Welcome Home Sophie!

On October 23, 2008, we welcome our newest whippet to the family. Her registered name is Ch. Andauer Reason to Rejoys. But we just call her Sophie. Sophie is 30 month old and is Reebok's half sister. She is also a fawn brindle.

Sophie's story started about a year ago when we decided we should get another whippet. Reebok is such a great dog and we just adore him. And we thought that getting another dog would help him out with any separation anxiety issues he may have when left alone. When we got Reebok, one of us worked from home while the other was gone for 8 hours a day. It was a great arrangement because Reebok always had someone around to keep him company. But we know that this might change someday, so we made the decision to get another whippet.

I had contacted Reebok's breeder to let her know we were interested in a female. She said that Sophie comes to mind, as soon as she finishes showing. Well we didn't think it would take a year! But little Sophie has a mind of her own and didn't like showing much. Then it happened. Two weeks before my boyfriend had to start a new job outside of the home, we got the call. Sophie just finished her championship and is ready to come home! Woo hoo!

But the story doesn't end there. We decided to put her on a plane and fly her out here but were concerned because the airlines have strict policies on weather conditions to transport pets. If it was more than 85 degrees at the destination, they would not ship. And if it was 45 degrees they would not ship without a letter from the vet giving the okay. Well it's been in the low 90s here in Phoenix and we were worried they wouldn't ship her. But we got lucky and on the day we had planned to fly her out, the weather was cooler and she made it. Ironically, it was too cold on her end, below 45! But we got her home safe and sound.

Reebok wasn't sure of this new arrangement at first. And Sophie was a bit nervous about the whole flying and coming to a new home experience. It took a few hours for her to feel comfortable enough to take over the sofa!

Now that Sophie has settled in a bit, she's showing her personality more. She is a real lover who will give you lots of kisses and demand to sit in your lap. She is also bossy with Reebok and although she's smaller, she had a big personality. Sophie guarded her food book when we first got her, but now she is much better about it. I think she realizes that she has her own dish and that they are exactly the same. Reebok is still unsure with the arrangement. I think he is waiting for her to go home. He's got to wait a long time. LOL As time passes, I am sure they will be best of friends.

Holiday Scarves and Ruffs for Dogs

Are Your Pets Prepared for Disaster?

When we hear the news about Hurricanes such as Katrina and now Gustav, we have time to think about preparing for natural disasters. However, how many people thought about the pets? How many pets were left homeless and abandoned after the Katrina Hurricane 3 years ago? When designing your disaster and evacuation plan, don't forget the pets! But this message is not about hurricanes only. What about earthquakes and tornadoes and other events that we didn't plan for?

Disaster Planning for Your Pets

I created a page you should visit that discusses Disaster Planning for your pets. This page includes a list of items you should have ready and has links to websites such as FEMA and the Humane Society. Read these articles. Also covered in the site, a list of places where you can find pet friendly hotels and lodging if you have to evacuate. Find out in advance where you can stay and how much the pet fee will be, if any. You will also find links to buy First Aid Kits and Pet Survival Kits, books about disaster planning, and stories about the pets that survived the Katrina disaster.

We don't know when disaster will strike, so don't wait until it does. Prepare yourself now. Your pets depend on it.

Please visit:

Pet Disaster Planning

What's new with WhippetTalk?

Well I'm behind as usual! Lots of cool things are happening.

See your Whippet, Greyhound or IG in a Calendar!

I am ready to take submissions for the 2009 WhippetTalk Calendar! That's right, submit your photos of your Whippet, Greyhound or Italian Greyhound to us to be included in the next calendar. Submit as many as you like, however, not all of your submissions may be used. Email your photos as jpg, jpeg, psd or png file with a resolution of 300 dpi. Submit to Advertisements@whippettalk.com. In the subject line, put the month you would like the photo to be added. Proceeds of the calendar sales go to support the board.

Halloween Dogs?

Yes, it's time to think Halloween Costume for your kids and your pets. I have put together a page displaying some of the cutests and unique costumes I found on the web. The earlier you order, the more time you have to make sure it's right for you and your pet, instead of the last minute rush! At a minimum, look at the site to see some really cute costumes on dogs. Sure to make you smile. And while you are there, participate in the poll and the debate! Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but there may be a contest to be announced soon regarding dog costumes. Stay tuned!
Halloween Costumes for Pets and People

HELP! My dog bit a child!

