Why would anyone want a greyhound/ whippet?

[Nightshift24]

In my experience the prey drive is so strong in these dogs that they will hunt wildlife to the point that they cannot be let them off the lead incase they go for a rabbit or squirrel. That’s fine if they have responsible owners but many people continue to let them off. I know greyhounds that have killed cats. They have even been known to go for small dogs. What are the redeeming features?

We had a whippet for 11 years, he was such a good dog. As long as he was walked once a day, the rest of the time he pretty much spent lazing around. Hardly ever barked, didn't really shed hair. We never let him off lead.

Is it against the law for dogs to kill rabbits or squirrels?

Why would you want a dog that kills wildlife? Dogs are supposed to be kept under control. How is a dog being kept under control if its
killing other animals? I don’t understand this.

Because it's instinct?

You’re in for a shock when you hear what most dogs were bred for!! 🤣

That's like asking why people have cats.

@CombatBarbie But why not choose a breed of dog that doesn’t have an overwhelming instinct to kill stuff? The behaviour instinct doesn’t equal it being moral or acceptable.

Cats kill mice and birds. I don’t really see much difference.

I am not a pet person really but if someone made me have one I’d pick a greyhound or whippet because they are beautiful, elegant creatures.

Do you get angry at foxes catching chickens because it’s morally wrong too? You sound ridiculous. It’s called nature

How can you compare a wild animal
to a dog? That sounds more ridiculous to me.

@MaloneMeadow foxes don’t have owners legally obliged to keep them under control.

Is a cat catching mice, birds moral or acceptable? What about foxes with chickens and rabbits? Humans can be vegans/vegetarians I doubt dogs/cats etc would survive.

I'd actually love a terrier as we have a rat problem. Cat wouldn't suffice....

We got a lurcher a few years ago, he was a stray that had been abandoned so we took him in, I really worried about his prey drive as we had 2 small dogs, but after a little bit of non aggressive chasing and correction he’s been amazing, always walk him off lead and never have any problems with him, he loves to chase a ball more than anything else.

not all dogs with a high prey drive go into blood lust mode, even if their instinct is to chase, you can interrupt their thought process if you have a good bond with your dog and they listen to you, a quick command will bring them back, you have a responsibility as an owner to train that into your dogs (or don’t let them off) my old dog was a greyhound cross and he was the best dog that ever lived.

there will always be irresponsible owners though that either don’t care or get these dogs for the purpose of hunting.

most greyhounds/lurchers and whippets I know love a good run but are really quite lazy, and they make excellent pets.

I don’t think many people would keep cats if they weighed upwards of 25kg.

Lots of dogs would kill wildlife - most terrier types for a start .

A Chihuahua was shaken to death by a greyhound on our local park. The owner of the greyhound just walked away.

Has something happened to you or one of your pets OP?

You do know where dogs came from.. don’t you?

Our golden retriever caught and killed a fish from a lake the other day.. was I particularly pleased? No. Did I get angry? No. Because she’s a dog and they all have a natural prey drive no matter how placid and friendly a pet they are.

Don't start attacking cats. 😻

No need to let dogs off leads. I don't know why people do it especially in public spaces where DC go. So many irresponsible owners can't control their dogs. I have 2 Lhasa Apso and they only go off lead in winter on an empty beach cove at about 6 am. They are quite lazy dogs and like walking and snoozing best. If they see a DC and it approaches them they have been taught to sit down immediately and hold a paw up to shake.

I have a greyhound. He has no prey drive whatsoever! He is a rescued racing dog so he's been trained to chase after something small and furry but in the whole time I've had him he's shown no interest at all in chasing animals. He does love to play with plushy squeaky toys at home though. Greyhounds make wonderful pets. Mine is beautiful, funny, cuddly, clever.
Some greyhounds will have a strong prey drive, some won't. You could apply the same question to any breed of dog, to cats, to other pets.

If your dog has good recall and training then it’s nice to be able to let them off the lead for a bit of freedom from time to time in an appropriate area. It’s rubbish owners with 0 training or recall who ruin it for us responsible ones

Our greyhound would half heartedly chase a squirrel or bark at a cat but only in our garden. Cats and squirrels out in the big bad world were ignored. She was gentle, quiet, affectionate and a bit daft. We didn’t let her off lead very often - only on deserted beaches - mainly because she was scared of other dogs and might have sprinted off. She walked beautifully on the lead. She was an absolutely gorgeous dog, the doggie love of my life, and almost three years on I still miss her.

I'm not a dog person, but if I were to have a dog, it'd probably be a greyhound or whippet. I've seen several live happily alongside cats, they don't need much walking, spend most of their time snoozing, don't drool or shed much and are generally very affectionate, without being boisterous. They do really appreciate a bit of off-lead running when safe to do so, but only a short sprint.