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posted by admin on Dec 24

“Disappointed.” Have you ever seen that term in a dog’s lines on a racing program? Well, it doesn’t mean that the dog was disappointed because it didn’t win, although a lot of bettors probably were. It means that the chartwriter was disappointed in the dog’s performance in that race. This is one of those lines that I could do without along with a few others like: trouble (who caused the trouble – that dog or another dog?), no excuses (like dogs ever make excuses), and six lines for a dog and they never mention whether it ran inside, midtrack or outside, so you don’t know where it runs without checking prior programs. But don’t get me started on chartwriting…

To get back to dogs who disappoint… If you’ve been to the dog track more than once, I’m sure you’ve been disappointed by a dog. Or two or three. Any greyhound handicapper who puts effort and time into learning the craft will eventually be disappointed by a dog. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it. After all, unless you’re a lead-out, you can’t very well go to the finish line, put your hand under the dog’s chin, look it in the eyes and say with a quaver in your voice, “I’m very disappointed in you, Sparky. I expected you to do much better in this race.”

Ah, but that’s the thing about dogs who disappoint. They disappoint because we think – for whatever reason – that they should have done better than they did. We handicap for grade, class, speed, form and/or whatever other elements we use to handicap a dog race, and we decide that this dog should do well in this particular race. Then it doesn’t and we’re pretty dad-blamed disillusioned with the hound. But did the dog REALLY disappoint us?

Or did our handicapping leave a little to be desired? Did we overlook the fact that the dog has been running for months and is going out of form and needs a layoff, because it’s getting stale? Did we neglect to notice that the dog hates the six box and has never done well from it, although it’s come in the money from inside boxes and the eight box?

Did we not know that this dog needs to see the lure to run and it couldn’t in this race, because it got blocked on the rail by a huge dog that outbroke it, like we should have known it would if we’d really gone over the program? What else didn’t we take into consideration? Why were we – and the chartwriter – so sure that this dog should have done better? (Outside of the fact that we both had a bet on it, that is.)

Dog racing isn’t an exact science and greyhounds aren’t robots. Sometimes, dogs who look like shoo-ins poop out and lose to dogs who don’t look half as good as they do. When this happens, the crowd often cries “foul” and starts ranting about trainers stiffing their dogs and inside money fixing races. I’m not saying this kind of thing never happens – there’s a lot of money at dog tracks. But I don’t think it happens nearly as often as people think it does.

Sometimes, it just works out that dogs don’t run as good a race as it seems like they should. Whether they just don’t feel inspired that day. Whether they’re tired or out of sorts or for whatever reason, sometimes dogs, like people, have an off-day. Unfortunately, when greyhounds have an off-day, it’s in front of thousands of people, a good portion of whom has money riding on them.

So if any chartwriters are reading this, maybe they could change “disappointed” to “didn’t run as well as usual” or “seemed to be having an off-day”. That way, the bettors will know that this is a decent dog who just didn’t run as well as it usually runs, without implying that the dog let us down on purpose. One of the things I like the most about the dog track is that dogs never intentionally run a lousy race.

When greyhounds come out of the box, they run as fast and as well as they can, given the circumstances of that race. I’ve never been disappointed in a greyhound yet, although I have wondered why some of them ran like nuts. But that’s another article.

If you’re not winning at the dog track, you need to visit Winning At the Dog Track With Eb where you can find free tips, helpful articles and information. From Florida to New Hampshire and all the tracks in between, Eb knows greyhounds. Find out what you need to know to win at Eb’s.

posted by admin on Dec 22

It doesn’t take too long for greyhound handicappers to figure out that the best post positions at almost all dog tracks are the 1, 2, 3, and 8 boxes. If you look at the statistics in the program, you’ll find that the three inside positions and the far outside one account for way more dogs in the money than the other boxes. So, why don’t we just bet 1238 quiniela and trifecta boxes and clean up at the track?

