bryan_mannix

I think they are fortunate to have your guidance. Lets hope they listen!

As a whippet owner I am duty bound to promote them though they offer little in the way of intruder deterrent potential. Low maintenance, enjoy exercise, slightly unusual (we get stopped a lot).

A greyhound would be perfect too and maybe the size would provide the guard dog potential.

What do people think of a Vizsla? I think they look beautiful and I have met some who didn't seem to need to run 12 hours a day.

Mine sleeps!

I am on holidays at the moment so got the chance to observe a day in the life of a whippet.

I work Mon-Fri and my wife is home other than the times when she is out and about doing whatever it is mothers of young kids do to fill in the day (gym, shoe shopping, coffee with friends, flirt with tradies etc). On the weekends our dog accompanies us to whichever park, creek or beaches we end up at.

I am the primary canine caregiver. Yesterday I was at home and observed for you.

This is what he did...

6:00-7:00 Jog 8km next to me

7:00-9:00 Extracted a chicken drum stick which I had jammed into an extreme kong and frozen. This can take a bit of strength to get the drumstick in but those who have experienced child birth will be familiar with the process!

9:00-10:00 sleep

10:00-11:00 change position sleep

11:00-12:00 Move slightly to catch sun sleep

12:00-01:00 Stretch toilet go back to sleep

01:00-02:00 yawn sleep

2:00-3:00 Wander round a little then snooze

3:00-4:00 play with kids in the back yard

4:00-5:00 walk to park and watch kids play

5:00-5:30 Zoomies in back yard

5:30 dinner

6:00-7:00 snooze

7:00-9:00 lie on couch on watching TV with my wife.

Hope this helps!!

Hmmm. This is very hard (for me) and I am tremendously impressed with what people are putting up. Here is my attempt. I have tried to fiddle with skin and hair colours to match the sand.

I just had a look at the Andonas Kennels website.

Everyone should have a listen to the Andonas Kennels Rap.

Andonas Kennels

Click on the link and scroll to the right and play the track. Classic!

I'm drawn to comment but am speechless!!! Is there any hope it is tongue in cheek?

Run my friend Run!!

Been using them for about 12 months. Very Happy. Just received an order on Friday.

The ones that are like a mattressy thing with a cover over them that has something in the opening to keep it open a bit... not explaining myself very well, but if anyone knows what I am talking about, where do you get them?

thanks

This?

Lambo

Not sure if you made it out to Durack this morning for a look around. I took the kids out for a wander and had a squiz at the agility.

They tick none of your boxes but there were some nice looking Dogue de Bordeaux about.

Got to pat a whippet pup too and speak to a couple of breeders who have pups in the offing.. nudge nudge

Two more shots

Bryan, thanks for the tip about ignoring users. What a great feature. Incidentally, who or what is GAP? Also, that dog show at Durack, is it on all weekend or was it on just today?

Noisymina, I suspect your using the term affectionately, but are all Weims "dumb"? I've noticed a lot of people who have posted photos of their Weims on the web describing them as stupid but lovable. Is that a fair reflection of the breed in your experience? Or did you just draw the short straw with yours?

Gaylek, the experience you describe touches on a topic I broached earlier, ie I assume that the dogs are just happy for someone to be there - and that interactivity is just a bonus for them.

Here's the link to when the shows are on. Looks like tomorrow kicks off at 8:30 am.

Here is the link for the Greyhound Adoption Progamme in Qld.

Keep enjoying the hunt.

G'day Lambo

Some more info....

If you click on someones profile it is possible to ignore them and hence not see of any of their posts. I have a couple of those in place for posters whose input does not seem valuable to me.

I have a friend with a ridgeback. It is wonderful dog. Great with kids, noble BUT big!! and a bit drooly.

Raising a pup has its downsides but it is fun. You have children, hold down a job and manage to dress yourself in the morning..... you will be able to raise a puppy its not impossible. Ignore the sceptics.....males aren't as incapable as we are made out to be:)

If you are thinking of looking at a mature dog add the greyhound back to your list. Two reasons.....(1). Very nice dogs suitable to your needs, (2). because of the number of dogs surrendered out of the racing industry each year and the good job GAP do you end up with a very high quality pet. Met one the other day ("ursula" if any DOLers know her) who was being exercised by her foster owner while awaiting a home. A wonderful dog. I struggled not ring GAP and add her to our household.

G'day Lambo

We are in the Western Suburbs of Brisbane. Happy to meet up in a dog park somewhere if you to kick a whippets speedy tyres. Dog shows are on this weekend at Durack at the fields on down the road a bit from the Willawong dump. The people watching is nearly as much fun as the dogs themselves!

Hope you are continuing to have fun working on a top 5.

There is some whippet pushing going on in this thread as well... My post is number 67 which talks about some of my experiences in whippet ownership.

Lambo. What fun the selection process is. Lots of great advice on DOL. Ignore anyone who is being a bit cranky you can get that on here.

Love the comments Re: handbags and high heels. You might be able to sell it as the event of any damage would just be an excuse for more shopping

I'll back up the comments Re: the Airdale. We meet up with one to exercise and it is quite demanding and pushy. It gets an hour exercise in the morning the same at night and according to the owner is still on the go (read digging, barking etc) all day. That aside it is a good looking dog...athletic, moves well. It is pushy with my kids.

