1970 American Whippet Club Annual Page Two

Our great appreciation to Lynne Underwood for allowing permission to preserve this 1970 Whippet Yearbook on the AWC Website.

Streaming lines close to and fro
Ever changing, on the go.
Graceful Whippet why do you run?

Length of neck with arch so fine
Clean swept brisket and underline
Elegant Whippet why do you run?

When the dodging hare is seen
Few there are half as keen.
Coursing Whippet why do you run?

Hysterical when held on lead
Watching others show their speed
Racing Whippet why do you run?

At times upon my bed you lie
With well-chewed treasure and guilty eye
Playful Whippet why do you run?

When you leave your earthy run
To chase in fields beyond the sun
Faithful Whippet for whom will you run?

During the summer of 1939, the writer judged at the Ventura, California, show. A day or two later I visited the White Gables Kennels of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Van Court . I expressed surprise at seeing a Whippet in a Dachshund kennel.

"Well, that's my clown dog," was the explanation. "I need a dog to take my eye off Dachshunds, so I got this Whippet."

I was horrified. I thought her a great bitch, and said she shouldn't be buried in the kennel but should be shown.

Some weeks later I got a letter from Mr. Van Court. His wife was ill (she was already suffering from her fatal illness) and he was cutting down on his kennel. If I wanted the Whippet bitch, I could have her for the shipping charges.

In those days, the Cleveland Whippet Club was one of the most active in the world. There were races every Sunday, all summer long. And we had no trouble in getting out a five point entry in both sexes at the Cleveland dog show.

The bitch's name was Oates Wracia of White Gables. Van Court had bought her from Billy Oates, a well known Whippet breeder of the time who lived at Vancouver, B. C. Her call name was Flippet.

Flippet finished her championship easily enough, and won a group to do so. She could not, however, beat Ch. Flornell Glamorous, who was the reigning queen of the dog show world at that time.

At one show, in order to swell the entry, I entered the son. He won a five point major. However, he was a very unsound dog. His victory made me so ashamed that I never showed him again. Instead, I found an excellent home for him.

Some years later, I had another lovely young bitch. She had been perfectly housebroken from the day, when she was six weeks old, we had brought her into the house.

When she was well over a year old, she suddenly became untrained, or un broken, as people say. She was quite likely to leave a stool in the middle of my bed. At a dog show, she would relieve herself on the bench, then deliberately roll in the mess.

We concluded that she had developed a resentment against me, or against all of the family. I gave her to another reporter on our newspaper - the Cleveland Press. Within days, she was sleeping between husband and wife. And she never again was unclean.

I am somehow reminded that Flippet had an inordinate liking for beer, or whiskey, or just bars. She used to run away and go into the town, two and a half miles away. She frequented all the bars in town. Every bartender knew her, and so did all of the regular customers.

Flippet also loved to ride. When the highway was being relocated through our farm, she attended, riding in all the trucks, and in all the cars of the foremen and superintendents.

When the highway was finished, but not yet open, Flippet and another Whippet used to race for miles, just for the fun of it. It was a truck which finally killed Flippet.

In recent months some very good articles on most of the specific puppy hood diseases have appeared in the Gazette and other dog magazines. However, very little is written on the sick newborn puppy.

In recent years there have been numerous surveys conducted and the results published in Veterinary Journals to demonstrate the serious extent of puppy mortality. These surveys state that somewhere between 12% and 34% of all puppies born alive and expected to reach maturity will die between birth and weaning time. It is also reported that 75% of puppy mortality occurs in the first two weeks of life.

An analysis of the survey results suggests a 60% reduction in puppy mortality might be accomplished with proper management. I will not dwell long on management since a great deal has already been written on this subject. It is extremely important, however, to be prepared with a proper whelping box with side boards which will not allow the bitch to squeeze the puppies into the sides, and with a sufficient external heat source to prevent chilling of the puppies. It is also necessary to be prepared to stand a constant vigil over the puppies until you are sure they are nursing adequately and the bitch has sufficient milk. The bitch must be watched for excessive licking or traumatizing her puppies by roughly carrying them.

Consideration of the health of the bitch, environment, nutrition, and controlled breeding are a prerequisite to getting healthy puppies; however, space prevents their inclusion in this paper. Rather, I will be concerned with the care of the newborn puppy showing evidence of maternal or environmental inadequacy.

The determination of adequate care is dependent on the skill and knowledge of the breeder and his attending veterinarian. Significant to the evaluation is an understanding of the normal, physiology of the healthy puppy. Body tone involving muscle and skin is an early indication of the loss of condition, and vitality or a failure of growth. The flaccid, cool to the touch, dehydrated body of a diseased or neglected puppy embues an unforgettable sensation.

Weight gain should be constant in the newborn. Generally one can anticipate a doubling of body weight in eight to ten days. A rule of thumb calculation is that a healthy puppy should demonstrate an increase in weight of 1-1/2 grams per day for each pound of anticipated adult weight. Steady, gradual weight increase in a nursing puppy is indicative of good health.

Puppy vigor may be reflected by the respiratory and heart rates. The healthy puppy has a respiration rate ranging from 15 to 35 per minute and a heart rate of 220 to 230 beats per minute except during the first twenty-four hours when the ranges are 10 to 18 and 120 to 150 respectively.

The body temperature of the young puppy ranges from 94° - 97° (F) during the first two weeks of life, from 97° - 99 (F) during the second to fourth week and reaches the normal adult temperature range about the fourth week. Both the reflex which controls blood pressure and blood flow and the shivering reflex do not develop before the fourth to the sixth day. Both reflexes are important to the maintenance of body temperature in face of maternal inadequacy.

The total body water content in the newborn puppy approximates 82%. His rate of water turnover is twice that of the adult. This explains the reason for the rapid state of dehydration in the newborn with insufficient fluid intake or excessive fluid loss. The state of hydration is reflected in the concentration or specific gravity of the urine, moistness of the mucous membranes, and the elasticity of the skin.

The healthy puppy has a strong effective sucking reflex. If this reflex is absent or decreased it is necessary to supplementally feed the puppy.

Supplemental or replacement feeding of the puppy is a procedure which should be carefully supervised and performed. The quantity may be based on either the calorie or water requirement or needs of the puppy. The water requirement ranges from 60 - 90 ml. per pound of body weight per day. The calorie requirement ranges from 60 calories per pound of body weight the first week to 90 calories per pound of body weight the fourth week of life. Frequency of feeding is dependent on the purpose of feeding and the environment. Feeding healthy orphan puppies every six hours is adequate provided the environmental temperature is maintained at 85 degrees or higher. Feeding is best accomplished by tube feeding although nipples and eyedroppers are used. Nipples designed for use in the premature human infant have a consistency of flow which is more acceptable to the puppy than the average baby or doll nipples. Most tested formulas are designed to provide a balanced liquid calorie ratio. A good ready to use formula is Orphalac (Hill Packing Company) which contains instructions of its use on each can. Following feeding, orphan puppies are stimulated by abdominal massage to urinate, defecate, and "burp".

