Questions About The Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier?

My bf and I already have a 2-year-old Italian Greyhound and we just LOVE her. She is VERY socialized and has been around MANY other dogs & can even handle playing w/ my mom’s 8 month old boistrous lab puppy so she won’t be a problem.
My bf has fairly bad allergies and can’t even handle cats at all so I’ve been researching dogs that, like my IG, shouldn’t cause him trouble. I’ve been researching and thinking for a good 6 months now and I’ve narrowed it down to 2 dogs, the Basenji & the SCWT.
I want to know from YOU how easy are they to train? How well do they bond with you & your family? How easily do they pick up & react to your moods? How is the grooming & how DO you groom them?
How active are they? How do they play? And any funny sweet stories that would be great? Also anything else you feel I should know?
Thank you I REALLY need thorough answers on this one.
Also I live in Colorado, which would be better suited for our climate?

Tell Me About Your Dogs?

I know it sounds crazy, but I have 30 dogs. No, I’m not kidding, and no, I’m not a hoarder. I live on a very large three generation working ranch. Please, no bad comments. We have a 300 acre ranch and need these dogs. Most are strictly working dogs.
I have a Bulldog named Chowder, who is 5 years old. He is strictly an indoor companion, but has proved his worth by breaking up more than a few fights between our holstein bulls.
Then, there is Geekie. He is a 12 year old Wire Fox Terrier. Back when we had a problem with foxes getting our chickens he was used to hunt and kill them. He is now an indoor companion.
Next is Scrumptious, an 11 year old Portuguese Podengo Pequeno. We use him to flush birds when hunting and he keeps rats out of the barnyard.
I also have a 4 year old German Wirehaired Pointer named Missy. She is our best bird retriever!
Oberon is a 6 year old Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen. He is our best rabbit hunter.
Intrepid is a 3 year old Giant Schnauzer. He is our cattle drover.
Caesar is a 1 year old Argentine Dogo pup. We bought him not long ago because we were having a problem with some large predator taking our livestock. We think it might be a puma or coyote, but aren’t sure. They definately stay away from him!
Kosmic is a 2 year old Basset Hound. Not the world’s best rabbit hunter, but loves the chase!
Dodger is a 10 year old Stabyhoun. He is our resident mole/gopher eradicator.
Charlie is a 3 year old American Eskimo Dog. He is my baby who sleeps with me every single night!
Cassius is one of our newer additions. He is a 1 year old Spinone Italiano. Cassius is another one of our retrievers.
Cricket is a 9 year old Thai Ridgeback. She is a retired breeding and we adopted her recently just as an exotic looking companion.
Harley is a 10 year old Pharaoh Hound. He is another rabbit hunter, very good, but getting a bit slow.
Cristyl is a 2 year old Berger Picard. Strictly a sheep herder.
Bruno is a 1 year old Dandie Dinmont Terrier. He is used alongside Scrumptious to kill any rats, mats, or other rodents that try to get into our grain.
Quasimodo is a 9 year old Coton de Tulear. Just another house pet!
Giggles is a 7 year old Great Pyrenees. 100% a sheep guardian.
Singer is a 9 year old Skye Terrier. Used to eradicate a fox once in a blue moon. We rarely have a problem with that, but have to keep our chickens safe.
Mu Shu is a Russell Terrier, about 4 years old. He is another ratter, but mainly works well out in the field and pastures.
Derby is a 9 year old Border Terrier, works in the western fields/yard killing rats.
Otto is a 3 year old Whippet. I bought him as a companion, but he also participates in recreational racing, just for fun, alongside other pet Whippets and Greyhounds
Tova is almost a year old Estrela Mountain Dog. She lives out with Giggles in training to be a flock guard so we can expand our wool business.
Chew-Chew is our retired Anatolian Shepherd Dog, around 9 years old. He use to guard our flock, but was badly wounded by some sort of large predator. We don’t know what, but it was very big to take down a 150 lb dog!
Ferdinand is a 10 year old Plott Hound. He helps find and take bear during hunting season.
Abby is a 5 year old Neapolitan Mastiff. She is a guard dog and has wrangled a few coyotes in her time. She is well over 100 lbs, lives and sleeps on our porch, but great protection.
Gopher is a 10 year old Cocker Spaniel. He use to hunt, but has been retired since.
Crawdad is our 6 year old Alaskan Malamute. Just a fun dog to have around, rescued from a kill shelter, pulls sleds for my younger brother and sister in the winter!
Gunther a Tosa or Mastiff Mix. We found him as a stray, about 7 years old. Great guard dog. Lives on the other side of our ranch and will kill any animal that comes near him. Loves his family though, but not strangers!
Tricky is a 10 year old Harrier. Use to hunt rabbit in his younger days.
Buginarug is a 12 year old Boxer. He is a guard dog for the east side of our ranch, but also helps out with the bulls when we have to move any for breeding.
I think I’ve named them all….Please tell me about your dogs!

