If you own or have come across a sighthound you will have noticed that they have quite a unique body shape, temperament, and features, all of which naturally translates to them having slightly different needs than a more traditional breed of dog.
What is a sighthound?
First, just to make sure we’re on the same page, let’s quickly gloss over exactly what a sighthound is.
Sighthounds are a distinct group of dog breeds known for their speed, agility, and keen eyesight. Popular sighthound breeds include greyhounds, whippets, Salukis, Afghan hounds and more.
Characterized by their slender bodies, deep chests and long legs, these graceful canines were historically bred for hunting. Unlike many other hunting dogs, these breeds hunt using their sight rather than scent, hence the name sighthounds.
Don’t be fooled though by these ‘hunting dogs’, they are very gentle in nature and make beautiful pets. If you’ve had the pleasure of owning a sighthound before, you’ll know what amazing companions they can be!
What kind of collars do sighthounds need?
Assuming you want to use a collar rather than a harness, you have two main options here, a leather sighthound collar, or a martingale collar.
why not traditional collars?
A ‘normal’ collar is fine for use around the house. Some people like to use a ‘house collar’ with their sighthound, which is exactly what the name implies. It’s just a comfortable collar to wear around the house with an ID tag attached, just in case.
However, it is important not to use a traditional collar to walk your sighthound as it’s not safe. Sighthounds have slim and fragile necks, so you must use a wider collar which helps to reduce the amount of pressure put on the neck. As mentioned, sighthounds can also reach incredible speeds very quickly, so that’s an extra reason to be cautious. You want as little pressure put on the neck as possible.
leather sighthound collars:
Also known as fishtail collars, these are collars designed for use with sighthounds. They feature a ‘fishtail’ design so that it is wider on one side. If your dog pulls or lunges at something, this effectively relieves some of the pressure when compared to a slimmer collar and is therefore a lot safer to use, and a lot more comfortable for your dog.
Some sighthounds do have a knack for slipping out of collars though, and this can happen with one of these. Due to a sighthound’s slim head, there’s no natural barrier to stop the collar from slipping off if they are determined, which leads us on to…
martingale collars:
Some people also call these sighthound collars because of how effective they are for the breeds. This addresses the issue we just raised and is designed to stop your dog from slipping out of their collar.
A martingale collar consists of two loops, one that goes over your dog’s head and the other to attach the lead to. If your dog pulls, it pulls the second loop which tightens just enough to stop it being able to slip off your dog’s head.
If your dog is especially reactive or has slipped their collar before, then this is a great option. Again, it’s important to buy one with a wide design to help relieve the pressure on your dog’s neck.
Harnesses for sighthounds:
Some people, me included, prefer harnesses to collars. As we’ve mentioned a lot now, the neck is a very fragile area so it’s not a bad idea to use a harness instead which shifts the pressure to the body.
This is especially important if using a longer lead. Please never attach a long line to a sighthounds collar. I wouldn’t recommend that for any dog, but especially for sighthounds. A greyhound can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour, you must not bring them to a halt using something attached to their neck. Similarly, you need a harness to secure your dog in a car.
Much like collars, sighthounds also have particular needs that you have to consider when shopping for harnesses. The first is that many sighthound breeds are quite sensitive to rubbing which is why fleece harnesses are so popular in the sighthound community and can be a great option.
The next consideration is that sighthounds also have a knack for escaping from traditional harnesses (are you spotting a pattern here?)
Sighthounds have big wide chests at the widest part, but the rest of their body is very slim, so if the harness shifts forwards, it leaves quite a big gap. Whilst this may not be enough for other breeds to slip out of, because of a sighthounds slim head and neck, they are able to back out through this gap. Trust me, my Saluki Blondie used to do it ALL the time (which is what inspired me to start Snootiful Hound. Many sighthounds can be difficult to train for recall too, paired with a high prey drive and their lightning pace, they can be difficult to get back. If you’re near a road, this can actually be quite dangerous.
Luckily, there’s a solution to this too. You can now get harnesses with a design perfect for sighthounds. These have a few names, such as escape proof harnesses, no escape harnesses, 3 strap harnesses or 3 point harnesses. As the name implies, they have a third strap which tucks behind the chest which prevents the harness from slipping forwards.
A good, well fitted, padded escape proof harness is what I would recommend as the best option.
Leads for sighthounds:
There are only a few things to consider here. The first is that you might want to use a short lead to begin with when you first bring your sighthound home. Until you get used to their personality and temperament, you don’t want to be caught off guard if they lunge at things. If they get to top speed trying to chase, they could easily pull you over.
Once you’re more comfortable, you can slowly begin to use longer leads (but please pair this with a harness).
Some people also use a double ended lead. This can be very useful if your sighthound pulls a lot. You attach one end to their harness and the other to either the front clip on their harness or to their collar. The idea is that the harness takes the force so you’re not putting pressure on their neck, and you can use the other end to redirect and control your sighthound to aid with the pulling.
The most important things to keep in mind here is that you need a strong lead that can handle their speed / acceleration, and you need to walk with a lead at a length that is safe for you and your dog.
Conclusion:
As you can see, sighthound breeds are as unique as they are lovely which means there’s a lot of things you must keep in mind when buying gear for your hound. Hopefully this article has given you all the information you need for happy walks with your sighthound companion.
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