In the young puppy disease leads to reduced body temperature, hypoglycemia (reduced glucose content) and dehydration. The body temperature is commonly in range of 78 0 - 84 0 (F). At the lower range, the heart rate may reduce to 60 beats per minute and the respiratory rate to 6 - 8 per minute. Hypoglycemia is associated with the reduced muscle glyogen storage, lack of sugar intake, and the reduced sugar converting capacity of the body. Dehydration is reflected by dry mucous membranes, loss of skin elasticity and a concentrated urine.

Signs of disease in the puppy may be preceded by crying. Continual or intermittent crying for one to two hours is sufficient to indicate a health problem. Cause of crying may be due to hunger, colic, water depletion, infectious disease in the puppy or infection of the uterus or breasts of the bitch.

Diarrhea in the puppy suggests over-feeding, feeding excess solids, saturated fatty acids, excess lactose or toxins in the milk. Increased bowel activity and increased liver secretions result in a green stool. The anus becomes red, swollen and prominent.

Diseased puppies may appear to nurse, but the nursing action is ineffectual. These puppies will become listless, cry or whimper, become dehydrated, and have diarrhea.

Management of any sick newborn puppy generally involves increasing the environmental temperature, administering hydrating solutions and antibiotics, vitamin K, glucose given orally, and oxygen therapy if available.

The cold puppy can best be handled by gradually increasing the environ mental temperature over a period of two to three hours. A good way is to carry the puppy inside a shirt or blouse next to your skin or in a pocket of a robe while you tend to other duties.

In severe cases feeding should be restricted to 1 ml. of a 5-10% dextrose solution (1 teaspoonful of sugar added to oz. of water) administered preferably by stomach tube at 30 minute intervals. Circulatory reduction and paralysis of the bowels and other organs preclude the use of formula feeding in any quantity during the first 24 hours. Formula administered during the reduced temperature stage will accumulate in the stomach without apparent digestion.

The puppies should be massaged and turned frequently during the warming period. As circulation improves, "the administration of balanced fluid solutions may prove helpful in overcoming dehydration. With the return of normal cardiac and respiratory rates, and a body temperature of 94 0 (F) formula feeding may be instituted.

Vitamin K given in very low daily doses is useful in any case, but most particularly in the physiologically immature puppy.

Oxygen if available has proven beneficial to increasing the cardiac and respiratory rates.

Physiologic immaturity is one of the more important non-infectious abnormalities producing the syndrome of cardiopulmonary distress and failure. Notable signs of the immature consist of ineffectual nursing, lack of weight gain, reduced body temperature, hemorrhages under skin and into body cavities, and the small stature of the puppy. It is felt that immaturity is a major cause of the stunted puppy which may survive the rigors of the early puppy hood period but then fails to make normal weight gains. Should death occur, the comparison of the liver weight to brain weight may be confirmatory. A liver weight at least lz times the brain weight is considered normal. If the ratio is less than 1.5 to 1, the puppy is considered to have been immature.

Toxins within the bitches milk may contribute to the development of a cardiopulmonary syndrome. Affected puppies show evidence of diarrhea, bloating, colic, subnormal temperature, slowing of the heart and respiratory rates, and collapse and death if not treated immediately. Treatment of the bitch combined with replacement feeding of the puppies for 24 to 36 hours will usually suffice. Any puppy showing signs of distress should be treated.

Several diseases encountered in puppy hood warrant comment. Puppy viremia, an important disease affecting pups between the age of 10 - 20 days, is caused by a Herpes virus. Constant crying along with all of the cardiopulmonary symptoms followed by death in 12 to 18 hours is the most common clinical sign. The puppy reacts as if in severe pain. Necropsy shows characteristic small hemorrhages in the kidneys, lung congestion, and occasionally hemorrhage of the liver. Treatment is not usually successful. Those puppies who recover may suffer permanent kidney damage.

Puppy septicemia is a common bacterial disease which occurs in puppies between the fourth and fortieth day after birth. The disease is characterized by sudden illness, abdominal distention, rapid respiration, crying followed by reduced body temperature, dehydration, coma and death. Death usually occurs in 8 to 12 hours. Generally one puppy of the litter is affected first followed by the second one 12 to 24 hours later and so on until most, if not all, the litter is affected. Necropsy findings include an intestine distended with gas, inflammation of the forward portion of the small intestine, and sometimes congestion of the lungs.

Treatment consists of removing pups from the bitch and formula feeding them plus all of the general treatments described for earlier diseases. In the severely bloated puppy it may be necessary to introduce a hypodermic needle into the stomach to release the gases in order to save the life of the puppy.

Streptococal infection of the navel during or shortly after birth may result in puppy deaths. Blue discoloration of the abdomen, peritonitis, enlarged and congested liver, and a swollen umbilicus are preceded by loss of vigor, refusal to eat, and abdominal distention.

Navel infection can become a problem in some kennels and will show up in one litter after another unless precautions are taken. The administration of antibiotics to the bitch before and immediately after whelping may be preventative along with antiseptics applied to the cord of the puppy at the time of birth.

A review of the problems encountered in the first two weeks of the puppy's life serves to emphasize the similarity of the symptoms encountered and the similarity of the therapeutic approach to the treatment of the symptoms. Utilization of physiologic monitoring, attempts to meet the requirements of the puppy and correction of the physiologic deficiencies are increasingly re warding as we pursue a thoughtful approach to canine pediatrics.

I hope these few words will help; however, a book should be written on the subject of Whippet breeding to help insure the perpetuation of the dog's traditional form.

I have frequently heard persons, new in the breed, ask a judge or prominent breeder what his thoughts were on a newly acquired bitch. Practically in the same breath comes the question of whether or not she is worthy of breeding from. When I am asked such a question, I first look at the bitch for type. This is more of a "visual" word and very hard to define, but breed. type is the essence of any pure bred dog. In a Whippet it must be Whippet type - with no compromise toward the Greyhound or Italian Greyhound type. I think one of the prime requisites is elegance, which in the Whippet means a lithe and speedy look, graceful and with a soft expression - all in proper balance with nothing exaggerated or coarse.

We will assume the bitch has type; now, what dog should the bitch be sent to? Her pedigree is most important. A dog with similar bloodlines is the obvious and correct choice. New breeders are apt to choose a reigning champion feeling its the sure road to success in the show ring or an advantage in selling the pups. A title before the name does not necessarily mean it is the right dog for the bitch. One is breeding - or should be - primarily for the betterment of the breed; not just to have puppies for sale.

