News

tylersbabe · 12-09-2008, 3:04 PM

Hi well the title says it all really.....

I lost my dog Tyler on new years eve (PTS) and am just thinking of maybe getting another dog, after doing a bit of research greyhounds are begining to look intresting.
I just am really unsure of these dogs, despite having a big dog (lab/rottie X), am unure about their size and although all the research seems to say they are 100 mile an hour couch potatoes, do they like going on walks, or do they need to have freedom to run like mad.
Also they look so delicate compared to my last dog who was a tubby, fluffy, moulty monster.

Sorry if these are daft questions it's like my heart is ready for a new family member but my mind keeps going back to Tyler.

Any advice or experiences of owning these doogies would be appreciated.

Thanks

tealady · 12-09-2008, 5:01 PM

Hi If you look at this website www.greyhoundrescue.uk it appears to cover everything. I know people who have adopted them and they appear to be fantastic pets. Hope you soon find a new furry friend.

foreign correspondent · 12-09-2008, 10:23 PM

A friend of mine had one, he found it wandering as a stray and took it on. He was a super dog, quiet, well behaved and gentle. He has now died, but he is very sadly missed and fondly remembered. He was very happy with a couple of shortish walks a day, and lots of lounging around!

I know its hard to re-home a dog after you have lost one, when I got my 'new' dog I remember thinking 'well, i like her, but I am not sure I will ever really love her, like my last dog...' well, I do now!

After my last dog died I initially wondered whether I should get another dog or not - then I read this poem, and it made some sense to me...

When humans die, they make a will
To leave their homes and all they have
to those they love.
I, too, would make a will if I could write.
To some poor wistful, lonely stray
I leave my happy home,
My dish, my cosy bed, my cushioned chair, my toy.
The well loved lap, the gentle stroking hand,
the loving voice,
The place I made in someone's heart,
The love that at the last could help me to
a peaceful painless end
Held in loving arms.
If I should die, Oh do not say,
"No more a pet I'll have,
to grieve me by it's loss"
Seek out some lonely, unloved dog
And give my place to him.
This is the legacy I leave behind -
'tis all I have to give.

Soubrette · 12-09-2008, 10:41 PM

Hi tylersbabe, like all dogs each greyhound is an individual. We have had a rescue greyhound since Feb and here are my experiences:

He is indeed a couch potato, as I type he is lying on his cushion (topped with folded duvet and finished off with a blankie (he needs a comfy place to put his boney body) We give him two walks a day at least but they are fairly leisurely 40 mins each and if it's raining he'd rather go without thank-you very much!! If he doesn't get a walk for a few days he doesn't go stir crazy (although if it's a rainy weekend I try to do some games in the house - all food orientated as he doesn't play with toys yet).

He is not as smart as our previous dog but is very keen to please so actually seems much easier to train.

He is a big baby, his favourite thing is to bury his head in someone's lap for a smooth.

Unfortunately he loves cats...but not in the good way, so we have him muzzled at all times when out - he's not really more interested in cats than other dogs but he is fast and much more likely to catch them so we feel it is better safe than sorry - he is also used to wearing a muzzle as an ex-racer so we felt it was better to always have it on for a walk rather than off when he's on a lead and on when off-lead. Some people don't like to muzzle their dogs for a variety of reasons but I worry that as an ex-racer he has been intensively trained to chase so I feel it is my responsibility to other small furries to give them a fighting chance just in case.

He does shed but much less than our alsation cross.

The biggest problem with our dog is that he is very wary of new things and is worried about other dogs, people etc. If they ignore him he is fine but he does have a tendency to growl if dogs or people want to say hello. I think many ex-racers need help with their socialisation skills but that said most of them are very sweet natured, also my dog is an old boy (he is nine) so is probably more set in his ways than most, despite this he is improving though.

