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.