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I have recently been sharing my home with a terrier (Bedlington) and he has reminded me of all the reasons I love sharing my life
with hounds.
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They are a joy to watch as they fly over the fields chasing imaginary rabbits or just happily playing tag with each other. I often
gaze with pride and tenderness at my lithe athletes, the sun shining on their rippling muscles, as they tear along in a joyful gallop.
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And yet two outings a day are sufficient to turn them into couch potatoes for the rest of the day and evening and night. Not any
old couch potatoes though: no, they look so elegant as they recline on your best sofa that they treat as theirs by right, as indeed
it is. Well, OK, they are not so elegant when they roach, but that is guaranteed to raise a smile or even a chuckle. They can also
curl up so small that you can hardly know they are there.
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Sight hounds smell sweet. They don’t have a thick oily coat like Labradors and smell fine even when wet. They don’t seem to shed
much either.
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Sight hounds do not bounce on your head at 4 in the morning in anticipation of the morning walk. They are content to have a
lie-in and will be guided by you for getting up in the morning. And if they do feel the need to join you in bed, they do it
with subtle stealth and minimum disturbance. Six or seven can get on to my bed without me realising it. But one terrier will
result in a yowl and a shout of pain.
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Sight hounds are quietly affectionate without knocking you down or out. They rush to greet you with tails a-wagging, but stop
short of rugby tackles. Ten hounds can do less damage than one terrier in that respect.
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There are some people who say that sight hounds are unreliable at recall. This is not necessarily so. Most can be trained to
the whistle or to the voice. Yes, they would probably become suddenly deaf if in pursuit of a rabbit or hare. If you don’t want
your hound to do that, then don’t go to places where rabbits dwell. And the charge that sight hounds are not safe with little
dogs is totally unfounded. Even the dimmest sight hound can tell a Jack Russell or a miniature Poodle from a rabbit. I know a
bunch of sight hounds who spend Saturday mornings in the company of 2 miniature Poodles, a Bichon, two Shih-Tzus, a Jack Russell
and a Papillon. And they are all great friends. If yours is an exception, just pop on a muzzle and everyone can still have a good time.
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Sight hounds seem to be naturally clean. Rarely have I known one that was unclean in the house. In that respect they are a joy
to share a house with.
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And yes, you can train a sight hound. I know of several lurchers and even a Saluki who have been stars in dog-training class and
have their Good Citizen awards at all levels. It’s not only Collies that can do obedience.
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Sight hounds love to play: with their people, with each other, with toys and with balls. They have a great sense of humour but
do not let things get out of hand. They always remember that sleeping is a very important part of every day.
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They may look a bit fragile, but they are good guard dogs and will greet any callers with a ferocious bark if they can be bothered.
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The nicest thing about sight hounds is that they love company. They love to be part of a doggy family and also adore cuddles
with their human family. You can have as many hounds as your house will accommodate because they will always get on with each other.
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Now, compare that to the noisy, belligerent, destructive, territorial terrier and you will see why sight hounds come top every time.
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