Are you a Greyhound, Whippet or Lurcher owner? Come and have a seat on the newest Pointy Hounds cushion!

[TheCunnyFuntIsAGrittersWife]

Pointy hounds include-
Greyhounds (Grunds)
Whippets (Whippys)
Lurchers
Italian Greyhounds (Iggys)
Salukis
Afghans
And any others I have forgotten. If you are a new pointy hound owner, an old and experienced owner or looking into getting one of these fabulous creatures, come and have a seat (that's not taken up with a hound).

Share advice, stories and shopping tips!
AK Creations
GRWE shop
Our very own Scuttle's Milgi coats
Silver Peacock

Jake
I didn?t really want you,
I wasn?t really sure,
And I?ll admit I had my doubts,
When you first came through that door.

Not small, or cute, or fluffy,
With big, soft puppy eyes,
But tall, and thin, and bony,
With bald, pink, bulging thighs.

You weren?t the kind I had in mind,
Not in any way,
?Perhaps it would be better if I took you back today,
Before we know each other,
It really won?t be kind,
To keep you here for one more day,
And then to change my mind.?

But against my better judgement, I decided you could stay,
And quickly I discovered you were kind in every way,
Your gentleness and patience, they really stole the show,
?Why these dogs are wonderful, I must let others know!?

For you?re my gentle giant,
Who just needed the chance,
To show us all what you could be,
To wipe away that history,
And dispel our preconceptions, which put us all to shame,
And so we come to know and love,
What lies beneath that frame.

And now I?ve come to understand,
What I missed right at the start,
That greyhounds need that great deep chest,
To house their great big hearts!
By Denise Dubarbier
:)

OOh, so it was him I saw!! How exciting!!

We went a VERY long way to the Extravaganza - we are based in Wales!

We travel to quite a few shows for pointies though as we take a stall for our business (making greyhound coats and bandanas). So we will also be going to the Great Greyhound Gathering in Nottingham in September which is even bigger and the Sighthounds Walk show in Braintree, Essex in August as well as a few others. Quite a few of the cushion hounds make it to GGG - it's an amazing day and the collar porn is awesome!

Funnily enough though my brother used to live in Brandon for many years - he settled there when he came out of the RAF. Used to drink at the Flintknappers, I think it was called.

Cinnamon, he's gorgeous - such a cheeky looking face, looks like he will be lots of fun for your boys to play with.

Aaw cinnamon he's lovely - he looks like the dog version of my cat in terms of colour and places of white markings.

Shy dog has been with me about 6 weeks now and I can't get over just how much sleeping she does! She's a sleeping pro and I'm a little jealous I don't get to lounge around with my duvet all day.

I'm not sure of the parenting lines of my GH, I will have to ask rescue lady as she mentioned before she knew the parents. I know the litter were bred for racing but all have ended up with the rescue, mine didn't even race as she has no prey drive whatsoever.

From that website I just put in racing name, year of birth, sex and colour and he popped up. I found Nelly's before from her tattoos.

Please can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm looking for a small dog. We love the IG's but wondering if these would be too 'fragile' with my two dc's (10). We just missed out on rehoming an IG/Whippet cross puppy which would have been ideal for us and we are gutted!

Don't really know where to start, apart from looking on rspca/Battersea etc websites.

Any links/advice would be most appreciated - or better still do you know any similar dogs that need rehoming now? Thanks.

Hi, I'm hoping to get a Whippet towards the end of the summer, I've been doing some research and feel that a whippy would fit in we'll as part of our family. VERY excited!

I would be really grateful to have these questions answered:

1. Roughly how much is insurance pcm?
2. How much does a whippet eat? Is dry food plus leftovers and raw fruit/veg an adequate diet and if so, how much do they need per day? Are there any brands of dog food that you would recommend?
3. Is a whippet capable of walking long distances such as up to 10-15 miles (I love hill walking!)
4. Are there any good books / guides for sighthound recall training? I'd like to train my pup to respond to a whistle or my voice. How old should they be before they start training?
5. When I bring the pup home for the first few nights, I understand there may be some disruption. What is the best way to help the pup without bringing him into our bed (dh won't tolerate that!) I could sleep on a sofa next to it but don't want bad habits to form... Any advice?!!