Well, some people DO bet those numbers, but I don’t think it works too well. For one thing, everyone knows about it, so when they come in, they don’t pay that well. For another thing, even though dogs come in more often from those boxes, they still come in from the other boxes too. There’s no way of telling in any particular race whether the winner will come from the golden boxes or from one of the other ones.

My take on post position is that it’s more important whether a dog likes the post position it’s in and whether it’s moving to a more favorable post position or a less favorable one – for that individual dog’s running style.

Let’s say there’s a dog – we’ll call him Sparky – who’s had six races in inside boxes and hasn’t been in the money in one of them. Today, he’s in the four box. You look at all of Sparky’s previous races (read about how to do that in my previous article “Winning With Connections”) and see that he’s a solid midtrack runner with early speed. That might explain why he’s had trouble in almost all of the races he ran from inside boxes.

When Sparky breaks and zips over to the middle of the track, he’s probably had breakers beside him, some of whom were probably trying to get inside. They bumped Sparky and he bumped them and that explains why he didn’t come in. But now, Sparky is right where he wants to be and probably pretty dadblamed sick of getting knocked around.

To me, this situation is ripe for a betting opportunity. Sparky looks lousy to the bettors who are only looking at the six races they can see in the program. But I know from looking at Greyhound Data that he’s had some very good races from the middle of the track, so I have good reason to think that he’s a contender in this race due to his favorable post position.

If you want to check out how often this kind of situation happens, look over your old programs for dogs who win and pay well. Many times, it’s because they looked lousy in their last six races because they weren’t in the post position they wanted to be in. Pay particular attention to dogs who have been in outside boxes and then move to the 1 or 2 box.

Post position is just one of the things you need to consider when you’re handicapping races. Before you go to the dog track, find out why smart handicappers are checking out the free articles, tips and Winning Greyhound Systems at http://ebnetr.com

posted by admin on Dec 22

Traditionally, those that wanted to get involved in greyhound ownership only brought greyhounds to race and then later bred them if they were a success, or breeding was only the domain of professional breeders. This is no longer the case. Now, many in the industry are getting involved in breeding greyhound syndicates as, with the right purchases, your syndicate can be profitable before your dog has even reached the track. To be successful you:

• Need the right sire- To ensure that your syndicate is successful and profitable you need a sire that has been a success in its own right (i.e. a city winner.) You do not have to own the sire, you only need pay a service fee.
• Need the right brood bitch- Your major outlay in a breeding syndicate will be your brood bitch so you need to make sure you make the right choice. If you want more chance of success and profit, you need to purchase a bitch who has had racing success and is a city winner.
• Need someone trained to whelp the pups- Not everyone can help whelp greyhound pups, so I would recommend finding someone you trust to help with this most important step in your pups life. You could either pay someone, or offer them a share in your syndicate in lieu of payment.

If you want to seriously get involved in the greyhound racing industry, then ownership is the most exciting way. However, setting up a traditional racing syndicate is not your only option. Buying a brood bitch to breed, if done correctly, can cover any costs for racing your own dogs whilst also giving you profit through selling excess pups. If you are keen on this, make sure you do your research and follow the tips mentioned above.

Hamish Jones organizes Greyhound Syndicates in Victoria, Australia.

If you are keen to get involved, contact him through the website here.

posted by admin on Dec 21

Your goal to find a dog should be to obtain a healthy, well socialized, active temperamentally sound puppy or dog with a good start on life. If you take the time to seek out a reputable breeder, pet store, shelter or rescue group your chances of finding a dog with the characteristics above increases by 50%.

Here are the Advantages and Disadvantages of all three.

Breeders Advantages

• You’ll often receive a healthy, well socialized breed with a good start on life. If the breeder has been breeding for some time, they know what they are doing.

• The breeder will include a contract with a health guarantee.

• Most of the time the breeders will have the mother and father on site for you to see.

• Sometimes the breeder will even have a history of past generations.

Breeders Disadvantages

• It can take some time and work to find a reputable breeder. (see my next report on 9 questions to ask a breeder)

• Purebreds are more expensive

• The breeder may only breed at certain times of the year. You may be ready for a pet, when the breeder doesn’t have any. Sometimes the breeder will take orders for animals that are not even born yet. Putting you on a waiting list.

Pet Store Advantages

• You can often find animals with unusual physical characteristics for a specific breed.

• You don’t need to do any groundwork.

• It is very convenient for an impulse buy. Although I do not recommend impulse buying. I think you should research what type of animal you want before purchase.

• I have found that sometimes in a pet store if one animal gets sick many of the other ones do.

Pet Store Disadvantages

• All of the above are also disadvantages.

• Also, usually in a pet store you are not dealing with a breeder, possibly a teenager behind the counter.

Animal Shelter Advantages

• You can save a dog or cats life

• Some people are not interested in dealing with raising a puppy, because of behavior or house training. An Animal Shelter allows you to adopt an older dog.

• The physical appearance of an older dog and any behavior problems will already be established. In others words, what you see is what you get an older dog.

Animal Shelter Disadvantages

• The animal may have been well taken care of (shots etc) or abused or/ and neglected before it arrived at the shelter.

• You may wind up with a pet that has behavioral or physical problems that you did not expect.

Breed or Rescue Groups Advantages

• The Rescue group advantages are the same for the Animal Shelter, plus it can be a great opportunity to own a retired champion. I know several people who have adopted greyhounds, and love them.

• Many animals that have been rescued have had basic training.

Breed or Rescue Group Disadvantages

• Rescue animals may be a great distance away from your home and possibly prove an unsuitable match after you bring them home.

• The screening process for getting a rescued animal is sometimes very strict.

Wherever you decide to find your dog always remember that a dog can be a valuable and beloved member of your household. If you give it the time and care it needs it will give that love back to you 10 fold.

For FREE info on this topic and many more please visit http://ForTheLoveOfDogZ.com

The author, Annette Masse, better known as Betty Bulldog has been loving and respecting dogs for 25 years. If you have a topic you would like me to write about drop me an email BettyBulldog@ForTheLoveOfDogZ.com

posted by admin on Dec 20

Hunting dogs, as their name suggests, are simply those dogs that have been bred – and trained – to assist human hunters in their activities. Originally, these dogs were responsible, at least partially, for bringing home the meat for the family’s dinner and, without them, the job of hunting was much more difficult. The dogs assist the human hunter to scent and track, retrieve, flush, point or even chase down game. The skills developed will be specific to each breed, depending on the type of game that the dog has been trained to hunt, and the hunting style used with that particular type of game. Hunting dogs love to be outdoors and work with their owners. They usually become noticeably excited and active when they notice that preparations for the hunt are getting under way.

Since each breed of hunting dog has unique skills and attributes, we shall look at each general type of hunting dog separately. It is important to remember that hunting dogs are not aggressive by nature and are actually some of the best natured and calm mannered of all the breeds of dogs.

Hounds

Hounds, used as hunting dogs, can be subdivided into two types: scent or sight hunting dogs. They are used to hunt many types of mammals such as raccoons, coyotes, and other larger mammals. As you might imagine, sight hounds hunt by visual contact with the game. They are very fast and tend to be relatively smaller than scent hounds – although this does not mean that all of the breeds of sight hunting hounds are small dogs. Sight hounds include:

· Whippets

· Greyhounds

· Rhodesian Ridgebacks

· Saluki

· Afghan hound

· Basenji

· Irish Wolfhound

Scent hounds tend to be heavier-set, deeper-chested hunting dogs that excel for their endurance rather than their speed. Their voices tend to be deep and baying and in this way hunters can follow them to where they have treed or cornered the game. Scent hounds include:

· Bloodhounds

· Bassets

· Beagles

· Coonhounds (all varieties)

· Foxhounds

· Scottish Deerhound

Some hounds are versatile and can track using both sight and scent.

Water Dogs

The name “water dogs” is the original name for a large group of hunting dog breeds that are now often referred to as gun dogs. These dogs were bred to go into the water and retrieve or bring back game, to flush and point, and to show where waterfowl may be located on the shore areas in rushes and weeds. Some of them are also used for on-land game bird shooting, a type of hunting in which setters and pointers have become specialized. These dog breeds are very patient and will wait, without moving, for long periods of time until they are finally told to do so by the hunter. They are also used to swimming great distances into the water and back to retrieve a duck or goose without damaging the bird or even piercing the skin with their teeth.

Dog breeds included in the group of gun or water dogs are:

· Retrievers – Labradors, Golden, Chesapeake Bay

· Spaniels – English, Cocker, Water, Brittany

· Setters – English, Irish, Gordon

· Pointers – Pudelpointer, German Short Haired, English

It is interesting to note that the standard Poodle is an excellent gun and hunting dog, although nowadays it is rarely used as a hunting dog anymore.

Terriers

Terriers are a group of hunting dogs, mostly developed during the industrial revolution, in the United Kingdom and Europe, to kill the vermin in houses, factories and farms. These small- to medium-sized dogs are energetic, lively and very independent. These dogs are a little different, in that they are actually trained to kill their prey, unlike the hounds or water dogs listed above. For that reason they tend to be a bit more aggressive towards other animals if not socialized properly. The most common terrier breeds include:

· Jack Russell

· Cairn

· West Highland White

· Skye

· Boston

· Yorkshire

· Fox

· Airedale

· Scottish

However, there are many other types of terriers, all with unique coat colors and characteristics.

If you are looking for a hunting dog, you need to bear in mind, first, exactly which breed is best suited to your requirements. As a hunter, be sure to research each breed and talk to dog owners to find which will most closely match your needs. However, remember that you needn’t be a hunter to own one of these dogs – hunting dogs can make excellent, good-natured companions. If that is the case, simply make sure that the breed you choose fits in with your present – and projected lifestyle.

Terry Roberts is a professional translator and linguist, with a wide range of interests. To read more about hunting dogs – and about dogs in general – visit his website http://www.livingwithadog.com

posted by admin on Dec 18

Your dog will become a great companion to you, but, your dog can also be a lot of work for you. There is no such a dog that requires no work from you, but choosing the right dog for you can keep your problems to a minimum.

So how do you know what is the easiest dog for you?

There really is no such thing as a very best dog breed – everyone looks for something different in their pets depending on their own situation at the time. One example is, when my husband and I worked, we had two miniature long haired dachshunds, when my husband became disability retired and stayed home all day, we got a black lab and a golden retriever. The time was right!

Some breeds are better if you require a low maintenance dog. For example: Hounds, such as greyhounds and whippets, generally love to be a couch-potato, despite their talent for speed. They are also very mellow dogs, and great for adoption. Standard poodles have a great personality, are very smart and have a calm demeanor. Bonus! They do not shed. Hence, the new breed of the “Doodle” dogs, like Labradoodle, or Goldendoodle. Both these are crosses between the poodle and another breed, making them low maintenance in the grooming department. Also low maintenance: pug, Shih Tzu, English cocker spaniel, but, be careful, some of these dogs need training to keep them from barking your neighbors into oblivion.

Keep away from breeds such as hunting breeds, herding breeds, or any working dog breed. Unless you are an active person, these dogs are not for you. They need lots of exercise and even mental stimulation. They are after all working dogs.

One way to have fewer problems is to adopt an adult dog that already comes housetrained, and even trained for many other activities. A dog that is two or three years old probably is already housebroken and no longer teething. That is what we did, we adopted a 3 year old black lab.

An older dog is also calmer than a puppy. And, Female dogs are easier to handle most of the time.

Where To Find A Dog

Go to your local Rescue Shelter, or Animal Shelter. These institutions work hard to match you with the right dog, and, they also look after their dog to make sure it goes to a good home. Adopting a dog is not for saving money; it’s about saving a dog.