Should the potential breeder not have seen the sire or dam of his bitch, it is most important to find out what their attributes and/or faults may be. This naturally holds true of the stud dog to be used as well. One tries to breed out, not compound faults. However, the line usually stamps the type and therefore it is important to use a stud dog with similar breeding. Most of the successful kennels in any breed, both here and abroad, make a firm rule of line breeding with an occasional outcross either on the sire's or dam's side to inject, say, more pigmentation or a darker eye.

Once you have established your line and made your stamp, it is like your signature - people will always recognize your breeding. As an example, the Shearer and Hostetter stamps are still obvious after more than thirty years since those lines were originally set. In England, the same thing applies to the Laguna and Dragonhill Kennel lines, to name but two of many.

When one gets to know a line of breeding well, you will be aware of certain traits which often pop up. I know of a stud dog in England that usually threw a small bitch in each litter; another whose get had a white triangle on or near the quarters. Some males will dominate no matter who the bitch. This, of course, can work both ways. One doesn't want a doggy bitch, nor does one want to perpetuate whatever fault or weakness the dog may have.

A grandfather/granddaughter mating is often done to stamp a type or a feature. But then, the next generation must have the aforementioned outcross. Once in a while a dog may be used that has similar bloodlines, but there is something in his line that does not click with yours. Chalk that up to experience.

Don't try to breed for color. So many people have tried and hardly a handful have been successful. It takes the knowledge of all the antecedents for generations back and knowing what and what go together to make what. Even if you have this knowledge, animal breeding is not an exact science but rather, to a great extent, an art and one cannot predict anything with certainty. You may get the color - but what shaped animal have you under the colored skin?

Seek out an established breeder and ask questions - any kind of questions. One can only learn in that way and it will probably save time and expense. Breeders should know their stud's potentials and will guide an enthusiastic person to the right stud for the bitch by showing them his produce, as well as the dam's from which they came.

Ask for a five generation pedigree on all studs you envisage using and on anything you might buy. Also, make a file of the pedigrees from the Whippet News of new champions as they are published. This way you can build up a good background on blood lines.

Never lose sight of the primary reason the Whippet was developed, which was to catch rabbits and hares. For this it must have speed and maneuverability. To achieve this, a Whippet cannot be constricted in its movement but must have plenty of reach fore and aft; long, lean muscles for drive; a long tail to act as a rudder for quick turns; a strong jaw to catch and hold the rabbit or hare; pasterns that are slightly sloping and toes and nails long enough to grip the ground.

Few people realize that the Whippet was a poacher's dog long before it was raced. For this it had to be small enough and fast enough to catch its illegal prey, return to its master and be spirited away - usually under the poacher's cape. The ability to do this, although no longer necessary, is the reason for the Whippet and must be preserved.

BADGEWOOD KENNELS
MR. AND MRS. PHILIP S. P. FELL
THE HOMESTEAD
PEACE DALE, RHODE ISLAND 02883

My family bred, showed and raced Whippets in the Twenties; therefore the dogs have always been a part of my life.

Before the war, I Judged the breed at Morris and Essex; at the Del Monte Show (then held at the Bay Meadow Race Track); and at the Tuxedo Park and West Orange, New Jersey Shows to name a few that come to mind.

I have held a license to judge Beagles, Foxhounds, Harriers, Greyhounds, Whippets, Norwich Terriers and Sealyham Terriers since the middle Thirties. I am now also qualified to judge four sporting breeds, the hound group, eight terrier breeds and two toy breeds.

During our ten year residence in England, I have judged Whippets at the Windsor Championship Show, West of England Ladies Kennel Society Championship Show, Manchester Championship Show, The Hound Association Championship Show, Ladies Kennel Association Championship Show, the Northern Counties Whippet Club Members Show. My last assignment judging in England was the dog classes and Best of Breed at the National Whippet Association Championship Show two days before returning to America in the summer of 1969.

I have also judged bitches and Best of Breed at The Netherlands Whippet Club Show at Rotterdam; and judged Sealyhams at the Ladies Kennel Association Championship Show in London.

Other than Championship Shows, I have judged Open, Limited, Sanction and Match Shows. At some shows I judged all breeds; at others: Labrador and Flat Coated Retrievers, Pointers, Weimaraners, Vizslas, Border and Fox Terriers (both coats), Kerry Blues, Norwich (both ears), Lakelands, Scottish Terriers, Welsh and West Highland Terriers, Basset Hounds, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, Tibet an Spaniels, Shi Tzus, Griffons (wire and smooth)' - and all Groups, Variety Classes and Best in Show on many occasions.

In 1957, I judged the Whippet Specialty Show at Far Hills, New Jersey. Over the past ten years, I have judged Whippets at Westminster twice, West chester, Westbury Kennel Association, Long Island Kennel Club, Bryn Mawr, and Santa Barbara in 1968.

Prior to the war, I bred and showed Beagles, Greyhounds and Sealyhams; making up a Champion Greyhound and Sealyham. Since the early fifties, I have continuously bred Whippets in this country and in England.

In England, we bred and showed two dogs to become Champions, namely the Ch. Badgewood Sewickley and the drop earred Norwich Terrier Ch. Badgewood Bonnie. We have twice bred and shown the Best Whippet Puppy at Crufts. Amongst Whippets of our breeding which have won on the Continent is Scandinavian Champion Badgewood Mark Twain. While in England, we also exported to this country a Whippet we bred; Badgewood Indian Scout who became a Champion here. We are continuing our dog activities in England, although firmly re-established here, by showing and breeding. I rather think that we are one of the very few kennels actively doing this in England and America.

In England, I am a life member of the following All Breed Clubs: Windsor, West of England Ladies Society, and the Richmond ( London) Dog Club. I am also a member of the Ladies Kennel Association and the Hound Association. I belong to The National Whippet Association of which I was a Governor for four years, The Whippet Club, The Midland Whippet Club, the Northern Counties Whippet Club, The Scottish Whippet Club, The Norfolk Terrier Club, The Norwich Terrier Club and The Sealyham Terriers Breeders Association.

In America, I have been for many years a member and am now on the Nominating Committee of the Ladies Kennel Association of America and the Long Island Kennel Club and am a Director of the Westbury Kennel Association. In addition to the American Whippet Club, I am a member of the Labrador Retriever Club, the Greyhound Club of America and the Norwich Terrier Club, of which my husband is a Director and I am Bench Show Chairman. I might mention that my husband is also a member of the Kennel Club (London). I am a Trustee of the Animal Medical Center in New York City.

I am a firm believer that anything that is worth doing is worth doing to the best of one's ability. Setting out to raise dogs of a chosen breed is no exception. It involves integrity, hard work, co-operation with other breeders and a good deal, of hard work, ability to criticize one's own stock and to take the many disappointments sportingly.

