Lifestyle

As long as you remember to respect the instincts lying underneath your sight hound’s otherwise passive demeanor, you will find that life with him can be a total breeze compared with many other kinds of dogs. If you are prepared for his hunting streak and instinct for self-preservation, you can be living the dream, in love with a dog who is well adapted to a pet lifestyle inside and outside the home.

HOME LIFE—Sight hounds have a reputation of being catlike to live with, and in many ways that is true. He is happy to waste the day away on your velour sofa or under the covers while you work at the office. You will be greeted warmly when you return—and probably not to any evidence of mischievous doggie boredom in your absence. The neighbors will not have left you a note on the door about incessant barking, and your dog will not appear to have had a nervous breakdown from spending another day confined at home.

Since he was never bred to work long, intense, and demanding days on the job, he won’t be chomping at the bit to be a workaholic now. That doesn’t mean he is disinterested in doing fun things or using his mind and body on a regular basis. But indeed you can satisfy a sight hound’s need for stimulation with far less time and energy than you might with a different type of dog.

He will appreciate his own space and time; and he will enjoy interactions with you and other fond human and canine friends on his own terms. One of his few requests is that he not be exposed to high levels of stressful activity or excitement; which, for some of us, means he is not well matched to our home environment in the first place. A half-dozen kids or pets running around, or simply one really intense personality in the home, can push his sensitive nature over the edge pretty quickly. A critical condition for making a happy home with your sight hound is the provision of a quiet nest that reflects and honors his generally reserved personality.

As long as he is not overwhelmed, he is likely to be hospitable to visitors. He can, like any good gentleman, occasionally take offense to forward behavior or cursory gestures. In these times, he can be quick to speak his mind. He does not intend to be the brute or bouncer; he simply has his standards. As long as your company is good-natured and well-mannered, you should have little trouble.