ihartgonzo
ufymich was referring to the OP who stated the dog would have a "big backyard" and some occasional walks. that's fine if they do like you said and ensure the dog gets some good running. but if that is all they are going to get that's not good for a sighthound. other than whippets & italians, no sighthound can even stretch it out in a BY 100X100 or even twice that. it would be like being a prisoner, 8X8 cell and in manacles EVERY time you leave the walls. a sighthound w/ true sighthound temperament would have issues NEVER getting to stretch it out. further ufymich is clearly from a country that used to be part of the soviet union and his/her english isn't always perfect and the ideas expressed aren't always clear.
about the stray cat thing, free roaming cats (especially those well fed & cared for) are the second largest threat to threatened & endangered small birds. only habitat loss is a greater concern (thank you rural developers and greenies w/ your ignorant regulation against timber harvest & controlled burns). every cat his/her dogs take saves the lives of thousands of small birds over what would have been the lifetime of the cat. additionally every free roaming cat (not just stray/feral) is subject to being preyed upon by hawks, owls, free roaming dogs, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and even large snakes ( think 5' + diamondback here). his/her dogs (and mine) are just one more on the list. the difference is that at least if the cat has a collar or obviously rescently had a collar, i can make the effort to prevent my dog catching it. if it's really tame i'll even take it to the pound (which is miserable for me since i am very allergic). a truly feral cat is also a great test before turning your dog out on something that fights a lot harder like raccoon or a large red fox and eventually coyote & an aggressive whitetail buck in the rut. at one time before & during WWII feral cats were such a pestilence a bounty was placed on them (the furs were also used for winter clothing and to line jackets for high altitude flying). unfortunately for millions of small birds that's no longer politically correct.
