She was a street dog. I only found out they were all hunting dogs when I noticed how they would move ahead of me, as I have seen in movies, and how they couldn't resist the sight of a cat.
She was definitely the leader of her pack. Not what you would first assume was a cuddly dog because of how slim her body was.
At first, I thought that she was so skinny because she was existing on a garbage and charity diet. But when I googled hunting dogs I quickly discovered that her visible bones were just the genius of her design.
We'll call her Blanca, white as the color of her fur after a rainy day and before rolling on red dirt. I never did give her a name, I never meant to call her, I was just a little lonely.
So I start petting this stray dog because I never cared much for germs, I don't shy away from getting dirty and working on my immune system, but I try not to feed her because I don't want a stinky and loud stray around. She kept coming back just for the company, no food was needed to persuade her.
To this day I haven't met a more majestic creature. Later I would discover I had made friends with a pack of slightly mixed sighthounds, probably some variation of Greyhound, since apparently Christopher Columbus introduced them to the island of Hispaniola in the 1490s.
I grew up seeing mostly these types of dogs but I never really looked at them, I just thought they were malnourished or sickly.
Blanca was fast, the fastest of the 3, she was probably the oldest too. You would think because these dogs have been used for racing and for their speed that they're all about speed, but the opposite is true.
Their speed is explosive, it simply is something to witness, but they are lapdogs at heart.
I was moved by the gentleness of this dog, she always wanted hugs. More than that, she followed me everywhere, and the other two followed her, we would walk for miles.
Then, one day, something magical happened. I decided to take a bike ride and when I returned she spotted me on the bike. We rode for a while, and they all seem to be having fun...I just didn't know how much fun. From that moment on, whenever she saw me grab that bicycle again, Blanca simply lost all control of herself to the point where I began to worry she could hurt herself.
My goodness! So much joy! It was as if she hadn't seen me in a whole year and I just showed up all of the sudden. She just couldn't contain her excitement. How touching it is to see another creature feeling such happiness from one's small actions.
I mean, I wasn't even inviting her to come on the ride. She was just gonna get a chance to run with me whether I approved of it or not, she'd just scream until I'd manage to pull the bike out and we'd take off. Pure emotion. Uncontainable.
If you have a sighthound and can ride a bike I highly recommend trying to find an appropriate space to let your dog run alongside you. Great memories can be built on the simplest of things, and it's super fun to watch them outsmart the field with you.
Currently, I'm looking to buy or adopt a Greyhound, Whippet, Saluki, or another type of sighthound, preferably short-haired.
I don't mean to breed, I don't mind if it's sterile, but it does need to be in good health and quiet. I don't intend to breed but I would be willing to because these dogs are probably the only animal we've molded to my satisfaction.
Human beings actually created these dogs to be the way they are, at least the hunting part, and I think we did wonderfully. Other dogs are great too with a few exceptions which in my opinion have way too many health problems, but these dogs I'm talking about are on another level.
Since dog racing has stopped in Florida, it is becoming harder and harder to get these dogs. If anyone reading this breeds them or knows someone who does I'd love to meet you and maybe learn from you a little. These dogs need preserving, they are invaluable as pets or workers.
I've seen plenty of people talk about when SHTF and speculating on what could be valuable or not, what kind of things to buy in order to sell later on...
Not expecting SHTF soon or anything, but I do feel a lot safer with these dogs around. They are sensible animals, useful assets, and a good investment all around. If you want a dog to be your true friend then try one of them skinny hounds because in my opinion, aside from maybe a Husky in the right climate and a hound that goes on smell, sighthounds are the only dogs worth my bitcoin.
