Saluki cross lurcher tearing up garden

[Leeroy1798]

Hi all, just wondered if anyone else has had this situation and if so how they dealt with it.

Before I start, let me just say love our nutty little whatsit to bits and getting rid of him simply is not an option! :)

So we have a rescued saluki cross lurcher (neutered male) and he's roughly 16 months old - he was found abandoned at around 3 months so we don't know his full/accurate details.

As with many sight hounds, his recall is only good if there's nothing more interesting around so he can't run off the lead.

Fortunately, we have a reasonable sized garden where he can let of steam. And this idea the root of my question.

Due to his mach 3 laps of our garden, the garden now resembles a ploughed field. This is something we're prepared to put up with but ideally we'd like it looking a bit nicer.

Bark chippings aren't an option as he often steals the chippings from around our son's climbing frame and chews them.

We have an idea that artificial grass would get ruined too (I spoke to a company and they said they have a rottie that romps around on theirs - not quite the same as a loony charging around at something like 20 mph).

So anyone else dealt with this sort of situation or any suggestions (that don't involve getting rid of him or tying his legs together :) )

Thanks.

Look up local safe fields to rent and let him run there a couple of times a week , if he's friendly you may even be able to find someone to share the cost with , then fence him off a bit of garden so he can't trash the whole thing . We've ornamentally fenced off our large patio so dog only goes on the grass when someone is supervising as he digs and is liable to poison himself chewing bulbs .

"We have an idea that artificial grass would get ruined too (I spoke to a company and they said they have a rottie that romps around on theirs - not quite the same as a loony charging around at something like 20 mph). "

Um... my Rottie isn't that much slower than a lurcher - I have no clue how artificial grass wears, but, rotties aren't slow lumbering dogs.

Saluki lurches can overtake collies from a cold start. They are fast.

Dig the churned bits out, put sand down, get an electric hare and take bets on him?

Lurchers get into the high 30mph speeds. Usually in something like 4-5 steps.

I think your best bet is to work on his retrieve. Not easy with lurchers and I must admit to only doing it with pups.

I have a whippet. Got her at 6 months old. Her recall is bob on.

Find what motivates him. Food, toy, attention. Work on that with his recall.

Then you can tire him out on walks. I don't think there is anything better than seeing a sighthound in full stretch on 30 acres of field.

Sorry Tabulahrasa, didn't mean that to sound wrong :) . It's just lurchers and greyhounds (our other dog) are designed for speed and lurchers designed for quick changes of direction (as in coursing - which we don't do or condone!).

We do hire a secure field sometimes and I take him running regularly. Problem is inbetween times lol.
We did also have an idea of putting sand down too as we've seen horse training areas like it.
Thanks all.

"didn't mean that to sound wrong"

Oh i wasn't objecting in a - how very dare you kind of way, lol

Just, I know how fast sighthounds are, but other breeds are not exactly easy on grass.

My Rottie isn't ever going to outrun any pointy... but he can still shift some in my tiny garden and he isn't exactly delicate when he turns or stops dead from flat out either.

My grass is more a mass of skid marks and gouges than a lawn, rofl.

So I just meant I wouldn't write it off as an option just because it's a faster breed.

I know someone who has three saluki crosses and a whippet - and artificial grass.

Not sure what type they use but it's doing okay so far.

The other huge advantage is less mud and floor mopping!

Won't artificial grass smell after a while if dogs are consistently peeing/pooping on it? I have a spaniel cross and she loves to dig even though she knows she's not supposed to. What with the digging and the burned patches of peed on grass we have also been considering artificial grass but did wonder if eventually it would smell?

My garden looks like a racetrack atm - the latest foster puppy and ddog2 have been doing laps at full speed. And then the chickens stratch up the mud to get the worms....

I think you use a hose to wash the wee through the artificial grass so it doesn't smell