Another tip: Talk to breeders and to dog owners once you have decided what breed you want. People are more than happy to tell you about their pets.

Enjoy your journey with your new canine friend. A dog is a companion for life, especially if you put thought into the process before you acquire your dog.

Ruth is actively involved with the internet and she finds it very exciting. Her passions are people and pet health. She is a wife, a stepmom a dog owner and a business person. She is married for almost 30 years to Chris who has been, and still is, battling the monster MS. Two of her dogs are Certified Therapy Dogs. Her passions are dog care, adoption and training.

Her Home Page

Her Dog Training Page

And Her Adoption Blog – Choose Dog Adoption

posted by admin on Dec 17

Choosing a dog to be a family pet is a difficult decision to make. Not only do you have to pick the right dog but you are responsible for your pet for it’s whole life. Your new best friend will make a significant impact on your life. Pick the right dog and it will enrich your life. Go for the wrong breed and you and your dog may well be extremely miserable indeed.

Unfortunately, many folks thinking about a dog and which breed to choose make size or the way the look their number one priority, yet,however there is much more in finding the right dog for you family than meets the eye. Picking a dog breed whose natural manner and requirements fit into your life is your first stop.

Your fist step in attaining your is to go for the best breed category. This way you will be considering dog breeds whose natural characteristics should make them more successful for your family.

Fortunately for you, originations all over the world have adopted a system of assigning different dog breeds in broad categories by the type of job they were bred for. A great place to start your research is your national canine organization. The one to examine are: American Kennel Club, UK Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club.

Usually the following categories to separate the different dog breeds:

Hunting Dogs (Gundogs)

Working Dogs

Utility Dogs

Terriers

Toy Dogs

Hounds

Lets take a look at these categories in depth.

Hounds were bred for their keen sense of smell and sight. Again they were used (and still are) for hunting. Dogs in this group make great pets but must have lots of exercise if you are to make them happy in your family. Well known breeds include: Daschunds, Basset Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Deerhounds, Beagles, Whippets and Greyhounds. You may have noticed there great variation in stature in this group.

Hunting dogs were bred originally for searching for and recovering game. Typically they are easily trainable, loyal and companionable animals. They make fantastic pets and have a idealall-round temperament which makes for easy integration into homes with children. They do often need lots of exercise and crave attention which if not given often leads to behavior difficulties. The hunting dog group can be segmented into four sub-groups: Spaniels, Hunt/Point/Retrieve, Retrievers, and Setters.

Toy dogs are the tiny companions and lap animals of the canine catagories. Althoug each dog was used for a certain use, they are placed into this group for their size. Typically, toy dogs are amicable and faithful, and need lots of care. They are intelligent and are easily over indulged as their masters can be poor on obedience due to their diminutive size. In this group are: Chihuahuas, Pugs, Papillions, Yorkshire Terriers and Poodles.

In the beginning, all terriers were used in order to hunt unwanted rodents like . They are usually small dogs, as they needed to be lower to the ground to seize the vermin and other pests that they hunted. These dogs are often brave, and intensely resolute. They are ancient forms of breeds, as far – if not further – than the Middle Ages. Today terriers are thought of as handsome dogs, butthey are better suited tomore expert dog masters because of their more aggressive temperament. Some of the terriers include: Airedale, Boston, Welsh, Border, Wire Fox, Cairn, Jack Russell, Staffordshire, Scottish, Lakeland and West Highland White and Miniature Schnauzer.

Utility dogs are a group of many many different kinds of breeds put in the same catagory because of their non sporting beginnings. They have generally been bred for a specific purpose, but, these functions are greatly varied. Here you will find breeds like: Dalmations, English Bulldogs, American Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Shih Tzus and Poodles. Breeds in this group are often the oldest breeds recorded.

Working dogs have been designed for rescuing, guarding and searching. Example breeds in this group include: Great Danes, Collies, Rottweillers, Mastiffs, Corgis, German Shepherds, Dobermanns, Old English Sheepdogs, Newfoundlands and Boxers. Often called the “champions” of the dog world, being bred to succeed at their particular job.

