Should We Get A Whippet?

[cazzzz]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

I've got a feeling this attachment won't work (puppy photo) ... but here's a go...

Thanks again for all your advice - this is really great.. I am feeling more confident.

It's possible I could buy this pup tomorrow (the breeder is coming into town and it will save me a 2 hour trip...but only wants to bring it if I'm sure I'm going to buy because she'd attending a fmily reunion)...

OR I could go and see it with one of my sons and "road test" it and the rest of it's family later in the week (4 hour round trip for me)

What do you think?

pup.jpg.doc

 

[jok]

Honest answer - yes, i've known quite a few Whippets kill cats. I know mine would if they got the opportunity (but thankfully they haven't). However, despite there being lots of cats in our area, they don't ever come into our back garden, they know they dogs are there so don't risk it. My mum finds exactly the same, they never get a cat in their back garden either because of the Whippets.

My sister use to have a neighbours cat that kept coming into their house if they left the door open (w00t) She spoke to the neighbour and warned them about this and made it perfectly clear that the Whippets would kill it if they got the chance. Obviously this didn't stop the cat, but i know Rach would have felt a lot less guilty if there had been a death.

We don't have recall problems - if trained properly from an early age, they are very quick to learn. Yes, they do have a prey drive and like to chase small furry things but i exercise every day off the lead with no problems. Certainly wouldn't put me off having them.

 

[Hula]

I think if you want it just get it . Make sure you have a crate and all the bits and pieces you need first . Is someone at home for most of the day ?

 

[jinnyfizz]

I've got a feeling this attachment won't work  (puppy photo) ... but here's a go...
Thanks again for all your advice - this is really great.. I am feeling more confident.

It's possible I could buy this pup tomorrow (the breeder is coming into town and it will save me a 2 hour trip...but only wants to bring it if I'm sure I'm going to buy because she'd attending a fmily reunion)...

OR I could go and see it with one of my sons and "road test" it and the rest of it's family later in the week (4 hour round trip for me)

What do you think?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I think if the breeder is reputable and a genuine lady, then she would take the pup back if you came up against insurmountable problems :thumbsup:

Go for it You can get plenty of help and advice from everyone on K9. I have found this site an absolute godsend since I have had my whippies - so much knowledge!! :cheers:

 

[cazzzz]

Thankyou so much Jo for your honest answer.

This is a real dilemma for me, because our neighbour's cat has been around for years and I feel nervous being the one to introduce a potential hazard into this situation.

Our own kitten (9 months) was killed by the resident dog on our other side of the fence (aahhh - the hazards of suburbia!)

 

[cazzzz]

Ooo- I'm pleasantly surprised that you're all encouraging me to go for it...

I thought I was going to have to go with the sensible option of the 4 hour round trip viewing.

Good idea about the breeder return cop-out option ... (but would you expect to get your money back in this situation?!)

I really want this to work....

 

[Hula]

You would generally get your money back when the breeder sells the pup as far as I'm aware :wacko:

 

[cazzzz]

Okay - now for some advice on a different note...

Have any of you got family members who were previously "dog resistant" and you managed to win them round?

How did you do it?

My husband has given permission for a dog but is really nervous about it... he doesn't want sleep deprivation, a badly behaved dog, or poo disrupting his life...

Any tips? (Apart from to get a whippet!!)

 

[cazzzz]

I would love to read and chat more at the moment, but I'm actually an expat Brit in AUstralia and it's 11.30pm here.

I'm best be off now so I have a clear head for tomorrow's big decisions....

Wish me luck!

 

[Hula]

I think the benefits to the whole family far outweigh any inconveniences . Yes there will be problems especially initially , there may well be poo , chewed things and possibly even sleep deprivation (w00t)

There is no point pretending otherwise but in the long run your life will be enhanced by your dog especially if you are going to put in the time and effort .

 

[rls22]

I will be honest about this I know of several whippets that have killed cats and I know that given the opportunity a couple of ours would too. But, and it is a big but, my whippets have never been introduced to cats so the only ones that they see are those that they consider intruders. However, I think cats are very street wise and soon learn, which gardens and safe and those that are not.

As Jo sais I had to warn our neighbours with cats that the whippets would chase their cat and would probably kill it if they caught it. They just laughed and said their cat would be too quick :- " Well there were a few very close calls but thank goodness we moved house before they got it as they were getting closer each time :sweating:

Whippets are such a wonderful breed and I know so many people who were previously not doggy at all who just adore my whippets. My OH's Mum would have Holly off us in an instant if she could. My best friend who was scared of dogs, always has a whippet on her knee when she comes round :huggles:

I think you just have to accept that pups can be trying at times but it only lasts for a very short time. I think our litter were all pretty much on the way to being house trained when they left us, and I can only think of a few times where Diego has weed in the house and this was when he was only very little. He has never pooed in the house and never cried at night.