We will assume that our prospective breeder of Whippets realizes the above requirements and, being of a saintly disposition has decided to try his hand, anyway! He has spent some time observing the breed from ringside at shows and chatted to owners. He has visited a few established breeders and asked many questions and begun to develop an "eye" for the breed. Finally, he was able to decide which kennel produced the type of Whippet he found most aesthetically and temperamentally pleasing, and was able to procure a well bred bitch of sound disposition upon which to base his future breeding operations.

The importance of the foundation bitch cannot be overemphasized. For, in the next few years she will presumably produce several litters, probably by different sires so that through her bloodlines her faults and virtues will be behind all the future generations bred by her owner. Various paths are open to the new breeder when procuring the brood bitch. If a complete novice at raising puppies he may prefer to start with a proven bitch with whom he need have little fear of problems at whelping time, and whose progeny from earlier matings are about for him to get an idea as to how she produces. The catch in this plan however, is that it is unlikely that a knowledgeable breeder will sell a proven brood bitch who produces really well. They are far too valuable. But it is sometimes possible to obtain a good brood bitch upon breeding terms, leasing her for perhaps one litter in exchange for a puppy or two. This can be a mutually satisfactory arrangement but frequently leads to discouragement and/or misunderstanding when the best and sometimes only worthwhile puppy in the long awaited litter must be given up by the new breeder. I began by buying OUTRIGHT a young bitch of eight months who had not yet been in season and this is what I would do again were I to start over - and I would purchase the best possible specimen I could afford. For, though one often hears people say: "She is no show bitch but she might make a good brood", it is well to bear in mind that no matter how well bred en animal may be on paper, like produces like more often than not. There are certainly exceptions to the rule. Most breeders have at one time or another owned a nondescript looking bitch who, because of her good bloodlines, they could afford to gamble with and succeeded in producing show stock. But my advice would be, let the knowledgeable breeders try their luck in this field. Let the newcomer dip his hand as deeply as he can afford into his pocket and purchase a high class bitch who also possesses the following characteristics:

Go out for a bitch of medium size, feminine but not overly so. She must be robust and strong, not too light in bone and well ribbed up with good depth of brisket (or promise of this in a youngster). I believe that the best Whippet broods, as in many animals, are those who are a shade long in loin compared with length of leg. NEVER waste time breeding from a bitch with bad ear carriage. Prick ears tend to be very dominant. Try to find a bitch who is correct in the department which is generally weakest in the breed at the time. I.E. I would certainly be glad to own one which excelled in shoulder placement and depth of brisket as I believe this to be a major fault in Whippets at the present time. To sum up, Quality and Elegance combined with strength and a gay but sensible disposition should be the key.

We will now assume that, with the helpful advice of the brood bitch's breeder, a stud was chosen, the bitch bred and a litter produced and raised up to the age of twelve weeks. Lots of good meaty food, lots of fresh air and exercise and lots of handling and affection from their owners has dominated the puppies' lives up till now. With this kind of start in life there is no excuse for bad temperament in any puppy unless it be inherited. Any puppy which shows marked shyness at this stage may be discarded. The flashier marked ones stand out from the beginning but are not always what they seem. The cute smallest one can sometimes look a runt merely because the others are going to be big and cloddy later on. There will always be a favorite, which can some times be a disappointment when he is found to have only one or no testicles or just not come up to expectations.

At twelve weeks our new breeder should be able to place his puppies individually up on the grooming table and have them stand reasonably still for a short time (perhaps the tip of a tail-wag?) The puppy should be relaxed, not stiff like a statue, hunched up with anxiety. If he has been raised with sufficient attention he should also accept the collar and leash willingly. He should stand good and square all round. His feet should point to the front, toeing neither in nor out. His front legs straight to the elbow, knees quite large and knobby still, feet rather large with well knuckled toes, thickly padded. Good feet at this age will seldom if ever go wrong unless through bad management such as prolonged use of a cement exercise area. Dogs were not in tended to run around on hard, smooth, surfaces. They should gallop and play and dig in dirt, grit, stones or sand, all of which give traction and develop correct feet and muscle. The pasterns will have a little more angle to them now than later on when they are stronger, but a puppy whose bone diminishes markedly below the knee and or hock will usually lack bone down to the foot as an adult too. The shoulder blades should be nicely sloping and flat and meet closely at the 'withers'. Puppies with barrel-like fronts, heavy and 'bunchy' shoulders, sometimes coupled with a rather inadequate neck, will seldom end up with the required elegance. Eyes at this age should be large, dark and round. The undesirable small eye, lying very flat in the skull somewhat like a Borzoi is easily detected. Ears can be tricky at this age, right through until after teething is over. But with experience it is possible to determine whether a puppy's ears are merely 'going through a stage' or really potentially bad. Look for the neat, fine ear that lies close to the head when not at attention, the ear leather thin and reasonably long, the underside of the ear bending right back on itself with a pronounced 'break'. Not the ear with heavy leather, often rather large and lying straight back flat along the side of the neck. Body will not be very developed at this age, but a slab-sided puppy will never develop rib spring and one who has a hollow, or pronounced inverted 'U' between the front legs where the chest should be will never develop much depth of brisket. The latter fault usually goes hand in hand with straight shoulders and this will in turn mean that it is impossible for the neck to come off the shoulders in a graceful arch, resulting in a 'ewe' or upside-down neck. The arch over the loin will not be so noticeable now as later when muscle development is more mature. But a flat or a 'sway' back at this age is sometimes not grown out of. Beware the puppy who seems very square and compact with a seemingly well developed body and deep brisket for age. This type can end up lacking in sufficient 'liberty' as the horse folk call it - too short and dumpy to have grace and length of stride. The hindquarters are a key factor in a Whippet. Correct rear assembly affects overall balance, movement and the all important fluency of line which a good Whippet must have from the tip of his nose to the back of his hind feet. There should be good width between the stifles, indication of good muscle developing down the hindquarters and thighs, plenty of length from hip to hock with a pronounced bend of stifle and the hock close to the ground, the hind feet in a vertical line with the hock, not set in under the puppy. He should never be stood with a handler's hand under his tummy 'propping' him up in a mistaken attempt to give him a 'tuck up' underneath or an 'arch' on top. I can never understand why some of the less experienced handlers do this, for if a Whippet's topline or underline is in correct no handler can correct it artificially and by attempting to do so they usually totally ruin the sweep of hindquarters, causing even the best angulated and ground-covering hindquarters to look straight, the whole dog tending to resemble a croquet hoop!

