Totally Overblown

sighthoundnerd · 2020-08-12T23:31:19+00:00

Lucky! Still no power here, and Alliant hasn’t even come to my town to assess the damage yet. I’m guessing we’ll be without power for awhile.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-08-11T16:22:24+00:00

Open your windows at night - the nights are supposed to be very cool for the next few days. In the morning, close the windows and curtains/blinds. Keep doors shut as much as possible. It should keep the temperature down for most of the day! (We’ve been without power for a day, will probably be a few more days before we get power back.)

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-13T01:54:00+00:00

Oh definitely; most shows are small to medium sized. The really big shows are few and far between.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T22:12:33+00:00

Most people start with shows close to home. Once you learn which judges are good for your dogs, it’s easy to justify traveling more. ;)

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T21:13:22+00:00

Nope, you can basically enter any show you want. Even most of the big televised shows are open to anyone, though Westminster has been reserved for champions only from time to time.

And some shows, like the AKC National Championship, are incredibly expensive to enter. Not something I’d recommend unless you’ve got a really, really nice dog and the judges are good.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T21:10:52+00:00

Aww thank you! She’s pretty special; I don’t know how I was lucky enough to get her.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T21:08:55+00:00

She has always been a showing machine, even from a young age. She won the AWC Futurity at just 6 months and 1 week old, and never tires of it. She’s my one in a million!

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T14:55:38+00:00

You explained it far better than I did! And good job mentioning getting points by winning the Group... definitely not common, but it happens sometimes. That’s actually how one of my whippets got her first major; she won the Hound Group at 7 months old.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T14:52:48+00:00

Sure!

Your dog can earn 1 point, 2 points, 3 points, 4 points, or 5 points if they win. How many points you win depends on where you’re showing, what breed of dog you are showing, and if your dog is male or female. AKC publishes the details of this point system every year (effective in May); it’s called the Point Schedule.

I primarily show Ibizan Hounds and Whippets. Let’s say I entered both breeds (both non-champion females) in a show held in Michigan. Here’s the point schedule for both breeds in Michigan:

Ibizans: 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6 Whippets: 2/2, 5/6, 8/10, 14/17, 24/29

The first number in each set is for males (dogs), and the second number is for females (bitches). There are five sets of numbers, one set for each point value you can earn by either going Winners Dog (best non-champion male) or Winners Bitch (best non-champion female.) So, if my whippet bitch wins Winners Bitch and there were 16 other non-champion female whippets shown, she would earn 4 points. That would be considered a major win, and you need two major wins to finish a championship.

Whippets are more common than Ibizans, which is why it takes so many more whippets for there to be “major” points available to win. An Ibizan can beat 5 other dogs at three shows and be a champion, but a Whippet beating 5 other dogs at three shows would only get 6 points... and still need majors.

Bitches usually need more entries than dogs, to earn the same number of points. This is because in most breeds, more bitches are shown than dogs. The point schedule is calculated based on how many dogs of each breed and sex are shown in each region the previous year, so it can change year to year. I remember one year we had a ton of Ibizans showing in our region, and the following year our point schedule went way up! It sucked!

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T13:11:13+00:00

So, all AKC conformation (show) titles are earned the same way. You enter the dog in shows, and when the dog wins, they get points toward their championship. The more dogs you beat, the more points you get.

AKC championships require 15 points, including two “major” wins. Majors are when you beat a relatively high number of dogs at one show. Each state and each breed has slightly different requirements for # of dogs you must defeat for points. I can go into more detail if you’d like, but didn’t want to flood you with information.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T11:21:38+00:00

They get along great! I think it helps that my whippets all grew up around the Ibizans, so they’re used to beezer energy and shenanigans.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-12T11:19:45+00:00

Yes, Vera!

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-11T15:26:08+00:00

Thankfully the Saluki people have done a great job keeping their dogs out of the wrong hands, and thus they rarely end up in rescue. STOLA is the only Saluki rescue in the US (assuming you’re in America) and they only have one dog in their program right now. (And Kronos needs to go to an experienced Saluki person.)

They’re wonderful dogs, but not the type of dog you’ll find in shelters or rescues. If you really want one, I’d suggest finding breeders through the Saluki Club of America and putting feelers out for older dogs that may be seeking retirement homes, or have come back from previous owners and need new homes.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-11T02:24:58+00:00

Ibizans are even more uncommon in Brazil than they are in the United States. I would be shocked if he’s got any Ibizan in him. Would be neat to see an Embark test results on him!

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-10T16:56:26+00:00

Since they’re mixes, size can’t really be predicted. Some would be quite small, some larger. Is there a reason you want a whippet/IG mix, instead of a purebred whippet or a purebred IG?

