Can anyone recommend help for my friend who has a 8mth old whippet. He has so much energy and rarely sits still that she's having a hard time with him. She can barely walk him on a lead he pulls so much, he has a special whippet collar but she would like a harness for him, she's already tried 2 but he managed to back out of both of them. Training is going slowly but she is making progress with him and he can now be let off the lead with my dog bringing him back He is so fast and has so much energy, it's exhausting just watching him! Any advice on how to manage his energy and if there is a suitable harness?
What food is he fed on as some can make them hyper ? My young whippets wear gentle leader head collars to help with the pulling .
I think the problem with harnesses is that most fit around the chest - which is the widest part of a dog, especially in a breed like a whippet with a deep chest. This means that once the dog learns how to position its arms to back out of the harness, there's nothing stopping the harness slipping right off. I ended up buying a Ruffwear harness for Casper as he learnt how to back out of his regular one. The Ruffwear harness has a third strap around the belly - as long as the dog isn't overweight enough that the belly is larger than the chest, the harness has a strap that's smaller than the chest and hence the dog cannot back out of it. Casper tried to once, the harness didn't budge, and he hasn't attempted to do it again since. I still tend to use a double ended lead, one end on the harness and one either on the collar or headcollar, just incase (though dog is more likely to slip headcollar or collar than the harness I think!), but I'm comfortable enough to use it on a longline without worrying about Casper escaping.
Thanks for info, I'll pass it on. Fernsmum, he is fed an own brand pet shop food, ingredients are not too bad really, I gave her some AG but it didn't agree with him and she stopped using it. I must admit that I didn't think whippets were so energetic, on my first visit, he jumped on the couch, my lap and then my shoulders! He doesn't know the meaning of down or settle yet Thanks again
My youngest whippet (9 months ) is fed on Burns Pork and potato . Some others didn't seem to agree with her . The good news regarding the energetic whippet is they can start like that but they do end up lovely dogs eventually ;-)
My whippet was 18 months old when I got him he just wears a rope lead. I have a foster whippet with me at the moment she is just a year and pulls and has no recall off a lead. My other dogs bring her back when off a lead but I also use a whistle one for them to look at me and two whistles to come back to me, if they do this they get a tasty reward and praise. She is learning. As for the lead I walk my young deerhound on a rope lead with a loop which fits over the nose, these can be brought thin enough for a whippet. It is called a hunter lead. Mine are fed on Arkwrights beef but they are over a year old.
My 2 whippet crosses are fine on the lead but hyper off it.They're both around 3 or 4 years old but the both of them are rocket powered.It's particularly noticeable as they run with the greyhounds.The latter do 5 or so minutes of land speed record attempts and then potter about peeing on the daffodils. The whippety ladies are only still for a minute between bursts of lunacy which last until I bring them in!
My whippet is an angel in the house, never puts a paw wrong! but a total nutter outside. In the garden he races round ripping up grass, tries to nip me!, and just gets really giddy, on walks off lead his re-call is fine and he loves to chase about with our most energetic greyhound! On lead on a street walk he is a total nightmare and barks and kicks off at everything he sees, on his own he's not too bad but if he has his walking partner indi the greyhound with him he gives it large to everything!!!! I think it's just fear because he is not really happy around other dogs only his own. I have heard that whippets calm with age, we use a water pistol when he is really bad and it works a treat but i hate using it on him cos he looks mortified when he's been squirted but i have to say it really works.
What is she feeding him. I have 8 whippets of my own and at the moment 2 foster whippets. My youngest 2 are just 3 years old and were bred by me. I found that when they are fed complete food they do tend to be a bit hyper but when I cut their complete down and introduce raw the calm down a lot. The 2 foster dogs I have, have not been socialised very well they are aggressive towards other dogs on walks and have to be kept well away from my dogs in the house. On walks they have both started to wear haltis and I also take a water pistol with me. They have only been here since tuesday and already there is an improvement also they have also had their food changed.
