# Poodle/Whippet Connection



## AngelsMommy (Nov 3, 2012)

I had to laugh when I say this thread because I had been wondering lately about whippets! I used to joke with my mom that when she trimmed her little blue mpoo, that he looked just like a whippet. 

Since you have asked many of the thoughts that I was thinking, I will be watching to see some folks answers. 


Hoping for a great bunch of input! I would love to see what folks think of their whippets vs their poodles as I have never been around a whippet and I looooove my poos!


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Well I have to say, the kids and I were looking at greyhounds before we decided on poodles. Do you know that greyhounds are reported to have NO inherited diseases??? They also don't shed much and have very little doggy odour. They are supposed to be awesome family pets, a small dog in a big dog body because they are so easy to live with. The thing that made me go for poodles is the intelligence, in the end. But I still love greyhounds


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

I have an IG and a poodle, so I think I fall into the category you discuss. :act-up:

I think it has something to do with the elegance of the breeds. Their grace might appeal to the same type of person, someone who starts with one and then either wants or doesn't want the fancier hair of the other. :laugh:

--Q


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I think it is the look of both dogs, that attract the same type of people. My sister has a whipett, she is so beautiful, if she had not been a shedder, I would have gotten her instead of Carley. They are very quiet and cat like in the house. ect.

My neighbor has had 3 greyhound and none have been healthy. I was surprised to read that most are. All of hers were rescues and they don't get the best food, so that might be the problem. She was crazy for her first two, but this third one is not anything like the others and she has been very sad about that.


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## Ruso (Nov 16, 2012)

I had a whippet before getting Ruso. He had a terrible accident that devastated me, and Ruso came as a soothing present form a friend.
I love both breeds, in fact I love dogs in general, but they are quite different, in my opinion. Whippets were bred for run & chase, and instinct is very strong in most of them. I think that poodles, well, toy poodles at least, were bred just for being human companions. Differences I see: my whippet, at home, was very mischievous. VERY. He was interested in everything, and Ruso is mainly interested _in me_. The energy level of my whippet was really high. I know that some poodles are also very high strung (I've just read a thread here about a mini poodle who reminded me about my dear whippet). In my humble opinion, a whippet needs lots of space, lots of exercise and lots of running, and providing all that is not always easy. Besides that, they can't be offleash (except in fenced or controlled areas) and are very prone to accidents. 
My whippet was not shy at all; he loved everybody, greeted everyone. The sweetest temperament you could imagine. One thing is true: they sleep a lot, and very deeply. And they hate cold and hard surfaces. I'm ashtonished watching Ruso resting on the bare floor: a whippet never would do that!
I forgot: they shed. A lot!


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Hmmm I've only met one Whippet. She was beautiful. THe owners proclaimed her to be "very high energy" She ran around the dog park with my Ralph, they were a great match, they were the same speed and took turns chasing each other. After about 10 minutes of the full out speed running the whippet collapsed at the owners feet to take a nap. Ralph galloped off to play with the next dog, running around and chasing the next "high energy" dog, LOL.

I do find the look of Whippets/Greyhounds to be very elegant and dainty, much like my Poodle. We joke that Ralph is a little greyhound (in appearance and speed).


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## lindasdoggrooming (Nov 12, 2012)

frankgrimes said:


> I've noticed a lot of Poodle owners also own Whippets. It almost seems that if one owns a Poodle they either own another Poodle or a Whippet. Is this a conscious decision or do Poodle people just like Whippets and vice versa? I suppose whippets are similar in personality, shy, quiet companion type dogs (unless you get a rowdy rowdy Ralphie). Is it that they make good playmates for POodles? Is it like having a Poodle without the grooming? Not sure why I'm asking this... just curious I guess.


No Whippets,
Rio is a Lab
Annie is a Pit
Jade a Border Collie
Kansas is the baby Parti Poodle
Lots of fun at our house.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

frankgrimes said:


> After about 10 minutes of the full out speed running the whippet collapsed at the owners feet to take a nap.


