Russian Vrs Irish Wolfhound :)

[oakway]

No I don't want a servant but I want a dog that when I give it a job it does it without me having to stand over it. But at the same time if I do a recall I expect it to leave what its doing and come

If this what what you want then I would re asses the breeds, a group 4 sight hound may not be the breed for you. :)

[Diva]

Thanks guys I think I will stick with the Irish for the moment they seem to be more forgiving first time sight hound owner

I will keep the Borzoi on the short list for future dogs for the moment though

My chosen breeder has a litter planned for June so I'm hoping this time there is a sutible pup for me :)

Sounds like the best plan. My first dog ever was a male Borzoi and he was totally forgiving, but not everyone suits them.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Diva

[Purdie]

Yes, sighthounds are not the dog for always doing what they are told, that's for sure.

I'd recommend looking at a different breed, I don' know that the Irish Wolfhounds are built for agility.

My Wolfhound x would come when called only if there were no other distractions- like a cat or another dog.

I would not have a Wolfhound off lead in an unfenced area as they can take off and cover a good distance very quickly.

Get a Wolfhound as the family pet;they are great with children.;then look around for a breed for you that is more suited to agility and obedience.

eta ...Take a look at the Hungarian Vizsla..

Edited March 3, 2013 by Purdie

[keasarge]

#

Edited March 4, 2013 by keasarge

[raineth]

We do agility and obediance for fun and excercise not to compete in. Even though they are bigger dogs agility and obediance are hugely beneficial for them to learn hind end awareness balance and coordination plus its something I like doing with my dogs I compete once a year in my clubs show so I'm not serious about it. I do show competitively though.

The Irish kennel I'm down for there male has no sight drive at all I mean I've seen thenm try to lure him into a chase and it didn't happen lol

Pups are due late June for I should have pics up in Sept when he comes home :)

perhaps he only has drive for real animals such as rabbits and cats.

While people have trained their sighthounds to have reliable recall, they are not a breed you should necessarily get if reliable recall is crucial to your enjoyment of the dog.

But I think if you are really inlove with them then you can let your expectations be shaped and have a very enjoyable time with them :)

[Salukifan]

I wouldn't even attempt agility with an IW. They are simply not built for the sport and the equipment is not built for a dog of that size. If a reliable recall is a must have, I'd suggest a sighthound will be unsuitable.

[Rebanne]

We do agility and obediance for fun and excercise not to compete in. Even though they are bigger dogs agility and obediance are hugely beneficial for them to learn hind end awareness balance and coordination plus its something I like doing with my dogs I compete once a year in my clubs show so I'm not serious about it. I do show competitively though.

The Irish kennel I'm down for there male has no sight drive at all I mean I've seen thenm try to lure him into a chase and it didn't happen lol

Pups are due late June for I should have pics up in Sept when he comes home :)

doesn't mean the pups won't be driven. Agility equipment won't be big or strong enough for an IW.

[Keshwar]

We do agility and obediance for fun and excercise not to compete in. Even though they are bigger dogs agility and obediance are hugely beneficial for them to learn hind end awareness balance and coordination plus its something I like doing with my dogs I compete once a year in my clubs show so I'm not serious about it. I do show competitively though.

The Irish kennel I'm down for there male has no sight drive at all I mean I've seen thenm try to lure him into a chase and it didn't happen lol

Pups are due late June for I should have pics up in Sept when he comes home :)

The issue I see with doing Agility with a Wolfie is the jumping involved, particularly for puppies and young dogs.

Basic obedience isn't a problem but like others have said I wouldn't be expecting immediate obedience. They will do what you ask if they feel like it. As far as recall goes, my boy Zac will recall fairly reliably but he will sometimes show me the middle claw if he feels so inclined. LOL.

Something to consider with a Wolfhound over a Borzoi is the Drool. Wolfhounds drool, Borzoi, in my observations, don't. So if you are not a fan of puddles of water on your floors then the Borzoi is a better option.

And they will chase - A video of Zac Lure Coursing -

HTH

Bear.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Keshwar

[keasarge]

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Edited March 4, 2013 by keasarge

[Sheridan]

There was an IW in Canberra with a flyball champion title.

http://www.eastsideflyers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&id=42

[Salukifan]

There was an IW in Canberra with a flyball champion title.

http://www.eastsidef...view&id=1&id=42

The dog trained at my club. He was never asked to jump high. He had a height dog in his team to keep the jump heights down.

I have seen a Newf try to fit through tunnels and a tyre. It wasn't pretty. If I wanted to do something "for fun" with an IW, I'd be doing RallyO, not asking a dog to do things that it physically will struggle to do. The dog walk? Nope - the dog will be wider than the plank. Ditto see saw. A Frame - huge ask. Jumping? Provided that it never has to do competition height? Maybe. Frankly I don't see the point.

Soundness is a big enough issue in giant dogs. Why push it? How many heavy draft horse breeds do you see doing pony club games and show jumping?

One more thing to consider with an IW is size. Few cars can carry one in comfort. If the dog is unwell, it takes serious muscle to get it to a vet. And it's not a dog that can be safely walked by a child. EVER

Edited March 4, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[keasarge]

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Edited March 4, 2013 by keasarge

[persephone]

Deerhounds are a lot lighter and more flexible than wolfies :) ..and that bottom clip shows a not-terribly happy deerhound ....

have you researched stuff like rallyO ? Your dog might enjoy that more than agility ? :)

Edited March 4, 2013 by persephone

[Salukifan]

How many IWs do? And how long do they last? If that's what you want to do, look at Deerhounds

[Trisven13]

I've got a deerhound and they are, from what I can tell, more agile than a wolfhound but even still watching that last dog do the V thing (don't know agility terms) made me cringe at the potential for a giant dog to do an injury. I love agility and doing different things with dogs but there are some really good, sensible Wolfhound people on here raising genuine concerns - Keshwar in particular is one of the most level headed people on here and never would poo-poo you unless it was genuinely a concern.

[keasarge]

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Edited March 4, 2013 by keasarge

[persephone]

they are an animal first and formost and you can't predict them 100%

most, if not all, animals have predictable behaviour :)

It's the skill of the human which decides if this can be acted upon. ..and some children can be very good at it , altho with the sheer size of a wolfie - it makes it hazardous.

If dog behaviour was not so absolutely predictable, we would never be able to train/use them as service dogs ! :)

Edited March 4, 2013 by persephone

[Salukifan]

I think dogs have more fun doing things they are structually suited for.

It can be profoundly stressful for a dog to be over faced. It can also break them. An IW at two is still not physically mature.

You keep posting video of dogs doing agility in the USA.

The first dog was a Deerhound. The Saint is doing a jump height far lower than it would be asked to do here.

It's your choice. But if agiity is where your heart lies, be prepared for a dog that will NOT enjoy it because it will not have any apptitude for the sport due to its size. And if that happens, I hope for your dog's sake that you stop.

And as for the 4WD and the ramp... ask Keshwar or Kinsella about getting a dog too sick to walk into a vehicle.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[keasarge]

#

Edited March 4, 2013 by keasarge

[Purdie]

You must consider if the activity is also enjoyable for the dog not just the owner.Most dogs will try to please their owner but that doesn't mean the dog it pleased with what it is being asked to do.The Deerhound looked to me like he would rather have been elsewhere.Get a wolfhound to chill out with you and then another breed that will enjoy the agility much more.