What is life with a greyhound like (interested in hearing from current and former greyhound owners)?
I'm thinking about adopting a retired racing greyhound from an agency. My elderly Mom and I live together (I will be walking, exercising, feeding, grooming, etc). I do work full time and my Mom will be alone with the dog for 9-10 hours a day/5 days per week. My biggest concerns are her being knocked down/tripped by a dog. Her mobility is limited/she is not too steady on her feet. We have owned dogs in the past but not for a few years (last dog died of old age four years ago). We don't want a dog that is too hyper or barky and from what I have read about greyhounds this should not be an issue. We have a large fenced yard with a 5 foot chainlink fence. I want a dog that keeps my Mom company during the day, barks if someone is at the door, and can go for walks in the evening so I have an exercise partner. I have pet birds but I plan on keeping the greyhound out of the room the birds are in and I plan to select one of the dogs the rescue calls "cat safe" for safety. Any thoughts/comments?
Anonymous2006-09-17T13:55:50Z
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I have 3 greys now and have fostered a number of them. They are the easiest dogs to live with of any breed I've had. They seldom bark, and would be content to lie around all day keeping your mom company, waiting for their evening walk.
Ifi you adopt from a rescue group the dog you choose will have been temperament tested as far as how they get along with kids, small dogs and cats. Of my 3, 2 of them get along with small dogs, cats, horses, goats, llamas, anything. My female, however, is not cat safe nor does she like small dogs but is trainable with dogs. All of them, and every greyhound I've had has been great with kids. Depending on your birds and the dog you get, you may be able to introduce them - mine don't show much interest in birds at all.
My suggestion would be to stay away from a large, young, very rambunctious male so you don't have to worry about your mom being tripped. Other than that, a greyhound would be a great choice - a lot of them are used as pet therapy dogs and go to seniors homes because of their gentleness. Let the people you're talking to know your concerns because they will match you with a dog that's best for your situation. Good luck - you'll love having a greyhound!
Great idea. We adopted a retired ( though we think not very succesful ) racing greyhound about 18 months ago and the decision for a greyhound was based on the domestic set-up. They do not need huge amounts of exercise...ours will walk for miles but is just as happy with 2 or 3 short walks during the morning/evening if longer walks aren't possible on the day. She ( like most greyhounds ) takes over the living area in the house for her primary ' raison d'etre ' which is sleeping! She barks once in a blue moon so as a guard dog she is pretty much pointless, but as a companion she is spot-on. As regards getting under your feet, if ours is typical, that shouldn't be a problem as her movement around the house is almost in slow motion giving plenty of time to get out of the way! They are generally very good travellers in vehicles, not too fussy about what you feed them on ( in fact the more expensive the dog food the more ours refuses to eat it ) and, again in our case, very friendly toward other animals, sharing eating space/time with the cat. They do need a good soft bed area ( they dominate setees ) as they have very little fleshy covering on their joints, and can be prone to bad breath as tooth problems are part of their ' make-up '. Occasionally they can appear to be aggressive by seeming to snap and grab with their teeth but this is actually their way of playing and is almost always totally harmless...I'm sure that with a very few exceptions greyhounds have no concept of aggression. They do make wonderful pets and, in view of the stories in the UK press recently about ex-racing dogs being disposed of wholesale, the more that can be adopted and given a proper loving home the better. Go to a reputable homing agency and have a look, see if they will let you ' trial ' a greyhound for a couple of days ( if they are good they should ) and hopefully you will be convinced. Whatever kind of dog you end up with it sounds like it will end up in a good home.
Hi, I have a retired racing Greyhound. I live in a unit (with a huge courtyard) and my dog is inside all the time. I take her for two 25min walks per day (1.5hours after each meal) and she sleeps most of the rest of the day. I hide a few treaties around the house for her (in her pile of toys, behind the door, under the bed, next to her bowl) and that keeps her occupied. Greyhounds don't need much exercise (in comparison to what you would think). They are a large dog, but they are known as the "worlds' fastest couch potato" for a reason. They have spurts of energey (for about 5 minuts) then sleep for a couple of hours. hehe. They love to snuggle on the couch next to you, they are affectionate, gentle, loyal, incredibly intelligent and the best dog on the planet. I love my girl. I come home in the evening to the best companion I could possibly have. She is 10 years old (I have had her for 5 months now) and she is as spritely as a pup. I cannot say a bad thing about them. They are fabulous beautiful dogs. Ally
As everyone says greyhounds are greyt pets. A couple points that haven't been brought up.
1. Greyhounds are big leaners, they will lean against anyone. Our greyhound will lean on all the elderly ladies in our neighboorhood, the ladies love it but we really watch him so he doesn't lean with all his weight. I would work with your greyhound adoption group and see if you can get a small older female.
2. Greyhounds are not big barkers..... odd are you won'tget one that barks when someone comes to the doors. Most go tot the door and wag their tails.
Retired Greyhound's make wonderful pets. But with any animal it will not know what you expect until a pattern is set. Most of the time dogs are easy to train, and I bet the dog would love to go for walks/runs in the evenings. Good luck.