The official retired or rescue greyhound thread
Discussion
I have just put some photos of our Eddie in the photo thread,I am really proud of him, he got 4th in best condition, a rosette in handsomest male and came first in the child handler class at the rgt open day the other week and we managed to raise over £700 for the rgt on the day 
Is anyone going to the greyhound gathering in nottingham on saturday?
Is anyone going to the greyhound gathering in nottingham on saturday?
Just a quick post to bump this, There are still loads of greyhounds needing homes and they make fantastic pets.
http://www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/
http://www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/
Here are my 2 rescued greyhounds.
The brinle one is called rudi, we've had him now for nearly 3 years, he was found abandoned in a kennel with a few other greyhounds. He is now the most spoiled and lazy dog that I have ever seen, thanks to the mrs.
The black and white one is called lucy and we've had her about a year and a half. She was found roaming the streets, we're not sure of here history appart from having a really hard racing career. We think that she was cruelly treated at some point as she was scared of everything, especially children.
She has now settled down really well and spends most of her time on the sofa.
Here's a rare picture of them not sleeping.
The brinle one is called rudi, we've had him now for nearly 3 years, he was found abandoned in a kennel with a few other greyhounds. He is now the most spoiled and lazy dog that I have ever seen, thanks to the mrs.
The black and white one is called lucy and we've had her about a year and a half. She was found roaming the streets, we're not sure of here history appart from having a really hard racing career. We think that she was cruelly treated at some point as she was scared of everything, especially children.
She has now settled down really well and spends most of her time on the sofa.
Here's a rare picture of them not sleeping.
Just been reading this thread. We went to a local RGT branch last weekend. We took Molly and gale out for a walk. Gale was about 5yrs old and Molly was much younger at 3.5. gale was very quiet and nervouse, but Molly had a bit more personality.
This thread has really re-affirmed that we should go for it.
Our House visit/check is booked for just over a week. It's all a bit scary.
Sorry for posting on a very old thread.
This thread has really re-affirmed that we should go for it.
Our House visit/check is booked for just over a week. It's all a bit scary.
Sorry for posting on a very old thread.
[quote=bakerstreet]Just been reading this thread. We went to a local RGT branch last weekend. We took Molly and gale out for a walk. Gale was about 5yrs old and Molly was much younger at 3.5. gale was very quiet and nervouse, but Molly had a bit more personality.
This thread has really re-affirmed that we should go for it.
Our House visit/check is booked for just over a week. It's all a bit scary.
Sorry for posting on a very old thread.
Well done that man, i take your going to have both of them?
This thread has really re-affirmed that we should go for it.
Our House visit/check is booked for just over a week. It's all a bit scary.
Sorry for posting on a very old thread.
Well done that man, i take your going to have both of them?
Tacagni]akerstreet said:
Just been reading this thread. We went to a local RGT branch last weekend. We took Molly and gale out for a walk. Gale was about 5yrs old and Molly was much younger at 3.5. gale was very quiet and nervouse, but Molly had a bit more personality.
This thread has really re-affirmed that we should go for it.
Our House visit/check is booked for just over a week. It's all a bit scary.
Sorry for posting on a very old thread.
Well done that man, i take your going to have both of them?
We won't be going for them both. Molly is our favourite, even though on paper we would be better with Gale as she has been in a home before and is known to be very quiet, but we both admitted that we preferred Molly's personality and looks. This thread has really re-affirmed that we should go for it.
Our House visit/check is booked for just over a week. It's all a bit scary.
Sorry for posting on a very old thread.
Well done that man, i take your going to have both of them?
Molly is also a blank canvas. Obvious benefit of this is that she will only know our home and will hopefully adapt accordingly. She raced and unfortunately had an injury, so can't race anymore. Part of me is a little concerned that she could injure her self again by just having a little canter across a field. I've asked that question to the kennel lady and I'm waiting for a response.
I'll start a thread when we've passed the week breaking in period
I'm hoping we pass the home test as I've just paid out £368 for some fencing to greyhound proof the garden!
