Here's my first real post, and I hope some of you can relate and help......Does anyone have any advice on viewing a pup? It should be easy.... but it's not! (My apologies for the ensuing ramble) Short version...old whippy, thinking of new pup, feeling guilty.
This is my situation: I have a very dear old girl whippy who probably would be laughed at by any breeder ( she does have papers though), but she is very loved, she has pricked ears, is not a fashionable colour, and is either too small or too big depending on who you ask...big chest (runs a lot), short legs, too fat at 12kg, but all muscle and 110% heart. She's absolutely my girl and I could not live without her. My young son loves her but needs a dog of his own who will play with him....it has to be a whippet (parent's choice)!
I nearly lost our girl last week due to illness, but she's pulled through. She was hospitalised last Friday after collapsing, and I thought she'd never come home again, thankfully she's recovered. I can't think of losing her, and my heart is breaking for all those whose whippets are unwell, I could not continue without her and can't bear the thought of upsetting her in any way. The word "Pup" even seems to affect her, she gets sulky.
How will my girl react, she's been in my family longer than my son? My husband wants another whippy, so he's not a problem. My old girl seemed OK with my mother's obnoxious Shitzu cross, and put up with him for 2 weeks without baring her teeth, she did better than me: she's met a whippet litter and picked out a pup, who we later decided against (I'm a such a bad mummy,), and seems very amiable when we meet other dogs (not just whippies). She was raised with an older Whippet (not related), but long departed.
We have been looking to add to our whippet family for around 6 months now, but we have had a few false starts... we applied for 2 rescue whippets, but they were considered too dominant to fit into our family (the agencies decided without meeting us). We have a large yard, good fences, I only work one day and walk my girl for an hour at least daily by the river, bunny chasing is OK as in our world bunnies are pests...so it's whippet paradise! Foxes are feral and are also fair game! Cats are boring.....we have 2. I think we are a good family or whippets.
Whippets seem less popular in our neck of the woods, than in the UK, and are hard to come by, all litters are usually spoken for, especially bitches. I've emailed at least 10 breeders, and have viewed a couple of litters, and are now very nervously about to view another litter. The last couple of litters viewed were lovely, as all whippet puppies are, but on viewing the parents who were show contenders, we decided they were a bit robust for our old fashioned whippet eyes ( it's our problem, our distorted view, faces a little bit too square and parents a bit too tall).....just not our kind of whippet (they broke the mould when they made our girl....thank God say the breeders!) It does seem that our whippet is old fashioned and maybe they don't breed whippets the same anymore?
Our family is pining for another whippet, but I am very, very nervous.....so can anyone offer any words of wisdom? We are unfortunately not in the UK......you seem are all so nice and supportive but very far away, and all the lovely little whippets joining familes are breaking my heart, I wish I was over there with you, life would be simpler (whippet wise), Whippets are a bit of a rarity here, maybe we can move continents...but it may take a while, but I've thought about it.
Any kind words and advice would be greatly appreciated, I feel like I'm betraying my girl, and don't want to make a mistake. How do I know of the pup is right?
This is my situation: I have a very dear old girl whippy who probably would be laughed at by any breeder ( she does have papers though), but she is very loved, she has pricked ears, is not a fashionable colour, and is either too small or too big depending on who you ask...big chest (runs a lot), short legs, too fat at 12kg, but all muscle and 110% heart. She's absolutely my girl and I could not live without her. My young son loves her but needs a dog of his own who will play with him....it has to be a whippet (parent's choice)!
I nearly lost our girl last week due to illness, but she's pulled through. She was hospitalised last Friday after collapsing, and I thought she'd never come home again, thankfully she's recovered. I can't think of losing her, and my heart is breaking for all those whose whippets are unwell, I could not continue without her and can't bear the thought of upsetting her in any way. The word "Pup" even seems to affect her, she gets sulky.
How will my girl react, she's been in my family longer than my son? My husband wants another whippy, so he's not a problem. My old girl seemed OK with my mother's obnoxious Shitzu cross, and put up with him for 2 weeks without baring her teeth, she did better than me: she's met a whippet litter and picked out a pup, who we later decided against (I'm a such a bad mummy,), and seems very amiable when we meet other dogs (not just whippies). She was raised with an older Whippet (not related), but long departed.
We have been looking to add to our whippet family for around 6 months now, but we have had a few false starts... we applied for 2 rescue whippets, but they were considered too dominant to fit into our family (the agencies decided without meeting us). We have a large yard, good fences, I only work one day and walk my girl for an hour at least daily by the river, bunny chasing is OK as in our world bunnies are pests...so it's whippet paradise! Foxes are feral and are also fair game! Cats are boring.....we have 2. I think we are a good family or whippets.
Whippets seem less popular in our neck of the woods, than in the UK, and are hard to come by, all litters are usually spoken for, especially bitches. I've emailed at least 10 breeders, and have viewed a couple of litters, and are now very nervously about to view another litter. The last couple of litters viewed were lovely, as all whippet puppies are, but on viewing the parents who were show contenders, we decided they were a bit robust for our old fashioned whippet eyes ( it's our problem, our distorted view, faces a little bit too square and parents a bit too tall).....just not our kind of whippet (they broke the mould when they made our girl....thank God say the breeders!) It does seem that our whippet is old fashioned and maybe they don't breed whippets the same anymore?
Our family is pining for another whippet, but I am very, very nervous.....so can anyone offer any words of wisdom? We are unfortunately not in the UK......you seem are all so nice and supportive but very far away, and all the lovely little whippets joining familes are breaking my heart, I wish I was over there with you, life would be simpler (whippet wise), Whippets are a bit of a rarity here, maybe we can move continents...but it may take a while, but I've thought about it.
Any kind words and advice would be greatly appreciated, I feel like I'm betraying my girl, and don't want to make a mistake. How do I know of the pup is right?
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hope she is feeling better and stronger now :luck:
