Adopting A Dog That Had A Long Racing Career

[Guest cactusdude]

Thank you all for your responses.

 

We had two greyhounds, a male from a coyote- hunting litter, and a female racer who broke her hock badly and never recovered well. The male developed cancer at 12, had (seemingly) successful surgery, and lived to the ripe old age of 14 1/2. The female developed life-threatening autoimmune problems, thyroid problems, arthritis, and osteosarcoma, and lived to 13.

 

I guess that there is much wisdom in everyone's suggestions. I'll be making the decision this weekend. Whichever dog It is that I select, I will follow my heart.

[Guest kydie]

Please let us know, which you pick!

[Guest eaglflyt]

I just wanted to say *Congratulations* on getting a new hound to add to your home and have a wonderful time finding the perfect one that fits in your family! : )

[Guest cactusdude]

 

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.

 

If only I could bring them all home! Each one, with his/her own charming personality and good looks.

[RobinM]

My Elsie- adopted as a brood mom after 115 races is now 10.5 and runs circles around my 5 year olds with MUCH less races (4,9, 19)

 

So- I don't believe that has anything to do with anything!

[Guest oldNELLIE]

Our Nellie ran her maiden race at 13 months and continued to run until she was 5.5 years old (250 races!) She is now 7.5 and in great health. A bit softer than when she came home , but she can still do zoomies through the house like crazy! For the most part she is very mellow and relaxed and enjoys her long days of sleeping. We chose her because she was the oldest at the kennel at the time and we were not interested in a puppy at all. We really didn't know anything about her career or what it may or may not have meant in terms of her health. She is really a gem

 

I agree with others...take the dog you feel a connection to. In my mind a 2 year old GH is still a puppy, so if you are ready for that then more power to you! I don't know if it is true across the board, but I have heard older dogs are harder to adopt out...that might be something to keep in mind as well.

 

Congratulations on your new love-bug...whoever it is!

[Guest bigorangedog]

My Palu was adopted at 5 yrs old, after a broken hock that was never set properly. Other than a permanent limp, he has been BY FAR my healthiest dog and with the best attitude. He turned 14 two months ago, and other than a bit of incontinence (we'll see how I'm doing when I'm that old!!) he is doing great and shows no signs of slowing down.

 

On the other hand, my adoption group adopted out a 3-yr-old healthy female last year who died 6 months later of a pulmonary embolism. There is just no predicting it.

 

I say, give the veteran boy a chance.

[Guest snakes]

I echo what everyone else has said, go with the pup that grabs you

I had one pup that was 9 when i adopted her and she never had any health issuesuntil right before she passed. Now i have two 5yo pups, the girl is healthy, the boy has a seizure disorder and wheezes when he runs; the male only ran one season the female a little longer.

All three dogs have been fantastic and equal in energy and spirit.

[Jiffer]

Racing career means nothing to their pet career.

 

Orion is our longest raced. His last race was just a couple months short of his 6th birthday. He is now 10 and other than a few old man issues, the picture of health. He still enjoys a good race around the yard.

 

All of our others retired at or before age 4, but they're all still in fantastic shape and health (Atlas age 10, Echo age 11.5, Uber age 7.5).

[Guest trevdog]

Congrats on your soon to be new family member! I'm on number 5, having had greys for 13 years. My 1st grey was almost 5 when he retired, and lived until he was 12. My pup Jam Zone raced until he was 5, had 168 races and retired due to a broken hock in a grade A race. He was kept as a kennel pet for almost 2 years and they almost didn't give him up. He was a total goofball and so affectionate. We used to take him to the dog park and it was a waste of time, he didn't play with the other dogs, he wanted pets from all the people there! We lost him after only 1 1/2 years together to cancer, but he was such a special pup. My boy Ossie retired when he was 3,he's almost 10 now and never(knock wood) has had any issues although he's very sensitive and a momma's boy.

I have 2 oops sisters, they are both total opposites health wise. One is healthy and a little rough and tumble thing, the other has stomach issues and gets stressed easily and we constantly worry about her and she's super delicate at playtime. They are 3 now.

 

So it depends on the grey, go with your heart....you may never know about any health issues until much later. They are all well taken care of in their racing careers and in great shape. Just like people I guess they can be predisposed or luck of the draw....

[Guest queenme2]

Nina is my first Greyhound. I owned other dogs in the past and I've found a temprarment that meets your needs to be most important when it come to a pet.

 

I needed a dog that like to walk because I can't always get my husband and son to

 

A calm dog that likes to lay around because I teach my son from home. And Nina gets her morning Kong at the start of lessons and she as happy as can be.