Does Anybody Know About Greyhounds?

Well we were in petsmart yesterday, and they had these people there who were selling retired greyhounds and my mom said if they don’t get sold, then they put them to sleep! I just think that’s really sad, i mean i know its a business for them but still!
Anyway, we already have a toy poodle and i’m sure my dad won’t let us get a greyhound lol, but i really want one probably when i get out of college or something(i’m still in high school now). Are they good pets? They seem really lazy and sweet. Do they shed? Are they better outside dogs or inside dogs? Easy to train? Our poodle doesn’t shed and we are not allergic to her, but i am EXTREMELY allergic to cats, would i be allergic to these dogs too?
Just whatever you can tell me would be great! Thanks in advance!

Ever Noticed How Many Rescue Volunteers Know Nothing About Dogs?

I have found that the vast majority, in fact pretty much all the rescue volunteers I have met here in Ireland, on website and in person, know little or nothing about the breeds they deal with and nothing about pack structure and training. In fact I have had a whole forum of people tell me that pack structure dosn’t exsist when I gave sound advice to someone. Seriously.
I have been told that prong collars are… (let me try and remember) Somthing like “unbelievably cruel” and the word torture was used a lot.
This was when I told someone the correct way to use one on a dog that dragged them down the street on walks. They reccommended a halti, which can actually do a lot more damage to a dogs neck than a prong, as well as being not as effective!
Someone was rehoming a Weimaraner because it was not an effective guard dog, and the rescuers were all saying that the person was stupid to expect a Weim to guard, they are nothing but softies, that they would never be a good guard dog. Anyone who knows anything knows that a Weim has quite a strong protective instinct and can be a hard dog like many German breeds.
When I even mentioned the word e-collar for training (correctly and responibly after learning how to use them, obviously) I was hit with a torrent of abuse and actually banned from that particular forum. These were well known dog rescuers in Ireland.
When I volunteered to do some basic obedience with the dogs in the local centre here to make them easier to rehome,the essence of what I said was basically ignored, and I was told yeah, they really need people to help out and clean out the dogs pens or walk them. I said I would train them, like I am volunteering to train the dogs, I don’t have to do it, and they tell me I can clean out their pens? No thanks.
I have given a lot of money to the ISPCA and strongly support animal rescue, but the attitude of the volunteers would really put you off.
On another note about animal welfare in Ireland – Before when I went to do some volunteer work at the local SPCA holding spot located at the vets, a van full of lovely healthy but sad looking collies, crosses and some greyhounds and lurchers came pulled up. I was talking to them, assuming they were going onto the rescue to be rehomed. They were led into the vets, a few at a time, I heard the most awful screams I have ever heard (I’m not exaggerating) and they came out in green bags. In my county its still legal to put down dogs with bolt guns.
But anyway back to the attitude of recuers -
Has anyone else found this with them?

Thinking About Getting An Italian Greyhound?

I currently have a 5 month old male Chihuahua, he is fully vaccinated and set to be neutered within a month. He is great, 99.9% housebroken, knows some commands, is less bark-y than most chihuahuas and loves people and other animals. I have been thinking about getting a second dog. Another chihuahua is what I will most likely get, but I have also always loved Italian Greyhounds. My chihuahua will be about 5lb when he’s finished growing, so I know the Italian Greyhound would be bigger than him, but I don’t think that will be an issue.
My question is what are the main differences between the two? I don’t just want googled answers, I have done a lot of research, I want more first-hand experience if possible. I have read that IGs don’t like cold weather, rain, can be hyper and fragile, and are very hard to house train. However, I have heard most of that about chihuahuas, too, and have found that I haven’t had many problems. If I have been fine with a chihuahua, should I expect a tougher time with an IG still? Or should I be fine?