Don't worry about comments about whippets offending. Their look is an acquired taste but it has grown on me. Maybe dating a ginger would be the same! There is something satisfying about having a slightly less common dog. Most walks I would get stopped and have questions asked about him. When we went to Byron on holidays at Christmas we would have been stopped every 50m along the beach to have him admired. (My wife nearly stopped me walking the dog as a high number of his admirers were 20yo backpackers).

Where in Australia are you guys. I think you profile says QLd but that is the default. If you are in Brisbane I am happy to meet up somewhere. Dog shows are in Durack and are a good way to see lots of different breeds at once. Be aware that people there are mostly competing so it can be like wandering through the middle of a football game and trying to get one of the players to stop and chat with you. Best to stick with looking at the dogs.

Thanks for the ongoing comments everyone. The response has been just fabulous.

Bryan, I agree that your wishlist sounds about the same as mine. I've googled both the grey and the whippet. Both seem like nice breeds but look a bit scrawny to me. Do they breed them a bit meater? A few of the pups looked nice and solid, but the adult dogs look starved.

Lambo I had exactly the same initial response! I think I might have used the term "Lizards with Fur". But the look certainly grows on you and I now find myself secretly thinking everyone elses dog is overweight!

Whippets are actually quite muscular and strong (I wouldn't let my 4 year old walk our boy unless I am holding the lead as well). Get to a show and have a look. Greys can be extremely strong looking.

Here are some shots of our boy just to show off.

Happy Hunting. There is a lot of pleasure to be had in this phase of the process.

PS. I really like the Viz, Wei look too along with pointers and flat coated retrievers.

My two cents worth........Over the last 2.5 years we have been through a similar process to the one you are venturing on. In fact there are a number of similarities.

My wife and I had together owned a lab and rottie. They had passed on and we started a family (kids now 4 and 7). We love rotties but were struggling with replacing what was in our hearts an irreplaceable dog and we were also concerned about the breeds tendency to be protective of its own family in a house where there may be lots of young children visiting.

Some of our wishes were

* a long lived breed with few health issues

* happy to fit in with an active family yet willing for plenty of downtime

* low shedding

* little barking

* not too smelly

* could handle the heat of Brisbane

We were steered by wise heads towards a whippet (a breed I wouldn't have considered) and have been very pleasantly surprised. Our boy is now about 14 months old and his been with us since 8 weeks of age.

Plenty of positives

* doesn't bark, smell and shedding is imperceptible.

* he loves to lounge around sleeping but is also happy to spend the day at the beach or playing in the park.

* very clean breed. He doesn't seek out dead toads to roll in!

A whippet would win your wife over. My wife loves the (nearly feline) elegance of the breed. My manliness is satiated by having the most athletic dog in the off leash area. My children love seeing him at full gallop other dogs trailing in his wake.

Some things to consider. The breed has a reputation for being meek and timid. We put a lot of time into socialising and exposing him to everything (carrying him outside busy dog parks, near traffic, meeting lots of new people each week in his formative puppy time. He is now very confident but he will never be a guard dog.

Like all dogs puppy times can involve a degree of silliness. A 6 month whippet puppy mid zoomies is a sight to be seen. They can be bouncy with kids. We followed the Ian Dunbar book and made him sit in front of the kids and any new visitors to get a treat and a pat from day one. He learnt very quickly.

If your wife is not that keen on dogs. I would say crate training is a must. Our boy has spent most of his life in the house and we have never had any destructive incidents as he is either on his lead, being snuggled on the coach or snoring in his crate.

Having said all that a greyhound will have similarities but in a larger package. We have met some beautiful ex-racers and will own one some day.

I have one of these hanging from the mango tree.

Right place, right lighting, right moment!!!! Love the acrobatics and the expressions!!

Wow! Wonderful

bec and arch........ Wow. Love that shot

Thanks - I liked the seagull too, I didn't even realise it was there until I looked at the pics tonight. The little girl had just been for an impromptu swim (clothes and all) and was very pleased with herself

We were just down at Sandgate, where I was treated to a Mother's Day icecream

It looked familiar!

Very nice Huga..... Love the seagull in the top corner of the photo of the junior model in training. All those beach shots are great. Where were you?

Here is one .........."caught" as in ball....... at the off leash park

Last one (for now ) also on the beach.

Completely candid. I can feel the joy that walking through mud in bare feet brings.

Hello all

Inspired to take photos more seriously after the Rocco experience on the weekend... My first attempts on here. With more of May to come I might wander the street a little, camera in hand. But for now three shots..

The first I like in that the red of the dress draws the eye into the shot and gives it some depth. Also there seems to be something interesting happening out of shot (we just cant see what).

This one I like primarily because there is something special about walking a dog on a deserted beach on a perfect day.

Ooops. Struggling to get a third photo on here. Will do it in a second post.

Hey Rocco

Thanks for making the time to get these shots up so quickly. They are beautiful.

Congrats on your evident technical skills and on having the personality and people skills to drive a complicated shoot along.

I hope you managed to get the shots and experiences out of the day to make the day worthwhile for you. We enjoyed ourselves and had a tired out canine on our hands when we got home.

Ta.

Thanks for posting this.....

Looks like the entire reference list has plenty of material to scruitinise. Now to pick and choose the bits that suit our way of thinking

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