from Helen Rishworth
Whow! The 60th breed blog- what a milestone! I do hope that you have enjoyed and continue to enjoy reading Linnet’s, Tracey’s and my breed blogs as much as we enjoy writing them. We first started writing our breed blogs back in October 2011; where have those months gone?
In October 2011 I was 18; now I have already reached the next age milestone of 21. In October 2011 I was commencing my second year at university; now I have graduated and been thrown, well and truly, into the so-called “real world”! In October 2011 I was owned by our dogs; now, I am still owned by our dogs… ok, so maybe some things do not change!
Over the months our blogs have covered a wide range of topics concerning our dogs and more specifically Italian Greyhounds, with some being humorous and some tackling more serious subject matters. Whether they have been offering advice on IG puppies, or reporting on results from the show ring, or providing an insight into life with an IG, I do hope that our readers have found our blogs interesting.
With it being Easter, many of us may have enjoyed a long, four day weekend which naturally means more time relaxing with the dogs. I do hope that you were all able to enjoy some of the sunshine with your IGs outdoors, and I am sure that your dogs took full benefit of their humans being at home for an extended weekend by encouraging you to spend a few more hours watching TV with them on your laps!
Within our household, we have all three “sizes”: the IG, the Whippet and the Greyhound. When we head into the sitting room every evening after dinner, it is quite interesting to note our dogs’ different techniques for securing their sofa for the night.
Roo, my IG, is usually settled on the sofa inside his snuggle bed well before the rest of the gang have come into the sitting room. Next into the room are usually the Whippets. Stanley and Darcy calmly walk in; as the elder whippets (I use the term ‘elder’ very loosely because they are eight and five years old respectively) they are slightly more relaxed than their younger counterparts.
Freddie, who at four years old should really know better, struts into the room and has a funny five minutes either chasing his tail, or running up and down the room, or by behaving rather un-gentlemanly with Stanley or Finley (I think you all know what I mean … ). However, once he has let off a little bit of steam, Freddie settles down into one of the snuggle beds. Unfortunately, he has not achieved the same level of technique, as the IG, of completely submerging himself into the bed as more often than not, his rear end is left rather exposed and, one must assume, quite chilled!
Finley, our youngest whippet, is very canny. He strolls into the sitting room and checks out which seats and beds are available: one of the snuggle beds Freddie is occupying, the sofa is taken over by myself and Roo, the bed in front of the fire is filled with Stan, and Darcy is comfortably settled on one of the chairs. The only chair left available is Mum’s…
The Greyhound puppy, Icha, is the last one to come into the sitting room. Although Icha is the youngest member of our household, when it comes to watching the TV in the evenings, he settles down very quickly (wildlife programmes are his favourite, rather than the soaps). Now, Greyhound puppies are not small; they think they are small, but they are anything but!! As soon as Mum sits on her chair, Icha jumps on her lap: for a few short moments, I wonder where my mother has gone as she is almost entirely engulfed by the Greyhound!
Depending on the level of activity that each dog has endured during the day will determine how active they are in the evening. On the whole, everyone tends to stay in their designated spots for the duration of the evening albeit for the odd wriggle and stretch. However, if someone gets a bit too hot, or if something on the TV catches their attention and makes them get up, it is amazing how quickly the other “sleeping” dogs can move when an apparently more desirable sleeping place becomes free! If Stanley leaves the fire, then Darcy moves in; if Icha moves off Mum’s chair, Finley is next in line- each dog has their favourite spot and if they are not able to fill them at some point during the evening, then some people can have a strop (no names, Finley)!
And when everyone is in their best bed, sat on their favourite chair or sofa, all one can hear below the noises from the TV is the reassuring sound of happy dogs snoring. Zzzzzz….
