Greyhound Adoption?

Question

I am researching adopting a greyhound and thinking of seriously adopting one. My question is that I have really only found how to adopt one and the pros, or wonderful parts of having one. Can someone who either has one or has adopted one please tell me what the consequences, or cons, would be to adopting a retired race hound? I do have the book greyhounds for dummies coming to me in the mail, but I wanted to get some real answers from real people. Please let me know your experiences in adopting a greyhound so I know what I may be in for in a few months, if I decide to go through with this. Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

I have a retired racing greyhound. She is a great dog - very docile, and a big couch potato. It is absolutely false that they are high energy. I don't know anyone who has a greyhound who will say otherwise. And, as for needing to be housebroken, I can only speak from my experience, our dog had one accident the first day that we got her, and that was it.

As for drawbacks - the only one that I can think of is if you get a greyhound, be aware that she will not be the kind of dog that likes to fetch, or play traditional doggy games. They do play and have fun, but they aren't that cuddly retriever kind of dog.

The other thing is that greyhounds are big time pack animals. They have spent most of their lives surrounded by other greyhounds. Our dog won't settle down at night until everyone is home, she needs to make sure her pack is around her. She seems to really get a thrill of being with other greys, which why try to arrange as much as possible. We are contemplating getting a second one.

As for exercise - it is convenient to have a fenced in yard, and some agencies require it if you live in a house. but, greys are great apartment dogs too - they just need one long walk per day, and several short walks. And never, never, never let them off leash when not in a completely fenced in area!!

The other thing I didn't know, and wasn't really prepared for - is greays complete inability to tolerate heat. Since they have so little body fat, it is hard for them to tolerate heat. Our first summer, we thought she was dying, because she would never get off her bed - she barely ate. Even when we put a room AC in her room, she was still listless. Then, as soon as the temps dropped, she was her old self. We talked to other owners and they shared the same stories, and said it is pretty typical for greys.

Good luck - you won't regret it and you'll be saving a life!

Answer 2

My sister in law has a greyhound now that she has adopted after the death of her first greyhound. She and her family love them.

I can personally from being with her greyhounds when they come up to visit that the animal is extremely docile. They are quiet as they hardly bark if ever, and are very loyal. They do like to run ALOT so there needs to be a place where you will be able to take him/her to run off the leash. And both of her greyhounds were great listeners, they came when called and were able to be taught not to beg at the table. She's had wonderful experiences with them and I've found them to be wonderful animals.

Good luck with your adoption.

Answer 3

I've got 3 greys and have fostered lots of others, but I'm really better equipped to tell you all the good things about having them!!

Honestly though, I believe the only down side to having greyhounds is that they can't be let off the leash in an unfenced area. But if you're considering one, you already know that and must be ok with it.

The other thing is that a lot of them have bad teeth and you need to be prepared to brush their teeth and also have them cleaned regularly. Other than that, they are very healthy dogs.

Some of them also have high prey drives and will never get along with cats. Of my 3, 2 really like cats and 1 can never be let near one. But if that's important to you, you need to tell the group you're adopting from because they're really good at matching the right dog to the right person - they want these dogs in a forever home. If you have a small dog or cat, let them know and you'll get the right dog.

If your dog comes to you directly off the track without being in a foster home first, it won't know it's name, be housetrained, know how to do stairs or anything elsel about living in a house. The good part is that they are very smart and learn quickly. They're soft dogs, meaning you don't use any Cesar Millan type methods on them, they respond very well to positive reinforcement.

They're also very quiet in the house, although they have their really goofy moments, but they're happy with a good walk a day. They are not hyper dogs at all.They love stuffed toys - mine have had some of theirs for 6 years now. They thrive on attention - the more you give them, the stronger relationship you'll have with your dog.

Answer 4

Hi,
Greyhounds are wonderful dogs to adopt. They are loyal, gentle, kind, stable temperment and need little exercise. It is a falicy that they need a lot since greyhounds are basically lazy dogs with one burst of speed in them. They love to curl up on your bed or chair and sleep. I have two, Thistle is a grehound/collie cross, and Berber is a greyhoun/saluki cross. She is the brains and he is the braun, not to mention bloody fast. Two twenty minuet walks a day will suffice. They love comfort since they are boney dogs with little body fat. They are lean as a breed in that they are bred for racing or hunting. They love human company and rarely react badly to other dogs unless like all dogs they have had a bad experience. The only thing you have to watch is that when you let them off the lead they might spot something like a rabbit and go off on the chase. It is a natural instinct. They are also very good with children and pretty safe. But as with all dogs, even greyhounds, do not leave a very young child alone unsupervised with any dog. Also do not let young children walk them, as if they see something in the park or field to chase, they may take off.
You may need to do a bit of training and re-socialising the dog for the home environment, but they tend to be easy to train.
My advice, go ahead and get one, you will not regret it. If you want any more advice, please just email me.
Eli.
[e-mail]

Answer 5

The three worst things about greyhounds:

1. One is never enough.
2.You will never be allowed to sit on your couch again.
3. Fainting from greyhound farts has been known to happen.

Seriously though, they are greyt pets. You have two good answers from people who have greyhounds (and a number of fallacies from people who don't). They do not need a lot of energy (they are sprinters - not endurance runners!) and they are a very healthy breed (they have the longest life-span of the large breeds and the only large breed free of hereditary joint problems like hip and elbow dysplasia).

Answer 6

I know that most of them will need housebreaking. Most of the ones I have met though are extremely sweet though! Contrary to belief, they would rather be a couch potato then run. Call a few rescues and ask you can come spend time with some of the dogs.

Answer 7

* Greyhounds tend to have poor dental hygeine because of track feeding/food (raw meats, marshmellows).

* Some have trouble walking on smooth surfaces, such as laminate or vinyl flooring.

* They do shed

In regard to Hunter2's comment, they are NOT high-energy dogs...they are lovingly referred to as couch potatoes, and in fact, quite lazy.

Answer 8

Greyhounds are a lot like cats. They are often aloof and don't really NEED you. Racing greyhounds have to be taught everything, many haven't been inside houses, and can't use stairs. It takes time and patience. Ask a vet for some help.

Answer 9

Rescuing a greyhound can be a great thing, but know what you are getting yourself in for. They require a lot of care and tend to have a lot of health issues. They like to dig out of yards as well.

My experience comes from a greyhound that we had in an animal clinic I worked for and from asking questions. I used to be a vet technician.

Answer 10

Your new dog is going to need running room. You need a large fenced yard. If you live out in the country where live rabbits, moles, voles etc are around, you can expect them to be interested in chacing and more.
They are high energy and need daily exersize. Are you commited to playing lots of long distance fetch?
Depending upon the age of course.
You need to be prepared for the potential of higher vet bills as they often have some condition that comes up over time due to the extreme stress during racing days.

I have adopted several dogs over the years never a grey hound. I know some who have. They were very happy with their dog. I know one was attacked in the yard by a coyote, which I found surprising! So they need protection during the early am and night time hours.

Best of luck!