I have a burning desire to know more about silken windhounds. Also, long haired whippets, to a lesser extent.
General back story:
So, as many of you know, I'm fairly involved in dog sports. I dream of one day having one of those flashy, fast as light border collies. My husband has other ideas. He has many, many good points. But unfortunately, being a dog lover is not among them. He finds Cohen too energetic, too focused and too demanding. Mega is more his speed, but even she is too much for him sometimes. He would be happy without a dog. Unfortunately for him, he married me. I would very much like to always have at least one dog. While I still hope to one day have a scary fast collie, I'm looking into other breeds that I feel might be more of a compromise between his desires and mine.
I've always had a soft spot for sighthounds. In particular I'm drawn to the longer fur and moderate size of windhounds and LH whippets. I have passing familiarity with whippets, as there are quite a few in flyball. I know someone with a LH whippet service dog, and another person who titles her whippets in obedience. I've only met one windhound in person however.
I know I can't expect one to be as biddable as a collie, but I'm trying to get a feel for what I might be able to find in the breed(s). I'd like to continue to be involved in flyball, agility, disc, etc, though I could cope with being less competitive than I am now. I'd consider getting involved in coursing and maybe dock diving if I could convince the dog to enjoy it. How drivey and confident are these dogs? Can I find a drivey, confident dog who will settle well at home (and not drive my husband crazy) and who will be okay in the presence of a child?
Can anyone suggest breeders that I can look at? I doubt I want to bug a breeder personally, as all of this is very early on in the planning phase and nothing is written in stone. To those of you who know me from my posts here, do you think I could be happy with one?
I know that LH whippets aren't looked at with particularly high regard by sighthound people. From what I understand, windhounds are closer with their working roots. I'd like to support a breeder who is doing well by the breed, but I'm wondering if the sheltie blood in LH whippets would create a dog that's more in line with what I'm looking for.
General back story:
So, as many of you know, I'm fairly involved in dog sports. I dream of one day having one of those flashy, fast as light border collies. My husband has other ideas. He has many, many good points. But unfortunately, being a dog lover is not among them. He finds Cohen too energetic, too focused and too demanding. Mega is more his speed, but even she is too much for him sometimes. He would be happy without a dog. Unfortunately for him, he married me. I would very much like to always have at least one dog. While I still hope to one day have a scary fast collie, I'm looking into other breeds that I feel might be more of a compromise between his desires and mine.
I've always had a soft spot for sighthounds. In particular I'm drawn to the longer fur and moderate size of windhounds and LH whippets. I have passing familiarity with whippets, as there are quite a few in flyball. I know someone with a LH whippet service dog, and another person who titles her whippets in obedience. I've only met one windhound in person however.
I know I can't expect one to be as biddable as a collie, but I'm trying to get a feel for what I might be able to find in the breed(s). I'd like to continue to be involved in flyball, agility, disc, etc, though I could cope with being less competitive than I am now. I'd consider getting involved in coursing and maybe dock diving if I could convince the dog to enjoy it. How drivey and confident are these dogs? Can I find a drivey, confident dog who will settle well at home (and not drive my husband crazy) and who will be okay in the presence of a child?
Can anyone suggest breeders that I can look at? I doubt I want to bug a breeder personally, as all of this is very early on in the planning phase and nothing is written in stone. To those of you who know me from my posts here, do you think I could be happy with one?
I know that LH whippets aren't looked at with particularly high regard by sighthound people. From what I understand, windhounds are closer with their working roots. I'd like to support a breeder who is doing well by the breed, but I'm wondering if the sheltie blood in LH whippets would create a dog that's more in line with what I'm looking for.