OSoSwift

Now you've sold me on a Whippet There are two in the park (one absolutely gorgeous black one as well) and they're extremely gentle with other dogs, look so elegant and I love watching them run. I must admit when I was researching them( it took a while as I wanted to be cetain and I knew of someonne with 3 that were very very naughty!) I was very very happy with what I heard about them. I had always admired them, but liking how a dog looks and what they are like to live with and be quite different! After getting my puppy I have to say I was impressed and as they have gotten older and we added an 8 mo they have far exceeded my expectations. Our male I think is smoochier than our bitch, he would like to get inside your skin, she loves snuggles but can actually sleep on the lounge and not have to be touching someone. I was worried about recalls and them nicking off. I have trained for good recalls from day dot and they are brilliant. I wouldn't have them off lead near roads or anything like that, but both do beautiful off lead work and can walk around the farm off lead with no worries. In town they are on lead. I covet a Black and white Whippet and would love one one day Just need to buy a new lounge first!

I have known only a small number of Greys so I am not sure, all they Greys I have met have been adults and very laid back. Now my Whippets are adults they are very laid back, possibly a little more energetic than a Grey, but I also try and help them to be that way as I do dog sports with them and don't mind them being a little more up. Iggy's are quite small and quite active from what I have seen written and can be a little stubborn ont he house training sometimes. My Whippets have just been out for half an hours mad dashing around outside chasing each other and have now come in and they have flopped on their bed. They will now stay there until the kids have gone to bed as that is their routine and while I am trying to make tea, bath kids etc. Once that is all done they will be up on a lap in a very short period of time and stay there until it is sleep time (although I more often than not fall asleep on the lounge with them as blankets!)

I would second a GAP Greyhound or Whippet if the size is better for him. Whippets can take a day or so off if you can't exercise them, or Dog forbid it's raining! They are people dogs and I have never worked while having mine, so not sure on that, but he would need to make sure the dog could get out of hot or cold weather - a dog door would be perfect - as they don't do well at all with the cold and don't like the heat much either. They are quiet, sleep 23 hours a day if left to their own devices, they do lose hair, but it is certainly not everywhere and if I notice them losing a bit of hair on my clothes I go over them with a Zoom Groom and problem is solved. My OH (Who likes bull breed dogs) is totally sold on the Whippets and said the other day why would you want a different type of dog. They are the perfect lap and smooch dog, love following you around, just don't step backwards because you hurt their toes, and love being with people. People have had them successfully in small places and apartments so down sizing a yard would not be an issue. There are some lovely older pups and young adults in the DOL pages and they are very reasonable prices as well. ETA my dogs love ALL other dogs and due to the fact they are fairly light they play well even with smaller dogs. Ours have never ran into or bowled my old Stafford and if they did they would hurt him badly. They have sailed over him a few times, but never made contact.

I have a heated pet bed pretty much exactly the same - but bought it from Red Dot. A year later it is still going strong, our old Boy LOVES it (it stays on all night and in the day when it is cold) it is one of the reasons he gets out of bed in the morning without looking very sore. I have taken the cover off quite a few times and washed it. It is so good, especially for the money, when I saw them in the store not long ago I bought two more I would love a larger soft crate so I can shove both the dogs in it at training, but I think Lewis would eat it when I was training Rommi and he was left behind??? He is a turd and yelss, whinges and carries on, but every now and again he grabs hold of the bars. Not to much of a problem if I am close and tell him to cut it out - or if someone else does, but I think his teeth could do damage if I wasn't around to tell him off if he started????

I haven't noticed that with the roo flaps, but having said that, they have to be in their dog runs to eat them or Rommi thinks the bone stealing aliens are coming to get hers and won't settle to eat it, and Brutus the ancient Stafford takes Lewis's! They have automatic waterers in their dog runs so may drink more just after they have finished them. They don't seem to drink more when they are out and about later on though???? I am more worried about the bones being hard and brittle( maybe damaging teeth?), or them being able to break them into large chunks that cause an obstruction.

