So I want a whippet or a border terrier ?

[Houndofthebaskethills]

Been planning getting a dog for years but waited until the kids older. Now all high school age.
I have narrowed it down to the above breeds as good for first time dog owners.

wouldlike a dog that is great to snuggle with on the sofa ( or even sleep on the bed) but also will be good to walk out or play ball in the garden with. Neighbours don’t like noise but I believe neither of these breeds are loud.

I am out of the house for 5 hours twice a week but we can get a dog walker . Which would be happiest left alone for those times?

I have searched and searched rescues but nothing suitable comes up.they need adult only home or another pet or can’t be left or just aren’t the right breed. My first choice would have been a proper mongrel but they are gold dust!

I mean do I want !

I love my sisters borders.......but they are definitely not quiet and have a strong prey instinct!! Very cute and loving

Ah so do the boxers bark a lot?

They bark a lot, luckily there hasn't been many complaints from the neighbours. It's definitely at birds, cats etc and just a welcome when they hear the car :)

That’s was autocorrect I meant borders. Not having a good day 🙈

We have a very affectionate and sweet little whippet. Doesn’t bark much at all and is now very lazy as she’s 2 years old! She loves a cuddle and any chance to sleep on a bed (preferably under the duvet!) She cuddles up next to the kids while they’re watching tv etc. We love her to bits.
We couldn’t leave her for 5 hours though, would definitely need a dog walker or someone to break it up for her. After a good walk though she’s happy to laze the rest of the day away!

My only (admittedly very limited experience) of border terriers is a couple that barked constantly, but appreciate that might not be a true representation of the breed!

My border doesn't bark or yap. She's happy sleeping all day but equally happy to have a good walk. Walks can be slow as she likes to sniff everything.
Very loving. I am thinking of getting another one. They're very hardy dogs, touch wood the only time she's been to the vets is for her annual check ups.

She is left at home most days while we are at work with no issues ( neighbours check in / let her out for a wee in the afternoon)

Whippets aren’t hugely likely to play with a ball... well, to be fair, they usually will play with them, it’s the bringing them back they’re not so fond of. So I mean if you also playing the ball is what you’re after, they might not be the breed for you. They’re also pretty adamant that rain is evil, so your walking might be limited if you live in a wet part of the country.

Well for balance, my whippet will fetch and indeed bring back a ball, (I think because we introduced this while she was young) but rain is most definitely evil and she will not walk in it! I don’t mind this too much though!!

Last thing from me, sorry! Her prey drive is most definitely strong and we do avoid parks with squirrels!! I’d hate for her to catch one..especially in front of mine or anyone else’s kids!

A whippet lurcher would be an excellent idea. Medium sized, very snuggly and a bit more robust than a pure whippet.

Lots of specialist info groups and rescues:

www.facebook.com/groups/263065052534786
www.facebook.com/groups/550443018394096
www.facebook.com/LurcherLink/
www.facebook.com/WhippetRescueUk/
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064618456632
www.arundawndogrescue.co.uk

and if you do fancy the idea of a little lurcher then Grey Dog Tales is a compulsory read!

greydogtales.com/blog/lurchers-for-beginners/

Love the sound of both dogs! We do live in the wet north west though!
I would love a bedlington whippet or lurcher we had one growing up. Problem is you can’t find a breeder in the same way you can for a whippet. Will look at those links though.

Remember to think about how you would handle the 5 hours whilst a pup. While it's fine for an older dog with a walker in the middle it's unlikely to work from day 1.

We have a cavapoochon who I love very much but my next dog will be a whippet. They are so calm and less likely to bark!

Yes I must admit I was wondering how long you need to be at home with a pup before you can leave it at all .

All pups are different but I felt very tied to our dog when a pup for about 4 months. (Cocker Cross)
She doesn't bark much now but would chew anything, even cables etc so couldn't leave her unsupervised as a pup and never took to a crate. Howled the place down when I was sat beside it feeding her treats!
It doesn't mean I never went anywhere but I mostly brought her or arranged for a "dogsitter" in some ways more of a nuisance than a child as there are plenty of places you can bring children that dogs are not appropriate and my friends and family thought I was mental treating a dog like a child and getting it minded!
Loved the puppy snuggles in the morning though!

Have you spoken to the rescues regarding the "adult only" homes? If this is due to a bite history that's understandable, but some pups might just be anxious or inexperienced around young children and your teens could be approved.

We have 3 children aged 11+ and have adopted 3 amazing crossbreeds from a reputable local rescue over the last 2 years. It's a shame you haven't yet found a suitable match.

I walk a whippet once a wk and he is ADORABLE! He cuddles up to his owner regularly and sleeps in her bed I believe too. I also want one now! All in good time.

I'm fostering a bedlington whippet puppy at the moment, and she is the sweetest little thing. Very bright, will probably love to play ball (she's on restricted exercise at the moment), very cuddly and loving. Keep looking at rescues, as someone said previously a whippety lurcher is more likely to come up. Evesham Greyhound and Lurcher rescue is another to check out in addition to the ones mentioned before, and I'd recommend following them all on social media rather than looking at the websites as you'll see dogs that never actually get to the website, or ones featured who aren't up for rehoming yet

Greyhound

My neighbour’s border terrier barks non stop when it’s let into their garden. It’s put me off the breed.

Believe me I have stalked rescues .
usually say adult only home/ needs another dog/ can’t be left etc etc and the kind I want just gets snapped up. They are full of staffie types. I will keep looking .
i considered a greyhound but they are bigger than I realised. I know they are low maintenance but just in terms of space on the sofa and in the house they are big!

We started building up alone time from 11 weeks. We started with 10m, increasing by 5m increments every few days. When we hit an hour, we upped in in 15m increments.

We needed her to be able to be left for 2.5-3h during the day by the time she was 16ish weeks. She is very happy to be left - she goes straight to bed and sleeps. Gets up for the occasional wander round the kitchen then flops back into bed (we have a camera). She's now 5.5m and can be left for about four hours with no issues, and she's genuinely a much happier, chilled out dog when she gets those longer sleep opportunities. At the weekend and the odd weekday someone is at home all day she's much more unsettled!