Does anyone have a Whippet or a Border Terrier dog as a pet with a young family? Are the breeds suited to family life? We are working parents. Every fortnight the dog would be left alone in the house from 8 till 4 but would have half an hours exercise in the morning and an hour in the evening. The weekends would be lots of exercise as we are outdoor orientated. The other week it would be alone for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. The rest of the time there would be someone in the house. Time for exercise that week would be plentiful. We live in the countryside so plenty of space for exercise. We are surrounded by rabbits, pheasants,deer and also cows/sheep. Would this mix make exercising these breeds troublesome? Experiences and pictures would be nice.

Border Terriers are the STW default. I have a Lakeland terrier (she is 12 now) Also have a Cocker Spaniel (3 yrs last week)
I wouldnt have another terrier I would choose Spaniels every time now. The Cocker is a great family pet and loves to be around people and loves to be outdoors walking, running or just generally being part of the family. The Lakeland is pretty agoraphobic.

Best mate has a whippet. Lovely dog, if he is representative of his breed then I would say:

* Leaving him alone isn’t a big issue, he just likes to sleep during the day as long as he gets a morning run.

* Very young kids were an issue for him… again because he likes to sleep being constantly ‘petted’ made him a bit grumpy (but never aggression to the kid, just took himself away). However this was all resolved when Jnr started nursery and the Whippet got his peaceful day back!

* Chasing things is his favourite pass time – but with work they have stopped him chasing livestock, not sure you’d ever prevent him chasing a rabbit though. He always comes back, just not immediately.

In general a calm, gentle, intelligent dog, loves attention, fuss, walks. Great with other dogs, he puts up with my two Kelpies, where as most other dogs would get totally wound up by them. He does like a comfy bed though, and will use the sofa if there is nothing else about.

EDIT: Just read the ‘outdoor’ bit… Although the Whippet is a lot tougher than he looks (will easily spend a day climbing munros) he does get very cold very quickly. In the past we’ve had to stick a foil blanket under his usual coat just to keep him warm – where as I wouldn’t even think of putting a coat on my two mutts.

We have a whippet – got her as a pup now almost 4 years old.

Never had a dog before so can’t compare – she is a couch potato – loves to sleep – more like a cat in many ways. Can be aloof with people and dogs she doesn’t know. Great with our kids and cats.

Ours is not great with sheep – likes to chase them – in fact likes anything that runs. So rabbits, hares, birds, squirrels are all fair game.

Good with our horses but probably just bored with them now.

Will walk for miles but also happy to do some quick sprints over say 20 mins.

Personally I wouldn’t leave a dog home alone for 8 hours with no company or exercise or play – sorry if I misinterpreted what you wrote.

I think that changed last year. It’s definitely Whippets now.

Personally I wouldn’t leave a dog home alone for 8 hours with no company or exercise or play – sorry if I misinterpreted what you wrote.

Yeah – get two.

Any long dog (whippet, greyhound saluki etc) or lurcher will chase rabbits and deer given the chance, ours is a collie lurcher and finds them very difficult to resist. Game birds aren’t a problem nor are sheep but that is more to do with being frightened of livestock. Even so it is under tight control around farmland.

Leaving a dog for 8 hours is too long IMO. Going out for an evening is ok, more than that not really unless it’s a very secure and relaxed animal.

Well on our third BT now (over 20yrs since the first) together with a Patterdale (Aka The Patterdevil).

I wouldn’t be happy to leave a BT from 8am-4pm each day during the week. Unless you get a dog walker.

BTs are generally great with young kids too.

In the true spirit of recommend what you have – here is Angus with his favourite toy…

…now – I like whippets too and we’d consider one in the future. But for me it’s the face that wins it. Borders are so expressive, and whippets are well, a little bland IMO.

Borders for me – Great with kids. Can have little dog syndrome around bigger dogs. Is happy with a couple of 15 min walks a day, or a 5 hour hike.

Our 2 get left very rarely for more than about 6 hours if all 4 of us are out but often one of us is around either morning or afternoon. They have plenty of room to move around and on the days myself or wife work from home they just sleep all day anyway. Exercise morning and night is the key.

I dont think that your work commitments are compatible with dog ownership – sorry

We have a lurcher with a bit of whippet in it. Will chase anything that runs away. Sheep dont sprint off at the sight of a dog so she can be called back and put on the lead easily, wouldnt trust her with them though. Great with kids but not really a knock about and play with kids type dog. Saying that my mum has a whippet bedlington cross and it loves playing with my 5 year old son.
Our dog is happy to sleep all day in the sun or in her kennel if its raining. Dogs are creatures of habit if they know what the routine is they are happy.

