MY GREYHOUND RESCUE INFORMATION
Why choose a Greyhound?
For my family the decision to adopt a Greyhound made sense on so many levels. Here is a summary of the primary reasons:
We wanted to rescue / adopt a dog
There are so many animals in need of a good home with a caring family. We wanted to do our part in saving a dog and providing a safe and loving environment.
When we had researched that racing Greyhounds out of their prime are frequently put down despite being healthy dogs, we thought that they deserved a chance at a life of fair treatment and love. We wanted to do our part in rescuing an animal in immediate danger.
We fully support saving animals from the humane society or other adoption agencies but in our case, from the research we had done we knew that Greyhounds were the ideal dog breed for our lifestyle.
My significant other and I both work full time jobs
While we make an effort to never leave our Greyhound alone for more than a few hours, we had decided that a breed that is kennel trained would be ideal. Greyhounds are well suited to being kennelled as they experience that in their racing career and sleep most of the day. We have since found that our Greyhound is very well behaved, so we no longer kennel our dog when we are gone.
Given the low overall energy level of Greyhounds, we find that our dog curls up and sleeps most of the day.
We live in the city with limited yard space and smaller home
Given the location and type of home that we occupy, we were looking for a dog breed that can tolerate life in a smaller house and that doesn't need acres to run about in the backyard constantly.
Believe it or not Greyhounds are considered apartment dogs. They are low energy and laze around most of the day. You will often find your Greyhound curled up like a cat sleeping in their dog bed. A brief walk in the morning and night is sufficient (30 min total daily), with the occasional trip to the off-lease (fenced in) for running. We do walk our dog three times a day because we like sticking to a routine and are often dog sitting other breeds.
Fortunately we live within a short walk to parks and an off-lease to have green space to allow our dog to run if she is in the mood, but more often then not she is happy just to walk around the block.
We live in a duplex where noise is a concern
Most Greyhounds are known to be quiet. This is a trait that does vary depending on the dog's personality. My Greyhound Rescue, Frenchie Fry literally only barked once in the first month we had her.
During a Greyhound play date when there is lots of excitement and commotion it becomes obvious that there are more vocal individual Greyhounds but in general they are very quiet.
We constantly poll the neighbours and they indicate that they have never heard our dog. This is another one of the reasons Greyhounds can be considered apartment dogs.
Concerned with high energy dogs
As noted above, we were concerned with leaving a dog at home that might be destructive with all the pent up energy and require lots of continuous attention. Greyhounds can be pretty independent and enjoy relaxing for a lot of the day.
It is common to see your hound snoozing on their back and loving life.
Didn't want the house to be covered in dog hair
In order to make our lives easier we wanted a short haired dog so that our house wasn't continuously covered in long hair and needing to be vacuumed. Greyhounds do shed but not nearly to the same extent of volume that long hair dogs do. I personally don't notice the hair around the house.
As an added bonus the Greyhound coat is thin and doesn't have the same oils as long hair dogs, this means no stinky dog smells. With fairly in frequent bathing there are no issues with dog odor.
We wanted a larger dog
Greyhounds are beautiful medium to large sized dogs, but they don't come with the typical large breed health problems with hip dysplasia etc.
While Greyhounds are large they are still comfortable curling up on your lap like a little lap dog or a cat.
Wanted an intelligent dog
Greyhounds are intuitive, affectionate and trainable. While they may not have been house trained or taught basic commands they learn very quickly especially with treat training.
Greyhounds are well behaved on leashes as they were frequently paraded at the race track. They typically don't pull on the leash or drag you while walking. However, they are heavily prey driven so will bolt / pull when they see a squirrel, rabbit, or fluffy little dog.
Wanted background info on our soon to be dog
There is pretty good record keeping for racing Greyhounds. You can generally find information on your dog's parents and previous owners and from there perhaps gather some medical history.
Disadvantages?
