What Is A Name?

***Dedicated to Katie and Travis, who truly know/knew their names and how to respond.***

This weekend, I was at a PetsMart. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by an adorable 7 week old, white and liver parti-colored, pit bull puppy..... OFF LEASH. Cute and friendly, I kind of wondered how Travis would have reacted 6 years ago when I used to take him to PetsMart to work on lessening his prey drive using the other customers' dogs as bait. I always expected them to be on leash, so I wondered what would have happened to this little guy if he had surprised me back then. Anyways, I could go on and on about all the problems with this picture, but the one that bugged me the most was that the woman was saying "Cocoa, Cocoa, Cocoa".... over and over again as if she really expected a 7 week old puppy to respond. The puppy had not even lived long enough to have had enough training or proofing to even attempt using her name, off leash, and in public.

Since I am anal about this sort of thing, I am going to let you in on a little secret, so you are smarter than many dog lovers around the world. Names are something humans invented. Dogs do not really have names in the same way that humans do. They don't refer to you by name and they don't refer to each other by name. So what exactly is the purpose of a dog name?

The purpose of a dog name is to simply get the dog's attention and ONLY that dog's attention. When I say "Katie", I want for Katie to look at me with a "what?" expression on her face and to start moving in my direction. "Katie" is a special cue for Katie only. If I need Katie, I don't want 5 dogs running into my kitchen.


With five greyhounds (I still want to say 6), we work hard on names. When asked "what is his/her name?", I am tempted to make something up on the spot because #1 - I suddenly have my dog's attention when I say it and I didn't need it and #2 - I don't particularly want other people using it. I loved that other people called Travis by the name "Jigmo". Go ahead, call him "Jigmo" all day long.... it didn't mean anything to him and it didn't unravel any of my work.


Generally, people over use dog names and I think its because when the dog is not responding to it, people tend to keep repeating it over and over again as if it will eventually sink in. It doesn't. The actual effect is that the dog does not learn the name at all and inadvertanly learns to ignore it since its chanted frequently and results in nothing.


I think ex-racing greyhounds are especially prone to never learning how to respond to a name because they have no experience responding to voice cues versus any other non-greyhound dog that grows up in a typical home. When I teach greyhound obedience classes, most people will insist that their greyhound knows his/her name and almost every time the greyhound proves the person wrong. The greyhound may come running in the house when you call his/her name, but the same dog might also come running if you sweetly called out "potato" as well. Try it. If your dog responds to other words, he/she is only responding to you and your tone of voice probably because there is nothing better to do. As soon, as you are outside of the home and there is plenty else to do, your dog won't be responding to any of those names. It also doesn't count if the dog comes running after you have said it 10 times.


So if I haven't bored you to tears yet (because this is much longer than I thought it would be), here are some things for you to do.


1. Take the time to teach your dog his/her name. When your dog is already looking at you, say the name and give a treat. Do not use the name to get the dog to look at you. Wait for it to happen, make a funny noise, and/or hold a treat between your eyes to encourage the dog to look at you and then say the name. After some practice, have a treat handy when your dog isn't paying attention, say the name, and reward if you get a head turn in your direction. Move on to practicing in public.


2. The worse thing you can do is have the dog off leash wandering around the yard checking messages while you fruitlessly repeat the name over and over again. If I don't think I am going to get the dog's attention, I don't ask for it. I try to create successful situations before moving onto more difficult scenarios.


3. If you tend to chatter endlessly to your dog, try to not use the dog's name. The dog's name should truly be a cue or command to look at you and if you tend to over use the name, it loses its effect. Use a nickname if you have to. I do.


4. When choosing a name, words no more than two syllables are best. Once in my class I had a dog named Caballero (ca-ba-yair-o) and another named Cellestral.... in the same class :-). I could hardly pronounce either. Might be best to choose a name that the general public can say just in case your dog is lost and you have people trying to call out the name. Also, in a multiple dog household, make sure that the names are distinctly different. Katie, Reagan, and Travis can't be confused with each other, but Reagan, Pagan, Radar, and Meagan might cause confusion. You also don't want the name to sound like other cues. Names like Moe and Joe aren't good if you want to be able to use the word "no", for example.


