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?

Ridiculous overgeneralisation.

My lurcher cross has an intense chase/prey drive but he's very highly trained.

A simple 'Aa!' or 'Hey!' will stop him in his tracks, even if he's already started pursuit. Cat, deer, squirrel, anything, he'll desist immediately and return. We rarely walk him on a lead.

We train dogs for a living though. I realise that for most people this isn't a likely scenario, but it's most definitely possible to achieve.

Had friends with a working farm and a whippet,it never chased the farm animals. I have a friend with 2 young lurchers,soft, relaxed and not prey driven..I have 2 border collies, one is 8 and always been terrified of cats. I had a Phalene up till a year ago,he was smaller than the cat, couldn't give a monkeys. I since loosing him have a 7 month old border collie puppy. Yesterday they had almost 1.5 hours off lead thundering round on the beach. They also get lead walks and have a 100 ft of their own garden (the rest is fenced off veg plot)

My son has a rescue greyhound. He's lovey and really lazy so only has 2 short walks daily.
He's never allowed off the lead but has been pestered by other off lead dogs and hasn't attacked them.

Based on your logic I don’t need to pick up my dog’s poop because the cat poops on the ground where it likes and it doesn’t get lifted. Whether you agree or not, the law is different when it comes to dogs because they are different. Dogs are domestic pets, cats can be stray or feral, albeit an intrusive species but now part of the landscape. Nobody takes their cat out on a lead then lets it off to chase wildlife..

I’d rather dogs culled rabbits and grey squirrels (both invasive non native species and wreckers of my garden) than cats killing our birds (they have a huge impact on the songbird population) and frogs.

I've known quite a few greyhounds. A friend had three as his dad was a racecourse owner and they were all retired. All beautiful, elegant, loyal, affectionate and slept a lot. One did kill a neighbour's rabbit though. A different friend rescued one and he was lovely and lived alongside three other dogs (different breeds and sizes) and a cat happily for years. Another friend fosters them and owns two. She has never had any problems with any of her fosters or the two she has permanently. I've always had dogs and cats and did have a pony. Only problem I ever had was a group of small but vicious JR terriers setting upon my dog in woodland. I think they were after wildlife, rabbiting, but attacked my dog (medium sized spaniel poodle cross) and almost killed him. It was awful and terrifying. He survived thankfully but may have not if my BIL hadn't pulled him away from them. I was too shocked and upset and froze. Owners did nothing. I'd have greyhounds - I wouldn't have JRTs. My friend has three cane Corso, a staff and a French bull terrier. They have never attacked anything.

My neighbour takes her 2 dogs to a field where you can let dogs off the lead away from the public. There are sniff trails and agility stuff too in this field. I think this is a good solution for dogs that need off the lead time. For reactive dogs you can book a time slot when just you will have access or if your dogs are ok with other dogs just book a general slot. It's not expensive.

Because they’re calm loving dogs… they sleep and lounge around a lot and give out lots of hugs and cuddles.

I don’t know why you’re finding it so hard to understand… I hate pugs and French bulldogs but I can still understand why someone may choose to have them as dogs.

My dog would kill birds and wild rabbits if he could, he’s not a whippet or greyhound. He gets off the lead in forests and rural (not farming areas! We never go near anywhere that has livestock) areas because his chances of actually catching a bird are slim to none and if he catches a rabbit then he catches a rabbit. I’ve got cats that kill mice too. Whether or not any of my animals would kill rabbits or birds or mice were never a factor when I got them. And while I sincerely hope my dog never catches a wild rabbit, if he does that’s just nature.

Laughing at the idea of animals having morals… 😂

Also, of all the dogs you could have chosen to ran about, greyhounds are one of the most relaxed ones on the planet. Poodles however….

Another example is my parents have a Labrador… yes a cute friendly cuddly Labrador a family favourite… oh and she chased and caught a squirrel once…

I always thought Greyhounds were quite docile - one of the only dogs my dog won't bark at.

@PansyOatZebra you've just reminded me of my boy trying to climb a tree to get the squirrel that lives there when he was a pup 😂 he’s a collie, didn’t catch it but he spent hours in the garden trying to get up that tree for weeks on end. Did eventually lose interest though

A well trained dog with good recall causes absolutely no trouble in a public place. I know about private dog parks, we’re a regular customer but not everyone is so lucky to have a good one near them. There are people driving 2 hours to visit our local one which just isn’t doable on a regular basis. A singular field for dogs that need a lot of stimulation gets boring after a while, it is good for them to be out and about experiencing new places eg: the beach where mine happily goes for a swim each week

So that lets the owner off the hook then? Small children don’t have morals as such, we control them accordingly as their parents and their behaviour is often a reflection of our parenting. Same deal with dogs as far as I’m concerned.

Also- the only time I've ever been attacked by a dog was a pit type that came running out of a caravan. My greyhound got between it and me.
It ripped her ear off and she still wouldn't let it get to me. My mum saw it happen and swears blind that that dog saved my life (also, I was a teenager, perfectly capable to walking the dog at a supposedly safe campsite!).

FWIW- I have never blamed the breed, I ADORE pits, it just happened to be the case.

@Nightshift24 you cannot treat a dog like a child, that is what causes aggression in a lot of dogs. They are not children and should not be treated as such.

I have dogs of different breeds. The Whippet would indeed kill anything. The Longdog (Whippet x Greyhound) would not hurt a fly.

Please don't tar all dogs of a breed type as being the same.

I meant to add that mouth Whippet wears a Coghlans bear bell so that any wildlife (squirrels in the main) can hear him coming from a mile away and make their escape.

I can’t believe this has turned into a ‘but what about cats?’ thread as if that somehow excuses shitty owners from controlling their dogs. Sighthounds will often go for small dogs. Is this also fair game or does the buck stop at mauling cats, and if so then why?

If you are basing your responsibilities as a dog owner on the behaviour of an entirely different species then you are not a responsible owner and you shouldn’t have a dog. The buck stops at you, the owner and not your dog. Your dog’s actions are 100% your responsibility as the owner. This site is so quick to come at poorly trained dogs that jump up or present themselves as a nuisance but mauling wildlife is somehow fair game. Fucking hate dog owners.

Fucking hate dog owners.

Maybe ‘the doghouse’ isn’t the right part of mumsnet for you then…

Try AIBU (yes, you are IMO) you might get a more of a response along the lines you were hoping for

I have a greyhound and two cats. Not all greyhounds have a high prey drive, many don't at all, and they are extremely calm and easy dogs, walk beautifully on a lead, are great around other dogs and children and are very affectionate and loving animals. Mine had such a low prey drive she didn't make a good racer but she makes an excellent canine companion. Also she is practically silent. Only rarely barks, but she does make some hilarious noises when she tries to atlk to us.

Mine is also safe off lead as she never runs off (other than to joyfully run a 30mph lap of the park when it's quiet). She will chase squirrels and rabbits but so did my parents' labrador - that's just being a dog! She has never caught anything though as most will see and smell her long before she sees them. I don't let her chase any cats. It wouldn't exactly be harmful to the ecosystem were she to kill vermin though!

They also have very few health problems, are very happy hounds with very few needs, and are daft as a brush.

Also in my mind they look like proper dogs and are not overbred into ridiculous shapes and sizes- they have been the same for thousands of years. Not like millions of other poor beasts bred for human preference for appearance who have a ton of health problems as a result.

You sound very ignorant, OP. I hope this thread will educate you.

I go for a walk WITH my dog. I enjoy it, he enjoys it we walk miles. The thought of being contained to a single field fills me with absolute horror.