Having shown you more information about the different groups of dog breed and their virtues you should be able to choose a group and dog suited to you and your family.

Discover more about dog breeds and why the group they are in will help your choice of puppy at bedogsavvy.com.

posted by admin on Dec 16

I have wondered just who are the ancestors of the shih tzu. Like all other dog breeds, shih tzu ancestors most likely come from five choices: Grey Wolf, Golden Jackal, Coyote, African Wild Dog. It is hard to imagine our little shih tzu baby dolls has any of these wild characters in their background. According to researchers, all canines have their roots in one of these five categories. I don’t think I could ever be in love with a real live wolf or a coyote. A coyote makes those strange sounding “howls.” I have some shih tzu that have a howl sound rather than a bark.

Out of the five groups, wolves and dogs share 71 of 90 charted behavioral patterns, more than any other two canid species. My thinking is then probably most breeds as we know them today have the wolf as its ancestor. The fact that the shih tzu has ancestors in the wolf family, however, does not thrill me in the least. I cannot imagine sharing my bed with a real live wolf. The shih tzu faces are so sweet and innocent. A lot of my shih tzu look like chinese men and women in the face. They do not seem like even “dogs” to me.

The Egyptians had a real talent for taming animals and kept a variety of pets. They probably receive the most credit for the domestication of the cat, but there were dogs in the Egyptians’ homes as well. We can imagine this because of the many canines that prance across egyptian tomb paintings. Some of those canines have been identified as greyhounds, salukis, pharoah hounds and Ibizan hounds. I have to admit the only one in this group I recognize is the “greyhound.” Our shih tzu was not in this group at all it seems. However, less frequently, were paintings of small, short-legged dogs, (not our shih tzu) in domestic settings. They could have been the watchdogs for the Egyptians or just simply pets.

The Romans were crazy about dogs and seemed to realize they could choose dogs to mate based on appearance or behavior and develop specific abilities. They had guard dogs and dogs who fought in battles. They had a variety of house dogs including one that most likely was of the Maltese type.

The Chinese emperors were quite fond of pets. Their puppies had human nurses and their adult dogs had human servants. The Pekingese exists as a breed at least from the period of A.D. 700. They were developed to resemble the spirit lion to ward off evil and bring good luck. The chin were sometimes called “sleeve dogs.” There are ancient imperial dog cemeteries scattered about Beijing in China. Pekingese dogs were very often entombed with their emperors. The thing that really amazes me is how the faces of some our shih tzu look like the faces of chinese men and women. How did the Chinese accomplish that?

During the 14th Century the Chinese began to recognize the dog’s many functions such as being able to lead the blind.

Henry III of France was noted to have kept at least 2,000 lap dogs, who lived in luxury. Louis XIV spent 200,000 gold francs for the construction of the royal kennels at Versailles where he kenneled hunting hounds, truffle terriers and toy poodles. Tsuanayoshi of Japan nearly plunged Japan into bankruptcy to feed his 100,000 dogs. Connie Limon (writer of this article) built her shih tzu a cabin costing around $10,000 and she may be plunged into bankruptcy to feed her dogs… and the list just goes on and on and on. What people will do “for the love of dogs” is estounding. It is a bond that sometimes transcends the bond even between humans.

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

posted by admin on Dec 15

Ask, then act. Asking someone if their dog is friendly is a polite way of letting them know you’d like to pet their dog. It’s an especially good way to teach children that all dogs aren’t interested in being touched by a stranger… so be careful.

Since nice weather will soon be on the horizon, more people will be out for a walk in the neighborhood including our four legged friends. While most dogs are friendly, wonderful, and playful, every dog has the capacity to feel threatened and may react in an unexpected way.

Since you can’t judge a dog’s demeanor based on its cuteness, here are some tips so everyone gets along.

