Lizzie

Starcastle Hound’s Firelizard

March 22, 2001 – May 14, 2018

January 6, 2002. Lizzie was 9 months old.
We went for a walk around Görväln, a bay of Lake Mälaren. It was a very crisp and cold winter’s day. When skaters came rounding the points, the ice sang like whalesong. It was one of the most memorable dog walks of my life.

Lizzie was the first Silken Windhound ever born in Europe.

She had the strongest personality of all dogs I’ve ever lived with.
Lizzie knew exactly what she wanted and made sure she had it her way.

One of the things she wanted was to communicate.
Her ability to communicate with me was outstanding and unlike anything I’ve experienced with any other dog. She did everything she could to make sure I understood what she meant — what she wanted.

Lizzie talked. She had specific sounds for different things and answered questions with very distinct vocalizations

Like when I called out into the dark at night asking if she wanted to come in, that mostly elicited a special little bark meaning “no, I am here, but i don’t want to come in yet”.

Lizzie lived such a long life that it is impossible to tell everything about her here, on a single page. More stories about Lizzie will be shared over time.

Lizzie only had one litter, 6 puppies, 2 males, 4 females.
Three of the girls continued the line.

One of the daughters, Fire Fly, moved to England, became the first Silken Windhound in England and founded a dynasty of her own.

Through Fire Fly, a total of at least thirteen generations can be documented as of December 2025, spread across Europe and the United States.

Today, Lizzies line can be traced through multiple generations, with documented descendants extending at least 14 generations.