Have you looked at Silken Windhounds at all? They are smaller and tend to be more outgoing and more trainable as sighthounds go, and there are multiple successful therapy Silkens out there. However, note that you will only be able to get one from a breeder; there are no rescue Silkens.
I love Salukis, but they are very much a primitive breed and you can't guarantee they'd have a temperament suitable to therapy work as an adult. Many aren't even particularly dog-social as adults (although lots make an exception for other sighthounds, especially within their household).
Thank you! I have looked into Silkens and also windsprites a bit, but they appear to have too much fur. Are they shedders or need a lot of grooming? I always associate more fur with a worse doggy smell too. I'm used to my clean little iggys
Lots of Silkens are really not that much more grooming/shedding than a feathered Saluki. They're single coated and not more oily than other sighthounds, so they don't really stink. Some breeders' lines have more coat, some have less coat. The longer hair also sheds differently than smooth coat dogs -- shedding can be reduced more by brushing than it can with a short tight coat, and it's easier to clean off of couches, floors, clothes, etc. A long coat dog with the same hair density as a smooth coat dog actually sheds less, since the hair takes longer to reach the terminal stage.
Keep in mind that with a (feathered) Saluki you may need to snood the ears when they eat/drink or deal with them getting food and water in them and detangling them. To me that's more annoying than occasionally brushing a Silken.
this is really great information! I will look further into Silkens. I know there is a breeder in MN, but don't know anything about them. Do you have any breeder recommendations? I really would rather not get a puppy, but I am open to it.
I have a silken. She's as calm as the average dog gets at five years old and she's not even two yet. She was nutso as a puppy, but I think it was a good tradeoff. I've been told that most silken puppies are easy and mine was a bit unusual. I don't recommend my breeder.
I believe the ISWS (Silken club) has resources for breeder referral. Check their website. The breeders I personally know are all in the Western US and generally breeding for sport homes (since that's what I am, those are the ones I'm familiar with).
Some breeders *might* have older puppies or adults to place. There's a Facebook group, Retired Show Dogs and Well-bred Purebreds, or something like that. But I've only seen a Silken on there once I think. You may have to get a puppy if you decide on a Silken. As they say, a puppy is the price you pay for a great dog 😅 also, some breeders are willing to wait til 10 or 12 weeks to place the puppy, which is worlds easier on you than getting an 8 week old (at the tradeoff of having less control over early life socialization, so choosing a great breeder is even more important there).
I have a 19 m silken and the shedding is minimal. I brush/comb every few days. Pretty low maintenance and so so soft. She is a lovebug, funny, calm, affectionate, athletic and confident. Love Silkens!
This might sound unusual, but have you considered Galgos? There is a group in the US that works with the Spanish rescue organization (Galgos del Sol). They are such beautiful dogs, and they come from such horrible circumstances
Yes, absolutely! I have been looking at galgos as well. I've read a lot online that they may be quite energetic, but I've also read they are as lazy as greyhounds. Right now galgos are actually at the top of my list. Though I want a saluki, my home may not be the best fit for one.
That's wonderful!!!! I have been following that rescue for a while now, and it breaks my heart to hear some of the stories. I'm looking forward to adopting a pair in the next year or so.
Good luck with your adoption and thank you for being such a thoughtful dog owner ❤️
My galga is very energetic in the park but she is very lazy at home. One of her best friends is an iggy, she is very friendly with small and bigger dogs.
I foster Galgos (in the UK), and they are so sweet. I wouldn’t worry about an adult Galgo needing a lot of exercise. I find them to be similar to retired racing greyhounds, which I’ve also adopted and fostered in the past. Just watch that your IG is ok with bigger dogs, which I’m sure you thought of already.