Congratulations! If you made it this far, you have passed Naming 101. Now try to put some of it into practice.

No Boys Allowed

My sister, Denise, our friend, Heather, and I got together with our 6 bitches (properly used in this instance) for some much needed pool side relaxation, free running for the hounds, junk food, and cheesy horse movies. Our weekend didn't quite go as planned. First, the cheesy horse movie from Netflix didn't arrive in time. Normally, I receive movies 2 days after I return one. I received word that this particular movie was coming from Orlando instead of the local warehouse. I guess cheesy horse movies aren't in high demand and therefore aren't found at all locations. However, being that I'm just one state above Orlando, Florida... I figured it would just need an extra day or 2. Not so. The weekend is about over and I am beginning to think that it must be shipping from somewhere exotic like Orlando, Russia. Never fear, a trip to Blockbuster restores horse movie night with a DVD of The Horse Whisperer.











Next, the second phase of our weekend.... the pool party.... looked more like a hurricane party. It pretty much rained the entire weekend. Oh, well. Tans are bad for the skin anyway. The hounds still got to free run in the pastures at least. They were drenched and soaked to the skin. We did not have to worry about heat stroke.



I can assure there was plenty of junk food and my sister makes some yummy frozen drinks. Time for a week of dieting.




Katie gets credit for being the only non-lemming greyhound. The others were quick to follow all fruitless canine and human leads. Katie, the wise hound, knows you attract more treats napping and minding your own business than you do standing in the kitchen, reacting to animal noises on the TV, running to the door, and following people into the kitchen. With a reminder, Travis, would have been a super star as well. Reagan... not so much. She needs more work.



Limo, the token mixed breed, was not playing nice with others, so she spent most of the evening in jail.































I did get a new niece. My sister adopted Go Peanut Go, her SEGA foster greyhound. Not exactly a feminine, graceful type. When given the choice between a cushy dog bed or a tile floor, Peanut chooses the tile floor (see below left). She is however a great farm dog. Her dark brindle color hides all the farm dirt and she does like to get dirty. She lays under a truck on the driveway for some shade, does not chase the horses, and stays close by. Best of all, she gives Limo a run for her money with her rough and tumble ways.

Shadow Box

My mother and I completed Travis' shadow box. I love the way it turned out. I did not reduce the size of the picture, so you can see it larger if you click on it.

On the left side for the 2007 Agility Nationals in Ohio, I have a dark green qualifying ribbon, our #24121, and the logo for the event. The green/yellow ribbon is for our clean run at the 2007 Invitational in California. The invitation to the event is right below Travis' picture and the event logo is in the upper left corner. His collar tag is a couple of inches below his nose and his bumper is overhead. We had to half it down the middle so it would fit. I actually cut up his MACH2 and CDX certificates. I figured I wouldn't spend that much time looking at them filed away, so I attached the crucial info from the certificates to his bumper above the picture. Top right, is a dock dogs ribbon and medallion. My other favorite dog show was going to New York September of 2007. The blue ribbon is from the agility trial and the note card and medallion is from competing in obedience at the greyhound nationals. His jump height card is just above the note card. We chopped up some of his other blue ribbons and used them underneath it all to fill in the gaps.

I am missing Travis a lot this week. I think about him a lot. As the memories of illness start to fade and the memories of good times return, it becomes more painfully obvious that he is really gone. Sometimes when I'm driving, I'll pretend he is just laying in the crate behind me and all is well again. Or when I hike with the girls, I will imagine that if I glance over my shoulder, I will see him rushing to catch up.......

I'm It!

Patti has tagged me. I'm to spill the beans about 6 things you may not know about me. The problem is that some of you know me really well, so none of this will be of any surprise.