We have a Border and considered a Whippet.

Ted gets left on his own a couple of times a week for a few hours 2 to about 5 depending on how life is. He seems perfectly fine with it and if we know he’ll be left we try and really tire him out the day before.

Whippets will sleep all day. Borders are more flexible and will fit into your routine.

Cracking little dogs – make sure you put in the hard work of properly training them. We are reaping the rewards now but it needs a lot of effort. Will post photos later.

Could you pay someone to take your dog out around lunchtime on the day when he is alone for 8 hours?

In anticipation of a pitchfork wielding mob, our dog (a terrier sized mongrel) is on it’s own for about eight hours Mon-Weds and on a Friday. He’s fine. He’d rather have company, obviously, and by Wednesday evening is a bit whiney when we get home, but he’s fine. He gets a 15/20 minute walk in the morning and about three quarters of an hour in the evening and sleeps most of the day (he also has a dog flap into the fairly large back garden).

Like someone said, once they’re used to it and into the routine, (most) dogs will cope fine being on their own. Saying that, when he pops his clogs we’ll probably get a pair to keep each other company.

Why choose between the two? A border terrier, whippet cross sounds like it would be an amazing dog!

@IHN – I’m with you on this one (although I do have a pair), its the routine that counts. My two are in an outdoor run, with warm kennel beds Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri (work hours) and they are fine.

It took a while to build it up and get them settled, and they get a good hours walk before I leave. However there would need to be some alternative arrangements while it is a puppy – or even better get a young adult rescue.

First time dog owner here; got first whippet last year and he’s now nineteen months old and last week we brought home our second; another whippet now nine weeks old. Both boys.

A friend once described whippets as the most cat-like of dogs and I’d fully agree! Will happily sleep for hours, immensely clean – leaves less hair and detritus around the house than the two cats do! Very affectionate but poor recall when there’s rabbits involved. Fine on walks that last several hours as long as lots of treat involved, but also happy with a short walk around the field with my wife during the day and I’ll take him (soon to be them) out for up to an hour in the evening; as much for my benefit as his!

We’d never leave a dog alone for that long. My wife works from home but sometimes away on business but we use a local dog childminder service; they pick him up at 0730 and return him at 1700 when I’m back home – he comes back exhausted having spent all playing with other dogs.

We bought the second as company for our first and despite some raucous play fighting they are normally cuddled up on the sofa and have made an awesome duo.

Having gone from not being a fan of dogs a few years ago I am now smitten and would not wish to be without canine company ever again.

With that pattern of home alone time, a soft toy is the only type of dog you should be getting.
8 hrs at a time once in a blue moon is one thing but regularly? It’s just not fair on the dog. They thrive on routine so having such a varied pattern will also confuse it.

I’d recommend a Border. My family have had them for about 20 years. When we get a dog it’s probably what we’ll get. I had one on loan from my folks years ago, my girlfriend at the time had depression and anxiety. As she gradually went back to work the dog had to spend the day in the house on her own. We walked her in the morning and evening. A friend looked after her one day when we were away and was disappointed the dog didn’t want more walks. It sounds like you are in an almost ideal situation to have a dog. I’ve seen some real shitty dog walkers so I’d see if you can get a friend to take it out for half an hour on the day you are all out. They’ll probably take much better care of it than somebody with a van full of dogs that drives to a beauty spot and let’s them all roam around crapping all over the place while post about what a great job they’re doing on Facebook or roll themselves another cigarette.

Edit. Just reread your post, is it all week once a fortnight?

Well on our 6th BT now (over 37 since the first) together.

I would be happy to leave a BT from 8 to 6 some days during the week..

BTs are generally great with young kids too and like most dogs sleep about 6 hours at least during the day.

Exhibit A:

There are people on this forum that suggest leaving a dog at all is abject cruelty, dogs get used to your routine and if you need to leave it at home it will be fine, 8 hours is a long time though.

There are also people on here who will tell you that using a dog walker is the same as sending your kids off to boarding school (I was told that last week). A decent dog walker is a great option who will socialise and exercise your hound on days you are out.

