May 12, 2008

Hello Daphne!

Daphne1 Daphne2 Introducing Mirabel's littermate Daphne! Congratulations to Niles on his new little sister.

 Daphne, seen here checking out the fish in her new backyard, made the journey from New Jersey to Hamilton today. Mirabel, who's off getting lady surgery today, will be back tomorrow, and she and Ribsy will get to meet the newest whippet on the block on Wednesday.

May 11, 2008

Jack Handey would be proud

P1030332-text Mirabel and Ribsy sunning on their backyard deck.

May 07, 2008

Go away rain

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A rainy day has the doggy duo duelin' for the duvet in the 3rd floor haven of the house.

No doubt they are dreaming of sunnier days. Here are a few snaps from such a time. These were taken in Cambridge during the last weekend in April.

May 06, 2008

Doggies in the window

DSC_0137 The kids dig their new third floor hangout, spying on the squirrels in the tree below. Ribsy and Mirabel also enjoy the workouts they get going from floor to floor, following Girl wherever she goes. And they LOVE being able to tear through the backyard together!

April 24, 2008

Daddy's Little Girl

DSC_0128-1  Spending a day at the park with Dad.

April 23, 2008

Portrait of a whippet

DSC_0117 Ribsy: a study in afternoon park serenity -- clearly enjoying the 20+ degree weather.













Barking1_25171b Speaking of whippets and portraits, a new exhibit in London by photographer Jo Longhurst features nothing but our fascinating hounds! From serious show dog shots to revealing candids snapped mid-dream, these series of photographs clearly reveals the admirable grace and beauty of whippets, but also the human preoccupation with  image and the attainment of perfection.

April 21, 2008

Brown Eyed Girl

HazelThe ol' sock monkey is a poor substitute for the monkey of a whippet named Ribsy. Girl and RNOF can't wait til Hazel, Ribsy and Mirabel all get together to play. They, on the other hand, can't wait to switch collars and let the confusion begin.

April 20, 2008

Pretty in Pink

DSC_0079-1Mirabel loves the camera. And the camera loves her!

April 19, 2008

Sunny Saturday

DSC_0101-1 DSC_0089-1A beautiful day in the Hammer meant a lovely walk with a friend in the neighborhood. Perfect weather for stopping to smell all the spring flowers.

The pooches practice their poses outside their soon-to-be new digs.

Mirabel works her Magnum face.

April 18, 2008

A Squirrely Morning

Squirrely Frantic Guest Blogger Girl writes:

My Mirabel lost her innocence this morning! She and Ribsy ganged up on a squirrel right outside our building. Ten feet away from the tree, I let them go because the squirrel was right at the base of a tree, and I thought, 'What harm could they do?'

How was I supposed to know that the stupid thing would go AROUND the tree instead of UP it? So the gruesome twosome went in opposite sides around the tree and nabbed it....took turns shaking it...with Mirabel dealing the final killer blow.

So then how do you get her to drop her furry trophy? She doesn't even know how to sit, much less understand "Drop the squirrel!" Plus, I was out of bags, had no treats, and had to leave shortly for work. So I went down the street to the dog park, praying that no neighbour would come out and see my dog with a dirty limp squirrel in her mouth.

At the park, a sympathetic dog owner with previous releasing-a-dead-animal-from-a-pet's-mouth experience came to the rescue. He grabbed a bag and a Milk Bone and luckily Mirabel accepted the trade. He calmly scooped the squirrel into the bag like a piece of poop and threw it away into the garbage.

What a morning. Sadistic as it sounds, though, I feel a certain pride in seeing my whippets do what they were bred to do.

April 15, 2008

The Perfect Puppy and Other Myths

Copy of three Mirabel's ongoing puppy antics (steamrolling Ribsy, jumping up on Girl, refusing to sit, stealing oven mitts) leads Girl to reminisce about when Ribsy was a puppy. Of course Ribsy's a perfect dog now, so it's hard to remember him ever being mis-behaved. After all, look at that irresistable puppy face of his. Does this look like a troublemaker to you?

April 12, 2008

Two become one

DSC_0063-1Or one becomes two?
 

Park pals

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April 10, 2008

Happy Birthday, Mirabel!

DSC_0014-1Mirabel, it's been only a week but you are part of our forever-and-ever pack. We love you to pieces and wish you a very happy first birthday!

Love Boy, Girl & Ribsy (slowly)

April 09, 2008

Whippetsaurus Rex

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Ribsy and Mirabel go bipedal at the dogpark. Modern day velociraptors, perhaps?

April 08, 2008

Havin' a ball

DSC_0030-1Mirabel chases Ribsy at the dog park on a lovely spring day.

April 07, 2008

Happy Birthday, Ribsy!

P1030240Happy 4th birthday, to the handsomest whippet in the whole wide world!

We love you to bits!

Boy, Girl & Mirabel

April 05, 2008

Ear-marked for home

P1030230How quickly Mirabel has become part of the pack. Here she is, at the start of the journey back from Pennsylvania, on Wednesday morning.

