Why the long face?

How does the song go? “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.” Well, the long face in the photo above is because Dash has lost hers … and ten others besides! That now makes a total of more than twenty teeth that have gone missing since she retired. I know what you’re thinking – I’ve been spoiling her with treats and sweets. Not true. She gets two square meals a day and a twice-weekly tooth brushing. Sometimes a tripe stick in between that acts as the equivalent of a good old-fashioned flossing. I even sprinkle the latest seaweed remedy (the charmingly named ‘Plaque off’) onto her food in the hope it might halt the decay. At least she still has all four canine teeth – she’d hardly qualify as a hound without them. Anyway, dentistry aside, here we are at the year’s end. Next February finally sees the publication of the book and let’s hope it’s a runaway success. Who knows – 2011 may prove to the ‘Bitch of the Year’ after all! In the meantime, season’s greetings to one and all. If you’re a greyhound owner, make sure you wrap up the dog as well as the presents. Looks like it’s going to be chilly out there …

Dash back on the blog

Don’t worry – Dash is back and now ‘unmuzzled’! Apologies for the lack of postings over the last month, but a pause/paws was put on the blog due to negotiations with a UK national newspaper who want to run a piece about the story and book. So in this case, no news is most definitely good news! With less than two months to go till publication, momentum is starting to build. Dash herself is limbering up, too, and last Saturday, she led a greyhound walk in east Oxford. About fifteen hounds and their families braved the damp to show off their wet weather gear. There were even a few festive tinsel trimmings on coats and collars. Dash, as you’d expect, was comfortable out in front, and delighted to be among friends. If you’re looking for her in the photo, you can see her rear end actually disappearing off the right-hand side. Typical Dash – always moving at speed when the shutter goes! Also in preparation for publication, Dash is off to get her teeth checked and cleaned at the vet’s tomorrow. This is always a nerve-wracking occasion for owners of ex-racers since, due to the greyhound’s lack of insulating body fat, there’s a real risk in putting one under general anaesthetic. This risk being that it won’t wake up. Yikes! The thing is that, as a breed, greyhounds have notoriously bad teeth. Dash’s top front row are so loose they practically rattle, so watch this space in case the next posting brings news that she needs doggy dentures!