National Purebred Dog Day Campaign - What Happens If

Tonight, our campaign broke the $9,000 mark!  There are ebbs and flows to this campaign, and I still believe that it has yet to go viral in a way I think is entirely possible. The message of the video is solid, and the more people who see it, the more buzz there is about what National Purebred Dog Day is doing, and what it can accomplish.

Imagine one of those inane (and often inaccurate) lists we find on Yahoo or the Huffington Post claiming to know the "Top Ten Most (fill in the blank) Breeds" being replaced by the results of a survey of 35,000 purebred dog owners who know what they're talking about?  Those 35,000 people are the fans of the NPDD page!

This is what a grassroots movement looks like, friends, and you've helped advance it. Each one of you.  And what does it look like when those efforts get noticed? Like this:

National Purebred Dog Day's campaign was named Number One in KickSpy's Top 100 Campaigns in Journalism as of tonight. Let's keep it going!

In checking the progress of the campaign the other day, I became concerned when the progress graph flat lined.  The fundraising effort was stagnant.  It didn't go anywhere for  24 hours. You know, I really dislike seeing flat lines in graphs.

My guess for the flat line is that people are afraid to support a movement for purebred dogs, for the breeders of purebred dogs. Too  many people are afraid of alienating their friends, fans base or audience. After all, it isn't politically correct.  The PC police may come after us. 

That's one reason why this grassroots effort is being made; why it must be successful; and why those of us who stand to lose the most must support it. The rich and famous will always be able to get whatever kind of dog they want. Who will suffer? Guess. We & the dogs do.  This is time to call in favors, reach out to the people we know with a bully pulpit, anyone with a blog, massive Twitter audience, or even write to a celeb.

And finally, I've been asked what happens not only if the goal isn't met, but if it is.  Since I won't entertain negative thoughts about the campaign right now, I'll answer the last question.  If the goal is met before the deadline, I hope people keep donating! Why? Two reasons: First, because, as my mom always used to say, things always cost more than you think they will. If I missed something in calculating expenses, it'd be nice to have that cushion. Second, if, and it's a big if, some of the donations have been made by people unsympathetic to our cause who intend to pull them at the 11th hour thereby dooming us to fail, a cushion would protect against that.

Till the next update, keep up the good fight, keep sharing the Kickstarter link and the video, talk about it with your friends, and love your purebred dogs.

National Purebred Dog Day

Did you know that there are more panda bears in the world than there are Skye Terriers?

I'm asking for the help of every purebred dog owner & enthusiast with this project.  Please share the link with ten of your friends and ask them to do the same.  Put it up on your Facebook page; post it on your clubs' pages.  Share with your hunting buddies because they too are impacted by animal laws, by breed specific legislation, and by the animal rights movement to restrict dog breeding.  Whether their dogs are purebreds purchased from an ethical breeder, adopted from a shelter, or re-homed from breed rescue, we are all in the fight of our lives to save our breeds and to preserve our right to own the dogs of our choice.

Will this save the world?  No.  But if having a national day recognizing purebred dogs and their contributions to the world; if having a website to help give voice to us as purebred dog owners & lovers, maybe it's a little start. I know I am tired of not having a voice.

In an effort to promote & celebrate purebred dogs, we hope to have this video go viral and to have a movement that sweeps the nation, but it can only do so with your help.

Please watch the video and offer your support at National Purebred Dog Day.

We all thank you.

Windmills of One's Mind

Haven't updated in a while and for that I'm sorry.  Life is taking me on a roller coaster, right now, and half the time I don't know if I'm coming or going or coming or going....  Reminds me of a song, The Windmills of Your Mind, which is the theme from the Thomas Crowne Affair (1968).

Round like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel,
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning, running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of it's face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.

My mind is just going around & around & around....  You see, I've had little in the way of response with regard to people wanting Glory puppies.  I don't understand why, unless it is the economy.  She's a beautiful dog with a beautiful temperament as are all her siblings & her parents.  Go figure...  People would rather spend $1000+ on a "Labradoodle"....  a mutt....  than a well bred greyhound.  I just don't get it.

