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Why Should You Adopt a Greyhound?
Greyhounds are a gentle breed of dog. They are an affectionate, quiet and low-shedding breed. They tend to get along well with other pets and children of all ages. They rarely bark so they are not suitable for a watchdog. No matter what age a Greyhound is when adopted they will bond tightly to their new family - the affection they give is very rewarding! Many people think that Greyhounds need many hours of exercise, this is untrue. Because of what they are bred for - running short distance races - they are sprinters, not long distance runners. Yes, they do need playtime and on-leash walks, but not hours and hours of this; they would rather spend hours sleeping on the couch!
Greyhounds generally stand between 26 and 29 inches tall and weigh between 50 and 80 pounds. They come in many different colors and in different combinations of those colors. Females do tend to be smaller than the males. Most ex-racers are between 2 and 4 years old when they go into rescue.
Greyhounds are one of the world's wonders; they are loving with hearts of gold and spirits of the wind!
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Highly recommended read is this link to a wonderful essay by Kathleen Gilley called "Thoughts of a Greyhound" - it really makes one think, and possibly lead the reader to be a better dog owner in general!
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Things to Think Seriously About Before You Adopt:
When Greyhounds come off the track they have almost never been in a house so everything is new to them. Stairs, vacuums, large windows, food on counters, doorbells, small children running around, riding in the car (some are used to that from going to meet & greets), shiny or carpeted floors, and much more. So you have to introduce these things slowly and give your new Greyhound family member time to adjust to different situations. Greyhounds are used to being on a schedule after years of living in kennels; if you give them a regular daily routine for feeding and pottying they will quickly adapt to it.
One of the biggest things Greyhounds must learn is to be housetrained. They are kennel trained, which means at the race track they were in their kennels (crates) - then in the turn-out pen where they potty, or on the track to race - then right back into their kennels. You should have a good-sized crate for your Greyhound when they come home. For the first couple of weeks they need to be in your sight or in their crate. That way you can keep an eye on them and see when they are about to go and get them right outside to do so. And praise, praise, praise for pottying outside. Pick a phrase like "go potty" and have them associate that with going outside to do so. Then the dog will learn to go on command that way.
After a couple of weeks you can start to leave the crate door open for your dog to go in and out, giving them their first freedom in the house. If they slide back and do relieve themselves in the house, start all over again. Greyhound learn very quickly, be gentle yet firm and they will learn anything you want to teach them. Being a gentle and soft dog all you will ever need to to correct them is a sternly said "No."
Speaking of soft; because Greyhounds have thin skin and little body fat they need access to soft bedding for whenever and wherever they lay down.
Greyhounds are sight hounds, which means if they see something possibly worth chasing their instincts will kick in and they will give chase - you cannot catch them as they can easily hit over 40 M.P.H. in their first few strides. Because of this they need to be kept on lead or in a fenced-in area. If you want to give them a bit more freedom in an unfenced area, some have found that holding them on a long training-style lead attached to a harness works well. Do not ever "hitch out" your Greyhound; they have very delicate bones and if they ran to the end of the hitch at top speed they will hurt - and possibly break - the bones in their neck.
Greyhounds are indoor dogs, they absolutely cannot ever be kept as outside pets - no matter what season. They have very little hair and almost no body fat so they get cold very easily. Warm coats are strongly advised for any extended time spent outside in the colder months. And if they walk where salt has been laid to prevent ice - like city sidewalks in the Winter - their feet need to be washed off when they come inside so the salt does not abrade their foot pads raw.
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