Anyway, best of luck and I am sure you would never regret having a whippet :thumbsup:

 

[Esty]

It has taken me 9 years to persuade my husband to get a dog - he had never had pets as a kid and just didn't see the point of them - I already had my cat when we met so he is used to him (although still doesn't quite see the point!). Last month he was persuaded on the dog issue and we found a gorgeous litter locally. I'd done my research and definitely wanted a whippet.We went one step further, because my 12 yr old son (who is being assessed for Asperger's Syndrome) absolutley fell for a little black pup and I'd already set my heart on the blue and white one ) We got two!

Well,my husband is smitten with these dogs. He's confessed to thinking about them when he's at work, he will help out with them (one of his provisos was it didn't mean extra work for him -_- ), he plays with them, cuddles them, can't wait til we can walk them etc. They have completely won him over, and I think that's more to do with whippet personality than anything. I really think he'd have been different with another breed which was why I was so careful not get any kind of mithering yappy terrier type (sorry to any terrier owners!) We've only has these dogs a week and I swear he would give one of the kids away before he'd part with either of the dogs!

We also have a cat which was why I wanted a whippet from a pup - couldn't take a chance on a full grown rescue whippet because Gus (the cat) was here first. Well they have chased him (they're pups and want to play). When they are all sleepy he will lie near them. One of the pups (Grover) got a little too boisterous and got a clip round the ear from the cat for his trouble and hasn't tried it since. I think at four months your pup will soon learn the rules and cats will keep out of the way. He might not have the speed to get them yet (although God they can run fast even at 9 weeks!) so the cats will have warning to stay away. The cats near us are big enough and fat enough to stick up for themselves at the moment but I'm sure they'll stay out altogther eventually- bonus for us - no neighbours cat crap in the garden!).

Good luck :luck:

 

[Esty]

Forgot to add, after a couple of disturbed nights our pups now sleep through from 11pm to around 6.30/7.70 in their crate. They even go in there themselves from about 10 o'clock onwards as if they know it's bedtime We leave it open all day and they (and the kids!) know that's where they go for peace. The kids ( I say 'kids' they're 12 and 13!) know that the dogs are not to be disturbed when they're in bed. When the pups are fully housetrained they'll be allowed in their rightful place - whichever human bed they want to invade!

We've had them 8 days and still watch like a hawk but the dogs are already learning to stand at the back door when they want the loo. :thumbsup:

 

[Sarah86]

My mum was the same as your husband, for years me and my sister wanted a dog and we begged and begged, my dad also wanted to get a dog. My mum agreed that when we moved house we could. Well after a few months in our new house we started pestering her again and she agreed. We did lots of research and found that a whippet sounded perfect for our family.

My mum is not an animal person at all and is quite scared of other peoples dogs especially bigger ones and ones she doesn't know. She was really nervous about brining one into our house and for the first week or so she wasn't 100% comfortable with our puppy Penny. You wouldn't believe the transformation now, she absolutely adores Penny, constantly cuddling her and saying she is the best dog she knows and she tells everyone about her and how good natured she is. I really can't believe my mum being this way around a dog, although she is still scared of other dogs. Everyone that comes to our house loves Penny, she always insists on sitting on the couch next to our visitors. She always comes places with us in the car (the minute you say going in the car, she is up out her bed and standing at the door). We were quite lucky with toilet training, Penny only did a pee in the house once and that was our own fault for not paying attention.

I was 17 when we got Penny and my sister 14, and I think she is the best thing we have ever bought, the joy she has brought to us all. All the days out we have with her and the fun watching her run around. I think if you go for a whippet you wont be disappointed, they are such characters and have amazing natures. She loves everybody and all dogs she meets.

I know Penny isn't too keen on cats since the one next door scratched her and she does bark at it through the fence now but I know many people here have whippet and cats. She does happily sit round the back with the guinea pigs and doesn't ever bother them.

Good luck in your decision!!

 

[hely]

hello and welcome to k9.......

my whippet nearly got a cat in our garden last week..........she hates them with a passion.........my neighbours are aware of this and as far as i am concerned if a cat comes into my garden and she kills it........well its not her fault.....dont get me wrong i like cats....but gypsy hates them, but i dont spend my time worrying about it, and she spends time in the garden on her own :thumbsup:

her recall is good, she has her moments when she can suddenly go deaf :- " but in general she is good............she is great with the kids and a huge part of our family :huggles:

good luck :luck:

oh yeah............she is a very good food theif, but you soon get used to not leaving food in reach of her :- "

 

[moonlake]

Hi - I'm replying to my own message here(!)...
another worry:

Our cat was killed by our neighbour's dog last year (pit bull terrier x staffy ) - a very unpleasant experience.

Other neighbour's cats do wander through our garden, and I would hate the same thing to happen to them if we had a whippet with a killer instinct. I also don't want to be on "red alert" every time the whippet goes into the garden...

How much of a problem is this likely to be?

