Genuine Question

[DarrenG]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

ok so you want someone to make you a fitted wardrobe

do you

a. get a chippy in

b. ask someone with no experience but has had and admired wardrobes for years?

we all know the answer

so this leads me to ask if you dont go hunting week in week out with your whippets how on earth do you know what a whippets FUNCTION really is?

 

[Winston Smith]

A very good question :thumbsup: 99.9% on here would not know :thumbsup:

 

[lolo]

i would go to the one with the right tools for the job and new how to use them (w00t)

 

[gabbitas31]

I'd go for the chippy, :lol: because my best friends sat next to me (IS a chippy). :b sorry Darren :lol: . :thumbsup: di

 

[DarrenG]

well said di? :thumbsup:

 

[Esty]

Using this argument, no-one should keep a GSD unless they have sheep (w00t)

You can know what a whippet's function is without seeing hunting every week in the same way you can understand that the moon isn't made of cheese - you don't need to go there to understand it.

My whippets don't work but I still understand and appreciate that their amazing bodies are designed to be able to do this. I've seen them catch the odd bunny and am in awe of the speed and quick despatch. But I don't agree you need to do this every week in order to appreciate a whippet.

 

[olismum]

think some people are offended darren - thats not like you !! lol

I think that darren is saying is that when you show a whippet (or a lurcher imo) the true old style working whippet (and it shouldn't be the old style it should be the correct style) won't get placed in a whippet class. Breed standards have changed and people will breed their dogs with whichever dog is winning at the time. Darren's dog is a class act but i doubt he would get placed against the show pony type whippet.

Yes there is a fit for purpose dog, but the dogs fit for showing etc, wouldn't be fit for function ie hunting etc etc.

There is a difference between your dogs catching a bunny or two out walking to a dog such as darrens that catches 20+ rabbits a night. He is fit and bredd for function!

 

[~Annie~]

I just think it's a pity that we're limiting the whippet to one function! Historically the whippet was as often perceived as functioning as a racer as a worker, surely? Freeman Lloyd's famous book from 1904 "The Whippet or Race Dog" points to that.

"Never have I sat down to a more encouraging subject for a book on dogs that that of Whippets and all about them as domestic animals and gambling machines. I use the word "gambling" purposely for I am not here to write that the place for a whippet is on the hearth rug or on the counterpane of the spare bedroom. No; his calling is on the track. ... And when you are thinking about looking over or laying yourself out to breed a Whippet, you must query to yourself ... "What's a Whippet and what's he for?" If you know anything you will say again, "Why, he is a little race dog; a dog that is calculated to gallop 200yds. at a terrific speed." And there you are!"

 

Of course Lloyd also says that "The Whippet as a rabbiter's companion would be hard to beat" but for him it's a racer first. (Oh, and before anyone accuses me of copying and pasting from Google I own a modern reprint of Lloyd's book).

 

Olismum ... I'm sure Darren will correct me if I'm wrong but I thought his dog was actually bred for show ... clearly that's one show breeder getting it right

 

 

[Mark Roberts]

Of course Lloyd also says that "The Whippet as a rabbiter's companion would be hard to beat" but for him it's a racer first. (Oh, and before anyone accuses me of copying and pasting from Google I own a modern reprint of Lloyd's book).

I own a 1st edition

 

[~Annie~]

Of course Lloyd also says that "The Whippet as a rabbiter's companion would be hard to beat" but for him it's a racer first. (Oh, and before anyone accuses me of copying and pasting from Google I own a modern reprint of Lloyd's book).

I own a 1st edition

I wish I did

 

[DarrenG]

I just think it's a pity that we're limiting the whippet to one function! Historically the whippet was as often perceived as functioning as a racer as a worker, surely? Freeman Lloyd's famous book from 1904 "The Whippet or Race Dog" points to that.
"Never have I sat down to a more encouraging subject for a book on dogs that that of Whippets and all about them as domestic animals and gambling machines. I use the word "gambling" purposely for I am not here to write that the place for a whippet is on the hearth rug or on the counterpane of the spare bedroom. No; his calling is on the track. ... And when you are thinking about looking over or laying yourself out to breed a Whippet, you must query to yourself ... "What's a Whippet and what's he for?" If you know anything you will say again, "Why, he is a little race dog; a dog that is calculated to gallop 200yds. at a terrific speed." And there you are!"