Those ears of hers - so expressive - obviously saying, "I'm kinda scared. Please take good care of me, wherever we're going."
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Arrival at the loft, her new home...for now! Her ears say, "I'm curious. This is different. What about that other dog that looks so much like me, but doesn't look like he LIKES me? What about him? Are we supposed to get along? He doesn't seem to respond to my kisses so far. The whole place smells like him. I'm gonna have to be careful for the first bit here..."
P1030234A sunny Saturday morning breakfast. Mira is all ears for her food. She eats almost as fast as Ribsy but not quite, only because Ribsy has a bigger mouth. Ribsy wolfs his kibble like there's no tomorrow, because there's nothing better than the other dog's food, which he tries to nose in on as soon as he's done with his own bowl.
P1030236 Ribsy: "She's not here...she's not really here...she's only a figment of my imagination."

Mira: "Please like me. Oh please like me. Please like me. Oh please like me."
P1030246 Well, okay, you can come up on the bed, too. But I get to be closer to Boy, got it? And quit looking so much like me. It's confusing.
P1030251 Finally. I can relax those ears of mine. I think I've found my new pack and I kinda, sorta, actually, really like 'em...even if Ribsy is a bit of a growly stick hog at the park. and he can't really keep up with me on walks and he doesn't really like to snuggle with me yet. But today we touched bums in the car and I rested my head on his leg during our afternoon nap.

I like my new home very very much.

April 02, 2008

Mirabel has landed

DSC_0006-1Brother and sister get off to a not-so-brotherly-and-sisterly start.

But after some dominating, humping, snarling, and pacing, Ribsy and his new sister Mirabel are settling in, this the first night together. Mirabel has pooped (in the house) and seems to prefer sleeping in her crate for now.

Mirabel is understandably pacey and stressed, and Boy exhausted. They endured an all-day trek from Philadelphia, and it's been non-stop excitement since. Mirabel got introduced to a few pups at the dog park, including Jet, Suki, and Darwin the pug. She so wanted to run but unfortunately has to be kept on leash for awhile.

And yes, Boy and Girl have already mistaken one for the other. Sans collars, they look almost exactly alike. Her fawn is just a shade darker, and her skin a tad spottier, but otherwise they are the same height, with almost the same fur pattern and even the same spot on the nose.
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More photos to come once these whips rest up from all the day's events!

A Nose for New

P1030022Ribsy smells something funny. Who's this lookalike that's been dominating his blog the past couple of days? He knows something's going on.

Boy left. He didn't take his usual stuff. So where is he? When is he coming back? Does this have anything to do with this strange other whippet?

Patience, my dear Ribsy. Consider it an early birthday present. You'll find out very, very soon.

Twice as Nice

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April 01, 2008

Double Whip Twins

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March 31, 2008

Two of a kind

Mira11head P1020599One thing's for certain...it's destined to be a full house soon for Boy and Girl.

Ribsy, meet your little sister-to-be!

March 27, 2008

Canine confessions

Some exciting news from the homefront coming very soon. Stay tuned!

Capture2 In the meantime, Ribsy wonders if you have seen CBC's new dog-umentary? Canine Confidential journeys into the hearts and minds - and ever-expanding wallets - of dog owners, from the Palm Beach socialite to the competitive dog dancing owner to the military trainer.

There are even some hound factoids to be learned. For instance, did you know that:
  • Greyhounds are one of the best doggie blood donors around
  • Afghan hounds have a doggie IQ of 2
  • Beagles are not renowned for their obedience

March 23, 2008

Happy Birthday Boy

Greytminds2 Ribsy wishes you a day full of the things he would love to do, 'cause that's what he think everyone wants to do on their own special day.


Dontlookback 'Cause when you do run, you're too busy to look back at things. Think forward, think ahead, think spring, think living. Mmm...bones.

Lovely artwork by Cynthia Dice - check it out!

March 22, 2008

Canada's Next Top Whippet

Dsc_0002Ribsy was reunited with one of his Westcoast fans today. She breezed into the Hammer for a walk along Locke Street, lunch at the Bar on Locke, a visit to the very first Tim Horton's, and a scenic drive around town.


Coddle_tn Thanks for the cuddles! I very much enjoyed posing with you, thought Ribsy, who recalled a moment from his puppyhood where he learned how to do exactly that. Pictured here at only four months old, he was a quick study!

March 21, 2008

Passing with Flying Colors

As you may or may not know, this dog's blog often features its fair share of airplane talk. Today is no exception. Ribsy wants to congratulate Boy on his successful flight today! He managed to capture a few snaps as the Boeing 727 went soaring by.

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March 16, 2008

Sunday Sappiness

Kleenex alert! This video has Girl convinced that Ribsy really does need a little friend to keep him company. Boy, are you reading this?

March 15, 2008

Whippet Idol

Presleyidol Calvin Who will be...the next Whippet Idol?

Vote for your favorite boy and girl now!

Ribsy is waggin' for Presley and Calvin - got to stick with the fawns.

It's Hard Letting You Go

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Ribsy taps his paw patiently as Girl completes her Bon Jovi journey this week. Front row, smiles, winks, singalongs, and JonSweat. It was all there, and all worth it.

Now back to your regular whippet programming.