Is there such a thing as a lazy dog, like a greyhound, with good recall and good with children?

[RudePepper]

All in the title really - I'd just like a greyhound without the recall issues.

PS: would also be doing dog training of some description but feel I would like to know what we may be taking on.

What about a Great Dane?

For recall training, Total Recall is excellent, and a proper 'whole of life' training with different tactics if things don't go as well as you'd like

Thanks CMOT. That's a good idea Surfs! Possibly a bit big for our average sized house and possibly neededing to many hours of walking - but will look into it.

Grate Danes are wonderful for small spaces. I know 2 who live in a tiny terrace house. They just lie around! Even if you had acres and acres they just lie around!
They love a nice short hurtle about once a day and then they're total couch potatoes! Get one and call it Pony.

My friend (not the one in the flat) has Great Danes and she goes for a 1 hour walk every day. They won't go with her for more than half an hour so she meets them on the way back at whatever point they stopped!

too many hours walking - even.

Surfs I like the sound of one. My Aunt had one many years ago. I like the idea of semi-couch potato dogs - I don't want to be constantly feeling guilty that I only walked the dog for an hour and it needs two. I looked at a rescue site but it looked as though they would only approve homes where there would be too. I'll have another look later. Is their recall good? Do they do the ball business with children?

Camping - I knew there had to be a hitch! Could I fit a squashed human and a Great Dane in the front seat of the car?

My lurcher would fit the bill. She's amazing with my 4 children and is definitely built for the sprint. Half to a hour off lead racing about the fields and she's had enough! Her recall is great I can call her mid sprint if I have to.
She is very lazy if I take her to the beach she'll play for half a hour like crazy then flop down and refuse to move.

Where did you find her Mama?

RP have you had a look on EGLR. They have lots of different Lurchers with different needs, home nationally and assess each home individually, rather than having a set homing criteria that has to be met for every single dog. They're excellent at matching dogs/pups to the right families.

One of mine came from Lurcher Link who are also home nationally and fantastic at matching the right dog to the right home.

I tend to find a lot of the non-sighthound national charities tend to state absolutely no off-lead for their sighthound rescues, whereas sighthound specific rescues are better placed to advise realistically based on their knowledge of individual dogs. Sighthound specific rescues also tend to have their dogs in foster, so they're fully assessed in a home environment before being rehomed and you're then fully informed when adopting one of them.

Ps. I have been in the front seat of our car with my Grey/Saluki/Deerhound/ Border Collie mix in the footwell today, as we had just picked our pup up from the vet after and op and he needed to stretch out on the whole of the bed in the boot. Lurchers can fold up very small when they want/need to.

Sorry only just come back.

Dogs have to be on a lead on highways or you get fined. Maybe not "against the law" as such but still.

Thanks Gloria. Moosemama - yes I have looked but they have no dog good for off-lead at the moment, nor do the other rescues I have spoken to. We are in no hurry though.

Of course! They are lap dogs after all!

EGLR have Riley. It states in his bio that he can go off lead, but you need to recognise that he is still a sighthound and may give chase on occasion - therefore you need to be careful where you let him off.

I think you have to be realistic and understand that no dog will have reliable recall without you putting work in yourself. The dog will need a reason to want to return to you and that will come through, training and bonding. Even non-sighthound breeds will give chase to running animals and not all will/can be recalled, this isn't exclusive to sighthounds, it's just that they can cover ground faster and may catch whatever they're chasing as a result. I doubt you'll find a rescue that is going to guarantee a dog they adopt to you will always come back if called.

As others have said, as with any dog, you need to be selective where you let them off. Dogs bred for flushing will disappear into hedgerows and bracken, some breeds will head straight for the nearest stretch of stinky water and dive straight in, others, such as Beagles, will follow their nose wherever it takes them without stopping to think where you might be. There are no guarantees with any dog's recall, it's all down to hard work on the part of the owners to ensure that the dog believes it's rewarding enough to stop whatever they're doing and return to you. I would also say that recall training is never 'done', it's something you are constantly working on and reinforcing throughout their lives to keep reminding them that it's worth their while returning to you when asked.

My two, both Lurchers, one with a hefty dollop of Greyhound in his mix, have excellent recall, but I tend not to let them off in one particular park near me, as it's open to the road on one side and if they were spooked or something happened and they did run they would be on that road in a split second - I just wouldn't risk it. I do however walk them across the local fields where there are lots of public footpaths, no livestock and two fields set aside for dog walking and they are off-lead pretty much the whole time there, as there's now way they could end up on a road if they bolted. They also go off-lead in certain country parks where there's plenty of space for them to run and my favourite, like Scuttle's is to let them have their heads on a deserted beach.

