Adopting A Dog That Had A Long Racing Career

[Guest cactusdude]

Hello All,

 

I'm about to adopt a greyhound (I've owned two who passed on). I've narrowed the choices down to three dogs:

 

The first two are females that never raced (even in maiden races). Both are about two years old.

The final choice is a five year old male who has just been retired after one hundred twenty three races! I've looked at his history, and part of his longevity at the track was that other than being bumped a few times, he didn't suffer any serious injuries. He seems quite sound.

 

What do you think, go with the young, obviously healthy dogs who were never subjected to the stresses of racing, the years of bad meat, the drugs, and lack of dental care, or go with what seems to be a healthy ex-racer who certainly deserves a good home?

 

My heart goes out to the male, but I'm wary of bad complications later on. What have your experiences been with dogs who have had long racing histories?

Edited November 23, 2009 by cactusdude

[ZoomDoggy]

My Alimony had over two hundred races, then went on to be a broodie. She's now eight years old, and is the picture of health and vitality. And she is a nut. She runs circles around my five year old girlie who had a career half as long, and no puppies.

 

I would say any of your three options sound fine to me. Any dog can have health issues regardless of age. Yes, the odds of something happening generally increase with age, but honestly, I'd probably choose the older pup.

[Guest kydie]

My boy had 80 races, in Palm beach, (came to me age 5) I think I would go with the pup that fits with you, all dogs no matter what type, can and do have health issues as they age, If your heart goes to him, you already have your answer, by the by my boy is just fine, Good Luck

Edited November 23, 2009 by kydie

[JAJ2010]

Rainy raced in 120 races according to greyhound data, but is missing almost a year of info so she most likely raced lots more. We got her when she was 4 and 1.5 years later no issues from racing. She does love to run around any fenced in areas. We just made sure she was on glucosamine from the start to keep everything happy.

[Guest TBSFlame]

Hello All,

 

I'm about to adopt a greyhound (I've owned two who passed on). I've narrowed the choices down to three dogs:

 

The first two are females that never raced (even in maiden races). Both are about two years old.

The final choice is a five year old male who has just been retired after one hundred twenty three races! I've looked at his history, and part of his longevity at the track was that other than being bumped a few times, he didn't suffer any serious injuries. He seems quite sound.

 

What do you think, go with the young, obviously healthy dogs who were never subjected to the stresses of racing, the years of bad meat, the drugs, and lack of dental care, or go with what seems to be a healthy ex-racer who certainly deserves a good home?

 

My heart goes out to the male, but I'm wary of bad complications later on. What have your experiences been with dogs who have had long racing histories?

 

I've done both. I adopted Hawk at age 5, Beecher at age 4.5, Tessie at age 4.5. Hawk died at 9.5 but until he got osteo he had never been sick in the 5 years he was with us. Beecher and Tessie was never sick and both lived to be almost 13. All of these had a long career and no issues with SA or any of these things you hear about. Last March my preadopted pup retired at 18 months. I must confess I had never even thought about adopting a young pup. Riley has been a joyful addition to our family. She keeps us laughing and I adore her. Jeremy also raced a while. Memmie was only 2.5 years old. Flame and Star were both about 3 when adopted. I have not had any issues with any of the ones I have adopted. I say go with the one that speaks to your heart.

[Guest Energy11]

Both My Energy (now at The Bridge), and my Staggerlee, both had long racing careers and about that many races.

 

Energy was wondeful, and he was MY first grey. He passed at 11.5 with what the Evets thought was cancer. Staggerlee, now 9, is with us, and wonderful!! He has some corns, but other than that, blood work good and he is healthy.

 

I'd adopt the 5 yr old myself! Good Luck and welcome to Greytalk!

[Guest DorasMom]

Dora was 6 when I adopted her. She ran 180 races according to Greyhound data. She's now 10.5 years old and still behaves like a pup with no medical issues.

[Batmom]

the stresses of racing, the years of bad meat, the drugs, and lack of dental care

 

Stress of racing -- well, it's certainly exercise, but if he wasn't injured a person might say that he wasn't stressed.

 

Bad meat -- not terribly likely, if he was a successful racer. Generally no "badder" than other raw meat fed to our pets.

 

Drugs -- resounding "no." Dog racing is perhaps the cleanest sport there is in that respect. Females get a hormone to prevent them from going into heat, and dogs are wormed regularly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been given anything while he was racing.

 

Lack of dental care -- depends on the kennel. Some kennels give bones and/or scale teeth regularly, some don't. At the older pup's age, teeth may need a good cleaning but should still be in good condition under the grunge. That may be true of the younger dogs as well.

 

Beyond that, depends on what you want in a dog. The older pups are usually more settled. A 2 year old is still a puppy -- trust me on this .

[gazehund]

Ummm, I know you are new here, but trust me on this. With 123 races and possibly more the five year old was not "subjected to years of bad meat, drugs or lack of any care." 123 races.

Re-read that and see how absurd it sounds.