Having examined our puppies upon the table, watch them run and play in pairs outside. This is usually preferable to trying to watch a playful, gamboling baby move on a lead. Temperament may again be noted. Movement in a puppy of this age is not easy to assess - obviously he is too immature and 'coltish' to have the low, sweeping springy gait of an adult. But one can ob serve the amount of ground that is covered by his stride as he trots along and whether there is much tendency to plait in front or move with very cow hocks behind. He will be loose in his movement so one should not expect perfect straightness but if there is a doubt, place him back upon the table and check the cause for concern. When the two points of the hock are pulled inwards to touch each other and then released do they return of their own accord to the correct position? What happens when first one front leg and then the other is gently lifted and stretched out in front of the puppy, then released? Are they brought back by him to stand fair and square under him, toeing neither in nor out? And when he is standing square, place a hand over his withers, where the highest points of the shoulder blades meet and gently, without causing the puppy to lose his balance and lift his front feet, sway the puppy a little from side to side. Bearing in mind that there is bound to be a little loose ness at this age, do the elbows tend to pop in and out to a marked extent? If this is the puppy who was moving with a short striding, mincing gait in front check also the angle and length of the shoulder blade. Remember that no dog can move with a long, low, reaching front gait unless the shoulders are at the correct slope. He cannot reach beyond this angle no matter how well angulated he may be behind or how much drive there is from that department.

Finally, be sure to let the deciding factor in picking the best puppy be made on the impression as a whole. Have an experienced. person set the puppy up, then stand well back and view him from all angles. Let elegance and symmetry and balance be the guide and if in serious doubt between 2 or 3 sound puppies my advice would be to go for the one whose line from the top of his long neck to his hind feet, is the most pleasing.

It may take our new breeder a long time to breed a Whippet of which he can be REALLY proud. Or it may happen quite oon. So much depends on his developing talent, his ability to maintain the saintly qualities mentioned earlier and on Lady Luck. But one thing is sure, he will have no end of enjoyment doing it!

____________________________ Col. and Mrs. John Collings _____________________________

It is a little difficult to know just where to begin the story of Winterfold. Kennels. Owning, breeding, showing and working dogs of several breeds in groups 1, 2 and 3 has always been the interest of my husband and myself. Due to moving our home from one side of the Atlantic to the other more than once, several fresh starts had to be made in our dog activities so, although we bred several champions prior to the actual registration of our kennel in Canada in 1960 (we came to Canada from the old country in '57) I think this account should begin from 1963 when we returned to this continent after having spent a year in England. Our kennel was of course liquidated before we left for England since we were not anticipating a return.

Whilst in England I had the good fortune to meet Alicia Yerburgh, owner of the Greenbrae Whippets, a small kennel but rich in exactly the bloodlines I was seeking. I was able to secure the pick of a 12 week old litter of really exciting potential. I thus became the owner of Coveydown Greenbrae Wayfarer (now Am. and Can. Ch.). The "Coveydown" incidentally, was our English regd. kennel name. I contemplated accepting Alicia's later offer of the gift of another lovely puppy from this litter, Greenbrae Barn Dance, but reluctantly decided that litter brothers were hardly suitable material for reviving our Whippet Kennel across the Atlantic! We were nevertheless delighted to learn soon after our return that "Barney" had made it anyway, and we followed his highly successful career like a fond aunt and uncle. Wayfarer was not professionally campaigned since we only show for our own amusement and I always do the handling myself. However, he finished in double quick time in the States, won L all breed BIS in Canada and many group firsts apart from siring many American and or Canadian champions, not to mention America's No. 1 Whippet, Ch. W. Bold Bid. So, at a very young 8 years, he is still king of the household.

Also whilst in England, acting upon a lengthy and excited cable from Pennyworth Kennels, I travelled across the country to assess the possible future American show career of a dog which was doing a lot of winning at the time. Winning English Whippets do not necessarily continue to shine as brightly under our American judges and Mrs. Newcombe was looking for something very special. My first sight of Ch. Courtenay Fleetfoot as he trotted towards me with his owner on a crowded platform of a London station had me speeding towards the nearest phone to cable "dog bought" across the Atlantic, and "Ricky" travelled home curled up on the car seat with Wayfarer and me and was later dispatched to his new owner and a unique show record in the U.S.A. Shortly afterward we followed him and spent a pleasant year staying at Pennyworth, watching "Ricky's" rise to doggie fame and looking after the early education of his first get over here. A daughter of "Ricky's", Winterfold Fleeting Moment (subsequently Am. & Can. Ch.) started us off in Whippets again. I was particularly lucky in acquiring her since I had bought her dam, Stoney Meadows Snow Princess, from Doris Wear whilst at the AWC Specialty back in 1961. Snow Princess was to me an ideal brood bitch physically and also possessed. the female line on which I have based all my breedings, being out of the beautiful Ch. S. M. Snow Queen.

On moving back to Canada, Fleeting Moment was bred to Wayfarer and produced 2 champions, Am. & Can. Ch. W. Flash Harry and Ch. W. Radiant. Flash Harry, owned by Luc Boileau, became Canada's top Whippet only to be succeeded by his dam, after I had let Lucille buy her from me. Since then Winterfolds have headed the winning Whippets in Canada each year.

Other litters came and went and, complying with the law of averages, we produced a few good Whippets, and a good many not so good. Anything I considered really poor was either given away without papers or destroyed at 3 months. When the time came to acquire a new brood bitch I naturally returned to the Snow Queen line and Doris Wear very kindly sold me another daughter of the latter, very similar in every respect to my original Snow Princess. Although S.M. Bold Queen had her definite faults she was another ideal type of brood bitch. Bred first to Wayfarer's half- brother, Ch. Tantivvey Diver, she produced several champions out of a litter of 9 (she always had 9!) the best probably being Ch. W. Hit Parade who has done some good winning both in Canada's East and West.

Then came the litter of a lifetime - to me, anyway. Wayfarer was bred to Bold Queen and at the actual time of birth this particular lot of 9 was startling. I re member well one white baby with what then looked like black head markings and a perfect saddle blanket on her back and as I left the whelping room I remarked to my husband "If that one isn't going to be something Fantastic I'm a dum-dum"! I had never believed some of the old timers who maintain that a puppy's potential can be assessed at birth - maybe I was just lucky, maybe it was second sight (to which I'm not given unfortunately), I certainly don't put it down to any special talent on my part in spotting it. But this puppy was just magic. The progress of the future Am. & Can. Ch. W.'s Bold Bid to become America's No. 1 Whippet made me very proud. When I later sold her to Dianne Moore in order that she should be campaigned as such a great one should be it was with a heavy heart. For my home will never be the same without the constant opportunity to glance up and experience such aesthetic pleasure as such an animal can give. I couldn't have wished for a better owner for "Hetti" and the enjoyment Dianne has had from owning her has been matched by my pride in having bred her.

To conclude, I would like to point out that the term "Kennel" cannot be applied literally to the Winterfolds - we are a small family. We believe in strictly limiting numbers and maintain that to achieve the dream that most of us in dogs have, i.e. to breed really good ones, one does not need quantity, but quality (and a great many other things of course, particularly LUCK!) This plan works best for as and suits our domestic arrangements best. I certainly have every respect for the view point of some of the larger operations, remembering that Bold Bid's dam was the product of a most talented and successful larger breeder. However, my personal opinion, for what it is worth, is that Whippets as a breed thrive better in small numbers in close contact with their humans - one reason, I suppose, why we have them.

