Whippet Stamina

[nhealey]

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I'm fortunate enough to live in a rural location where there are large wooded areas where Zebidee, my 10 month whippet, can indulge his passion for vanishing at high speed and returning, also at high speed, some 10 to 20 minutes later. Today, however, was a little different. The temperature was higher than usual, around 21C, but when Zebidee returned he was panting to the point where he appeared to be distressed. He was panting so much that he couldn't take a drink of water from an adjacent burn. Eventually, he actually laid down in the burn to drink (this is a dog that will normally take all measures to avoid water). Having drunk, he dragged himself onto the bank and laid down for about five minutes before he could summon the energy to walk back to the car.

Is this normal whippet behaviour, or should I be worried? He's fine now.

 

[paddysmum]

welll. firstly i hope that the lovely zebedee is ok tonight and feeling better :huggles:

but seriously....there are two points i would mention..

1. personally i would not let my dogs dissappear from view for more than a few seconds, you never know when they might come to harm :unsure:

2. keep an eye on the weather and if it hots up, even a litle bit even low twenties then i would stick to walking early morning and evening to avoid the heat of the day. sighthounds are prone to becoming overheated. never be without a little bottle of water on summer walks either ...sound like you have a nice natural water source where you walk though :thumbsup: and zebedee did what came naturally to get his body temp down, cooling off and taking a rest.

good luck! x

 

[Hilary & Hounds]

I have dogs that hate water but will lay down in it to cool off. I second the advice about walking at cooler times of day. Several people on here have had their stolen/go missing/have horrible accidents when they're out of sight so you might want to rethink that one. :thumbsup:

 

[wild whippies]

The only thing I'd add is that it's likely your whippet chanced upon something and took a chase. They're not completely mental when it comes to warm weather but sense goes out the window with whippets when they see something exciting.

I go walking through woodland every evening but I won't let them off the leads until we reach the meadows, the reason being is they will take chase and dissapear if given the opportunity and I think they run a high chance of injury running through woodland.

 

[gutsey]

they run a high chance of injury running through woodland.

agree with that,friends had a whippet,he chased a rabbit into the woods,he hit the tree and smashed his shoulder,had to have him p.t.s.also they are a breed that are stolen regularily.

 

[nhealey]

Thanks to all who replied. We've just spent a week on the Moray coast where Zebidee was taunting slower dogs into kamikaze races on the beaches and I noticed that a few degrees difference in temperature could have a major effect on his condition afterwards. (He also developed a crab diet - picking small ones of the rocks and crunching them up before eating everything)

As regards walking in woodlands, I have a dilemma. Firstly, I'm determined that he should have a doggy life, and that requires that he has some freedom which, I recognise, is not risk free. Secondly, the majority of open fields around us (Aberdeenshire) contain livestock (which probably won't appreciate his invitation to play) and are bounded by barbed-wire fences which have already inflicted an injury on him (vet's bill £164.00).

Fortunately, we have the alternative of extensive woodlands to use for exercise, but they are full of all varieties of chaseable wildlife, from mice to deer, all of which he finds irrestistable (even when there is nothing to see, he is convinced that there is and behaves accordingly). I am worried about the possibility of injury (a friend's dog ran into a tree and died instantly) but I'm don't think that I'm being fair to Zeb if I keep him on a lead.

Beaches are safest, but it's a seventy mile round trip to the nearest.

 

[mally]

Thanks to all who replied. We've just spent a week on the Moray coast where Zebidee was taunting slower dogs into kamikaze races on the beaches and I noticed that a few degrees difference in temperature could have a major effect on his condition afterwards. (He also developed a crab diet - picking small ones of the rocks and crunching them up before eating everything)
As regards walking in woodlands, I have a dilemma. Firstly, I'm determined that he should have a doggy life, and that requires that he has some freedom which, I recognise, is not risk free. Secondly, the majority of open fields around us (Aberdeenshire) contain livestock (which probably won't appreciate his invitation to play) and are bounded by barbed-wire fences which have already inflicted an injury on him (vet's bill £164.00).

Fortunately, we have the alternative of extensive woodlands to use for exercise, but they are full of all varieties of chaseable wildlife, from mice to deer, all of which he finds irrestistable (even when there is nothing to see, he is convinced that there is and behaves accordingly). I am worried about the possibility of injury (a friend's dog ran into a tree and died instantly) but I'm don't think that I'm being fair to Zeb if I keep him on a lead.

Beaches are safest, but it's a seventy mile round trip to the nearest.

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Firstly i think your dog requires training, IMO all dogs should be trained to respect livestock (farm animals). If you don't do this you risk your dog being kicked or even worse shot by the farmer.

Secondly you may think it's acceptable for your dog to disapear for 20 minutes but i don't. How do you know your dog hasn't left the wood where your walking and gone and worried sheep in a nearby field?? or evern worse run across a road and caused an accident.

If people can't be bothered to train there dogs to an acceptable standard as it's the people who don't that give ALL DOG OWNERS A BAD NAME

 

[JAX]

Must agree with Mally here ,

Have you any idea how far a whippet could get in 20 mins (w00t) . I too, like most on here free run our dogs , but we have to be sensible about this .