Have your whippets ever attacked neighbours' cats?

Do you let your whippet wander in the garden unattended?

I'd be very grateful for any advice - thanks, Cazzzz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Your own cat would be safe but a whippet does not have to have an unusual "killer instinct" to be dangerous to passing cats. I do know of several whippets (not mine) that have killed cats and mine have certainly treed one that was rash enough to come into the garden and I have no doubt that if they had caught it, they would have killed it. They routinely kill foxes they find in the shrubbery. If you neighbour's cats wander through your garden, how are they getting in? I would be concerned that a whippet could get out the same way.

While we all love our dogs dearly, they are all the good, kind, gentle things that are claimed for them, we have to face up to the fact that they are sighthounds and will chase anything moving and probably kill it if they can, unless it is their own species, i.e. canine (I don't know why foxes don't seem to count in their view )

If you have stray cats in your garden, either they will learn very fast that it is not a cat friendly place, or you will ultimately have a problem with your neighbour.

I would never leave a whippet in the garden unattended because many people regard them as negotiable assets to be taken whenever possible.

Sorry if this is not what you want to hear.

Gay

www.moonlake.co.uk

 

[hely]

I would never leave a whippet in the garden unattended because many people regard them as negotiable assets to be taken whenever possible.

as long as you have a secure garden they will be fine, my garden has a 6ft fence and wall round it with a gate that is kept locked :thumbsup:

 

[hely]

Okay - now for some advice on a different note...
Have any of you got family members who were previously "dog resistant" and you managed to win them round?

How did you do it?

My husband has given permission for a dog but is really nervous about it... he doesn't want sleep deprivation, a badly behaved dog, or poo disrupting his life...

Any tips? (Apart from to get a whippet!!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

it took me ages to get my husband to agree to get a dog, he just wasnt interested at all..........as soon as we got gypsy he fell for her big time...........he has now taken over.......he tolds the lead, he feeds her, he gets all the big cuddles :- "

he has said he will never have a different breed ..........it has to be a whippet

 

[~Sarah~]

Okay - now for some advice on a different note...
Have any of you got family members who were previously "dog resistant" and you managed to win them round?

How did you do it?

My husband has given permission for a dog but is really nervous about it... he doesn't want sleep deprivation, a badly behaved dog, or poo disrupting his life...

Any tips? (Apart from to get a whippet!!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I would say my OH is pretty dog resistant. We have Bobby, a Collie X (aged nearly 10), and Dolly and Remmy, 2 Whippet bitches (aged 4 and 2). I fostered Bobby as a tiny pup, and my OH didn't really want me to keep him. :- " When Bobby was about 5, I 'persuaded' him to let me have a whippet again (I had one years ago) and I got Dolly as a pup. :wub:

I found using a crate invaluable to avoid her chewing things she wasn't meant to - very useful when you aren't there to monitor things, and OH is far less tolerant of items being chewed than I am, so it avoided rows!! It was also great for house training as Dolly rarely had an accident.

I couldn't believe some neighbours just recently rehomed their lovely 10 month old dog (not a whippet) because it chewed some cushions on their new sofa and the wife was mad with it.

Remmy was 10 months when I had her, and she was crate trained which was very useful. She would still chew a bit, but seemed to grow out of it at about 18 months I think. As regards thieving, Bobby is actually a bigger thief than the Whippets.

In the future, my OH would now only have whippets. One of their advantages (in his mind) is that they hardly moult at all, they don't smell 'doggy', and they dry very quickly after getting wet (unlike most other dogs). He also loves their temperaments and general quietness around the house. Poor Bobby moults a lot, barks a lot, and is quite a hyper type of dog (even at nearly 10 yrs old :- " ) whereas the Whippet girls are very quiet indoors, sleep a good deal of the time, and rarely bark.

On the cat side, we don't have cats and none come in our garden. However, if they see a cat (or rabbit/squirrel) when out walking, they go mad and I do think if they caught one it wouldn't survive. However, that doesn't put me off keeping whippets. I think you just need to be sensible about where you let them off lead. I do have an elderly guinea pig in a cage in the kitchen which they generally ignore.

When letting them off lead, I always keep treats in my pocket and reward them on their return (it works for us), and their recall is very good. They have never run off, but again I am careful about where I let them run free. Our main walks are along the canals and there is rarely anything to chase. If we walk in woods, they may dash off after a squirrel (never caught one) and then come back soon afterwards.

Good luck with your decision. :luck:

 

[JAX]

My new neighbour has a cat and it was foolish enough to come into my garden (w00t) but all they did was corner it in the garage and bark at it :wacko:

andthe cat wasnt even bothered apart from spitting at them , I put the gang away and thought the cat would be stressed , but whn I picked it up to put in out ,he just purred in my arms , and was well relaxed .

Ok know mine have cats in the house , but they do chase and kill crows , Squirrels , rabbits etc