On a more important and serious note, I am noticing a trend with dog owners in general having issues with their dogs with regard to nipping or biting. Often times, dogs are sent to the pound or shelters because the dog nipped a person or child. Of course the safety of the child comes first. But I want to remind dog owners to be aware of the signs and to take certain precautions before something like this happens.

1. First, NEVER leave a child and dog alone without supervision. Not for a moment!
2. Watch for warning signs such as the dogs ears lay flat and the tail tucked between the tail. Head lowering and intense stare.
3. Make sure the dog has a "safe zone" where he/she is not disturbed, such as a crate or bed that is secluded. Never let a child crawl into the safe zone.
4. Nothing in life is free. That means, make the dog work for everything. He must sit before getting fed or getting a treat.
5. Teach your child not to go toward the dog to give affection such as hugging or kissing. Instead call the dog to you and reward that with the affection. If a dog is reluctant to come to the child and the child go to the dog and hugs it, the dog may snap at the child.

These are just a few suggestions. Remember that you must exercise your dog daily and teach both the child and the dog respect for each other. The humans are the pack leaders. For more help with behavioral issues, visit the WhippetTalk Forums - Training and Behavior for free advice for people who have experience with these types of issues.

Greyhound, IG and Whippet Merchandise

I found that I spend a lot of time looking at various on-line shopping sites for sighthound related items. Let's face it. Once you own a sighthound, you become hooked. You want all things sighthound. For me, I drool over items such as whippet key chains, whippet coffee mugs, whippet statues, etc. I'm even looking for a whippet paper towel holder! So anyway, I decided to make a webpage or lens putting together all the places I normally go to looking for whippet items.

I also search under greyhound when I look for Whippet objects since whippet items aren't as common as greyhound. Hey, whippets are the best kept secrets of the dog world.

So if you are interested in Greyhound, Italian Greyhound and Whippet items, have a look. Check the site daily because the items are updated constantly. It's a live feed from eBay and other sites.

Greyhound, Whippet and Italian Greyhound Merchandise

The Squawk is Being Featured!

I got a very surprising note in my email this morning! The WhippetTalk Squawk is being featured at the So You Want To Be A Giant Squid Blog. I am really excited about it!

Well a lot of really exciting things have been happening with me over at Squidoo. First, I am working with Squidoo to get Whippet Rescue and Placement as one of the Charities that Lensmasters (members who make free web pages) can choose to have some or all of the revenue made off their lens donated to in their name. What a great concept! It works like this:

1. Join Squidoo

2. You make a FREE webpage

3. You pick your charity (there's a huge list of charities to choose from and more are being added) See this LIST

4. Let me know the link to your lens so I can help promote it and get it noticed

5. Get a monthly statement of how much money your lens made and that it was sent to your Charity on your behalf!

The charity of your choice isn't listed? Okay, have the lens pay out directly to you then and you can send the donation yourself. It's that easy.

There are many topics you can write about, but I suggest writing one about your dog. See this link! Make a Free Page About Your Dog

WARNING! Joining Squidoo is a lot of fun and becomes addicting.

Another great thing that has happened recently is that Squidoo has made me a Squidoo Activist! That means I get to help spread the word about Charitable giving and help motivate members new and old to create lenses and set them to charity. Right now we are having a Virtual Bake Sale! The winner of the contest gets $100 to give to the charity of their choice.

Here's my submission to the Bake Sale about making your own Dog Cookies! Get a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Dog Biscuits! Homemade Dog Treats!


Update on my Aquarium

Well if you have been following along on my Fish Journal you will see that I got my 30 gallon freshwater fish tank set up and I have 5 zebra danios. Well I have 5 today anyway. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll still have 5 by the end of the week. I am happy to report that they seem to be doing okay though.

Update on Reebok my Whippet

Reebok is getting closer to getting a sister. We are anxiously awaiting Sophie's arrival when she finishes showing. She's almost there and we can't wait. I'm sure Reebok can. He loves being an only child. But I think he'll get over it. So keep your eyes peeled for news! It could be any day now.