I have only just found this thread, we have had our greyhound for almost a year. Managed to rescue him when he was about 6 months. He has really settled in with me and gf but still nervous around the bigger welk built gent (so majority of the PH community! 
).
Will get a few pics up when I get home.
). Will get a few pics up when I get home.
To be honest I don't think he is an ex racer. We got him from a rescue place at about 6 months so assume he was going to be raced but wasnt good enough at a young age so got kicked out/ran away.
When we first got him we kept him on the lead and went to a few lessons that were in an inclosed arena, although the fence could probabley be jumped!
After 3 or 4 lessons he was recalling no problem, he does go for a run in open fields but have only had one time he would not come back instantly.
Parents dog also goes off the lead, well hardly on it!
When we first got him we kept him on the lead and went to a few lessons that were in an inclosed arena, although the fence could probabley be jumped!
After 3 or 4 lessons he was recalling no problem, he does go for a run in open fields but have only had one time he would not come back instantly.
Parents dog also goes off the lead, well hardly on it!
Edited by eggchaser1987 on Monday 10th February 20:15
eggchaser1987 said:
To be honest I don't think he is an ex racer. We got him from a rescue place at about 6 months so assume he was going to be raced but wasnt good enough at a young age so got kicked out/ran away.
When we first got him we kept him on the lead and went to a few lessons that were in an inclosed arena, although the fence could probabley be jumped!
After 3 or 4 lessons he was recalling no problem, he does go for a run in open fields but have only had one time he would not come back instantly.
Parents dog also goes off the lead, well hardly on it!
Lovely photo. We originally wanted a brindle one, but we rocked up at the kennel and decided we quite looked a white/fawn look When we first got him we kept him on the lead and went to a few lessons that were in an inclosed arena, although the fence could probabley be jumped!
After 3 or 4 lessons he was recalling no problem, he does go for a run in open fields but have only had one time he would not come back instantly.
Parents dog also goes off the lead, well hardly on it!
Edited by eggchaser1987 on Monday 10th February 20:15
If she wasn't raced much, then that might be why she is good at being off the lead. Some of the racers never loose the 'chase' instinct.
The one we are looking at had to stop racing due to an injury. Spoke to the kennel lady today and apparently she will still be able to run, but not at competitive speeds.
bakerstreet said:
Lovely photo. We originally wanted a brindle one, but we rocked up at the kennel and decided we quite looked a white/fawn look
If she wasn't raced much, then that might be why she is good at being off the lead. Some of the racers never loose the 'chase' instinct.
The one we are looking at had to stop racing due to an injury. Spoke to the kennel lady today and apparently she will still be able to run, but not at competitive speeds.
Thanks, not sure about loosing the chase instinct but 99% of the time he does stop and return. He likes to chase squirrels, but by the time he gets to them they have climbed a tree and he doesnt know where they have gone. Pheasants are another favourite but they tend to take off and again he can't work out why he can't fly!If she wasn't raced much, then that might be why she is good at being off the lead. Some of the racers never loose the 'chase' instinct.
The one we are looking at had to stop racing due to an injury. Spoke to the kennel lady today and apparently she will still be able to run, but not at competitive speeds.
As said though he does come back on call the majority of the time
Hope all goes well with the one you have found. I shall try and pass on any helpful info that I have but I'm sure others have a lot more than I can offer.
Edited by eggchaser1987 on Tuesday 11th February 19:12
eggchaser1987 said:
Thanks, not sure about loosing the chase instinct but 99% of the time he does stop and return. He likes to chase squirrels, but by the time he gets to them they have climbed a tree and he doesnt know where they have gone. Pheasants are another favourite but they tend to take off and again he can't work out why he can't fly!
As said though he does come back on call the majority of the time
Hope all goes well with the one you have found. I shall try and pass on any helpful info that I have but I'm sure others have a lot more than I can offer.
Thanks. Mrs Bakerstreet is reading one greyhound book and I'm currently reading another. Our house inspection is Sunday evening and inspector brings a dog too As said though he does come back on call the majority of the time
Hope all goes well with the one you have found. I shall try and pass on any helpful info that I have but I'm sure others have a lot more than I can offer.