Some rescues keep their dogs in foster homes so you should be able to go with a list of what you are looking for in a dog and they are more likely to find a good match. I post (occasionally) on the greyhound gap forums and they are a very helpful and friendly bunch there. Most rescues will want to do a home check and expect a donation of about £100ish.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Sou

moomin5 · 13-09-2008, 3:13 AM

I have 2 greyhounds, they are litter brothers and i adopted them a year ago just before their 2nd birthday. They had gone into race training but decided to fast track to retirement, both will happily chase cats/squirels etc. Thankfully their old owner/trainer is a lovely lady and keeps them until they can get a place via the retired greyhound trust for rehoming which can be months, like many of the unsung owners.

Generally greyhounds are very lazy and like nothing better than to doze, they are a bit like giant cats and will self clean. My dogs sleep for the majority of the day and will have the odd 5 minute play session. They need very little exercise compared to most dogs as said above, but if you want take them for a longer walk they'll enjoy it, my pair like to catch up on the daily pee-mail and meet people/dogs etc. It is fantastic to watch them run and they love it, but it needn't be a daily occurance and they'll be pooped after 5/10 mins

They often require more work early on if straight from kennels (the majority will be), but they do adapt very well considering what a huge upheaval it is for them and the process is very rewarding watching them settle in (i had never owned a dog before and managed fine). For this small amout of effort & patience you will be granted an easy dog later on

There are sometimes returned or foster hounds that have been in a home before, but most will require house training (mine picked up the basic idea in a weekend), introduced to things like tvs/hoovers and taught to climb stairs. You will probably need to do alone training to avoid separation anxiety as they will have never had to be alone, but most dogs settle fine. Its quite possible that they will never have seen another breed of dog before other than greys so its wise to take precautions early on using the muzzle and socialising them until you know their reactions.

Some greys are cat/rabbit friendly, my greys are small dog friendly so i don't muzzle them while out, however some may not be ok with little dogs or be grey snobs. I choose not to let mine offlead in an unsecure area as they can totally ignore me while on lead if fixated on a cat, however some people have trained greys to recall 100% and do offlead. Were just doing basic obediance class and both have done very well although greys generally aren't as desperate to please as some breeds like a lab or collie, so i'm not sure how we'd do at a higher level.

They look rather delicate but they are probably as hardy as other dogs although they do have a thin skin, little fur and minimal fat so can come off worse if a dog plays rough/bites them and this also makes them sensitive to heat/cold too, so should wear coats for wet/cold weather.

I love their docile, laidback nature and while personalities can vary from shy to uber confident all enjoy fussing. In racing kennels they are normally well handled so lots of things are a doddle as they will just patiently stand while you groom them etc. Be warned greys are highly addictive, my friend started with one grey 2 years ago and now owns 5

Find your nearest RGT group/other grey info
http://www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=43

Grey data adoption list- has contact info but some groups don't add their dogs on here.
http://www.greyhound-data.com/adoption.htm?z=HonM6f

Useful grey forum
http://www.greytalk.com

Retired Greyhounds for dummies book by Lee Livingood is also a great read, although american so have to ignore bits about crates as greys are kepts in kennels in most of UK.

tylersbabe · 13-09-2008, 9:03 AM

Hi

Thanks for all the great replys, I have phoned my local grey hound rescue group and they have a meet and greet today so am off to ask loads of questions.
After reading all the posts I am pretty certain at some point a grey hound will be coming home with me! MOOMIN5 from 2 to 5 (LOL) I will also be looking at the sites suggested.

Thanks for great stories and advice will keep you updated

FOREIGN CORROSPONDENT Lovely poem thanks hope you don't mind have copied it for friend at work.

Marsh Samphire · 13-09-2008, 10:03 AM

That's great news, I hope you soon have a lovely, lounging, lolloping (sp?!) grey to love!

BYALPHAINDIA · 14-09-2008, 3:34 AM

Yes Good News.

It makes you sick when you read about people shooting Greyhounds that can't race.

