Whippet Snippets

Bailey and Deva

For the best whippet photos - and for textbook examples of whippet pretzels/dogpiles/snuggles - head over to Bailey Whippet's wonderful blog. He and his little sister Deva illustrate, via beautiful photos, what life with two whippets (and a tolerant third dog The Pod) can be like.

Girl thinks Ribsy could seriously use a lesson on how to loosen up and fully embrace his pesky sister Mirabel. Right now, Mirabel is downstairs by the fireplace while surly Magoo is upstairs stinking up the bed. If anything, a pesky sister makes for a great blanket. Right, Bailey?

Whippets: the 61st most popular dog in America

The American Kennel Club's annual popular dog rankings are in, and Ribsy is not surprised by the results. Once again, for the 19th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever comes in at number one, according to the 2009 registration statistics. 

The whippet inches up two spots to 61st, just ahead of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. The Portuguese Water Dog, which trailed the whippet in 2008, has leaped ahead to the 60th spot, no doubt thanks in part to a certain famous family's choice. But let's continue to keep the whippet a well-guarded secret. We rather prefer it that way.

Frankly, Girl wouldn't choose any of the top 10 dogs. None appeal to her. Here's her own personal top ten:

1. Whippet (obviously)

2. Vizsla

3. German Shorthaired Pointer

4. Greyhound (this is handsome Harley from Expressive Papers)

5. Italian Greyhound 

6. Saluki

7. Scottish Deerhound

8. German Pinscher

9. Bluetick Coonhound

10. Chinese Crested (really!)

What are your favorite breeds?

Whippets welcome on Yorkshire Airlines

Flat caps, whippets, and working-class attitudes are more than welcome on this airline for northerners:

Fetching fashion

Whippets really are the best accessory. It's almost as if they've been bred with catwalks and fashion spreads in mind.

Case in point: the newest arrivals at one of Girl's favorite stores, Anthropologie, features none other than one of our handsome hounds (and the outfit ain't bad, either):

Maybe Girl will re-enact this with Ribsy come springtime.

You must vote for this

Must. Have. This. Shirt. Now.

There are some great shirt designs on Threadless - "an ongoing open call for tee shirt design submissions."  This is the by far the best one ever (no bias whatsoever here). For any whippet owner who's ever received the "Whip it good!" catcall while walking down the street, this is for you.

All designs printed on Threadless are voted on and picked by the community. This one's in the running for one more day. So go now and rate this a 5!

Update: OK, turns out that Boy didn't understand the meaning of the shirt. Hello! Devo! Check it out:

By the way, Devo's new album - their first since 1990 - is due out this spring!

How not to ask for a whippet

Whippet Print Snippets

Ribsy and Mirabel are delighted to discover that various body parts of theirs were featured in the Summer 2009 issue of GulfCoast Dog Magazine, an upscale publication for canine lovers in southwest Florida.

 

Ribsy and Mirabel were part of an article on the whippet and whether or not this "beautiful, elegant, energetic" dog was right for you. 

"Heh, I'M the main model," bragged Mirabel. "And those are my footies on the first page."

 

"My shank! In print!" thought Ribsy.

You can download the issue and read the article here.

And who's that, in the middle of the body parts montage, you ask? Why, that's their Internet pal Eric the Wonder Whippet.

Bully Whippet, Reloaded

The Victoria Times-Colonist has published an update on Wendy, the famous bully whppet who garnered worldwide attention for her mutated, double-muscled physique. From the New York Times to Animal Planet, it seems people are fascinated by her incredible build.

Fast-forward two years later, and Wendy is as solid as ever. Currently she checks in at an impressive 30 kilograms.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Ribsy, his eyes widening. "That's almost as much as me and pesky Mirabel combined."

Check out the rippling evidence:

(Yeah, Wendy's on the left.)

(Uh-huh, Wendy's on the right.)

Photos from the Times-Colonist.

Whippet JamBoree

Now that it's officially Fall, it's time to think warmth!

Ribsy and Mirabel present a fine selection of the fleece fashions currently available on the World Wide Whippet Web:

First up, for the brown-nosing back-to-school whippet, the Teacher's Pet jacket.

Next, for the whippet who refuses to believe that summer and all of its sunny days are over, the Blue Sky, White Clouds pajamas.

And for the housewifey whippet, how about this Floral Find? 

For the whippet that likes to disappear, here's a camouflage fleece coat. (Bonus points for the whippet decor in the background.)

For the real cold whippet, the chocolate fleece hooded bodysuit. 

For the True Religion, Seven for All Mankind, Current/Elliott kind of whippet - the denim play coat. Sorry, ripped jeans fans, there's no factory-made distressing. 

Finally, for the whippet whose behavior remains forever a mystery to its owner, the Sherlock Holmes-inspired coat, hat, and scarf set.

Whippin Bon Juvi

Make your own Whip It player card, complete with roller derby name. Just for the record, Mirabel's full player name is Whippin Bon Juvi, but the Juvi got lost in the card-making process. Aw shucks eh?

Mirabel would do roller derby good. Strong, feisty, tenacious, fearless. She wouldn't put up with anybody's shenanigans: