ABOUT JAMMIN' WHIPPETS

My name is Laurel Wilks and I have owned Whippets for 14+ years. I have done obedience, conformation and agility with Standard Poodles, Cocker Spaniels, WFTs, and Shih Tzus since I was 18. I worked at a veterinary clinic as an assistant for 10 years and have now owned my own business for the last 8 years; Laurel’s Pet Grooming. Seeing the health problems other breeds can have, I really researched for a second breed of dog in 1991. The Whippet appealed to me because of their athleticism, beauty, lack of hereditary problems and the small amount of grooming they require.

My first Whippet came from Christine Hopperstad. I can still remember the feeling when I stepped into Christine's yard and the Whippets all came rushing out to us. Disney - Alcyon Rockingham, JC (Ch MerciIsle Burncoat Babylon X Ch Chelsea Asprey) - came to live with us, and even after chewing through several crates, mini blinds, clothes, etc. I was in love. He was and is my best friend. At 1 year, I took Disney to our first lure course, he was a maniac! He was thrilled and so was I, to watch him run. I was hooked.

I signed up with AWC as a rescue person for Washington before I even got Disney. I have always felt strongly that those of us who can should rescue. I had my first rescue Whippet, "Petie" from our local shelter, and had a heck of a time letting him go. It still hasn't gotten any better, sometimes something just clicks and I bond to a rescue very strongly. But, I did place him and have placed over 50 since then. I then became involved with Western Washington Whippet Association rescue as well as SPDR. As of 2008 I am taking a break from rescue to care for my own 7 dogs and my 16 year old niece who has been with me for 6 years.

I soon realized there was a difference in abilities within Whippets. I greatly admired the strong, athletic whippets. So, when Jo Sowards bred Blarneystones Miss Dallas LCM & Blarneystones Tyler LCM6, I had to have one. Shadow Run's Nike Air Jammin' LCM2, OTRM2, SC because, like Michael Jordan, I believed she could fly. She has taken my breath away on several occasions, like the first time she took Best in Field at the Region 1 Whippet Specialty. She became a FCh. after 5 trials and had her LCM by the time she was 19 months old. She was #14 ASFA Whippet in 1999. She has brought me two wonderful litters of puppies. She loves and is great at agility and a wonderful bed warmer. She is my best girl and I love her so much.

In January of 1998, I adopted "Rover", who originally came from England where his owner raced him as a "non-ped". He was 14 years old when his owner decided to go back to England and placed him in rescue and he was with me until Nov. 2000 at 17 years old, when he passed away. Several rescue's later, Sept. 1998, I kept another rescue; Cayman.

I believed Jam had the ability to produce better than she is and I saw something special in her. I fell in love with a dog named Myles at one of my first race meets. It’s funny, all the years of showing and lure coursing and that was the first dog to make my heart stop. Jam had a litter in April of 2001 by Galeforce Tilt O’Whirl RCH, SORC, FCh. Owned by my good friend; Catherine O’Brien. I named this litter all after different types of Tea. So, they have been collectively known as the “Teabags”. It was a breeding that really clicked and they have done very well. The temperaments were all good and they have excelled at oval racing, lure coursing and open field coursing. Being in the top 10 in all events. I kept one out of that litter; Jammin’ Irish Tea ORC, SR, LCM my big red baby boy, and co-own one with my great friend Jenette; Jammin’ TCS Red Zinger CC, CM, ORC, FCh. We bred Jam again in 2004 to Ringdove Black Tuxedo RCH, ORC, FCh. Owned by Scott Eckblad. I have kept one named Jammin’ Kashmiri Chai and I co-own several of the pups. Several of the dogs out of this litter are obedience titled, RCH pointed, ORC pointed and even show pointed.

Out of Jam’s first litter, two have been bred; Ruby and Tea’. Tea has been bred twice, once to Lyth Windwalker and once to Croc. The first litter produced some wonderful, fast puppies, meet winners; Solar and a Best in International Invitational winner; Ember. Ruby was bred to Zeeno and produced a fabulous litter, several of which are race pointed. From the second litter, Chai has just been bred to Myles.

The Whippet standard was written to describe a racing and rabbit coursing hound. I believe in breeding towards that goal, to maintain a dog that can excel at the job it was created to do; race and hunt rabbits, and look beautiful doing it.