Dash Extravaganza!

The first photo of Dash above was taken at the Greyhound Extravaganza in Suffolk by www.amantephotography.com. The colour and quality are wonderful. The hay bales add a rural touch, and nicely match the gold on her coat. It’s just the pose that’s a bit odd, but there’s only Dash to blame for that. It looks like she’s just spotted a hare going past the barn door! To be fair, though, it was an odd day all round. Oxford and Newmarket in Suffolk aren’t close, but we arrived at our destination in just over two hours. This probably had something to do with the shiny new sat-nav stuck to my windscreen. Yup, I’ve finally succumbed. No more crumpled pieces of paper with directions to dog shows in the back of beyond; no more phoning up organizers from a lay-by and, after explaining that we’re going to be late, asking if they could stay on the line while I follow the sound of their voice. Instead, at ten o’clock sharp, Dash and I trotted up to the stand of the event sponsor, www.burgesspetcare.co.uk. (Burgess also sponsored the launch of ‘Dash: Bitch of the Year’ and we attended the Greyhound Walks Show in Essex as their guests, so Richard Rockett – real name, very nice guy – is fast becoming one of Dash’s pals. That’s him in the second photo above.) The stand itself was right next to the main ring – a prime position. It was also right next to the public address system, so we spent the first half hour shouting into people’s ears as if we were at a nightclub. Fortunately, it was later turned down. Also fortunately, the weather stayed fine and the turnout was good. It was gratifying that plenty of people (and their hounds) came up to say that they’d already read the book. Perhaps I should have offered to buy it back at resell it to someone else at half price?! But it’s not only about ‘shifting units’. I was there to meet and share stories with more greyhound lovers; I also had a perfect view as the different classes were judged in the fun dog show. The ‘fancy dress’ class is the one that always cracks me up. There were some hilarious outfits, including a really good one of a grey-muzzled male as the Red Baron, with flying ace goggles and, best of all, a pair of floppy wings. It was obvious that some owners had spent considerable time and effort in making the costumes, like the spotted flamenco outfit pictured above sported by ‘Kenza’, a Spanish greyhound or ‘galgo’. The oddest part of the day was still to occur however. As the crowd began to thin out, we said our goodbyes and set off for Oxford. Three miles later, the car broke down. A sat-nav can do many things, but it can’t replace dead spark plugs and a blown coil pack! Six hours and two tow-trucks after that, we finally arrived in Oxford. For those of you who know the story in ‘Dash: Bitch of the Year’, it wasn’t the first time Dash has seen the inside of a tow-truck! My hope is that it'll be the last …

Camping Dash-style!

What could be better than waking up next to a loved one? Well, I’d be able to tell you if a certain greyhound hadn’t got between me and my wife when we went camping last weekend. Since we don’t have one of those tents with ‘pods’ that keep people and pets in separate sleeping compartments, everyone gets bundled in together. Dash started out on her mat at the foot of the sleeping bag, but by morning was stretched out on top of said bag, and also on top of me. On waking, the view I was treated to was straight up her nostrils (see photo above). The view was accompanied by a handsome blast of dog-breath. At least it masked my own. There’s much to be said for camping, but personal hygiene is certainly put to the test. Still, we spent a fabulous weekend in the New Forest. Half the time I was off in pursuit of Freddy, my eighteen-month-old son; the other half I was trying to keep Dash from snaffling assorted foodstuffs from the BBQ. On one occasion, she managed to nip in when I wasn't looking and bolted down a whole sweetcorn. She then proceeded to bring it up piece by piece over the next two days. Mostly outside, but once in the tent (yellow gloop everywhere!) and once in the hall when we got home. Who says vegetables are good for you? Next weekend we’re away again, but on ‘official promotional duties’ this time. Dash and I are appearing at the RGT Greyhound Extravaganza in Suffolk on Sunday 5 June. We’ll be there all day, so do pop by if you’re in the area. There’s a fun dog show, plenty of stalls and copies of ‘Dash: Bitch of the Year’ for sale. Each book is signed with a limited edition pawprint sticker. Sweetcorn stains optional.

Bristol ‘Best in Show’!

The Fun Dog Show in Bristol was exactly that. Fun. Dash was the VIP guest (in her fancy coat and matching collar) and we opened the event by breaking the good news that I’m now patron of the Bristol Dog Action Welfare Group, or Bristol DAWG for short (http://southwestdawg.wordpress.com/). This is a fantastic organization, dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned greyhounds and lurchers. It was founded in 2009 by Elkie Lonnkvist and has consistently rehomed an average of six dogs per month. The dog show was a fundraiser but also an awareness-raiser of the continued plight of these lovely creatures. I’m pleased to say we met lots of happy, healthy hounds and their devoted owners. Judging proceeded swiftly through the categories of ‘Best Puppy’, ‘Best Pedigree’, ‘Most Handsome Dog’, etc. until it was our turn to select the ‘Best Greyhound or Lurcher’. How to choose from fifteen impressive specimens? Although I’ve met plenty of greyhounds (and lurchers) in the three and a half years that I’ve owned Dash, I still consider myself a greyhound enthusiast rather than an expert. After looking up and down the line of dogs, I made the hounds do a lap of the ring. If it’s good enough for Crufts, I thought. In the end, the selection was made and the rosette awarded (the greyhound at the far right of the group picture). It was only afterwards that one or two of the organizers remarked on the similarity of the winner, at least in colour and markings, to Dash herself! Ah, well, it just goes to prove there’s only one ‘Best in show’ in my life – the ‘Bitch of the Year’ herself.

Bitch of the Year becomes Essex girl!

