If you love dogs, don’t live your life without knowing the love of a whippet.
Growing up with German Shepherds, a large, strong loyal, and protective breed, it's no surprise that I didn't quite understand Sighthounds, especially Whippets. I vividly recall one occasion while in the car with my dad at a set of traffic lights, I saw a man walking his two whippets and openly expressed my lack of understanding for the breed. "This man had an abundance of dog breeds to choose from and yet he chose to get not one, but two whippets!" I even went as far as admitting to Dad that I didn't think they were at all aesthetically pleasing and felt as though whippets were all riddled with crippling anxiety.
Then one fateful day, while at a fenced-off dog park with a friend in Melbourne's inner north, I came across a woman with a beautiful 8-week-old whippet puppy. I found myself drawn to the puppy and began to engage the owner in conversation. I honestly confessed that I didn't quite understand the Whippet breed and didn’t find them at all physically appealing.
The woman smiled at me and asked if I loved dogs. I of course answered with an enthusiastic yes. She then peered deep into my eyes and asked, "No, do you really love dogs?" Again, I confirmed my passion for dogs. The owner then smiled and said, "Look, I grew up on a farm with acres of land, and at one time we had over 15 dogs, so I know a lot about dog breeds". "If you really love dogs, don’t live your life without knowing the love of a whippet." I walked away from the conversation, and I felt something. Something in the statement "Don't live your life without knowing the love of a whippet" moved me. I left that conversation feeling stirred, and the imprint of her words would leave a lasting mark on me. That statement made to me by a stranger would ultimately change my life.
After that conversation, I made a conscious effort to stop and meet whippets and their owners. At the time, I was working on St Kilda Road and often cut through Fawkner Park, which is an off-lead park where many whippet owners take their whippets for a run. In my conversations with Whippet owners, I noticed a common theme: they often praised the breed as a collective rather than just talking about their dog. They made statements like, "Whippets are one of the loveliest breeds" or "Whippets all have the sweetest nature". Over time, and after meeting plenty of whippets, I too began adoring their sweet gentle nature.
A few months later, I was fortunate enough to introduce Bindi into my life, but one whippet wasn't enough. Just like that man at the traffic lights, I had all the dog breeds to choose from and yet I chose to get not one but two whippets.
My mission with Pawever Companions to not only to bring the joy and healing power of dogs to my clients but also to share my passion for the whippet breed so that others too, don’t live their lives without knowing the love of a whippet.
Founder
Caroline Mitri
BA. Applied Science (Psychology)