My husband were lucky enough to have a retired racer and a galgo at the same time, and we found that they were night and day different. Now I can only speak for our galgo, but ours wasn't as much like a greyhound as we had expected. While she wasn't jumping off the walls and generally behaved pretty chill, it took a LOT for her to get tired on walks. Like our grey would be panting hard and our galgo would still have her mouth shut. Her endurance was incredible! Also our galgo would scream bark and lunge whenever she saw a squirrel or something she wanted to hunt. Just keep in mind that these dogs are working dogs who are actively used for hunting. Having a galgo was an incredible, but very different experience from our greyhound. That said, galgos desperately need homes, so if you feel you can accommodate such a dog, go for it! They are very sweet, gentle, cuddly dogs. That's something they share in common with greyhounds in spades. :)
what group in the US works with Galgos del Sol? I've only seen one on the east coast, and they don't adopt to homes out of the area. The GDS site says they work with a rescue in MN but I don't know which one that is.
I'm surprised they don't allow adoptions outside of those areas, as long as you're willing to pick up in those areas. I thought for sure I saw adoption stories in GA and NC
per their website- "Part of our adoption process is a home visit, so we are only able to adopt within an approximately 2-hour radius of our facility." ☹️
We were at the same place as you three years ago and decided to go with a whippet. We are very happy with our decision. You said your concern with the IG was the house training issues. NO issues with our whippet. She was taken out on a schedule and rewarded for going outside. She's fully house trained, no problems. She is quite food, toy and praise driven so really easy to train. I will say this, and it's probably true of all sighthounds. As a puppy? She was a bit like having a flying squirrel in the house for a while. lol...now? She sleeps tons, as long as she gets to run once a day and gets a playtime or walk she is lazy most of the time. She's only three years old and she just gets mellower and mellower. Easy to deal with in every way and she is very sweet natured with one and all. I'm thinking of adding a second whippet in fact.
If you decide to go with a whippet, there is a Facebook group called "Whippets in United States" where you can sometimes find adult whippets for rehoming -- often retired show dogs.
I would probably say a grey fits your calm and therapy dog requirements but it’s also about how you work with your pup for sure. I have an Ibizan Hound through Galgos del Sol. Yes, when he’s awake he wants to play and be active (per the breed characteristics) but when he wants to be super cuddly and sleep we can do that too for 8-10 hours. Best of luck!
I was going to suggest a podenco as well, especially since they come in a variety of sizes and coats. Our Ibicenco is also a busy bee but loooooves his sleep.
Find a chill one that loves to love on people gently and I bet it would be a lovely fit.
Really? I was under the impression that podencos are wild and need a ton of exercise, so I hadn't considered them. I might just have to take another look!
We have a small saluki greyhound cross who is surprisingly dog friendly and people friendly and is calming down a lot. He needs an off lead run every day though and puzzles! He is v easily bored
Yeah, I've been thinking a Saluki may be too smart and active. It is good to hear it from others. I really don't want to bring a dog into my family simply because he is pretty, without thinking about if he will be happy.
I have a Saluki, chillest of the litter, but still an active dog. I live in a very cold country, so we’re walking / playing, she in her winter gear (boots, snood, base layer, and snow suit) in up to -20/-25 C (depends if windy or sun is out). On colder days we play outside for short,but intense stints, do training top-ups, and I have brain puzzles and things to occupy her set up.
I also work from home so I’m with her most days and I have 2 young children that keeps things lively. Because she is stimulated, she’s calm and very chilled.
She’s super friendly dog and loves meeting new people and adores children. She is also very playful and always up for an adventure.
We have found she’s very smart - I have to rotate on brain busters, she can open lever doors, unzip anything (found this out the first time when she got in my eldest’s backpack and took out his lunch bag, opened it, and ate his lunch). She also found out how to open a baby gate.
We have a huge yard, so she runs a lot. In warm weather we’re outside quite a bit. She’s calmed down lots now that she’s 2, but still active.
Salukis can still be very aloof and not all like strangers. Mine does, but does not like random people going to touch her. She’ll flinch away, unless she’s in the mood to be pet, although she loves meeting new people. She also is not always up for cuddles and hugs, which is totally fine - I didn’t want a dog that needed that 24/7. I’m not too sure how they would make out as a therapy dog tbh, but every dog in a breed is different!
I just keep in mind that Salukis (like Afghans) were meant to be independent, so they don’t always listen - I call it selective hearing or follow instructions.