1. I used to ride horses and in college I did some buying and selling. I would take a horse from an auction or a horse trader and try to better their situation by making the horse more attractive to a more appealing owner. My favorite sale was this very tall, spotted, appaloosa type mare. The horse trader wanted $1,000 for her, so I priced her at $1,500 immediately. The first person who came to look at her brought a sleazey trainer along. As the buyer was getting the saddle out of the car, the trainer whispers to me "The price of this horse is $2,500." I am trying to make some money, so a higher price sounds good to me. They decide she is the right horse, so the plan is for me to trailer her to the trainer's farm for a vet check. Of course, the buyer will be conveniently out of town so the trainer offers to purchase the horse and the buyer can pay her back later. The problem is that there is $1,000 extra going to this trainer for nothing, so I tell her that I want half. She said that was her money and she shouldn't have to split it with me. I told her I was prepared to lie for her and I wanted half. She said that she was not lying that the horse was priced at $2,500 at her barn. Whatever... I want half. So we agree. I arrive at the barn. Keep in mind that I am probably 18 years old. The trainer tells me that I do not know what I am doing. I assure her that I do. She says "The horse trader wanted $1,500 for the horse didn't he?" I said no. The trainer says "You mean you already tacked on to the price?"..... "Yes." She wasn't happy but, I received my share.

2. I am a Certified Financial Planner. Most people think I'm a dog trainer, vet tech, or some other animal professional. I decided not to do something that related to a hobby because I decided that there probably wasn't anything in life that I want to do for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.....including my hobbies. So at some point in high school I decided to do something related to investing. Financial planning is a cool job especially now that I work for such a wonderful, little company. The pay is decent, you learn how to plan your own future, its fun to help clients, and every situation is so different.





3. I'm impatient. There is this illusion that since I train greyhounds I must be patient, but really I am not. Hubby, Stephen, knows this better than anyone. With the dogs, I am understanding of the process and the time it takes to accomplish things. But when things don't occur as planned, I can feel pretty inpatient and I try to hide it.





4. I have never been drunk. OK, maybe once, but that was actually a year or so ago at the age of 30 and my boss made me do it. Stephen and I were at a company dinner party and my boss was serving a multi-course meal with a different wine for each course. With my lack of experience and tolerance, I probably should not have tried to keep up. Luckily, I am just a sleepy drunk and didn't do anything stupid.... but I did throw up on the way home. So I was never even close to drunk prior to age 30.





5. I attended a monkey picnic in Branson, Missouri once. A friend of mine had a baby java macaque monkey and I was roped into driving us there. She had a suspended license from too many tickets. She was willing to drive, but it takes a licensed driver to rent a car and I wasn't about to let her drive the car rented in my name. The little java macaque played on our dashboard and hung from the steering wheel. We had a CB radio so it was fun to hear the truckers trying to figure out what they just saw. The monkey picnic was quite interesting. People from all over the country with all different types of monkeys came to Branson for the big event. They stayed in hotels. At our hotel there were monkeys everywhere. The most unbelievable part of the whole experience is that a restaurant actually allowed us and the monkeys in for dinner. We had a huge table set up and there was a monkey in a high chair just about every other seat. Some of the patrons weren't very excited about our visit. We were not even seperated into a special room. Spider monkeys are my favorite. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend a monkey picnic for a monkey fix, but I do not recommend monkeys as pets. They are extremely high maintenence toddlers that never grow up. They will pull your hair and throw poop at you.





























Spider monkey at the restaurant (above left). Here I am chilling with a spider monkey (above right). Little caupuchin ordering off the menu (bottom left). Snow macaque (I think) chilling with his mom. I think he was actually potty trained because he didn't have to wear diapers.





















6. I am a lacto-ovo-pesco vegetarian... I think. That should mean that I am a vegetarian that eats dairy, eggs, and fish. I have been one since I was 14 years old. I was a good, little animal activist when I was a kid.





I will tag Todd and
Kathy next.

Check It Out

Check out Reagan's progress in agility. She is really doing well. Stephen was kind enough to come video some of our training today.

Here is Reagan doing channel weaves. Instead of a "V" shape, these poles are upright, but spread apart (rather than in a straight line). The distance is about 4 inches right now.

This is the only the second time Reagan has ever done the chute and the first time she has ever done it without any assistance. We started out with Stephen holding up the cloth end so she could see some light at the end. Each time he dropped it more and more until she was doing it on her own.

This is my favorite clip. This is the longest jump sequence I have ever tried with her and she did it perfectly the first time. 10 jumps, 2 front crosses, and 1 rear cross. She is starting to feel like a real agility dog.