Glory On Her Retirement Sofa

Anyway, we've been working on finishing Glory's Grand Championship and she's almost there.  She only needs ONE MORE POINT!

She's been out 6 times as a champion, in fact, I took her off her retirement sofa after 2 years to exhibit her one day, and one day only, to Dr. Edna K. Martin (Midge Martin). That was in May 2012.  Since then, she's only been out at 6 local shows held in Albuquerque & Los Lunas.  In that very limited showing, she's taken 6 majors under 6 different judges:  Midge Martin, James Fredricksen, Sari Brewster-Tietjen, Houston Clark, Anthony DiNardo, and Russ McFadden.

Thank you!

So, right now, it's one day I want Glory puppies and the next day, I don't.  You may be wondering why?  It's not because of her, it's because I'm getting older.  I'm 58 & hubby is going to be 62.  Greyhounds average a 12 year lifespan, so I'm asking myself, do I really want a dog (any dog), when I'm 65 years old and hubby is 69?   More & more, I'm thinking....  no.

So...  the windmills of my mind are going & going & going....

Jetty - DM Fast Frigate, Part 1

Jetty, Age 6 wks

Jetty was a Feather son. As white as his mother was, Jetty was that black.  Like his mother, he was gorgeous and graceful.  Sadly, his testicles did not descend. At 3 months of age, it was time to find Jetty a loving pet home, an appropriate home for a greyhound puppy.

Due to the wonders of the internet, a home was found for Jet in Michigan.  The people had great references and sounded perfect, so arrangements were made for Jetty to go & live with them.

I should have known better...  The relationship between us started off with a disagreement over castrating the boy prior to his going there.  Greyhound puppies as a large breed should not be castrated before their growth plates close, which is usually around 13-14 months of age.  This is something in which I firmly believe as early castration leads to excessive bone growth and it has been linked to some other health issues such as incontinence. But, the home sounded so good for the boy...  I went against my gut and judgment and had the boy castrated prior to his trip to Michigan.

Gizmo the Cat & Jet

Please note that castration for a bilateral cryptorchid is not an easy surgery.  The vet has to go in through the abdominal cavity to find the hidden testicles and, in Jet's case, they were way up by the bladder. Anyway, we had him castrated and about a week later, he developed a urinary tract infection (UTI).  He was put on antibiotics and arrangements were made to transport him to Michigan.

Laurel Drew & I transported the boy part of the way to his new home in Michigan.  We had him in a crate with a pad. He was such a good boy!  He never whined, never messed... He was so good.  We met up with the next person (name now forgotten) in what we call a GUR (Greyhound Run). Along the way, Adrienne Breummer in St. Charles, Missouri, had agreed to house him until he could meet up with the next transporter on his way.  Jet made such an impression on Adrienne, she dropped us a line asking to have him if the new home didn't work out for any reason.  Uhm...  OK...  but I don't think he'll be going anywhere...  even so, I saved Adrienne's email.

The transporters kept in touch with us all along the way, giving us updates and telling us how good he was.  Finally, Jet, his medical record, and his medications for the UTI were handed off to his new owners and then she handed him & his medications over to his new owners.

Jet at Adrienne's Home

A couple of weeks later, we got a phone call from the new owners. It seems that Jet was having problems with urinary leaking.  They had taken him to their vet and he told them that Jet's urinary tract and bladder were not properly formed.  What?  I asked my vet, who had neutered him, if there were any problems with his urinary tract and she told me everything was normal. The new vet wanted to do some kind of surgery that was the equivalent of a urostomy! After discussions with the new owners, it was decided that Jet would come home.

On the return trip, Jet again had the chance to stay with Adrienne.  She again asked me if she could keep the boy.  We discussed it and I told her that I could not saddle her with a defective dog, one that would probably leak urine uncontrollably for the rest of his life. We went round & round with Adrienne getting a concession out of me...  I'd let the boy stay there on a trial basis.