My First Aquarium

Well Reebok is going to get some brothers and sisters and soon. But I doubt he will appreciate it much. I have decided to try my hand at keeping a freshwater aquarium. It's been over 20 years since I have enjoyed having one. My mother is a fish lover and has always kept fish. So I grew up peering into the peaceful aquatic world of Glass Catfish, Clown Loaches, Angelfish, Gourmis, Neons, Guppies and more. I have seen fish come and go with the various fish illnesses and helped them along their way into the toilet graveyard. When I left home, I said goodbye to the fish world and never looked back. It never entered my mind that I would ever keep fish of my own one day.

Then one day I came across a site that featured Fancy Tailed Guppies and that led to another site about Neon Tetras, then to freshwater aquariums and then my boss told me to get back to work. But I found myself going back to the those sites and looking at the fish photos and getting this longing for that underwater world again. Maybe I'm just getting old and nostalgic. This could be a huge mistake. A total disaster. But I want to give it a try. I am hoping for the best and doing my homework. Fish keeping and technology has changed a bit since I last peered into a fish tank. Hopefully it's less noisy and cleaner than I remember.

So I started a new page or lens about my new venture. It's called My First Aquarium. This will be a work in progress as I keep a journal from the idea of getting and setting up my aquarium to the finished product. And then an ongoing log on how my fish are doing and what they are doing. Hopefully complete with photos along the way.

So wish me luck. Pray for the fish and watch my underwater world develop and grow. If you have any advice, please feel free to comment. Hopefully, my whippet won't get too jealous of his competition.

Visit My First Aquarium!

Squidoo Charity Challenge!

I have converted one of my Squidoo Lenses called The Secret World of Whippets to pay 100% out to charity for all commissions made. It's part of a Squidoo Challenge to showcase and support different charities every month.

First Coast No More Homeless Pets is an organization whose mission is to eliminate the killing of dogs and cats through their spay and neuter program.

Please visit my Secret World of Whippets lens and have a look at the items for sale and support the cause. Just viewing the lens will help support in a small way. Perhaps whippets aren't your thing? Visit this site about the Charity Challenge on Squidoo and look for lenses that also support the cause and visit them. You might find something very interesting and fun!

Better yet, why not join Squidoo today and make your own lenses to support a charity of your choice? Or keep the cash yourself to spend any way you like. It's totally free, a ton of fun and so easy. I promise you won't regret it!

Click HERE to Join Squidoo!

If you create a lens on sighthounds, don't forget to join my Sighthound Lovers Unite group and apply for my Purple Paw award!

The June 2008 WhippetTalk Newsletter is out!

Well I officially finished and emailed out the WhippetTalk Times for June 2008. This is my quarterly newsletter for members of the WhippetTalk.com Forums and whippets lovers. I am very happy with how this one turned out. It had a great article about Senior whippets and adoptions as well as an article about canine worms and adopting dogs in general. There was also a section outline the signs of heat stroke in your dog and what to do about it. All in all, I think a very informative newsletter.

If anyone is interested in subscribing to the newsletter, you can sign up for it at The WhippetTalk Times. You will get a confirmation email that you must reply to or your subscription will not be processed. If you have previously signed up, but did not receive your newsletter, please email me at kim@whippettalk.com and I'll send you out one.

I am still plugging away at making lenses at Squidoo. I am very excited about a news lens that is almost completed. But I don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet. But I do have my Lensography finished, so if you are curious about me and what I'm doing have a look!

WhippetTalk Lensography

And as always my Secret World of Whippets is still going strong with lots of visits and comments!

My whippet Reebok gave me a heart attack last Wednesday! He went after a little dog. He was playing frisbee when a couple walking their small black dog came by and he spotted them just as I did. I called out to him to come back to me but instead he dropped his frisbee and ran at the dog at full speed. As he passed the dog, he nipped at him, turned around and nipped again on his way back to me! I was so upset by this. I apologized but the couple didn't seem to react to this at all and just kept walking. They didn't miss a beat. Very odd but okay. I am just worried that someday Reebok will get himself and me into big trouble by messing with the wrong dog!

My Secret World of Whippets Lens won a purple star at Squidoo!

Wow! I am just so delighted that my Secret World of Whippets lens at Squidoo won a purple star badge. According to Squidoo, it's a really good honor to have. It's not hooked up yet and mine is only one of two lenses so far with the award. Supposedly, it comes with some really cool perks. I've only been on Squidoo for a few months and already I am getting high ranks and awards. I have to say that my experience with Squidoo has been extremely positive. It's a great venue to write about stuff you love to talk about.