Edited by eggchaser1987 on Tuesday 11th February 19:12
I've watched loads of greyhound videos on YouTube and I think I've pretty much got all the info I need, but it will be nice to see what a dog of that size is like in our house.
Well our home visit has been done and unfortunately the winds have seriously damaged one of our fences and they said, they couldn't 'sign off' the house until we had the fence fixed, which is fair enough.
Its a bit of catch 22 as the owners aren't living there and they are in the process of doing it up. I'm after a donation from them to do the fence, but I have no way of getting hold of them apart from putting a polite letter through the door.
I don't want to appear weak by just paying out for the new fence myself and then possibly setting a president for any future fence/boundry work. At the same time, I don't want the dog escaping
Its a bit of catch 22 as the owners aren't living there and they are in the process of doing it up. I'm after a donation from them to do the fence, but I have no way of getting hold of them apart from putting a polite letter through the door.
I don't want to appear weak by just paying out for the new fence myself and then possibly setting a president for any future fence/boundry work. At the same time, I don't want the dog escaping
Hi All,
Considering getting a dog, but want to make sure its the right choice for us and the dog before we find ourselves in a situation thats difficult to get out of. I googled for a list of dogs that are ok spending time by themselves and a site suggested greyhounds, I remembered seeing a site about adopting unwanted former race dogs and have checked it out. But I wanted some info from people who have gone this route already, hence why I found this thread. So here are an initial few questions.
- Myself and My wife work, usually leave the house around 8.00am and might not be back until around 6.00pm Mon-Fri, are Greyhounds ok with this level of being left alone (am also considering 2 dogs so they'll have each other for company), I'd rather not get a dog at all if I'm going to cause it unnecessary anxiousness or loneliness.
- I know each dog is different but as a breed are they ok with travel or do they get sick all over a moving car - we visit the in laws every now and then and its about an 80 mile journey.
- How much walking do you do with the dog each day?
- Are they prone to wandering/following livestock (I live in the country and don't fancy my chances of catching a greyhound if they get loose)
- What are the things you wish you knew before you got your dog?
Any info is greatly appreciated.
Considering getting a dog, but want to make sure its the right choice for us and the dog before we find ourselves in a situation thats difficult to get out of. I googled for a list of dogs that are ok spending time by themselves and a site suggested greyhounds, I remembered seeing a site about adopting unwanted former race dogs and have checked it out. But I wanted some info from people who have gone this route already, hence why I found this thread. So here are an initial few questions.
- Myself and My wife work, usually leave the house around 8.00am and might not be back until around 6.00pm Mon-Fri, are Greyhounds ok with this level of being left alone (am also considering 2 dogs so they'll have each other for company), I'd rather not get a dog at all if I'm going to cause it unnecessary anxiousness or loneliness.
- I know each dog is different but as a breed are they ok with travel or do they get sick all over a moving car - we visit the in laws every now and then and its about an 80 mile journey.
- How much walking do you do with the dog each day?
- Are they prone to wandering/following livestock (I live in the country and don't fancy my chances of catching a greyhound if they get loose)
- What are the things you wish you knew before you got your dog?
Any info is greatly appreciated.
patmahe said:
Hi All,
Considering getting a dog, but want to make sure its the right choice for us and the dog before we find ourselves in a situation thats difficult to get out of. I googled for a list of dogs that are ok spending time by themselves and a site suggested greyhounds, I remembered seeing a site about adopting unwanted former race dogs and have checked it out. But I wanted some info from people who have gone this route already, hence why I found this thread. So here are an initial few questions.
- Myself and My wife work, usually leave the house around 8.00am and might not be back until around 6.00pm Mon-Fri, are Greyhounds ok with this level of being left alone (am also considering 2 dogs so they'll have each other for company), I'd rather not get a dog at all if I'm going to cause it unnecessary anxiousness or loneliness.
- I know each dog is different but as a breed are they ok with travel or do they get sick all over a moving car - we visit the in laws every now and then and its about an 80 mile journey.
- How much walking do you do with the dog each day?