More jumping with a rear cross, a front cross, and an A-frame. Again, I couldn't be happier.

More jumping and a full sized teeter now.

Bad Face Day

Another bad face day for Julie. We are not sure what is up with her. I came home from work to find her nose the size of a cannon, puffy eyes, and welts on her body. She isn't under any distress and isn't having any trouble breathing. We are giving her Benedryl again.

Fun Sunday

The weekend started with Julie (one of my step-dogs) getting stung by a yellow jacket. Poor thing. Luckily, it resulted in only temporary ugliness. Her little face was puffy, but it subsided after a few hours and some Benedryl.





On Sunday, Stephen and I took the dogs to a friend's horse farm. It is 60+ fenced acres (I believe) and is divided in various horse pastures. Its a great place to walk the greyhounds safely off lead and to test out the recalls. The space gives the hounds an excellent feeling of being free, giving them ample opportunity to ignore us, but gives the humans the comfort of knowing that the perimeter fence is secure and there is no reason to panic. It is always a great chance to reward good recalls and then allow for the freedom to continue.



















Katie was perfect, of course. Reagan was also wonderful. She was very responsive and recalled quickly each time I called. We had the added distraction of my sister's foster greyhound, Go Peanut Go, and greyhound bait, Limo, the short, long, funky, mixed breed dog. Peanut tried to end my agility career by dislocating my knee as I stood taking pictures. Thank goodness she failed. Limo likes to stir up lots of trouble. She likes to be chased and run down by the greyhounds. Peanut and Reagan coursed her quite a bit and I was pleased that Reagan didn't do anything inappropriate and didn't use any teeth.




Reagan really enjoyed getting to just run freely. She has been so good about not doing zoomies and has always been very controlled when we practice agility or hike trails. It was nice to see her really let loose this weekend and just be a greyhound.










Everyone cooled off in the pond and came out looking like swamp dogs. I don't think I'd ever seen Katie so dirty.










We took advantage of the equine wash racks with warm water and bathed all of the hounds. They weren't excited about the idea, but they were all long over due for a bath. Stacker (below) appears to have given up on life, but I can assure you that the will to live returned after a good towel rub.











We also had an unexpected cat test. Peanut, the foster, failed miserably. The Bachelor hounds were quite interested, but are less impulsive than they used to be. I think Katie still remains the least cat safe of the group.











For some added exercise, Reagan did some fetching. She really has turned into a good retriever like Katie and Travis.




































Even Stephen needed a good run. Reagan and Stephen are neck and neck (or should I say nose and knee). Who do you think will win?

Final Farewell

Thank you to everyone who has sent kind, comforting words, donations in Travis' honor, memorial gifts, cards, pictures, and wonderful memories. It all has meant a lot to me.

Today, Travis' invitation to compete at the AKC Agility Invitational arrived. The event is in December. AKC sure likes to plan early. The top 5 of each breed is invited. I don't think there are even 5 greyhounds to put on the list this year. We have already been there and done that, so I was not planning on going again anyway. California is a long way from Georgia.