The Winterfolds of the future? There may be a few around from time to time. But although dogs have always been my favorite hobby they unfortunately do not always mix with a profession in horses. A recent move back to our original stamping ground near Montreal where managing and riding for a new show hunter and jumper stable leaves me little time for anything else has meant cutting back on dogs and no litters in 1970 - we still own bitches on breeding terms here and there and Wayfarer is still very much at stud, so our interest in our own and everyone else's Whippets is not likely to wane.

When I obtained my first Whippets and first show dogs around 1952 and 1953, my handling technique was very simple, the dog and I move in some semblance of a straight line and stood quietly for the judge's examination.

After watching some old movies of the very first California Specialties I realized my problems. The dog and I weren't moving "together", the dog's head would sag when I set up the rear or the judge would sneak up behind when I expected him from the front. Most important I didn't know enough about the breed to evaluate the competition and therefore push the good points of mine and point out the poorer qualities of the others.

In those days you could still stumble along and finish a dog. I won't go as far as to say you could get group placements with this handling technique but it was sufficient to collect a breed or two from the classes only because entries were often 2, 3 or 4 and many times Best of Winners was automatically Best of Breed. There weren't many Whippets showing and when Harry Sangster went on a circuit you always had a chance for the purple and gold at your local show.

Now we are in a much more competitive situation. Whippet entries are so large that there are points at every show and many majors. The owner handlers present their dogs well and have been so successful that one of the big selling points of the breed is that you can win owner handled if you do a good job with a good dog.

A recent popular dog article stated that the most popular breed for Junior Handlers in 1970 was the Whip pet. A good reason for this is Whippets are a quiet, willing, lovable and stylish breed in the ring. They take correct obedience training beautifully without losing animation and they dearly love to work with their favorite people, their owners.

If any readers have not observed the strongly competitive junior handling classes at some of the larger shows they have missed something. These juniors could show many a professional a thing or two. It would never occur to them to make an "L" without moving to keep the dog next to the judge. They jump around in a flash if the judge comes up on the off side. You end up with the feeling that if we had all started at this age it would be a whole lot easier. Kids have a way of adapting while most of us are a bit inhibited about projecting ourselves for fear of looking foolish.

I will assume that the reader has attended at least a few shows and has observed handling not only in the Whippet ring but also in the other sight- hound breeds. Hopefully you have stayed long enough to see the Groups and Best In Show competition. The latter are where you see the ultimate in handling with the greatest flourish and to the dogs best advantage. Here he must not only look like an excellent specimen but he must appear to be a better example of his breed than the others are at their breeds.

At this point we are ready to , progress to the breed ring. Be at your ring early. The stewards are anxious to get the arm bands out. Get your band and then watch the judges procedure so you will be familiar with it when your class is called.

Do the smoothest job of moving that you can in the exact pattern that you are instructed. Stop your dog in plenty of time to have him walk into a good natural stance. When you stop it may be necessary to (1) move him another step or two to straighten him or (2) hand set him quickly for the judge. If he is one who prefers it all done freestyle on the dogs part try moving him to one side or the other or forward to obtain the proper stance. If all fails go home to practice - it will all come in time. Remember that many an unsound dog can be set up to look sound and many a nervous sound dog will stand poorly. Experience and confidence come in time.

If you have a Whippet with a good long reaching stride get in the ring first and lead off. But when you are moving don't out move your competition so that you end up at the end of the line and get lost. Space yourself so the judge always sees you at your best. Don't crowd the dog ahead, if necessary make a larger circle to keep your even gait. If the ring is crowded concentrate on your best movement when the judges eye is on you.

When the judge examines your dog he will start with the head. After he has checked the bite and front he will move down to see the hindquarters. Then steady your dog by his head. If the judge resets your dog better leave it that way. There are judges with certain likes and dislikes in the breed. Some are topline conscious others are strong on size, etc. Keep a notebook - it will be a great help in a few years. Study your dog and push his good points. If the dog in front of you has a bad head then push yours at the judge a bit and skin the ears back lightly. The comparison should be obvious unless of course you don't have a good head either. This is true of any "trick". I have seen exhibitors run their hands over a flat topline because the handler in front did the same thing over a proper topline. If you don't know play it straight.

But remember one important thing. There is nothing more insulting to a judge than to be shown every single good point a dog has. They are there to make their own decisions. Properly showing your dog should be setting him up soundly and moving him so. Do this smoothly and with confidence and dress conservatively. It all helps to create the desired impression.

Some important preliminary preparations include diet, exercise and grooming. Please give your dog a bath a day or so before the show. Before this trim the cowlicks off the neck and take off the excess ear hair, whiskers and tuck-up and rear if necessary, so that the impression is one of a smooth clean streamlined dog. This is not to say it should look shaved. At this time cut and file toenails and clean teeth. Don't ever cut toenails so short that they couldn't run nor leave them so long that the feet are breaking down. The best answer is to do the clipping job weekly and file smoothly. If the nails are badly overgrown it will take several weeks until the quick retreats. Occasionally you will draw blood while doing nails. There are several brands of coagulants on the market. Dab a little on the bleeding nail and it should stop immediately.

Many Whippets accumulate tartar on their teeth. To a certain extent this can be corrected by a supply of proper bones, chew sticks or large hard biscuits. If this doesn't work don't offend the tooth sensitive judge but have your Vet clean the teeth or do it yourself with a canine tooth scraper that you can purchase through a veterinarian medical supply house.

Getting back to the bath - it is certainly an insult to a judge and your breed to exhibit a dog who is dirty, scaly, emaciated or in other poor condition.

If you have a mostly white dog try one of the "Blue" shampoos. They bleach out the yellow or grey coat and will help give you the snowy sparkling look you want. For a badly stained dog several shampoos may be necessary. A solid color coat will benefit from any good shampoo. If there is a tendency towards dandruff after a bath try a diluted lemon or vinegar rinse following with a thorough water rinse. Towel and dry dog and follow through with a workout with a hound glove to remove excess hair and bring back the natural sheen to the coat.

If after all this your dog still has a dull dry coat then consider other problems. Improper diet or worms are strong possibilities. Have your Vet check this.

A good dinner of meat and kibble with vitamins and some oil (either your dinner pan juices or bottled oil) should be a satisfactory diet for an adult dog. A few cookies in the morning should be enough to stave off the appetite until dinner. Your bitches in whelp, puppies and geriatric cases may need special attention but in no case do you want a fat dog. A well nourished dog of any age in good hard condition is desirable and will live longer too.