- Are they prone to wandering/following livestock (I live in the country and don't fancy my chances of catching a greyhound if they get loose)
- What are the things you wish you knew before you got your dog?
I would say don't get a dog, traffic means you could be late back, the day is already too long. I aim for no more than five hours maximum and that is occasionally.
They may chase small dogs, they may not, but an ex racer could chase and therefore many end up just on a lead to avoid other peoples dogs getting injured.
Any info is greatly appreciated.
Considering getting a dog, but want to make sure its the right choice for us and the dog before we find ourselves in a situation thats difficult to get out of. I googled for a list of dogs that are ok spending time by themselves and a site suggested greyhounds, I remembered seeing a site about adopting unwanted former race dogs and have checked it out. But I wanted some info from people who have gone this route already, hence why I found this thread. So here are an initial few questions.
- Myself and My wife work, usually leave the house around 8.00am and might not be back until around 6.00pm Mon-Fri, are Greyhounds ok with this level of being left alone (am also considering 2 dogs so they'll have each other for company), I'd rather not get a dog at all if I'm going to cause it unnecessary anxiousness or loneliness.
- I know each dog is different but as a breed are they ok with travel or do they get sick all over a moving car - we visit the in laws every now and then and its about an 80 mile journey.
- How much walking do you do with the dog each day?
- Are they prone to wandering/following livestock (I live in the country and don't fancy my chances of catching a greyhound if they get loose)
- What are the things you wish you knew before you got your dog?
I would say don't get a dog, traffic means you could be late back, the day is already too long. I aim for no more than five hours maximum and that is occasionally.
They may chase small dogs, they may not, but an ex racer could chase and therefore many end up just on a lead to avoid other peoples dogs getting injured.
Any info is greatly appreciated.
We've had 2 retired racers for about 9 years and work similar patterns - out about 8:30, back about 6.
They're fine being left all that time - for a while I had a webcam to watch them, but gave up when I realised they almost never move! We have puppy training pads and sacrificial cheap door mats in the utlilty room just in case the older one (14 next month) can't wait for us to get home and let her out.
However, it does depend on the individual dogs - I know of others who get anxious if left more than a couple of hours.
As for walks, ours used to have 20 minutes in the morning, plus 45 in the evening, but that's reduced a bit as Poppy is starting to find it a bit too much at her age.
Ours love a ride in the car - they hop in the back of our Focus estate and happily do the 70 miles or so up to Thetford a few times a year.
They're fine being left all that time - for a while I had a webcam to watch them, but gave up when I realised they almost never move! We have puppy training pads and sacrificial cheap door mats in the utlilty room just in case the older one (14 next month) can't wait for us to get home and let her out.
However, it does depend on the individual dogs - I know of others who get anxious if left more than a couple of hours.
As for walks, ours used to have 20 minutes in the morning, plus 45 in the evening, but that's reduced a bit as Poppy is starting to find it a bit too much at her age.
Ours love a ride in the car - they hop in the back of our Focus estate and happily do the 70 miles or so up to Thetford a few times a year.
patmahe said:
- Myself and My wife work, usually leave the house around 8.00am and might not be back until around 6.00pm Mon-Fri, are Greyhounds ok with this level of being left alone (am also considering 2 dogs so they'll have each other for company), I'd rather not get a dog at all if I'm going to cause it unnecessary anxiousness or loneliness.
- I know each dog is different but as a breed are they ok with travel or do they get sick all over a moving car - we visit the in laws every now and then and its about an 80 mile journey.
- How much walking do you do with the dog each day?
- Are they prone to wandering/following livestock (I live in the country and don't fancy my chances of catching a greyhound if they get loose)
- What are the things you wish you knew before you got your dog?
I am a big advocate of greyhounds, having owned three (two currently) as well as four greyhound crosses and two whippets!- I know each dog is different but as a breed are they ok with travel or do they get sick all over a moving car - we visit the in laws every now and then and its about an 80 mile journey.
- How much walking do you do with the dog each day?
- Are they prone to wandering/following livestock (I live in the country and don't fancy my chances of catching a greyhound if they get loose)
- What are the things you wish you knew before you got your dog?