(End Part 1)

Feather Too

So, how did Feather come to be a Dyno-Mutt hound?

Laurel asked Rob & I if we would get Feather "into condition" for the upcoming lure coursing season. Sure...  why not...  So she came here to live with us for a bit of time...  a month or two or three, as needed.  Then, back to Laurel's home.  Some people from Texas came to visit Laurel after the Valencia Valley shows in October and they saw Feather. She was so lovely that day...  Laurel offered to sell her to them. The man was smitten, but his wife wasn't. They offered Laurel some ridiculously low sum of money. I mumbled something to the effect that it was a ridiculous offer, which Laurel heard. She refused and so, back out to the Dyno-Mutt homestead to live with us for the coursing season.  One day, after coming out here to the eastern side of the Sandia mountains to visit Feather, Laurel decided that she was much happier with us and she put us on her papers.  Feather never left.

Ch El-Aur Summer Breeze FCh (Feather) - 1997 Pescadero International Invitational, Photo by Rick Dodd

Oh Feather could run.  She was fast and agile, but silly.  We tried running her on the training track at Abilene Greyhound Park one year.  She ran about 50' and then laid down on the wet sand.  That was bad enough, but then, she started rolling in it.  Oh my....

Feather may not have run on the track, but she was a good coursing bitch.  She never quite finished her AKC field championship, but she did finish one in ASFA, which many people consider the tougher of the two.  She ran in two International Invitationals and a Region 3 Regional.  She would also run rabbits and, given the opportunity, she'd try and take a squirrel out in a heartbeat.  In fact, while she was waiting to be bred, in 2002, she stayed with friends in Michigan.  They had a large maple tree in their back yard and a squirrel would come down to the lowest branches and taunt the hounds.  One day, Feather positioned herself under that branch, judged the distance between her & the squirrel and launched herself straight up!  She got tail feathers and the squirrel ran up the tree, and never again ventured that close to the ground.  Feather, however, was absolutely DISGUSTED that she missed.  That's OK... her daughter, Jib, and her granddaughter, Chispa, are carrying on the tradition of trying to get squirrels in trees.

Sailing Litter: (L-R) Javelin, Dash, Bugsy, Slate, Jib, Jetty

In March 2002, Feather was bred to DC Can Ch Lakilanni Scatpak Barracuda (Cuda) and produced six healthy strong puppies - our Sailing Litter. This breeding was in the planning stages for three years and it combined two super performance lines of show greyhounds. The pups were whelped on May 26, 2002 and they became the Sailing Litter: Javelin, Jib, Dash, Bugsy, Jetty, and Slate. They fulfilled all of our wildest dreams, winning in the breed ring and on the field. Jib & Dash had group placements; Bugsy went Winners Dog at the Greyhound Club of America's National Specialty and also at Morris & Essex to finish his championship.  Jib & Javelin were dual champions. ALL OF THEM were outstanding companions.

Feather was a great mom and our foundation bitch.  I see her in her children and grand children.  Our Feather girl is still with us today.
 

Feather

Ch El-Aur Summer Breeze FCh

Feather had several nicknames but the two by which she was called the most were Featherlette & Featherkins.  Feather, by any other name, was still our Feather...  a sweet, sweet dog.  She was our "White Witch."  We dearly loved our Feather girl.  Feather stole our hearts.

How we acquired Feather is a story in itself. Laurel Drew, her breeder, sent her to our home to be conditioned for the upcoming lure coursing season.  When she came to us, she was soft & in "show weight".  "Show weight" is not conducive to outstanding coursing and it needed to be converted to hard muscle. We got her into shape and planned to make her coming out party the ASFA Region 3 up in Colorado Springs.

