Parker
Ch Seaspell's Spider Phaeton, SC, CGC, Delta Pet Partner
7/11/1991 to 9/29/2007
Parker became part of my life in November of 1997 at the age of 6.  He was a
finished champion in the conformation ring, and had sired four litters.  He was my
first Whippet.  Little did I know that he was just the first of many.
Parker lived his life to the fullest, right up to the hour that he died., we were at a lure
coursing trial and he had eaten a good breakfast, taken a nice walk around the trial
site and had taken a nap in the sun with his daughter, Bagel.  He then laid down for
another nap and never woke up.  I'm going to miss my old man more than I can say.  
He was an 'old soul' from the day he came into my life, filled with quiet dignity.

Parker was 16 years old when he died and to quote Karen Roberson, Parker was "the
hardest dog I ever showed."   Parker was always a hard keeper, never cared much for
eating, so was always on the thin side.  He also never got worked up about doing
anything, except chasing a lure, to which he gave about 85% of his energy.

Shortly after he was 8 years old he got to start lure coursing.  If any dog could get an
award for creative course design, it would be Parker!  He always started out on the
lure & finished on the lure, but in between he ran where HE thought the lure should
be going.  He was retired from running at age 10 due to muscle spasms in his right
rear leg.  At age 12 we discovered a chiropractic vet and with regular adjustments, the
muscle spasms became a thing of the past.

Parker emerged from retirement in March of 2006 at age 14-1/2 to run in a Jersey Rag
Racer's WRA meet.  (The inspection committee later told me that they KNEW he
couldn't pass inspection - but he did)  He PULLED me down the track, almost pulled
me into the box and finished his race, and he wasn't all that far behind the others.

He got frail in the last year, but he still got to run short straights at practices from time
to time.  His heart did all sorts of things that were interesting to the cardiologists, but
he had no symptoms.  He was part of the study on Whippet hearts that is being done
at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI.  His eyes were still bright and he still
moved effortlessly up to and including his last day.
Health testing -
I didn't do any
testing on him in
his last years.  He
had some vitreous
degeneration in
his eyes, a grade 6
heart murmur, his
kidney values were
a bit elevated and
he didn't hear so
well in the last year
or so, but he had
no significant
arthritis and never
lost his movement.
Copyright  Close Encounters of the Furry Kind, LLC
Photographed at age 14
Parker's FAVORITE activity -
napping with Bagel
In his younger days:
Parker winning Reserve Winners Dog
at the 1993 AWC Eastern Regional
Specialty under judge Joan Goldstein.