I am getting used to the change and will trust that this is how it was suppose to happen. There is no sense in letting grief overwhelm for too long. As dog lovers, we sign up for the inevitable loss when we love dogs. At one point, someone actually told me that if I didn't do "such and such" that "Travis will die". I thought it was kind of a strange thing for a fellow dog lover to say when we all know that our dogs will eventually die. She said it to me as if death was a force I had the power to stop or to control. In some cases, humans can delay it, but not forever. Sometimes our dogs pay a high price for the delay simply because we cannot let go. Either way, letting go or hanging on, both are decisions made out of love, so I do not think that either can be considered wrong. You have to do what your heart tells you to. You should not feel guilty if you listened to your heart.
I will always miss the "Sweet Little Fella" chewing on my arm, grabbing me around the legs with his front paws, and chest butting me like a football player. Travis was formidable wrestling opponent.... definitely a man's dog, so thank goodness I am a tom boy at heart. I will miss his fearless nature and lack of regard for safety especially when he learned to swim and jump off docks. Travis never hesitated. I cringed and prepared to go in after him when I would see him drift beneath the water's surface, but it never scared him. I will miss having a silly greyhound that loves to fetch bright orange bumpers and dead fowl trainers with the gusto of a Labrador Retriever. I always thought it would be fun to show up at a hunting trial with my sporting greyhound and give the hunting dogs a run for their money. I will miss pinching his "furry hams" and telling him he is a "Handsome Fella". I will miss that curled tail, picture perfect ears, the "superman pose", and those Hollywood good looks. I will miss my perfect agility partner who ran as smooth as a sports car drives. I will miss Travis saving a clean run with an amazing athletic feat because I gave bad directions. He would make me look good. Travis always gave 100%, was always in a good mood, and never had a bad or off day. I will miss his sloppy, creative obedience performances, and his wonderful, bright attitude towards the less exciting work. I will miss showing him off at Greyfest each year and entertaining the other greyhound adopters with his fast weave poles. I will miss having him tip toe around behind me through the house while Stephen calls him "Nancy". I will miss Travis putting his big, beautiful head on my lap as I type on the computer and his "pig nose" impression while he waits for chicken backs. Each day after work, I will miss him turning back to say "Hi" while the other hounds head for the back door.

I named Travis "Never Expected" because he was not a planned adoption and I had not expected to keep him. Even years later, I joked that I was still fostering. As the years went by, his name started to take on countless meanings and ended up being very fitting. Even his illness and passing at age 10 was never expected.

What else do you say about one of the greatest greyts?..... I hope I have said it all because this concludes life with Travis. "I love you and goodbye, Travis Jigmo."

And extra kudos to the creative folks who make homemade cards. They are beautiful.

Found Pictures

Thank you, Brianna, Denise, and Stefanie for finding these pictures!!! I love them. These were just a few of my favorites.



















Top left - We were at a Fletcher, NC agility trial in January/February of 2004 and there was snow on the ground. Brianna and I hiked with our hounds all over the fairgrounds and she took this picture of him stacked out in the snow.


Top right - Travis and Jessie snuggling together at my parents' house. Probably 2002 or 2003 since it had to be before Jes passed away.

















These (above and below) are from a trip to Florida that my sister, Denise, and I took when we visited our friend Stefanie. Travis wasn't a 100% yet, so he is still wearing a long line. I'm guessing Summer of 2004.

Still pictures from the FL trip. This had to be one of Travis' best days. I think we all had a blast. We were in a big cove and the water was not very deep, so Travis had a great time running full speed through it.




















These were taken by my sister's future mother-in-law, Paula, who came to visit last summer. She does agility with a whippet..... in ALASKA!!! How cool is that?!? I really love seeing pictures I haven't seen before. Its as if they were taken yesterday. He looks so healthy and young.

Momentos - Last One

I'm so sorry Jen!! It took me a few days to go through your blog and read through the past month of course with me ending in tears. I can't imagine what you must be going through. I'm going to miss seeing him usually just a few dogs ahead or behind us and telling you to TAKE YOUR TIME! LOL! [Jen: Cause Travis was faster and she wanted to beat us :-)] Been thinking of you all week - let me know if you need anything. - B.B.



I am so devastated to hear the news about Travis. It took me totally by surprise, as I had no idea anything was wrong. I went all the way back in your blogs to the very beginning of his illness. I have walked in your shoes, starting from the possible diagnosis of ehrlichiosis to the very end. My heart goes out to you as you push through the grief of losing your beautiful boy. You know more than I do, but I think he was the most wonderful greyhound I have ever seen.... and you and Travis are one of the VERY best agility teams I have ever had the pleasure to watch. definitely poetry in motion. I remember the first time I met Travis. We were over at Don's at the same time. It was right after I got Pig [border collie]. At that time, you weren't really even entertaining the idea that you would run Travis in agility. Prey drive too strong and you were afraid he might eat some little dog that might run in the ring. As it turned out, he was so focused on you that neither one of you would have noticed if 20 little dogs ran thru the ring. The teamwork was a beautiful thing to watch. I know he made you so proud. Thank goodness you were "stuck" with Travis. I truly believe these things happen for a reason. I'll be thinking of you as you deal with the grief of losing a special partner, teammate and friend....and way too soon. I cried as I read all your blogs as he became ill and all the ups and downs and fear and worry. I've been there, done that. it also hurts so much when you realize that not only have you lost your beloved dog, but temporarily, your hobby, your weekends and all the important things that you and Travis had planned. It's like someone just jerked the rug out from under you. There were so many things you said that struck a cord with me. Things that happened when you were "blissfully unaware" of what lay ahead. The knowledge that it was time.........and the calm and peace you felt when you made that decision. The sense of relief and then, in the days that followed that awful pain that hits you...when reality sunk in. "May the lessons he taught you, the joy he brought you, the laughter he gave to you, the love he shared with you and the memories he left with you, heal your heart and help to sustain you until that day you join him at the bridge for a glorious reunion." - T.T.



