Greyhound, Whippet or Lurcher owner? Here's another pointy hounds cushion!

[EasterBunnyFuntStoleAllTheEggs]

Pointy hounds include-
Greyhounds (Grunds)
Whippets (Whippys)
Lurchers
Italian Greyhounds (Iggys)
Salukis
Afghans
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 :o ).

Share stories, advice and shopping tips!
AK Creations
Dog O Nine Tails
Doggy Bags Bakery
Kitsch Collars
Meggie Moo
Milgi Coats
Silver Peacock

Come The Day
Come the day I take that final bend,
Can I count on you to be my friend?
To see I’m treated just and fair,
It means so much to know you care.

For, what the future holds in store,
Now that I can race no more,
Should be addressed for every hound,
Who parts the punter from his pound.

Tell them I don’t ask for much,
A kindly word, a gentle touch,
Somewhere warm to lay my head,
A meal each day to keep me fed,
Not just life- but quality,
This is how it ought to be.

Do not see me swept away,
I long to live another day,
With peace of mind, tranquillity,
And those who care surrounding me,
So tell them all- you have that choice,
I beg of you to be my voice.

By Denise Dubarbier.

Cinnamon - if you look on the LL site you'll fine that there's quite a bit of info on some of the differences and standard blood results etc. May be useful to go to a new vet armed with info rather than bare handed?

I think the bigger, more important question long term is being able to have a relationship with your vet where you feel very comfortable discussing and asking questions. I have only ever have had one vet where this wasn't possible and we changed practice immediately. Maybe partly because we've had fosters a lot, so need to explain/report back clearly to others, and also because I've had cancer myself, so am used to asking reams of questions. But I genuinely think your dog's care should be seen as a partnership and a good vet welcomes questions and comments. I think if I went in to the practice with info that I thought was reliable and helpful, and presented it in the right way, it shouldn't be a problem. I can completely understand vets (and doctors) being cheesed off when someone just says "I got this off Google"

Funnily enough I was at the vet yesterday with one of ours, and met a new vet to the practice and she was absolutely fantastic. She was showing me a couple of points to do with bandaging and we were discussing wound care generally, and then when I went back today (Callie needed her dressing changed) our main vet and I were talking and she was saying how important that attitude was and was one of the things she was looking for when they made the appointment. It also helped of course that the new vet is a saluki owner.

I never see the same vet, almost all are not English and level of English isn't always great. We are pretty rural so there aren't a lot of choices really. I don't trust them at all I'm afraid which makes me instantly defensive to anything they suggest. It used to be a lovely practise with a husband and wife and two other vets, I saw the same one every time and she knew me and my animals names without looking at the screen! The next closest option is 20 miles away which we are thinking of trying but it's not great. The cats hate travelling, Lola is sick and I work long hours so it either means dragging my minded kids that distance or making it a Saturday. I realise that sounds very negative but I just wish we could go in an believe they were hm doing the best thing for the animals not the company's bank balance!

Can you get to Middlesex? There is a fantastic hound vet there Cinnamon. Could you get someone to have Lola/the children whilst you take him?

It's a bit if a nightmare to get that far week days, Lola can stay home no probs. plan to go and chat to my vet and see how susceptible they are to the info I take and for from there. We did doggy run last night and peanut so loves the river! So looking forward to our holiday now, the kids and dogs on the beach, all relaxed with no work and nowhere we have to go, lovely!!!

Hey all, still pondering our dog options for next year (ish).

I am still drawn to Lurchers but would whippets be very different if they were cat/child friendly? I know Lurchers are often whippet mix but do you pointy hounds experts think there are significant character differences between whippets and Lurchers as a general rule?

My worry is that whippets seem a bit fragile physically, so I think I see them as anxious dogs but I don't know if there is any truth to that? Are they bold enough to manage two cats and two kids but chilled enough to be left alone at times while we are at work/school, with a dog walker obviously and only one or two days a week?

The Whippets I've known have been anything but fragile. They've tended to be a bit cheeky and norty to be honest. They can tend towards princessy in some cases, but not in a breakable sense iyswim - more that they like things done their way and expect a certain high level of comfort.

From what I've heard they do tend to prefer company though, so you'd need to get them used to being left and taken out by a walker very carefully. As for cats, like any dog, Lurchers included, they should be fine if introduced to them young enough and most rescues will cat-test and only rehome if they pass anyway.

I've always fancied a Whirrier (Whippet x Terrier) myself. I always seem to find them particularly appealing when I come across them on rescue sites and think they are probably slightly more robust than a purebred Whippet, although apparently even naughtier. I do love a norty dog!

