Advice please for a first time owner

[SusieD]

Hello,

Can I have some general advice please - we want to get a dog and a whippet keeps coming up top of our list - can someone please advise if our lifestyle is suited to one of these gorgeous dogs. I do not work so am around for pretty much all of the day and we have a very large enclosed garden at home - however I regularly travel to visit my mum who is a 90 minute drive away - would the dog be ok to do regular trips in the car with me? My husband is around all weekend and we spend a lot of that time just relaxing after a busy week ( well busy for him !) Also - as well as being good company do whippets alert you to people coming to the house by barking? Finally - do they shed much and have a definite doggy odour - obviously I would keep him or her groomed properly but some dogs have a tendency to shed and smell more than others.

Thanks in advance

 

[Biker John]

Susie, As to car travel, all I can say is it depends, as with other breeds and indeed people, some are travel sick most are not. I feel that getting them used to a car early, on short journeys is good. My girl is happy traveling for hours. My son lives 5 hours away, with of course a stop or two but I need them as well. The only thing is decide how the dog is to travel early and stick to it, ie using a crate or a restraining harness. Whippets are not really good guard dogs, some just rush to the door when someone comes and stand there wagging their tails, ok some do bark but normally only due to excitement that someone is coming. Now shedding, as you will know they have short hair, and yes it does shed but using something like a hound glove once or twice a week removes virtually all the loose ones. And I will add that using a glove on them is easy as far as the dog is concerned its being stroked. Now I haven't got a sense of smell worth talking about so I am not the best to comment on their odour but other people have said that they don't have a strong doggy smell, that said a lot of them find and roll in stuff like fox poo and of course if they do they will stink. Finally I will add that after living with dogs of various types over many years I will say that Whippets make absolutely wonderful pets, and are very versatile, once grown being happy to cuddle up, or join in any game you can think of, they are responsive to training, but only kind methods, they can take part in agility or flyball and of course if you want to take them they love racing or lure coursing.

 

[Ronnieeddie]

Hi susie,

We have 2 whippets already and are currently searching for our 3rd,they are addictive as they are so easy going,you have made the right decision in opting for this breed,our boys are the most loving and loyal dogs,I have owned other breeds in the past but will always have whippets now,one of our whippets barks to alert when someone's at the door and our other has never barked in 2 years,we go away at Christmas for a dog holiday and both our boys travel fine with enough rest stops,as John mentioned they do shed the odd hair but have no doggy odour if kept clean,ours get 2 good walks a day and have free roam of house and garden however if it's raining we have to carry them out for a wee then hide indoors because if they can see us they just stand at the door quivering till we let them in,fair weather dogs and will defiantly need a coat in winter

 

[SusieD]

Hello, Thanks so much for the advice - it's always best to talk to people that have real experience and knowledge rather than read the doggie textbooks. We have decided that a Whippet is definitely our breed of choice so the search for a pup is starting today and also the endless discussions as to what we should call him or her ( we don't mind a boy or a girl because we are going to let it pick us rather than us pick it).

Susie

 

[Biker John]

The only things that can be considered as being against a Whippet is if you are the sort of person that thinks dogs must never be on your furniture, then they wouldn't be for you Whippets always find a comfy spot. The only other thing is a lot of people find that they are totally addictive, many people decide they are getting one then latter on find themselves adding to their family. It isn't that Whippets are hard on their own or anything like that its just that when you have one you realise just how wonderful they are.

 

[finley]

Hi Susie, I have just picked up my second whippet 2 weeks ago and now wouldn't have any other breed. Both mine travel well though they were both car sick on their first journey ( Herbie peed all over me as well!) they insist on cuddling up to you as soon as you sit down and they feel it is their right to sleep wherever they like so be prepared to share the best chair. The best thing is they have no doggy smell which is bliss after having a golden retriever who was gorgeous but emitted his own classic aroma that had more staying power than the most expensive perfume! as for being guard dogs, they will bark when someone comes in which we ignored to our cost as Herbie started barking in the middle of the night and it never entered our heads that we were being burgled as the retriever hadn't made a sound. One thing I would say is choose a bold puppy as they can be quite nervous. We are taking Martha out to lots of different places and she is taking it all in her stride whilst Herbie only really enjoys running around places he knows.

Good luck with whatever you choose and you will love it to bits