Greyhound / whippets / lurcher types...

[Misfitless]

Just wondering if anyone out there has one of these types of dogs with young children, and how they fit into the mix.

I would really love one of these types of dog - a close relative has one, and she has a beautiful nature.

I've heard they like peace and quiet and are not that happy with lots of noise.

We have four DCs, three of them are under 10yrs, with the youngest being five.

We have always had a dog, and they are very respectful to animals and understand our lovely dog's nature and needs, but they are a noisy bunch!

I'm wondering if introducing a whippet-type would be fair on the dog or the children.

Greatful for any advice.

grateful not greatful!

My whippet adores kids they are so very exciting, he loves running with them and playing BUT he sleeps a lot which kids can find very boring.

I have two lurchers, aged 2.5 and 8 months. Mine are quite happy either way really, but older one is very easy going and obv puppy is still mad.

They both like to play, and will fetch for hours given a chance.

I think in a busy house, you'd be better looking at lurchers than pure bred sighthounds. The lurcher rescues will be able to tell you about each dog they have and how they might fit with you.

Ex racers though would be used to the hustle and bustle of kennels - people, other dogs, vets, travel, the track.

As long as they have their own space and your DC respect the grumbling that means "I'm off to my bed, leave me in peace now"

My lurcher has been great with my DC from birth. They're 5 & 7 now and he's always been sweet with them. Brilliant, loving family pet - and so much lower maintainence than so many other breeds.

I have an Italian Greyhound and he adores the children.
He can be nervous/jumpy when they have friends round and it gets noisy. He takes himself off to bed and I make sure the visiting children don't bother him as I wouldn't trust him not to snap at them.
He is quite a sensitive little chap.

I have two Lurchers, one is 9.5, the other just under 2. Both are very calm in the house and adore my dcs (the feeling is mutual).

My dcs are 12, 10 and 6. The eldest has ASD and has developed a very strong bond with our younger dog.

The younger dog plays beautifully with all three dcs and is exceptionally gentle when they're playing with toys together. The older lad is honestly the sweetest natured dog we've ever had and waits for the dcs to come home from school to have his afternoon belly run. He has a chunk of Border Collie in him and will happily retrieve a ball all day if there's someone available and willing to throw it. Being a bit older, he sometimes wants a bit of peace and will take himself off to his bed, where the dcs know to leave him alone. The younger one likes to stick his nose into just about every part of family life and is never happier than when all the dcs are home and the house is full and bustling.

I would say that, in my experience, Lurchers with a lot of Saluki in are less suited to noisy, child-filled households, as they tend to be a bit more sensitive than some other mixes. Having said that, my older lad is a quarter Saluki, but he seems to have taken after the Deerhound and Border Collie parts of his mix. To be honest, as they are all fundamentally crossbreeds, you can never be sure what traits they will inherit, but in my experience, straight Saluki crosses are usually extremely beautiful, but generally more sensitive in nature.

I would advise having a chat with somewhere like Lurcher Link or EGLR, who will be able to advise you on what dogs/pups they have that might suit your family's individual needs/circumstances. They really are very good at matching the right dog to the right home.