I would say that your working hours are too long to leave a dog or dogs. When I was single and worked full time, I employed a dog walker to take the dogs out at lunch time, and a relative also checked on them during the day. You may find that rescues have upper time limit of 4/5 hours alone (although some will allow longer if this is split up with a visit/dog walker). If you are going to be leaving a dog that long for 5 days a week, in my opinion, you should spend as much other time with them as possible. I didn't really go out during the week or at weekends, or if I did, it was meeting friends for dog walks. All dog are different; some cope well being left, others do not - and any dog can be destructive if bored or stressed.
Greyhounds generally travel very well, particularly ex-racers, as they are used to being transported to and from the track. All of mine have been absolutely fine in the car, and we have done some long journeys with them (longer than 80 miles). The only dog I've had travel sickness issues with is one of my current whippets....
In my experience, greyhound are very flexible in terms of exercise requirements. They are generally not too demanding, coping on two 20-30 minute walks a day. If they can have off-lead time, all the better, but some do not have reliable enough recall for this. They are bred to be sprinters rather than marathon runners. However, if you build them up to it, they can also cope with longer distances. I have walked my greyhounds and lurchers up to 8 miles (with breaks for all of us!)
All dogs are individuals, some will chase livestock, others will not. I wouldn't trust the two I have now not to, but the other one I owned had little chase instinct (she had been dumped by her trainer at 18 months and never raced, so presumably this was why). Their loss, my gain. The two I have now were relatively successful racers and have much stronger chase instinct. One is not let off the lead for this reason. As you say, no human will catch them on foot!
I can't think of anything off-hand that I wish I'd known. I did a lot of research before I got my first sighthound. I have never regretted it, but you do need to recognise what their breed traits are and what they are generally bred for. In some respects they are 'easy' dogs to own (low energy, undemanding, low maintenance, very affectionate); in other ways they are 'difficult' (stubborn, difficult to train 100% recall, often high prey drive).
Hope that helps.
I have 8 greyhounds,and 7 cats, they all live together in harmony...the greyhounds are 7 boys and one b
h, all are rehomed racers (I dont use the word rescue, as they were rehomed and never needed rescueing)They need little excercise, and are really lazy.
If you have a cat(s) introduce them gradually and sensibly, not all will get on with cats, although weve had lots over he years and all have lived sode by side.
We have had Herbie for 20 months now. Like many, he is a retired racer and was retired quite early at 3 1/2 years old and celebrated his 5th birthday on December 1st.
Herbie has been a stay at home dog since we brought him home. Wifey leaves house at 0815 and is back for 1730 4 days a week and she stays at home on Mondays. We have a year old baby boy and don't go very far weekends. He gets walked 30 minutes in the morning and 30-40 in the evenings. He prefers the cooler months for walking. He's black and doesn't like the heat and you have to make sure he drinks enough.
Greyhounds are super lazy and even if you are at home, they will still sleep! Ours is a little more active when we are at home as he will follow us about and just sleep in the room where ever we are in the house.
We have had more issues when we completely remodelled the house and I was suddenly at home every day because I was made redundant compared to him being left at home all day when we were both at work. When I say issues, I'm referring to marking. Generally speaking they are non a non destructive breed and we have never had any issues with Herbie destroying things when we are out.
Dog walkers are all well and good, but you can easily sink £50 per week on a dog walker and we didn't want to spend that. Also, people going in and out will also upset him.
The previous poster is right about the kennels being nervous of people who are leaving the dog for more than 4/5 hours. Some of the kennels can get a bit precious about this and forget that us Humans have to earn a living to pay for their dogs upkeep and happiness (£50-70 per month). Not every dog owner can be retired and be at home all the time or work from home. Thousands of greyhounds go 'missing' each year, so the more people they can get re-homing the better.
A few great things about owning a greyhound:
- They are a fine example of nature's engineering. Second fastest land mamel. The more stocky ones (ours) look very impressive with their bulging Thigh muscles. The fastest clocked speed into the first bend is 51mph by a dog in the U.S. Even as retired dogs, they are still have unbelievable acceleration and are good for 40-43mpg and it's the acceleration that is the really impressive bit.