Ch El-Aur Summer Breeze SC FCh

Feather had never been on a road trip with us. She was used to travelling, but she always went with Laurel. On the drive up to the Springs, we stopped at the Ft. Union rest area to potty the dogs.  We had 2 of ours, Lindsay & Jato, and Feather.  Lindsay voided...  Jato voided...  Feather didn't.  Well, maybe she doesn't have to go.  Back into the pickup truck and back onto the road.  Next stop...  the Springs!

We get there and met up with Lisa Thompson and her Irish Wolfhound, MacGregor. We were staying at the same hotel. As we were walking all the dogs, we found a lovely little cafe with sidewalk seating. They were enthralled by the dogs, especially MacGregor, and invited us to bring the dogs back for dinner at a sidewalk table. It was a date!

During our walk, Feather still hadn't gone.  Hmmm...  No cause for panic - yet.  She just doesn't have to go...

We met up and ate dinner and, again, took the dogs for a long walk in the area.  Feather still had not produced.  Maybe she has a special word?  We're walking her...  "C'mon Feather...  go pee!  Feather...  take a dump....  Feather, go ka ka...  Feather...."  I'm sure you get the picture.  By now, it's going on 10 pm and it's time for a call to Laurel.

One ringy dingy...  Two ringy dingies...

A sleepy Laurel answers, "Hello"?

"Hey Laurel?  How do you get Feather to go to the bathroom?  We've been walking her & walking her & walking her.  We've said, "go pee...  go ka ka...  go poo" and NOTHING!"

Laurel laughed and said, "Tell her to 'Hurry up!'".

Back outside and at the first dogwalk area...  "Feather!  HURRY UP!"  She immediately squatted and had this total look of relief on her face.  Then, she looked at us as if to say, "What took you so long????"

Argh......  That was our Feather.  She was so blonde that she was white.

At the lure course, Feather had a most successful coming out party.  She ran away with a placement and points towards her ASFA field championship. It was a joyous ride home.

Slate

DM Snow's Legacy on the Wind  

Wayne & Slate - Best Buds

Slate was owned by and lived with Kathy & Wayne Johnson in Michigan.  Kathy is also known by her business, Feathered Gems Jewelry.

When Kathy found out that I was breeding Feather, she really wanted one of the puppies.  You see, Kathy owned his granddam, Snow (Ch El-Aur Fair Deal FCh) and his cousin, Allegra (El-Aur Dragon Magic JC). You can definitely see the family resemblance.

Slate's registered name was DM Snow's Legacy On The Wind, which was a compromise between Kathy & I.  In sticking with the sailing theme, I wanted to call him "On the Wind".  Kathy wanted to call him, "Snow's Legacy".  As it is, combining the two worked out quite nicely giving him a beautiful and melodic registered name, which also gave credit to his granny, Snow.   And (we later figured this out), if the letters of his call name are rearranged, they spell "Tesla", which was the name of the Johnson's very first greyhound, Greys Gold Rush.

Feather's Litter - Slate on top in the middle

The pups were whelped at the home of Laurel Drew, they lived there for the first 5 weeks of their lives.  I am ever so thankful that they were whelped at Laurel's home because she helped me through the experience of the difficult birth and the c-section and then, when it was discovered that Feather had very little milk, bottle feeding the entire litter of pups!

Slate was a strapping 16 oz puppy when he was born, but he had a very poor suckle. We don't know why as he was a lovely & well developed baby.  There were a couple of times I thought we were going to lose him because he lost weight & became dehydrated. That was when we started bottle feeding.  Even on the bottle, the boy had a poor suckle. We wound up tube feeding him.  Eventually, he got stronger and a couple of weeks later, the entire litter was eating a slurry of meat, baby rice cereal, and goats milk, which was supplemented by the bottle.  He ate quite well and was fine after transitioning to the food. Who knows...