We did not indulge you with listening to the Travis stories or watching the videos or seeing the pictures. I think we were all amazed! I definitely am. Be it that last video that you shared to the way that he modeled perfectly for the Greymate pics with John...to your demonstrations at events...everything was just special. He was so impressive, and just seemed to be a part of you. When Travis was with you, it was like one living being. I think that the first time that I saw a Grey swim was Travis at the Farm. You were tossing something into the lake, and he'd retrieve...just like my brother's Labs. Maybe you thought I was weird, b/c I stood and stared...but, it was so cool and beautiful. May you experience peace knowing how wonderful you made Travis'life! He's probably flirting with my beautiful, blonde Becky right now. I firmly believe and have to trust that we get the same pets in Heaven. I genuinely hope that your grief is lifted by the very best of memories. I'm going to get out my camera tomorrow. - L.S.



I am so sorry. We knew it was coming but it doesn't matter how long you have to prepare for it, it's still hard to lose one of your best friends. Travis was one of those amazing, driven, sweet dogs that don't come around often. Thank you for not being selfish and keeping him to yourself. People have enjoyed watching you and him grow as a team and compete in the agility world. I am so thankful that you actually flew him out to CA to compete so I could enjoy watching him run and spending time with him. Reagan definitely has some big shoes to fill but I think she is the perfect dog to take on such a task. Time will eventually stop the pain and just know that Travis is now running pain-free in doggie heaven, probably showing Jessie and Teresa how to improve their skills on an agility course. :) - A.R.

Momentos - Part 7

I am still reeling from the news...I can't imagine how you feel now that Monday morning has rolled around, and the world goes back to work. I know that I will be in your shoes one day, and I intend to enjoy every single moment up to that time. Thank you for sharing Travis' life and accomplishments and foibles with us...you have taught me much. I remember the first time I met Travis. You came to my house to help me with my new adoption, Canoe. He was 'fraid of the dark and shadows....had tender feet and would stop on lead, refusing to walk. You helped me learn the basics of clicker training....You brought Travis and he was such a handsome boy...he immediately laid down...Canoe went over to "stand over" him...and I learned my first dog behavior lesson. You told Canoe to stop it...I had no idea what this meant, but you are a patient teacher, as was Travis, who took it all in stride.Later, at your obedience class, I admired your dogs, all calm....at a down stay....I was making googly eyes at Travis while you were teaching, and he broke his down stay to come over. I remember you calmly coming over muttering about how he had his obediance title and he should know better...you led him back over to his down stay spot and continued with the class. I felt naughty...but Travis was just delicious and sweet and irresistable. I love how Tara posted about the way he looked at you. He did. Thank you for sharing his romp with his bumper on your web site. I am still in awe with his dock diving prowess. He leaves a big space in this world.... - M.P.






