Dog advice please.

[lindyloo]

i worked with dogs for many years, including whippets and greyhounds, who raced and coursed. i agree with what everyone else has said, but want to add a couple of comments. first, that a dog is a dog, not a human, and all animals rely heavily on instinct, so there is a point where training will take second place to instinct, and as humans we have to control that point. so it is up to us to take the precautions; ie only let your dog off lead when it is in an enclosed feild where it cant do or come to any harm. i do think even the most well behaved animal can forget it's training in the right set of circumstances. i would recomend going to puppy classes from the start, and also, dont allow anyone to play games with your puppy which would encourage the kill instinct- you know the tuggy games, or 'kill it' games with stuffed toys. it might be an idea to talk to a greyhound rescue for advice on how they retrain the ex racers as they can probably give a lot of encouragement and advice, as they successfully rehome hundreds of dogs; it should be much easier with a puppy, ie blank canvas, so that you can, right from the start, teach him to sit quietly when you are in a situation where it would be natural for his instincts to kick in, right from the start. one thing; bedlingtons do have a reputation for being difficult to train, and although i dont go by reputations myself, as i think there are only bad owners,not bad dogs, i feel i should mention it to you, also, the whippet and bedlington types often have lots of vet's bills due to the very delicate structure of the legs, which are prone to injuries such as rips and breakages. i personally would go to a rescue center to find a dog; there are some fantastic animals looking for a home especially now, through no fault of thier own. pedigreed and mixed breeds. it might save you a heck of a lot of money and be a much easier option in the long run.

[vicky]

Our last dog was a lurcher and she had her good and bad points! We had her from a pup so she was brought up with children and cats. Children she was totally fine with. Cats (or any other animal that ran) you could see she knew she was meant to chase them! She knew better than to chase the cats but if she spotted something on a walk she could be off. The way to prevent her chasing was firstly to be very observant yourself, if she was told 'stay' before she thought about chasing she was fine but if you missed the hare dashing it would be 70/30 to wether she would stay or not when told. I took her to training classes from 12 weeks for 2 years (and would have carried on if not for newborn baby) and the trainers thought she was pretty good for a lurcher!. So good training can make all the difference but a sensible, observant owner is even better I think.
On the plus side a 10 min run after a hare and she was happy with her walk for the day!

Very loving but took up the whole sofa! And would adore going under the duvet when you weren't looking and sleeping like a person with her head on the pillow!
Also we found we were approached quite often by dubious looking people asking us if she was any good at hunting and I think there is a market for these dogs to be stolen so get it chipped

Regarding what Lindyloo said about vet bills, we only had her 4 years and spent lots of money on a back leg joint problem involving having to travel to one of the Royal Vet Schools...invest in insurance! (Didn't stop her chasing things though!)

[OverWyreGrower]

You can invest in a basket-type muzzle (a lot of lurchers/greys round here wear them) for when you're out walking, then anything small and furry is safe...

Also, if your training time is going to be limited, you can use a long training line, rather than Woof going completely off lead and you worrying about it. My sister has a 30ft line for her dog... she mostly lets it trail on the ground, but can easily pick it up if her dog decides she is going to leg it!

[shirlthegirl43]

Di, I have just caught up with this thread. Grats on finding such a lovely cross - don't suppose there are other pups available (would need to be very inexpensive though)?

We used to breed deerhounds which were trained and always came back when called.

[di]

Nicos...I've found several,so if she struggles finding any I can give you some numbers

Thanks for the advice re bones.
I'd read that Bedlingtons can have an hereditary condition called copper toxicosis but that with careful breeding and not using dogs that suffer to breed from it's rapidly being eradicated...you can get them tested at an early age for the condition.Otherwise the sites I've been have all said that they are fairly robust little things that rarely require vetinary treatment?...I did also read that for the first year you should gradually increase their exercise and not be tempted to push them to much or allow them to over exert themselves so as not to put to much pressure on their bones.I shall do more research thanks

As for rescue...I know to some it may sound shallow,but with our children being fairly young(6 and 8)I'd rather get a pup and know exactly what life it's had from the start and be able to bring it up as I intend with as few bad habits as possible to try to train it out of.

Thanks all for your comments. x

[di]

Di, I have just caught up with this thread. Grats on finding such a lovely cross - don't suppose there are other pups available (would need to be very inexpensive though)?

We used to breed deerhounds which were trained and always came back when called.

I'm not sure if the original ones are still available...not been able to track the chap down,but I came across a seller in Bury St Edmunds that will have some ready in September...I think they were asking £175.I've got the number if you're interested...not sure if it'd be too far for you to travel?
I love the fact that they're fairly compact without being little snappy looking lapdog things...although our house is a fairly decent size I don't want anything huge.

[kirsty b]

As for rescue...I know to some it may sound shallow,but with our children being fairly young(6 and 8)I'd rather get a pup and know exactly what life it's had from the start and be able to bring it up as I intend with as few bad habits as possible to try to train it out of.