 

A dog that is housebroken. I just don't feel up to housebreaking another dog

 

A dog that loves ppl

 

Doesn't bark much

 

Short hair

 

And looks like she is happy

 

So don't focus on age to much. We had five doogy play dates with different dogs before we decided

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

The younger pups are definately more work, my two year old boy actually requires someone play with him every day one-on-one. We take turns here. Could also be a boy thing! My two girls, 3 and 6 are less work, but more snarky. The boy loves everyone and everything, big or small. The six year old raced 110 races (unknown if the data is complete) and would just like to sit on her fluffy bed and relax. She only enjoys walks for a small amount of time, then she starts dragging behind. She still does zoomies around the yard, but is much more calm than the younger ones. She has a bad case of separation anxiety though. She's very attached to me, and cries when I leave, chews up stuff etc. When she came from the track her condition was not what I would call ideal, compared to the others she was bald, scarred, and her face was inflamed from a beef allergy that I figured out after I had her for a month or two. I asked my adoption lady why some of the dogs come in and they are in great condition (like the boy) whereas others seem a mess? It depends on the kennel/farm that they come from. I am positive that my racer was well taken care of while she was racing, but I think she spent time at a farm (breeding that didn't take?) in between the track and my house. He's the summary: it depends on where they came from and who took care of them! For most of their history you will have to fill in the blanks, you just won't know all the details. Please pick your dog based on their personality and a connection you feel!

 

Oh...I have to stop typing because the boy just peed all over my christmas tree!!! AND he's housebroken...what did I say? more work!!

[Guest queenme2]

Nina is my first Greyhound. I owned other dogs in the past and I've found a temprarment that meets your needs to be most important when it come to a pet.

 

I needed a dog that like to walk because I can't always get my husband and son to

 

A calm dog that likes to lay around because I teach my son from home. And Nina gets her morning Kong at the start of lessons and she as happy as can be.

 

A dog that is housebroken. I just don't feel up to housebreaking another dog

 

A dog that loves ppl

 

Doesn't bark much

 

Short hair

 

And looks like she is happy

 

So don't focus on age to much. We had five doogy play dates with different dogs before we decided

[Wonder]

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

I was just going to say the same thing

[duncan41]

I think The Little River Band said it the best..................."Listen to your heart!"

 

 

[Guest cactusdude]

Wow, It's great that so many have responded.

 

I agree, everything depends on the dog's genetic makeup and the care that it received during its racing life. The male that I'm interested in hasn't had his teeth cleaned yet (nor been neutered, etc.), the adoption group just got him. The funny thing is though, his teeth look like they were cleaned sometime in the past. He doesn't have massive amounts of deposits on them, not the kind of horrible stuff that most seem to come in with. His gums don't look great right now, but I'm sure that cleaning and regular brushing will help.

[Guest trevdog]

Teeth can also be genetic or how well they have been maintained. Jam has super teeth all his life, Ossie who we got at 3 has to have his teeth cleaned 2x a year regardless of what I do. So it sounds like your possible boy may just have good teeth.....

[cleptogrey]

"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." kennel mom

"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."greysandmoregreys

 

emily was adopted at 4.5 yrs after 168 races, a pleasure to have around all the time, any day, any place!!!! i got exactly what i was looking for, sweet, mild mannered and gets along well with ALL dogs.

health is a matter of luck...one can never tell.

 

 

[duncan41]

My 9 year old has always had horrible gingivitis. My 5 year olds have "good teeth for greyhounds" as our Vet observed. Not sure teeth have anything to do with it. Sounds like you want a sure thing.......................wouldn't we all. I go with my heart and gut...........they have never failed me yet.

[Guest nitrousdog]

We adopted Mesa Jessie. She was 11 when we got her. She ran over 100 races and produced 31 puppies. I love the seniors. They tend to be more lazy.

[Guest Greyglo]

Here, our boy was raced until he was 3, the five girls were raced until they were 4 and one girl didn't race. The only thing for certain is that they leave us too soon. Good to read you're ready for another dog. Best wishes with your decision -

[GeorgeofNE]

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 .

 

Well, thank goodness someone spoke up!

 

I know there is a lot of "information" out there on how horribly racers are treated--but much of it is very old "information."

 

I specifically wanted a dog who was good at racing! I figured he deserved a cushy home life. My dog was fortunate (for him) in that he remained in one place his entire career--nearly three years at Raynham Park. Which means it was his HOME. They were his family. An dhe missed it all desparately when I first got him. It was a huge adjustment for him--going from being surrounded by other dogs 24/7 to being alone.

 

Once we got through that phase, he's been a great companion. I think a five year old dog is somewhat more difficult to teach certain things--or at least mine has been--but other than that, he's wonderful. Tough as nails too!

[Guest jkbookshelf]

We adopted Nebo when he was 5 after he had been bounced twice. Over 200 races and he fractured his hock in his last race, a dnf. We also adopted Lamar soon after he stopped racing at 2.5, only around 50 races. Both boys get along well and even though Nebo favors his leg sometimes, it doesn't stop him from running sometimes faster than Lamar. Unless there's a squirrel! Then Nebo is the first one on it every time.

 

As has been stated, it depends on what you want in a dog. The older dog is calmer most of the time. Except for when there's furry woodland creatures. Then he comes alive!

[SAVED2]

My Oshkosh Andy is 11 now 135 races never been sick and runs like mad every day.

[HJsM]

Bull was retired at the very 11th hour of his 5th year. His teeth are great, he's in awesome condition, and does have a corn but that is par for some greyhounds and has naught to do with his career.

 

Go for the one you connect with.