So if you aren't familiar with the lens concept and what I'm talking about, you should visit my latest lens called, Thank You Squidoo! It explains how I found Squidoo and what it has done for me. Find out how you can make these web pages totally free of charge and make money doing it! Or donate your money directly to charity. It's lots of fun and very addicting.

If you have a sighthound, you should make a page about your dog and link it to my page. Or join my Sighthound Lovers Unite Group at Squidoo! Open to all sighthounds.

But back to the topic at hand, I think I really found a niche with my Whippet lens. Not many people were even aware of what a whippet was until they saw my site. And it was a great way to get them to visit my WhippetTalk Forums and visit my Whippet Gifts Store.

As a result I even made a lens about Dog Bling! You know, jewelry for dogs? Ha ha! Yep, a little sparkle to place on the collar of your beloved pet. Yes, I do spoil my dog. But I saw these cute charms online and put together a bunch of links with photos so people could shop in one place. I thought the prices were very reasonable (items are less than $20). And these make great gifts for friends who own pets too! You know, the people who you never know what to get them for their birthday? Don't get them anything, get their pets something! What pet owner wouldn't want cool stuff for their pets?

So if you are reading this and are up to spending a few minutes to make something about a topic you love for free and can make you some cash, check out Squidoo. I highly recommend it! Click the link below to get started. I promise you will love it!

I want to start my own Squidoo Page!

My Whippet is a snob!

There, I've said it. My whippet is a snob. For some reason he only like other whippets. Any other breed of dog is just a dog to him. And he doesn't like dogs. We can walk along in the park just fine and everyone is calm and happy. But if another dog passes by and it's not a whippet, he lunges and barks. Managed to grab some fur off a little black dog the other day. He was just sitting very nicely and we were talking and laughing and in a blink of an eye, he almost pulled my arm out of it's socket to go after the little dog.

Another time I came around a corner at the same time another couple did with their two Great Danes. He did the same thing! Crazy stupid whippet. Thank goodness those Great Danes were well trained as they did not try to eat him. He could have killed them you know. Would have gotten stuck in their throats and choked them!

But around other whippets we have absolutely no problems. He's happy to be around other whippets. How he can tell I have no idea? We are getting another whippet soon. A female. I hope he gets along with her.

I Got Squidoo-ed!

That sound just awful doesn't it? What the heck is Squidoo? I thought the same thing. Can't remember how I even found out about it. But I did and saw something that said, "Create a Free Lens" and "Takes just 5 minutes!" I thought, what the Hell do I have to lose? So I started my first lens on my favorite subject, Whippets. Have a look and see: Whippet Lens on Squidoo

Okay so I did that. Did some reading up on tips and tricks and this and that about how to make a good Squidoo page. Looked at my ranks in the Squidoo world. And in less than a week, my Whippet page made it to number 36 in the Animals section and 618 overall! That's huge. I mean there are over 400,000 lenses out there and I got up with the big fish. Excuse the pun.

Well, I can't stop there. Then came my Whippet Angels Lens to honor the whippets that have crossed over to Dog Heaven or the Rainbow Bridge or whatever you want to call it. A spot for people to visit for rememberence and support. Have a look: Whippet Angels on Squidoo

And of course I just had to make a lens on my WhippetTalk Cafe Press and Zazzle Shops. So far just the CafePress but I'm going to work on a separate lens for Zazzle. See the CafePress Whippet Gift Shop on Squidoo.

Hopefully all the hard work I put into it (okay, it was fun) pays off with lots of visits and some people learning interesting things about whippets.

I opened a new Whippet Gift Store

I found a great place through all the searching and networking with my new Squidoo lens called Zazzle. And although I do have a CafePress Store for Whippet Merchandise and gifts, I liked what I found at Zazzle because they have a few items that CafePress does not. I am espcially fond of the customized postage stamps and many color selections and sizes for coffee mugs. They even have coffee mugs that are black when cold and as you add your hot coffee, the black fades away to show your pattern. How cool (or hot) is that?

I hope to generate a few bucks from my online stores to help me with costs associated with running my website and forums as well as to help with donations to Whippet Rescue and Placement. Have a look. Never hurts to just window shop.


create & buy custom products at Zazzle

See also my Squidoo Lens - Whippets and my Whippet Gifts Store at CafePress.

