Darby Crash is going to be in a book!!!!!!

True story!!!

Project Dog! (if you flip through the sample spreads, Darby is the second page!

A couple of months ago Kira Stackhouse of Nuena Photography contacted me about having one of my greyhounds be the AKC purebred representative in her new hardcover book Project Dog! Project Dog is a 'coffee table style' book that features over 170 purebred dogs, one page for the AKC registered representative, and the opposite page for the purebred rescue/adopted representative of the breed. The entire book is over 300 pages of beautiful photography and a complete question/answer biography for each chosen dog! We were SO HONORED that she chose us!! Kira is a very talented and creative photographer based in San Francisco, this is the largest project she's taken on to date, and it is completely a labor of love. Love for dogs!!!

We met Kira in San Francisco at the California Museum of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, the setting she chose for Darby's photo shoot. It was raining, of course. San Francisco in October = rain. Pleh. But it didn't stop Darby's enthusiasm.

Post- professional photo shoot, in the rain, on the way back to the car where it was warm!

When all was said and done, Darby and I sat down and filled out the questionnaire for the biography and then sat back and waited. After a few days Kira sent us the proof for his page.

Here's Darby Crash's spread in the book;

All total, it took Kira over a year of hard work (she quit her full time marketing job to take on this project), but the book is finally done! It went to print about 4 weeks ago, and the first 100 copies have been delivered for Project Dogs official launch party tomorrow at Wags Hotel (a posh doggy daycare and overnight dog-care hotel) in San Francisco. Darby Crash is one of the 50 dogs who have been chosen for the runway show at the peak of the party!! I'm using a lot of exclamation points because we are so excited to be a part of this project.

Saturday (today) is the Launch Party in the city! Q and Art the Husband are tagging along for wine, cheese and doggie appetizers. We'll get to pick up our copies of the book while we're there. I'm so tickled.....my dog is in a real book!

For any dog lover (greyhound or otherwise) this is a fantastic book. The photography is creative and professional, but what's even better are the biographies and personal stories of each and every dog in the book. You start out looking at the pictures of all the different breeds, but then you get drawn into each dog's unique story. Before you know it you've spent an hour reading and haven't really gotten past the breeds starting with the letter C! If you're interested in getting one for yourself or someone you know who loves dogs, go to The Project Dog Book Page and order one. You will not be disappointed, and somewhere in there, Darby Crash will be staring back at you from his very own page!

Pretty nice for a bunch of ranch dogs......

The Fall GCNC specialty was especially special for my hounds! They swept up in Sweepstakes with DSquare (shown by my sister Laura who's NEVER shown a dog before, or even been to a dog show for that matter!) getting Best Veteran in Sweeps. Gulp....they're VETERANS now, when did THAT happen?!? Oh well, I'm very happy with Dee; she's a Dual Champion and is aging very gracefully. Shes EXTREMELY functional, she earns every win she gets. Kudos to DC Windrock Luck be a Lady Eldomar, SC (her fancy name)

We're not going to tell her she's 'old'

Andretti got Best Opposite Sex Veteran being shown by 15 year old Shelby, who also has never shown a dog or been to a dog show. Andretti is an awesome teacher dog, Shelby was elated to be able to handle him and win win win at this show. I'm so very proud of my Brown Dog, he is my most wonderful boy and will always be my heart. I'm secretly tickled that hes a veteran now, because I can show him in veterans classes at specialties. I had him neutered before he finished his championship and I regret it, if only because prancing around the show ring with Andretti is fun. He has a sense of humor and is a pretty good snob, and that's fun to show. And although he's not the 'ideal', he is a handsome and well put together dog, and I'm proud of that. Go go Windrock Sin City Playboy, CD, RA, JC! It's a rare occasion I get to shout out his 'fancy name', so there you go!

Andretti thoroughly enjoyed hanging out in the ring with Shelby!

As always, Dretti injured himself just in time for the specialty. Go Andretti! If it's not one thing, it's another with him.

Andretti showed in conformation, but not in obedience. Apparently you can show in the 'stand and look pretty' classes with stitches, but any type of performance class strictly prohibits any stitchery. And we're okay with that, I didn't want him jumping with stitches anyway (although I had no problem with him zooming around the yard and jumping up and down retaining walls with stitches. Go figure.)
Darby Crash won Best of Opposite Sex (to Best of Breed!) in regular classes. There was a fair entry of greyhounds, and I'm more than a little proud of him. Big Handsome!

Not even 3 years old yet! GCH Aragon Aroi Silver Lining, RA (or Darby Crash, it's less of a mouthful). 

After regular classes there was a costume class, I went all out this year and got everyone dressed up. It was pretty cute, and probably the largest costume class the GCNC has had that anyone can remember. Even Q got into the act this year. He makes a damn cute bat.

Q-Bat

Andretti was a farmer. Agricultural Brown. And none to pleased about it.

I think the baling twine collar and leash made the outfit. It earned him a placing in the costume contest. 

Dee was a ballerina. She didn't like it much at first, but warmed up to it when she realized everyone was pretty tickled with her.

She was blinding in her bling

Girl dog in a short skirt. Very wrong, I know. But it earned her 4th place in the costume contest!

Darby Crash went as Count Darbula, and even had his own bat! I can't believe he didn't get a prize for that. Nobody else had an accessory dog. Feh. Whatever!

I have exceptionally tolerant dogs. 

There were clowns (Mariska and Sonny!)

and a ladybug

a hula dancer and sort of twisted butterfly

Evil, toothy clowns. 

It was pretty busy that weekend, but the dogs had fun and the weather was really decent (last year it poured rain and was MISERABLE). Darby Crash came close to passing his first Novice Obedience try, but oh well. I was pretty stressed out showchairing this specialty, and I'm pretty certain he picked up on that. He did a decent job, and I'm extremely proud of him for giving me the effort and a good attitude. He's a really fun dog to work obedience with, he's wicked smart and goofy happy. That's a winning combo for a greyhound in the obedience ring. We're gunna try again in January in Palm Springs. ;)