I am thinking about adopting a Greyhound. Is there anything I should know?

Question

Any bad habbits or health problems that are specific to the breed?

Answer 1

Hi, I am a greyhound adoption volunteer. My family currently has three of our own adopted dogs and we have one foster dog with us right now. We live in an urban area (we're in a condo) and have a fairly large network of greyt friends in the area. Some of our friends live happily with cats. Some are happy being 'only' dogs. We have a playgroup that meets at a local dog park a couple of times a month, but many/most of the greys in our area get the majority of their excersise through leash walking.

Retired racing greyhounds are very low energy, low maintenance dogs. They have been nicknamed the '45mph couch potato' because they sleep 18-20 hours per day. Greys are sprinters - they have short bursts of energy and then they need to recuperate. The are a single coated short-haired breed who shed minimally(usually only seasonally). This means that they need coats in winter if you are in an area that gets cold. This also means that they cannot live outdoors.Greys are very quiet, they rarely bark.

Racing greyhounds are usually retired between 2-5 years of age. Greys are handled every day of their lives, from farm to training facility to racetrack so they are very docile, submissive dogs. A retired racer will always look to humans for leadership. They are taught leash manners and are easy to walk. They are crate trained, which translates very well into housebreaking. Contrary to popular belief the majority of racing greyhounds are treated very well during their careers (I can send you photos of a recent birthday party held in a racing kennel for one of the pups) and the majority (95-97%) retire to either the breeding shed or as pets. There are many adoption groups across the country who are working hard to make that number 100% in the near future.

Bringing a greyhound into your home can present some challenges. A dog coming straight from a track may never have seen mirrors, hardwood floors or stairs before. They have never had people touch them while they are asleep, and they never had any humans or dogs disturb them while they eat. They also may never have met other breeds of dogs. Most dogs adapt very well to living in a home and do it in a very short period of time.

Greyhounds are sighthounds. They can see a rabbit 1/2 mile away - and they were bred to be fast enough to catch that rabbit. For this reason they cannot be off leash unless they are in a fenced enclosure. When something (squirrel, rabbit, cat, plastic bag blowing in the wind) catches their eye they often react instinctually, even with the best of obedience training. Because they move so fast (45mph) very often a loose greyhound is a dead greyhound. They also do not do well on runs or retractable leashes - greys have broken their neck by trying to take off and being stopped. Their rate of acceleration is really awesome.

As to health problems, it is not true that they have hip problems. In fact greyhounds are the only large breed that does not suffer from hip dysplasia. This is because they have been bred exclusively for competition, not for looks. Musculo-skeletar imperfectsion DO NOT get bred on period. They also have a longer lifespan than many other large breeds, averaging 12-14 years. Some dogs retire with injuries and these dogs may be prone to arthritis as they age, but your adoption group would be able to tell you about specific problems that may come with the dog you acquire. It is true that greyhounds (and all sighthounds) are susceptible to complications from anasthesia. This is because there low body fat ratio means that when the anasthesia has been applied it effects them much sooner and they don't need as much as your average breed.


For more information about the breed, or to find an adoption group in your area check out http://www.greyhoundpets.org . If you want more specific information please feel free to e-mail me.

Answer 2

Actually, greyhounds are terrific house and apartment dogs, as long as you can take them out for a daily run. They ARE couch potatoes (like our Borzoi - Russian wolfhound) and you won't even know they're around most of the time. They are quiet and easily housebroken and much better than most small dogs. Be careful if you're adopting a racing greyhound off the track. They are often fine, but many have behavior problems (like destructive chewing) from being locked in a cage with little socialization. Also, remember that sighthounds are hunting dogs and some will kill small animals (cats, rabbits, toy dogs) if they haven't grown up with them. They are not reliable off leash - they'll run three miles while you're looking for your car keys to chase them. And they HATE cold weather! Get 'em a sweater!

Answer 3

Ditto everything greyt-mom said. What a well worded and informative answer. I would only like to add that I hope you'll keep in mind that ALL breeds have problems, and greys have many less health issues than many other large breeds. As for bad habits... Bad habits are almost always OUR fault as the dog's leader. We are the ones who generally allow such things to develop, just as with children. My greyhounds have only ever had issues I let them develop, such as counter surfing. One other thing...what you need to know is that if you adopt a retired racer, you'll be bringing a lot of joy into your life. Good luck!

Answer 4

Check with a vet - try to get in contact with a Greyhound rescue group. They are scattered throughout the U.S., and if you're adopting one, hopefully it's from one of them.
Rescues really KNOW Greyounds, and have only their best interest at heart. They know the lives they have lived, the puppyhood lost to training and racing, the big lugs and happy lap dogs they can become. They will be happy to work with you to find the right dog for you and teach you the skills needed for a long, long love affair with a greyhound.

Answer 5

I borrowed a complete set of dialogue from a very informational site on the breed, characteristics and anything you'd ever want to know about a Grey Hound, but decided not to use it in the event it was copyright infringment,...so I'll give you the link for that, it's all the info you'd ever need about the dog and it's behaviors, even history,...

Here she is: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/greyhound.htm

And guess what, I ran into the same problem almost on the health issues,... I could copy and paste, but it's sooo much info,...so here's a link for you for that.

Hope this helps: http://www.arizonaadoptagreyhound.org/health.html

Lemme know if you need anything else, I love Grey Hounds, truly magestic dogs,... Wow did that make me sound like a nutcase dog lady or what? hehehehe

Dora

Answer 6

i have one they are GREAT pets and companions, easy going most people thing they are high sturng or need TONS of exersize but its not so, YES they LOVE to run but for literally like 10 mins and they are DONE and want the sofa i have a border collie too now she NEEDS TONS of exersize and things to keep her from being bored i work at a kennel and take them both to work and the border collie run and play ALL day (about 50 hrs a week) with me at work and she still has energy on our days off, but the greyhound play in the morning for about 10mins (in the hot summer)20mins (when it's cool) and shes DONE!! they over heat very eaisly well in short i do suggest you adopt one or more (most people like them sooo much they get 2 or more)very laid back sweet dogs ooohhh and they must be on leash or in a fence area at ALL times or they will see something run or move and be GONE FAST!!!! well good luck

Answer 7

Yes - the hip thing and lots n lots of exercise. They also hate to be left alone alot so unless you're home alot I would think twice. All in all a very demanding breed that require a lot of care and attention.

Answer 8

"Adopting"?? A retiree? Kewl. It WILL BE IN GOOD HEALTH!! Do NOT LISTEN TO PREVIOUS GOOFS,OK?
If a dog was on the track, it was in GREAT SHAPE!! duh..They DON'T need alot of exercise. They WILL go after small running critters. They ARE very sweet w/people.

DO NOT TRY TO FATTEN IT UP!!! They're SUPPOSED to be lean!

Answer 9

Not familiaar with the breed, but thanks for adopting one of these wonderful dogs. After a life of racing they deserve to be spoiled and loved. I have heard that they are actually big old lazy couch potatoes and very good natured dogs. Best of luck with your son to be new friend.

Answer 10

grey hounds have trouble with anasthetics they have lower thyroid hormone levels they often have heart murmurs becuz there heart is too big they also have skin disorders and bald thigh syndrome
they have problems becuz of the way they were bred the breeders got the speed they wanted but also a lot of unforeseen problems