With the promotional season of the book in full swing, Dash and I were in Essex over Easter. More specifically, we were guests at the Greyhound Walks Show near Braintree. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Essex (I’m thinking of Dash’s foreign fans here), the county has a reputation for brashness, with the Essex girl probably coming off worse than the Essex man. I’m glad to report, however, that fags and fake tan were in short supply – probably because the weather was so scorching! Due to my rubbish navigational skills, we arrived later than expected, but no sooner were we set up on the stand of Burgess Pet Care (which we were sharing), than dogs and owners were queuing up to meet Dash. It was again a surprise and a delight to see how positive people were about the book and what it’s doing for greyhound adoption. Writing is a lonely pastime and getting a book published such a long slog, but having someone say how much it made them howl with laughter or even helped them overcome difficulties with their own greyhounds is a  wonderful thing. What’s also quite nice is selling out of all the books I took with me! The next event we’re due to attend is a Fun Dog Show as part of National Pet Week. Dash and I will be at the Willow Brook Centre in Bradley Stoke, Bristol, from 11.00 this Sunday 8 May. We’re judging the category for ‘Best Greyhound or Lurcher’ and with the Bitch of the Year disqualified from taking part, it’s got to be an open field.

Silent radio star!

We’ve now made two radio appearances in connection with ‘Dash: Bitch of the Year’. The first was BBC London’s Barking at the Moon – a dedicated doggy programme which woofs its onto the airwaves every Thursday night. Due to the fact that it’s broadcast from central London at a late hour, I had to leave Dash behind. :( Nevertheless, the two presenters – Jo Good and Anna Webb – were delightful – and even read out a couple of extracts during the interview. Listening back when I got home however, I was surprised at how unlike myself I sounded. A bit smug, perhaps even pretentious. Ah, well. Wish I’d had my greyhound sidekick with me – her paws seldom leave the ground. Fortunately, I was able to bring her along when we guested on BBC  Oxford. :) From the moment when Dash charged into reception wearing her red and gold coat, she charmed all before her. The receptionist, a young Irish guy, turned out to be a fan of ex-racers; the producer likewise; and Jo Thoenes (pictured above), the presenter of Jo in the Afternoon, had to suppress the giggles as a long wet nose poked over the desk and dangerously near the mike. At times like this, I wish greyhounds actually made more noise! A bark, a growl or a howl on demand to connect with the listeners. Instead, Dash sniffed and snuffled around the studio before stretching out on her mat. The silent radio star; the greyhound diva. Needless to say, the interview went much better with her in attendance. The next event in the promotional calendar is the Greyhound Walks Show (http://www.greyhoundwalks.co.uk/show.htm) on Easter Day in Essex. Read all about it in the next posting!

Dash under the knife

No posting for the last three weeks, but good reasons why not. First, I’ve been away in Russia on a work trip; second and more important, poor Dash has been under the knife. It all started when I took her to the vet’s to get her nails clipped. Those of you who have greys (particularly hounds with black nails) will know it’s easy to nick ‘the quick’ and it can bleed for quite a while. I also took her to the vet since she’d developed a limp in her front right paw and I was curious to know if the overlong nails and the limp were connected. The nurse at the vet’s duly clipped Dash’s nails, but spotted a corn on one of the pads. At least that accounted for the limp. Then she asked me a question: ‘How long has Dash had that lump under her eye?’ ‘What lump?’ I asked. I saw Dash every day, all day. If anyone was going to notice a lump, it would surely be me. Apparently not. Once the nurse had pointed it out, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Sure enough, there was a lump the size of a marble under the fur of her cheek (see the ‘Before’ photo above). It moved about when you touched it and made me feel a bit squeamish. ‘Better let the vet check it out,’ the nurse advised. He did, and didn’t like the look of it either. So two days later (the day before I was due to go away – what bad timing!), Dash was booked in for an operation to have the lump and the corn removed at the same time. You can see from the ‘After’ photo above that removing the lump left quite a scar. For a week she wore ‘the cone of shame’ (as one Tweeter wittily terms it) and hobbled around in a plastic sock when outside. The good news is that she’s now on the grassy road to recovery. The stitches are out and, while she’ll be left with a pirate scar on her cheek, the lump was thankfully not malignant or cancerous. Phew!! Roo! In the next posting I hope to have more positive news, including an account of Dash’s two recent radio appearances.

Dash does Crufts

For four days in March, the Birmingham NEC is home to the largest dog show on the planet. If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll know that Dash and I just happened to have a free ticket. I’d expected it might be a difficult day logistically, but the first challenge came sooner than I guessed – getting Dash out of the car park. There were so many puddles, spits, spots and trickles of wee to sample, it was like dragging an alcoholic past a winery. And don’t even mention the number of canine behinds that jogged invitingly in every direction. Eventually, however, we reached our destination and took our place at the stand of Tuffies dog beds (www.tuffies.co.uk) who’d invited us to make a guest appearance. Saturday was ‘Hound and terrier’ day, so I was hopeful that a fair percentage of people would be pleased to see a pretty greyhound in a red and gold coat. It turns out I was right. From the moment when Dash flopped onto one of the dog beds until we took our leave a few hours later, we were never short of company. The fact that it was also Crufts’ 120th anniversary meant that it felt extra-special to be part of it all. We even made it onto the official website with a couple of photos and a lovely little article entitled ‘A greyt read for dog-lovers at dfs Crufts’! As if I didn’t need reminding, it seems greyhounds really do inspire a particular affection and sympathy. With so much attention, Dash, of course, was in doggy heaven. It was also quite a commercial success since we ended up selling one copy of ‘Dash: Bitch of the Year’ every four minutes! ‘What now?’ I hear you ask. Well, next stop Broadcasting House! I’m due to appear on BBC Radio London’s ‘Barking at the Moon’ with Jo Good and Anna Webb. Tune in tomorrow (Thursday 16 March) from 22.00–24.00 for more Dash-related fun ...