I know I could possibly find the answers on google but I can't seem to find specifics and thought I'd check in here first. Any advice truly appreciated!

Sorry well not we'll. damn autocorrect!

Hello Ariel. In answer to some of your questions:

1. We pay about £9 per month for insurance for whippy. This includes cover for lifetime conditions and £7000 a year of claims. Is via PDSA. We have claimed from our other dogs policy twice and they are very quick to pay out etc.
2. Our dogs get fed twice a day. This is better for deep chested dogs than one larger meal as it helps prevent bloat. If feeding dry food, ours get about 2-3 handfuls (I have small hands) per meal of Burns. They don't get left-overs as the salt is bad for them. One 20kg bag of food lasts about a month for two dogs.
3. They can walk distances, but really they are sprinters not long distance dogs and one of ours would be likely to refuse to walk further at a certain point.
4. Recall training - use an enclosed field and lots of high-value treats. Never let off the lead in areas where there are rabbits or other prey - they will be gone. Would recommend attending a good training class. Do not underestimate the speed at which they will run if they see prey - they may be miles away from you before they realise that they have lost you and will go deaf if there is prey to be hunted, no matter how well trained. They will also spot prey long before you do.
5. Going to bed - start as you mean to go on. If you don't want the dog in your room, do not allow it from the start.

taile101, have you checked out Lurcher Link?

or

Scruples Whippet Rescue?

There are loads more - where are you based?

Ariel, I have recently become a convert to whistle training for recall. Bought a cheap Acme 2.11.5 whistle off Ebay, reinforced him every time he came to me in the house, at meal times, in the garden and then the park and it's been great. Three pips on the whistle and he come back. So much easier than standing there yelling for him to come back. I'm really looking forward to him going full pelt on the beach this summer, knowing that all I have to do is whistle and he'll come charging back.

Thanks for the links - will have a look.

Can anyone tell me if IG's are as fragile as they look? Would I be better with a hardier whippet with children around?

Ariel I haven't much experience of whippets, so can't help on all of your points but wrt recall, no reason why you can't start straight away! Just call puppys name and when s/he comes to you praise and treat with high value toy or snack (piece of hotdog/liver cake/cheese etc). Just reinforce from day 1 that being with you is a great place to be!

Talie there was someone on here with IGs a few weeks ago, who says they can be very fragile and she'd heard of IGs breaking legs just from jumping down off the sofa none of the regular posters on here have them unfortunately so not sure any of us will be much help! A quick Google has thrown up IG rescue that rehomes all over the UK. Worth a try?

Just searching for something online and came across this, it's another poem by Denise Dubarbier.
Come walk with me

Come walk with me a little while.
We?ve done this many times before.
Your hand on my shoulder feels warm and familiar,
Portraying a love that?s secure.

The pains in my body
Like old friends embrace me
Making our journey slow.
As your voice reassuring, encouraging, rewarding,
Tells me it?s time to go.

And as we move forward
In familiar comfort
My pain and discomfort they ease.
And now I am trotting along here beside you
I look to you, eager to please.

And now I am moving at a pace long forgotten
And as we move further apart,
Your voice gently calls me
But I know I shan?t lose you
For I carry you here in my heart.

Don?t fret I can hear you
And see you and feel you
No matter how far I may roam.
And at the end of this journey
I know you will hold me
And gently you?ll carry me home.

Made me cry, lovely poem.

Hello cinnamongreyhound, so sorry to hear about Nelly, be kind to yourself xx

Yes, you do know me from MFP, have fallen off the diet-wagon somewhat since then and really must get back on (but finding it soooo hard atm)

We have just come back from 4 lovely days on the coast in North Norfolk. Sam loved the beach (but not the waves crashing over the edge of the sea-defence when the tide was in) and even went on a little fishing boat on a seal-watching trip (where he was very well behaved and got lots of fuss from other passengers and made a friend with a fellow boat travelling dog, a blue roan cocker spaniel called Trevor )

We now have the post-holiday blues and really don't want to be home...

