Flint

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
My name is Flint and I was born to run. I don’t remember my father, but I am a short-coated Saluki-greyhound-whippet cross, descended from the hounds of Arabia who were bred for speed and endurance in desert lands. I have inherited a long nose and lemon ears. Somewhat regrettably, I also possess a beige mark on my white coat. It looks as if someone has spilt tea on my behind.

How many siblings do you have and long have you had them?
No idea! I expect I have lots.

Do you work? If so where/what do you do?
Sophie and I collect plastic washed up along the coast. It’s weird. She lugs back great fishing nets and buckets of absolute rubbish, which she then recycles or throws away. .

If you could choose your name what would it be?
Flint or Flinty.

What is your favourite food?
Don’t laugh, but I am partial to carrot peelings and enjoy wandering around the garden looking for fresh stems of grass. For some reason, Sophie, my human, shrieks and yells if I eat horse droppings. They look delicious and full of enzymes, but she claims they make me sick at night. .

Where is your favourite place to be?
I like walks along the Solent foreshore, which is a bit like a muddy beach. There is plenty of interest down there with wild ponies producing lots of horse poo. I rather like lounging in the car and on my bed in the kitchen, where I can stretch out. What I dislike intensely is rain. I hate getting cold.

What is your favourite way to entertain yourself (annoy your humans)?
Me? I’d like to go for a really good run along the coast but Greyhound Rescue won’t let me off the lead.Sophie’s boys did let me run along the coastal path once, as they thought the sea wall was fenced. I shot off, reaching 60mph without realising that I was scaring a few people innocently enjoying the sunshine. By the time Sophie caught up with me, I was carrying half a cauliflower in my mouth. I thought it was quite a find. She thought it was someone’s brain. It gave her a bit of a shock. Where I found half a cauliflower, I can’t say, but she was horrified and put me back on the lead.

What is your greatest accomplishment?
I was a little unsettled when I arrived at Sophie’s house and began to eat what she calls a ‘skirting board’ but she took me on plenty of walks and let me lie in her garden until memories of being locked up in a grey van faded. I now walk past such vehicles with confidence. In her memoir, ‘Funnily Enough’, Sophie includes a dog called Jake who became a film star. He was given Spike Milligan’s voice, and later appeared in a television drama with Rowan Atkinson.

What is your next goal in life?
Do I need a goal? We are keen to explore more of the New Forest where the grass is nice and springy and there is lots of horse poo.

If you could be/do anything for a day, what would it be?
I am owned by an author called Sophie Neville who has written a book called ‘Ride the Wings of Morning’, which features a dog called Tigger. It’s set in Africa. I’d love to be that bull-terrier for a day and chase hyena from the safari camp where Sophie lived.

Finally and most importantly...What was your human’s most embarrassing moment?
It was a bit embarrassing: I ran off and got lost in a dark wood but Sophie’s sister found me and, since I had no collar or tag, I was taken to the dog pound and on to Greyhound Rescue. This meant no more hunting or racing for me, despite the fact that I showed the girls that I was familiar with the local racecourse. Before that time, I had never watched television, been into a house or upstairs. Adapting to life in an author’s study took a while, but I like my warm, comfy bed. It is nice living with people who are around all the time and work at home.