These two Whirriers have been rehomed now and weren't suitable for us at the time, but I totally fell for them this time last year. Luey looks like a miniature version of my Lurcherboy.

There are few Mnetters that have Whippets and iirc the majority of them live with young children. You could start a thread to ask specific questions.

Oh they are gorgeous! I do love the scruffy hair look, but then I also love the soft velvet short haired so easy on that one!

The princessy bit worries me; I need kids, cats and dogs that aren't too precious I think .... I don't really do precious (she says while sleeping weird all night as the large fluffy cat had got under the duvet on my side of the bed, and now working standing up as he has fallen asleep on my office chair ....)

So I am accommodating but don't think I could do highly strung iyswim?

But if you mean princessy as in, wants to sleep on the sofa and bed, that I can do!

Whippets were bred to be family friendly (think back to 50 years ago when they were popular with northern working class families who work them to catch food for the pot).

The princessy comment probably mean they do like their home comforts and make good bed warmers. They also hate getting wet and cold so coats may be necessary.

This is not happening ....

I know some people with lurchers who have PJs for camping when its cold and they look remarkably similar to those!

The whippets I have known are somewhat less cuddly than the lurchers - quite happy to go and lie in their basket in the other room rather than come and sit on your lap or next to you on the sofa - although I think some are quite cuddly. I think that there are vast variations on the dog you get depending on the breeding - I agree there are some that look fragile, but there are some larger, much more robust versions too (which are much more easily pictured going off rabbiting rather than tiptoeing around puddles).

Yes, that's it. The one's I've known like their home-comforts, hate getting wet and expect to get the softest/warmest spot to sleep in - much like a lot of smooth/fine coated Lurchers really.

I said the same about things like PJs, but Pip has a lovely warm fleece coat (from Milgi - Scuttlebutter's website) to sleep in when it's cold. He's a rough-coat, but the fur is very sparse on his stomach and legs and he has almost no body fat, so really suffers when the temperature drops. Without his housecoat he was waking at 1/2.00 am and crying with the cold. He doesn't do rain either, as his coat offers little or no protection to the elements. He avoids going in the garden on wet days and looks decidedly grumpy when I put his raincoat on for a walk, but soon forgets about it once he's off-lead and zooming.

Lurcherboy doesn't even have a coat for walking in the winter, but he has both Deerhound and Border Collie in his mix, so has a lovely thick coat and more body fat to keep him warm. (Rather too much body-fat for a couple of months recently, resulting in him being on a strict diet. )

Aren't whippets quite vocal too?

We see a lot of whippets as we go to shows with our stall, and one of my best friends has two whippy lurchers, who are utterly adorable. My friend is the manager of a care home for the elderly and the two girls go to work with her and are very much loved by the residents. I was at the Scruples Whippet Rescue show on Saturday which was fab - masses of whippies as far as the eye could see. I'd say they make terrific family dogs - not quite as lazy as greys, a bit more trainable, def a bit more vocal, but thankfully not yappy, but still with all the fabulous pointy characteristics. We go lure coursing down at the West Somerset Whippet Racing Club (Taunton Polo Ground) and it's brilliant to see them - they have so much fun. And what's impressive is seeing 10 year old whippets mixing it with the youngsters - fabulous to see.

EGLR have the most wonderful range of whippy lurchers, many of which are family friendly, or there's Scruples, or Hounds First Rescue.

And of course a Milgi coat is a superbly stylish way to ensure your whippy keeps warm and cosy - we are a leopardskin free zone! No tartan either.

I've got three young whippets and they're just amazing little dogs if rather addictive

No children here but they're super with my 7 year old niece, if a bit giddy when they first see her. They're far more robust than they look and are still a very healthy breed. They're not yappy but they can be spectacular whingers One of mine especially has an incredible range of non-barking noises he makes in various situations, his favourite being "singing" at us if we're taking too long preparing for bed and thus delaying his bedtime biscuit.

Mine are completely ridiculous when it comes to the weather. They don't mind the cold (as long as they're suitably wrapped up in jumpers and coats) and they'll put up with a bit of drizzle but if it's properly raining they hate it. If I drag take them out in the rain they just mince along as close to me as possible not doing a right lot then do wall of death round the house when we get home Their princessy tendencies only extend as far as the weather, all mine take great delight in rolling in poo/dead things/any other noxious substances they can find.