Tips for a child to approach a dog and its owner:

1. Ask the owner if their dog is friendly and if they can pet their dog

2. Offer a back hand fist or hand out with fingers down

3. Let the dog approach the child to sniff

4. Pet a dog gently reaching from the side, not over its head

5. Ask to offer their dog a treat as dogs remember those who reward them

Since some dogs may not be familiar with children’s sounds and actions, it’s a good idea for children to refrain from screaming, squealing, and running. Even puppies who may seem harmless love to nip, chew, and chase small children which could be fun or frightening for both parties.

Some dogs perceive direct eye contact as threatening. That might present a problem when your child is standing face to face with them. You’ll want to be close enough to all of them to intervene if there’s a problem.

Americans love dogs – we own more than 65 million of them. Unfortunately, there are about 5 million dog bites a year according the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC says nearly 1 million of those bites required medical attention with half of those involving children.

The interaction between a child and a strange dog can be a sweet moment and an endearing one that hopefully inspires them to make a dog a part of their family someday. By taking simple precautions, it can be a pleasant experience that leaves everyone with a smile on their face.

About the Author: As the DogSexpert, and Founder of http://www.LeashesandLovers.com, Sheryl Matthys talks with dog lovers on how their dogs impact their personal relationships. Leashes and Lovers offers online connections (http://www.FetchaFriend.com) where dog lovers can search and connect around the world for friendship, doggie playdates, same breed of dog, and possibly love!

Sheryl has two children, two greyhounds and is a certified dog trainer.

posted by admin on Dec 14

Some people love horse races. Some people love dog races. There are people who bet on both, sometimes at the same time, if they’re at a track with simulcasts. I think horses are beautiful and graceful and I usually watch the Kentucky Derby. However, when it comes to betting, my money is on the dogs.

For one thing, it’s a lot easier to handicap a dog race than it is to handicap a horse race. Horse races have more variables: weight, jockey, equipment, type of race, number of entries etc. You can take hours going over the racing form and still not cover everything. Then there are the last minute scratches and equipment changes that have you scratching out lines and rethinking your whole betting strategy. I just can’t handle it.

The dog races are simpler. There are no jockeys slowing down the race so another dog they’ve bet on can win. (I’ve seen this happen at the smaller horse tracks, let me tell you, and it was obvious.) There are no jockeys holding back on a dog to keep it from breaking too soon. Dogs break out of the box and run as fast as they can, as a rule. I figure they probably know what to do without having someone telling them when to pour on the speed and when to slow down.

The dog races are faster. I have a pretty good attention span, but I find myself bored to tears in between horse races. Then there’s walking them to get them warmed up, riding them to get them warmed up and getting them into the starting gate without one of them crushing its jockey. You don’t get that with dogs.

Dogs get weighed in, trot out to the track in the post parade, get into the boxes and take off when the box opens. Twenty minutes or so later, there’s another race, giving you just enough time to cash a ticket or get a snack or a drink in between.

To me, dogs are a lot less complicated than horses. Oh sure, there are head-case dogs that only run when they feel like it or slack off if they can’t see the lure or get the part of the track that they want, but most of the time, dogs just chase the lure around the track as fast as they can. Horses, on the other hand, are notional. They shy at shadows and stop suddenly for no reason that anyone can see. Some days, they’re raring to go and some days, they seem to have little interest in running. Horses can break your heart, not to mention dent your wallet.

Nope, give me a dog race any day. A program, an hour to go over it, a cup of coffee and maybe a doughnut to sustain me while I handicap and I’m happy. I’ll leave the horse races to people like my friend, Willie, who is never happier than when he’s wading through pages of past performances and statistics he keeps – which is probably why he wins more than he loses – figuring out which horse and jockey will get their noses over the finish line first.

Me, I’ll go to the dogs, like I’ve been doing for 30 years now, as long as they keep paying off. I like winning.

If you’re not winning at the track, you need to visit Greyhound Handicapping With Eb where you can find free tips, helpful articles and information. From Florida to New Hampshire and all the tracks in between, Eb knows greyhounds. Find out what you need to know to win at Eb’s.