That's true from the people I talked to; greyhounds are supposed to not need as much exercise as you might think because they are fiercely fast (45 mph) but only for short distances; in fact I was cautioned that I wouldn't be able to run my usual morning 5 or 6 k with greyhounds unless I had spent a period of time conditioning them to that distance. Same was true with the poodles, but of course they're not THAT fast! Pretty darn fast though


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## Catriona (Nov 16, 2012)

Maybe it does have something to do with the 2 breeds getting along well together as they both love to run. Whenever I meet a lurcher (small or medium) Ollie loves to play chase with them. Not so much with the larger ones as they catch him too easily!


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

It very well may be the sleekness factor. I admit I am attracted to the look of sighthounds like Afghans and Salukis. Leroy is tall and skinny, I always exclaim what a cute, tiny, waist he has! Unlike other breeds that look like sausages (bully breeds). I think Poodles and Havanese make a great match 

Are you still getting a toy poodle?


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

tokipoke said:


> Are you still getting a toy poodle?


I keep flip flopping back and forth. Some days I'm 100% sure I'm getting a toy, then the next I think it's a terribly impractical idea (two Poodles to groom, it's sooo cold where we live a toy may freeze or refuse to go outside etc). I was thinking about other breeds (i.e., whippet terrier etc) but honestly, I can't think of a match better than another Poodle for ol' Ralph....:angel:


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

Toys are very hearty and will go out in the cold. My 3 lb teacup loves the cold and snow. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## Keithsomething (Oct 31, 2009)

I think its the elegance factor really, sighthounds carry themselves with such poise its amazing. I've noticed alot of poodle owners also own dobermans as well, another regal breed with such a great presence

I know alot of people with poodles and Havanese, they're a great little breed VERY poodle like!


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## Ladywolfe (Jan 11, 2012)

frankgrimes; I've often wondered the same thing about the poodle/doberman connection. Have you ever considered a lovely dober-pal for Ralph? Can you tell, I am a past two-dobe owner?


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## Meg (Aug 1, 2010)

Keithsomething said:


> I think its the elegance factor really, sighthounds carry themselves with such poise its amazing. I've noticed alot of poodle owners also own dobermans as well, another regal breed with such a great presence
> 
> I know alot of people with poodles and Havanese, they're a great little breed VERY poodle like!


My last dog was a Great Dane, a very elegant 'look at me' breed. When he passed away I looked at lots of different breeds (Dobermans were high on the list) and the two that I narrowed it down to were the Whippet and Standard Poodle. I weighed the pro's and con's and asked family members what they would prefer and that's why I settled on a spoo. 

I had no idea that there was any connection between the two breeds at the time, but since getting my spoo I have remarked on the odd link to friends and other dog people.......and I still want a Whippet in a few years, lol.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I own two poodles and a whippet.  Whippets are elegant dogs. I feel like I have a sphinx lying around the house:
















He's just a beautiful dog. I got him to keep my last poodle company and because I knew they were easy dogs to have as long as you give them space to run. In the house they are calm couch potatoes. They can be catlike (mine actually licks himself to get clean). I would have gotten another poodle, but I thought I'd mix it up. I also wanted a dog that didn't need grooming. He sheds, but not much and the hair is very short and not noticeable unless you are wearing black and sit on the couch (okay- so I let him on the couch. When I say no grooming, I mean a bath a couple times a year and warm wet washcloth otherwise. He needs no brushing. I take him to have his nails dremmeled every 6 months or so at the poodles groomer. Whippets are sweet, gentle and very calm dogs and also silly like poodles sometimes. Whippets have almost NO health problems other than tight skin that can tear easily and various benign lumps and bumps that show up as the age. Very healthy dogs. Mine is almost 7 and only been to the vet a few times. 

Whippets have totally different personalities other than being very sweet like poodles. Boy, can they run and turn on a dime. I remember being a little creeped out when I first got Echo because he stared at me whereever I was. His vision is amazing. He can see something down the street and he'll bob his head trying to get a fix on it while the poodles don't even notice. The poodles don't see as well. I love whippets angles and athleticism. They are terrible watch dogs, though. I rely on the poodles for that. 

Let's see, what else: They are really bad with too cold and too hot. They don't like hard surfaces (you'll never find mine sleeping on the tile). They are smart, but not in the same way as poodles. They are trainable, but not as eager to please people as a poodle. Poodles are focussed solely on their people usually. Whippets just want their people hanging around in the same room.

