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!
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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.

We're considering a dog, a small ish lurcher, its just timing and finding a cat and child friendly one from the EGLR or Scruples etc.(Am stalking them a lot).

Am I committing to only ever working from home or working part time though? At the moment I work 20 hours mostly at home with meetings all day occasionally. DH works fulltime, DD and DS are 4 and 5 so both at school for a looong time to come.

I would use a dog walker if out for more than 3 or 4 hours.

I am happy to always aim for part time work but obviously finances and jobs are an unknown for all of us. I am 40 this year and I don't want to never have a dog, but how sure were you of your circumstances before you got a dog/s?

You can only go on what your circs are at the moment - and have a bit of a contingency in place for if things change. Eg, DH is currently working from home - but we do have a dog walker and would continue with them if things change.

You might want to keep in touch with Lurcher LInk too - they rehome across the country and it widens your choice a little bit.

Lovethesea - I think how long you can leave a dog pretty much depends on the dog's personality. We have a whippet, he's meant to be a sensitive wee soul but he's very spirited, not much worries him and he sleeps most of the day - it's hard to believe he'd be very traumatised by my absence. I will train him to cope with short periods alone and see how it goes...I don't work so if he doesn't cope we'll just work around it - maybe doggy daycare could be an option?

We had two gorgeous mad staffies growing up, but my mum was a sahm so no issue with work. However, she did school runs, shopping, days out with us where they couldn't come etc and they never used a dog walker (did they exist in the 70's?!)

I presume she always popped in and out rather than being out for ages, but in some ways modern dog walker options seem to make things easier.

I agree it's the dog, hence the need for a fostered one (also stalking lurcher link...) so we know for sure it'd be ok with the two cats, two kids and being left every so often for a bit with a kong.

It's such a long term commitment I don't want to rush into it, but short of winning the lottery I can never guarantee someone would be home loads in 5 or 10 years time.... This is harder than deciding to stop contraception and see if children turned up!

Lola has had the all clear from the vets, she's her usual self today so now the task of keeping her quiet and only lead walks for the next 9 days!

Great news! No more fishing for Lola...

Ok, about to bite the bullet for a home check. We live in Norfolk. I know of Lurcher link, Scruples and Evesham GLR...we need a cat friendly
lurcher OK with 4 and 5 year old children. I'd like one that's been assessed in foster to increase the odds of a good match. What's the best way to move forward? Get one to check then forward it to others? Get checked by a couple to widen net? Any local rescues you could recommend? Thoughts experts!?

I would contact a wider number with a good list of what you want and what you can offer - lots of info on your garden, fence heights, whether you're around all day, how much time they would normally be left and why, what you do on holidays, do they need to go on the school run etc etc etc. And I would say you would like a homecheck if they have any dogs that might fit the bill. See how it goes from there?

Glad Lola is recovering well.

finds space on the floor as new scruffy lurcher steals all the good spots
Hello!
I recently adopted a beautiful, crazy hound from our local rescue centre, not much history on her as she was a stray. She required a trip to the vets this afternoon, they are unsure if she has a hairline fracture or if it is a soft tissue injury. The vet was able to locate the area of discomfort and said if there is no improvement over night, then she will assume a fracture and x-ray DDog2 tomorrow. I'm devastated, she is my first pointy hound and honestly, I feel like I've let her down. Yesterday she was bounding around everywhere and today she has been so reserved, she hasn't moved from my bed in the last couple of hours. She was given an injection at the vets this afternoon, but it hasn't seemed to help. She was yowling from the bed because she was in pain and when I went to check on her she just didn't seem to know what to do with herself.

Is it safe to assume that she has a hairline fracture, or is there the potential for her to be in this level of pain because of the low body fat to protect the muscle? Also, how much should a Lurcher weigh? She is between 18-19 kgs, but seems a little thin to me, she is a rather tall girl (I think maybe deerhound) so could I allow her to put on some extra weight once she is well again?

I really hoped my first post on the cushion wouldn't be a sad one, but I thought if anybody could help ease my worries, with your range of experiences, the MN cushion would be the best place to go. Please forgive me if I do not return for a while, I'll try and check back in soon.

