ramonaghan

What a terrible shock. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Rest well, Sophie.

I'm so sorry you've lost your beautiful girl. Rest well, Cara.

So very sorry for your sudden loss. Rest well, Joe.

Happy #7 to Stella!

Hooray for boring! Way to go, Tanzi!

Hi there! Lots of folks here work outside the home full-time and are gone 8-9 hours a day without any problems, so once the dog is acclimated to your home and your schedule, it should be fine alone 5-6 hours a day. Establishing a schedule early on is definitely the way to go, with the caveat that when the dog is brand new (first couple of days), it might be nervous and need more frequent potty breaks. I would also suggest having your wife take the dog for one more quick potty break in the mornings since 5:30am to 3:45pm is a pretty long stretch. Could she run the dog outside for a few minutes at 9 or 9:30am? I'll take your other concerns by number: 1. Not a problem. We had no yard for the first couple of years we had Sweep, and walking her daily was great exercise for us both and an excellent way to bond. Even now that we have a fenced-in backyard, we walk her twice daily. Back then we would take her to a fenced-in ball field a few times a month and let her run around some, so that's great if you have that option. Is the grassy lot you mentioned fenced? Off-leash running in open areas is only for really well-trained, reliable dogs. I have never tried it in 5 years with Sweep. 2. Hopefully the dog will be fostered before you adopt and you'll know how s/he does in a crate. Some decide they are done with crates as soon as they come off the track, in which case a baby gate or two might be a better solution. Start with shorter spans of time and see how the dog does to make sure it doesn't become destructive or extremely anxious while crated. 3. The main consideration here is probably weight. If the dog were seriously injured and needed to be carried to the car, an 80 lb male would be a lot more difficult to maneuver than a 60 lb female. (BTW there are also 60 lb males and 80 lb females!) But beyond that, tell your adoption group what you're looking for personality-wise and let them guide you. I sometimes hear that males are more "velcro" (following you around everywhere) and affectionate, while females can be more independent, but there are exceptions to every rule. My female is quite affectionate. 4. Fellow cat lover here, and that was my first concern as well. Again, hopefully the dog will have been fostered in a home with a cat. They do occasionally "lie" on their cat testing at the track, but if the dog's lived in a home for a while with a cat and done fine, you can be more confident it's truly cat safe. Sweep was curious about my cats but only in a "what are you?" sort of way and has never been aggressive toward them. Keep in mind, though, that indoors and outdoors are totally different. Outdoors all bets are off. 5. That's perfect! My best advice is to be upfront and as detailed as possible with your adoption group about your wants and needs, and they should be able to find the perfect fit for your family. I had a lot of similar concerns before we adopted Sweep, and she's been about as easy as we could have asked for from day one. You might even see if your group has a "bounce" (a dog that's been returned through no fault of its own) so you'll have a more accurate sense of cat safety, crate tolerance, and other personality traits. Have you read Adopting the Racing Greyhound or Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies? They're very helpful, and required reading for some adoption groups. Good luck, and please keep us posted!

Happy gotcha day to your beautiful Colin. Always in your heart.

Try https://postimages.org/. 1. From the home page, select "640x480 (for message boards)" from the first drop-down list. 2. Select "No expiration" from the second drop-down list. 3. Upload your photo. 4. A new page will display with a list of links. Click the clipboard (copy) icon to the right of the "Hotlink for forums" link. 5. Paste that link in your post here. I hope this will work for you. We'd all love to see a photo of your sweet Merlin.

Great update! I hope his recovery goes well.

Best thoughts for you and MoMo.

I'm so sorry for your loss and heartbreak. Rest well, Merlin.

Thanks, Trudy!

If only we could convince them how adorable they look...

Oh, what heartbreaking news. I am so sorry for your back-to-back losses. Sending many hugs your way. Rest well, Joey.

Welcome! Handsome guys.

The links aren't working for me; I'm not sure if it's a privacy setting on your end or an issue on mine. Although I wouldn't be any help with blood values regardless, I wanted to mention this in case others with more medical knowledge can't view them either. I'm very sorry for your loss and hope you find the answers you seek.

Good info; thanks for sharing this.

I'm so sorry it was Bosco's time to go. What a gift you were to each other. Rest well, sweet boy.

I'm so sorry for your loss. She sounds like a wonderful girl. Rest well, Allie.

Congrats and welcome, Jag!

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a soulful, sweet look in his eyes. Rest well, Sammie.

Oh no, I'm very sorry for your loss. He was such a handsome boy. Rest well, Colin.

Oh no, I'm so sorry for your loss. It's heartbreaking no matter what, but especially cruel when they're so young.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing Nite's story here. Rest well, sweet boy.