Moving forward

[Shavings]

as many of you know Monday was a difficult day for our family saying goodbye to a very special boy

my mother is grieving and slowly taking it step by step

we have found her a whippet to be her new company (when she is ready! there is no rush or pressure if she isn't ready til Christmas that is fine he will be waiting for her at Christmas)

the little whippet will be 2 in July and was brought to be a show dog, but unfortunately he hates it, he has spent a lot of his life in a crate in a house with 18 other show dogs and needs/wants a loving quiet pet home
this is where my mum comes in she is on her own (only goes out 2 hours aq week to her swim class) and then taking dog for a walk daily with friends.
he will be the only dog in the house and given time to just settle, for the first few days she is going to just get on with her days as normal and let him come to her.
she has meet and had "play dates" with him on the local park and he is very very timid but we hope in him he would come out of his shell and they would make a lovely little family.

the garden is being whippet proofed (they can clearly hit though smaller gaps then a Shepard!) and he is seeing the vet to be "fixed" next Monday

so dear house and hound-ers what nuggets or advice can you give me to pass on to the mother as a first time whippet order, we have had shepherds and springers up until now but she is 64 this year (not old but the body isnt aging well) and needed a more manageable companion )

just trying to keep my mind busy or i do crumble so please dont think i am moving on fast the whole storm has left in our lives is a big one and will take some time

 

[Thistle]

I always think Whippets are more like cats than dogs, choosy who they want to be friends with and very choosy. They make lovely pets.

 

[Bellasophia]

I m sure this will be a really positive addition to help heal your moms grief and fill the emptiness that losing a special dog creates.
Personally I would delay the neuter( even cancel it)....the nervous whippet really needs his hormones in this transition...if he really needs neutering you can do this down the line.
The fencing adjustment is a great start.Next get a few comfy quilts cut down to use as settee covers..maybe buy or make some whippet raincoats..you get the idea....they love their warmth and comforts...this will keep mom busy and focused on the newcomer. good luck,I think he will be a wonderful choice.

 

[SAujla]

I've read that neutering a nervous dog only exacerbates the problem. Would it be worth giving him a month or so with your mom when she's ready, maybe he will be more confident and handle the surgery better.

Nobody should think you are moving on too quickly it was very evident how loved and brilliant Storm was.

 

[TheresaW]

I would cancel the neuter for now as well. Bo was a nervous boy when he came to us at 4. We wanted him neutered, but on vet advice, we waited a couple of months until he’d settled right in.

 

[Arzada]

so dear house and hound-ers what nuggets or advice can you give me to pass on to the mother as a first time whippet order

They are gentle dogs and love lying around on the sofa. Even better under a blanket on the sofa! Beautiful to watch when free running.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I don't have experience of whippets but please don't make your mum feel that she has to wait to welcome him into her home. The house feels horribly empty when you are used to having a dog and now don't. We had our 6 yr old Rott pts on Wednesday and by Saturday we were picking up 2 Lab pups. We still miss the Rott but spend a lot of time laughing at the Labs.

I remember the 3 weeks before we were able to collect the Rottweilers, as being the longest ever, as it was the 1st time in about 50 years that we hadn't had a dog in the house.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'd agree on delaying the neuter for now until he's more settled in, and for taking him on whenever she's ready.

 

[paisley]

Whippets can be the toughest wimps you'll ever have as a dog. Accidentally tread on a toe, and the screaming can be heard three counties away. Come back with something minimal hanging off (say, a leg or two), and not a peep.

They don't need coats (plural and from Redhound preferably), sofas, many blankets and a bed in any corner where the sun might be, but you'll end up doing that somehow.

I would suggest a harness for walks with a proper sighthound collar and not to use an extendable lead. Its not unknown for them to have delicate digestion, and thin skin+mindless zoomies means good insurance!

They love only ' their 'people. Its honestly like having a best friend with you in the house all the time (I mean , one that hogs the bed, sleeps a lot, and thinks going out in the rain is for losers, but you get the idea)

 

[palo1]

Whippets are simply wonderful and possibly one of the best medicines for a heart that needs healing. They are clowns, so affectionate and yet at the same time perfectly civilised. But yes, owners do end up as 'whippet servants' rather than owners...!!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Why neuter? Is he in a rescue that requires it? It’s my biggest regret with Zak, I think we chopped out his bravery ? I don’t think neutering will help him settle. Unless the dog is desperate when he smell as an in season bitch, I’d leave that, permanently.

 

[Shavings]

Thank you everyone for the advice
But I am afraid we can not stop the “fixing” it is something they do before rehoming any of the dogs, they can’t leave until they are done, which now has me worried he will not settle with my mother

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I am sure he will settle with your mum. She needs a companion and he needs someone to love and want him. May take him a while to settle but your mum is experienced with dogs so I am sure they will get on fine. Lovely choice of dog.