I have no idea about fractures vs soft tissue injury I'm afraid YouLoveItDoreen. Weight wise it will depend on her make up, your vet may be able to guide you on weight. I have a large greyhound who is 34Kg and a small whippet x who is 11Kg. She probably looks a bit less thin than him but I'm very happy with both their weights and overweight greyhound particularly can suffer easily with joint problems. A lot of people comment on how thin he is but I think they're not so used to seeing greyhounds and if you also take into account his muscle mass he's definitely not short of food :)

Well I sent off the form to LL. One issue raised is about taking the dog on the school run in our village. Many dogs do it but all have to be left tied outside the gates (on secure metal fencing) for the 5 minutes of the actual drop off.

There is concern about theft and LL have 'never tie the dog up in a public place and leave it' on the adoption agreement.

My DC are 4 and 5 so I have to go in with them for the next 3 years. I thought by coming on the school run walk the dog would have more company in the day as I work part time and am out of the house a couple of days a week for around 3 hours though occasionally longer when I would organise a dog walker.

If I leave the dog behind, which is fine as an option, it means the dog is alone while I do an hour school run, then perhaps work at home for a bit, then out for a meeting, then back and leave dog while doing next school run etc.

Am I underestimating the theft problem? Do any of you leave yours at all on school runs? The other dogs left daily are pedigree cavalier King Charles spaniels, pugs, labs, cocker spaniels, etc. it's a small village and just an infant school so not loads of people and down a cul de sac.

I thought I could get one of the locking pet leads perhaps?

Are someone types of lurcher more prone to being stolen?

Youloveitdoreen - my probablyagooddashofsaluki lurcher weighs 22kg. I have had people comment that he is 'ribby', but the vet is totally happy with his body condition, and that its his shape.

Lovethesea - lurchers are targeted for theft unfortunatly. But in a quiet village, for a couple of minutes with other dogs wouldn't worry me greatly tbh. Though my lurcher has ishoos about being tied up and chews through a lead very quickly if left, so be really careful

Lovethesea - I am fairly confident that LL would be quite OK if there was a 'rota' system whereby those with dogs took it in turns to go in first or stay with the dogs - this would give all the owners (and dogs) the security of having someone that they vaguely recognised on hand, and also stop the potential for over-petting etc.

Trouble is the other parents have no problem with leaving their dogs and no one is going to want to take in my two children aged 4 and 5 with book bags, PE kits, water bottles, exchange books, drop off the school home book etc. just so I can stay with my dog. It would be tied up very securely and the lockable lead I found has a wire core so that should slow even a chewer down. I wouldn't leave it near the entrance either so no danger of people brushing by it unless they walk to it deliberately.

Perhaps I will need to stick with doing it by car until they are older and can be left at the school gates for junior school in 3 years time. Then the school run won't take so long and I could walk the dog afterwards. My lovely childminder has some Cavalier King Charles' she takes on the school run but she is happy to leave them outside the gates and has enough kids to drop in already to different classes.

Why are Lurchers targeted? I thought quite a lot were dumped and people wanting to work them would want one that had a good prey drive so any old lurcher wouldn't be a good bet? Is it for selling on? Bait dogs? I thought pedigree KC registered breeds were more in danger, but obviously not!

I personally wouldn't want to leave my dog tied up outside anywhere, partly because of theft but mainly because if they're tied they often feel intimidated which can lead to being aggressive and I'd hate them to feel worried without me. I know lots of people do it and the dogs are fine but you wouldn't know the temperament of the dog until a while after you'd adopted. I am by no means a dog expert but I think in for some time breaking up the periods alone would be fine, it's the log periods with nothing that are more of a problem.

I think lurchers are targeted for the same reason they're dumped. They provide an income/perform a certain role and if they're good at that then great and if not then they're out! The person stealing them takes a chance they're good and will then happily dump them if they're not.