In the case of the temperamental appetite in the youngish show dog you have two choices. Either feed him as usual and wait until he outgrows his adolescent no-eating phase, or make "stuffing" balls and pop them down his throat. Once you start "stuffing" weight goes on miraculously but I don't recommend it for everyone. Here is the formula - take one pound of ground beef of a good grade and mix in all the "instant oats" that you can by kneading it in. Include vitamins and a good sprinkling of wheat germ if you like. Make one inch balls the size of "cocktail meat balls" and chill enough to firm them. Dip in water and pop it down the throat over the back of the tongue and to one side, close mouth, massage throat briefly and dog should swallow easily. After a dog has been force fed several days he should take it nicely. The amount is up to your dogs weight and metabolism. Twelve balls twice a day is a good starter. This is a handy thing on the road for dogs that are normally good eaters at home but don't travel well. In most cases Whippets outgrow their picky appetites and by the time they are a year and a half or two are over that phase. Most Whippets aren't ready for serious "open" class competition before this time. Something most of us do is to start showing a dog before it is ready.

Experience is great in the puppy classes and at matches but by waiting until your dog is mature you will do much more winning.

Of course there are exceptions - a dog who might go coarse should be campaigned early if at all.

I could say 'accent the positive' but some lady exhibitors have already done that, which has proved distracting to say the least.

I suspect that the advice that has always been given is as true today as it was years ago and that is to complement the dog and not detract from it. To me this means that the colors and types of clothes for both men and women that are exhibiting should be such that they are of a contrast so the dog stands out "brighter than the figure at the other end of the leash". Professional handlers usually dress in this manner so if you think that professional handlers have an edge over the 'owner handled dog' then copy the garb of the professional handler.

THE ROUGH-HAIRED WHIPPET

by: Christine Cormany

How the little rough-haired member of this breed came to be has long been shrouded in mystery and even in the days when he was at his best, breeders, owners, and English exporters were un sure of his beginning. Probably the one person who knew best was Freeman Lloyd, who was closely associated with the breed in England and America. In his book, "The Whippet or Race Dog" he writes, "For the sporting Whippet, I should be inclined to pick the rough- haired variety, not the linty Bedlington sort, which some people describe as a "miniature Deerhound". I would rather go in for the hard-coated variety - one with a grizzled face and a fairly dense coat - I think these are more suitable for the work, and can stand the weather better than the animal that has to be clothed in the winter and even pampered in the summer."

The Bedlington terrier breeders and Whippet breeders of the early days often tried to find substantiated proof that the Whippet was even used in the beginning of the Bedlington, however, there seemed to be more material gathered to indicate that it was the other way around. Looking at a picture of the Bedlington of around 1925, he doesn't even resemble today's silver coated polished specimens, so it could be assumed that probably the Bedlington of around 1890 didn't look anywhere near like his 1925 brother. Most of the roughs my Father owned were of the grizzled face variety, as can be seen from the photo and I'm sure Mr. Lloyd would have been pleased with their "terrier guts" which he so often wrote of being a requirement in a racing Whippet.

The conformation of the rough-haired variety often compared favorably with the smooth and I can remember in one instance where a judge placed a rough over a smooth only to have his decision bear fruit on the race track where the rough indeed defeated the smooth again. The roughs were shown on very rare occasions and such occasions were when a race meet was in conjunction with an all breed show and we would support the entry of Whippets, such as they do today.

Of the two pictured with my Father, the one to the right, Kerryline, only weighed 15 lbs. and won 58 races out of 60 in her short career. In the early days, racers were handicapped by weight, so Kerryline had a good head start, but was fast enough to hold the lead and win by a good margin. As she grabbed the rag Dad waved for her, he would swing her up under his arm out of harms way. Even with a muzzle on, a 15 pounder could be badly rolled by a jolt from a 25 lb. dog. The other bitch, Happy Sally, got a bad bump as a puppy and it was almost a year before she regained enough confidence to race again. Through her we carried the rough line for another generation or two, as Kerryline would have nothing to do with a male. A young rough male was sent to the Meander Kennels but for some reason he didn't seem to adapt to his new environment and his life ended early. When racing declined in Southern California and we found ourselves forced to move from the wide open spaces to a refined city life!?, rather than have the some 25 odd dogs exploited, they were nearly all put to sleep (roughs and smooths) and thus ended the era of the rough haired Whippet.

Left to right: Benjarry, Mary (white foot - 16 pound champion), Pussy Cat - American Champion in 1924, Barney, Tanguay (11 pound English Champion, and Coomassie -20 pound starter. (note the dewclaws on some - per Mr. Young)

Some will probably wonder how the rough coat was kept in our breeding operations, a rough was usually bred to a rough but when bred to a smooth they usually came out half and half, half rough and half smooth. Colors were not of a wide range, black, fawn and silver were the usual, as far as I can recollect, we never had a white, brindle or parti-color. The roughs weighed around 22 pounds and I don't really remember any of them being over that, so they were not a large dog, attesting once again to the Bedlington in their veins, and the majority of them were the best racers and won the most races over the smooth.

On Sunday, July 11, 1971, at the Bruce Museum of Greenwich, Carol Moorland Marshall, a former concert pianist, portrait painter, and now a sculptor, exhibited her artistic achievements "Dog Portraits and Figurines in Porcelain".

Carol Marshall is known to many of us as a breeder of Champion Whippets and Borzois for many years, which accounts for her ability to portray dogs with such her portraits in porcelain are the only really has to see her work to appreciate charm of her dogs and the other animals groupings was valued at $3400.

perfection and understanding. Today, ones made to A. K. C. Standards. One the delicacy and accuracy and great in her porcelain groups. One of her At this time Carol has a special order to do a Basenji in the Palace at Monaco amongst other requests. She now does 16 breeds but surely the Whippet is one of the most exquisite.

A great many westerners think of Carol in conjunction with her Ch. Seyberne's Gallant Fox when she visited the West Coast some time ago. On ar riving on the West Coast to make her home in Malibu, California, a line from Carol said she was sitting on a suitcase writing a line in her home vacated by tenants of eight years, replete with no lawns and chickens on the front porch so her work day was commencing at 5:00 a.m. until nightfall. Our last letter reveals that Carol expects to have her kiln in shortly, and notes that her dog photos are still packed away. We think Carol must have a soft spot in her heart for Whippet people as she is doing some Eyleland dogs and is being sent specifications for a brindle Whippet bitch from the West Coast. Those who saw the BOW trophy at Santa Barbara were impressed with the beauty of the porcelain Whippet done for this show. The grouping shown above was done by this very talented lady.

Sports are said to revive in post war periods, and Whippet racing is no exception. The present flourishing state of Whippet racing dates from its revival, post World War Two, in the early fifties.