- when you re-home a retired racer, you are part of a huge unofficial club of retired racer owners. Other greyhound owners will approach you in the street. We go on the organised walks and out of the hundreds of dogs that I have met, I have only ever seen one incident and the owner could have actually handled it much better. Because they are practically guaranteed to get on with each other, the walks are always great fun. You could not guarantee this with other breeds.
- They travel well. They go in cars from a very early age. It would be highly unlikely you would get one who suffers travel sickness.
- Ours is fantastic with babies and children.
- They are delicate and precise with their movements. Ours can throw his toy about the room and stop within mm of my baby boy crawling on the floor. I've had to leap in when we had a young lab visit. They aren't guard dogs, but ours has growled at a few dogs running towards our baby in the pram. He did the same when my wife was pregnant.
Other stuff:
- ours is incredibly affectionate and loves all people. Downside is he isn't that loyal...
- they are big. Ours isn't a big male and he is 35kg. The big ones can get over 40kg. They are powerful and despite their placid nature, you should not forget that.
- Forget a small car. We have a Ford C-Max and Saab 9-5 Estate. My wife had a C3 for a while. Yes, he could fit in the boot, but he wasn't comfortable. With a baby, we could really use that car now.
- You pay more for pet insurance, as they are slashed as working dogs.
- They are sight hounds and have visibility that is good for a km. they will see a squirrel running across a field well before you do.
- You should be prepared to have a dog that can't be off lead. Ours probably could, but we don't want to risk it.
- Because they are built for speed and acceleration, they are fragile. Their skin is very thin, so if they run after something and and straight into a hedge, they will hurt them selves. I have seen the results first hand and it's not pleasant.
- If they do get loose so to speak and they are in the zone, you probably won't get them back. However, generally speaking they don't have much stamina and they are bred to race at full pelt for two minutes tops. In the summer mine only canters about for 10 minutes tops before he is tired.
- They are a great height for easy patting. It's a serious consideration if you have a bad back. They aren't jump dogs either as hey don't need to.
- They are early risers. It's not ideal. Try not to end up in a situation where they sleep in your bed. It's their idea of heavan and it can be hard to get them off your bed. Sleeping in their own bed in your bedroom is fine.
- They can't sit like normal dogs and forget them sitting on a cold floor.
- They will take over your sofa.
- Befause they are big, you will never trip over one, but they are always in the way in the kitchen!
I can't recommend the breed highly enough. We had a recent cancer scare and the thought of us loosing him was upsetting to both of us.
We got ours from Whittingham kennels in Waltham Abbey, Hertfordshire. Not the biggest kennel, but the owner has been in the greyhound industry for over 40 years and has won volunteer of the year several times. Her staff are fantastic and we still keep in touch with them now.
If the recent poster decides to go ahead with a greyhound, then please don't disregard the black ones as they are always in the kennels for the longest. You will have to be quick if you want a pretty one (Brindle, fawn and grey) and also be on first name terms with the kennel owners.
As I type this, Herbie is resting his head on my lap. This is wear he is happiest. My wife was never really into dogs, but every night she hugs him and gives him a kiss on the nose and tells him she loves him. It's really nice.
I hope all this is helpful for the poster interested in taking the plunge.
Herbie has been a stay at home dog since we brought him home. Wifey leaves house at 0815 and is back for 1730 4 days a week and she stays at home on Mondays. We have a year old baby boy and don't go very far weekends. He gets walked 30 minutes in the morning and 30-40 in the evenings. He prefers the cooler months for walking. He's black and doesn't like the heat and you have to make sure he drinks enough.
Greyhounds are super lazy and even if you are at home, they will still sleep! Ours is a little more active when we are at home as he will follow us about and just sleep in the room where ever we are in the house.
We have had more issues when we completely remodelled the house and I was suddenly at home every day because I was made redundant compared to him being left at home all day when we were both at work. When I say issues, I'm referring to marking. Generally speaking they are non a non destructive breed and we have never had any issues with Herbie destroying things when we are out.
