Pandora does it again....

Today Bob brought Isis' ashes home and we had another good cry. Just when I think I can't cry anymore...

But Pandora certainly got me running :) I let the Girls out after dinner and seconds after they ran out the door (in the fenced back yard) I spotted Pandora trotting proudly around the yard with the adult bunny she just caught!

Have you ever tried to pry the jaws of a proud whippet off of its prey, with 2 other whippets crowding in on you? It's not easy! I had to take Pandora outside of the gate so when I got her to release the bunny I didn't have Cleo or Athena right there to snatch it away. Didn't have to worry about Sequoya, this bunny was bigger than her!

I have to say, although I did have to pry Pandora's jaws open, she was VERY good and didn't snap at or bite me. I got her and the Girls inside and took the bunny across the street to the woods and weed for the coyotes to find tonight.

I'm certain there's some people out there who wish we never had Pandora spayed... this is her 15th creature captured! And that's in a fenced yard...

We do NOT like Snow!

OK... my tail is between my legs. Turns out I need Momma's help sometimes to keep this diary up. But this is a new year, so she said she'd try again.

I have to tell you, when it's cold and snowy out for a long time, us whippets get cabin fever!! We may love to lie around and sleep a lot, but we need to burn off some energy too!

So our Bob built us an oval race track in the back yard with that big loud red machine that eats and spits out snow. Momma even braved the cold to take a few photos of Pan and Athena out on the track. She didn't even try to take one of me... humph! She said since I am white, you would not be able to see me anyways...

Pandora!

Pandora is our youngest whippet. She's a beautiful brindle color with lovely eyes. Pandora came to us from Kathy & Debbie Davenport - Kamada Whippets - when she was around 2 years old.

We first met Pandora when her name was Annie. It was June 2005. She was 6 months old and soooo cute! We had stopped by with Jen and her friend Dawn to see the new 10 week old puppies they had. Just to visit - scout's honor LOL! Here's one of those little cuties....

We visited the other whippets too and I (Laura) fell in love with this beautiful 6 month old brindle whippet puppy Annie. Kathy let her out of her crate and Annie just curled up in my lap! But... at the time we still lived in Streamwood and I took all our Girls outside one at a time on a leash. Besides that, they were holding Annie for themselves to see if she's be good for showing - she was so beautiful! After a lovely visit, we went back home.

17 months later........late October 2006

I was getting ready on a Sunday morning for a teddy bear show where I was selling my bears. The phone rang and it was Kathy. Kathy told me that she remembered how much I loved Annie and would I be interested in giving her a home?

It turns out that although Annie's size was within the standard for a female whippet, Kathy and Debbie felt that she wouldn't show as well as the judges prefer whippets a little larger than Annie was. They had found her a home with a lovely lady who had another whippet from a friend of theirs. Annie lived there for about a year... when the husband brought her back. We're guessing that the couple split up and he just wanted to get rid of the wife's dogs.

To make a long story a little shorter.... the husband made some outrageous claims about both the whippets. He was returning both whippets to each breeder. Although he was entitled to a partial refund due to the contract he had with Kamada Whippets if he could produce the paperwork -- he was not interested. He just wanted to get rid of those whippets.

When Annie came back home to Kathy & Debbie, she was very skinny and smelled like a barnyard! Kathy knew that the husband had 2 large dogs and lived on a small farm. She thinks that the poor whippets may have been made to live outside during the summer. Whippets are NOT outside only dogs! Their fur is not thick, they have thin skin and almost no fat normally! Annie had even less meat on her ribs than normal -- probably because she had to compete for food with the 2 larger dogs and the male whippet.

Also - this family had changed her name to "Pee Pee" - seriously -- that is the name that was on her tag! The husband said they named her Pee Pee because she kept "going" in the house. Let me tell you, she only had ONE accident in OUR house and that was when she first met our other Girls, as a sign of submission. She has not had one accident since then... and that was 15 months ago!

After Kathy told us this entire story, she told us that she remembered when we first met Annie how much I loved her - and would we be able to give her a good home? Of Course!!!!

Since Annie was called "Pee Pee" for so long and then back to Annie - she really didn't mind one last name change - so we called her Pandora. She learned her new name in 2 days!

When Pandora first came to live with us she was very clingy and wanted LOTS of attention. Talk about a "velcro dog"! Pandora was very possessive too. When she would sit with me in my chair, she's growl and snap if any of the other Girls came up to say hi to me. We quickly stopped that by punishing her for that behavior with no attention - she had to go sit by herself. That worked wonderfully and Pandora never behaved like that again.

Now.. Pandora has filled out very nicely and looks like a beautiful, healthy, well filled out whippet. She loves her people, but has enough confidence now to know that she will always be loved. She does not have to be by our sides constantly anymore.

And run? WOW can this Girl run!!! It's her most favorite thing in the world to do. Like Isis, she LOVES to play ball too. Here's a few photos of Pandora having a great time!

And although Pandora is much more self confident now... she still loves to be very near her people LOL!!

Pandora The Great Brindle Hunter!

Pandora
Originally uploaded by Laura Lynn - Teddy Bear Artist

This morning I took the Girls out first thing to do their business. Cleo and Isis did what they needed to do and ran back to the door. It's chilly!

Then I went and got Athena & Pandora. Pandora did a quick one... but then was on the scent of prey!

We still have some hosta plants along the back of the house, albeit wilted from the cold. Well, Pandora heard something in there and was relentless!

Athena got in on the excitement too - but only for about 5 minutes. After that she got bored LOL! Athena finished what she needed to do and was ready to go inside for breakfast... but not Pandora! I could NOT get her way from those Hosta plants! I went inside to get her treat... nothing!

I then realized I'd have to go GET her. So I grabbed the leash from the wall and went back outside. When I went back outside I saw Pandora was not hunting in the Hosta anymore - she was looking puzzledly (is that a word? LOL!) at the grass about a yard away.

I walked over, slipped the leash around Pandora and saw - and heard what had her attention. It was a small shrew lying on it's back looking up at Pandora... and scolding her like you wouldn't believe!

NOW I understand why they use the term "shrew" for "a woman of violent temper and speech" Holy cow this tiny animal was mad! I held Pandora in place and the shrew righted itself and scurried away as quickly as it could... it was pretty hilarious! This little creature was smart too... it did NOT go back into the hosta plants... is escaped to the yard behind us under the fence!

Pandora the Huntress

We've had this chipmonk... or... 13 lined ground squirrel... who lived in our backyard.

He'd go from under the deck, along the workshop and into the woodpile...

He'd often sit outside on the deck... in front of the Whippet Girls, but safely on the other side of the glass door... teasing them. In fact, we heard he used to do this to other dogs before we moved in.

Pandora was crazy for this little thing. As soon as she's allowed outside... no matter how badly she has to "go"... she goes looking in all of the chipmonk's hiding places.

Well, on Friday the 13th... this little guy should have stayed inside.....

I had Pandora and Cleo out for a potty break... and Pandora was at the woodpile looking for him frantically... again... then out she comes with the poor thing in her mouth!!

I chased after her to get her to release... and she did... the poor chipmonk started running... but then Pan picked him right back up. I finally got her to release again... then picked HER up to bring her inside.

This probably all this happened in 15 seconds... but it seemed ages!

I went and got the shovel... that little chipmonk wasn't moving this time... so I put him by a tree outside the fence at the side of the garage. Probably will be some coyote's dinner tonight.

Oh well... he should have known better when Pandora almost got him a few weeks ago! Guess he was a little full of himself and figured he was too quick for her... surPRIZE!!!