#whippet_moments

I gather my things to go out. Castorp quietly positions himself in the passage to the door and looks at me. Not demanding, not hopeful, not accusing. He simply asserts his being.

#dogs #whippets #being #companionship

#whippet_moments

A couple of days with the family by the sea. Castorp is on a higher level of alertness. He stands still for 10 minutes at a time, head high, trying to make sense of it all: the smells of salt and fish and seaweed, the wind so strong that it shakes his body, the chaotic sounds of the birds and the wind, the flat sea light, the sand under his feet. Neither fear nor joy: instead intensity and concentration.

#dogs #whippets #sea

#whippet_moments

Castorp is not allowed on our sofas or beds, one of the few rules we impose strictly in our otherwise relaxed approach to living with a dog.

Today Castorp got the experience.

A warm spring day. My young daughters set up a makeshift bed/tent on the ground. Castorp snuggles up with them among the welter of duvets & pillows. As I pass by, he looks at me defiantly, his big eyes telling me: see, it works.

#dogs #whippets #family

#whippet_moments

My Castorp loves small dogs. (He loves large dogs too, but that's neither here nor there.) He's the perfect gentleman with all dogs, impeccably polite and considerate. The attentive look, the curious sniff. The gentle licking. Sadly most smaller dogs are in defensive mode. Showing their teeth. Yelling their bark. The friendship fails before it can start. The universe got that wrong, big time.

#dogs #whippets #MissedFriendships

#whippet_moments

The first warm day. A long walk to the field by the river. I let Castorp run, but his heart isn't in it. What's up with you, boy? As we start walking back, a young Labrador shows up. The two take off into the path through the wood, one long round after another after another: running, chasing, pure doggy joy. When the Lab jumps into the river, Castorp stands all excited by the edge and almost follows him in.

#dogs #whippets

@lieke

Lovely dog! Ours is a whippet, similarly in need of human company to a Vizsla, but I think yours probably will need more action.

Ours loves to run, as is his nature, but he sleeps cat-like through most of the day. Or he sits sphinx-like next to my desk, making sure the world knows who's the governors most favoured companion.

We do meet Vizslas on the field occasionally, and boy are they fast.

I post the occasional micro reflections on my whippet under #whippet_moments.

#whippet_moments
We had a lot of rain. The fields by the river are flooded and the footpath has morphed into a little stream. Castorp and I keep going, carefully avoiding the really deep bits. The boy hates water (he's a whippet!), but he soldiers on, looking at me for re-assurance. And as we traverse the expanse of the submerged field with its little currents, there's a glint of excitement and curiosity in his eyes.
#dogs #comradeship

#whippet_moments

I sit on the sofa in the studio, reading, relaxed. Castorp comes over from the other room. He performs his elaborate sitting-down routine and nestles his head on my foot.

#dogs #whippets #sighthounds #proximity #rest

#whippet_moments

I sit on the sofa in the studio, reading, relaxed. Castorp comes over from the other room. He performs his elaborate sitting-down routine and nestles his head on my foot.

#dogs #whippets #sighthounds #proximity #rest

#whippet_moments
[an occasional series]

Rainy day. Nothing dramatic, just a bit of regular English rain. Out with the dog, to pick up my daughters from ballet. Castorp does not like the rain. He's in his excellent raincoat, but he does not like the rain. He barely moves, stubborn annoying frustrating obstinate lovely mule that he is. Late for my daughters. They are so glad to be picked up by their brother.

#dogs #whippets #AcceptThings

@couts

Wonderful. What lovely creatures they are, your Lab and your German Shepherd. Great pics, too!

Engaging with our dogs teaches us so much, and it gives so much undiluted joy.

Love your #dailydog idea. I have a similar project, my irregular #whippet_moments series, which started on twitter. Here are a few recent episodes:

https://mastodonapp.uk/@the_roamer/109612546223816614

https://mastodonapp.uk/@the_roamer/109553070475221356

https://mastodonapp.uk/@the_roamer/109495271658154540

https://mastodonapp.uk/@the_roamer/109425202577362957

https://mastodonapp.uk/@the_roamer/109362736859254259

https://mastodonapp.uk/@the_roamer/109308569313266957

#whippet_moments

A quiet New Year celebration at home. Our daughters for the first time stay up until midnight. We clink our glasses and watch the London fireworks on TV. Castorp is puzzled by the unusual night activity and stands excited among us. He gets some blueberries & lots of cuddles and good wishes. He'll be two next month. Happy New Year, big boy. So lucky to have you.

#dogs #whippets #PartOfTheFamily

#whippet_moments

Taking my daughters out just before sunset, to celebrate the end of the shortest day and the turning of the year. Castorp is with us. Evening fog rises above the field, drifting along. The four of us walk into one of the low-lying patches, quite magical. Castorp has his nose close to the ground; how does the fog smell? We don't normally have evening fog in these parts; I am grateful.

#dogs #solstice

#whippet_moments

Taking my daughters out just before sunset, to celebrate the end of the shortest day and the turning of the year. Castorp is with us. Evening fog rises above the field, drifting along. The four of us walk into one of the low-lying patches, quite magical. Castorp has his nose close to the ground; how does the fog smell? We don't normally have evening fog in these parts; I am grateful.

#dogs #solstice

@legallaurak @brianklaas @TedUnderwood
I do invent new ones occasionally. (a) for fun, and since I am not obsessed with actually being found; (b) to create special trails for my own posts. Such as my series of dog posts, #whippet_moments. So people can find all those posts of mine by searching for these idiosyncratic hashtags.

On twitter my motto was #kindnesswillprevail, not a common hashtag! I put it into most of my political posts, but I never noticed any interest and dropped it.

@ritaswift
Lovely. Dogs (and cats) will do a lot of work for you here on mastodon! :-)

We are whippet people at The Roamers. I don't post photos but publish the occasional observations tagged under #whippet_moments .

#whippet_moments
[occasional series]

First time for my Castorp to encounter snow. He is so excited about all that white stuff and all those new sensations.

Long walk with my neighbour and his Saluki. The two hounds racing through the white fields; all sounds slightly muffled by the snow; their racing back feet sending jets of snow through the air as they touch the ground. Glorious.

#dogs #whippets
#sighthounds #BornToRun

#whippet_moments
[occasional series]

First time for my Castorp to encounter snow. He is so excited about all that white stuff and all those new sensations.

Long walk with my neighbour and his Saluki. The two hounds racing through the white fields; all sounds slightly muffled by the snow; their racing back feet sending jets of snow through the air as they touch the ground. Glorious.

#dogs #whippets
#sighthounds #BornToRun

#whippet_moments
[an occasional series]

Castorp is used to me working through the night, in the same room. Nothing I do will disturb him, rolled up in his den. But the slightest unusual sound and he is up, nervously checking things out. I tell him all is well, give him an ear rub.

#dogs #whippets #sighthounds #trust

#whippet_moments
[an occasional series]

Up on the hill. We walk, and as we reach the field I throw the stick. Castorp picks it up and goes off. He flies across the field and vanishes behind the hedge. Out of sight. My breath stops. Ah, there he is, flying out at the other end. The grass tears under his feet as he passes me. After three rounds he is done. We walk home.

#dogs #whippets #sighthounds
#BornToRun #awe