The one disadvantage is that you generally don't get to pick your specific dog. As opposed to going to the shelter and evaluating a dog to see if you think it has a matching personality type etc, with Greyhound rescues you typically get a dog assigned to you at random. The good news is that the breed traits are so consistent and the dogs are so awesome that you'll be happy with your Zoomie.
To gain further confidence with regards to the personality and traits of Greyhounds, consider looking for local meet and greets held by rescue organisations. Following that if you are still not comfortable of the prospect of rescuing a dog that you haven't met before then another option may be to seek out Greyhound fostering organizations in the area.
Only you can make the decision to adopt and save a Greyhound. Think carefully about whether you can provide your Greyhound rescue with the life it deserves where it is cared for, loved, fed well and kept safe and healthy.
Are you Ready for Dog Adoption?
Before you make your final decision be sure to read through the rest of this page to understand all the considerations and resulting responsibilities that are involved.
If you read through this website and determine that you are:
- able to provide a loving home
- able to provide a safe home
- able to budget for the expenses of animal ownership
- able to provide the daily needs (walks, food, attention, playtime).
- able to find accommodation for your dog during travel or emergencies
- don't have known allergies to pets
Then you might just be ready for dog adoption.
Preparing for Your Greyhounds Arrival
There are a number of things you will have to do to prepare for the big day ("gotcha day").
You've already thought through budgeting and determined that your house is suitable but there are now the final details to work through.
Puppy Proof your Property
Your new Greyhound rescue is going to be very curious upon arriving in your home and will want to explore. Make sure that there aren't stray items laying around that house that can injure your dog such as small choking hazards, and move/raise/hide anything that you don't want destroyed. We thought we had our place all set for the arrival of our Greyhound rescue but within the first week our dog had eaten a wax candle off a shelf and chewed through the power cable to my laptop (no injuries to our Greyhound).
As your Greyhound is getting to know your home, they will be very curious and begin to explore the area by sniffing and potentially mouthing random objects. Move anything you don't want "sampled".
This isn't to say that greyhounds are destructive, but coming from the racing environment they haven't been exposed to the typical household items, so curiosity ensues.
Toys
Have a few different types of Toys ready for arrival (the more toys the less likely that undesirable items will get "sampled".
Especially treat toys (Tricky Treat Ball or Kongs).
Having entertainment and distractions around will reduce the likelihood that your dog will be bored and destructive.
Kennel
Depending on whether you are ok with your Greyhound having full Reign of the house or want them to stay in a kennel.
We chose a large spacious kennel to give our Greyhound plenty of space. However, we very quickly noticied that our Greyhound did not like being in the kennel and it was a safety risk to our dog. So we opted to allow French Fry to have access to the whoel house. With basic training and a basket of toys we are happy to report no issues with house damage. Basically she sleeps 18 hours a day.
Dog Bed
Greyhounds love to sleep. They are like giant Cats. They will curl up on pretty much anything. Here at mygreyhoundrescue.com we recommend a Dog Bed (or several) that have a stuffed perimeter to allow your Greyhound to build a little nest. They seam to prefer this type over a flat bed, but will sleep pretty much anywhere.
Leash & Collar
Greyhounds have long and fragile necks. THe recommended style of collar for a Greyhound is the Martigale style. Wider collars provide more support. Avoid extendable leashes as your Greyhound may sprint and be abruptly stopped by a leash. Stick to a relatively short (4-5 ft) leash.
Muzzle
Check with the organization through which you are rescuing your Greyhound, they are likely proving a muzzle. However if you are rescuing from a humane society or oterwise it would be wise to purchase a muzzle.
Greyhounds, especally off the track, are very Prey Driven and also do not have the same playing style and expereicne as other Breeds. It is very strongly recommended to have your Greyhound wear a muzzle when first interacting with other dogs, children etc. Fortunately for us, we were able to observe and train our Greyhound to behave with other dogs, she loves people and isn't super prey driven (probably why they kicked her off the track). We still use the muzzle when going to Greyhound get togethers but outside of that she is well behaved.