What right have they??

trudij · 14-09-2008, 9:01 AM

Ive got one - hes a complete dope. We had a spaniel who sadly died last summer,and we took on Percy in September alst year. He is currently glaring at me,gos ive just told him off for licking his latest injury (he got bitten by my friends dog) but apart form being the most accident prone animal Ive met (sincce my old horse!!!!) hes amazing. We are off to a dog show later on - he loves getting out and meeting people.

One thing though - when you take yours to car boot sales or markets, make sure you leave plenhty of time - I have to buy 2 hours in the car parks now,cos of his adoring public - you will get many,many people coming to talk to you!!!!!

Percy isnt great with cats (huge alteration ith oine just after I got him - he lost bigtime!!!) but hes fine with all dogs, the only ones hes not brilliant with are border terriers - but thats cos they leap up and scrabble at his mouth - he doesnt like that.

Fab pets - thoroughly recommend!!!

user55 · 14-09-2008, 9:09 AM

Totally agree with everyone - greyhounds are wonderful pets. My 2 have such different personalities. My big boy is chilled, calm, laid back, just wants a comfy bed, 2 bowls of food a day, a couple of nice walks and lots of snuggles. My little bouncy girl is full of energy and mischief and you can literally see in her face when she is looking for something naughty to do!

On walks we get masses of attention, everyone wants to stop and talk about them! I muzzle them because they are both a bit "keen" on small furries, after all they have been bred and trained to chase! At the moment they aren't brilliant around small breeds of dog because they are still seeing them as small furries. I hope with socialisation we can get around that, considering everyone round here seems to have a small dog!

My 2 both came from Greyhound Gap so had been in foster homes first which is great because you get the truth about their personalities and behaviour, and they try very hard to match the right dog to the right family.

Slimcilla · 14-09-2008, 12:16 PM

Change your life for the better. Greyhounds are Greyt!

Mine goes off lead on the beach and lives with 2 cats - one of which bullies him which he accepts until she tried to pinch his food - then she gets chased up a tree.. He does return when I say "Come" but if theres a post that he feels needs some "attention" first then he will do that first and then come - usually very fast. I can cope with the delay - he is a hound after all..

When I got him he needed to learn the usual house training, socializing and basic commands. The house training was easy - we just went on lots of walks, encouraged him to "Be Clean" and praised him after . Getting him used to traffic was solved by sitting outside a cafe watching fire engines, dustcarts and cars zooming by. I ignored him and the traffic and he learned that theres nothing scary about it. We went to puppy classes where he met other types of dog in a controlled environment and also learned to Sit, Stay, Come, Leave. He's rubbish at Heel but as he walks great on a lead thats not a problem.

He won't chase balls or sticks unless he is in the right mood and they are thrown into the sea and he doesn't play much apart from with a toy reindeer and a duck that quacks when he bites it. He is asleep right now but comes to check I am still here once an hour. He's wasn't great at being left alone but is now fine for up to 5 hours. He comes to work with me and sits and snoozes all day unless we have posh clients coming in - then he goes to "doggy day care" which he adores..

He doesn't moult as much as the cats and people with dog/cat/rabbit/hamster allergies aren't allergic to him. He doesn't bark often and the Postman isn't scared of him and he is terrified of most other dogs..

I love him to bits and have adored him for almost 2 years now. Getting him was the best thing I ever did.

foreign correspondent · 14-09-2008, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylersbabe

FOREIGN CORROSPONDENT Lovely poem thanks hope you don't mind have copied it for friend at work.

Not at all, I found it after my last doggo died, and it me realise that I had given my old dog a happy home and a good life, and that it would be good to offer that to another dog, as there are so many unwanted ones out there.

My old dog was a little mongrel that I rescued from a garden where she had been abandoned, and she was lovely - after she died I eventually decided to rescue another.

As I result I got my Badger - a little rescue dog with the best temprement going (apart from her determination to boss much bigger dogs around! lol)She always looks happy to be with us! (see pic below! has anyone got any piccies of their greyhounds? - I would love to see them!)

