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swift-whippet — whippets' winter walk
Published: 2007-12-11 23:54:43 +0000 UTC; Views: 2673; Favourites: 56; Downloads: 0
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Description
Picture of Beth and Johnny with their dogs that I drew in between people-watching at the deli with Christmas carols playing on the radio in the background. I made Johnny too short. x_x;EDIT: Coloured, fixed Johnny being too short, and it's my picture for the season! Happy holidays everybody!
Beth, Johnny, Penny, Wings and Golddust all belong to me.
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Comments: 70
I'm assuming that whippet's fur is too short to sufficiently insulate them in cold weather? :3 Interesting. Very interesting. I've never owned a dog that couldn't handle at least a bit of cold. Even my little corgi has the right kind of fur and enough of it to be alright in various sorts of weather.
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When you consider that many sighthound breeds were bred to survive the desert heat, it's really no surprise. -> [link] They also have very little body fat and thin skin, since they were bred to be light and fast.
They get cold easily, though that by no means implies that they're a sissy breed. That whippet that got loose from her cage at JFK airport nearly two years ago is still very much alive and surviving on her own wits. And lemme tell ya, the winters here are freezing.
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*laughs* Oh, I didn't mean to imply they were wussies! Like you said, they're just bred for heat. I tend to take that for granted, having grown up in the south...but my Callie doesn't do well with heat, either. It just all depends on where they 'evolved'. :3
And dogs in general are good at surviving. 
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Oh no you didn't at all, but I can never resist the urge to wax lyrical about my dogs. :3
She left the airport long ago. She made her way all the way from there to Queens, and is supposedly now frequenting a park. the trouble is that she always changes her haunts, but they are still out there looking for her. They know she is there, it's just that she is hard to catch. Sighthounds are among the hardest breeds to catch once loose, because they revert to their feral instincts very quickly and survival becomes the only thing on their minds. Sighthounds were bred to think independently and to hunt using their own wits, rather than to just be obedient and tractable to commands given by a handler, so the survival instinct is even stronger in them. Supposedly it takes them some time to remember their owners and their old lives even when caught. In Vivi's case she also suffered quite a lot of trauma when she got loose as she was chased by officers at the airport, so I imagine that made it even worse for her.
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Awwwwww. 
And that's very interesting, actually, I didn't know that. I knew the part about them being bred in desert regions, sort of, in that vague way where you know two facts but haven't quite yet drawn the logical conclusion...but that makes a lot of sense. They're fast, they're fairly strong, and like you said, they aren't bred specifically to take commands. That's part of why I enjoy working with the herding and working group so much, they're so tractable. :3
And feel free to always wax lyrical.
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I know, I'm still concerned for her. though she seems to be surviving quite well on her own, it must be a nightmare for her poor owners.
it's one of the things that results in many sighthounds being labeled 'hard to train' or 'stubborn'. I've heard it said once: a golden retriever or somesuch breed will perform a task a thousand times just to please you or to have something to do - a sighthound will do it twice, then look at you and go "okay, I get it, can we do something else now?" to get them to do what you'd like, you have to hold their interest and make it fun for them or they'll get bored very fast. I've heard that Huskys have a similar attitude. (heck, *I* have a similar attitude. whippets really fit me quite well. :3)
They're also adept at finding out how to get what they want, namely food. I've heard a story on Animal Planet about an Afghan that got out of the house, jumped a fence, sneaked into a neighbour's kitchen and ate a cake that was in the fridge. o.o
I intend to keep whippets someday so I've been researching and reading up about them for quite a long time now.
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Eh, people call corgis hard to train and stubborn. Honestly, they're right. XD You just about described Callie with that scenario right there, the one with the Afghan-she loves food, she loves playing with other dogs, and she'll do anything she can come flood and hellfire to get that! It's a bit bothersome for a while and then you learn how to play the game. *grins* She behaved badly last time she was off the leash? No more off the leash walkies for a while.
Some might say she has no idea what's going on, but I know that dog, and she knows me. She understands.
Yeah, huskys have that attitude too. Both huskies and the sighthound group have a very strong survival instinct. Huskies are difficult to work with sometimes because of the fact that they're bred to work in packs, and may people have no idea of a pack mentality. Plus they love to run and the instant they're off leash or out of the yard-BAM! Off they go to explore. *chuckles* We had a husky once that did that. Beautiful dog she was. Ended up being hit by a car because she got out of her enclosure.
Yeah, experience...they have schools for training, which I'm going to try and attend one day. Got work to do before that so I can afford it-it's around $7,000 for the kind of certification I want (the one that includes training K-9 units for police and search and rescue) but hey, you get to bring your dog with you! That's the kinda school for me.
In the meantime I'm going to try 'apprenticing' under another trainer, or at least go to classes so I can understand what I'm getting into. *le sigh* Why is it that education is so expensive? I ask you.
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Well, I don't know much about herding breeds. you just called them tractable. xD my dog pretty much lives to eat too. But could she get out of the house, get into the neighbour's, open the fridge and get the cake out to eat it? that requires a mind that can plan and strategise, and think things through.
hound breeds were bred to work in packs as well, so that all makes a lot of sense. it's what makes them nice to be with, imho.
I hope you get to go to that school! it sounds awesome.
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Me too, it's gonna take a few years to get money for. XP
Herding breeds were bred specifically to take command from their master, so they can be easier to work with. They're very intelligent though, and that makes them stubborn at times. *laughs* And I don't think my dog could do all that. She's smart, but not THAT smart. Yet. *duh-dun-DUM*
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well once you do, I'd love to hear all about it. 
it's funny when intelligent dogs get labeled 'unintelligent' just because they don't follow commands, isn't it? xD
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It is! *lmao* Everyone keeps telling me Callie isn't smart, and I KNOW different. She's devious!
I was so excited about getting my new dog from the shelter. 
Yeah.
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This is so cute! Drawing sweaters and coats on dogs for me is hard...I congratulate your marvelous ability to do so!
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Oh, I need to commission you to draw my Whippet character!
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as of right now I only take commissions as collabs with my friend *FireflyStudios . the info is all here: [link]
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aww nice job!
i like everyones expresions
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Awww C: This is really cute n.n I love the dogs' little jackets
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eeeeeeeee the whippets are wearing SWEATERS! <3 <3 <3
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heeeee thanks I thought it might add to the winter-feel. <3
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