True, it might make the dog stressed which would be the opposite of the inclusion on the school run. If driving the school run was still the best option for the dog I can easily do it, we hardly ever walk at the moment as it is over 1.2 miles each way and DS has just turned 4 and was a tad erratic on his scooter and bike.

Part of getting the dog is getting us all out walking more for health reasons so the school run seemed a logical place it build it in, but I am certainly not adverse to a quick drive then a leisurely walk with the dog by myself!

I would go on that option then and see how things go. We often do that (although DS now just gets turfed out as he's big enough to see himself into school)

Thank you for your help yesterday Mistle, thankfully DDog2 has only sustained a soft tissue injury, she is on Rimadyl for the next few days. CMOT and Cinnamon with regards to her weight, the rescue centre signed her off as "ideal" but she is really ribby, she has been moved onto raw from Royal Canin Adult, I'm feeding her about 600g of food over the day with treats. Her back legs are incredibly muscular but her front doesn't seem in the same condition. The vet didn't seem bothered by her weight so I'll maybe allow it to get up to 21kg and see what she looks like she is always hungry I'm not sure if that is just what she is like (being a Stray) or if DDog1 is just too polite to beg/ask for food. We are really enjoying DDog2's company, she is fabulous, and DDog1 has been very kind staying close to her and offering herself as a leaning post.

She's a lurcher YouLoveItDoreen, ime they are constantly on the scrounge!!! Mine don't always eat their meal but still follow us around looking for something a bit more exciting!

Remember all their power is really at the back, so their legs do look markedly different. I'll try and take a picture of cmotdog later.

Youloveit - I'm always having to try to keep my lurcher thin enough as, unusually for a lurcher, she has a tendency towards being too fat... I think its her breeding. However, the generality is that, for most lurchers, you should be able to see the last three ribs through their coat, not just feel them.

I took mistlehound to the vet for her boosters and our nice, very doggy vet commented that she had seen a 'fatty lump' on the inside of her leg, had I see it? No. Look - its here - Oh, its muscle! I thought it was just the less-doggy vet that made that mistake! Mine only looks lean when she's just come out of a lake or river - then you can see muscle definition on her flank before her coat fluffs out again. Even on her, I can feel all her ribs easily, and her backbone, but her pin bones (hips) don't stick up. Pin bones are visible on some lurchers though - particularly if htey have some saluki in them.

I've seen an Azawakh that many people would report to the RSPCA, you could see every bone - but that is, apparently, what they are meant to look like (I prefer something not quite so boney!).

Ah see now I hadn't considered all the power being in the back, I just assumed she'd look more balanced, especially because of what I think her breeding might be. Cinnamon she is very similar, she didn't finish her breakfast this morning but was watching DS eating his breakfast as if it was the last meal on Earth! She has lounged on the sofa for the first time today, although my bed is still her favourite place. She is definitely settling in well, and we are off to training classes this evening.

Mine is currently scoffing her food very quickly as there's a small terrierist that she doesn't want to eat it (they are fed in separate rooms)(we've only had small dog for 10 days). However, in the past she often left breakfast until after lunch to finish - but would do anything to eat muddy, stale duck bread when out on walks as if she was a starved hound that never had any decent food. 'Found' food (or food that's been dropped or is otherwise illicit in anyway) is MUCH better than the stuff that's expensive and specially made to provide them with a good balance of what they need!!!!

Ok. Form now also with Hounds First and spoken with EGLR. I keep checking the Facebook pages and scouring any new dog for child and cat friendly qualities.

Just a case of being patient until the right dog comes up.....

.......and thinking, this would be more fun with a dog, oh, look, dog toys, ah, is that a lurcher over there? I wonder what cross it is? Ooh, I would've gone out for a walk tonight if we'd had a dog. Right, so a stairgate at first to give the cats space from the dog. Do I have enough dreamies to bribe them into liking a dog? What else would charm them? Hmm, cheap fleece blankets, we need lots of those for the dog to keep it snug on our bed......

Struggling with the patience part!

Azawakh - had never ever heard of this breed - looked at some pictures just now. Wow, they are seriously thin and ribby... incredible looking dog.