Choosing a pet...I choose the Hound...

I've had lots of pets in my lifetime.

I've had dogs, cats, birds, fish, mice, guinea pigs and lizards.

Of all my pets, my most favourite have been my little Whippet, and my sons Greyhound.

Our Whippet and Mr A's greyhound are the two most recent additions to our family at large. We had actually decided not to have any more pets after our beloved labrador died. The Musician and I had plans to travel and The Diva is rarely home to enjoy the companionship of a pet. But that was not to be.

The Diva insisted on having another dog, and of course when Mr A moved into his own place, he naturally wanted to have a pet of his own.

So, knowing full well, that I would end up feeding, bathing and exercising aforementioned animals, I went into research overdrive.

I wanted a quiet dog that didn't bark, shed hair or demand exercise. I wanted a dog that would lay quietly at my feet when I read. I wanted a dog with a sweet, placid dispostion that wouldn't frighten children or adults who aren't that fond of animals.

I wanted, and got, a Hound.

The Hound breed encompasses Greyhounds, Whippets, Borzois, Afghans and Italian Greyhounds amongst others.

They demonstrate all of the above traits and are vastly underestimated as pets.

They're also not so fashionable just now as they simple will not fit into your handbag!

Now that we've had a Hound (well, a Whippet in our case, a Greyhound in Mr A's case), we'll never own any other breed.

What's your favourite pet and why?