Having found Deerhounds in 1994, my life is lived around them and their needs.   I just adore them.  My husband's name is Bill Foy and when we were looking for a suitable name which the Kennel Club would allow, we turned his name around and came up with foyble which we extended to give us Glenfoyble.

Mungo was my first Deerhound - a large, shaggy, gentle giant who was loved by all the family.  Unfortunately he had portosystemic shunt and we managed to keep him going with Hill's Science Diet and medication from the vet until he was 2 and a bit.  What an introduction to the breed he was, and now we have four deerhounds.

Taggart came next and was our first showdog.  Unfortunately, he does not like showing and I have given in to his wishes and mostly leave him at home now.

Logan is a big gentle giant (reminiscent of Mungo).  He is not too keen on showing in hot weather but I am persevering with him.

Ailie followed very quickly on Logan's heels and loves, nay adores, the showring.   She has been such fun and has done more than a mere beginner like me could have expected.  Unfortunately, she would not be mated and a pyometra followed her last season resulting in a hysterectomy.  So much for my aspirations to breed.

Within a month of Ailie's operation, I was offered her niece (6 month old) Stroma.   She has settled in well with the rest of the hounds and we are just waiting to get her into the ring - hopefully like aunt, like niece.

14 January 2005 

Was just browsing the site when I came across this very outdated page called “Kennel”!! 

Stroma did turn out to be like Ailie and loved the showring.  She did well as a pup as can be seen from her show record. 

At 3 she was mated to Stainloanan Teorluath at Findronach (Eve’s Hamilton’s young lad) and gave birth to 9 puppies.   After delivering the first one just after midnight, she was not interested in doing any more; it was a boy born dead with a hernia.   About 3am I managed to get the second pup out – a little girl, alive.  I phoned the vet after that and he came out around 4.30am.  He delivered another boy. And said that if nothing happened in the next two hours to take her in for a ceasarian.  Nine pups in all were born but only 4 survived :  I was fairly traumatised by the whole delivery.  I did sell one of the four survivors, and kept the other 3!!! – Dalrymple (the only boy who I fell in love with), Fernitickles and Megget. 

The first two have been shown but Megget has stayed at home with Mum.  Stroma was shown once more at SKC and was 1^st in Limit and then awarded the Reserve CC – I cried.   After that I had her speyed : there was no way either of us could repeat a birth.  I am toying with the idea of asking for Kennel Club permission to show her when she becomes a Veteran – I have never been in a Vet class.

Meantime Dalrymple and Fernitickles have done better in the ring that I could ever have dreamed of, especially since it was my first litter and I did not choose them from loads of siblings.  Dalrymple has a Reserve CC.  Fernitickles has a first place at Crufts – wow.  They do not need to do any more but I’ll probably show them for another year.

And in November 2004, Misty joined our troupe.  She is Tartraven Flodday (Tartraven Grimsay ex Tartraven Mhal at Glencartha) and was four months old on Christmas day.  She is a very outgoing pup and quite at home jumping on to Megget’s back (Megget adores her), biting at Ferni’s neck and giving Ailie palpitations as she rushes towards her.  Ailie has been rejuvenated (yet again!) by this little minx;   they are good pals and go out together first thing in the morning while I prepare the grub.

Dalrymple was used by Nell Caine on Killoeter Caileag in October and 3 girls have survived (born on 22 December).  So we have made a start on promoting the Glenfoyble line.

29 April 2007 

Having recently discovered that my update of 14 January 2005 did not find its way on to the website, I have sent it to my ComputerSon again so it should get you a bit more up-to-date with the state of play at Glenfoyble. 

In July 2005, Ailie left us.  She had 23 months on three legs and was almost nine.  What a girl!  Needless to say, I walked round the paddock and cried a lot.  My wonderful first girl deerhound.  Even on three legs, she had such a zest for life.  She ran and laughed and said, “OK, so I have three legs but I can still run like the wind”. The words “bone cancer” meant nothing to her;  life was for living and running.   

Just before Christmas 2005, I heard that one of Flaunden Flora Macdonald’s boy puppies was available!!!!! – fancy that!  Kilbourne Nimrod was the father.  Now, Flora and I had a bit of a thing when we lived in Moffat.  She and her sister Betty Burke came to see us fairly regularly (they allowed Jean Blandford to come too!)  Flora and Betty just loved to visit and they stuck their heads out of the car when they arrived at the gate.   After racing round the garden, they would try to outdo each other in trying to knock me down – I used to counteract this exuberance by giving them a big cuddle and remained on my feet (more or less upright!) 

So, a Flora pup was available – not for long!! Within two days – well I did have to consider just where this pup would sleep and how would the rest of the tribe cope with him; what would I call him (NOT Laurel which was his kennel name:  I did consider Hardy but rejected that) - I was up at Nell’s collecting him.  Yes, Ghillie had arrived. 

He settled in very well in no time at all (Bill considers this very bad news – it takes away one of the arguments for not having MORE!!)  He gets on really well with all of them.  He did try to become top dog about nine months ago but Dalrymple put him right on that score and Ghillie has accepted the situation – for the moment. 

So we were now six again.  I have tried to get Fernitickles mated but she has managed to avoid such an event.  She is now 5.5 years old and I think she is probably too old to take to motherhood with any enthusiasm.