When Slate was a puppy, I convinced a reluctant Kathy to try dog shows.  "Just try it..." I'd cajole her.  Kathy is probably a lot smarter than me as she really doesn't care for the dog show routine. She's definitely saving herself some money that way!  Anyway, She did attend two specialty shows with the boy, one in TX and one in Upstate NY.  In Texas, the boy won his class and somewhere there is a picture of this lovely blue dog with a medallion & blue ribbon. He & Kathy stopped showing when he developed an overbite. In the words of Marty Bradford, "He should finish, but I wouldn't breed him."  We don't know from where the bite problem came.

Slate was very smart.  He had favored toys and he learned to ring bells to go outside. He would wait at the door until given permission to come inside.  One of his favorite things was a gumball treat dispenser that Kathy filled with Cheerios.  She had to take it away because he was getting fat!

According to Kathy, Slate was never really friendly with other dogs.  He wasn't nasty, just didn't want to associate with them. But, at home, he was never anything but sweet. When she brought home the 13 weeks old puppy, Jack (UKC Ch DM Union Jack FCh) he was very good with the rambunctious puppy.  She said he was much the way with Jack, teaching him the rules of the house, they way cousin Allegra taught him.

Slate has his own webpage, with many of the photos that Kathy took during his life with her.  Sadly, Slate was diagnosed in Nov 2009 with chronic renal failure.  That disease combined with a bad back injury cost him and in late July 2010, he joined his Grandma Snow, Momma Feather, and cousins Allegra & BJ at the Rainbow Bridge.

Slate was one of the Sailing Litter born by emergency c-section on May 26, 2002. Kathy has a larger website with lots of pictures of his entire litter from birth to 10 weeks of age.  You can view it at Feather and 'Cuda's Puppies and you can see the litter's pedigree at Greyhound-Data.

Jiblet

Jiblet was my joy!  Jiblet was the apple of my eye!  Oh how I loved my Jiblet!  Oh how I cried for months, stretching into years, after she died in an accident in the back yard. Rob & I were absolutely devastated and we were within a hare's breath of getting out of dogs.

DCh DM Flying Jib FCh - "Jiblet"

Jib was very typical of the dogs that are bred here at DM Greyhounds - athletic, healthy, graceful and beautiful to behold.  However...

 "JIBLET!!!!"

If I only had a penny for each time...  if only....

Jib was drop dead gorgeous and had  personality galore. She was my "girly girl", a silly goose and very much a busy body.  She was always into something and when she was, it usually surrounded looking for something to 'collect' as she was a great collector of objects: my favorite shoes, my toothbrush, me...  Well, I'm sure you get the picture.  Lordy that girl was a trip!

Greyhounds are an ancient hunting breed and, as a baby, Jib made her first 'kill' when she caught and killed a mouse!  She was 6 weeks old at that time.  She turned into a superior mouser and didn't hesitate to snap up flies, spiders, and other bugs in an instant.  This made her a great favorite here as I don't do bugs.  Ugh!

Mr. Jackrabbit, Javelin (yellow), Hadley (pink), Jib (blue)

Jib loved to hunt.  She was deadly on hares and over a span of 4 years, she was working on an open field coursing title.  Jib was good and she showed a great deal of endurance, running long, long courses after the wily black tailed jack rabbit.  Some of her courses were well over two minutes and some approached four minutes in length.  She had all of her placements and credits towards a NOFCA open field title, lacking only enough points to finish that championship.

Jib Chasing a Jackrabbit (right) in Tall Grass

Her open field credits included a win over two of the top greyhounds in the country: Point Breeze Lionheart and Lady MacBeth.  With all that running, she held up exceptionally well, sustaining only one minor injury, a toe, in her last year of open field, in the run that earned her a berth in NOFCA's version of the International Invitational, the Grand Course.  That was the run with Lionheart & Lady MacBeth.

Jib was prepping for another season of open field when she suffered a career ending injury while lure coursing.  It was sustained in a collision with a larger greyhound. She was tee-boned on a turn right in the loin, which left her with some neurological issues in her rear legs.  Her rear just never worked right after that.