I was thinking back to the night, so many hounds ago, when we brought Jigmo and 2 or 3 others to our house when we retrieved the JCKC 21. Our five were in the kennel so I just shuttled Jigmo et al into the turnout yard and put the slider in the dog door while I took my crew up to the house. Well, about the time I had mine in the front room of the kennel so I could leash-up, the dog door slider comes flying into the room with Jigmo leading his entourage into the front room with four of my five hounds that included an irascible cocker spaniel, PC. The dogs were all milling around looking uncertain at what to do next; I'm thinking, "stay calm stay calm stay calm," and Jigmo has PC pinned to the floor by the throat while my Amy is repeatedly poking him in the side with her nose. Fortunately, Jigmo had a muzzle on and PC, for once, had the good sense not to explode into her Tazmanian Devil impression. I really don't recall exactly how I was able to extricate all of us from the situation without injury but we were all none the worse for wear. As with John, Jigmo is the only one of those dogs I remember. From the first time we saw him it was clear that he was not your average greyhound. He had a presence that just caught your eye, moving or standing still, and those eyes. But he also had his own "world order" making him a special case that would need a special home. He went to the perfect home.I also struggled with the name change from Jigmo to Travis. But Travis is an old French term related to "crossing over" and I think captures his transition from what he was as a head strong racedog to the world class agility dog and companion who loved his mom that he became.We will miss that boy. - G.D.



Even though I knew you could be heading in this direction I am shocked and so saddened. How could a dog with so much life be gone.... I am so privileged to have had the chance to see you work as a team. I doubt any dog will ever break his speed point record but if there is one it will definitely be another Jen Bachelor dog. Please send me your snail mail address, I want to send you something.Take care of yourself. - S.S.

Momentos - Part 6

I was especially saddened by the news of Travis' illness and death at too young an age because, as they say, he and I go way back. Jigmo, as I shall always remember him, was one of the last Greyhounds of the original "JCKC 21", the original group of dogs that Pam Davis and some other Florida panhandle volunteers saved and brought into adoption, and which led to the founding of SEGA/GPA - Tallahassee. Well before the days of the Perry, Georgia meet-ups, Pam and I had agreed to meet up in Columbus so that I could take back a couple (I think) of Greyhounds. I'll never forget first laying eyes on Jigmo. Not only was he very physically handsome from a conformation standpoint, he seemed to just exude an incredibly vibrant athletic vigor and a bright-eyed, keen expression. They call it "the look of eagles" in racehorses. He moved with an effortless, lithe grace. You just knew from looking at him that there was something out-of-the-ordinary about him (and sometimes that can be a negative thing). It speaks volumes that I remember nothing about the other Greyhound that I was transporting that day. I kept up with him after Jen took him home, and was just a little disappointed when she changed his name to Travis. Nothing wrong with Travis, but I just thought Jigmo fit him. Jen always indulged me and let me call him Jigmo. We knew from day one that Jigmo was going to be a challenge. He liked little dogs . . . . for dinner. Jigmo stayed with me at the farm overnight once (I don't remember why), and a friend's pug was also there. I had Jigmo on lead, and we were standing in the dog pasture talking, with the pug on the other side of the gate. Unbeknownst to us, the pug had squeezed between the rails of the gate and silently wandered over to be with us (he lived with Greyhounds, and no doubt didn't think anything of coming over).Equally silently, and in the blink of an eye, Jigmo reached down and snatched up the pug and held him in his jaws. Only when the pug stared squealing did we realize anything was amiss. I immediately set about trying to secure the pug's release, to no avail. I shouted at Jigmo to let go; I took him by the collar; I whacked him on the back of the head. Nothing. Finally, only one thing to do: put my hands in Jigmo's mouth and pry the pug loose. Amazingly, though Jigmo kept a vise-like grip on the pug, he didn't growl at me or try to bite me, and didn't shake the pug or bite down harder like he was trying to administer the coup de grace. With all the strength I had, I pried Jigmo's jaws apart enough for the pug to simply drop out. The pug, no worse for wear, immediately got the hell out of Dodge and ran down to the house. He was completely uninjured -- his thick fur and body fat, combined with whatever bite inhibition Jigmo had exercised, had spared him from injury. I was the only casualty -- in prying Jigmo's jaws apart, I had dislocated a pinkie finger. Now I knew what Greyhounds with dislocated toes felt like. No big deal -- I held my breath and popped it back into place, and just had to be leash walked for the next 6 weeks . Clearly, Jen and Jigmo were a match made in heaven. Lord only knows what might have happened to him if she had not been willing to adopt him. (Possible answer: I might have adopted him and tried him at lure coursing, at which I'm confident he would have excelled.) Jen took what otherwise could have been negative energy and channeled it into Jigmo's several avocations. It truly would have been a shame to have limited his talent to running the 68 races of his career. I surely did enjoy following Jigmo's career, and always got a kick out of asking Jen, "Who brought you that fine hound ?" She always humored me by giving me partial credit. I credit Jigmo with our having Tuck on our team. When Tuck got off the truck here at the farm, my eye was immediately drawn to him precisely because he put me in mind of Jigmo. I knew I wanted to have a Greyhound like that around, and even though he doesn't have all Jigmo's talents, Tuck is great fun as a companion and runner. Jigmo was one of those Greyhounds who comes around only rarely. All Greyhounds have intrinsic value and worth, but Jigmo was one of the great ones, well and truly. I will miss him. - J.P.





