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[hollyvictoriab]

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Hello!!! )

I too recently aquired a gorgeous whippet puppy. It has been a bit of a learning curve, I think you can't predict a huge amount until you know what character you have, so a bit of flexibility helps! I work 5 hours a day, starting at lunchtime. I have horses, so I take Pixie with me to the yard in the morning where she gets a good leg stretch and a run loose in the secure fields before the horses are turned out. She goes in her crate at lunchtime when I go off to work, until my daughter finishes school, when my Mum comes over to watch my daughter and they let Pixie out and take her to the stables again in the evening. So she is only left alone from 12.30 until 3.30 which she seems quite happy with! I live in a terrace and the neighbours assure me there is no barking while I am out, although she did make a fuss to begin with for a few mins, but always settled quickly. I think she has the idea of the routine now and is happy. We have quite an active lifestyle so I think she appreciates the few hours peace and quiet while I work! Saying that I then worry about having to leave her to go shopping or do anything extra than those few hours away at work, which I didn't think of to begin with. I think if you are a couple it is easier as one person can 'dogsit' while the other does mundane tasks like food shopping! I am lucky that my mum helps me out. She is on holiday at the moment so I have had to find a special friend who I can pay to not only childmind, but dogmind at the same time! :wacko:

My main worry about having a dog was my housecat's safety! But Pixie is an angel with her, in fact she has a huge amount of respect for the fat fluffy white thing that growls! My daughter is 9, so not quite baby age! But she has never had a dog and Pixie has been a fabulous first experience for her.

:wub:

I think as long as you can give the dog plenty of opportunity for quality exercise, working isn't too much of a problem. Not that they always seem overly thankful for a walk, Pixie would far rather be a couch potato on cold wet days than an outdoors dog! I often have to carry her to the car to go to the stables if it is raining! As for crates, i think they are great! My girl actually chooses to sleep in there at night as opposed to my bed (which she has done on a couple of occasions), so she can't mind being in one for a few hours in the day that much!

Good luck!

 

[mrsmcd]

Thank you everyone for your replies so far! Been very helpful.

I think it will depend on the character of the do and the routine they then get accustomed to. However, we appreciate that a dog may not always want walked during the day, bit we would worry about comfort breaks and company?

My mums dog has always been happy just sleeping the day away after a morning walk and one in evening. She's never been fussed or seemed 'bursting for toilet' when we came in.

Our other concern is social events at weekends (when they come up e.g weddings etc) events that we're invited to but don't neccissarily plan ourselves. Having left the dog during the week, it's not fair. The dog would in this case be left with our parents so not on it's own, but not with their mummy/daddy!!!

I would love a dog so much, and know we would be great 'parents' other then the working part.....

 

[Dr B]

Go for it! I promise you that you won't regret it! Where there is a will, there's a way.

 

[LM1981]

I wouldn't worry about having to leave a dog with your parents, I do it all the time when I have to go away for a weekend and Mae doesn't mind a bit. I also have a dog sitter for if I am working away or my mum and dad can’t have her. Mae adores it as she gets to play with the dog sitters two cavalier's, for her it is a much better alternative to kennels where I think she would be miserable and I would worry.

It sounds like you are being very sensible and thinking everything through thoroughly, this is what I did and I pondered for weeks over whether it was the right thing to do, for me it certainly was and I have never regretted it. You are obviously not just doing this on a whim and have a dogs best interests in mind which says to me that if you have the time and commitment to give to a dog you will make great whippet parents, I say go for it :thumbsup: seriously don’t let the working part stop you, a dog will adapt. You sound like your in the same situation as me so I can certainly vouch for a whippet being the ideal breed for this kind of life style.

 

[Dotty&Duke]

Hello and welcome. Whippets are the best! Good luck with whatever you decide. But make it a whippet they are soooo easy and loving!! :wub: :wub:

 

[~Annie~]

Welcome to the forum :thumbsup:

Its great that you are approaching this so responsibly and I have no wish to discourage you from whippet ownership. I do think though that if you work full time hours you will need to have a carefully thought through plan re. how to provide for your dogs needs during the day when you are away from home, and plenty of fall backs in place for when dog walkers etc. let you down, as will inevitably happen, or your dog is unwell and needs you at home (it does occur, oftener than you might think).

I currently have 5 whippets here (and nearly 30 years experience of owning hounds of various breeds). All 5 have been with me from puppyhood, in fact two still are pups, and despite exactly the same upbringing they are all different. One probably would sleep the day away (Finn), another would pine terribly if left for long (Tyg), a third (admittedly one of the pups) would happily wreck the place (Griff, canine shredder of all in his path), a fourth (not one of the pups) needs more frequent toilet breaks than the other adults (Taran), and young Jim can't safely be left unattended for long due to an injury sustained before being rescued. Luckily for us one or other of us is home almost all the time but if that weren't the case at least three of these dogs would lose out if they were left for long, and would pose a problem to us.

In rescue one of the commonest reasons for our being asked to help rehome a dog is that people have found that work and whippet ownership do not mix ... even where they were well prepared they may have bought the 'wrong' whippet for their lifestyle. Principally the issue is one of young dogs developing behavioural problems after too much time home alone and bored. If you do decide to go ahead can I suggest that you find someone well able to assess what kind of character a dog has to help you choose the right dog for your lifestyle from amongst the pups or rehomes that you consider. And if looking at a preloved whippet please consider that it may be bringing 'baggage' with it that could also mean it will prove to need more rather than less attention. Don't be in too much of a rush ... getting one of those easy whippets some have descibed above is what may make the difference between a totally positive experience for you and your new dog and a fraught one.

Good luck.