Hi all! brand spanking new here and looking forward to asking q's and getting feedback ;0)
hubby & i have found lots to think about already on BE, and we're looking forward to being part of it all now.
we are both south african/british citizens currently based in germany and are looking at nz (christchurch/darfield) or canada (calgary) as a place to settle and grow roots. the problem is deciding! both places have huge positives and some negatives and are equally appealing. damn, i wish i had a crystal ball

if we get accepted and decide to settle in calgary, how will our whippets cope? they love the snow, but they don't handle the cold well, and i'd hate for them to be stuck indoors for long periods without being able to go out for a walk or a run. anyone out there with whippets in/around calgary that can give us some feedback? and hoe dog friendly is it in calgary/cochrane etc?

any feedback at all will make my heart very happy

eloise

I don't see many whippets (probably not enough coal sheds or tin baths to keep them in!) but there are lots of greyhounds in Calgary.

If they are like greyhounds then they probably spend most the day lazing around!

I see lots of people walking their greyhounds in winter, with and without coats - depending on the weather.

There's some really good off-leash areas too.

Calgary is very dog friendly, but I believe they prefer cats in Cochrane! And you know what cat lovers are like!

Just to echo what TG said.



and add dont be so bleedin cheeky to us northerners

hahaha cat lovers.. i'm also a cat lover :0) and we have a cat too!
whippets are just like greyhounds. it's good to know that there are many in calgary. it can only mean that the whippets will be happy there

Everyone has dogs here. I don't know about cats 'cos they are hidden away

We have a couple of dogs. I'm not sure whether I find it dog-friendly around here or not. I find the On-Leash Bylaws so restricting - but that might be because one of my dogs is as thick as mince and I despair of ever getting her properly trained!

There are only a couple of Off-Leash areas in Cochrane - one along the River - and another down near Bow Meadows - there might be more but I'm not aware of them. Even the wild grounds of the Ranchhouse are supposed to be On-Leash but I usually 'forget' out there, and so do most other people.

Never having owned a dog in the UK I don't know how different it is. I lived in a fairly rural area and I can't imagine having a dog there on a lead 95% of the time like here.

There are plenty of other areas to go Off-Leash around Calgary - but it always requires a car journey to take the dog for a walk - which often sounds a bit barmy to me. Maybe I'm just in a grump today

thanks ann m
it's the on'leash bylaws that i'm worried about. it sounds extremely resticting, and my dogs are used to being off lead in the fields and forest where we live. i used to have to drive them to a park in the UK where they could run freely, so i guess it won't be too much of a problem, as long as the rive isn't too far! what about the open areas outside Cochrane? or must they be on leads there too? anyway i'm also very forgetful when it suits me hehehehe

Eh Up Butch! Ahm northern too, tha' knows!

When the family all go for walks on day trips around Kananaskis, for example, the dogs are usually off a lead. I do get a little wary though because of that big wildlife you hear so much about. My little fellas would make a nice brunch for a bear or coyote. Hubby frequently take the dogs on his longer hikes - they love it and are suitably knackered at the end of the day.

The land immediately around Cochrane is all privately owned - farmland, acreages etc, so there is not the right to roam that you find easily in the UK.

You really do have to get in a car and take them somewhere specific to run around. Or buy your own acreage or farm I suppose .

Most homes in and around Calgary will have modest gardens - a very small dog will be happy chasing a ball in that - bigger breeds need more room and/or willing walking-buddy owners!

Hi and welcome to BE

I have to agree with everything Ann has said.

With regards to Whippets and the cold I do know of a Whippet breeder who is up near Edmonton, so we do get Whippets here and Edmonton can get a bit colder than calgary.

Sam

thanks everyone for all the input. it seems more positive than i thought and that's a good thing.