Thanks all for your comments. x

I agree with your reasons for wanting a puppy Di, thats exactly what we did as the kids were young when we first got Boo. (youngest 4, eldest 14)

We will never rule out re-homing/rescuing completely in the future now the kids are all older but Boo is our only dog and it will stay that way for now

Although OH is looking into a Dogue de Bordeaux next, but I have several years before that is likely to become a reality. (time to save up for the training classes etc)

[OverWyreGrower]

Although OH is looking into a Dogue de Bordeaux next, but I have several years before that is likely to become a reality. (time to save up for the training classes etc)

And the price of the DDB! They are wickedly expensive...

A decently bred DDB puppy can be as much as £1200... the parents should be hip and elbow scored (to check for dysplasia), as they are prone to it (like a lot of giant breed dogs)

[di]

,

Although OH is looking into a Dogue de Bordeaux next, but I have several years before that is likely to become a reality. (time to save up for the training classes etc)

Just had to Google...they are rather gorgeous...but the slobber

I just called the RSPCA/Blue Cross and although they have one young Lurcher both agreed that with young children it's better to get a puppy...although they can make some observations whilst the dog is with them,they can't guarantee how the dog was treated in it's early years.
I at least feel I did my bit by calling them

[HeyWayne]

When we've looked at re-homing they are almost exclusively Staffs - such a shame.

Also, re-homing centres (for obvious reasons) very rarely say that dogs are suitable for familes such as ours where we have a "small" child. Puppies for us too unfortunately.

Good luck.

[winstonwobble]

Had terriers most of my life had to wait for the last one to go to doggy heaven before even contemplating having chickens as its in their instincts to kill such things got a mongrel and a springer now both ok with the chucks but are always fetching rabbits 'rats etc only way to defo know what they are up to is to keep them on a lead Dogs will be dogs but i love them both to bits

[lindyloo]

if you want a specific breed, but would like a rescue, the different breeds always have a rescue group for thier breed. i have to say that the last three dogs i have had have all been rescues from breed society rescues, and many more which i have fostered for the society, proir to rehoming, and they have all been impecibly behaved. as regards puppies and exercise, yes, young dogs need lots of rest, so thier bones can grow correctly, and they dont get arthritis and joint problems at a later date. it also makes them more even tempered. the highly thought of and respected breeder who i used to help for many years, only allowed her puppies a twenty minute walk per day, and no boisterous play in the garden, for the first year. i have to admit, i often feel sorry for little puppies who are roughhoused by young children, from sun up til sundown.

[Hilary B]

One tip for 'coming back'. Teach the dog to 'drop' (lie down) however far away it may be from you. For some unaccountable reason, it is quite common for a dog to go down in mid chase more readily than to turn round. My first dog (a Scottie) the only reachable place for off-lead was not really as secure as I would have liked, but usually OK because there was nothing to set her off. One day she found a cat! The cat took off directly towards the one dangerous place (small gap to big road) with Katy a few yards behind. I yelled "DOWN!" and she obeyed, letting the cat vanish across the road. Once it was out of sight, I called, and she came back.

re-Bedlingtons and Whippets being delicate, they have slender bones, so you have to watch for things falling on them and similar hazards. I think that is what was referred to.

[kirsty b]

And the price of the DDB! They are wickedly expensive...

A decently bred DDB puppy can be as much as £1200... the parents should be hip and elbow scored (to check for dysplasia), as they are prone to it (like a lot of giant breed dogs)

Sorry to hijack thread Di!!

OWG - its all these things that have to be taken into consideration which is why it won't happen for years. We are liklely to have Boo for at least another 4-5 and we won't get another dog straight away. Plenty of saving/research time.

[its hilly]

Friend of mine has had Bedlingtons for lots of years. She said that they are tougher than they look, but do balance feed and exercise carefully when they are young. And use good quality feed to make sure that bone growth is strong.
With careful training you shouldn't have too much problem, yes Lurchers are sight hounds and do tend to switch the ears off when they see 'prey' the trick is to be sure that your pup knows what is and isn't 'prey'. Most lurchers chase cats because they are encouraged to chase rabbits, and a cat and rabbit look very similar at a distance running. And I agree it is so much easier to teach a dog to 'lie down' in mid-stride than 'come back'. Another trick I was taught is that when your pup is running loose, if it wont come back..DONT RUN AFTER IT. Gather your courage in both hands and run steadily in the OPPOSITE direction calling it constantly. Very few pups can stand seeing their mum run away and tend to follow, albeit sometimes slowly. Then of course big fusses are due. Never ever smack a pup when it does come back to you no matter how long it takes, or how frustrated you are. They dont think of the hassle they've caused, and just remember the slap.
Good luck and hope you have as many years of enjoyment with your new pup as I've had with my various muts.