 

Of course Lloyd also says that "The Whippet as a rabbiter's companion would be hard to beat" but for him it's a racer first. (Oh, and before anyone accuses me of copying and pasting from Google I own a modern reprint of Lloyd's book).

 

Olismum ... I'm sure Darren will correct me if I'm wrong but I thought his dog was actually bred for show ... clearly that's one show breeder getting it right

 

yes he was bred for show , but he was a show REJECT, he is also not quite as intelligent as most working strains,he would get chucked out with the rubbish, here is a challange if the KC has it right then the standard must be correct, therefore a show CH is better put together for function than my tiny reject, does anyone who owns a CH have the bottle to prove that the show judges interpretation of bred for function can wipe the floor in the field with my Sonny?

 

[beaker]

I go to ikea and build my own... The flat packs are a piece of pish to put together

 

[jinnyfizz]

I just think it's a pity that we're limiting the whippet to one function! Historically the whippet was as often perceived as functioning as a racer as a worker, surely? Freeman Lloyd's famous book from 1904 "The Whippet or Race Dog" points to that.
"Never have I sat down to a more encouraging subject for a book on dogs that that of Whippets and all about them as domestic animals and gambling machines. I use the word "gambling" purposely for I am not here to write that the place for a whippet is on the hearth rug or on the counterpane of the spare bedroom. No; his calling is on the track. ... And when you are thinking about looking over or laying yourself out to breed a Whippet, you must query to yourself ... "What's a Whippet and what's he for?" If you know anything you will say again, "Why, he is a little race dog; a dog that is calculated to gallop 200yds. at a terrific speed." And there you are!"

 

Of course Lloyd also says that "The Whippet as a rabbiter's companion would be hard to beat" but for him it's a racer first. (Oh, and before anyone accuses me of copying and pasting from Google I own a modern reprint of Lloyd's book).

 

Olismum ... I'm sure Darren will correct me if I'm wrong but I thought his dog was actually bred for show ... clearly that's one show breeder getting it right

 

yes he was bred for show , but he was a show REJECT, he is also not quite as intelligent as most working strains,he would get chucked out with the rubbish, here is a challange if the KC has it right then the standard must be correct, therefore a show CH is better put together for function than my tiny reject, does anyone who owns a CH have the bottle to prove that the show judges interpretation of bred for function can wipe the floor in the field with my Sonny?

Darren, I don't think, at four months old, Sonny was a show reject ............ http://www.k9community.co.uk/forums/index....st&p=710545

He has done well for you but I believe that the chase/catch/eat instinct is alive and well in all whippets - it just depends which way the owner decides to supress or nurture it. True, there may be an occasional exception to the rule but most pups will learn to chase if the owner focusses and trains them towards the desired task :thumbsup:

 

[beaker]

If the whippet is a bad workman, I blame the 'tool" that using him

 

[Esty]

I think it's a mistake to divide whippets into 'show ponies' versus 'workers' and assume they must fall into one of the two categories.

My dogs are KC registered from working lines on one side and show on the other but I don't choose to work or show them. They are bred for function, just not trained to it. I just wanted robust, decent sized pet whippets that were up to long walks. If they were worked from pups they could probably do as well as any other whippet. Just because some people choose to work their dogs doesn't mean others are somehow less valid or authentic as owners. There's not a lot of call for rabbitting where I live, but it doesn't mean I should have to have a toy dog when I wanted a hound. If people want a whippet without working it, there's nothing wrong with that.