French Fry came with a muzzle when adopted. She wasn't a fan of wearing it and would always try to rub the muzzle off. When the opportunity arose she managed to grab the uzzle off of a table in the house and chew it up. We ended up purchasing a replacement which we use for Greyhound get togethers etc.
Coat and Boots
Rain jacket / winter jacket and boots (weather depending)
Keep in mind that many Greyhounds are coming from reasonably warm climates and do not have the tollerance (both through expereience and breed) to handle cold weather. The Greyhound has a very short coat especally on the belly and will get cold easily.
We recommend being prepared with a coat and boots for your Greyhound's arrival.
Water Dish and Food Bowl:
Establish an area for the food and water dish. It should be in an accessible, but not high traffic area. Always keep the water dish full of fresh water. They will be very thirsty upon their arrival. When your Greyhound arrives, lead them to the water dish first and they will learn where to go to get water when they are thirsty. A mat located beneath the bowl is recommended and perhaps a nearby towel is a good idea to clean up splashes and drips to protect your floors. Your greyhound may be a messy drinker, as many dogs are.
For a food bowl it generally makes sense to locate the bowl next to the dish on the same mat. A consistent location helps set routine. A metal rounded bowl is pretty typical. The rounded bowl is good since your dog will lick it clean after every meal to make sure they got every tasty morsel.
bloat. Set water dish on ground. Not raised. Raised makes it less stenous to get water / food but allows the dog to consume faster potentially resultin gin bloat. If you think about natural food and water srouces tehy would occur at ground level, not elevated.
Poop Bags
Remember to be a sresonable and considerate pet owner. Purchase biodegrable waste bags. Budget for 3 bags per day. Always have some with you.
Cleaning Supplier & Stain remover
Accidents will happen unfortunately. Ensure you are equiped with antibateria spray / deoderizer as well as stair remover. Follow the instructions on the cleaning products. Keep all cleaning products out of reach of your Greyhound.
Towels:
Having a few towels around is key. You will want one located at the main entrances into the house, at the water dish and as spares. The towels at the door will be used to clean mud, snow and water from your Greyhound rescues feet when they come in the house after being outside. The towel at the water dish is for quickly wiping up spills slobber and food messes. Having a towel for treats such as bones is an excellent strategy to protecting your house from the mess associated with your dog cleaning a bone. It is easy to train your greyhound to stay on the towel while chewing the bone and will make life easier.
As the Hitchhiker's Guide says "A towel is just about the most massively useful thing"
Training
Another benefit to rescued Greyhounds is that they generally already have some important training elements instilled by the time they come off the track. Other habits need to be worked on using common training techniques.
Your greyhound rescue will likely be reasonably well "house" trained. However, the first training you should undertake when getting your greyhound rescue home is taking them out to the backyard (or dog run etc) to where it is ok for them to go to the washroom and get them to pee and then reward them with a treat and praise immediately. If any accidents occur indoors correct them and take them back outside to the designated area and positively reinforce that they use their "litter box".
Greyhounds are used to being on leashes, paraded and walked to and from the track. My greyhound rescue doesn't pull on the leash and walks very well with other dogs. This skill maybe taken for granted until you experience walking untrained dogs who drag you along in every which way.
A racing greyhound has likely spent most of their lives surrounded by other dogs and sleeping in cages / kennels. As a result the greyhounds are socialised and can interact with other dogs. Though as we'll discuss later it is always important to muzzle your greyhound when introducing them to new environments. Greyhounds will be used to staying in a kennel which when first introducing them to your home is recommended while you get used to each other. We started with kennelling my greyhound rescue while we were at work for the first week or so. On weekends when we were only away for small periods of time (starting with 20 minutes and then growing to a few hours) we'd leave her out in the house and evaluate her behaviour (with the aid of doggy cameras). After becoming confident in her behaviour and reviewing that she was not experiencing anxiety we now no longer utilise a kennel.
