Hello From Virginia!

[Guest SilverGlass]

Hi there,

 

My father and I are looking at getting a dog, and after conducting research and talking to a lot of people and making a list of what we want, we have decided to get a retired greyhound.

 

I'm now trying to get personal advice and information from people who have been there, done that. We've read through "Retired Greyhounds for Dummies", and still feel like this is the dog for us.

 

We've located a rescue organization in the area, but have not made contact yet. We are looking to find our dog early summer, so that we will have plenty of time to get to know him, train, and adjust to my father's working schedule.

 

I'm totally new to this forum, so I apologize in advance if I end up posting in the wrong place. I'm still trying to find my way around

 

 

Any advice, or a good starting point would be incredibly helpful. Anything else we need to consider before making the commitment. I've been looking through the forum, but have not yet found what I'm looking for, so if you wouldn't mind pointing me in the right direction it would be very much appreciated.

 

I look forward to the journey of our first greyhound

Edited January 5, 2011 by SilverGlass

[Guest mcsheltie]

Hi! to the greyt world of Greyhounds!

 

There is an article written about GHs in their new home that gets posted here periodically. It is written a bit tongue-in-cheek, but is something every new adopter should read.

 

Does anyone out there know what I am talking about? (please be kind in your repsonse )

[GreyKarma]

Hello from Virginia!!! Where are you located?

 

Most groups hold Meet and Greets at places like Petsmart. There you can meet and talk to people to help you learn about Greyhounds. Read these forums, they are a wealth of information....

 

Good luck on this journey...once you adopt one you are hooked for life.

[Guest SilverGlass]

Thanks for the kind welcomes!

 

I live in Hampton Roads, and am currently on the lookout for some groups to look into. I'll be sure to check into some of those if I find them.

 

Please let me know if you find that article, I want to make sure we know exactly what to expect

[MandysMom]

Welcome from Northern Virginia!

 

I believe Julie was referencing Kathleen Gilley's article:

 

Of all breeds of dogs, the ex-racing Greyhound has never had to be responsible for anything in his life. His whole existence has been a dog-centered one. This breed has never been asked to do anything for itself, make any decisions or answer any questions. It has been waited on, paw and tail. The only prohibition in a racing

Greyhound's life is not to get into a fight----------------or eat certain stuff in the turn out pen.

 

Let us review a little. From weaning until you go away for schooling, at probably a year and a half, you eat, grow and run around with your siblings. When you go away to begin your racing career, you get your own "apartment," in a large housing development. No one is allowed in your bed but you, and when you are in there, no one can touch you, without plenty of warning.

 

Someone hears a vehicle drive up, or the kennel door being unlocked. The light switches are flipped on. The loud mouths in residence, and there always are some, begin to bark or howl. You are wide awake by the time the human opens your door to turn you out. A Greyhound has never been touched while he was asleep.

 

You eat when you are fed, usually on a strict schedule. No one asks if you are hungry or what you want to eat. You are never told not to eat any food within your reach. No one ever touches your bowl while you are eating. You are not to be disturbed because it is important you clean your plate.

 

You are not asked if you have to "go outside." You are placed in a turn out pen and it isn't long before you get the idea of what you are supposed to do while you are out there. Unless you really get out of hand, you may chase, rough house and put your feet on everyone and every thing else. The only humans you know are the "waiters" who feed you, and the "restroom attendants" who turn you out to go to the bathroom. Respect people? Surely you jest.

 

No one comes into or goes out of your kennel without your knowledge. You are all seeing; all knowing. There are no surprises, day in and day out. The only thing it is ever hoped you will do is win, place or show, and that you don't have much control over. It is in your blood, it is in your heart, it is in your fate-- or it is not.

 

And when it is not, then suddenly you are expected to be a civilized person in a fur coat. But people don't realize you may not even speak English. Some of you don't even know your names, because you didn't need to. You were not asked or told to do anything as an individual; you were always part of the "condo association?; the sorority or fraternity and everyone did everything together, as a group or pack. The only time you did anything as an individual is when you schooled or raced, and even then, You Were Not Alone.

 

In my "mobile abode," the Greyhounds each have several unique names, but they also have a single common name: it is Everybody. We continue to do things as a group, pack or as we are affectionately known in-house, by Kathleen's Husbandit, "The Thundering Herd."

 

Back to those who have not been permanently homed. Suddenly, he is expected to behave himself in places he's never been taught how to act. He is expected to take responsibility for saying when he needs to go outside, to come when he is called, not to get on some or all of the furniture, and to not eat food off counters and tables. He is dropped in a world that is not his, and totally without warning, at that.

