Stories & Science

Five Greyhounds. One obsession.

I didn’t plan on writing this. But lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the dogs who shaped the bones behind Bark & Bone — literally. Over 20 years and five Greyhounds later, here’s the story I’ve never quite told start to finish.

All of our dogs came to us through the Greyhound racing industry in the U.S. And all five, despite displaying the typical independence and laziness the breed is known for, had vastly different personalities.

Like really…really different.

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Jack was our heart dog.

Larger than life and soft like a bunny, everything in Jack’s world happened for Jack’s benefit. He’d have sounded just like Patrick Warburton had he been human. He would most definitely have referred to himself in third person.

He would also have been a bit of an asshole.

Egocentric and apathetic towards most other dogs, Jack only had eyes for his humans.

He wasn’t terrible with other dogs, just completely and utterly uninterested. So much so that he may have been better off as a single dog.

Before you judge my husband and I for idolizing a dog who might have made for a questionable human being, hear me out.

When a dog love bombs you constantly, it's impossible not to be affected by it.

He is literally the reason we love this breed.

Jack (Logon Bruno): 2000 - 2011

Stuey was smart. Really smart.

He spent his days using his brains to trick Jack into handing over his favorite toys and manipulate my husband off the sofa so he could stretch out on it instead.

When Stuey wanted to engage in questionable behavior, he'd do quick math in his head. And, whether or not he'd indulge himself would depend on whether or not he thought he had enough time to get away with it.

But, for all his evil genius, Stuey was quirky. He was a serial poop eater and terrified of everything.

Especially balloons.

He was also quiet. Really quiet.

He literally barked six times in his six years with us. Five of those were directed at Jack (for getting too close). The last time was to alert us to the asshole who was trying to break into our garage one night.

Stu (WW Free Nash): 2001 - 2011

Dave was…“special.”

My husband's words. Not mine.

Dave raced at 85 lbs and holds the prize for being our largest Greyhound.

Not that there was a competition or anything.

He also holds the distinction for preferring the floor to the sofa. He wanted all four paws touching the ground. At all times.

Of all our dogs, he's the only one who never once tried to climb up on the furniture.

But, despite his big dog presence, I appreciated Dave for the simple dog he was - steady in personality and (very) easy to read. Nothing phased this dog. Not fireworks or thunderstorms. Not Stuey’s panic attacks or Jack’s tantrums.

He didn’t have Jack’s charisma or Stu’s charm, but Dave was wonderfully good-natured, gentle, and patient with his housemates.

Dave (Daves Dashin): 2001 - 2013

Lenny was stubborn. Really stubborn.

Don’t get me wrong. He was also very sweet, but Len holds the distinction of being the only Greyhound we literally couldn’t teach any commands.

None.

If Lenny could speak, he’d have used swear words as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

Most of his expletives would be directed at us for daring to ask him to do literally anything.

He was our teenager.

Defiant and in a perpetual state of eye-roll.

We rewarded (and respected) his dislike for the camera with so few pictures that he’s the only dog we have to convince others he wasn’t merely a figment of our imagination.

Len (E's Seward): 2010 - 2016

Scotty was in a perpetual existential crisis.

In all our videos and most of our pictures, he had the kind of facial expression you have when you’re half way across town and suddenly can’t remember whether you turned off the stove.

But, he was silly and playful. He never met any of our other hounds but, if he had, I think he’d have paired well with Stuey. He was similarly quirky and easy-going.

Just the most awesome companion and his sudden passing last month left us completely and utterly stunned.

Scotty (Craigietrumpcard): 2015 - 2025

And today…we are dogless.

And the house is deathly quiet.

I miss hearing his claws on the hardwood. I miss the jingle of his tags. I miss him casually entering the kitchen when we were preparing literally everything. I miss his obsession with ice cubes.

All of it.

And yet, I can’t tell you when (or if) there’ll be any others. It was over two years between laying Lenny to rest and welcoming Scotty, but when we were ready, we knew.

And, similarly, if there are other dogs in our future…

We’ll know when it’s time.

They're the reason this site exists.

Being able to combine my love of science, anatomy and dogs has been amazing.

In literally every way.

I've used all their photos over the years to get more comfortable with designing canine anatomy. And, in a wonderfully weird way, the entire process is oddly comforting.

If I had to describe it, I'd say it's similar to piecing together a puzzle.

Or working your way through a coloring book.

If you're interested in having your own dog immortalized this way, all I need from you is a few of your favorite photos and your permission to turn it into something fun and uniquely different.

Click the button to learn more and get started.

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