Gah!

That's a lovely poem Cunny. Made me cry, but so comforting at the same time.

Cinnamon and BehindLock, I was never on the mfp threads, but lost 4 stone using MFP and the 30 Day Shred in 2011. Unfortunately, through a leg injury and other ill health I have now gained almost three of those back and am so angry with myself and upset about my body at the moment. I really need to get back onto it too, but as you said, BehindLock, it's just soooo hard.

Norfolk holiday sounds lovely. Am loving the name Trevor for a dog as well.

Forgot to say, if I suddenly disappear, I'm not being rude. The charger is going on my laptop and it's £65 for a new one! Dh says he'll pick one up today, but I reckon he'll balk when he sees the cost.

Magritte, Moose, and Cunny thank you for your replies!

Another question: do you use a normal wide width greyhound collar (OBV in whippet size!) or a harness, or both?

You can tell I'm new to this...

It varies from owner to owner and dog to dog. Some people use both, some just the collar and some harnesses. Sorry, not much help am I ...

I lost 5 1/2st last year and have kept it off since July moosemama but I'm a wussy and I'm still logging!

Sounds like a lovely trip BehindLockNumberNine, we live on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and sometimes take our environment for granted. Haven't take a dog to the beach for a whole as Nelly wasn't good in the car as she got older but used to love doggy walks along the beach!

So we had our home check today and they are goin to recommend us as suitable. I am excited/sad/happy/worried and everything in between.

I used a harness on Nelly as she got out of her collar regularly but our new boy will come with a collar so we'll give it a go!

Ariel my friend has a whippet and she just uses a Whippet sized leather fishtail hound collar. The lady that bred my friends Whippet has 5, and she uses collars too. Actually I don't think I've ever seen a Whippet in a harness :o but of course it's completely up to you and whichever you feel most comfortable using.

£65 for a laptop charger

We use a martingale collar for our whippy and a leather fishtail collar for our whippy x - she had a flat head and can somehow slip out of her martingale. We have harnesses for both, but rarely use them, as I'm not keen. They were bought for recall training and now we sometimes use them if the dogs are walking on a split lead as it prevents them being tangled up.

You have to be careful in selecting a harness for pointies as their deep chests mean they can back out of them. I saw a good trick once though where people added an extra bit on the harness and tied it around the narrow bit of their waists. Never tried it myself though.

I know someone who uses a harness for her whippy and attaches a GPS to it, in case the dog takes off . She has a very expensive one though which is specifically made for sight hounds.

Our harnesses come from a web site called dog games iirc. They are fleece lined and were recommended on a few whippy forums.

Cinammon, I kept mine off until August last year and have put all the weight back on since. Was on crutches from September to December, plus have some neurological issues that don't help at all. It wasn't sooo bad until I got really fed up of being immobile and started comfort eating.

I've started logging again recently, but not seriously, just trying to get back into the habit. Plan is to start again next Monday, logging properly and trying to clean eat as much as possible. Can't say I will be 100% committed until after my birthday the second week of June though. Last time I started in earnest two days after my birthday, so am thinking I may do the same again this year. Still can't exercise much, but have been cleared to do non impact and low weight-bearing stuff, so stand a better chance now than I did.

Am off to see the Levellers at the end of June and would like to be at least half a stone lighter by then if possible so I don't feel so ancient.

Cunny - flipping MacBook - everything Apple costs unnecessary £££s.

We have Ezydog harnesses but lurcherboy is a scruffy with plenty of fur around his front end to prevent chafing. I have heard of greys and whippies getting nasty sores from some harnesses chafing though - so the fleece lined ones Magrat mentioned are usually recommended, I think.

Ooh Moose the second week of June, which date? My birthday is 16th June :o

12th.

All the best people are Gemini don'tchaknow.

Me! Me! Me! I'm Gemini too. Birthday last weekend (and one with a big scary number ending in 0).