Travelling with a dog?

[helen&tony]

Hi
I've mentioned that in the past....I love 'em....once you get used to the fact that they steal food better than a ravenous bear!....
Ours is a "Long-dog" in Lurcher speak, being a cross between 2 sighthounds, she's a Saluki x greyhound, and they pretty well only like other dogs of the same heritage....you can put 2 saluki x greyhounds together and watch them , and it's like watching long-lost friends....put 'em with another dog and there's a scornful dislike. Also, when bringing a large lurcher in to a home with other dogs, they will dominate...NO PROBLEM
Our Willow is old, now, but in her day , I've never seen quicker, and as greyhounds and salukis are the 2 fastest dogs, you get a mix of stupendous build....the sheer muscle of a greyhound, and the light frame of the saluki........I love them to bits, their speed, elegance, disdain, wilful disobedience, brains, and affection. They deserve a couple of good runs every day, and preferably take them lure coursing....
Regarding thieving, I've mentioned before, but the word Lurcher has it's origin in two sources , it's thought, as Lur is the old gypsy word for thief, and lurk is an older English word for stealth...and boy, are they silent stealthy thieves
Cheers
Helen

[nicxf]

Yes, my little madam is a longdog too, she's a whippet x saluki (we think. Not sure what else is in there...). However she gets on well with dogs of all shapes and sizes, though she is randomly barky at some dogs for no apparent reason then really friendly with others - and there doesn't seem to bee any size or shape distinction. There are a couple of collies we meet regularly in the park who she's always been pleased to see, but we've met other, virtually identical dogs that she's been very cross about. I think in her case it's just that she's young and is still at the stage of finding being on lead very frustrating. But we're going to training classses every week and she's slowly getting better! She's also surprisingly good at some of the obedience stuff, although yes, she does do it with that rather disdainful "oh, if I must" expression.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Ohh, boy...that's just made me laugh, as I remember we used to meet an elderly couple with a fat whippet ...YES...a FAT whippet....Apparently they said he didn't eat much, or pick at snacks....BUT...who knows, anyway , they were a lovely couple, and poor old "Manny" did JUST about look like a whippet....but VERY round, and every time Tony and I get talking about dogs, one of us says "Remember Manny the FAT whippet?"
We did have another Lurcher cross some years ago...she was small, and long-legged, and deeply glossy shaggy black, and if you didn't keep a torch-light on her at night, you'd lose her completely until you got her eyes in the beam....the secret was, to call her name (Solstice), she'd look round, and you'd catch her eyes, but when she disappeared, she was like a silent , ghostly shadow, so I nicknamed her the "Long-haired Night Whippet"....and, boy, was she fast....one walkies, a deer came out of a bush, and good ol' Solly was stuck on this poor animal's tail, about a couple of foot behind, and the poor critter couldn't shake her until we managed to distract Solly as they shot past for the umpteenth circuit round the woods!, and , Boy, did she look pleased with herself!....little horror
Cheers
Helen