Family dog after puppy loss - new whippet or something else?

[PupExaminer]

(Please try to not flame, if you can.)
Last year we lost our whippet when he bolted and was knocked down by a van. He was still young so his training wasn't yet as good as it could be, but we were all so crushed with grief and guilt, and we're obviously completely sick at the thought of another beautiful whippet dying that way. My question is: we loved him very much and he fitted our family so well, so can we do more (and what?) to train another whippet better? Or should we just stay with non-sighthound dogs that are less likely to bolt, and what other snooze-ish, non-shedding dogs are there?
Thank you.

Any dog can bolt. You need a longline and a harness or a safe space.

Personally, I would be reluctant to have any of the sight hound type breeds unrestrained unless it was a dog I had known for years and could be sure it was safe.

And it's true that any dog can bolt during those crucial times when someone is entering or leaving the house, so it can be very hard to keep them safe- especially with kids who can be forgetful.

It took me a year of training to trust my dog. I still wouldn't open the front door without closing the stairgate
Unfortunately I know a few dogs that have done this. One a schnauzer, one a lab and a poodle mix.

Any breed of dog as pup will run out of a door if it's open, prevention is much better. Can you set up stair gates to limit access to the front door?
I had a scare last week with my pup who escaped but luckily just ran into my neighbours garden. I'm currently training her to sit nicely at the door, (with a lead on incase she has any other ideas!)

Most dogs will bolt given the chance, but I personally wouldn't let a sight or scent hound off the lead at all, unless it was in a secure field or garden.

We have a beagle and although his recall is fairly solid I would be beside myself if something happened to him. Dogs don't need to go off lead - so long as they get plenty of exercise and chances to sniff around at leisure they'll be absolutely fine. If you desperately want to let them off you can hire fields specifically designed as secure open spaces for dogs to run about.

I'm sorry about your whippet though

I agree with the not letting scent/sight hounds off lead unless in a secure area, even well trained they are known to ignore you when they have a scent they want to follow/seen something they want to chase. Do you have to get a puppy? There are plenty of retired greyhounds out there that need rehoming, obviously bigger than the whippet but still a couch potato.

Some dogs do need to go off lead. I have a wolfhound. She needs to run. I have recall so I do let her off.

I would never have a whippet if I lived anywhere close to a busy road.
The first 3 or 4 years its almost impossible to keep them completely incident free.
They ALWAYS grab any opportunity to stretch their legs and it only takes a momentary lapse for them to end up somewhere you don't want them to be.
Past your front gate will happen. Mines escaped at least half a dozen times in the first couple of years and convincing her to come back in the house took much patience and a fair bit of luck. If I'd been near a road she'd have been killed six times over.
As for people saying any dog can escape. It's a risk regardless.. Have obviously never owned a whippet.

BTW mines had the closest call you ve ever witnessed when she decided to double back and follow someone under an underpass and up the side to a bus stop on a dark winter evening. Then proceeded to walk out onto the road when she heard me panic and shout her.
About four feet past the edge she stood stock still while one of those dumper trucks flew by and missed her by millimetres. She never even flinched.
I have no idea how she got away with it. I got such a fright it left me exhausted to the point of feeling ill for the rest of the night.
Scary daft animals those whippets. Like no dog I've ever owned before

I'm afraid I disagree Wolfie

Wanting to/enjoying going off lead is not the same as needing to. Everyday around here I see stories of dogs who have bolted from their owners and vanished. They've either caught a scent or the sight or prey and gotten lost, or disappeared and been injured or hit by a car. I wouldn't let dogs (especially sight/scent hounds) off-lead in an open space - I think it's a recipe for disaster.

Not a risk I want to take with my dog. And all dogs have recall until the one moment they don't. I can have any number of stinky treats for my beagle but as soon as he has a scent he's gone and he completely ignores me. That's his nature, not because his recall is bad - he's a hunting dog.

I think nearly everyone who's had a sighthound puppy will have had an instance where they bolted. Most of us get away with it with a big scare. Sorry to hear you lost your pup PupExaminer.

i think if a whippet suited your family the first time you should get another one. Did he bolt out your house or on a walk?

