How To Talk Round A Reluctant Oh...

[bella wood]

We have so many beautiful walks around where we live and dog owners by the thousand. As luck would have it, we have only come across ONE whippet in the 10 years we have lived here. Luckily the owners of that one are lovely and adore their dog - they can't rate whippets highly enough. Unfortunately, they are an older couple and another argument the OH puts up is that they are 'old people's dogs'!!!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRR.........

Good tips otherwise - I think I'll have to work on some of those. Better find out where I can take him whippet racing!

 

[FifeJillandIan]

We have so many beautiful walks around where we live and dog owners by the thousand. As luck would have it, we have only come across ONE whippet in the 10 years we have lived here. Luckily the owners of that one are lovely and adore their dog - they can't rate whippets highly enough. Unfortunately, they are an older couple and another argument the OH puts up is that they are 'old people's dogs'!!!!!GRRRRRRRRRRR.........

Good tips otherwise - I think I'll have to work on some of those. Better find out where I can take him whippet racing!

I love this photo of my older boy, Blue, as I think it really shows off just what athletes these dogs are - just look at those muscles!!! Definitely not a quivering, shaking creature I also think that whippets need active owners (whatever age they are) as they need their exercise and can cope with long walks too.

Our two whippet boys are just the soppiest, most loving dogs - Alfie (1 year old) snuggles up next to me on one couch every evening and Blue (three and a half now) always snuggles up next to my OH, Ian. I don't think Ian ever expected to become quite so attached to two little dogs but they have a way of tugging at the heart strings and I have to say, we both dote on them :wub: :wub:

When other dog owners see them free running, they cannot help but be impressed - especially men lol and I've also noticed that we get a lot of men who want to stop and ask about them, especially in some of the ex-mining villages round about here where they might remember their father or grandfather's whippet and get quite nostalgic about it. Good luck with your quest to have a whippet join your family - I'm sure your OH will be smitten once he gets to know one :luck:

 

[TillynPip]

My youngest daughter kicked off the 'I want a dog' and once I had accepted the impact it was going to have on my life (far more than anyone elses), we set to work on OH. His mother had bred Beagles but he is not an animal person and only agreed on a dog if it was a Lab or Springer and if I trained it (I grew up with working labs). Taking his wishes into consideration and whilst he was in the Middle East on business, my daughters and I found a beautiful whippet X rescue and rehomed her! :- He was introduced to her when he came home and announced that it was fine but he wouldn't walk her and didn't like her. I think it took our beautiful, intelligent and canny little girl about 48 hours to win him round and, as they say, the rest is history. A year later another rescue girl with sighthound in her, joined the family and twelve months ago we got our beautiful full whippet, Gracie. We are all utterly smitten and when strangers remark on her, which they always do especially when she is at full throttle over the beach, I have to smile when I watch the OH puff up with pride when he talks about her :wub:

Sadly we lost our middle girl last November, the dynamics have changed somewhat and we have decided Gracie needs a running/playing pal. My OH said nothing but a whippet will do so hopefully, at some stage in the future, we will be lucky enough to have another whippet. As the other posts have said, by fair means or foul get him introduced to the breed and his misconceptions will vanish when he realises what really great characters these dogs are. The best of luck and let us know if/when you succeed.

 

[eve]

I am lucky, my husband came after the whippets. I usually just tell him a few days before that another whippet will be joining us. :thumbsup:

Do you know anyone who has a whippet that you could look after for a while when the owners are on holiday? Once he has had a whippet around for a few days, he will be converted.

Taking OH to lure coursing is a good idea.

There is also the argument that whippets are excellent whith children, having sweet natures, less hair for allergies and they are a healthy breed compared to some.

 

[TillynPip]

That's a good idea of eve's. I can't see whereabouts you are in the UK but if you are near Cheshire you're welcome to meet Gracie and introduce your OH to her. She's a one year old bundle of fun, friendly and confident and a bit of a clown. :clown: !

