Do you like your greyhound dog??? I'm going to look at a greyhound tonight that I'm considering adopting..?

Question

What questions should i ask while I'm there? If anyone has a greyhound why or why not do you like yours? any advise would be great!

Thanks

Answer 1

hip and joint problems occur alot with greyhounds. i would ask about any history of this with either him or parents if known. they are great dogs though make sure you have a back yard and can give him plenty of exercise.

Answer 2

Congratulations.  I say that now because when you see a greyhound tonight, I'm confident you'll love him/her.  

I have two greyhounds and have fostered 4 in the last year.  If you get one from a foster home, you won't have as much work to do to get him used to living in a home.  But if you get one right off the track, you will have some hurdles to jump over.  They are not high hurdles but you have to teach them how to walk up and down stairs, sometimes are referral to house training, how glass doors work, etc.  

Please read this attachment when you get the time.  It's long but it's very true and touched my heart.  Kathleen Gilley (she owns 5 or 6) tells the difference in a greyhound's life before and after adoption.  It walks you through their day while they're on the track.  As I said, it's long but very interesting.

http://www.geocities.com/katnexta/nofear...

Good luck and BTW, you can't have just one.  They look so beautiful and elegant walking side by side on the leash next to you.  Everybody wants to pet them.

Answer 3

'The Vet Tech' sems to know surprisingly little about greyhounds. Of all purebred dogs they greyhound has least in inherited health problems as they have been bred for speed and fitness, not exaggerated looks.

They also need little exercise, and with a couple of 20 minute walks a day are pretty happy to laze around, so a big garden is not a necessity at all. They do tend to have a high prey instinct and want to go for small furrys, and as a result may need to be kept on a lead if there is any risk of cats etc.

If its an ex racer then it may need some house training, (do ask) so do be prepared to put the work in at first to help him learn (outside striaght after food and every 30 mins for the first few days, big fuss when he 'goes' outdoors, if he goes indoors remove him to the garden without fuss or scolding till he picks up what you want from him).

They are generally super laid back dogs, and really chilled out and gentle. If you are looking at rescuing one good luck and I hope you can offer the dog the safe home he needs.

Answer 4

I would watch it if u let it off the leash cause they are fast and like to chase little critters.

Answer 5

Greyhounds are great dogs. I would suggest that you adopt the greyhound  because thousands of them are being put down in a second.My friend has one named Ginger. And she's just perfect, I mean she's crate trained and house trained. She gets along with other dogs in the house. (Some greyhounds don't get along with cats or rabbit just to let you know, but most of them do) She loves kids and loves to run around their big backyard. My friend's even planning on adopting two more greyhounds because they are so great.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound

http://www.pets.ca/breedprofiles/a/greyh...

http://www.sagaa.org/

http://www.petyourdog.com/dog_breed/g/gr...

http://www.bigpawsonly.com/Greyhound-bre...

http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/Breeds/gr...

http://www.italiangreyhound.org/

I really hope you adopt a greyhound.

Annie

Answer 6

We have two and they are the best.

Gentle, quiet, clean and not smelly, love human company and are not a dog to be left alone for hours on end.

low maintenance, need rugging in winter as they feel the cold, cool place for summer, don't like the heat and a soft warm bed. Contrary to what many people think, they do not require lots of exercise. three times a week for 20 - 30 mins  and they will be happy.

Generally a very sound breed genetically. Some may have dental issues  due to a racing diet and some develop an eye condition known as pannus.

Of course each dog will have it's own personal eccentricities and this is another delightful aspect of these dogs. If you go through an adoption/rescue agency the dog will be matched to you and your circumstances, so be honest about your lifestyle and what you are looking for in a dog. do some research. Foster care of a greyhound for rescue groups is another way of seeing whether or not a greyhound is for you.

Personally they are one of the nicest dog I have ever owned.

Answer 7

they are great dogs. my uncle had one that he rescued from a racing trakc. ask questions about his background, many cases raced dogs could be abused and ythis will effect his trust with you and take al ittle to work on buyt this is a great thing to do.

Answer 8

After being blessed with greyhounds in our household over the past 10 years, I feel I can honestly say that these dogs are the most loving, understanding, obedient, trustworthy, fun loving and beautiful dogs in the world.  They are very adaptable to their surroundings, are wonderful to have around and help keep their owners young at heart.  At the present time we have the "Senior Citizens of Greyhounds"...one Irish grey that is 15 in November, another that we have had 12 years who is my wife's

"fur son" and various other greys.  You cannot go wrong by adopting a grey as a soulmate.  Be sure you follow the greyt instructions:  NEVER ever let them run in the open spaces...you may never see them again.  Don't ever chain a grey outside...they MUST BE INSIDE DOGS. It is imperative that they have LOVE, LOVE AND LOVE..you will never regret adopting one of these greys....They will change your lives.