Dog walkers are all well and good, but you can easily sink £50 per week on a dog walker and we didn't want to spend that. Also, people going in and out will also upset him.
The previous poster is right about the kennels being nervous of people who are leaving the dog for more than 4/5 hours. Some of the kennels can get a bit precious about this and forget that us Humans have to earn a living to pay for their dogs upkeep and happiness (£50-70 per month). Not every dog owner can be retired and be at home all the time or work from home. Thousands of greyhounds go 'missing' each year, so the more people they can get re-homing the better.
A few great things about owning a greyhound:
- They are a fine example of nature's engineering. Second fastest land mamel. The more stocky ones (ours) look very impressive with their bulging Thigh muscles. The fastest clocked speed into the first bend is 51mph by a dog in the U.S. Even as retired dogs, they are still have unbelievable acceleration and are good for 40-43mpg and it's the acceleration that is the really impressive bit.
- when you re-home a retired racer, you are part of a huge unofficial club of retired racer owners. Other greyhound owners will approach you in the street. We go on the organised walks and out of the hundreds of dogs that I have met, I have only ever seen one incident and the owner could have actually handled it much better. Because they are practically guaranteed to get on with each other, the walks are always great fun. You could not guarantee this with other breeds.
- They travel well. They go in cars from a very early age. It would be highly unlikely you would get one who suffers travel sickness.
- Ours is fantastic with babies and children.
- They are delicate and precise with their movements. Ours can throw his toy about the room and stop within mm of my baby boy crawling on the floor. I've had to leap in when we had a young lab visit. They aren't guard dogs, but ours has growled at a few dogs running towards our baby in the pram. He did the same when my wife was pregnant.
Other stuff:
- ours is incredibly affectionate and loves all people. Downside is he isn't that loyal...
- they are big. Ours isn't a big male and he is 35kg. The big ones can get over 40kg. They are powerful and despite their placid nature, you should not forget that.
- Forget a small car. We have a Ford C-Max and Saab 9-5 Estate. My wife had a C3 for a while. Yes, he could fit in the boot, but he wasn't comfortable. With a baby, we could really use that car now.
- You pay more for pet insurance, as they are slashed as working dogs.
- They are sight hounds and have visibility that is good for a km. they will see a squirrel running across a field well before you do.
- You should be prepared to have a dog that can't be off lead. Ours probably could, but we don't want to risk it.
- Because they are built for speed and acceleration, they are fragile. Their skin is very thin, so if they run after something and and straight into a hedge, they will hurt them selves. I have seen the results first hand and it's not pleasant.
- If they do get loose so to speak and they are in the zone, you probably won't get them back. However, generally speaking they don't have much stamina and they are bred to race at full pelt for two minutes tops. In the summer mine only canters about for 10 minutes tops before he is tired.
- They are a great height for easy patting. It's a serious consideration if you have a bad back. They aren't jump dogs either as hey don't need to.
- They are early risers. It's not ideal. Try not to end up in a situation where they sleep in your bed. It's their idea of heavan and it can be hard to get them off your bed. Sleeping in their own bed in your bedroom is fine.
- They can't sit like normal dogs and forget them sitting on a cold floor.
- They will take over your sofa.
- Befause they are big, you will never trip over one, but they are always in the way in the kitchen!
I can't recommend the breed highly enough. We had a recent cancer scare and the thought of us loosing him was upsetting to both of us.
We got ours from Whittingham kennels in Waltham Abbey, Hertfordshire. Not the biggest kennel, but the owner has been in the greyhound industry for over 40 years and has won volunteer of the year several times. Her staff are fantastic and we still keep in touch with them now.
If the recent poster decides to go ahead with a greyhound, then please don't disregard the black ones as they are always in the kennels for the longest. You will have to be quick if you want a pretty one (Brindle, fawn and grey) and also be on first name terms with the kennel owners.
As I type this, Herbie is resting his head on my lap. This is wear he is happiest. My wife was never really into dogs, but every night she hugs him and gives him a kiss on the nose and tells him she loves him. It's really nice.
I hope all this is helpful for the poster interested in taking the plunge.
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