 

[~Annie~]

Me again. Just wanted to say that your husband couldn't be more wrong if he thinks whippets are shy shivery things, or just for old people. Mine lure course, they are agility dogs, they hunt squirrels in the woods where we walk ... they are all dog ... from the roaching on the sofa in the sun :wub: to the rolling in fox poo every chance they get :x They do need coats in sub zero temps and when there is significant wind chill (just my opinion, not everyone will agree), and they don't all like getting wet ... one of mine will carefully walk around puddles, but another jumps in the river at every opportunity, and they all love to swim! Honestly, we have had a number of breeds along the way but like so many others once I had one whippet I couldn't imagine ever wanting another breed, now I just want lots of whippets :thumbsup:

A couple of pics to convince him that they are suitable dogs for a man

 

[Esty]

:lol: Haha tell your husband that my husband and I take offence that whippets are for old people! We are both still (just) this side of forty :thumbsup: and my teenage sons also take our whips out without embarrassment.

I'm also thinking he has only met/seen pictures of little whippets. My two are 21 inches at the shoulder and very respectable sized dogs! themetalchicken's beautiful boys are much more typical of whippets today :wub:

 

[2hounds]

LOL, my husband had been lusting after the BMW GS650 Cross Country dual purpose motorcyle...but would never go out and get one without my permission. He'd been on the fence about a dog for some time.

I 'mentioned' a blue whippet pup a couple of times (showed him pictures on the web of blue pups) then one day I suggested 'instead of going on vacation this year...why not get your bike'?

He never saw it coming...he's got the bike and I'm *still* looking for the blue pup...but he is now TOTALLY on board!

 

[bella wood]

I am loving getting this insight into all of your families! :lol:

The photos and the suggestions are all brilliant. Far better than just nagging and whining, which is so not attractive!!!

I LOVE the shot of the three whippets leaping the log in the snow. What a fantastic photo and gorgeous dogs. It really does show them at their fun-loving toughest.

I've now found out that the nearest and next race meet to me is next Sunday in Kent......and my husband is away on business. Maybe some things just aren't meant to be. So its back to the drawing board and I will soon be offering him the super-duper motorbike of his choice. Even though he's never driven one in his life! :teehee:

 

[pippywhippet]

I was lucky- I had 2 whippies and a Ridgeback when my husband and I met :thumbsup: - he grew up with German shepherds.

As a Yorkshireman he was totally happy with more whippets becoming part of our family when our other beautiful hounds inevitably grew old and had to leave us.

We are 39 and 42 so not ancient yet!!

My husband LOVES his whippets now and would choose a whippet in preference to any other breed - he loves to see them run on the beaches- no shivering at all, and they literally leave every other dog standing, they definately have the WOW factor. )

Hope you get your whippet, they are fantastic family dogs for an active family :wub:

Billy- after a swim in the river

With the children

 

[peppermint lady]

or just live on your own like i do (w00t) my daughter and i (shes almost 7) we have 8 whippets, all pedigree racer, we race every sunday and travel all over the place to do so, racing is a fab day out for ALL ages :thumbsup: im almost 34, and lots of families race, when we go open racing my daughter meets up with all her buddies, she also enjoys helping with the dogs on race days and even traps her little Violet

ive grown up with different breeds, but whippets all the way now

 

[whippetmad]

I was lucky- I had 2 whippies and a Ridgeback when my husband and I met :thumbsup: - he grew up with German shepherds.As a Yorkshireman he was totally happy with more whippets becoming part of our family when our other beautiful hounds inevitably grew old and had to leave us.

We are 39 and 42 so not ancient yet!!

My husband LOVES his whippets now and would choose a whippet in preference to any other breed - he loves to see them run on the beaches- no shivering at all, and they literally leave every other dog standing, they definately have the WOW factor. )

Hope you get your whippet, they are fantastic family dogs for an active family :wub:

Billy- after a swim in the river

With the children

Beautiful photo of Billy Paula :thumbsup: ........i,m very proud to have bred Billy and even more proud to have a lovely family to love and care for him and thats the whole family including hubby :thumbsup: Lovely photo of the children :thumbsup:

 

[pippywhippet]

Awwww- thanks Dawn- Billy is definately their favourite, he is such a sweetheart and a cheeky beggar too :wub:

 

[Julie D]

what exactly is a 'man's dog' ?

you can't get anymore manly than a lean toned muscley body that's very handsome to look at ie: whippet

the gentle nature of whippets will bring out the protective side of every man

and what man doesn't enjoy being the centre of adulation by his pet !

soz to any nice,responsible, normal bull breed/staffy owners ( our neighbours had the most gentle staffy, Daisy, that ever lived, sadly lost her 15 yrs ago so I know what they CAN be like) but mostly nowadays the scally owners of staffs,for all the wrong reasons, don't come across as macho , just plain stupid.

