I've just taken on a little lurcher, Bedlingtonxwhippet who was rescued from a traveller site. She is approx 2 and a sweet little girl. She hasnt lived in a house before but is settling in quite well although she does cry when crated but appears quite destructive so cant risk leaving her out at night or when i go out. It would be nice to know if anyone has had any experiance of this cross and how they turned out. I now have 5 dogs all different breeds and am turning into the crazy dog lady I think. The thing that does annoy me is how people feel they have the right to judge and feel I have too many dogs, ok not many people choose to have 5 and thats their choice so why cant they just accept that as an adult I can have my choices too.

>The thing that does annoy me is how people feel they have the right to judge and feel I have too many dogs, ok not many people choose to have 5 and thats their choice so why cant they just accept that as an adult I can have my choices too.

Ditto as owner of 6.  The worst are family.  None of them know I aim to keep a puppy (if all works out to plan) this year.  My Jozi was 15 in November so realistically it may still be 6 by then.

Another crazy dog lady here, with 8!!

Whippet/Bedlington is a very common cross..Alfred in Heartbeat being famous & there is one on Emmerdale in Zac's household. No experience with any cross as I have Whippets. Bear with her, I'm sure she will be fine in a short time :)

Meeting up with friends at a recent show, one (a CDer no less, but I shall let her remain name less) said "My husband says he would like to have a normal life again". I asked how many dogs they had -answer 7. I pointed out that that makes them have exactly one THIRD as many dogs as I do. I then asked the husband if he'd like to come and visit us and meet our dogs (and the 34 cats) as then he might feel perfectly normal afterwards. :)

Who wants to be normal, anyway?! I'd rather enjoy my life.

Bedlington Whippet is a lovely cross :-)

They are bred for working,  so she is likely to have a high prey drive.   But she may not show this under normal circumstances.

My own Bedlingtons are Show/working and most of the time they're just soft loveable dogs.   Then they get the scent of rabbit/rat/fox and it's like a switch trips in their head and the hunter comes out.   They can be very focused on getting to prey.

The change is really quite remarkable.

Don't know about Whippets,  but Bedlingtons are quite sensitive to your voice etc.   They don't appreciate being shouted at,  or arguments. 

They do, ike to snuggle together and are very houndlike in this,  so I would expect your BxW to be similar once she settles in.

Sounds like she's a lucky girl finding a home with you,  and I'm sure she'll settle well with your other dogs once she gets used to everything :-)

ETA   thinking about her being destructive,   don't forget that chewing is a natural calming activity for dogs,  so if she' s chewing things it may be because she is still feeling that everything is strange ;-)    you can use this tbough by giving her nice things to chew and that will help her relax :-)

My sentiments exactly and what might not be normal to one person can be for another. My dad was one of the worse, used to tell me that normal people only had one dog and how I wouldnt be able to go on holiday etc etc etc and that was when I only had two dogs lol, he would freak if he was still alive today. I live on my own now and feel I should be able to do my own thing, Ive had my younger years when I lived at home and couldnt have the pets I wanted, then again when I was married, so now I'm on my own and happy to be so I think Ishould be able to do what I like.

Quite right kizzistaff - and good for you!

Your new addition has really fallen on her feet by finding a home with you.  I hope she settles soon.

Oh my Marianne 34 cats!! That I'd love to see :-)

kizzistaff

YOU are normal.  Well, on this forum you definitely are.  :-)  I too have 3 times as many dogs as you (and don't own a kennel.)

My mother thought that animals were dirty, and the best I got as a kid was a budgie.  Like you I feel that now I'm on my own it's my choice.  If my mother knew how many dogs I have, all living in the house, she would have a seizure.  But contrary to what non dog people think, it's not chaos.  I love it, and feel that I waited all my life to be this happy.

Enjoy.  :-)

I have 5 dogs too and I think it's just a nice number to have. I find that the only people who are horrified that I have so many are people who have no pets at all. And who would trust the opinion of someone who didn't like animals? ;)

We only get one life, and to go through that life without ever reaching out to another species with love and to feel that love returned from the very depths of their souls is like totally missing the point of living. I feel rather sorry for these people who look down their noses at the hair on my clothes, they will never have what I have and they don't even know it.

Good luck with your new girl, I'm sure she will be very happy and make you happy too :)

> We only get one life, and to go through that life without ever reaching out to another species with love and to feel that love returned from the very depths of their souls is like totally missing the point of living.

Spot on.  And I think that as there are a few breeds I will always have - dobermanns, malinois, BCs - then as I will also take on dogs with serious issues regardless of their breed (which is why I have 8 in the first place, only 3 of them are purebreds of the above) then I am just going to have a lot of dogs so I can have the breeds I want as well as helping damaged dogs!

And if anyone doesn't like it, stuff em :-)

ETA and I find it quite amusing that I am known by a lot of people just because I have a lot - people I have never met have been introduced to me as 'the lady with all the dogs from the park' and they instantly know who I am :-P

I too have 8 dogs, all rescues. I don't care what anyone thinks because I am surrounded by doggie love ( as well as hair and muddy footprints  !!!) When I was much younger I always said that I was going to end up an eccentric old lady surrounded by dogs and yep I sure as hell was right.

They all live indoors and are loved and well cared for, so really it is nobody's business but mine

We are down to 10 following the death of our lovely boy Tag at Xmas. He was 15 years and 2 months. Most of the others are venerable oldies. I get fed up with stupid questions  e.g. 'are all of these dogs yours ?'
Why do you have so many dogs ?' etc etc

Bloody cheek !!  None of their business. I wish I was always ready with a quick riposte but sadly I just go on my way annoyed by the rudeness of some people.
I particularly dislike people making sweeping assumptions about the possible behaviour of the dogs because they are a 'pack' -their words , not mine. Of course they are a pack but the term is used with extremely negative connotation. Grrrrrrr

Love your post lunamoona.  Exactly how I feel too.

Ditto Jean!!

These people traipse around shops every weekend buying stuff to make themselves feel good. I just come home to a wiggling bum!

>These people traipse around shops every weekend buying stuff to make themselves feel >good. I just come home to a wiggling bum

Need a like button for that Tish :-D

>It would be nice to know if anyone has had any experiance of this cross

It's a popular cross for rabbiters so usually it's working bedlington in the mix. I know a few first crosses and I would describe every one quite high energy, loveable rogues, all gorgeous. I'd give her a job to do- agility, racing, rabbiting?

If you read the comments on this thread they apply to a lot of beddy whippets :-)