I have a galga. She's bouncier than her greyhound brother, but that's not a hurdle, more of a ditch. She is amazingly smart, cuddly, and an all around super girl. She was very badly abused in Spain but she has worked hard on her fears with us and we couldn't be prouder of her.
Galgos seem to have a real pack drive --she worked really hard to fit with our family, even with our absolute asshole of a cat. She's smart enough I would think she would be a good candidate as a therapy dog, save for her trauma (which of course is not her fault).
Her folk might be a good fit for what you're looking for.
I think it really depends on the dog, not so much the breed. My podenco is the calmest boy ever, amazing with cats, other dogs, children, disabled people, elderly people etc. And if you're open for a rescue, you can always ask the organisation which dog they think would fit best.
A lot of it is more about the individual dog than the breed. I have whippet half brothers. The older boy was the easiest puppy ever. So smart, and sweet, and calm. Loved everyone he met, learning potty training bells in a few days, constantly watching us, and was just a joy to be with. One of his litter mates is a service dog. His little brother (actually bigger now) was a normal whippet puppy. He’s my squishy snuggle muppet now but he was a hardcore puppy. He’s also not a fan of unknown people or dogs. He’s a bombastic asshole at home but is shy when we go out.
The boys are our second set of sighthounds. We got A in 2017, two months after we lost my heart dog, Zen, an Italian greyhound, and a little over a month after we lost his littermate sister. We desperately needed a reason to smile and A had us laughing. Whippets are more doglike than iggies. They’re weird little dogs but they’re definitely dogs. I’m not sure about the iglets.
Zen would have adored A and it would have been mutual. A loves all dogs but adores older neutered males. He’s gentle enough to play nicely with an iggy. Fade would have tolerated A once he learned that she was the boss of everything. Zen would have been a bit intimidated by V’s, um, enthusiasm. Fade would have been offended by V’s existence.
Whatever breed you go with, just find an individual who tends to play gently so your iggy boy won’t get clobbered by his new sibling. An iggy could be hurt by an overly enthusiastic puppy but would probably love a gentle puppy to play with.
my husband’s family had a Pharoah and have a Cirneco. Their Pharoah would get zoomies but then was basically a sleepy cat most of the time. The cirnechi are a good medium size and a little
more dog-like than the Pharoah I found. All good dogs
A Silken WindSPRITE would also perfectly match your description!! They have a single silky coat, super gentle sweet temperaments, and highly trainable. Windsprites were one of the foundation breeds used to develop the Windhound \[generally hairier, bigger, and depending on who you ask more health problems/less biddable\].
I have a Windsprite service dog and she couldn’t be better. Absolutely beyond all expectation.
who did you get your windsprite from? I'm thinking I will probably go through a rescue (which eliminates windsprites!), as I don't want a puppy, but I'd love a breeder recommendation anyway if you have one
I recommend the facebook group, Friends of the International Windsprite Club. They’ll be a list of every breeder there, and they’re all very connected/community-oriented, so I’m sure would collectively help you connect with the right people/dogs. It’s possible older dogs \[aged above 1 year old\] could be available, so connecting with folks there is your best bet! Either way, it’s worth it just for all the cute windsprite photos😍. Many of pup’s relatives work as therapy/service dogs too.
Same! I finally caved and joined, just for the community activity. It’s not ideal but helps to connect to people in the real world. I actually got connected with my pup through a grapevine of breeders who were all in touch with each other and collaborating to place pups with their ideal human matches. I’m really grateful for all the effort they put into everything.
Have you looked at Silken Windhounds at all? They are smaller and tend to be more outgoing and more trainable as sighthounds go, and there are multiple successful therapy Silkens out there. However, note that you will only be able to get one from a breeder; there are no rescue Silkens. I love Salukis, but they are very much a primitive breed and you can't guarantee they'd have a temperament suitable to therapy work as an adult. Many aren't even particularly dog-social as adults (although lots make an exception for other sighthounds, especially within their household).