In the breed ring, Jib's first points came when she was still in the 9-12 month puppy class.  She went Best of Breed on Saturday and Best of Opposite Sex on Sunday, both days over older bitches, to get the points.  That was just a precursor of what was to come.

Jib - BOW Under Noted Greyhound Judge, Richard Bauer

 At the huge San Antonio cluster on July 10, 2003 at age 14 months, Jib took her first major worth 4 points from the Bred By Exhibitor class.  The judge was the noted Miss Dorothy M. MacDonald.  The next day, under judge Bettie Krause, she went Reserve Winners Bitch.  On the 3rd day, she was in the ribbons with a 2nd place in BBX.  However, on day 4, which was July 13, she again went Winners Bitch under judge Richard Bauer.  Unfortunately, the major broke and the win was only worth 2 points.  Hey!  Points are points!

Jib finished her championship easily, before 2 years of age, with additional majors from Mr. Nelson Huber in February 2004 and Mike (Michele) Billings in March 2004 at the supported entry for the Fort Worth Kennel Club show.  And, in September 2004, judge George Heitzman awarded her a Group 4 at the Sangre de Cristo Kennel Club shows.

Mar 2005 - Jib Getting an Award of Merit under George S. Bell

In March 2005, she earned an Award of Merit from noted greyhound breeder judge, Mr. George S. Bell, at the Greyhound Club of America's Southern Specialty.  And, due to finishing the year as one of the Top Twenty greyhounds in the country, she received an invite to the 2006 Eukanuba National Championship show held in Long Beach, CA.

 Only recently, Jib has started with a behavior that her dam, Feather, used to do. If she doesn't want to do something, she'll roll over on her back, showing her belly in a rather submissive gesture.  It is most embarrassing and she only does it if there are other people around!  She doesn't do it when it is only us.  Danged bitch!  She's a pistol!  She's good and she knows it.

 In addition to a very good show career, Jiblet has two lure coursing field championships.  Like B.J., she showed her versatility by winning Best of Breed in the conformation ring at the Shawnee, OK shows and then winning Best of Breed at the concurrent lure course.  We got our exercise that day...  running from the ring to the lure course...  running from the lure course to the group ring....  running from the group ring to the lure course....  Should have seen us in the group ring...  she had grass stains on her hocks!  They were green!  She did get a pull in the group, but not a placement.  After the group ring and running back to the coursing field, Jib went Best In Field (BIF). Other than Jib & B.J., I really do not know of any other greyhounds with this kind of versatility and ability!  In addition to her many lure coursing Best of Breed wins, she won Greyhound Breed and the Fantasy Trophy at the 2006 ASFA International Invitational held in Colorado Springs.  What a thrill!

Sailing Litter - Left to Right:  Javelin, Dash, Bugsy, Slate, Jib, Jetty

Jib truly showed that beauty and function go together. Jib was an outstanding greyhound and she was everything for which I hoped.  She was one of our Sailing Litter.

A joy with which to live with tons of personality, one couldn't have asked for a better bitch.  She is a tough act to follow.

Jib had been health screened for hip dysplasia, thyroid conditions and cardiac abnormalities, passing all her clearances with flying colors!  (Hmmm....  puppy name?  Flying Colors?) Her health clearances can be found on the OFA website.

We bred Jib in 2009, but puppies were not in the cards and she died before a repeat breeding could happen.

I so miss my lovely Jiblet.  May she be resting and tormenting her sister up there in heaven.

Code of Ethics

DM Union Jack - 7 wks old

We AKC hobby breeders create life by breeding dogs. As a result, we need to protect those animals which we produced.  They are our responsibility as they would not exist, except for us.  Our responsibility does not end when they are purchased.  We continue to be responsible for them and it is our duty to bring them home if they should want for love, a place to live, or for any reason.

We also have a responsibility to the breed, which includes striving to produce long-lived, healthy dogs with the physical and mental ability to do the job for which they were historically bred and used.  Most of all, the dogs we produce MUST be able to live with people, as companions and friends.  They are, after all, "man's best friend".  To that end....

