whippets or greyhounds

[NEILPEM]

why is it  that you all choose to race whippets rather than greyhounds,as greyhound racing can be just as much an hobby as whippet racing is, and could be less exspensive,( i mean apart from meeting friends and social gatherings)

 

[kipper fluke]

Perhaps racing greyhounds could be just as much a hobby as racing whippets but I believe greyhounds would take up much more space / land /kennels and maybe I'm wrong but alot more time and devotion which if you are working and have a family could prove more difficult to manage. Our whippets receive a great deal of care and attention, Harry our son takes his turn with the walking side but it would be a different matter in handling them if we had 5 greyhounds to walk. Also we couldn't fit 5 greyhounds in our bed!

I think there is a lack of local greyhound tracks and personally the ones which we have attended leave alot to be desired with the odd exception.

I don't particularly like the reputation that greyhound racing holds and I am not interested in gambling or financial gain.

Whippet racing to us is purely a hobby which fortunately all the family enjoy(most of the time anyway!)so why have a 6 litre engine when a 1.9 is faster and does the same job?

 

[NEILPEM]

i knowwhat you mean, ive five,and not one of them do what we say, must be why them and the kids get on so well,  i must agree a greyhound probably is more demanding than a whippet,

(Edited by NEILPEM at 10:24 pm on Jan. 11, 2002)

 

[Anthony H]

i think whippet racing is just racing with u and ur dog but greyhound racing is a money game with alot of other things behind the scenes. the racing is very different from whippet racing

 

[NEILPEM]

hi anthony i agree but whippet racing isn't that cheap

petrol, food ,drinks,ect what other things do you mean, i dont think they do anything that some whippet races dont do

(Edited by NEILPEM at 10:54 pm on Jan. 13, 2002)

 

[Terry Smith]

Nothing is cheap today try going to a football match once a week. Unless you want sit at home & watch garbage on  TV you'll spend money on something. We own peds but love G/hs the major difference for us is that you can own the slowest dog in the world (I think we do!!) & still club race it. With G/hs this isn't the case if you don't grade you don't race. Thats when you have to make hard decisions unless you've room for half a dozen or so.

 

[Judy]

Someone once said to me "whippet racing is just pet racing." How true.

 

[NEILPEM]

if only it was there would be no fallouts back stabbing people pulling each other down,could go on forever. all you can do is get your dogs fit and hope they do as well as they can,and finish the race injury free,(not the case at some venues)

 

[ian]

As  you know neil i am a greyhound man (through and through)

i was brought up with greyhounds and learned everything from my dad from rubbing them ,training ,diets to getting the dog ready for a gamble.I get a great buzz from the greyhounds the same buzz  you whippet people get too.I think the reason i race the greyhounds instead of the whippets is that it is a bigger stage and yeh i really love a gamble,no disrespect to the whippet community.

I really like reading all the messages and trying to learn a bit about the whippets from you all and myself and Isla hope to meet some of u at Ayr in march .

 

[NEILPEM]

hi ian i love going  to the greyhounds,but i haven't got the facilities to own them as i think they need more room (space) than whippets, do you think they are more work than whippets, i have run my no limit dog with the greyhounds afew times just to keep him ticking over.

 

[ian]

I think the only difference is that you can let the whippets loose about the house, there a bit more convenient.

The greyhounds only need a kennel and small run we usually we have 2 dogs max at one time, a walk in the mornin a walk about 5 thats about it until the weekend where i could spend hours groomin rubbin and cleanin the kennel oot.

Isla has run against some greyhound pups at the trials to help school them. Bizarre eh