It's really fun to have poodles and a whippet because they seem like such opposite ends of the spectrum. People usually really like one or the other when I take them on walks. Mine is playful and fun, very obedient and great with all kinds of people. Being sighthounds they aren't nearly as in tune to people as the poodles, but more in tune than greyhounds because they were bred as family pets with a dual duty of catching rabbits and racing for fun. They also can't be left alone for long periods or they aren't happy because they are not as independent as greyhounds. Echo can't keep up with Bonnie's antics, either. Bonnie loves playing with Jazz for hours. 

Poodles are also elegant. Maybe that's why I like them both? I never thought about it before. Whippets carry themselves with dignity the same way the poodles do, but they are very different dogs personality wise. They also have a poker face. Poodles ooze emotion from their faces and you never know what a whippet is thinking. 

Interesting topic. I was surprised how many other poodle people owned whippets, too. I thought I was the only one.


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## KidWhisperer (Apr 3, 2012)

IDK about whippets, but I'm a sucker for hairless Chinese Cresteds. I love their flowing manes and tails, and I think they are unusual, but gorgeous.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

My daughter and I had dreams of rescuing a retired racing Greyhound and were in the final step when I had an intuition and contacted a Whippet/Greyhound breeder who is also a vet, to get her opinion on how the two kitties and two dwarf rabbits we had at the time would fare. After a huge NOOOOOO from her, I began a mission to get our first Whippet. I love their grace. They love to run and romp but are just as happy to be couch potatoes. They are loyal and devoted like the Poodles, but not as velcro-ish. The biggest draw for me to want another is their complete lack of grooming needs. They get a bath a few times a year and nails trimmed once every few weeks. The Poos and Whippets love one another and the Whippets think the Spoos are their own personal, four footed hot water bottles. Just a perfect compliment to one another. They do shed like crazy though and the older I get the bigger a deal that is to me. I never envisioned myself without one, but think my next smaller dog will be a Powder Puff Chinese Crested.


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## bookwormjane (Dec 18, 2011)

I've had greyhounds for a number of years, starting out with a retired racer and then moving on to show-bred hounds. They are wonderful dogs to live with; active when you want to be active, happy to nap when you want, too. They aren't very bark-y. Certainly less than my spoo. They tend to be healthy as a breed, excepting bloat and osteosarcoma. I have NEVER heard of a greyhound with hip dysplasia. Grooming is almost non-existent, even when showing my dogs. They do shed, but have a dry (not oily), non-stinky coat. 

The best toy I ever brought them was a standard poodle puppy. Since my hounds are both males, and stayed intact as long as they were showing, their play would often turn nasty. Daphne can play with either dog, or both, so is a great buffer between the two. Many times, they both chase her until she collapses on the ground, showing her belly. Then they enjoy "eviscerating" her. She seems to enjoy it too.


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## organza.evidence (Dec 14, 2011)

Here in Europe is almost "in moda" to have this combination.My friend has one miniature poodle and one small italian greyhound-they are so great couple The main thing is same elegance,same playfull caracter but also one dog in the house without grooming


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

It definitely eases the load having one dog that doesn't require grooming. Don't be like me and have a bunch of animals that require regular grooming (even my hairless cats) - I don't have a day off sometimes. After I'm done grooming other people's dogs, I groom mine in my off days. I am also thinking about getting another cat... a Persian - another breed that requires regular grooming lol.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

tokipoke said:


> It definitely eases the load having one dog that doesn't require grooming. Don't be like me and have a bunch of animals that require regular grooming (even my hairless cats) - I don't have a day off sometimes. After I'm done grooming other people's dogs, I groom mine in my off days. I am also thinking about getting another cat... a Persian - another breed that requires regular grooming lol.


Wait a minute! How can a _hairless_ cat require grooming?


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## MaryLynn (Sep 8, 2012)

You just might be onto something...

We were between getting a poodle and adopting a greyhound, and while I am not sure if I would want to own anything else buy a poodle in the future greyhounds and dobermans are breeds still on the list.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

LEUllman said:


> Wait a minute! How can a _hairless_ cat require grooming?