The original question inferred that you can't appreciate a whippet's function if you don't work them every week, but I think the argument is unsound. I'm not at all offended by the question, I just can't keep my mouth shut when people say things that I don't agree with! :thumbsup:

A genuine question should rightly attract genuine debate.

 

[gabbitas31]

If the whippet is a bad workman, I blame the 'tool" that using him

I disagree with this, :teehee: I've got to litter brothers and one will give 110% every time, :lol: but his brother will only give 80% if he feels like it, (w00t) trained them both the same, :b so it must be my fault that one isn't as good as the other. :wacko: :thumbsup: di

If you've got twin brothers and one's brainy and the other thick, :lol: do we blame the mother or the father.? :lol: :teehee:

 

[beaker]

I've got 2 whippet brothers, both very different to each other so I used different training methods not the same, :thumbsup:

No 2 are the same and no matter what 'lines' they are from, there will always be 1 that makes a mockery of tried and tested tecniques

Conformation has bog all to do with training really

Conformation does though have implications in the maximum performance potential, and more importantly it does have major implications in reducing stress injury

Joints that are less well able to absorb concusion will be prone to arthritis, poor angulation and tendon strain and muscle injury is more likely

vertebrae set in such a way that load and concussion is unevenly distributed can lead to disc degeneration.

An injured dog in pain is not much cop at it's job, no matter what job it does, so imo it's shortsighted to not want to reduce these injury risks

What good is a dog that caught 100 rabbits in a night then had to be rested for the next 6 months because it ruptured a tendon because it long weak pasturn couldn't take the strain?

Yes the much reveared and hated 'standard' does have a few terms that many deam unnecessary but at it's heart it's trying to describe a sound and athleticly capable dog

 

[wild whippies]

so this leads me to ask if you dont go hunting week in week out with your whippets how on earth do you know what a whippets FUNCTION really is?

The whippet has split into different breeds over time.

The original whippet that was bred for speed and outcrossed to greyhounds still exists today in the form of the non-ped racing whippet.

The Kennel Club adopted some of these whippets whereby they bred to a set type and stud books were closed.

These whippets were then bred for their chosen purpose dependant upon the area they excelled in.

i.e. racing pedigree whippets bred to the winning racing bred whippets

show whippets bred to the winning show bred whippets

coursing bred to the best coursing whippets and so on..

The winning dogs have particular attributes to suceed in their chosen purpose and the end result is a change in the appearance.

You would have to be browsing K9 with your eyes shut to not notice the vast differences in physical appearance.

Yes there may well be whippets that participate in various sports but the days of winning in all areas is long gone. Laguna being a good example of a perceived multi purpose whippet that did well in days gone by.

This isn't a criticism of any of the types. Far from it, the dog has meerly adapted to meets it's function and succesfully evolved. Such diversity within a breed is a good thing from a health point of view but will ultimately always be limited by a closed stud book.

function

 

1. The action for which a person or thing is particularly fitted or employed.

2. a. Assigned duty or activity.

b. A specific occupation or role

Whilst I'm doubtful that there are many multi purpose whippets in existance today, there is no doubt in my mind that the breed as a whole is indeed a multi-purpose animal. There are not many breeds that can claim such an achievement.

 

[wild whippies]

Yes the much reveared and hated 'standard' does have a few terms that many deam unnecessary but at it's heart it's trying to describe a sound and athleticly capable dog

I agree. The problem with the breed standard is that perceptions differ, the best thing about the breed standard is that perceptions differ! :thumbsup:

 

[wild whippies]

If the whippet is a bad workman, I blame the 'tool" that using him

I disagree with this, :teehee: I've got to litter brothers and one will give 110% every time, :lol: but his brother will only give 80% if he feels like it, (w00t) trained them both the same, :b so it must be my fault that one isn't as good as the other. :wacko: :thumbsup: di

If you've got twin brothers and one's brainy and the other thick, :lol: do we blame the mother or the father.? :lol: :teehee:

When you breed, 50% of genetic information is lost. Which 50% is gained, varies between each offspring. No-ones to blame, it's just plain pot luck.