They do require expect to be allowed onto/into anything remotely comfortable and they love nicking warm spots on the sofa if anyone gets up. They're super cuddly (I just had to take a break from typing this as one of mine came over demanding to be picked up and snuggled ) and it's rare you can sit down in this house without then ending up with a whippet on/next to you.

They tend towards the daft and mischievous, stealing things is generally considered to be lots of fun. My youngest is the most dreadful kleptomaniac and he's so sneaky it's unreal. If anything goes missing the first (and almost invariably last) place to look is in the dogs' beds.

Super little dogs, I can't imagine being without several one now

Lola is a whippet terrier x but don't know how much of each and what kind of terrier. She doesn't like water or cold if she's standing still but is oblivious if running. She's absolutely rock hard! She holds her own with my greyhound and nice seen her run into him roll completely over three times, jump up and run off again. She is very playful but also cuddly, very much a lap dog and she's great with the kids (my own plus mindees) and although she sometimes tries to play with my cats she wouldn't harm them at all. She doesn't bark but she does sometimes talk to you if she gets excited. She's as lazy as the greyhound but does have a tendency to chew things if left for more than a couple of hours as I think she gets bored. I'd definitely have another whippet or whippet x she's lovely!

Hello everyone!

Not been in for a while as I've cut back on my online time but I am planning a camping trip and it will be ShyDog's first camping holiday! I want to be prepared so she likes it - does anyone have any tips? She's quite a pampered princess and expects to be covered with a blanket when cold . I was considering those GH pyjamas for the nights??

Any other tips welcome as although I've been camping dozens of times I've never taken a dog along.

Now then - am off to catch up on what I have missed....

Have to say, I think the vocal thing is a bit of a red herring. I know lots of people on LL talk about how vocal their Lurchers are, all different breeding too. Pip is really noisy chatty. He has a wide range of vocalisations and is a definite singer if he thinks he's not getting enough attention or wants something. Hence me still not being able to go out for long, as once he's bored he starts singing - it's not distress, more indignation at me daring to leave him to entertain himself.

Hi YourHand lovely to hear from you. I would definitely go for at least a fleece coat or jumper if not pjs for nighttime - it's either that or sharing a sleeping bag!

You'll need one of those screw in dog tie-outs and a cable to attach her to, so that she's on-lead the whole time you're there without you having to be permanently attached to the other end.

If you can, get either a cheap picnic blanket or one of those reflective emergency blankets (a couple of quid on Ebay) and put it under her bed to insulate it from the cold coming up through the ground (that's a useful tip for camping mats and airbeds for people too).

Windbreaks are useful visual barriers in case there's lots of wildlife on view - but that will depend on the campsite.

All my dogs have always loved camping - hope you, ds and ShyDog have a fantastic time.

Thanks moosemama! Shydog has a lovely milgi house coat but what with having me wrapped around her little paws I am seriously considering the PJs as I am aware her coat wont keep her legs or tummy warm. [softy alert]

That's a good idea about the floor layer.

She has very very little preydrive (squirrels are her one weakness but they outwit her by going up) however I am thinking will get some windbreaks just as a general screening tool.

Most of the people I've seen with a camping set up have some sort of screen to create a 'home zone' for the dogs - even though the dogs probably still need to be tethered for safety inside anyway... Just gives a bit more of a defined area.

If/when we get another hound I'd love a whippet x. Definitely.

Just a quick point about the Milgi coats keeping tummies warm - if it fits right, our coats are designed to give very generous coverage over chest, sides, bum and tops of legs. We designed these originally for a beautiful hound who had arthritis, and keeping her warm was our primary goal. We have lots of customers who wear our fleeces on camping trips and that's what makes up a lot of our summer sales. Pic attached of our lovely girl, who left us in June 2012, but is still very much missed.

She is beautiful Scuttlebutter - just like my old man. He has a gorgeous Milgi purple fleece coat which we used all of last winter as a walking coat (when not raining obviously) and can confirm that it kept his tummy nice and warm !

Beautiful girl Scuttle.

Pip's Milgi coat is indeed very generous and keeps him really snug as you describe. If it's cold he tends to fold his legs up anyway, so it would only be when roaching that his legs would get cold and he doesn't tend to do that on cold nights.

Hmm I do use ShyDog's fleecy coat in the house in winter, not seen her in it for a while so maybe I am worrying unnecessarily. I will pop it on her later and see. I did measure her when I ordered it.

I have found some pjs on ebay:
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=231276587324&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

Fleece options:
www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.183290825141291.47239.100003811242424&type=1&l=645cbd786a

So I do have an option. I just don't want her (and me) to lose sleep, she is such a baby about being cold!