From an article called "The Hound and the Fury" in Esquire for April, 1985, the travel issue; by Alan Furst, now our finest spy novelist, specializing in WW II and before:
"Once you own a sight hound-- Afghan, Borzoi, Saluki, greyhound, and whippet and some of the others-- you are addicted for life."
Although I would heartily agree, I know many(if not most) dog people who would NOT. Those who require strict obedience and control of their dogs, especially in some form of competition, and those who cannot(because of their environment) allow a dog much freedom, AND those who don't want dogs to be dogs(and, like, run down and kill things....), all tend to think sighthounds are "stubborn", "stupid", "intractable", "unsociable", "aloof", "unaffectionate", "shy", "unfaithful", "hyper"--I can go on and on regarding the generalized comments I've heard about sighthounds--and they often are TRUE, when sighthounds end up with the wrong people who cannot, WILL not, understand them. Sighthounds DON'T tend to bond very well with people they have no respect for! And if you can't respect THEM, and give them the kind of life and partnership(which is definetely NOT as abject slaves) they require, they will not respect you. If you DO have the right personality and environment for a contented, fulfilled sighthound, you'll have one of the richest, freest, truest lives(and friends--human as well as canine!) a person can have.....L.B.
ReplyDeleteToo many batshit insane people in Salukis.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jess, but just how does the batshit get in their brains? Do they have bat colonies that roost in their attics/belfries that deposit guano in their ears while they are sleeping at night? What species of bats are involved? Are they one of the really large species of flying fox that can produce a heap of crap each deposit? That would be my guess.....Ahem! But seriously folks, too many people get sighthounds(most definetely including the various and antagonisic AKC show saluki clans!) as wardrobe accessories or as some sort of living works of art, with no regard to the animal's nature and needs and desires. Then parrot each others' conclusions on what can't and shouldn't be done with the animals(like the generalized and very inaccurate statement that salukis, for instance, can NEVER be trusted off lead!) to make themselves feel better about keeping creatures they are unable or unwilling to honestly empathize with or try to understand--don't EVEN get me started! I'm preachin' to the choir here anyway......L.B.
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