They require baths! Either weekly or every other week. I've finally found the shampoos that doesn't completely strip the oils from their skin so that I can bathe them every 3-4 weeks (4 weeks is pushing it - at that point they stink and are SO grimy). They produce more oils and wax then normal cats. 
Their ears get very waxy, and for me, I also clearn around their nail beds - a lot of dirt & grime gets stuck around their nails. When I clean them, it smells like poop lol. They also have wrinkles and folds to the skin where the dirt can settle. Thanks goodness there's no blowdrying involved, but if I don't keep up with the baths, they can get blackheads/whiteheads and leave every fabric they touch brown. My husband is allergic to cats and I can tell when I'm at the 4 week mark because my husband's skin and eyes will get red.


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## MaryLynn (Sep 8, 2012)

LEUllman said:


> Wait a minute! How can a _hairless_ cat require grooming?


Rex breeds are SUPER oily/waxy. My devon Rex (not hairless, but very little of it) required bathing once every 2-3 weeks, and he had the grossest ears I have ever seen. 

I trimmed his nails often, too. 

I really do miss that cat sometimes. I have never been a cat person, but there is something about that breed that is pretty enchanting.


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## Agidog (Jun 4, 2012)

It is amazing the similarity they must have come down from the same breeding line as everytime my girl is wet she is a whippett to a 'T' and the running style in full flight etc.

Did you know that portugese water dogs and poodles came from same lineage.

so now you have set me a task to research and find out which line both poodle and whippett came from way back :ahhhhh:


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## Agidog (Jun 4, 2012)

So so frustrating to have typed in all my research findings only to be told oh logged out and when i log back in bingo all gone grrrrrrrr:ahhhhh:

Anyways to cut a long explanation short Greyhounds are known as primal breed /saluki / afghans and similar all descendent from these, Poodle -> standard size possibly comes from greyhound x with Barbet which also was resulting PWD.

check out these sights and some of the pics to support ->
Greyhound Dog
History of the Greyhound Dog Breed
History of the Italian Greyhound
Poodle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portuguese Water Dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saluki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbet_(dog)

If you look at the photo's of the very early poodle in the link you can see the similarity between the PWD +barbet 
so my humble guess would be there is definately a genetic connection between all these hunting dogs.


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Ladywolfe said:


> frankgrimes; I've often wondered the same thing about the poodle/doberman connection. Have you ever considered a lovely dober-pal for Ralph? Can you tell, I am a past two-dobe owner?


I would LOVE to have a dobe...Ralph gets a long with every Doberman we've ever met, they run and bounce together. Unfortunately, my husband is allergic to dogs, and they shed too much to keep things under control.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

frankgrimes said:


> I would LOVE to have a dobe...Ralph gets a long with every Doberman we've ever met, they run and bounce together. Unfortunately, my husband is allergic to dogs, and they shed too much to keep things under control.


Too bad! Dobes are another breed you don't see very often any more, and they're so pretty. So let's see what non-shedding (kind of, you know what I mean) dogs I can think of, either from personal experience or from talking to other people; Havanese, Wheatens, Airedales, Wirehaired Fox Terrier, Greyhound, Bedlington Terrier, Irish Water Spaniel, Basenji, Kerry Blue Terrier, our own beloved Poodles, and Bichons. There are others (Barbers? PWDs? But I'm not sure about them) I can personally vouch for the Bedlington, they are awesome dogs! They do have coats to maintain but they're not as demanding as poodles for grooming, and they have whippet in their lineage so you should see them run! My little Bedlington used to run so fast in big circles around me, her ribs would almost touch the ground on the corners. They'd give Ralph some good exercise! It's fun to daydream about


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

I have also seriously considered whippets, greyhounds, dobes and my biggest want right now is a Powderpuff Chinese Crested (I like the hairless too, but BF said "please no"). 

I don't know if it's that drop chest and itty bitty waist look, or the long, pointy snouts, or something else, but something about all of those above breeds has me captivated.

*Ralph *- Check out Chinese crested!! They're very cool little dogs, and if you're not into the naked ones, the powderpuffs look fabulous in a miami. 
Look at this little CC puppy. They're born with MULLETS! 









and a cute puff baby









Photos from http://www.bodeswelldogs.com/index.html


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

Locket said:


> I have also seriously considered whippets, greyhounds, dobes and my biggest want right now is a Powderpuff Chinese Crested (I like the hairless too, but BF said "please no").
> 
> I don't know if it's that drop chest and itty bitty waist look, or the long, pointy snouts, or something else, but something about all of those above breeds has me captivated.
> 
> ...