Dogs have `speared` themselves on branches too , What if Zeb was do get stuck into something , How would you be able to find him

A very difficult situation for you .

Im so glad i dont live in the countryside and have a safe place to gallop my gang

 

[Rae]

We live right opposite a fantastic wood and I cant let 3 of mine off their leads in the woods at all because they have buggered off in the past on more than one occassion and I'm not prepared to take the risk anymore. Even when they have been within sight of me they have had injuries ranging from stick wounds to a broken leg. I've accepted that the woods are purely a utility walk for them now and that I have to make an effort to let them have a good run.

Like you we are a 80ish mile trip to a dog friendly beach, but there is a park within 10 minutes drive which is safe to let them all have a good gallop, and we also have a field permit (which allows us access to a safe enclosed field), plus we are 10 minutes from the race course which has a public right of way across it, so I have to put them in the car when I want to give them a good run twice a day but atleast I know they are totally safe.

I do sympathise with you, and I'd love to know if anyone has any tips for training a dog that is just hell bent on hunting and not listening. We have tried hard to train Leia but she is unreliable; she can be as good as gold for weeks and then just go for no reason. When I say train I mean pet training rather than working dog training if that makes a difference?

Re the over heating... Our very first whippet used to do the same thing and she died in her sleep unexpectedly at 5 years old, it was obviously her heart and it could just be a total co-incidence but I'm careful not to let mine get into that state now just incase.

 

[FionaS]

We live right opposite a fantastic wood and I cant let 3 of mine off their leads in the woods at all because they have buggered off in the past on more than one occassion and I'm not prepared to take the risk anymore.  Even when they have been within sight of me they have had injuries ranging from stick wounds to a broken leg.  I've accepted that the woods are purely a utility walk for them now and that I have to make an effort to let them have a good run.
Like you we are a 80ish mile trip to a dog friendly beach, but there is a park within 10 minutes drive which is safe to let them all have a good gallop, and we also have a field permit (which allows us access to a safe enclosed field), plus we are 10 minutes from the race course which has a public right of way across it, so I have to put them in the car when I want to give them a good run twice a day but atleast I know they are totally safe.

I do sympathise with you, and I'd love to know if anyone has any tips for training a dog that is just hell bent on hunting and not listening. We have tried hard to train Leia but she is unreliable; she can be as good as gold for weeks and then just go for no reason.  When I say train I mean pet training rather than working dog training if that makes a difference?

Re the over heating...  Our very first whippet used to do the same thing and she died in her sleep unexpectedly at 5 years old, it was obviously her heart and it could just be a total co-incidence but I'm careful not to let mine get into that state now just incase.

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It is the same for me i live in the middle of the country and when its spring i have no hope that Dolly will stay with me so she has to go on an extendable lead. She too is great for weeks and then not!! If anyone has ideas on how to stop them from straying too far that would be great.

 

[nhealey]

Had Zebidee checked out by the vet today. He says that young whippets (Zeb is 10 months old) will run themselves into the ground if you let them. There's nothing wrong with his heart or lungs and the vet reckons that his disinclation to walk after his run was due to a build up of lactic acid in his muscles and consequent muscle pain. Resting allowed the lactic acid to disperse.

More controversially, he suggested that we try a zapper collar to try to cure his tendency not to return when distracted by a rabbit/ deer/squirrel etc. Any comments? Zeb is not untrained - he goes to weekly classes and has been rated as 'outstanding' (for a whippet - this is a class with a high percentage of collies) but his brains go straight to his feet when there is something to chase.

Will post some pictures soon.

 

[Rae]

A big no to the zapper collar . I'm horrified a vet would even suggest it, I'm assuming he means an electric shock collar.

Apart from inflicting pain to your dog, how do you know, if he's out of sight, that you arent going to zap him while he's on his way back to you, and end up making matters worse? I can only see it working if you could zap him just as he takes off, but even then, it might make him associate running with pain. Personally, although I have been tempted :angry: i'd never resort to that. How about trying one of the collars that gives a puff of air instead - again though you'll have to make sure you get the timing just right or you could make matters worse.

 

[Pamw]

when we go to the forest we put Rocket in a collar which has a small cow bell attached so we always know where he is if we cant see him....Bandit on the other hand is very good and comes back on immediate recall.......Rocket does have selective hearing especially if a squirrel or rabbit is involved.....

 

[alfie]

I have used a 'Masterplus' remote control spray collar on my Italian Greyhound Norman, who just occasionally needs to be reminded that he needs to come back when called!

Sometimes he just runs off to the rabbit warren area and though he looks up when I call him, it's as if he's putting two fingers up to me! :rant:

A quick spray from the collar (it has a range of over 100yds if there are no obstacles in its path) has him running back to me immediately, and it only needs to be done a couple of times and he doesn't run off again for weeks! :thumbsup:

Timing is important, at least if you can see the dog, you know exactly when to press the button!

I don't know why your vet would suggest a shock collar when the spray collar works really well without causing the dog any pain or fear... :rant:

Liz and the Monellis