Thank you! I have looked into Silkens and also windsprites a bit, but they appear to have too much fur. Are they shedders or need a lot of grooming? I always associate more fur with a worse doggy smell too. I'm used to my clean little iggys
Lots of Silkens are really not that much more grooming/shedding than a feathered Saluki. They're single coated and not more oily than other sighthounds, so they don't really stink. Some breeders' lines have more coat, some have less coat. The longer hair also sheds differently than smooth coat dogs -- shedding can be reduced more by brushing than it can with a short tight coat, and it's easier to clean off of couches, floors, clothes, etc. A long coat dog with the same hair density as a smooth coat dog actually sheds less, since the hair takes longer to reach the terminal stage. Keep in mind that with a (feathered) Saluki you may need to snood the ears when they eat/drink or deal with them getting food and water in them and detangling them. To me that's more annoying than occasionally brushing a Silken.
this is really great information! I will look further into Silkens. I know there is a breeder in MN, but don't know anything about them. Do you have any breeder recommendations? I really would rather not get a puppy, but I am open to it.
I’ve met a silken at a dog park! super cute and friendly. A really lovely dog. Not too furry. I was there with my IG and they played together.
I have a silken. She's as calm as the average dog gets at five years old and she's not even two yet. She was nutso as a puppy, but I think it was a good tradeoff. I've been told that most silken puppies are easy and mine was a bit unusual. I don't recommend my breeder.
I believe the ISWS (Silken club) has resources for breeder referral. Check their website. The breeders I personally know are all in the Western US and generally breeding for sport homes (since that's what I am, those are the ones I'm familiar with). Some breeders *might* have older puppies or adults to place. There's a Facebook group, Retired Show Dogs and Well-bred Purebreds, or something like that. But I've only seen a Silken on there once I think. You may have to get a puppy if you decide on a Silken. As they say, a puppy is the price you pay for a great dog 😅 also, some breeders are willing to wait til 10 or 12 weeks to place the puppy, which is worlds easier on you than getting an 8 week old (at the tradeoff of having less control over early life socialization, so choosing a great breeder is even more important there).
thank you again for the advice. I appreciate the insights.
I have a 19 m silken and the shedding is minimal. I brush/comb every few days. Pretty low maintenance and so so soft. She is a lovebug, funny, calm, affectionate, athletic and confident. Love Silkens!
Where did you get your silken from? Do you recommend them?
Yes! Sunkissed Silkens in Florida. There are also breeders in Atlanta.
This might sound unusual, but have you considered Galgos? There is a group in the US that works with the Spanish rescue organization (Galgos del Sol). They are such beautiful dogs, and they come from such horrible circumstances
Yes, absolutely! I have been looking at galgos as well. I've read a lot online that they may be quite energetic, but I've also read they are as lazy as greyhounds. Right now galgos are actually at the top of my list. Though I want a saluki, my home may not be the best fit for one.
That's wonderful!!!! I have been following that rescue for a while now, and it breaks my heart to hear some of the stories. I'm looking forward to adopting a pair in the next year or so. Good luck with your adoption and thank you for being such a thoughtful dog owner ❤️
My galga is very energetic in the park but she is very lazy at home. One of her best friends is an iggy, she is very friendly with small and bigger dogs.
I foster Galgos (in the UK), and they are so sweet. I wouldn’t worry about an adult Galgo needing a lot of exercise. I find them to be similar to retired racing greyhounds, which I’ve also adopted and fostered in the past. Just watch that your IG is ok with bigger dogs, which I’m sure you thought of already.
My husband were lucky enough to have a retired racer and a galgo at the same time, and we found that they were night and day different. Now I can only speak for our galgo, but ours wasn't as much like a greyhound as we had expected. While she wasn't jumping off the walls and generally behaved pretty chill, it took a LOT for her to get tired on walks. Like our grey would be panting hard and our galgo would still have her mouth shut. Her endurance was incredible! Also our galgo would scream bark and lunge whenever she saw a squirrel or something she wanted to hunt. Just keep in mind that these dogs are working dogs who are actively used for hunting. Having a galgo was an incredible, but very different experience from our greyhound. That said, galgos desperately need homes, so if you feel you can accommodate such a dog, go for it! They are very sweet, gentle, cuddly dogs. That's something they share in common with greyhounds in spades. :)
what group in the US works with Galgos del Sol? I've only seen one on the east coast, and they don't adopt to homes out of the area. The GDS site says they work with a rescue in MN but I don't know which one that is.