In my experience, whistle training is your best bet with sighthounds. I have taught one from a pup and one from the age of 8 using the book Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson and they will literally stop and turn mid-flight to return to me if I whistle them.

Oh my goodness Surfs - are you OK or did he flatten you?

I have spoken to EGLR and they say nothing suitable - thanks moose.

I am prepared to put in the training but have been led to believe by some of the rescue people that training will not override natural instinct.

No, it won't always over-ride it, but that's true of all dogs, not just sighthounds. As I said before, the difference with sighthounds is the increased likelihood they may catch what they're chasing and the potential for them to be miles away in seconds, simply because of the speed at which they can cover ground.

No-one can ever say their dog has 100% recall, simply because dogs have a mind of their own and sometimes choose to use it at the most inopportune moments. It doesn't mean they can't be let off lead, just that they can't be let off lead everywhere.

I was just wondering if you are getting negative responses from rescues because you sound like you are essentially asking for the perfect dog, ie doesn't want much exercise, always come back when called and great with children. The vast majority of people approaching rescues also want those qualities, when the reality is that only a small percentage of rescue dogs will come 'ready made' and most will need at least some basic or remedial training.

I'm not saying this is you, because as you've already said you are willing to put the work into training, but rescues do get a lot of calls from people that want dogs that will just slot right into their lives, be calm and obedient, not want much exercise and always come back when called. This really isn't a very realistic view of taking on a rescue - or any dog and they may get short shrift from those at the sharp end of dog rescue. It could be that you've been wrongly classed as one of 'those' enquirers in error.

If not - and they have discussed it thoroughly with you, it could just be that they've no dogs in just at the moment that would be a good match for you, but new dogs will be coming in all the time and the best way to keep up with the latest arrivals is to frequent their FB pages, rather than just the websites.

To be honest, the best rescues are the ones that honestly say they have nothing suitable for your circumstances, rather than rehoming an unsuitable dog with you, only to have the adoption go awry. Most rescues don't have the resources to follow people up and call them when a good match does come in, so you're best off keeping an eye on FB and enquiring/applying if you see a dog you think may suit. Some rescues may prefer to arrange a homecheck in advance too, then if a suitable dog comes in the adoption can go through more quickly.

Greyhounds with no prey drive are rare but they are out there! I have one. She was bred for racing but wasn't up to scratch so ended up in rescue.

Her recall is good and she is good with kids.

I work as a childminder. The kids thing though - I would treat any dog the same in that I treat them as a DOG. I don't let kids get in their space, be there when they eat, bother them, tease them, etcI am very strict on this. My dog gives the kids space and I ask them to do the same with her. She is a softy though, lovely with my autistic son and very patient with little ones.

My GH is walked off lead more than she is walked on lead. She stops at roads, will recall mid zoom, and isn't fussed about cats.

Thanks everyone. I'm really enjoying looking at different breeds. Bit worried that I enjoy it so much that if we find one I'll have to start concentrating on the next one.

Has anyone any Irish Setter stories for me? Ouryve do you think a setter pup would be less loopy than a lab or labradoodle pup?

Actually I think an Irish Setter would need too much walking - I've only got about an hour or day to walk and my little book says two hours min.

Setters are lovely dogs, very biddable and great with kids. I have Irish Reds, Gordons and English on my list of 'want to have someday' dogs. They have eyes to melt the hardest of hearts.

As you say though, they do need a decent amount of exercise.

Definitely not a lab. I have always had them and although I love them to bits and spend loads of time on training, they have a year long period? Of being total pains in the bum with regard to recall. They come if there is nothing on the horizon, and it does not matter wether you have a fillet steak to tempt them!
Mine is walked three times a day for 45 minutes a time, so not lazy.

Wonderful dogs, I would not be without mine, but not what you are looking for.

I walk rescue dogs and lurchers are wonderfully gentle and walk beautifully on lead. I think you would have to have a young one that you could train recall more easily if off lead, it would take work, but worth it - they are lovely dogs

RudePepper

Thankfully that's not me! I actually have a boxer rather than a GD and he would never dare to try and sit on my lap!

I know the stick thing was a few posts back but had to post to say DO NOT THROW STICKS, my first Border Collie was killed when I threw a stick for her, it lodged in the ground and she went face first into it, it pierced her jugular and she died within a minute. It was only a small stick and I didn't throw it far. I have since heard of many injuries, some not so serious but still requiring vet treatment.
My current dog finds sticks but I will never throw a stick for a dog ever again.