More about Sighthounds

This is a continuation from the previous page all about Sighthounds in general.
Photo above: My friend and her Greyhound watching Lure coursing quite calmly, whilst my two IG's go mad to join in! Shows the difference in temperament!

Saluki DKCH KLBCH KBHV95 Feisal's Qaaniy Qharim showing his pure streamlined elegance. My Danish bred Whippet Smarty "Vibes Evening Silver" and my IG Gucci "Vindhauses Marcello" sitting together!	(Continued from previous page): Since 1886, we in Denmark (where I now live), have also been able to show our dogs at various dog shows all over Europe. Denmark is a member of the FCI (Fédération Cynologique International) with DKK (the Danish Kennel Club) established in 1897, as the Danish representative organization or mother club. Myndeklubben (The Danish Sighthound Club) is a special club under the DKK. The FCI have laid down standards for each and every breed and at authorized dog shows, qualified judges pick out the dogs that are the most correct examples after the particular standard applying to that breed. It is great fun to visit a dog show and can be recommended especially if you are thinking of buying a dog but are not sure which breed is right for you. If you come to a show you can see what catches your eye and have many good chats and gather advice from anyone who has the breed you are interested in. It is always a good idea to take one's new little Sighthound to puppy training, obedience, agility and any other kind of doggie activity as sighthounds benefit greatly from this.
However, not all are entirely suited for advanced obedience and it takes a very clever and understanding (and patient!) OWNER to achieve top marks with a sighthound, but it can be done. But if you aim to be constantly amongst the elite, then you had rather choose another breed! One of the many other breeds who long to follow our every wish and command! Sighthounds are not so keen on being ordered around and get quickly bored and then go stubborn and play up or tease, especially if they can't see any purpose in the exercises. They can be just as quick to learn, but repetition bores them and they loose their concentration! Sighthounds still love it best when they are running around or chasing something. They like high levels of excitement for short periods of time. Sighthounds are surrounded by strange myths - at least they are in Denmark, where they are relatively unknown. For example, it is said that they have no brains! Maybe because their heads are relatively small in proportion to their bodies? But head size and form is just a refinement of their streamlined design for maximum speed. A large head would slow down a swift runner. But head size has no bearing on intelligence - otherwise all little dogs would be very stupid indeed! In fact Sighthounds are extremely intelligent. They have to be, for running as fast as they do, brings them in seconds many miles away from their owners and they have to be quick thinking and make intelligent decisions (often working several together) that would benefit a successful hunt and return safely to their owners again. The owner can be left miles behind out of sight or earshot. Hence their independent spirits - they are used to smartly deciding many things by themselves.	This is my Whippet Vibes Evening Silver at about two years. Over the centuries, Sighthounds have not only had to be clever enough to think for themselves, but also be true loyal and devoted companions to their owner. So they have a little of the cat's independence - which adds to their attraction! It's lovely owning a dog that is not just a slave to our every whim and constantly panting for attention and new orders and commands all the time.
A Saluki relief showing the characteristic flying trot.	Some Sighthounds, (they vary greatly, even from within the same litter), can be very "wild and crazy" in their youth and a little too full of beans, often seriously trying the patience of the owner in the start. (Although plenty of free run exercise does help!) But once mature, they are calm composed and quiet peace loving dogs that like to be lying at your feet - or preferably in the best armchair and as close to their owners as possible. You hardly notice them, even when you have several! (Mature animals, that is!) The American expression: "couch potato" just must have been invented to describe a Sighthound!
They are, when mature, quiet, loving and devoted and they possess a very special charismatic charm. They are not like "ordinary" dogs, as only a sighthound owner understands, as it's hard to explain. They are just not hanging around getting in the way and under one's feet all day, demanding constant attention and needing a lot of discipline and training. They just want to be a devoted companion - after a quick "burn-out" at high speed for a while each day! Give them few sweet words and the odd petting and they are happy just to lie and keep an eye on things. Whippets and other Sighthounds just love to run, but not everyone lives near suitable wide open spaces - with preferably no wild animals around or trees and stones or busy roads where they could come to harm. But in Denmark one can exercise them on Greyhound race tracks. I have two Whippets who have licence to run and they just love it tho' they rarely win, it's just healthy fun for us all. They just love the chance to be a bit wild, which is after all, what they were once bred exclusively to do! And we love the thrill of seeing them "fly"!	An earthenware vase with Greyhound figure running around. ONWARDS TO NEXT PAGE, all about Borzoi or try my email: janetfm@sighthound.net- I try to answer promtly and in detail! BACKTO CHOOSER