Travis changed my life. If you told me four years ago that cargo vans, obedience and agility trials and dock jumping would be part of my life I would have raised an eyebrow and waited for the punch line. When I first met you I had no idea the level of achievement you aspired to reach. Earlier that year, you had accomplished what no other Greyhound owner had ever done. You and Katie had earned the very first Master Agility Champion title for a Greyhound. Not knowing a thing about agility I still recognized the importance. I saw you compete several times thereafter. Definitely something methodical and controlled about your movements. Nevertheless, I was impressed. My dogs at the time knew their name (barely) and when to go for a ride. Then I saw you compete with Travis. Katie was the equivalent of a Honda. Efficient, reliable, hard working. Watching you run with Travis was like watching someone steal a Ferrari. You two covered the agility ring with such speed and power. Accelerating over every jump and turning on a dime to hit the tunnels, chutes and contacts. I was floored. I knew that I was witnessing something special. I had to be a part of it. Over time, you and TJ perfected your skills and proved to be formidable competition to anyone who ventured into the 24" height class. With camera in hand and a mule-like stubbornness, I committed myself whole-heartedly. Whether it be early-morning scrambles to get one of the coveted parking spots at a Wills Park trial, or pulling the mother of all-nighters to shock the folks in upstate New York, or keeping the castle safe and sound while Long Beach gets their look, I'll be there, "making the hot chocolate". I will remember Travis best for the looks he put on people's faces. Whether it be a trial, a clicker class, or just out and about somewhere, TJ garnered attention anywhere he went. My heart swelled with pride listening to everyone cheer your runs or hearing the compliments that always followed. I truly feel honored to have been part of such an awesome force. I'll always miss Travis - such a good boy. I love you, Jen. - Stephen

Momentos - Part 5

I'm so sorry to hear about Travis...the tears are just streaming down my face as I write this...I'm so sorry for your loss. He was my favorite rags-to-riches success story for a GH and I loved to hear about all of his many accomplishments and I loved to see him in action. I know what a hole he must have left in your heart. He was a great dog and I know that he was greatly loved. - J.H.






Jen, a beautiful tribute, well deserved brags. Thanks so much for letting me say goodbye to him last Monday, I loved that dog. Fast and furious was definitely his motto, even his affections, although you did your best to make him behave. How fortunate for me that I know you and could know him. I treasure all of my friends dogs, some more than others. He was a very very bright star. - A.J.






He seemed so good when he was sprawling out in my dining room just a couple days ago! I'm so sorry his time came so soon, and so quickly. He was truly a remarkable dog, and he loved and looked at you in a way I know you will never forget. You are in our thoughts. - T.S.





T.S., you just mentioned something that really will stay with me - the way Travis looked at Jen. It was true love. - G.V.





How sorrowful to lose such an incredible greyhound. Travis was truly one in a million, and I feel for your heartbreak. I’m so lucky to have watched your teamwork together, both in person and through your blog. You are in our thoughts. - K.S.











Jennifer, my sincerest condolences. Travis was so much fun to watch. I loved to be a few dogs behind the two of you at a trial, so I could see your run! "Flow" was always the word I used to describe Travis. And of, course, his greyhound grin! Give everyone a hug for us. - J.B.











So sorry to hear about Travis. I had no idea he was ill. I will always remember him carring his orange bumper. I have never seen another dog carry one like he would and never drop it. - C.J.