 

Almost everything he does is wrong. Suddenly he is a minority. Now he is just a pet. He is unemployed, in a place where people expect him to know the rules and the schedule, even when there aren't any. (How many times have you heard someone say, "He won't tell me when he has to go out." What kind of schedule is that?) Have you heard the joke about the dog who says, "My name is No-No Bad Dog. What's yours?" To me that is not even funny. All the protective barriers are gone. There is no more warning before something happens. There is no more strength in numbers. He wakes up with a monster human face two inches from his. (With some people's breath, this could scare Godzilla.) Why should he not, believe that this "someone," who has crept up on him, isn't going to eat him for lunch? (I really do have to ask you ladies to consider how you would react if someone you barely knew crawled up on you while you were asleep?) No, I will not ask for any male input.

 

Now he is left alone, for the first time in his life, in a strange place, with no idea of what will happen or how long it will be before someone comes to him again. If he is not crated, he may go though walls, windows or over fences, desperately seeking something familiar, something with which to reconnect his life. If he does get free, he will find the familiarity, within himself: the adrenaline high, the wind in his ears, the blood pulsing and racing though his heart once again--until he crashes into a car.

 

Often, the first contact with his new family is punishment, something he's never had before, something he doesn't understand now, especially in the middle of the rest of the chaos. And worst of all, what are the most common human reactions to misbehavior? We live in a violent society, where the answer to any irritation is a slap, punch, kick, whip, or rub your nose in it. Under these circumstances, sometimes I think any successful adoption is a miracle.

 

He is, in effect, expected to have all the manners of at least a six-year old child. But, how many of you would leave an unfamiliar six-year old human alone and loose in your home for hours at a time and not expect to find who knows what when you got back? Consider that if you did, you could be brought up on charges of child abuse, neglect and endangerment. Yet, people do this to Greyhounds and this is often the reason for so many returns.

 

How many dogs have been returned because they did not know how to tell the adoptor when they had to go out? How many for jumping on people, getting on furniture, counter surfing, separation anxiety, or defensive actions due to being startled or hurt (aka growling or biting)? So, let's understand: Sometimes it is the dog's "fault" he cannot fit in. He is not equipped with the social skills of a six-year old human. But with your love and help, you can make it happen.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Yup That's it!

[DesiRayMom]

Welcome from Ohio!!!!

 

I didn't discover GreyTalk until after I'd adopted & muddled through the first 6 months of owning my first greyhound.

Didn't matter, we made it, and it's the love of a lifetime. I met him at a meet & greet at a petstore, he looked up at me,

smiled & leaned on me.....I was a goner.

 

Best wishes, & good luck.

[GreyKarma]

Thanks for the kind welcomes!

 

I live in Hampton Roads, and am currently on the lookout for some groups to look into. I'll be sure to check into some of those if I find them.

 

Please let me know if you find that article, I want to make sure we know exactly what to expect

 

Well you can certainly come meet my girl and her friends. We are at the Greenbrier Petsmart on every third Sat.... I can double check on the dates.

 

You can email me too!! CarolM8606@aol.com

Edited January 6, 2011 by GreyKarma

[Guest SilverGlass]

Well you can certainly come meet my girl and her friends. We are at the Greenbrier Petsmart on every third Sat.... I can double check on the dates.

 

You can email me too!! CarolM8606@aol.com

 

 

Thank you so so much. We're about 40 minutes away from VA beach. I'll be sure to email you, I would LOVE to take my dad up there to meet some dogs and talk about the experience of your first greyhound.

 

I have a few concerns, that I realize will be best answered by the rescue organization.

The main on is my dad works full time, and for that very reason I am coming for the summer so I can work on housetraining and getting him acclimated to being alone during the day. That is my main concern. I'll have 2.5 solid months, and I'm hoping we can have the dog pretty steadily housetrained by then. I've had dogs before, so I realize there are always accidents. Is that a relatively reasonable timeframe?

 

I just really want to make sure we get this right. We've had 2 dogs before (our older golden died when she was 14, and when my parents split my mom took the younger golden) but this is my dad's first "all-by-himself" dog, if that makes any sense.

 

 

Thanks again for all your help, and thank you for posting that article! It really puts it into perspective.

[fourofem]

Hi there and welcome....I live in the Richmond area with five greyhounds!!! Feel free to email or PM me....I can offer lots of stories and maybe some advice. Good luck!!!