• DM Greyhounds strives to achieve the highest quality greyhound in each and every litter with regard to: temperament, health, intelligence, physical ability and conformation while maintaining breed characteristics.

• DM Greyhounds breeds temperamentally sound and physically mature dogs, preferably those who have attained a championship in either the breed ring or the coursing field.  We also believe in testing for genetic health conditions.

• DM Greyhounds has each puppy examined by a vet prior to them being offered for sale. 

• DM Greyhounds urges people with pet puppies to voluntarily spay / neuter their pets, after they reach physical maturity.  It is not a requirement because of recent veterinary studies indicating the potential of an increase in specific health issues, which include, but are not limited to: bone cancer, incontinence, and tendon & ligament injuries in performance dogs. Pet pups are placed with AKC Limited Registration.

• DM Greyhounds' puppy purchasers become part of our extended family. We stay in touch with them to make sure that everything is working out OK with their dog and also to help the owners with any problems they may be having. It allows us to keep tabs on the health & temperament of our pups as they mature.  We gladly disclose any issues in our hounds to potential buyers and other breeders.

• DM Greyhounds requires that any dog of our breeding is returned to us, if it cannot be kept for ANY reason.  This requirement is NON-NEGOTIABLE.  It is put into every contract for the protection of the dog.

DM Star Spangled Banner - 6 wks

• DM Greyhounds retains the right to breed our personal bitches to dogs of our breeding.  We will notify and discuss the potential breeding with the dog's owner and, if the breeding comes to fruition, we will provide the dog's owner with appropriate compensation for expenses they may incur that are the result of the breeding. For bitch pups, we ask that you contact us prior to any breeding to discuss the merits and problems associated with it.

• DM Greyhounds does not engage in false or misleading advertisement of our dogs.  We encourage people to contact owners of greyhounds of our breeding.  We will provide email contact information, but only to serious purchasers.

• DM Greyhounds neither sells nor gives dogs of our breeding to pet stores, wholesale dealers, known substandard breeders, labs, or animal shelters.  We require that our dogs be companions first and that they live in a home where they are provided with appropriate shelter, nutrition, control/restraint, and medical care. 

• DM Greyhounds strongly encourages our dog owners to do something with their dog.  Doing something with your dog strengthens the bond between you.  It also makes for a happy, well adjusted animal.  A bored dog is a dog that gets into trouble.  We believe that a happy puppy (and puppy owner) is a tired puppy.

• DM Greyhounds continues to educate ourselves, our 'extended family' and other with regards to the greyhound breed.  We participate in "meet the breed" and adoption "meet & greet" events and we have actively participated in greyhound rescue & adoption since 1995.

Welcome to Dyno-Mutt Systems, a Division of Yummy Mutt Feeds...

DCh DM Flying Jib FCh  aka Jiblet

That was the introduction to our original website.  At that time, Dyno-Mutt Greyhounds was a fictional, bio-engineering firm which made bionic improvements to greyhounds.  One of those improvements were enhanced ear scoops for maximum oxygen intake.  Another was "F.A.A.R.T. - Fast Acceleration And Rapid Transit".   "F.A.A.R.T." was an independent system which could be 'hooked up' to your greyhound to provide natural gas propulsion to vehicles.  In an emergency situation, a "F.A.A.R.T." equipped greyhound could be hooked up to one's natural gas heating system.  It is said that the City of Albuquerque, in its efforts to go "green", are utilizing many "F.A.A.R.T." equipped greyhounds in their power plants.  Unfortunately, most all of our "Press Releases" have been lost over time.  However, we still have a copy of "Ear Aerodynamics - Update!" and "F.A.A.R.T." 

 Now, the name "Dyno-Mutt" has come to exemplify the best in show and performance greyhounds.  We are  AKC Breeders of Merit and we strive to breed greyhounds which successfully compete in all venues: lure coursing, hunting, and the breed ring.   To that end, we have had several dual champions and many field champions.  We have had a major winner at a Greyhound Club of America specialty show and two, nationally ranked greyhounds.  In addition, four of our greyhounds have been or are invitees to the Eukanuba National Championship.

