Is There Such A Thing As A City Whippet?

[ellie_b]

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Hi All,

I just wanted to ask for some advice from the experienced, in terms of whether any of you live in towns/cities with your whippets? I've been a whippet fan for as long as I can remember and would love to give a home to one or two adult rescue dogs, but the general consensus always seems to be that they must have off-lead running time every single day to tire them out. Would you say that that's 100% strict fact?

I live in Cardiff, in a terraced house, so although I have a garden it is very small, and although I can walk to a lot of really big parks, I wouldn't feel too happy about letting a dog off lead there just in case a tasty squirrel (of which there are many!) ran by and led them astray! Although the parks are big, they do of course end up bumping up to roads eventually.

I'm always able to get to either beaches, lakes or up mountains on the weekends, where freedom off the lead could be extensive, but do you reckon that just wouldn't be enough to keep them satisfied?

Any thoughts on the matter would be really appreciated!

Thanks,

El.

 

[TTT]

I think that if you are willing to give your dogs plenty of walks and attention otherwise, they could live pretty much anywhere. :thumbsup:

 

[SJM]

I think it's lovely that you are thinking of rehoming a dog or two (and they do seem to love each others company), and that you are doing some careful research into what the breed requires.

It's interesting about needing to run every day... we DO live in the country but ours certainly don't get a big run every day and we have very happy and healthy whippets.

We tend to keep ours on the lead most of the time as their hunting instincts are strong and we have had meetings with the dreaded barbed wire fences, >_< so now we are ultra cautious and only let them off on huge beaches or in open fields bounded by stone walls!!

However, we do walk them every day and they also play in the garden with us...but they hate walking in the rain, or a cold wind. I think above all (well, in our small experience!) whippets want love, affection and company (oh and a sofa!) as well as exercise. There is nothing better than watching a whippet running freely but I don't think it's necessarily a daily requirement.

Good luck in finding a couple of four-legged friends! :thumbsup:

 

[Janimal]

Please dont let your home situtation put you off a whippet. Im lucky to live in the country with mine, but if they get a

couple of good walks a day, they are very laid back dogs, and sleep a lot in the house. They just love a sofa to curl

up on and plenty of cuddles. As for the squirrels...it sometimes dosnt matter if they are on the lead or not if they see one... :unsure:

Ooops also meant to add there may be some training classes nearby, you could always attend with them and teach them to be good off leash,.

Good luck in your search... :thumbsup: and we are all here for any advice...

 

[ellie_b]

Thanks all three of you, that's incredibly kind - everyone on this forum gives such encouragement and great advice I've really never understood why whippets aren't more popular as pets, as to me they just seem to be the absolute ideal dog!

I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and put in the application form to the various rescues, and see how it goes. I'm willing to wait for my suitable companion(s) so hopefully they'll be willing to give me a homecheck and a chance!

Thanks again for letting me know your own situations - it's so helpful!

 

[robandkay]

If you are looking to rehome either one or two rescue whippets you may want to consider giving a home to an older dog or dogs which may fit in better with your lifestyle and be happy with a little less exercise than a younger, more energetic dog, - but still reward you with the same amount of love, loyalty and companionship. Whippets are a great breed! Good luck with your search. )

 

[Seraphina]

Once they reach maturity and calm down Whippets do not need as much free running. In my experience with entire show dogs (not sure if desexed ones are much different), once they reach 4 they will not need a run everyday; they get quite lazy, although they will enjoy a run given the chance. Nice daily walk would keep adult Whippet happy. Put your name down with some Whippet rescue and I am sure the right one will come along.

 

[ellie_b]

Thanks both for some more advice - I am very much looking for adults/oldies, I was thinking sort of 5 and upwards, so that sounds about right looking at your comments! I'll definitely try the rescues out and see what they make of me - and I'll report back

 

[eve]

It sounds like you have been doing your homework.

Whippets can live anywhere as long as they are loved by committed people. :thumbsup:

Whippets are not a breed for being left on their own for long hours each day and some do have very strong prey drive (some do not o )

There are often slightly older pairs of whippets in rescue looking for home together.

Whippets do tend to calm down once they reach 5 or 6 and do not charge about quite so much. (My experience with the girls anyway :teehee: )

Good luck :luck:

 

[Hula]

I wouldn't be worried about squirrels they tend to get up trees fairly quickly otherwise there would not be so many of them as there are :thumbsup:

 

[gilliwigs]

In my opinion there's a lot to be said for town/city life for a whippet especially if there are decent parks around. We live in a village on the edge of the Peak District but even though we could be said to be fairly rural there is very little in the way of places for the whippets to run as there are far too many sheep around! I'm from Cardiff myself and if you're anywhere near areas like Llandaff Fields/Pontcanna then that's perfect - we were down there the other week and our whippets loved it. I'm sure there are many more dog friendly parks dotted around Cardiff too. And, as you say, you are within easy reach of the beaches too - and ours do love a run on the sand.

If you do go for slightly older whippets then I agree with other posters that as they get older they charge about less. Ours are nearly 6 and 7 and have really calmed down. They get a decent walk each day and we'll maybe play with them in the garden as well, and they are perfectly happy. One of them will chase the squirrels though, but he hasn't caught one yet!

Good luck with your whippet search

 

[ellie_b]

Thanks gilliwigs! I'm very close to Roath Park, and can easily get to Bute Park and several others :thumbsup: I can imagine yours must have had a whale of a time on Llandaff Fields! There's usually a fantastic variety of dogs haring about around there!