He'll be glad you made his mind up for him !

good luck

 

[Stargazey]

Hi there, I'm jumping on board here as a newbie but thought I'd add my tuppence worth. Slightly different situation from yours but involved winning my hubby round none the less.....

I always had dogs as a kid, hubby never had any, they had a cat. Once. We've been together for ten years, lived together for 9 so until very recently I'd been 9 years without a dog (my cocker stayed with my Mum when I left home). I finally won him over when I started talking about re-homing a dog that wouldn't need house training etc.... At first my heart was set on a greyhound or saluki x but then I was contacted about a whippet which I'd always loved just never thought I'd be lucky enough to own (didn't know about whippet rescue) he was still unsure but agreed to go visit - especially as Whippets are so much smaller I think he was relieved). We've now had our girly living with us for 2 months ish (she's 4, nearly 5) and they are inseparable. He adores her - I do keep teasing him though. It's definitely been an easy way of easing him into owning a dog, and although you already have a dog and that's not the issue perhaps it's the puppy days that are putting him off? Just a thought! Hope you get there..... I'd love another but I'm not going to push my luck at this stage! (w00t)

 

[TillynPip]

Hi there, I'm jumping on board here as a newbie but thought I'd add my tuppence worth. Slightly different situation from yours but involved winning my hubby round none the less.....
I always had dogs as a kid, hubby never had any, they had a cat. Once. We've been together for ten years, lived together for 9 so until very recently I'd been 9 years without a dog (my cocker stayed with my Mum when I left home). I finally won him over when I started talking about re-homing a dog that wouldn't need house training etc.... At first my heart was set on a greyhound or saluki x but then I was contacted about a whippet which I'd always loved just never thought I'd be lucky enough to own (didn't know about whippet rescue) he was still unsure but agreed to go visit - especially as Whippets are so much smaller I think he was relieved). We've now had our girly living with us for 2 months ish (she's 4, nearly 5) and they are inseparable. He adores her - I do keep teasing him though. It's definitely been an easy way of easing him into owning a dog, and although you already have a dog and that's not the issue perhaps it's the puppy days that are putting him off? Just a thought! Hope you get there..... I'd love another but I'm not going to push my luck at this stage! (w00t)

Welcome Stargazey. Thats a lovely story and I think that successfully re-homing a needy dog will always give you that nice warm feeling inside. It will be lovely for your whippet to have the two of you to herself for a while. Maybe in the future ........

 

[Julie D]

just had another thought....our whippet hardly ever barks..... is that the general theme ?

because what man DOESN'T want to have a pretty faced, slim with curves in the right places, bitch on his heel who never yaps or interrupts !!!

 

[Janimal]

dont want to put a damper on the thread here... :lol: I thought whippets never barked either till I got Oscar

hes the best guard dog I could ever wish for...and even barks when my daughter comes in at all hours.... which usually sets the other two off. :thumbsup:

but I regard this as a good thing, as hubby works away a lot...I feel very safe with them around...

so there you go...great guard dogs too... :clown:

 

[unicorn]

You need one like mine I have a whippet, a beddy whippet, 40 rabbits, 2 cats, about 40 mice, 8 guinea pigs a tropical fish tank, a chipmunk, 8 multi mammates :wacko:

once you have this many pets they just don't notice another :teehee: :blink:

 

[Julie D]

You need one like mine I have a whippet, a beddy whippet, 40 rabbits, 2 cats, about 40 mice, 8 guinea pigs a tropical fish tank, a chipmunk, 8 multi mammates :wacko: once you have this many pets they just don't notice another :teehee: :blink:

what's a multi mammate ?