About Us

My husband, Rob, is retired Navy, who served aboard destroyers for his entire career.  One of the places he served was Vietnam, Southeast Asia, during the "Conflict".  He was there in 1969-1970.  Other ports of call were Newport, Charleston, Long Beach, and San Diego.  There were others, but this is a good representation. Rob's last rate in the Navy was that of a Chief, Gunners Mate (GMGC). Some of the ships on which he served were the USS Joseph Hewes, the USS Hewitt, and the USS Stump.  Rob is now working as an engineer in a completely different field of endeavor, medical electronics. To be specific, he installs, maintains, and calibrates nuclear imaging equipment.  He went from Nuke weapons to Nuke med.  

As for me, I am a former steelworker from Baltimore, Maryland.  I met Rob in 1987 at the now defunct E & B Marine Supply store in Glen Burnie, MD.  At that time, I was laid-off from "The Point" and working there.  The day I met him, I sold him some bottom paint and offered to paint his bottom.  He still isn't sure which bottom I was referring to!  

It wasn't long before Rob turned into one of my regular customers.  One day, he told me how he didin't have time to replace the water pump on his boat.  I offered to do the job for him for $100, if he bought the parts.  He bit and told me where to find his boat and arrangments were made.  I found the boat and pulled the old water pump.  When I went to put on the new one, there wasn't a gasket.  Joy.  What water pump kit doesn't include a gasket?  It's a no brainer, right?  Anyway, using a ball peen hammer, I cut a gasket out of the thin cardboard backing of the bubble pack in which the pump came.  I slathered it with Never-Seez, put it all together, tested the engine for leaks, buttoned her up and left.  Rob came in a day or two later to pay me for the work and he kept saying, "You know how to cut a gasket with a ball peen hammer..."  He sounded amazed.  Doesn't everyone know how to cut one?  Rob was hooked.  He has since told me that any woman who knows how to cut a gasket with a ball peen hammer is a woman worth marrying!  Whatever.

Tyche on the Patapsco River near Baltimore

When I met him, I lived aboard a 28' Morgan sailboat, the good boat Tyche.  Working at the store had at least one other, really good benefit - it ensured that my boat (and floating home) was kept in good repair.  Yes, I was a boat bum.  I lived aboard a 28' Morgan sailboat, the good boat Tyche. 

Tyche is the Greek goddess of Fortune, Chance & Fate.  She was associated with good fortune, luck & prosperity.  Tyche was represented with different attributes. When holding a rudder, she was conceived as the divinity guiding and conducting the affairs of the world, and in this respect she was called one of the Moirai (Fates); with a ball she represented the varying unsteadiness of fortune--unsteady and capable of rolling in any direction; with Ploutos or the horn of Amalthea, she was the symbol of the plentiful gifts of fortune.  For a sailing vessel, the name is most appropriate.  The good vessel Tyche took care of her passengers and crew.  She bestowed good fortune on all who sailed aboard her.

Anyway, when I wasn't working at the store, I was out on the Chesapeake Bay - sailing on Tyche!  I'd take her out by myself (sailing solo) or with others, if they wanted.  Many times, I took out weekend and overnight charters and served as a skipper for two sailing clubs, the Chesapeake Sailing Association and Singles On Sailboats.   Now, my wandering ways are gone, as are Rob's, except for wandering off to the occasional dog event.  We are a long ways from the Chesapeake and we now call New Mexico home.  

We have other interests, which include photography, British cars, and shooting sports.  I also am an adoption rep for A Place for Us Greyhound Rescue, a group which has been around since 1997.  I cannot say enough about these creatures called greyhounds. They are intelligent, sweet tempered, well mannered and a joy to be around.

Well, that's all for now. Come again soon and please don't hesitate to contact us at jato791@yahoo.com.