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Post by mrmrsrose on Nov 17, 2011 16:11:11 GMT 1
Hi to you all,
I'm am a new whippet owner, I recently brought him then i found this amazing website with good help and advice, Milo is currently 9 weeks old so i am looking in the near future!!
I have read so many times never to let whippets off their leads!However i do want be be able to with Milo but don't know what the best way is for training to do so(when he's old enough)!!
We live in Somerset next to a national trust estate with Miles and miles of woodland walks and open fields, And i don't think you can get better seeing the sight of a whippet in pure ecstasy free running!!
Please if any one has any tips on training or anything in that matter on bringing up a whippet puppy i will be very grateful.. ;D ;D ;D
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gemma
New Member
Posts: 35
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Post by gemma on Nov 17, 2011 18:02:17 GMT 1
It saddens me so much that people out there are still saying whippets should never be let off lead Of course you can let him off lead: in a safe place and providing he has good training in recall etc. It certainly sounds like you're in a lovely location for a whippet and I'm sure with plenty of training right from the start (especially in recall) Milo will be skipping through the woodland and fields when he is old enough
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Post by rachelhayball on Nov 18, 2011 10:38:49 GMT 1
Hello
Milo is at the perfect age to start training him. Once he knows his name and has had all his vaccinations and you can walk him take him out to somewhere safe and let him off lead. You will find that he will stay near you and will come flying back if you call him. Puppies dont tend to run away from their owner.
Spend lots of time training him to come both to his name and a whistle. Lots of reward based training is fantastic.
There will come a time where he will push the boundarys, which tends to be around the time they hit that lovely teenage stage and he will ignore you once or twice and will go belting off after something, but he will come back. Keep at the training all the time and you will end up with a dog that has good recall.
Yes they are sighthounds and are always at risk of belting off after something, however that doesnt mean that they should never be off lead. They are ment to run and it makes me sad when you see whippets that are never allowed to run.
Dog training classes are excellent for both training and socialisation and i would recommend that you take your puppy to one. However make sure that the trainer knows sighthounds and knows that they wont train like collies and labs and also make sure that it is reward based rather then dominance based training.
Lots of luck with him and enjoy him. They grow so quickly x
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Post by natalie1642 on Nov 23, 2011 20:39:28 GMT 1
Hi, we rescued a 2 year old dog back in June. I naturally had to gain trust with him and he with me. Finn was fearful of dogs when we first got him but with the help of my Rhodesian Ridgeback and friends at the local "dog walking park" I let Finn meet lots of different dogs. Small dogs were my greatest fear as I wasnt sure how he would react, sometimes he would just bowl them over! His fear would make him bulshy and barky. We took the dogs to Paws in the Park in Kent. There I found a stall for sight hounds and they sold these bells! which I can only describe as light weight cow bells.They told me their dogs wear them so as an owner we can keep walking with confidence and know that our dogs are still near. Obviously recall, is important but we found that once we knew Finn loved and trusted us it all fell into place. We dont use the bell now - because he lost it! nether the less it served its purpose and I met many people with all different breeds who all said it would work great for their dogs. I hope this is of some use. We have had Finn only 6 months and he runs off lead all the time!! Enjoy life with Milo xx
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Post by homeahound on Nov 23, 2011 20:52:34 GMT 1
My family and i adopted LJ whippet from scruples approx 3 months ago< the lady who was fostering him said his recall was fantastic< she worked with him on it< so when we adopted him i only had him 4 days and took the plunge and let him off !!!!! he was brilliant ! i do have a greyhound too< but have also walked him on his own a couple of times (bad foot syndrome for my greyhound) and his recall is still spot on< i use a whistle and am armed with a small treat bag! he never strays far from me even without the use of the whistle but if he goes a little far i just whistle and he come flying back !!! to see him in full flight is a joy to watch xxxxxxxxxx
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Post by homeahound on Nov 23, 2011 20:53:53 GMT 1
P S forgot to say he was only 18 months old when we adopted him so very young and mischevious ! but recall spot on XXX
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deb
New Member
Posts: 23
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Post by deb on Nov 24, 2011 23:40:50 GMT 1
The best thing about having a whippet is watching it run,they enjoy it so much. I have two tags on Lola so i can hear here jangle if she gets out of sight and a flashing collar if it's getting dark just to be on the safe side. She has a very strong hunt instinct so i have to be careful near woods as she is obsessed with chasing squirrels,although her recall is very good if she sees a squirrel/rabbit etc she goes 'deaf' i know she will come back when the chase is over but i do my best to avoid such situations just incase somebody manages to get hold of her while she's out of my sight. While training Lola she liked food treats for good behaviour while at home but responded more to cuddles while outside. Good luck with Milo
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