Welcome to My Dog Blog

It All Began...

Let's start from the very beginning. 

I sometimes tweet about the things my dogs do. When I do, it often makes people laugh, scold me for not having well-behaved dogs (good-natured scolding of course), or shake their heads in feigned disgust and/or real puzzlement. Whatever they do, their deeds are sure to get comments out of people--so many comments, that I've decided to start a regular feature about their antics on my blog. I made both a "(Good)" and a "(Bad)" feature image because even though I often talk about their badness, they can also do really good things. **I changed my mind. I made a blog just for them!**

We decided to get a puppy almost two years ago. After researching breeds, we decided that a whippet was the dog for us. "Why," you ask? Well, here's a few facts:

• They are more known for licking the mailman, not biting him
• They are often called the 35 mph (56 kph) couch potato
• They are short haired and considered to be odor free (Well, at least their hair is. Their rear ends tend to release noxious fumes that can clear a room!)
• Not prone to hip dysplasia or other ailments
• Are prone to periodontal disease

We decided that a non-aggressive dog was a very important thing for us because we had an aggressive dog for many years. 

So, after looking for a few months for one, we found our first whippet, Max in December 2008:

Max

Oh, don't let the cuteness fool you...Max was a FEW handfuls as a puppy! He whined constantly for months on end because he was so full of energy and really wanted another dog as a playmate. When I say constantly, I mean ALL DAY...no hyperbole. It really was all day!

So, we started looking for a rescue dog this year after months and months of Max's non-couch potato behavior. We got an e-mail in March from the people we bought Max from about one of the puppies they kept that needed to be rehomed. We jumped at the chance! So, in late March of 2010, we got Turbo:

Turbo

Max immediately took to Turbo (maybe it was brotherly love), and I finally got a break. The two play together, grizzly bear fight together (play fighting of course), sleep together, and make LOTS of mischief together. Here's a few little facts about my little monsters:

Max (a.k.a Maximus, Maxie, Max Pain, Maximiliano, We Should Have Named You Marley)

• 32 lbs. (14.5 kg.)
• Favorite Pastimes:
• Eating things he shouldn't
• Sneaking into the dog food bag when I am getting his food and chowing down
• Perching on the back of the couch like a cat
• Eating poop (Gross! I am pretty good about picking it up so he can't eat it, but the boy has a nose for it and can find any little piece I've missed!)
• Stealing things off the counter
• Playing ALL THE TIME (the boy can jump over 6 ft. in the air..he's insane)!

Turbo (a.k.a. Turbs, Turbie, Turbstrosity, We Should Have Named You Darwin)

• 42 lbs. (19 kg)
• Favorite Pastimes
• REALLY eating things he shouldn't
• Looking at Max like he's out of his mind
• Power chewing
• Standing on top of kitchen tables (oh yes...not just paws on the table--we've caught him ON TOP of the table standing on all fours)
• Looking laid back, but being the "quiet baddie"

So there you have it...my two dogs. I sometimes call them "Dogstrosities" (named after the lobstrosities in Stephen King's, The Dark Tower series). They have done so many bad things over the months that this nickname is well-deserved. Despite their baddie behavior, they are two of the most loving dogs on the planet and I wouldn't have them any other way. They are oftentimes hilarious and give me comic relief when I am in need of it. They put their head in my lap or curl up under the covers with me all the time which melts me into a pile of gullible goo. I like that!

Animal Planet has a video on whippets that they filmed for Dogs 101. If you want to see what my dogs are like, watch THIS video on whippets (I couldn't embed it, but you can watch it by clicking the link). It was one of the deciding factors in us getting Max and Turbo. I may lament their bad deeds, but I truly love them and can't imagine life without them.