 

That said, this is my experience. My 4th greyhound was adopted at 19 months old. She is a spook and never broke her maiden races. She developed kidney disease and at the moment is doing very well with it. She is 8.5 years old. My three hounds prior to her all were racers. All three lived into double digits. Two were taken by cancer, one by old age prior to his 14th birthday. My 5th hound was a successful racer and I assure you, she was taken care of to perfection during her racing career. I picked her up in her racing kennel. I saw what she ate and how she lived. She now is a healthy 5.5 years old with no problems at all.

 

I am waiting on my next hounds to retire. All are very successful racers and all have been taken care

of impeccably. Two have had hock fractures and one of them had a shoulder injury. Both of them are still racing at the very top level.

 

To answer the question.........adopt the dog that best fits your lifestyle. The "obviously healthy" younger hounds may not be as healthy as you think just because they are young. The five year old could quite possibly live into his teens.

[packmom]

I'd wonder more about their personalities. Why did the non-racers flunk out? Are they timid or just slow? Some think long time racers have a higher prey drive.

I've had both kinds and I haven't seen that it made much difference health-wise. Get the one you love! I do have a preference for older dogs.

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

Just an fyi, those younger dogs have been fed the same exact stuff that the older dog has been.

 

So honestly take all the thoughts of

What do you think, go with the young, obviously healthy dogs who were never subjected to the stresses of racing, the years of bad meat, the drugs, and lack of dental care, or go with what seems to be a healthy ex-racer who certainly deserves a good home?

and just throw it out the window.

How can you say, young=obviously healthy?

 

Here's a bit of food for thought on another side of the picture. Maybe those young dogs have something wrong with them and that is why they didn't make the track.

While that old veteran has been running around that track kicking butt.

 

My choice, go with the dog that you think would fit best in your life, the hound that you have a connection with, the personality that matches what you want.

 

[Guest budsmom]

I wouldn't worry about the length of career, as others have said there is no health guarantee with any animal (including humans). To echo what Batmom said, though, a 2 year old is still a puppy so be prepared for puppy behavior is you do decide on one of them.

[GreytHoundPoet]

I've adopted greyhounds at age 15 months (no races), 2 years (10 races, broke his hock in the last one), and 4 years (131 races, not all on greyhound data). None of them have been healthier than the others...they've all been equal in vet care. Sure the older dog will most likely have problems sooner because of age but who can say that the younger dogs have nothing wrong with them that you can't see? 5 years old is not old with a Greyhound by any means. And my 15 month old was nuts! Very much still a puppy.

 

Go with your heart and the dog with the most connection to you. If not you may end up with a dog who meets whatever qualifications you want it to but just isn't the right fit.

[Guest twogreytkids]

I have to agree with what the others said.

 

My first two greys were males who both had successful racing careers. Brindle was a gentle giant who lived to the age of 12. He didn't have any health issues before then. Sonny was an alpha dog, who lived to the age of 12.5. No health issues for him, either.

 

I would go with the one who speaks to my heart and take it as it comes. There are no written guarantees that human or animal will not have health issues.

 

Marcy

[Guest KennelMom]

I've owned quite a few hounds all of varying degrees of success at the track and I've not really seen any connection between lenght of career and longevity or health issues. Though, now that I'm thinking about it, our oldest hounds, Erin and Annie, made it a couple weeks shy of 15...Annie had a long career, Erin not so long but she was a broodie and lived on a greyhound farm until she was 12. Harmony, who never had a single race, not even a training race at the track, died this year at 6 years old from an incurable medical condition. All of the other hounds we've lost have reached the upper range of the greyhound lifespan and no real connection to career length.

 

You can't predict longevity....pick the hound that fits you best, deal with anything that comes up along the way and treasure every day, because they are all a gift.

[Guest Energy11]

I'd wonder more about their personalities. Why did the non-racers flunk out? Are they timid or just slow? Some think long time racers have a higher prey drive.

I've had both kinds and I haven't seen that it made much difference health-wise. Get the one you love! I do have a preference for older dogs.

 

 

My Oakly "flunked out" of his maiden races,( we adopted him at 21 months) and he is STILL, at age 7, "an idiot," as my DH calls him. He jumps up and down, barks, is space aggressive, etc. I don't think he was trainable as a racer. Anyway, he is ours, and we love him, and understand his "quirks!"

 

I'd take an older one anyday! When we got Staggerlee, the most laid back in the bunch, he was almost 5. He had many races, too.

Edited November 23, 2009 by Energy11

[winnie]

My choice, go with the dog that you think would fit best in your life, the hound that you have a connection with, the personality that matches what you want.

 

I agree. Of our three greys - our most energetic is by far our "old" gal Darcy. She raced 154 races and we adopted her when she was almost 6 y/o. She is now almost 9 y/o. She's been very healthy AND has all of her teeth.

 

[greysandmollie]

I would focus on personality in your selection. The two females will probably have more energy and since they didn't race will not necessarily be as refined as the older dog. I am a huge fan of the males that had a career...they seem to transition into being a pet very easily.