I am with adaline
there was a time when dogs were on-lead all the time unless in a safe secure area
the default now seems to be that anywhere parks, nature reserves, common land (intersected by roads) dogs are allowed/encouraged to be offlead (in principle) but it really depends on the dog. Sighthounds are happy to be on lead - as well as enjoying zoomies in open spaces where they cannot get themselves into dangerous situations.
Dogs can jump 5 ft gates and obstacles onto dangerous roads and have no awareness of how vulnerable they are. I would second the suggestion that if you don't have access to safe open spaces a sighthound is not the best choice for a pet - unless an older, calmer one.
OP - sorry for your loss

Each to their own on whether they let their dog off lead or not. The OP hasn't actually said whether it bolted from the home or whilst walking so if it is the former that argument is actually mute in this instance.

OP it sounds like you and your poor dog paid a horrible price for an horrible accident . As for another dog really look at the 'cons' of any breed and decide whether you can cope with them. I have a hunting dog which actually is great but I had to work with his hunting traits but for others they would be a definite no.

I wouldn't let her off on a common with roads.
I wouldn't let her off near livestock.
Other than that she's fine.
She DOES need to run. As a near adult wolfhound she needs to stretch her limbs and build fitness (they can be prone to heart problems).
She wants to be near me. She won't go too far.

Sorry for your loss
A family member lost their puppy after she ran off the driveway after her ball (she dropped it and it rolled into the road) and a car hit her. Was a really quiet area and she never set foot off the drive unless told. Was the most devastating accident. They got the same breed again and just learnt from it, she was never allowed on the driveway unless on lead.
But they do let her off lead, just in open areas away from roads.

Freak accidents happen, you can learn from them but you can't let them rule you. I'd get another whippet if I were you.

I have a whippet and he only goes off lead on the beach or a fenced park. Luckily for me I have a fenced park 10 minutes walk from me. He does love his zoomies but my garden is tiny so if yours is bigger it might not be as much of an issue.

They are seriously lovely dogs so if you think you can keep the new whippet safe I’d go for it.

I would second a retired greyhound. Bigger yes, but less stress than a puppy.

That said, on the third day home with ours we had a horrendous scare when she walked out the front door. Fortunately, she walked down a nearby cul-de-sac but the reality could have been so much worse. I'm so sorry for your loss OP, it's a situation many of us have found ourselves in but most of us have been more fortunate.

So sorry for your loss :( Sighthounds are wonderful dogs. Any dog can bolt, my house is like fort knocks lol stairgates doors closed, its like a military operation to get to the front door. Just to keep my dogs safe.

I have two lurchers, one that can be totally trusted of the lead, shes 13 now and has been off lead since 12 weeks old, she has no chase instinct at all. The other who has alot of Saluki in her, very rarely goes off, shes so fast and has a very high prey instinct. she's 11 and a rescue who we got when she was a year old.

Every dog is different, we have not long rehomed a Border collie pup 5mths old, his recall is good but i only let him off if i know that no other people or dogs are around, as his recall goes out the window. He wears a harness and i use a long line :) it works for us.

Good luck puppy hunting x

I'd get a lurcher puppy (only as there are so many in rescue waiting for homes, some are more whippety than others).

My lurchers have great recall, but I work on that (and of my lurcher foster pups) everyday. Go to anywhere with loose dogs, and you'll see people with all kinds of breeds yelling at them as they ignore them - its just sighthounds (plus other hounds and large dogs) get further away quickly when being disobedient.

Thank you all for your very gentle and helpful responses.

He bolted on a walk - I definitely think it's made us rethink our walks, and we'd be unlikely to let another dog off-lead outside enclosed spaces. But you've also helped me realise we do want another, and we'd do better by that dog this time, fingers crossed.

Thanks again

No dog is bombproof but there's a lot you can do. I never let mine off near livestock or a road. I used perfect recall book. LOTS of training and a longline until I was confident.
Good luck OP.