My First Greyhound Dog?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
To be honest, at first I thought this breed was not my time of dog. Then I started looking at rescues near me and there is a greyhound recuse practically next door. I started to do my research and I now know that I was so wrong before. I am in LOVE with this breed.
Now, I am looking in advance. I wont be moving into my apartment that allows dogs for about five months. Painfully long to wait, I know. But I was hoping you would like to give me some advice on Greyhounds.
Anything from diet, training, what to buy to prepare, and apartment living especially.
Keeping in mind this is not my first dog just my first grey. And I do have a fenced in yard available to me so the dog would be able to run unleashed about once a week (more or less).
I have read all the websites and even got a book that “is a greyhound adopters bible” as the back said. I just really want to know what the books wont tell me that perhaps you yourself have learned.
Thank you!
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Just a word of warning in response to the reply regarding agility or flyball. Some greys would love agility while others would not be interested at all. You must also check with the rescue organisation that the grey you get has no preexisting injury if you want to do agility, flyball or coursing with it…to neglect this could mean putting your grey at risk of severe injury.
In response to your other questions:
Diet: Many people prefer to feed a raw diet. Greyhounds can tend to have some issues with tartar build-up on their teeth and a raw diet is excellent for keeping the teeth clean. I feed my grey a good quality dry (he is currently on Innova Large Breed, but the normal adult dry is fine too – as an interesting note, the large breed contains citric acid as a preservative. Citric acid is one of many things in the caution list for bloat. The normal adult food doesn’t contain citric acid so may be better if you are concerned). I also add chicken wings, necks or lamb necks occasionally (I have no freezer room for feeding an entirely raw diet).
I would suggest making yourself aware of the symptoms of Bloat – it is vital to get them to a vet ASAP if they show the symptoms. Greys are at a higher risk due to being deep chested.
Training must always be positive. Greys can be very sensitive and respond very well to positive training and rewards. Don’t hit them as this will likely end with your greyhound being scared of you and reluctant to do anything for you. They can benefit from obedience classes just like any other dog. Never let your grey off-lead unless in an enclosed area, when running they do not (generally) respond to their name and have no road sense.
I know several dogs that are doing wonderfully in apartments. They get regular toilet break walks and adapt very well to the arrangement. A tip would be to see if the rescue uses foster carers as they will be better equipt to tell you which dog would be better for apartment living.
Just keep reading and contact the rescue for advice. Join a greyhound forum…there are heaps of them on yahoo groups and people are more than willing to answer any questions.
Most of all, good luck..many of us end up hopelessly obsessed with greys once we get started!
I don’t have a grey hound, but my dog has something in common with them…a high prey drive.
Just be a reponsible owner and remember they were bred and (if a retired racer) trained to chase small animals.
I think a greyhound (especially a rescue) is the hidden secret of dogs for apartment and new dog owners. You get a dog that is likely crate trained, relatively docile, not a barker, despite its size doesn’t take up much space and isn’t bouncing off the walls. It’s hard to find a better dog for a first-time owner or someone with limited space. I’m just surprised that more apartment dwellers or first-time owners don’t go with a greyhound. You’re making a smart decision.
Here are some hints:
–your greyhound may be poorly socialized to other dogs, seeing them as other species (but not dogs). So socialization to other dogs is a good first step.
–get a good coat. I suggest Foggy Mountain: their coats are sized to specific measure and they also build coats for the unique shape (big chest and massive tuck-in) of a greyhound. And their quality is hard to beat.
–look for dog meeting groups or listservs of greyhound rescue owners. I bet (especially with the rescue close by) that you’ve got a lot of other greyhound rescue owners near by who’d like to set up doggie play dates.
–look for a food that has glucosamine in it. Some of the rescues are retired because of joint problems. Glucosamine will be a huge plus (and lots of the high-end foods have it). If you don’t like the food options that have it, there are some great chicken strips called “Happy Hips” by Dogswell with glucosamine in them.
–until you get your dog well trained, you will need to keep it on leash whenever you’re outside. So…pick out a good leash. Additionally, because of the unique shape of a greyhound’s neck and head, it’s VERY easy for a collar to slip over the head. So you may want to think of using a harness and clipping to that. I’ve known other folks who use a sliplead or a Martindale collar for the same reasons.
–when you look at your new apartment, find the sunniest spot and that’s where your greyhound will want to spend most of the day, napping. So get something (doesn’t need to be expensive) so your new pooch has something comfortable and warm to lay on while sunning away the day.
If you get a younger rescue (that just wasn’t winning or didn’t go for the lure) it will likely still be a bit energetic and require a fair amount of exercise. But a 3-4+ year old track rescue will go for a 30 minute walk a day and then some loving attention from you. Otherwise it will look for the sunny spot in the house.
People assume that because it looks so athletic that a greyhound likes to run great distances. As you know, that’s a fallacy (unless you get a young one–which isn’t a bad jogging partner). But a decent sport for a greyhound is agility. There are some challenges for a sight hound (it’s a visually stimulating environment) and the tunnel is a disadvantage for a big dog like a greyhound. That said, if all you did was take agility classes once a week and never trialed, your dog would have a blast. Agility involves a lot of sitting around and then 45 seconds of sprinting and cutting. So it fits the athletic nature of a greyhound well. Flyball might also be a good option.
Greyhounds are not rescued, they are adopted to good homes that have a friendly compassionate atmosphere. These dogs are not for everyone. They need exercise (walks, runs, etc. ). They are wonderful in apartment living as long as they have a place to exercise and run. Fenced yard is almost a necessity.
They are normally quiet and respective and will give more love than anyone person deserves. You will not know the bond & love you will share until you adopt a grey.