Ear Aerodynamics: Primer & Update!

Primer By Harry Jennings A lot of people have been talking about their dog's ears of late, and I decided to do a little research and get the full story behind the stand-up "prick" ear that is seen in an increasingly large number of NGA dogs. Prick ears are nothing new, occasionally medieval manuscripts will talk of  dogs with prick ears (q.v. Le Levrier niais, Bib. Natl. MS 12203a).  However, it was with Downing in 1977 that the track world became aware of the efficacy of the prick ear. When coming into the first turn, the dogs must jockey for position, and decrease speed dramatically, so as not to go sailing off into the paddock area. Keith Dillon felt that what was needed was an air-brake system, similar to what was being employed on the Air Force's new F-15. Downing was the first and finest product of Dillon's directed breeding. Downing was able to sustain higher speeds further into the first turn, thus being able to pass the other dogs as they slowed. At the critical point,  Downing huge ears would pop straight up off his head, providing critical air resistance and slowing his speed dramatically, allowing him to make the turn. Eyewitnesses at the Hollywoodian in 1977 reported the "ka-WHUMP" of Downing's ears coming up was audible over the entire track. Invariably he lead races coming out of the second turn, and dominated down the  backstretch. Tragically, it was an ear accident that cut Downing's career short. During a  training race, Downing entered the first turn, but only his left ear deployed, the right ear, ironically, in a perfect rosette. The unstable aerodynamics of his half-deployed braking system pulled his head first down, then up over his left shoulder. Downing courageously avoided the traffic of the other dogs and attempted an emergency stop. Unfortunately, it was too late and Downing smashed through the outside rail, spun across an open area, and came to rest in a sno-cone concession. Downing did survive the accident, which Richard Petty compared to his dramatic turn two disaster at Darlington in 1967, however his hock was shattered and he could never race again. Keith Dillon, undaunted, pressed onward with his breeding program, producing Perceive, Nicky Finn, Keefer, Understood, and a host of others with the revolutionary air-brake  system. Mr. Dillon was sued by McDonnell Douglas (designers and  manufacturers of the F-15) for copyright infringement in 1980. The case is now in its 11th set of appeals, and is expected to reach the Supreme Court  by about 2007*. In other legal battles, the owner of the sno-cone concession was awarded $.75 in compensatory damages, and $11.7 million for pain and suffering. *NOTE: The case still has not been heard or settled and the expected Supreme Court date has been moved to 2017. DYNO-MUTT SYSTEMS PRESS RELEASE:     EAR AERODYNAMICS UPDATE Using the most advanced breakthroughs in genetic engineering, the  discarded design, and aged superstructure of a test vehicle codename "Lindsey Party", Dyno-Mutt Systems, Inc. research teams have been at  work. Background investigations show that this vehicle is a direct modification (mod. 4) of the land speed record holding "Downing" design.  Having no desire to experience the tragic structural failure and "crash and  burn" (see Ear Aerodynamics, above) due to improper air scoop  deployment, we have made the following changes. The "Lindsey Party" is lower to the ground (being in New Mexico may have influenced this) and the air scoops are reduced in size to 5/8  scale. We use and call this RAM AIR INDUCTION. This is how it works: The central processing unit (CPU) is suspended in a bath of shock  absorbing and electrically conductive saline solution. This has  reduced the "rattled brain" syndrome by 50%. The now smaller "air scoops" trap air and divert it down and  around the CPU. It is intercooled and an exchange of electrons is  passed to the CPU boosting RAM capabilities. The heavier, cooled air (mass now 1/3 greater) is passed around  the dual optical sensor array and is diverted to the "nose cone" of the Lindsey. This is where dual, water cooled (we think) passageways are located. These passageways are twin venturies and boost the air flow to SCRAMJET velocities. This now supersonic airstream can be controlled by the RAM expanded CPU to fire continuous thrusts or bursts (see snort, sneeze, sigh) of retro-rocket blasts of compressed air allowing subtle but effective braking control going into high speed turns. Safety note: during an actual live firing test of this model in Arizona, the Lindsey experienced an o-ring failure. This caused the CPU housing to veer from side to side (left to right) more than 10 degrees off the plane of horizontal travel. This caused a main structural failure of the port side, aft, propulsion device (see strut, actuator, "dog leg"). Our  bio-engineers provided a titanium pin once reputed to be  from a Warsaw Pact, "Red October", something or other.  After implementation of the pin into the aft, propulsion device, speed trials were set. Following completion of an extensive (and exhaustive) twelve weeks of "gotta walk before you can run" testing, Bionics department said A-OK. The 5/8 scale RAM AIR induction used in conjunction with the retro-rocket blasts has proven to be practical and very safe. After a field test in March, it was reported that John Glenn was present  and said, "I wish we had that system back in '63!" Actual performance testing was held recently in a remote area (56?) In New  Mexico and military installations of southern Colorado. It was there that the Lindsey upheld the field of honor (mom's apple pie, yadda, yadda, yadda) and we found that the system works. One point yet to be solved by our team  is that every time we are ready to leave the test sites, we are told to get  "BOB". After five recurring "Get the BOB" we really think we should look into this. Strange. Yours at DYNO-MUTT SYSTEMS, INC., Robert J. Summerhill President & King