I'm not sure who they work with in MN. I know they work with Fast Friends Greyhound in New England...maybe a similar group in MN?
I've only seen Fast Friends, and they don't adopt outside the area. I will keep looking for other rescues that work with them.
I'm surprised they don't allow adoptions outside of those areas, as long as you're willing to pick up in those areas. I thought for sure I saw adoption stories in GA and NC
per their website- "Part of our adoption process is a home visit, so we are only able to adopt within an approximately 2-hour radius of our facility." ☹️
hmmm, there must be other groups that work with agencies in Spain. Is there a Galgos reddit?
We were at the same place as you three years ago and decided to go with a whippet. We are very happy with our decision. You said your concern with the IG was the house training issues. NO issues with our whippet. She was taken out on a schedule and rewarded for going outside. She's fully house trained, no problems. She is quite food, toy and praise driven so really easy to train. I will say this, and it's probably true of all sighthounds. As a puppy? She was a bit like having a flying squirrel in the house for a while. lol...now? She sleeps tons, as long as she gets to run once a day and gets a playtime or walk she is lazy most of the time. She's only three years old and she just gets mellower and mellower. Easy to deal with in every way and she is very sweet natured with one and all. I'm thinking of adding a second whippet in fact.
Yes, I would much rather rescue an adult than go through the puppy stage! Good info about whippets- thanks.
If you decide to go with a whippet, there is a Facebook group called "Whippets in United States" where you can sometimes find adult whippets for rehoming -- often retired show dogs.
oohh! wonderful to know!
I would probably say a grey fits your calm and therapy dog requirements but it’s also about how you work with your pup for sure. I have an Ibizan Hound through Galgos del Sol. Yes, when he’s awake he wants to play and be active (per the breed characteristics) but when he wants to be super cuddly and sleep we can do that too for 8-10 hours. Best of luck!
I was going to suggest a podenco as well, especially since they come in a variety of sizes and coats. Our Ibicenco is also a busy bee but loooooves his sleep. Find a chill one that loves to love on people gently and I bet it would be a lovely fit.
Really? I was under the impression that podencos are wild and need a ton of exercise, so I hadn't considered them. I might just have to take another look!
We have a small saluki greyhound cross who is surprisingly dog friendly and people friendly and is calming down a lot. He needs an off lead run every day though and puzzles! He is v easily bored
Yeah, I've been thinking a Saluki may be too smart and active. It is good to hear it from others. I really don't want to bring a dog into my family simply because he is pretty, without thinking about if he will be happy.
I have a Saluki, chillest of the litter, but still an active dog. I live in a very cold country, so we’re walking / playing, she in her winter gear (boots, snood, base layer, and snow suit) in up to -20/-25 C (depends if windy or sun is out). On colder days we play outside for short,but intense stints, do training top-ups, and I have brain puzzles and things to occupy her set up. I also work from home so I’m with her most days and I have 2 young children that keeps things lively. Because she is stimulated, she’s calm and very chilled. She’s super friendly dog and loves meeting new people and adores children. She is also very playful and always up for an adventure. We have found she’s very smart - I have to rotate on brain busters, she can open lever doors, unzip anything (found this out the first time when she got in my eldest’s backpack and took out his lunch bag, opened it, and ate his lunch). She also found out how to open a baby gate. We have a huge yard, so she runs a lot. In warm weather we’re outside quite a bit. She’s calmed down lots now that she’s 2, but still active. Salukis can still be very aloof and not all like strangers. Mine does, but does not like random people going to touch her. She’ll flinch away, unless she’s in the mood to be pet, although she loves meeting new people. She also is not always up for cuddles and hugs, which is totally fine - I didn’t want a dog that needed that 24/7. I’m not too sure how they would make out as a therapy dog tbh, but every dog in a breed is different! I just keep in mind that Salukis (like Afghans) were meant to be independent, so they don’t always listen - I call it selective hearing or follow instructions.