 

[T Hoare]

I have friends who live in a Cardiff terraced house..so go ahead & contact those rescues. They live not far from the Eastern leisure centre....you would be surprised how many Whippets fit into a terrace house. We have not long moved from a town end terrace & have 5..its just depends on the age of the dog & time you spend with them....

 

[gilliwigs]

Thanks gilliwigs! I'm very close to Roath Park, and can easily get to Bute Park and several others :thumbsup: I can imagine yours must have had a whale of a time on Llandaff Fields! There's usually a fantastic variety of dogs haring about around there!

They had a great time! My parents live in Fairwater so it was a short drive down to Llandaff Fields. Then we walked across to Pontcanna and to the bridge at Blackweir and then down Bute Park and back across the Millennium bridge. Here's some photos although they could have been taken anywhere - I promise it was Llandaff Fields/Pontcanna! And I don't usually encourage them to run around with sticks but it's hard to get it off them if they find one on the ground. :- :clown:

All that space! (w00t)

Back across the Millennium Bridge

 

[ellie_b]

Ohh, wonderful pics, Muffin and Jonah looking fantastic in the sunshine! And I know what you mean about trying to get a stick off a dog who's left you in the dust! :sweating:

I'm sorry to say that I've contacted the rescues - including a number that Eleanor very kindly PM'd me (thank you again!) - but have been advised that, because the only big spaces around me are parks, I'm not a suitable candidate because the dogs need to be off-lead every day and could run off onto roads, etc. So, I have to go with their experience and hope that maybe, one day, I'll be in the right situation for a whippet! Thanks everyone for all your encouragement, though - you are a really kind bunch :thumbsup: I'm a volunteer dog walker for Cardiff Dog's Home, so I imagine at some point I'll find myself the perfect mongrel or staffie (plenty of those to choose from, sadly) to give a home to instead!

 

[Sarah86]

You sound like you would have been a perfect whippet owner, I am so sorry you have been turned down by a rescue. Personally I do find that unfair as I really don't think a dog needs off lead runs every day. Every weekend Penny is off her lead although she tends not to run around too much but she enjoys the odd wee dash and getting to investigate everything. During the winter months she only gets street walking in the evening and a longish walk in the from about 3 in the afternoon, this can be anything from another street walk to a hillwalk. Sometimes during the week she does get off her lead but it all depends on where we go. She has always been calm and well behaved so I don't think it is needed, as long as your dog would get a decent lead walk and off lead at the weekends I can't see a problem! Good luck in your search for a dog :thumbsup:

 

[whippetsrus]

Ohh, wonderful pics, Muffin and Jonah looking fantastic in the sunshine! And I know what you mean about trying to get a stick off a dog who's left you in the dust! :sweating:
I'm sorry to say that I've contacted the rescues - including a number that Eleanor very kindly PM'd me (thank you again!) - but have been advised that, because the only big spaces around me are parks, I'm not a suitable candidate because the dogs need to be off-lead every day and could run off onto roads, etc. So, I have to go with their experience and hope that maybe, one day, I'll be in the right situation for a whippet! Thanks everyone for all your encouragement, though - you are a really kind bunch :thumbsup: I'm a volunteer dog walker for Cardiff Dog's Home, so I imagine at some point I'll find myself the perfect mongrel or staffie (plenty of those to choose from, sadly) to give a home to instead!

I'm sorry to hear that. I am very surprised to hear that the rescue consider a park to be an unsuitable place for a whippet. I will also second the advice given on here by the others that although whippets like to free run it is not necessary to be every day. I am sure that you will find the right dog for you. Good luck in your continued search.

 

[Hula]

What on eath are these rescues thinking of !!!!!!!!!!

I live in the country and the open spaces around me are full of sheep and cows :sweating:

So

Parks are much more suitable :thumbsup:

No wonder people just go out and buy pups / dogs

It's so much more simple :thumbsup:

I never went to a rescue becase my garden is not fully enclosed .

It wouldn't matter to the rescues that I take my dogs out 5 times per day though !

 

[T Hoare]

Ohh, wonderful pics, Muffin and Jonah looking fantastic in the sunshine! And I know what you mean about trying to get a stick off a dog who's left you in the dust! :sweating:
I'm sorry to say that I've contacted the rescues - including a number that Eleanor very kindly PM'd me (thank you again!) - but have been advised that, because the only big spaces around me are parks, I'm not a suitable candidate because the dogs need to be off-lead every day and could run off onto roads, etc. So, I have to go with their experience and hope that maybe, one day, I'll be in the right situation for a whippet! Thanks everyone for all your encouragement, though - you are a really kind bunch :thumbsup: I'm a volunteer dog walker for Cardiff Dog's Home, so I imagine at some point I'll find myself the perfect mongrel or staffie (plenty of those to choose from, sadly) to give a home to instead!

Utter tosh!!! Rescues rightly or wrongly do have some unusual ideas/rules & unless your home has been vetted, how can they really tell?? I know you have wanted to rescue but have you thought of purchasing an older dog from elsewhere.

I wouldnt give up on a Whippet, as I say my friends live Roath/Splott area & they have plenty of Whippets in their homes(although both have gardens).

 

[gilliwigs]

Agree with the othes - that is ridiculous! I'm far more worried about letting ours off the lead around here with all the sheep etc, than I am letting them off in the park! And somewhere like Pontcanna is really quite a long way from any road so there's really no danger. An older dog doesn't need to be running every day - ours certainly CHOOSE not to. And a 2 hour lead walk will wear them out for longer than a quick run would - at least it does ours!

What a shame