Lindsay

Lindsay aka Lindsay Party aka Party Girl

Lindsay Party aka Party Girl

Lindsay is the one who started us onto the path of Greyhound ownership.  She was our First...  She was the original Dyno-Mutt....  She was and still is our inspiration.

Lindsay was a retired racing greyhound that we adopted from Recycled Racers in Denver, Colorado.  She was a brindle and the color of buttermilk with burnt toast stripes.  A beauty, she was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1991, a great-granddaughter of the incredible Downing, who is in the NGA Hall of Fame.  Her sire was the noted race dog, Killer Diller, whose littermates include: Uncle Albert, Aggie Mae, and Paperback Rider.  They were all top winning dogs.  Lindsay ran on the Southern Colorado circuit.  All the tracks where she ran have been closed - Pueblo and Colorado Springs.  She raced for the Robert Feathers kennel and she ran, placing consistently in the money, until her retirement in 1995, which is when we got her.

Lindsay was a dog that needed a job.  She wasn't happy as a retiree and she'd beat up on the other dogs.  So, we gave her a job, lure coursing.  Lindsay carried on the tradition of being a great running dog in lure coursing.  And, in short order, she achieved her field championships in both American Kennel Club (AKC) & American Sighthound Field Asso. (ASFA) events.  One of the funniest things I ever saw that involved Lindsay was when the judge decided to sit directly behind her at the start of her first Junior Courser (JC) run.  I no longer remember his name.

The judge decided to judge the JC runs by plopping a lawn chair directly behind the dogs at the start. When Lindsay came to the line, several people advised him, including me, that he really didn't want to sit there behind a greyhound.  But, he told us in no uncertain terms, "I know what I'm doing."  OK....

Lindsay at the 1997 ASFA I.I. in Pescadero, CA

When the hunt-master cried "Tally Ho!", as the slip lead fell away from her neck, Lindsay dug in with those powerful hind legs and sprinted off the line.  With that very powerful first thrust of the hind legs, she dug in and kicked up a rooster tail of rocks, dirt, cactus....  all of which flew back into the judge's face.  All I could hear at the line were thuds followed by, "Ow!  Ouch!  Damn!"  I still laugh and smirk.  Somehow, I think the judge learned something new that day - never sit behind a greyhound at the start.

Lindsay loved to run.  She loved to compete. We took her to a lure course held in Phoenix at the Estrella Mountain Park by the Desert Fun Bunch.  The day was December 7th.... Pearl Harbor Day.  