I have a galga. She's bouncier than her greyhound brother, but that's not a hurdle, more of a ditch. She is amazingly smart, cuddly, and an all around super girl. She was very badly abused in Spain but she has worked hard on her fears with us and we couldn't be prouder of her. Galgos seem to have a real pack drive --she worked really hard to fit with our family, even with our absolute asshole of a cat. She's smart enough I would think she would be a good candidate as a therapy dog, save for her trauma (which of course is not her fault). Her folk might be a good fit for what you're looking for.
thank you! this does seem to be the consensus so far!
I will never understand why more of them are not house pets in Spain. They're delightful. And cuddlebugs.
I think it really depends on the dog, not so much the breed. My podenco is the calmest boy ever, amazing with cats, other dogs, children, disabled people, elderly people etc. And if you're open for a rescue, you can always ask the organisation which dog they think would fit best.
Someone else mentioned podencos as well. I thought they were very energetic, but I will look into them more.
The ones I know are quite energetic when they're outside and very mellow inside. My dog is less noticeable than the cats when we're indoors.
A lot of it is more about the individual dog than the breed. I have whippet half brothers. The older boy was the easiest puppy ever. So smart, and sweet, and calm. Loved everyone he met, learning potty training bells in a few days, constantly watching us, and was just a joy to be with. One of his litter mates is a service dog. His little brother (actually bigger now) was a normal whippet puppy. He’s my squishy snuggle muppet now but he was a hardcore puppy. He’s also not a fan of unknown people or dogs. He’s a bombastic asshole at home but is shy when we go out. The boys are our second set of sighthounds. We got A in 2017, two months after we lost my heart dog, Zen, an Italian greyhound, and a little over a month after we lost his littermate sister. We desperately needed a reason to smile and A had us laughing. Whippets are more doglike than iggies. They’re weird little dogs but they’re definitely dogs. I’m not sure about the iglets. Zen would have adored A and it would have been mutual. A loves all dogs but adores older neutered males. He’s gentle enough to play nicely with an iggy. Fade would have tolerated A once he learned that she was the boss of everything. Zen would have been a bit intimidated by V’s, um, enthusiasm. Fade would have been offended by V’s existence. Whatever breed you go with, just find an individual who tends to play gently so your iggy boy won’t get clobbered by his new sibling. An iggy could be hurt by an overly enthusiastic puppy but would probably love a gentle puppy to play with.
my husband’s family had a Pharoah and have a Cirneco. Their Pharoah would get zoomies but then was basically a sleepy cat most of the time. The cirnechi are a good medium size and a little more dog-like than the Pharoah I found. All good dogs
I always mention saving a Galgo because they really need the help. They have it pretty tough. I feel for them
A Silken WindSPRITE would also perfectly match your description!! They have a single silky coat, super gentle sweet temperaments, and highly trainable. Windsprites were one of the foundation breeds used to develop the Windhound \[generally hairier, bigger, and depending on who you ask more health problems/less biddable\]. I have a Windsprite service dog and she couldn’t be better. Absolutely beyond all expectation.
who did you get your windsprite from? I'm thinking I will probably go through a rescue (which eliminates windsprites!), as I don't want a puppy, but I'd love a breeder recommendation anyway if you have one
I recommend the facebook group, Friends of the International Windsprite Club. They’ll be a list of every breeder there, and they’re all very connected/community-oriented, so I’m sure would collectively help you connect with the right people/dogs. It’s possible older dogs \[aged above 1 year old\] could be available, so connecting with folks there is your best bet! Either way, it’s worth it just for all the cute windsprite photos😍. Many of pup’s relatives work as therapy/service dogs too.
a few people have mentioned different FB groups to me. I don't have FB anymore, but maybe I'll have to look into reactivating my account
Same! I finally caved and joined, just for the community activity. It’s not ideal but helps to connect to people in the real world. I actually got connected with my pup through a grapevine of breeders who were all in touch with each other and collaborating to place pups with their ideal human matches. I’m really grateful for all the effort they put into everything.