234 THE WHIPPET 



England have not, however, met with a considerable 

 measure of success. A few years ago an attempt 

 was made to interest a better class of society, and 

 a handicap was promoted in connection with one of 

 the Ladies' Kennel Association Shows, and also at 

 the Richmond Show. The modus operandi of a 

 Whippet race is comparatively simple. The distance 

 run is two hundred yards, and the dogs are handi- 

 capped upon their previous performances. The com- 

 batants are held at the starting-point by their slippers, 

 one hand on the neck and the other on the root of 

 the tail. The owners run down the course shouting 

 " Hi ! Hi " and waving frantically a piece of cloth 

 or handkerchief. As these men get beyond the win- 

 ning mark the dogs are started and each one goes 

 at a break -neck speed. Each Whippet has a coloured 

 ribbon round his neck as a means of identification. 

 A i9-lb. dog has been known to traverse the two 

 hundred yards in 1 2 seconds, which is certainly an 

 enormous speed when we remember that the speediest 

 human sprinter can only cover half that distance in 

 a minute fraction under 10 seconds. It is some- 

 what surprising that such charming little dogs have 

 not been more generally kept as pets ; they are of 

 very graceful outline, and are dainty in their habits, 

 and they may weigh anything from 9 Ib. to 24 Ib. 

 Of course much care must be bestowed upon the 

 training of the animal, first lessons beginning at a 

 very early stage. It is essential that the dog should 

 do his utmost to reach his owner in the shortest 

 space of time without having his attention diverted 

 by any extraneous circumstances. The puppy must 

 come to look upon running to the rag as an amuse- 

 ment, and it is astonishing then how quickly he will 