Lindsay won the Open Stakes and got to run for Best of Breed with a large, brindle dog named Cabo.  In the Best of Breed runoff against Cabo, Lindsay broke a metatarsal bone in her hind leg.  She never stopped running.  She hiked her leg up and finished the run, winning BOB.  We didn't even realize that there was a problem.  That night, she ate her dinner, we walked her and she never gimped.  At least, not until the next morning, which is when she developed a bit of a hitch in her git-along.  We pulled her from the competition and drove home to Albuquerque.  Two days later, she had surgery to fix the break.  The vet said she had to be kept quiet for at least 6 weeks, to allow the bone to properly knit. So, even tho' it wasn't allowed, I snuck her into my office at work for the next 4 weeks and she slept the day under my desk.  My co-workers absolutely loved her and she got a bit pudgy while working there.

Lindsay Flying in Estrella Mtn Park

After Pop died in 1999, my mom came to live with Rob & I.  On the saddest weekend in my life, November 6-8, 2003, we lost Lindsay the evening of Nov 6 and my mom the night of Nov 7.  We like to think that Lindsay died before mom so she could show her the way to heaven.  Mom died late the night of Nov 7th.  On Nov 8th, there was a local lure course and I went, not to run dogs, but to be among friends in my time of sorrow. I needed to be around people and their dogs.  I needed to be among the living.  It had been a rough, preceding 10 days during my mom's short, but deadly, illness.  During the lunch break, I looked up and I swear I saw Lindsay running around the far corner and down the backstretch.  As she stretched out, she disappeared from view.   I think she was telling me that she's OK and that she helped mom across the Rainbow Bridge.

In truth, a year or two later, Lindsay came to me in a dream.  In it, she was running in front of a big, black dog.  Soon, as they went around the near turn, the two of them ran across a bridge and disappeared into the mists.  The name "Cal" was stuck in my mind and the next day, I called an acquaintance of mine in Tulsa.  I asked her, "Teddi...  do you know a big, black dog named "Cal"?  If so, I think he just died."  Teddi lost it and broke down in tears.  Little did I know that a short time prior to this, she had adopted a retired stud dogs, Iruska Excalibur, a big black dog that she called "Cal".  He had died the day of my dream.  I told her of the dream and she was comforted.

Lindsay had found herself a job even after crossing over.  Her job is to escort people and dogs across the Rainbow Bridge, into heaven's fields.  That's our Party Girl. 

Nick

LR Saint Nick aka Nickerdoodle

A former racing dog, Nick ran on the Northern Colorado circuit at Mile High Kennel Club (now known as Wembley) and Cloverleaf.  His first race was on 19 July 2000 and, from what we can determine, his last race was on 18 April 2003, when he pulled up lame.  That is a long time running for a race dog.  While he was racing, he was rather successful, running in 133 events on the northern Colorado circuit at Mile High KC and Cloverleaf, winning 3 Grade A races at Mile High and 1 at Cloverleaf.  

Nick came into our lives by a twist of fate.  We were not looking for another greyhound, however, his "adopter" was trying to return him to his adoption group, Rocky Mountain Greyhound Adoption (RMGA).  You see, she had had a baby and now, all of the sudden, Nick was "too much trouble".  Jan Woll, leader of the adoption group, called me and asked if we could possibly take him in until transport back to them could be arranged.  "Of course!" came my swift reply.  Well, to make a long story short, the dog who was "too much trouble" for one adopter, came here to Dyno-Mutt and never left. 

Nick was an absolutely wonderful hound.  He could not have been better behaved or have a better temperament. He was a kind and generous soul. Nick was great in the house and I left him inside for many, many hours and he never soiled the place.  He was as sweet as the day long and got along well with everyone: cats, dogs, kids, and humans. Nick was a credit to his breeder, Lori D. Rodgers.  

LR Saint Nick - Race Record Summary

Nick loved to run in the backyard with the other dogs, so we decided to let him try lure coursing, hoping that whatever plagued him on the track had resolved itself.  After examining him, our vet could find no reason not to try him.  So, we did.  However, the one time we let him run, he again pulled up lame in the left shoulder. So, he never got to play the game again.   

Nick's Races Each Year

Nick graced our home and pack for 8 years after his retirement from racing in April 2003.  He came to live with us in late summer that same year.  We were blessed the day his former adopter didn't realize what a "Saint", Nick truly is. 

My eternal thanks to Jan for calling me that day and for allowing us to keep Nick.

Pedigree