippets are the perfect breed ... I cannot find any disadvantage at all. Willow makes me laugh all the time; she's a clown and a darling. She is besties with the younger of our two cats, and they often groom one another, tho as Munch is semi longhaired, he gets the better part of the deal!
Last summer we were overtaken by tragedy when Ro was diagnosed with a carcinoma in his right wrist joint. He was very young, not 5. But after a lot of agonising, more false dawns than I care to remember, and with the support and encouragement of Lisa at Greyhound Gap, last September we took the heartbreaking decision to amputate the whole leg and shoulder on his right side. I'll draw a veil over the next few weeks, suffice it to say, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But he's come through it OK, he is happy, content, loves his food, his toys and his bed (tho not necessarily in that order!) but despite what I was told, long walks are a thing of the past. He gets very tired, very quickly and needs to lie down. It turned out that it wasn't cancer ... the bone in his wrist had died .. an "infarct". Very rare and there's hardly any literature on the condition, and especially under the circumstances it happened with Ro. He is a very big dog .. 33 inches to the shoulder, and is sometimes mistaken for a Great Dane! (Granted, by people who aren't really dog lovers!)
Anyway, I recently discovered Scruples, and thought I'd meander along and make contact. I think Whippets are the future!
Within 6 months of arriving, disaster struck - Lola revealed herself to be a dedicated sheep killer. Despite our best efforts, spending £1k having our grounds dog proofed, she wrought havoc in a pedigree flock. Local farmers were not impressed - LL were fantastic and she was rehomed to a good home in a sheep free area. Our 25 year old daughter lives with us and works part time locally.
Losing Lola broke our hearts and Ro was so lonely without his girl .... looking for a pup with no Saluki in her mix, I managed to find a tiny Whippet puppy, the last of a litter, and needing her forever home. I called her Willow. She is a dilute blue cream brindle/white but has one blue eye so was no use for showing or breeding. TBH, in terms of character she's a much better fit with Ro than poor Lola was; much more feisty. I have come to believe that Whippets are the perfect breed ... I cannot find any disadvantage at all. Willow makes me laugh all the time; she's a clown and a darling. She is besties with the younger of our two cats, and they often groom one another, tho as Munch is semi longhaired, he gets the better part of the deal!
Last summer we were overtaken by tragedy when Ro was diagnosed with a carcinoma in his right wrist joint. He was very young, not 5. But after a lot of agonising, more false dawns than I care to remember, and with the support and encouragement of Lisa at Greyhound Gap, last September we took the heartbreaking decision to amputate the whole leg and shoulder on his right side. I'll draw a veil over the next few weeks, suffice it to say, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But he's come through it OK, he is happy, content, loves his food, his toys and his bed (tho not necessarily in that order!) but despite what I was told, long walks are a thing of the past. He gets very tired, very quickly and needs to lie down. It turned out that it wasn't cancer ... the bone in his wrist had died .. an "infarct". Very rare and there's hardly any literature on the condition, and especially under the circumstances it happened with Ro. He is a very big dog .. 33 inches to the shoulder, and is sometimes mistaken for a Great Dane! (Granted, by people who aren't really dog lovers!)
Anyway, I recently discovered Scruples, and thought I'd meander along and make contact. I think Whippets are the future!