Thanks for that. I just battle with the thought as to me they are cooked bones. If I can get very lean beef ribs he does okay on them, but has ended up very sick after turkey necks, chicken frames and lamb flaps and gets very loose poos and vomiting if he eats raw chicken or beef. He can eat the meat cooked just fine. I keep on the look out for beef bones, but at the moment my freezer had stopped working( I had to chuck out 5 kgs of perfectly fine bones!!!) so until I have a freezer up and running I was thinking if these are okay they may get me through.

OH they are VERY addictive! I now make my own because I have a terrible collar addiction. I recently rehomed my older ones to a Whippet rescue though, so I thought that is a good comprimise. I am already looking at which ribbon to make my next ones out of and their "old" ones would be lucky to be 4 months old. Long necks and smooth coats = a collar addiction!

Hi Jed, Glad your dog snuggles went well. I am sure it will not take long at all for your baby boxer to get to know you once you are all together again. I am sorry your older ones are stressing it can't be easy on them, but I am sure they will be happier for seeing you. Hope your injuries are healing well Jed because the sooner they heal, the sooner you can reunite your family. We still think of you every day and the Whippies send lots of hugs to you all.

I am looking at my favourite Pet Treat website and ordering my normal dried roo flaps and tendons. I have seen they have roo tails, sheep backs, turkey and chicken necks. I would have thought feeding bone like that wasn't good, but maybe I am wrong. So have you used them what do you think of them, the good and the bad. Two of my dogs can have raw bones no problems, but one can't, so that is why I am looking at them.

That is great that Buster can come home. I hope you get some sort of diagnosis. How scary for you all, so good that he is now feeling better. Whippet kisses from my guys to all of you

Yep the sorts of things I was thinking as well as dog collars, bed, blankets, crates (sizes) any little thing that Jed will need. Clothes - I know you can;t store them now, but when you can we will be onto it.

Mum made my last one from the measurements and how I told her I wanted it done - she is very clever! Not sure I have ever seen a pattern as such?? Oh and it will be easier to sew if you use velcro, and probably cheaper than using four zips if you want both ends to open.

I am not convinced why puppies need hard floors???? Mine do get hard floors because they come inside, but I would have thought that solid hard floors would not be as beneficial as floors that are uneven, have differing covering and are more natural would be more suitable. I would like the dogs to have a combination of Kennels inside a kennel complex for night and day yards like those above.

I like those yards Steve. If they had an insulated house with nice comfy warm bedding and an area that is a substant size ie fit a few beds and room for their water and a little bit, rather than just a kennel size house, then they would be good. I would prefer dogs to have that kind of space as opposed to a concrete run. However they would still need to get out of them. I would have a hard floor on the bottom of the house so that it is built up a little and less likely to flood or have rising damp. IT can also be cleaned and sand floor tend to help fleas and other pesties to breed. Edited as posted at the same time

+2 x3 x 4 X5

OKay that is true, so what can we do something about??? I agree if dogs are in a more intensive situation than the average pet dog then dog runs that provide a surface that is easy to clean and sanitise is needed. The easiest way to do that is a concrete dog run with the appropriate drainage system. BUT the dogs need time out from that, so we need to have an amount of time they need to be outside to exercise. So we need outside yards with shelter and they must be in them (X amount of hours per day) I think at them moment it is one hour which is woefully inadequate. You would also need to specify exercise yard sizes and shelter contained within. How do you quantify other enrichment. EG time spent on human interaction - brushing, training, patting etc. Then toys, bones etc???? The must have their kennels cleaned at least once a day( what consitiutes cleaned would need to be defined), but twice would be preferred. There must be records keep that are verifiable in regard to deworming, flea treatment etc ie random faecal testing to make sure the dogs do not have huge parasite burdens????Not sure how else you would do it????? A standard in regarding to feeing - but how would that be defined???? Raw, commercial dry food, mixture what would the bench mark be? People have a right to feed how they like - raw, dry food etc- however there needs to be something in place to make sure dogs are getting adequate nutition as many don't, especially pregnant bitches. A standard for a whelping/lactating bitch. Run size, type and size of whelping box, bedding type ie not a piece of carpet thrown on the floor. there dhould be rules in place regarding feeding of the pregnant/lactatinb bitch ie twice, three, four times a day. The other thing we need to remember is these people are not the dog savvy people on here who are very knowledgable. We need to think lowest common denominator. There needs to be very clear regulations that are to be adhered to for people to be able to keep a breeding license. There should be random, often occuring spot checks with no warnings. How all this would be policed - goodness only knows, and yes I know people on here will or will not use a whelping box, people will feed there bitches how they do as it works for them and many other things. But this would not be for your average hobby breeder it would be for a puppy farm who is going for or trying to keep the right to do it as a licensed business. This is my ramblings as they come to mind, so not everything has had great amounts of thought put into it, it is ideas to try and get thinking about the things we can change or regulate. Fire away!!!!!!