I have one, and he is a doll. He has such a wonderful personality. Kody was rescued from a puppy mill and was deaf until six month after he came to live with me. When he was neutered, they cleaned his ears, and removed tons of feacal matter and gave him meds to be put in his ears.... The pood baby must have been in horrible pain... I just love him to pieces!


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

sweetheartsrodeo said:


> I have one, and he is a doll. He has such a wonderful personality. Kody was rescued from a puppy mill and was deaf until six month after he came to live with me. When he was neutered, they cleaned his ears, and removed tons of feacal matter and gave him meds to be put in his ears.... The pood baby must have been in horrible pain... I just love him to pieces!


Unbelievable! Poor pup!!

Please share pictures of your Crestie!


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Locket said:


> I have also seriously considered whippets, greyhounds, dobes and my biggest want right now is a Powderpuff Chinese Crested (I like the hairless too, but BF said "please no").
> 
> I don't know if it's that drop chest and itty bitty waist look, or the long, pointy snouts, or something else, but something about all of those above breeds has me captivated.
> 
> ...


*
AHHH!! Too cute!!!!*


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

I love the cresteds too! There's the hairless, and hairy hairless, and powderpuff - I think you can still shave the powderpuff to look like a hairless, no?

I love how the cresteds are groomed - the look like rockstars with the hair! And they look specatular when the hair is dyed.

My vote is Havanese!! But I am biased lol. I think they are great dogs. Happy-go-lucky, willing to please, they just want to be with you - very velcro dogs. They get along with poodles. They are small but very sturdy. I would love to adopt a rescue greyhound one day though. Have you seen the movie 50/50? There's a greyhound in that movie - he's so cute!


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

I am going to have to pick your brain on the Havanese. I have one that we found floating in my pool almost dead. I felt horrible rushed her to the vet and paid for the bill. She was chipped, we contacted the owner, and the lady said no that she didn't want her, and just the night before had opened the door and put her out. Well, she has lived with me since... but she doesn't like to be loved on, she hates to be brushed... she is very snappy.. Once in a blue mood will she come and jump in my lap and let me love on her. 

Will post a new picture of Kody soon. He needs to have a bath and be brushed out. I don't keep his coat very long, as he is very curly. But has the sweetest face. I love the way he looks shaved, he has speckled skin


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

sweetheartsrodeo said:


> I am going to have to pick your brain on the Havanese. I have one that we found floating in my pool almost dead. I felt horrible rushed her to the vet and paid for the bill. She was chipped, we contacted the owner, and the lady said no that she didn't want her, and just the night before had opened the door and put her out. Well, she has lived with me since... but she doesn't like to be loved on, she hates to be brushed... she is very snappy.. Once in a blue mood will she come and jump in my lap and let me love on her.
> 
> Will post a new picture of Kody soon. He needs to have a bath and be brushed out. I don't keep his coat very long, as he is very curly. But has the sweetest face. I love the way he looks shaved, he has speckled skin


That is horrible!! I'm glad she ended up with you instead!! The typical personality trait for Havanese is that they are happy dogs that love people and children. Of course temperment can be affected by the dog's past history and breeding. Louis is happy-go-lucky with our immediate family and friends, but he doesn't like strangers right off, he has to get to know them and warm up to them. He hated children but he is getting better. As long as the child doesn't act rude. He doesn't care for other dogs other than Leroy. He loves cats. I have heard of some Havanese being great lap dogs, but Louis isn't much of a lap dog. He will want attention, but he doesn't like sitting in people's laps, not even my own. He will lay next to me instead. Whether a dog likes grooming just depends on training, and even with extensive training, some dogs just hate grooming. I just love the overall tempermanet of Havanese, they have a "soft" personality, follow you everywhere, and dote on you lovingly - at least that is how Louis is.

Can you post some pics of your Havanese?


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

Absolutely... Will have to wait until I get home, as our district now blocks photo bucket... Will post some of Kody and Penelope aka Nelly.


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

I put a picture of Kody in Remington's photos.


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