...So my advice would be to rescue a dog, and if a greyhound suits you (and I cant see why not) I am sure you will be giving that dog a super life and will have a great time with him or her.

trudij · 14-09-2008, 2:40 PM

oh boy - youve done it now.....

meet Percy. (Pottinger) winner of 18 of his 92 races, and top 3 in about 80% of them....

Soubrette · 14-09-2008, 2:58 PM

Oh trudij, he is gorgeous - here's my old boy:

Colne Valley - raced in 20 and won 4 (not a great record but we love him!)

Sou

tylersbabe · 14-09-2008, 2:59 PM

Ohhhhh photos me love the piccies of your four legged fiends Thank You

Well I went to the meet and greet, lots of lovely grey hounds there, plenty with homes, and plenty without.

annnnnd we took a little girl called Millie (6 years old) for a walk annnd then registered "interrest " in her. She is beige with bits of white and when I was walking her you could feel pent up energy and stress emiting from her through the lead!! and boy was she strong, also was very slim and definetly not looking her best as she is in kennels and does not like it. She presented as a total stress head who need a good run or walk to calm her down.

Hopefully they are going to call on Monday (if they don' I will lol) to do a home visit as poor Millie is at the vets on Mon due to problems with her teeth. The only problem I can see is she has always been with other dogs, and if she came to me she would be the only dog, so concerned about this and seperation anxiety. If they let me have a trial foster it is going to be a case of wait and see, and hopefully she won't destroy too much whilst we learn about each other.

It's just a case of waiting for the call now tho *big sigh*

Soubrette · 14-09-2008, 3:07 PM

Another thing I meant to post - my greyhound's teeth were terrible - he has had 5 out (one was chronically infected) and is likely to need more toothcare at the vets (I think they mean more extractions) as time goes on. To combat this I clean his teeth in the evening most days and give him a dentistick every day as he found the original operation so traumatic.

I've also been warned by the vet that he's likely to be prone to arthritis due the stresses of racing and of course he is on a very expensive diet (but still alot less per week than the humans in the house eat!!). I don't know how much credence to put on that as he seems fine at the moment, a friend has a staffy who suffers terribly at 10 and he has done for a few years.

He also has a heart murmur which again is apparently not unusual for the breed, this is under observation (only at his boosters so they'll check again in Jan) as he had a dry cough but this has all but disappeared.

I can't think of any other health problems they are prone to though, in general they are very healthy dogs, although as big dogs bloat can be a concern.

Sou

LillyJ · 14-09-2008, 3:30 PM

I LOVE greyhounds. A friend of mine from school had one and we all loved it, so have been a big fan ever since.
I know a lot of grey owners keep their dog on lead at all times or muzzled due to their past, but that doesn't mean that they can't be rewarding to own.
The ones I know are all big dopey softies who love cuddles.
Be warned though, they do like to lie on the sofa (comfy on their bony bodies!) so if you don't let dogs up, you might have to think again with a greyhound!

Good luck with this new girl you have met, I am sure she will be happier when she is out of kennels!

The grey hounds I know all like to run like maniacs for about 10 mins then get tired and just want to sleep for the rest of the day, preferably on a sofa in front of a fire!

trudij · 14-09-2008, 8:33 PM

Soubrette - awwwwwwwwwww

I got Percy from a local rescue centre - they ahve a thing with greyyhound sw where they always have at least one in. Percy had been in various kennels for a year when I met him. He had 16 teeth out when he got there,the diet greys have when they are in training isnt condusive to good teeth!!
Hes a wonderful dog, and I would happily have hundreds of them,but there just isnt room on my bed!!!!

user55 · 14-09-2008, 9:11 PM

Not to be outdone!

Barney:

Lola:

foreign correspondent · 14-09-2008, 10:53 PM

what beautiful dogs you all have!

... it is so sad that so many of these lovely animals are destroyed at just two or three years old when they have finished racing, when they could be living such happy lives as pets.