Hope your poochy smooching is going well - and you haven't been smothered by some very excited dogs!!!! Hope you have healed a little more today Jed

Hmm for me a puppy farmer is someone who breeds for profit. As in they have multiple litters, usually on every heat. As long as bitch can have babies she stays. They do not heakth test of breed for the betterment of the breed. They usually have no contact after the puppy is sold - or very little. If a problems shows up, you get nothing from them. People can be puppy farmers if they are registered breeders or not. Puppy farmers usually do not put preventative health care high up on their list of priorities, and unfortunalty even health care for injuries or illnesses are not treated quickly or at all. The need to produce babies at the cheapest cost is the motivator. Dogs are kept in runs - many of them and usually multiple dogs per pen. Keeping dogs in a run does not a puppy farmer make, many dogs are in dog runs and have a great life, but a PF's dogs usually do not leave unless maybe to go into another shed for whelping - if they are lucky. I guess to me the mental picture I get is like an intensive piggery, line of concrete pens, very basic bedding and even if the pens are clean, many never leave those pens, the only contact they get is feed time. Even the best run puppy farm that was clean and the dogs well fed still is not right, Dogs are pack animals, not livestock. They do not do well confined to a concrete pen day in day out. they need companionship and exercise and stimulation, enrichment. I know what I want to say, not sure I can say it very well though.

Will be thinking of you tomorrow when you get to cuddle your dogs. I am sure there will be many happy tears. I am glad the money has helped you, I keep buying lottery tickets so if I win you can have some of it - don't seem to be winning though - will keep trying!

Hi Jed, Hope you are feeling a little better today. I am glad you have the sickness benefits now, even if only for a little while. Hopefully you can get deferment for you loan, even though it won't last for a long time I hope it helps. It must have been so hard to see your house. Although I am glad you found your expensive sneakers untouched. How wonderful the dogs are coming for a visit, I am sure you will all be soooo excited. Still thinking of you everyday and sending all the healing thoughts and get well wishes I can. Hope someone has a camera when you and the doggies get much wanted cuddles

I have and got the last pass for Angels CD title, so it was a good experience. It was the Darwin Royal though so no where near the pressure and size restraints of the other royals. It was interseting having planes (that are very very loud) taking off in the middle of your work though. You gotta hope your dog knows it's signals because they can't hear you! I would give it a go, because until I have then I don't know how we would go??? Only ever shown at the Royal and that is quite frankly very boring.

NO WAY I would go but it would be by myself! And they have nearly every style and type of coat known to dogdom. Getting them to pee when it's rain is just about impossible. I do however live on a farm, so the rain stops, we duck outside and they hoon around in 5 acres like mad things for however long, then the rain starts and they are straight beeline to the garage!! So even though I don't walk as such when it is raining, they are not confined to s suburban backyard.

OH I should have got some sparkly nail polish to go with the doggy's wash and shine today. Couldn't do most of those due to having Whippets, and I don't have that much patience. If the products do not hurt the dog, I don't see the problem, not really my thing, but if they are all happy so be it.

Jed, I am quite usre DOL will help support you as long as you need it. One thing have you contacted Centrlink at all? there will be some benefits available to you, maybe not much but something is better than nothing? I know you can't get out and about yet, but maybe your firiend could help you out by enquiring or picking up forms? There is a basic medical allowence anyone can get regardless of assest etc, then it can go up from there. We all really feel for you and wish there was more we could do. Oh Jed I really wish there was more I could do.

Hey Jed hope you are going okay. Noticed it has been a few days since you last posted, so I hope your pain is under control and you are healing. Still thinking of you every day.