 

So it depends on what you are looking for in a pet.

 

The health issues can go either way...just like people. Some people can do all the wrong things and live to 90 and some do it all right and don't make it past 60.

[Houndtime]

We have adopted dogs from both ends of the racing scenario. Go with the dog that you love the most. That is the one that you should adopt.

[IndyandHollyluv]

Just want to say I really enjoy reading all the comments and observations from those who have worked with and know the breed well.

 

I have only had two hounds so my experience is somewhat limited ... but my male, Indy, raced; adopted at age 3-1/2. He is confident, charming, smiles, lives to eat, has a very self-serving agenda and will NEVER "take one for the team," has a very high prey drive, is more affectionate that my female (his half-sister). Indy will be 12 next week.

 

Holly, 10-1/2, never raced; was just shy of 3 when I adopted her. She is not the most confident dog (but not a spook or timid). Took her over one year to make eye contact with me. Frankly, I just don't think anyone ever spent much time with her. Bonding took time and patience. Very sweet, playful, somewhat clingy (will follow me around the house more than Indy), has a high prey drive (I'm allergic to cats so I adopted hounds that were deemed "not cat safe.")

 

Gosh, both of my dogs have such distinct personalities. Neither are cuddlers. I love them equally for different reasons. Also, I now understand why everyone loves the seniors so much. If I ever adopt again - it will definitely be an older hound.

 

I agree with the others - follow your heart.

Edited November 23, 2009 by IndyandHollyluv

[Guest MyBoys]

We adopted our Murphy fresh off the track at four and a half years old, he had 146 races behind him and was retired because he was just slowing down. He is now 9 years old and is still going strong, he's also a big old sweetie pie and loves everyone. I have never picked a grey by their color,age or how many races they had or didn't have, I pick a grey the sure way, from the heart.

[IndyandHollyluv]

We adopted our Murphy fresh off the track at four and a half years old, he had 146 races behind him and was retired because he was just slowing down. He is now 9 years old and is still going strong, he's also a big old sweetie pie and loves everyone. I have never picked a grey by their color,age or how many races they had or didn't have, I pick a grey the sure way, from the heart.

 

Oh, the color issue! Funny you mention that -- before I adopted, I always wanted a fawn. Well, I adopted a brindle hound and a white hound. So there you go! Every hound - in any color - is beautiful!

Edited November 23, 2009 by IndyandHollyluv

[Wendie]

My "never raced" dog has had by far more issues than than my retired racer has, both medically and with separation anxiety. Just like humans, a dog's past, no matter how good or bad, doesn't determine every aspect about their health, personality, lifespan, etc.

[retiredracers]

Three of my greys (my first three) all raced well over one hundred races at least the races that I could find. Flake did low one hundreds and she was 14.5 when she died. Buzz raced 180+ and he was 13 when he died. Crooke raced 193 and she was 11. They were all pretty healthy until they died... Buzz of osteo and Crooke of an intestinal tumor. Flake just of old age.

[Guest PhillyPups]

The first two are females that never raced (even in maiden races). Both are about two years old.

The final choice is a five year old male who has just been retired after one hundred twenty three races! I've looked at his history, and part of his longevity at the track was that other than being bumped a few times, he didn't suffer any serious injuries. He seems quite sound.

 

What do you think, go with the young, obviously healthy dogs who were never subjected to the stresses of racing, the years of bad meat, the drugs, and lack of dental care, or go with what seems to be a healthy ex-racer who certainly deserves a good home?

 

My heart goes out to the male, but I'm wary of bad complications later on. What have your experiences been with dogs who have had long racing histories?

 

Interesting thought process. First and foremost, retired racers are athletes, highly trained, highly cared for, well fed.

 

My Stepper raced 224 races, retired at the age of 5, joined me, never had medical problems till his back end gave way due to age, I let him go to the bridge at the age of 13.5. An awesome lifespan for a large breed dog. My SugarBear never ran well, lost her to osteo at 14.5.

 

The Queen, BarbieJade, raced 133 races, only a handful in grade C, only one in D (while on her way up) then went on to deliver 33 puppies, and joined me at the age of 10. I lost her just prior to her 14th birthday due to a massive stroke or aneurysm.

 

All three had NO health issues until the end.

 

Runner, my first, joined me after a decent career, was the picture of health when suddenly, at a M&G, he had a massive heart attack and I lost him 2 weeks before his 8th birthday. Runner is the one I thought would be with me forever, SugarBear is the one that was.

 

Guarantees in life? There are none. My neighbor has 3 totally healthy kids, just delivered her 4th, a boy, who is in neonatal intensive care, 50/50 chance of making it. Until I am the omnipotent one, I can not try to guess what longevity is all about.

 

I would go with the one that there was an emotional bond of some sort. The one that fits your emotional wants and desires. Well, no, actually I would probably bring all 3 home, but then I go for the dogs, not the implied warranties.