“Penelope”

We named her Princess Penelope Pogostick and, as it turns out, that name fit this dog to a ‘T’.

P was bright and positive to the core. She approached life with joie de vie and caution was for the other dog. In a breed that is often reserved and can even be overly sensitive, Penelope was a breath of fresh air.

Mostly we just called her ‘P,’ and true to being a Princess, she believed she was the best dog at everything. When she was in the showring, she would primp and pose and even snort at show judges if they were not paying enough attention to her. If there was a ball or lure to chase, she would do her utmost to get it first.

However, if other dogs pushed in front of her for a toy or food, she politely allowed them to have it.

She absolutely loved people. And people who met her absolutely loved her. There was something very alluring about her that most folks picked up on immediately.

P was smart and loved to work. Once she understood what was required of her, she would work very hard to do it perfectly – whether the job was obedience, mothering a litter of pups, showing, or racing after a lure.

It was a joy to watch P race and course. She was on the lure and very competitive. She ran with intensity, with her head low.

And she was fast! In only her 3rd straight track event, P made the high point grouping (out of 21 whippets) in the third program.

Just four months after whelping her first litter of puppies, Penelope was back on the track, easily finishing her first straight racing title. Less than a year later, she completed her first oval track title. Not too shabby for a girl!

But if it wasn’t a contest, P was a silly heart who wanted to clown and play. If there was a commotion, P assumed it was all in fun and got right in the middle of it. P had a special fondness for squeaky toys, especially when she was excited or it was close to meal time. She would grab a squeaky toy and begin what sounded very much like a transmission of rapid Morse Code. This could go on for quite some time and we have wondered if she was sending messages to some alien mother ship.

She was more playful than cuddly except when it was nap time. Nap time meant it was time to be snuggling with a person if possible, or another whippet.

Overall, P was our extrovert. We never had to wonder what she was thinking as she was quite expressive. She put her all into everything - letting everyone know that she was the best, smartest, fastest, most beautiful dog in the world and longed to be acknowledged as such.

Yet, for all of her intensity, one of Penelope's favorite times was snuggle time. When she was being stroked and patted, she held very still and looked deep into your eyes - and there was a depth of knowledge and understanding in her gaze that is a rare and precious trait indeed. For those humans who have owned or known a lot of dogs, P stood out as one of those incredible gems that comes along but once in a lifetime.