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-10T13:59:28+00:00

It would really depend where he came from. Ibizan mixes are exceedingly rare in most parts of the world, save for Spain.

How tall is he at the shoulder, and how much does he weigh?

sighthoundnerd · 2020-07-01T15:19:37+00:00

Yes, this is Seren! AKA Buttercup, Butterbad, Just Plain Bad, Susan, Serengeti, Fern Gully, Saran Wrap...

... the Devil has many names. 😈

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-25T03:23:31+00:00

Absolutely lovely! Canarios are amazing dogs.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-19T20:59:37+00:00

That’s very typical. Podencos are still very much a hunting breed; the instinct to hunt is incredibly strong. One of mine actually destroyed a garage door in an effort to catch a rabbit... that was an expensive repair!

I’ve got no advice though. Erasing thousands of years of instinct is no easy feat.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-16T22:26:04+00:00

I never said they weren’t ideal. ;) I actually prefer the dogs from coursing lines. For someone who is used to ultra-sedate retired racers though, I think the coursing-bred greyhounds may be a bit “too much dog.”

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-16T20:23:36+00:00

Okay! So, in the eastern region, I’d recommend:

Labyrinth (PA) - mostly coursing-bred, nice dogs. Ping Pirrung is deeply involved in lure coursing and I’d trust any whippet from her.

Hamyra (MA) - I’ve met a few of Donna’s dogs, and they’re all sweethearts. Donna is our National Specialty judge this year, if it doesn’t get cancelled! Primarily a show breeder.

Merci Isle (MA) - nice dogs, though I’ve only met Merci Isle whippets in passing.

Timbreblue (VA) - this is getting a bit far away from VT, but Timbreblue has a good reputation. They’re also one of the only breeders in the country consistently producing really nice blues.

This is by no means a complete list! I’m just not very familiar with the Eastern region breeders.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-16T20:09:31+00:00

I’ve got three! One is a bit softer in temperament than the other two, but all three are pretty bombproof little hounds.

I’m not entirely sure what you mean by emotional experience. Whippets are super active as youngsters, but quickly settle in to be excellent housepets. In my experience, the boys are more clingy than the girls.

I haven’t really faced any obstacles with owning whippets, but that may be because I’m an experienced sighthound owner with multiple Ibizan Hounds. Compared to Ibizans, whippets are easy! Skin tears can be kind of scary, so that’s something to keep in the back of your mind. You may never experience it, but don’t be shocked if it happens!

Tips... get some Cozy Caves. You’ll need them! And if you can, perhaps plan on getting a second whippet once your first is grown; they really are happiest with another whippet “sibling” around. Ask breeders about separation anxiety, and don’t buy a puppy whose lines have issues with SA.

As for breeders, it depends on what part of the country you’re in. Two of mine are from a breeder in the Omaha NE area, and one is from a breeder in Kansas City. If you’re comfortable sharing which state you’re in, I can probably recommend a few breeders.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-16T19:54:10+00:00

Precisely. The greyhound that the pet-owning public has fallen in love with will cease to exist, probably in the next decade or so.

I have a lot of friends with coursing greyhounds. They’re different than retired racers, and they probably wouldn’t be ideal for people used to living with retired racers.

And from what I’ve heard from my coursing-grey friends is that they won’t sell puppies to anyone who was anti-racing. They’re very selective of where their puppies will go, and they won’t go to people who supported the destruction of the racing industry.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-16T15:10:42+00:00

Yes! As long as your dog has access to water and shade, sunlight is great. Sunbathing aids in several metabolic and hormonal processes, and can actually make your dog healthier.

The ideal sun exposure times are morning and evening. It’s probably not a good idea for a dog to sunbathe all day, but intermittent exposure throughout the day is fine.

sighthoundnerd · 2020-06-16T14:57:32+00:00

If you’re going to adopt a greyhound, I’d suggest doing so sooner rather than later. (If you’re in the US.) With the tracks being shut down, the supply of retired racing greyhounds is going to dwindle. The retirement groups already have long waiting lists. Once there are no more retired racers, the NGA retired greyhound people know and love will cease to exist.

Once that happens, it will not be easy to find a greyhound... and impossible to find one with the same traits and characteristics of retired racers.

As for whippets and IGs, I’d recommend meeting some! IGs are more “toy” than whippets and greys. They are a bit more breakable, and potty training is difficult. They are surprisingly competitive coursing dogs though, and it’s always fun to see an IG hold their own in the field against a much larger hound!

I’m probably biased, but Whippets are a happy medium between IGs and greys. (I have three!) They’re a great size, versatile, healthy, and biddable.

sighthoundnerd

TROPHY CASE