Question For The Ig Owners Out There

[F.G&Lima]

Hey all. I was just wondering. For the people who own Ig's, how careful do you have to be when playing with them? I now own a whip, but when I was interested in an Ig I was told by several breeders that they can easily break bones (like jumping off a chair or sofa, for example)

Are these dogs better suited for an owner who is not very active or playful? Every time i run into an Ig, they seem to be either tightly held by their owner or timid if they are on the ground... IDK :blink: maybe i'm their natural enemy

 

[zilloot]

:- " Zoomie changed tactics today and instead of beating my labrador into submission, thoroughly beat up my parents' outsize whippet instead. :lol: Obviously because of his size games and rough/tumble have to be toned down a bit but he has the run of the ground floor of our house and is not 'caged' even at night now that he is 'clean'.

He adores going to the village bank where he can have all the staff down on their knees being smothered in kisses. I refuse to carry him and he never asks to be carried.

He is only six months old but he's the boss of HIS world and woe betide anybody (my whippies) who sneak up on his snacks!! (w00t)

From the research I've done it pays to 'look/listen/watch around' very, very carefully as there are some wonderful, confident, strong IGs out there. But there are some real scary stories about leg-breaks, money, caged-dogs and egos. And so round the world goes....

 

[houseofhanjy]

Hey all.  I was just wondering.  For the people who own Ig's, how careful do you have to be when playing with them?  I now own a whip, but when I was interested in an Ig I was told by several breeders that they can easily break bones (like jumping off a chair or sofa, for example)Are these dogs better suited for an owner who is not very active or playful? Every time i run into an Ig, they seem to be either tightly held by their owner  or timid if they are on the ground... IDK  :blink:   maybe i'm their natural enemy

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Hope I'm dong this right 'cos I'm the original Luddite when it comes to computers, anyhow I have half a dozen IGs and two have had broken legs. I think really that common sense mixed with care is what's needed. It's all well and good for people to say that they need to be kept quiet and caged but exercise builds up muscle and bone apart from being essential to their mental well-being. Stairs can be a problem so teach them how to go up and down properly and DO NOT let them all dash down together (a lesson hard learnt!) Whilst I'm writing this my two 8 month olds are racing round manically(?) causing havoc and driving the others potty. I do have carpet tiles in the kitchen so that they don't slip, I'm never sure about laminates or even lino and the welfare of my dogs comes before my interior design aspirations! They are not the dog for everyone but I'd never be without.

 

[alfie]

Hi Jane, and nice to see you here on k9!

I do agree with the previous comments, be sensible, especially when they are puppies and bones are growing, but my puppies were never shut away in cages, they were running around the garden from 8 weeks old! You have to balance being careful (not easy as they think they can fly!) with letting them live a normal life and build up their muscles, so protecting the bones.

My IGs now run with my Whippets and Lurcher, little Alice (who weighs 9lbs!) will run in sideways to my very fast Whippet bitch in full flight, and turn at the last minute to run alongside her I just have to cover my eyes and hope for the best.

I am planning on racing and lure coursing mine this year, and a friend competes in agility with one I bred.

Liz and the Monellis

 

[F.G&Lima]

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Hope I'm dong this right 'cos I'm the original Luddite when it comes to computers, anyhow I have half a dozen IGs and two have had broken legs.  I think really that common sense mixed with care is what's needed.  It's all well and good for people to say that they need to be kept quiet and caged but exercise builds up muscle and bone apart from being essential to their mental well-being.  Stairs can be a problem so teach them how to go up and down properly and DO NOT let them all dash down together (a lesson hard learnt!) Whilst I'm writing this my two 8 month olds are racing round manically(?) causing havoc and driving the others potty.  I do have carpet tiles in the kitchen so that they don't slip, I'm never sure about laminates or even lino and the welfare of my dogs comes before my interior design aspirations!  They are not the dog for everyone but I'd never be without.

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Thank you for the insight on your wonderful breed!! I won't be so hesitant upon my next meeting with an Ig as I know they can be wonderful little devils. See you all at the park :cheers:

 

[~elizabeth~]

Is this over-protective thing something to do with Toy dog culture or something? I once took my yorkie to a famous stud dog, and the kitchen was lined with crates each housing a tiny sad, unexercised yorkie (there was a big shed-full outside too). Mine had a very rough and tumble life, so I was a bit shocked.

I get fed up with some keepers of tiny dogs (yorkies, dachsies etc), they won't let them socialize or play with any other dogs (even nice, gentle ones like my whippet) which is ultimately more dangerous as they become aggressive, even phobic of all dogs. I only ever had a couple of scary incidents in 14 yrs with my tiny dog (both with off-lead doberman/alsation types, who wanted to 'toss' her).

Elizabeth

 

[Jan Doherty]

Hi Jane, where have you been lurking then??????????????

Hope you are well.

Iggies are very active little dogs with bags of character, they need exercise. I acquired one that had been carried every where. She got quite a shock when she was made to walk. It was wonderful though to watch her take off one day and just run for fun.

 

[janfiers]

Iggies are made for running around like mad things. I don't believe in keeping them caged up. I haven't shown Charlie for a while cos he just won't keep weight on because he's so active.

As we've said on other topics many times and I'm sure it will always be a topic lots of hot discussion, you have to do your homework and familiarise yourself with which lines are more finely boned than others. Give me the better boned types anyday.

JanF

 

[~elizabeth~]

Is it just a question of fine-bones? Some have legs that are proportionately extremely long between the pastern and the elbow (OH: "has that picture been stretched?"); others seem to follow similar (if scaled-down) proportions to whippets.

I remember reading that one of the things to which they have a genetic susceptibility is thyroid disease. As a sufferer myself, I have an increased risk of osteoporosis (I have to walk a lot to build up bone-density, much to the joy of my whippet), might there be a possible link with this too? It can have effects on metabolism even at sub-clinical levels, and can be present in conjunction with other auto-immune diseases.

Elizabeth