Whippet Rescue on WhippetTalk Radio

I have to say that today's show was one of the best shows I have ever done! We had a special guest on who is involved as a volunteer for Whippet Rescue and Placement in Florida. After putting my show on hiatus for a while there, I think we came back with a bang. It was the most sucessful to date when it comes to live listeners. We even had one in the chat room. It's a slow process, but one worth pursing and continuing. I almost threw in the towel thinking no one was listening.

The more people talk about things like rescue and educate the public about certain breeds, the better off dogs in general will be. I think that too few people truly understand what a backyard breeder is. More and more are learning about Puppy Mills though. But few understand that buying puppies from a petstore is buying from a mill. And many of these "mill" dogs end up in rescue.

Rescue is a necessary thing to have unfortunately. As long a people can make money selling dogs without accepting responsiblity for the pet's health and welfare for the rest of it's life, there will always be dogs that need a forever home. The key is to stop the dog from going to a home that isn't a "forever" home to begin with. I hope to live long enough to see a day where Foster Homes are no longer needed. Anyway, off that soapbox.

WhippetTalk.com is still having it's annual Fundraiser until March 30. And I am so pleased to say that so far we have raised $569.00 and will exceed my goal of $600 this year. A drop in the bucket unfortunately when it comes to expenses related to rescue, but help none-the-less! And as was mentioned on the board, please do help your local rescue in other ways such as donating a blanket, toy, food or your time. Check the yard sales for deals on used stuffed animals and soft blankets. Rescue can always use dog items like collars, food dishes, leashes, coats, etc.

Anyway, if you didn't hear the show and want to listen to the recorded one, go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whippet-talk-radio

Hug your hound today!

We need a Whippet in the White House!

It occurred to me today that there have been pets in the White House. In fact, there's a list: http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/whitehousepets-2.htm

Upon close (well maybe not so close) scrutiny of this list, I noticed that no whippets were represented in the list. Can't you just picture it? The regal, elegant and sweet whippet on the White House grounds?

I'm tired of all the political campaigning and the news about it. The only campaigning I am going to do is get a Whippet in the Whitehouse!

*sigh* One can dream, can't they? LOL

The WhippetTalk Sqwak?

It's Valentine's Day 2008. What better day to start a blog about something I am quite passionate about? What's my passion you ask? Whippets!

This all started almost exactly one year ago with my first Whippet, Reebok. His full name is Ch. Andauer Reebok Ballistic RXT. Quite a mouthful. That's okay though. We just call him booboo. Here he is in action watching his favorite TV show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nzNUp2sKYg

Reebok is retired and living the life we all wished we had. A life of leisure and pampering from his humans. If he only knew. Perhaps he does.

So really, what's this blog all about? Well, it's about my journey into the world of whippets. It's about the things I have done with my passion and the direction I am going. It's about education and awareness, frustration and satisfaction, joy and sadness. And I think most importantly, it's about living life in a crazy world and what I have learned from my whippet. Come join me on this journey. Watch this story unfold and maybe you might learn something too.

So as you read on, you are thinking, "Why am I wasting my time reading this drivel and what can I learn from it?" If you own a whippet, you know. If you don't you will learn. Give it a chance. And at worst, you at least get a chuckle out of it. It's okay, you can point and laugh.

I invite you to visit my WhippetTalk Forums. You don't have to join, but do have a look. A lot of work went into it. And I am never satisfied with it. I have done everything I can to make it a community for whippet lovers worldwide and yet, I can't get more than 30 members a day to visit. So if anyone out there in cyberworld knows how to do this without my having to fork over a lot of money, please do tell! What is the purpose and what is my goal? Education and awareness! A community of like minded people who want to learn about the breed, better the breed, help the breed, save the breed! And I don't want to spend money to keep it running. I don't want to ask for money to keep it going. I want the money for those things to go directly to the organization that will help dogs in need!

What have I tried? Well, I have a Whippet Gifts and WhippetTalk CafePress Store. Doing poorly I might add.
Oh! I have a radio show! Have a look: WhippetTalk Radio. Also doing poorly! LOL
I have a Myspace Site called WhippetTalk and I have no idea what is going on with that.
And earlier this week I found something called Squidoo. I still don't know what the heck that site is all about, but I gave it a shot. Squidoo Whippettalk
And now I am trying this blog business. I doubt anyone will read it. But you never know. If you read this, please let me know! I don't want to be all alone in here. It's dark and quiet in here.