Rehoming a whippet

ra0044

Hi

I am looking at taking on an 18 month old whippet boy from a rescue and am looking for some advice on settling him in. I dont have anymore info on him as he was found straying. Is there anything i need to look out for.

We have 2 children 5 and 7 who have been taught what to do and not to do around dogs from an early age so hoping to have no problems there. We have a comfy bed for him and a walking coat and toys etc.

How much do whippets eat ? I am more used to larger dogs from my own childhood that ate everything around them.

Any advice or things you think we need would be really appreciated.

Thanks

toadfly

Ah its lovely to see people rehoming whippits. We have one;) but shes crossed with a staffie . She has the staff head and a whippit body just not as tall.

What does he weigh? Depending on the food you pick it varies massively. Burns would be 10/kg per day and Pedigree Chum etc would be about twice that. Would you consider a raw diet? I have finally gotten our lady sorted on a raw diet. For the last year it has been hell with her but she is finally gaining weight.

EDIT: get health insurance! Ours is about €15 a month per crossbreed. €20 a month for purebreed.

planetX

'Sighthounds are fantastic pets. Check your garden has no gaps he could slip out of though. If you can find somewhere safe to give him a good run a few times a week he'll appreciate it, as well as regular walks. Other than that the main requirement is a nice soft bed, or even better - the sofa.

ra0044

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully we will be able to pick him up at the weekend. Really cant wait.

Will probably start him off on dry food with some fresh mixed in as a treet at times. Does anyone use a raised bowl for whippets. A friend of mine with a greyhound uses one to help stop bloat.

As far as I can tell he has no training. Hopefully he will be a quick learner

Milly33

I was just going to say get a sofa..they have to be the most placid and laziest dogs.. really lovely to have, I would not have been into them before i met himself and he had one. She is great a little dim but other than that shes great. Bring her for a walk every day, she has a run in a circle then back to the couch sleepy time..

best of luck!!

DBB

ra0044 wrote: »

Does anyone use a raised bowl for whippets. A friend of mine with a greyhound uses one to help stop bloat.

Congratulations! Whippets are so lovely!
As for the raised bowl preventing bloat, this has turned out to be a fallacy
In fact, there are some who feel that making the dog feed in an unnatural position may actually make them more predisposed to bloat :eek:
So, I'd do as nature intended: feed from the floor. In a bowl, I mean

falabo

Whippets are fantastic dogs, don't need much exercise, a good brsiky walk per day, absolutely not in the rain though, they won't go outside lol


they are very lazy inside, a very comfy bed or couch is a must have !

enjoy. had one, he lived for 17.5 years

ra0044

Thanks for the replies. We picked him up on Saturday afternoon and so far he has been fantastic. He is great with the children and walks well on the lead and even put up with a bath without a murmer.
I am ueed to bigger dogs so can I ask a couple of questions. He seems to enjoy being stroked and play but doesnt seem to wag his tale and spends alot of time in his bed rather than with the faamily. Is this normal.
Secondly he is 15kg and he is on dry food which he eats well but the feeding guide says 200grms of food a day. Is this ok for a whipet or should he have more or less. Is there a specific food for whippets that would be better.

Thanks again

Milly33

Glad you got him home..

I defo would not be worried about how lazy the dog is or how he does not want to play as such all the time, they are known for being lazy and relaxed as such..

Himselfs one sleeps most of the day or after a big run she is not interested in anything at all but sleep, she does love however coming over to sit with us when she can for a cuddle or just to be close. She had rickets and sometimes her legs get sore she loves to have them rubbed, tis liks a mini massage. Tail wagging either kinda only does it when she gets very excited but to be honest i cant say i notice her doing it constantly or as much as any dog I have had before.

cant say much about the food really, we just give her a mix of dry and wet twice a day not an awfull lot of it but could not tell you what weight.. One tip is the old oily fish for their coats it makes them loverly and shiny or a drop of cod liver oil..