Keep in mind that one thing a greyhound generally does not have experience with is flights of stairs. Our house is a very tall and skinny duplex with lots of steep stairs. My greyhound rescue was unsure at first how to navigate the stairs but very quickly became comfortable and within a few days was able to climb and descend stairs with ease. Be sure that your stairs have a non-slip surface such as carpet or a stair tread cover so that they do not fall.
While there are many methods of dog training available that will be discussed elsewhere in this website, our preferred method of training was primarily based around the treat training (Positive Reinforcement) method.
Greyhounds are more than capable of learning many common commands such as sit, lay down, come, bow, stay / wait etc.
For each command say one simple command word (with a stern tone), with a corresponding hand motion. Initially either mimic the command or assist them (for the "sit" command, push their bum down) and reward with treat and praise ("Good Girl / Boy". Repeat over a few days until they demonstrate they understand and respond to the command. Eventually you can stop providing the treat, but still provide the praise.
Establish what they are allowed to chew. Day One provide chew toys to keep your dog enetertained. Encourage they play with toys, reqard them with Tricky Treat Balls and other food based toys. Correct your Greyhound if they show a tendancy to chew on furniture or wood and again provide them with toys they are allowed to chew.
Stick to a schedule. Dogs pick up on routine. Its incredible how My Greyhound Rescue knows exactly what time it is and goes up to the second floor window just before my significant other gets home from work to watch for her human. I've seen it in person and on my doggy cam. Every day at the same time she knows when to go wait. She knows when her walks and meals are, as well as coming and going of people.
Make sure to manage your dog's expectations and emotions. This was one of the most important items we discovered from our research. To reduce your greyhound rescue's separation anxiety you cannot make a big deal out of leaving and arriving and you need to make their experience while you are gone the most enjoyable possible.
When you leave the house, provide your greyhound rescue with a tricky treat ball or Kong and when they are engaged and entertained with those treats, just leave without making a big deal out of it. No big display of affection and cuddles etc. When you arrive back home, just walk in the house, don't get your dog excited with lots of attention and pats etc. This approach serves to let your dog know that your absence is enjoyable for them (lots of toys, treat ball etc) and also when you return things will still be normal. If you make a big deal of leaving or arriving it puts anxiety on your Greyhound and it is in those conditions when dogs are more likely to be destructive.
Exercise
As you all know, our beloved Zoomies are capable of running around 45 mph (70 km/h), so you'd naturally think that these beautiful animals must be bursting with energy and require constant running, waking and playing.
While energy levels will vary from dog to dog, in general the Greyhound breed is very low energy especially in comparision to Labs and other bubbly dogs. Greyhounds have been known to sleep for up to 18 hrs a day and as a result Greyhounds are actually considered Condo dogs or apartment dogs.
Our Greyhound Frenchie Fry is essentially a giant Cat. She sleeps all day, curls up on the couch and likes to cuddle.
She loves to play when you engage her or occasionally on her own but is mostly resting through out the day.
A quick morning and evening walk is recommended (before meals See Bloat). 20 minutes down to the park or around the block is good.
While not necessary we walk our greyhound three times a day to make sure she is happy and active.
Be sure to keep your Greyhound on a leash at all times when outside of fenced in areas, there is a reason they are called Zoomies. Your Greyhound may take off after anything it considers prey including other small dogs (see Prey Drive).
Our Greyhound is not aware at all of cars or other dangers, so it is important to keep your dog under control. You would never be able to catch your 45 mph couch potato if they decide to run away.
Dog Park:
Prior to taking your greyhound to the dog park you should analyse how it behaves around other dogs it meets during walks and also whether your dog has any recall (returns to you / stops and listens when you call them). Practice recall at home using the treat training and positive reinforcement method. Once you have determined that your greyhound does acknowledge you and generally interacts well with other dogs you can consider taking the hound to a fully enclosed off leash.