When I was growing up in a Boston suburb in the post war period of the twenties, Whippet racing was introduced there. My parents were not very dog minded, and I had no Whippet of my own. How I longed for one when I watched George West, Bayard Tuckerman, and various other of my family's friends and neighbors tossing their Whippets onto the track (it was all rag racing) and catching them when they flew into their arms at the end of the race. Most interesting too was the group of shabby little men with funny accents who were really at the back of it all. They were the Lancashire textile workers who had brought their Whippets with them when they emigrated to work in the booming textile mills of eastern Massachusetts. At this time too, though of course I didn't know it, the Pegram family and others were racing on an oval track in Baltimore , and Mr. James Young had brought the first Whippets into California from Canada, to start racing in Pasadena with Mr. Freeman Ford.

A few years later, when I went to school for a year in Pasadena, no happy accident informed me that Whippet racing was going on weekly in the Arroyo Seco, practically under my nose. Now I was old enough to choose my own dogs, and for some reason my choice was Greyhounds. I'm sure it was my early memories of Whippet racing that made me want the longtails. Also I was interested in every aspect of speed, having taken up flying, and murderously been allowed to solo when fifteen. There weren't many regulations in those days.

So it happened that while Jim Young, Marion Woodcock, Freeman Ford and others, surrounded by glamorous stars of the silent films, were having their wonderful Whippet racing in the Arroyo, I was busy in Culver City with a few indifferent Greyhounds. The absolute crookedness of the Culver City track was soon apparent, even to my youthful innocence, but I persevered with Greyhounds elsewhere. In various parts of the country, with both coursing and racing, I had active interest, and some success with Greyhounds for the next fifteen years. That is all quite beside the point though, isn't it, as this is meant to be about their far smaller relations.

My thirty years of slavery to Whippets began in San Francisco in 1949, when I bought a charming red bitch. She had a very bad mouth, and therefore was quite unshowable. I did show her once, and being the only one there, she won a gilded figurine, which I still have. Mrs. Nell Lomax, the judge, pointed out to me kindly that it would be better all round to keep her at home. Nell and her husband were both charming people, devoted to bull terriers, and bred some very good ones. Nell had great interest in Whippets too, and some years later was responsible for my getting a little English bitch, Ch. Tantivvey Viscaria. This bitch was the basis of all my brindles, and indeed some of the good brindles presently being shown in California and in Oregon, with Pearl Baumgartner. There were no brindles being shown then, so they were quite a novelty.

Then I met Mr. Jim Young at the Long Beach dog show. He told me so much about Whippet racing in Pasadena in the twenties that my head swam. After getting to know this remarkably attractive man and many more sessions of information and advice, I decided to do something about it myself. Someone in upstate New York advertised a set of boxes. Freight to California cost far more than the boxes. A friend constructed a lure machine, and off we went to the polo field in Golden Gate Park. There were not many of us, or many Whippets, so we manufactured sets for racing by running the same ones several times. They were all fit, so there were none the worse. Hope and Jerry Pinckney, now living in San Diego , were the most faithful enthusiasts. There was Virginia Archey, now Mrs. Mullins, Hap and Dot Frames, Andrew Delfine, young Michael Whitman, with his governess, Miss Waldo who had by far the best dog, one called Boone,of enormous size. Gregory and Virginia Stout and their small son, now grown up and married. We tried to meet once a week, and usually did in spite of many difficulties. One trouble was that we kept getting arrested by park police who seemed to think anyone connected with racing dogs must be a thief, a tinker or worse. Finally I appeared before the park commission, uncharacteristically dressed in black suit, white gloves, and furs, and managed to persuade them what we were doing was respectable in every way. This resulted in a letter of approval from the city, which we were able to wave at police who wanted to throw us out. Other troubles were with the lure machine. Finally Jerry Pinckney made one that worked reliably. Then we began to give demonstrations at dog shows, mostly well received and well managed. This went on for a few years, and then one day I gave my friend Jennie Henderson a nice dog Whippet called Mad Hatter. She became interested in racing and kindly set up a track on her lawn in San Mateo. We had great fun there, and the group of both people and Whippets enlarged. Our sport was becoming popular.

One summer I packed a lot of Whippets and a couple of racing boxes and lure into a station wagon and set off for Illinois. Sybil and Gene Jacobs were interested, and wanted to know how to get racing started. The heat there was intense, and I remember spending most of the time in a root cellar with the dogs, all trying to keep cool, and also away from the Jacobs numerous cats. My Whippets have always been very cat minded. We raced there, and after I left the Jacobs got going with vastly improved equipment, and quite a large group of people. They also got hold of the Chicago show people, and we arranged to do an exhibition there the following year. I arrived from California the night before the show, only to discover nothing had been done about making an indoor track. Mrs. Groverman Ellis luckily was at the Stock Yard Inn for dinner, and I managed to persuade her that the Whippets wouldn't be able to run on a cement floor, and something must be done. Since she owned the building and ran the show, once convinced, she set things in motion and a gang of men worked all night drawing earth and tanbark in from the stockyards. The result was a very respectable track. All this was much against Mrs. Ellis' better judgment, and we didn't know one another very well in those days. She came here to have lunch with us just the other day, and we had great fun remembering it all. What a delight, and great relief for us both the following day to see the racing packed with spectators, all of whom had paid a good sum to get into the show. Mrs. Ellis has remained convinced, and ever since has been a great enthusiast, doing a lot for Whippet racing.

Not everyone who had to do with breeding Whippets was, at first anyway, pro racing. The American Whippet Club was fairly solidly against us for a good many years. Betty Fell, Louis Pegram and myself spent quite a long time trying to persuade the then management of the Club to back racing, or at least not to be actively against it. Finally they gave in, but not without a struggle. My idea then, and still is, that it would be such a pity to have the breed divide, as it has long ago in Greyhounds, into the pretty but useless, and the not up to breed standard but able. We even went so far as to try and convince the AKC that a bench champion Whippet should also have a certificate for average honest racing ability. This unhappily was a failure. Too bad, as it has worked very well with Goldens, and I believe now some other breeds of gun dogs. Too silly to hear a tire burst at a dog show and every gun dog in the ring disappear. Therefore I was always keen to race my bench champions, and delighted when they did well, as did my Ch. Wingedfoot Domenic in 1960, winning the races at Chicago. He is still alive and well, though tottery. Not too feeble though, as he managed to recover from falling into the deep end of an empty swimming pool here just last week.

All this is the story of the revival of Whippet racing in the USA in the fifties. Now, in the seventies it seems very small and disorganized, to all of you who have taken it up and made it such a large and well managed sport. It is interesting though to remember how the devotion and enthusiasm of just a few people can gain momentum, and turn an idea into what is now a nationwide organization. I hope that what, quite literally, came out of the polo field in San Francisco , will go on from strength to strength, and create sport and enjoyment for more and more enthusiastic people in the years to come.