Answer 9

I LOVE my greyhound!!!

These are truely the most loving, loyal, intelligent and gentle dogs. Here are what I would advise a new greyhound owner to consider:

1.  It will take 6 mos to a year for your greyhound to act like a "normal dog" and that is assuming you are committed to socializing your grey and teaching him about his new life. It may take this long for your grey to play with toys, interact with you as a pet, and not be afraid of strangers.  Expect some mild to moderate chewing on clothes and furniture for the first few weeks.

2.  You can NEVER let your grey off leash in an unfenced area. They do not understand the threat of cars and could get up to a mile away before they realize you are not by their side any longer.

3.  Greyhounds are more sensitive than other breeds and abandoning them after the bond has been made is devestating to them.  You must be able to commit to your new family member for 12-18 years, no matter what behavior problems arise.

Greyhounds are extremely loyal if you deserve it.  I have had my boy for 2 years and it was difficult at first but he treats me like his savior now.  The way they will thank you with those big brown eyes is the best feeling in the world.  They are very clean, and do not smell or shed much at all; and you will get the treat of watching a beautiful animal running at 45 mph at the dog park.  If you are up to the challenge of rehabilitating one of these amazing dogs, you will never regret it!

Answer 10

Hi,

I hardly ever respond to anything on the site, but to this I just had to.  I have a beautiful 10 year old girl greyhound and she is absolutely beautiful.  I have heaps of friends that have them too.  They are known as "the world's fastest couch potato" for a reason.  They are really fast over very small distances and then sleep for the rest of the day.  My girl has two half hour walks a day, I hide a few treats in the house for her during the day and she sleeps the rest of the time.  Please adopt one, you won't ever regret it and if you are anything like me it will be love at first site.  Chloe was supposed to be a foster, but after having her for less than 1 hour I phoned to adopt her.  You won't regret it.

Lots of luv  Ally & Chloe

Answer 11

I have nothing against greyhounds it is just that I am really fond of my English Setter.  He is sooooooo cute.

Answer 12

I LOVE my two Greyhounds!

My girl is a licensed Therapy dog that we do Hospice visits and childrens reading programs at the library with.  

I love my Greyhounds because they are smart, easy to train, try hard to please and are clean, clean, clean in the house!    They can run and play in the house and they never knock anything over (and my boy is the size of a small horse, LOL!).   They love to go on walks with me, for rides in the car, and their favorite thing is going boating on the lake.

Now for the "skinny" on the breed:   They are gentle, kind and LOVE everyone - so make terrible watch dogs, as they will let anyone in your house.

   They have no sense of territory, no homing sense and are clueless when it comes to traffic and automobiles - so you must keep them on a leash at all times unless in a safely fenced area.   They can go from zero to 45 mph in just a couple strides, so you can not tie them out on a chain or cable.  

They also must live in the house with you .... these are not outdoor dogs.   They are mellow and laid back, and need much less exercise than most dogs .... take them for a half hour walk, or let them do a few zoomies around the fenced backyard, and they are set and will sleep 18-20 hours a day.

They have fine coats, have little to no body odor and if you live in a cold climate, they may need to wear a coat to go outside in the winter months.

Some hounds have a strong prey drive and are not safe around kitties and small little furries --- so you need to ask if you have cats in the house.   Both of my Greyhounds are small animal safe in the home.

The other thing I have to warn you about is that you are sure to draw attention anywhere you go, and people will always want to pet your dogs and ask you questions about them .... they draw children to them like a magnet.

Answer 13

There's actually nothing about greyhounds I don't like.  You need to be aware that they can't ever be let off leash in an unfenced area.  That's the most important thing that sets greys apart from other dogs.

Some of them aren't cat friendly and a few aren't good around small dogs.  If that's important to you, ask about that.  Of the dozens I've known, I've only known one who wasn't good with kids - most greys are really great with kids, but that's something you might want to check.

If the greyhound you're looking at is in a foster home, it should be house trained and pretty good at living in a house, so all you'd need to know is what kind of food he/she is eating, basic stuff.  Greys are crate and leash trained, love to play with stuffed toys and are easy to take care of.

Hope you and this greyhound are a match!