When you take your greyhound to a public dog park you should survey the park to determine whether or not it is completely enclosed. If the park is completely enclosed (with 5 to 6 ft high fencing) and there is sufficient visibility to keep track of your hound you could potentially let your greyhound off leash. Your greyhound should be muzzled so that they cannot bite or snap at other dogs (especially smaller dogs that may trigger prey drive). Work on recall and be sure to have treats on hand.
Since greyhounds are sighthounds and so prey driven it is never a good idea to let them off leash in an open area as they generally have poor recall when distracted and as previously menioned you'll never catch your dog if they sprint away.
Swimming:
It is unlikely that your greyhound rescue has ever been exposed to swimming during its racing career.
My greyhound rescue loves to cool off in the water following a run or walk on a hot day. We often set up a kiddie pool with about six inches of water for her to lay in. When given the opportunity to go for a swim in a river she would only go as far as she could still walk.
Given the large chest of the Greyhound they are not as stable in the water as other breeds but are certainly capable of swimming given some training. Keep in mind that Greyhounds have very low body fat, thin skin and do not have a oil coat to protect them from the water. They will rapidly lose body heat, so even on a hot day ensure they are not in water that is too cold for too long.
Prey Drive & Other Pets
Greyhounds are a sight hound that have been bred for centuries to have a high prey drive. Originally for hunting (deer) and more recently for racing. My greyhound rescue is crazy for cats, squirrels and deer. For some reason our greyhound is not interested in chasing the many hares that are in our neighbourhood. Thankfully she isn't interested in small dog breeds either.
This high prey drive, which is hardwired in the breed, is the reason never let your dog off leash in an area that is not enclosed or where you can't control your greyhound. If there are other dogs in a fenced in area make sure your greyhound rescue is wearing a basket.
Keep in mind that when your greyhound goes into prey drive mode that they will generally have zero recall, they focus on the chase / hunt and ignore your commands.
The degree of prey drive does vary from dog to dog and in fact a weaker prey drive may be one of the reasons your racing rescue may be retiring. With dedicated training it is possible for greyhounds to be socialised with cats and other small house pets,
Food
Quality Food
While quality food comes at a premium it is important to consider that the quality of food you provide your Greyhound has an impact on their health. Money is better spent on preventative measures like keeping your Greyhound healthy, energetic and fit vs saving a little money each month on food and forking out (pun intended) a wad of cash for Vet bills when your Greyhound gets sick.
We try to be consistant with the food we feed My Greyhound Rescue as a change in diet can lead to upset stomachs (gas, bloating and diahria), and mood and energy changes. A compatible food should result in firm stool and little to no gas.
I think My Greyhound Rescue eats healthier than her humans do.
Here is the food that we feed our dog:
https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/acana-grasslands-dog-food?variant=793402029
Quantity and Schedule:
To start the recommendation is 3 cups a day. Observe whether you dog is gaining or losing weight with their typical activity level and adjust accordingly. Overfeeding also results in Gas.
Many people's life styles drive a two meal a day feeding schedule. Walk your dog before you feed so that your dog isn't doing exercise (risk of bloat / twisted stomach) after eating. With a two meal a day schedule, feed your dog just before you leave for work and walk and feed them immediate upon returingin from work so that they aren't starving waiting for their meal. Try to stick to a routine.
Foods to Avoid:
Like all dogs make sure that you have secured and are careful with foods that are poisonous to dogs such as:
- chocolate
coffee
- onion
- garlic
- macadamia nuts
- Xylitol (sweetener in candy and baked goods)
- raisins / grapes
- dairy (upset stomachs)
The above foods can have effects ranging from upset stomachs to kidney failure and death. In general make an effort not to feed your dog people food.
As noted in the health section Greyhounds have low body fat and are more susceptible to the effects and speed in which they are affected. The Greyhound doesn't know any better and will try and eat everything it can get it's mouth on.
