Would It Be Possible For Me To Adopt?

[Sprout]

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Hi I've been looking at info regarding IG's for a while and I spent a fair amount of time amongst them at Crufts this year. I'd very much like to be owned by an IG but I'm not sure whether the idea is practical.

Brief outline of my situation:- Married, no human kids, home based, secure garden, lots of dog owning experience. Currently sharing our home with (and herein may be the problem...) 5 greyhounds, 1 small lurcher, 1 Deerhound and 4 mutts. All dogs are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, insured etc etc. All are of course house dogs and a tiny bit pampered :- "

I just happened to be looking in a copy of Dogs Today that I bought at Crufts and just happened to find myself in the breed rescue section....and just happened to find myself looking at the IG listing :b And then I found that the IG rescue listed there is in Manchester - as am I.

Before I make contact, I wanted to ask you whether you thought it may be possible for an older (even old) IG to become part of our large family - in theory?

 

[Jan Doherty]

This is always a difficult one. Big dogs like children have to be judged on their individual behaviour. Are your greyhound etc used to small dogs? Iggies are very agile and fast especially in the garden. would your dogs see it as prey and give chase. Certainly you would have to be very very careful where you obtained one from as there are lines who are more prone to broken legs than others. Unfortunately Crufts this year will not have given you an overall picture of the breed as there were a lot of one particular type missing and probably the type who would more fit in with your live style. Certainly speak to Shirley who runs the Rescue and Welfare Charity (not to be confused with the rescue attached to the IG breed Club)

Some breeders would not entertain you if you have Children and/or large dogs. They do that for a reason and that is they do not think that the Iggie will cope with that sort of lifestyle. My answer to that is 'shame on you' for breeding dogs who cant live that type of lifestyle but regardless of that it is the breeders choice who they sell to and in their way they are at least trying to safeguard the future of their puppies.

My first Iggie was with my Lurcher and Ex racing Greyhound but they had exceptional temperaments. I have to say I would be much more reluctant to introduce another Ex racer to the house without knowing it was a hundred percent temperament wise.

My lurcher Tally is quite wild and at just over a year old very much a puppy but she runs with the Iggies and comes off worst most times you just have to keep things under control.

Why dont you come to Stafford Showgroung just off the M6 on the last Saturday in March. It is UK Toy and there are about 69 Iggies entered but they are a much wider variety.

 

[Sprout]

Thank you for your reply Jan

My dogs all live with cats so I don't think they would see a small dog as prey - even in the garden. A couple of my current ex-racers were really not cat safe at all when they arrived, but after a few weeks of intensive cat training (which involved a lead, a muzzle, a human with a strong arm and NEVER being allowed to give chase at all, plus reward for good behaviour (ie looking away from the cat or ignoring it as it whizzed by) they are 99% safe. I'm reluctant to say 100% safe because I'm being realistic!

Could you give me some more info on that show you mentioned - I'd love to see if we were able to come along

 

[Jan Doherty]

My ex racer was a 100% with my cats but not anyone elses thats for sure. My cat would come for walks with us, we lived on a farm, and hide in the grass with just his tail waving in the air. Shera would home in on it and at the last minute Garfield would leap up and box her ears. Having said that he used to pin her down and clean the any sand out of her eyes when we got back from racing.

The show is at the Stafford show ground off junction 14 of the M6.

You follow the A34 towards Stafford and then pick up the A518 to Uttoxeter and Weston. Judging starts 9am.

Hope to see you there