Tell Me About My Dog’s Likely Temperment?! Mixed Breeds?

In the past 6 months I’ve adopted two dogs from a) being found stray and b) the animal shelter. I know it would just be a matter of guestimating what the temperments of each animal would be — but would you like to take a guess and give me some constructive advice?
Dog 1 – Ginger – 1yo spayed female JRT/West Highland Terrier
Dog 2 – Foxy… – 3yo spayed female Chi/Italian Greyhound
They are wonderful pets and get along famously, but I was wondering what I have to look forward to for either girl. We love them SO much! Each is crate trained, walked 2x a day, allowed to play in the yard supervised, and fed Artemis Fresh Mix Small Breed Adult kibble (if any of that applies to their temperment).
Constructive advice appreciated and welcomed.

Ironically I’m Concerned About A Dog’s Welfare, What Would You Do?

(Again, a lot of questions on this issue for me)
My sister (who lives with me) seems to have little concern for her dog.
He’s a greyhound x lab and they NEVER walk him, he RARELY goes to a park, he doesn’t go out in the yard much anymore as he barks at everything that moves including airplanes. He bit me tonight and my two dogs tried to kill him (he was pinned to the floor with blood pooling out of his head and face). Afterwards here was a gash in his head where I think I saw his skull, his tongue was bleeding, his ear is torn…. I called and called and she wouldn’t come home to take care of him. THEN seemed to think he was fine as I’d dumped a whack of quick stop on it to stop it from bleeding and being infected.
He’s not trained, he’s rarely played with and he doesn’t listen well.
I’ve tried to tell her the problems to no avail. “…. take care of your dog” “your dog is dominant” “walk your dog”….
As an animal lover, what would you do to make her listen and be a good owner?

Should I Be Worried About My Greyhound Barking At My Cat?

We adopted a retired greyhound about one month ago – he is gorgeous and very well behaved. We also have a cat, so are in the process of training the dog to get along with the cat (the rescue classed him as cat friendly, but obviously he still needs a little practice).
He has been doing very well. The 2 are kept separate by a dog gate and the dog is muzzled when the cat walks through to go upstairs (the cat has no interest in being close to the dog and still hisses and growls when the dog is close). With supervision he stays calm and relaxed and makes no move towards the cat.
He has been fine looking at the cat calmly through the gate too – the last couple of days though he keeps going to look at the cat through the gate and ends up barking at him (just once or twice) but he is wagging his tail as well.
The cat just seems to be sat there looking snooty (turned away slightly)
Should I be worried? (does he think he has just seen his tea? or does he think it is a friend?

Thinking About Gettin A Italian Greyhound But Should I Train It To Use A Pee Pad?

So i have been researching majorly what breed of dog should i get. I already have a 1yr old rescued toy poodle that we got as a puppy. And the breed that sounds like it would fit me well also that i love is the italian greyhound. But they dont like cold weather. I live in upper IL and it is nice and warm in the summer and spring and even fall sometimes, but sometimes ( not to often but often enough) it can get below zero during the harsh winters. My poodle (who has only every had 3 accidents and 2 times were my fault and we got him a a 8week old puppy not potty trained) he even refused to go out one day and he had a fluffy coat and a jacket.But i am not going to unteach him how to use a bell to tell us when he has to go outside just to teach him to use a pee pad. But if i am thinking about rescuing a puppy italian greyhound should i train that dog to go on the pee pad or would that confuse my dog then he would start going inside where ever. I would fore sure buy jackets for the IG just as i did for my dog. But will that be enough.
Also since my dog is a male (dont worry he is neutered) should i get a female IG.

Can You Help With Litter Box Training My 1-year-old Dog? Should I Be Concerned About Cats?

I have a 13 month old Italian Greyhound who is very good at going outside for toileting, but I may be moving to a small apartment and I am considering box training him for convenience and his comfort during possible longer hours and cold weather. When he was a puppy he used puppy pads, but his best buddy always tore them up (and he could have been involved too, but I am not sure). I am aware that if my dog eats litter he can become very ill – and I would like to avoid that. Are there any other suggested materials (I have thought of wood shavings or cedar chips, but have to reference of whether it would work and possible ill effects or such) besides paper, puppy pads, and litter that I could use? Also, if he were to live with cats while being box trained, how would you suggest I teach him the difference between the boxes? Is it possible to put them in the same room wihtout any conflict?
Thanks!

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