Health
Find a vet who is knowledgeable specifically in Greyhounds. They have enough unique qualities when compared to other large breeds that they require some specialised treatments.
For example, due to the the very low body fat content of Greyhounds they are very sensitive to anaesthetic and drugs and must be given very low doses in comparison to other breeds of similar size.
Initially we had brought our Greyhound Frenchie Fry to the vet when we discovered her limping and couldn't identify an obvious injury. The vet had no specific knowledge of common Greyhound aliments and simply specified an expensive round of x-rays which yeilded nothing. We then found a vet who specialized in Greyhounds and they immediately knew the likely cause of the limp was corns, which is quite common in the pads of Greyhounds. The corns were treated with bagbalm and wrapped and our Greyhound was in tip top shape in days
Unfortunately the next time the corn has come back on the same foot it has had to be cut out of the pad multiple times. Do your best to keep your Greyhounds pads in good condition by keeping them on the grass, wear booties, use bag balm and be careful with road salt, glass and debris.
How long do Greyhounds Sleep?:
Greyhounds are known to sleep for 16 to 18 hrs a day. Seriously! The general impression is that Greyhounds would be hyper and energetic dogs. However, these dogs were bred to sprint not for endurance. They have short bursts of high energy and spend a few hours of waking time for walks and eating and the rest of their time sleeping. This is the main reason Greyhounds are lovingly known as 45 mile per hour couch potatoes. The nickname for my greyhound rescue, French Fry, is "Potato".
Human Health - Allergies:
While Greyhounds are short-hair dogs they are not hypoallergenic. Keep this in mind if you or close family members have known allergies to dogs.
Budget
Rescue Cost:
Approximately $400 USD which will vary depending on the rescue organisation
City License budget $50. Check with your local jurisdiction
Health Care:
The adoption agency should provide an initial dental cleaning, shots (rabies etc), spay / neuter, nail clip.
Distemper / Parvo Vaccine $25 every 3 years
Bordetella Vaccine (intranasal) $25 every year (6 - 12 months depending on level of exposure to other dogs in close quarters to reduce risk of kennel cough)
Rabies shots are required to be updated every 3 years
Microchips are not as common. Greyhounds are tattooed in the ears.
Insurance can come at a premium given that Greyhounds are a pure breed of dog. Be sure to get multiple quotes.
We opted not get insurance since it was quoted at over $140 per month. That was likely a mistake because within the first month or two our greyhound rescue had an accident with a stick at the dog park. Since that incident she has broken a toe and been attacked by another dog and required stitches.
A basic dental brushing about $20 but a full cleaning with anaesthesia is about $300
Vet yearly check up $84
Tick and worm medicine is approximately $200 a year
Random Injuries can be quite expensive (generally $300 to several thousand dollars). Consider putting away an additional $100 a month to cover unexpected injuries. Or decide on some level of insurance coverage.
Nail clipping if you decide to pay is about $10-20. However, greyhounds are pretty passive and will easily let you cut their own nails.
Food:
Premium Kibble $80 cdn per month (Would you give your high performance car regular gas ;p).
Treats are $30 a month because my significant other spoils our dog.
We feed our dog high end food, fish oil and buy greenies and bones to promote good health. It's a form of preventative maintenance.
Toys:
Initially we bought a number of toys for our greyhound so that she had some selection. Other than some of the big stuffies the toys last quite some time. On average we budget about $5 a month for toys.
Total budget was $200 per month initially but is more like $300 with savings for healthcare events
Other items to consider
Dog walker / Travel (with and without) / boarding fees etc
Many hotels will actually permit pets. Check with the hotel / website prior to booking. The conditions are typically that the dog is not permitted to be on the furniture and must be kennelled when left in the room. Hotels typically charge a $25+ premium per night.
However, considering that typical boarding of a dog is general $35+ per day, it is may be worth having your companion with you