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Giving Greyhounds a Second Chance

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What You Should Know

WHY A GREYHOUND ?
Greyhounds are gentle, affectionate dogs that thrive on human companionship and their friendly, loyal nature and wonderful temperament make them an ideal family pet. A patient and tolerant dog, the Greyhound is good with children and in many places, Australia and overseas, ex-racers are quite often re-homed into Aged Care facilities as therapy pets. Most Greyhounds are very sociable and mix readily with other dogs when introduced correctly. Some dogs will get along well with cats, but others have too much prey drive to live successfully with cats or other small furry pets.
THE LOOK Greyhounds are extremely well put together dogs. Hereditary defects e.g. hip displacia etc is uncommon in greyhounds. The are built like a true athlete. They are lovely to watch in full flight and very elegant in stance. The height and weight of greyhounds can vary from 23kgs up to 40kgs. Greyhounds come in a large variety of colours. Black, white, blue, fawn, red fawn, blue brindle, red brindle, brindle, dun or any of these combination broken with white.
THE TEMPERAMENT The Greyhounds' temperament is second to none. Most Greyhounds are suitable in family situations. They are full of love and the need to please. They are anxious to please and can be trained to standard obedience commands with patience and consistency. Greyhounds do not typically bite but sometimes show affection as a wolf does with mouth agape, gently grasping. They will lick your hand. They show affection with their whole body and may rub up to you like a cat or lean against you.
IN THE CAR Greyhounds are used to travelling and adapt quickly to riding in cars. They are normally content to lay down and enjoy the trip.
IN THE HOME Greyhounds have an attraction to anything soft to lay on. You can guarantee that they will find the softest thing in the house and want to go to sleep on it. They are extremely clean and will let you know when they need to go outside. Being in kennels and runs for most of their lives, it may take a little time for them to adapt to stairs, slippery floors, glass doors, vacuum cleaners, and things that are new to them, but they have the intelligence and patients to adapts rather quickly. A little patience, love and care on your behalf will go a long way, in the first few months.
WITH OTHER DOGS Most Greyhounds have never been exposed to other breeds of dogs. They know other Greyhounds but may be confused, frightened or simply ignore other breeds.
WITH CATS They do not know cats. And some greyhounds are just not suitable with cats. They are a sight hound, and are highly prey driven. Some greyhounds will chase cats, as so will many other breeds of dogs. Greyhounds do not know how to defend themselves except by flight and will often "freeze" if attacked.
WITH CHILDREN Greyhounds and kids seem to be a perfect match. Most greyhounds adore kids and most kids seem to have a special attachment to the dogs. Letting them get to know each other and educating both of them to be gentle and respect each others space, particularly at meal time.
SOME SPECIAL GREYHOUND TRAITS Because of their early training, retired Greyhounds have never been without the company of other Greyhounds and have never had the opportunity to really be a puppy. They may need to act out some puppy behavior, like chewing, which they typically quickly outgrow. They are used to a leash, love to walk and will learn to heel quickly. Most Greyhounds do not know how to sit, climb stairs or play games only because they have not yet learned. With time they can learn all of these things. Greyhounds have no fat layer on their bodies which makes them sensitive to winter cold or rain. If outside for more than a short time in bad weather, they should be protected with a coat. No dog should be left outside in the cold. They are not barkers by nature, but will bark if excited or trying to tell you something like needing to go out. Greyhounds tend to "cockroach" - this term relates to the way that greyhounds sleep when they are content. They lay on their back with all four legs pointing straight up. They also require special anesthetic when they need surgery.

Checklist

Things you should consider before you choose a greyhound

Should you be getting a dog?

Before you go any further, you need to give serious thought to whether or not you are ready for the responsibility of any dog. Please consider the following:

Is your job secure?

Are you likely to be transferred? Caught up in downsizing? Even if your job is secure, if you work very long hours a cat might be better for you.

If you rent a house or apartment, are you positive having a dog is allowed?

If its allowed is there a size/weight limit of the dog?

Is your marriage/relationship on solid ground?

This is a tough question but for the sake of the animal you must ask it yourself. Adoption agencies and animal shelters are full of pets who are the unwitting victims of divorce.

How old are you?

If you are either on the younger side or the older side, there are some things you should think about:
For those in their late teens, you are in an age when your life can take many unpected turns. You may decide on college, or travelling or start a family owning a dog might prevent you from persuing some of your dreams. For those in their seventies, now that you retired, a dog can be a wonderful addition to your life. If you are senior and decide to get a dog you should not get a too young one. Many pets over the age of six are in excellent health, need less exercise, and are already well-served with the ins and outs a being a good companion.

How are you fixed financially?

The fee for adopting a Greyhound is nothing compared to the lifetime of expenses you will incur.

What a greyhound is, and what it isn't

Did you know that all purebred dogs were developed for a purpose? Very few breeds (with the exeption of many of the toy breeds) were created to what we call a pet. Some were developed to serve a purpose as guarding, herding or some specialized form of hunting. The Greyhound's purpose was, and is, to run in packs after prey ranging in size from rabbits to deer. With few exceptions Greyhounds will not guard or protect and, while in pursuit, they will not come if called. Most Greyhounds prefer not to swim, fetch or jump in the air for a Frisbee - it just isn't in their genes. What is in their genes is their size (large), their shape (aerodynamic) and their instinct to run in co-operation with other Greyhounds. Combine this with the chasing-reinforcement training that racing dogs receive in their formative years, and you have a large, streamlined, mild-mannered dog who can never be allowed off-lead in unfenced areas. Does this sound like the dog for you?

Why greyhounds cannot run loose

It is impossible to put to much emphasis on this point. There are some people who adopt who think that their dog is somehow different and can be trusted not to run away. Here are some facts that will illustrate why allowing a Greyhound to run free is dangerous idea. Greyhounds are among the fastest land animals, they run about twice as fast as a human sprinter. Therefore catching a running Greyhound is impossible.
Greyhounds have been bred for literally thousands of years for one thing: speed. If you think an obedience course is enough to wipe out eons of genetics and training, then you are deluding yourself and risking your dogs life.

Greyhounds are companions, not guard dogs

If you are looking for a dog that will double duty as both a pet and a protector perhaps you should investigate into other breeds. Greyhounds are very unaggressive dogs (remember, they were created to co-operate) and the vast majority of them will not even bark when they see a stranger approaching the house.