Yeah all day for one week out a fortnight. I’m a shift worker. Apart from that one week everything else seems dog friendly. We have a very large secure garden. In the summer we thought it would be ok to have a kennel out there and it could roam free and safe all day. Even if it did escape we are surrounded by fields and over half a mile down a single track road from a quiet back road. We were worried about the winter and having it confined to indoors for up to 8 hours.

Even if it did when it does escape

FIFY in preparation for getting BT.

Doggy daycare on that one day a fortnight?

Wouldn’t leave my whippet for eight hours and he’s almost four now.

Great family dog BTW, bit of a handful when he was a puppy. We’d look for a suitable rescue hound if doing it again.

But we wouldn’t do it again FWIW. People who said they’d have him for holidays later got their own pets (and I couldn’t put him in kennels) – so we don’t get away much now.

And I’ve ended up doing the vast majority of walkies (it wasn’t me that wanted him).

Worth thinking about whether your circumstances will remain the same.

I’m not sure you’d convince a rescue centre to let you have one of their dogs with that regime.

**** hell, dogs are fine left alone, they have been doing it for centuries. A kennel and a bit of space it’ll be fine. Its a dog not a baby.

There are people on this forum that suggest leaving a dog at all is abject cruelty, dogs get used to your routine and if you need to leave it at home it will be fine, 8 hours is a long time though.

The same ones that’ll tell you not to let a dog through the door first as it makes them think they’re boss.

The same ones that’ll tell you not to let a dog through the door first as it makes them think they’re boss.

Or to eat before the dog!

Homer, 7 months old. Let him upstairs for the first time a couple of days ago and he did a shite on my daughters bedroom carpet. He’s lost all his upstairs privileges.

Homer, 7 months old. Let him upstairs for the first time a couple of days ago and he did a shite on my daughters bedroom carpet. He’s lost all his upstairs privileges.

I think they recommend that you take a shite on the carpet first.

I’d definitely recommend a Border. Wonderful little dogs. Ours is quite independent and is firmly stuck into his little routine. We do loads of things that the ‘experts’ wouldn’t recommend – Monty sleeps on our bed, gets fed scraps from the table etc etc – but he is firmly part of the family. He has to get left at home sometimes, the worst is between 6am and 2pm, but it’s only once every few weeks. Our neighbour always pops in to let him have a charge around the garden.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/NzZ2Vu]Montino[/url] by Scgwhite, on Flickr

Haha. Mine is completely addicted to having his head out of the car window whenever we go anywhere.

dogs get used to your routine and if you need to leave it at home it will be fine, 8 hours is a long time though.

Agree, but it does depends on the dog, it’s (ongoing) training, it’s temperament (which can be moulded via it’s training) and it’s history (esp. if a rescue).

**** hell, dogs are fine left alone, they have been doing it for centuries. A kennel and a bit of space it’ll be fine. Its a dog not a baby.

Ditto

The same ones that’ll tell you not to let a dog through the door first as it makes them think they’re boss.

Or to eat before the dog!

We do both of these things, ‘cos Nelson is a rescue and has always had wannabe-boss issues. He is much, much better when he’s sure of his position in the pack (i.e. the bottom).

Dogs are NOT pack animals. Ferral dogs do not form packs.

So those many packs of feral dogs I saw in Bosnia, for example, were just mates who’d got together for a day out?

Pretty much yes. They will congregate around food sources or females in season but they dont form packs.

*is sceptical* 😕

A quick Google suggests that this is a hot topic in dog-world. Anyhoo, what we do seems to work for us and Nelson, so I’ll just leave it there.

Your work schedule sounds absolutely fine.. anyone saying otherwise either has a very insecure dog or is a little bit too close to their child substitute.. I wouldn’t see the point if you were all out all day every day though

Dunno what breed to recommend though.. We have a patterjack and she is the mellowest easygoing little cat dog ever..
Quite happy to snooze under the duvet all day, but equally happy playing hide and seek with the kids, snoozing under a bar stool, hiking on the moors or belting over the common with me on my bike

So those many packs of feral dogs I saw in Bosnia, for example, were just mates who’d got together for a day out?

No, these are just self help groups of lonely dogs who had got together as their owners had left them for more than 15 mins and not fed them in the correct order. They find it cathartic to share their distress.

^ 😀

I’m not sure you’d convince a rescue centre to let you have one of their dogs with that regime.

OP – Please ignore this… SOME rescue centres will rehome SOME dogs into regimes very similar to yours. They asses each dog as it comes and rehome appropriately. I would think that a rescue centre would be a good option for you, as a young dog will be much easier to fit into that cycle than a puppy ever would.