It’s very simple. Think about what tools and other resources you will need to have before you get started, as if you were running your life with him like a business or a project. A martingale slip collar he can’t get out of—check. A leash—check. The string around your finger to remind you not to unhook the leash at the park—check. The use of a baby gate to keep your kid from accosting the dog—check. The details make the difference.

A sight hound is a laid-back and accommodating guy who neither requires, nor responds well to, reactive micromanagement. But he does need you to have higher-level control of the situation in place at all times—a constant, unwavering, proactive preparedness for life’s circumstances. He isn’t the type to challenge you at every turn or stir the soup with drama and manipulation. The benefits of good management with your sight hound will be immeasurable; and yet you will likely never get the chance to fully appreciate what a profound difference your organization and leadership will make. The lost dog, the poor kitty, and the bitten child will never happen—all because you have had good management in place all along.

Whippet

Sight Hound Relationship Survival Key:

1. Don’t take his GENETIC design for granted. His passion for independent hunting and sprinting after critters is in his DNA.
2. Manage his ENVIRONMENT with good planning and decision making in order to set him up for success.
3. Create LEARNING opportunities and routines that facilitate a strong bond built on trust and respect.
4. Treat your sight hound as the regal gentleman he is at all times.

MEET YOUR . . .

Guardian

“PATIENT PROTECTOR”

Great Pyrenees

St. Bernard

Akbash • Anatolian Shepherd • Bernese Mountain Dog • Boerboel • Bullmastiff • Cane Corso • Dogue de Bordeaux • English Mastiff • Fila Brasileiro • Great Dane • Great Pyrenees • Greater Swiss Mountain Dog • KangalLeonberger • Komondor • Kuvasz • Maremma Sheepdog • Neapolitan Mastiff • Newfoundland • Sarplaninac • Spanish Mastiff • St. Bernard • Tibetan Mastiff • mixes of any of the above breeds

You’ll fall in love with your guardian because he’s:

COOL—Level-headed and mellow, reserved and chivalrous, he has a low-maintenance demeanor.

TOLERANT—He’s gracious and gentle, and is patient with other human and animal social members.

PROTECTIVE—He will surely make you feel safer home alone or walking down the street.

You might find a guardian hard to live with because he’s:

OPINIONATED—Discerning and independent of mind, a guardian may be resistant to your instructions.

SUSPICIOUS—He can be unwelcoming to those he perceives as threats to the home and loved ones.

BIG—His size and strength may feel a bit impractical to manage at times.

You might find yourself seeking professional help for:

1. Aggression toward unfamiliar people or animals, especially near the home or your property
2. Wandering off
3. Not coming when called
4. Protectiveness of owners or other pets
5. Territorial barking
6. Difficulty in training, resistance to following directions
7. Male-to-male-dog conflicts

Family History