[DevilDog]

Hello and welcome from Virginia Beach! We have a local group based here, the Virginia Affiliate of NGAP. Here's our link, Virginia Greyhounds. Definitely look into adopting from us.. we're a great group and we'll stand behind you and help you no matter what you may need with your new pup. Hope to see you around!

 

Lisa

[Guest borzoix4]

Welcome from Virginia also! Lots of wonderful help, advice here on this forum

[rebeccamcl]

Welcome to GreyTalk and the Wonderful World of Greyhounds!

 

I agree with Carol and Lisa - get to a meet-n-greet! I hung out at meet-n-greets before I got my guy, and learned a lot from people just by hanging around with them and talking to them about their dogs. There is a wealth of information to be found onthis site, but the person-to-person contact is even better, as you can ask questions and get an answer immediately. You can also get your 'greyhound fix' as you wait on getting yours! The more you are around these lovable dogs, the more you'll love them and eagerly await brining one into your family.

[Guest SilverGlass]

Hello and welcome from Virginia Beach! We have a local group based here, the Virginia Affiliate of NGAP. Here's our link, Virginia Greyhounds. Definitely look into adopting from us.. we're a great group and we'll stand behind you and help you no matter what you may need with your new pup. Hope to see you around!

 

Lisa

 

 

Thank you so much for the link. I forwarded it to my father, and we would definitly like to come to one of the Petsmart meet'n'greets in order to talk to some people and meet some dogs.

 

 

I was looking through the site, and downloaded the brochure. My one concern after going through everything is that the brochure said that Greyhound MUST have a fenced yard. Is that a total deal-breaker? My dad has his own house, but does not currently have a fence.

[2greytgreys]

Hi and welcome to Greytalk.

 

I am the adoption coordinator for the Virginia affiliate of NGAP. We do not require a fenced in yard but it's certainly nice if you have one. We have adopted to lots of people who live in apartments or live in a house with no back yard. The main thing we point out is that rain or shine you will need to walk the dog in whatever the elements bring if you don't have a fenced in yard where you can just open the door and let them out.

 

I have had several greyhounds over the years and lived in a townhouse with no fenced yard and that was not an obstable to adoption. But every time it rained I sure wished I had a fenced in yard.

 

Visiting one or more of our meet & greets is a great way to learn more and to be able to speak directly with those of us lucky enough to have one of these wonderful hounds in our life. We hold two meet & greets each month and you can find details about both on our web site. I host the event on the 4th Saturday of each month from 11-1 at the Petsmart near Town Center.

 

We'd love for you and your father to come out to one or both and meet the volunteers and their hounds. If you or your father have any questions feel free to e-mail me at 2greytgreys@gmail.com.

[Guest SilverGlass]

Hi and welcome to Greytalk.

 

I am the adoption coordinator for the Virginia affiliate of NGAP. We do not require a fenced in yard but it's certainly nice if you have one. We have adopted to lots of people who live in apartments or live in a house with no back yard. The main thing we point out is that rain or shine you will need to walk the dog in whatever the elements bring if you don't have a fenced in yard where you can just open the door and let them out.

 

I have had several greyhounds over the years and lived in a townhouse with no fenced yard and that was not an obstable to adoption. But every time it rained I sure wished I had a fenced in yard.

 

Visiting one or more of our meet & greets is a great way to learn more and to be able to speak directly with those of us lucky enough to have one of these wonderful hounds in our life. We hold two meet & greets each month and you can find details about both on our web site. I host the event on the 4th Saturday of each month from 11-1 at the Petsmart near Town Center.

 

We'd love for you and your father to come out to one or both and meet the volunteers and their hounds. If you or your father have any questions feel free to e-mail me at 2greytgreys@gmail.com.

 

 

Thank you so much for your answers and help. I'll be sure to get in contact with you if (when!) we have any more questions.

 

Thanks again!

[EllenEveBaz]

The main on is my dad works full time, and for that very reason I am coming for the summer so I can work on housetraining and getting him acclimated to being alone during the day. That is my main concern. I'll have 2.5 solid months, and I'm hoping we can have the dog pretty steadily housetrained by then. I've had dogs before, so I realize there are always accidents. Is that a relatively reasonable timeframe?

For most retired racing greyhounds, housetraining is usually a matter of days or a few weeks. They're already crate trained, and it's just a matter of letting them know that an entire house is now their "crate," and establishing a regular schedule.

 

And as for the dog being alone, you could always get two greyhounds

[Guest zookieninasmom]

Welcome!

[Guest SilverGlass]

Thanks!