A Beginning.

[Guest irrationalrat]

Hello there,

 

I just joined the forum and thought it would be good to have an "introduction" post to start things off. I'm a first year veterinary student in Davis, CA and I'm VERY interested in adopting an ex-racer next academic year (i.e. this August). Being the scientist that I am (and a generally reasonable person), I wanted to make sure to get all my research done before making a final commitment. I'm here to read first hand accounts of greyhound ownership— the good, the bad, and the ugly. I figure if I know all the cons to grey ownership and am still chomping at the bit to adopt one, then it will be a good match.

 

I'm also here to hopefully gain some insight with regards to my own lifestyle and whether I can provide the home that an ex-racer deserves. The dog needs to be right for me and I need to be right for the dog!

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to gaining some valuable information from this forum.

 

Cheers!

[Guest IrskasMom]

Welcome to GT :wave I enjoyed reading your Post and it all makes Sense. You just wandered into the wonderful World of Greyhounds and trust me, we are slightly obsessed .We love to have you here.

[Guest PhillyPups]

Hi, welcome to GT.

 

I entered the world of greyhounds as a lifelong dog owner, with blind faith in dogs.

 

I only have good to tell you about the breed. The bad is that their lifespan is never long enough. And after years of involvement with greyhounds, and meeting probably thousands of greyhounds, I am still looking to find an "ugly" greyhound.

 

 

That is my good, bad and the ugly on greyhounds.

 

One way to find out if you like the breed is to volunteer with a group, or at a local greyhound kennel, I don't know of any group that would not welcome another volunteer. You will see how wonderful they are.

 

Again, welcome, sit back, relax, and enjoy. Once you have been owned by a greyhound, your world will never be the same, it will always be better.

Edited January 23, 2012 by PhillyPups

[Greydawg]

[msjpk]

Hi and welcome to a site that is beyond knowledge about almost anything!!

It is greyt that you are asking the correct questions. I realize that you will be very busy with your career goals. How about volunteering and finding out about the best breed on earth and then maybe fostering?

Don't want you and your new best friend to be anxious.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[fsugrad]

Greetings from Gainesville, FL (home of the Univ of FL Vet School) and welcome to GT!

Glad to have you on board!

 

Greyhounds are awesome and I am sure that when the time is right you will find one (or two! ) that fits in perfectly with your lifestyle.

You've definitely come to the right place to read about all things greyhound.

[krissy]

I'm a final year veterinary student at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. I adopted my retired racer at the beginning of my third year (so about 15 months ago now). We (my boyfriend and I) fostered one dog for a group first to appease our landlord, but it was also a great commitment free way for us to confirm that our research had not misled us. We had a wonderful experience. We fostered for 3 weeks and when our foster boy went to his new home we got the ok from our landlord and went to adopt our greyhound a few days later. We've had absolutely no problems with him. Greyhounds are just the perfect student dog in my (totally unbiased ) opinion. He sleeps 18 hours a day and is happy to just go for 3 short walks around the block during exam time, but happy to go for a 3 hour long hike when I have the time to do so. He's quiet so he doesn't disturb our landlord. He's clean and dainty. He doesn't shed much (compared to my 3 rabbits anyway).

 

Having said that though, I would recommend either going to a group that fosters their dogs first, or adopting a bounce that the group has info on. Summit was a bounce so we knew he had no separation anxiety issues, got along with small critters, and just generally a bit about his personality. I would also consider looking at a dog that is a little older... maybe 3-4 and up. Our foster was 3 and he was great. Summit was 5.5 when we adopted him. I know some of the 2 year olds are just overgrown puppies... which is exactly what I'm looking for this summer after I graduate but it does add some stress if you're living the busy vet student life. I think it also depends on what year you are in. In first or second year I would have found it easier to handle a rambunctious 2 year old than I would have in 3rd and 4th year (especially 4th).

 

Good luck! Greyhounds are the very best dogs out there (again... in my totally unbiased opinion).

[Feisty49]

As others have said and will say: Greyhounds are wonderful. My Annie Bella is beautiful (they all are), calm, sweet, independent, a people and dog lover and sometimes stubborn. She doesn't surf counter tops or basket dive. She doesn't like being alone, but doesn't have SA (separation anxiety). She's been known to hoard socks, mittens, scarfs, and slippers, even with lots of stuffies with which to play. She also is very bonded to me and knows that I love her and protect her and have certain expectations of consideration and manners she must follow (no jumping, no going on furniture, waiting nicely while I fix meals, etc.).

 

Another vet student started a topic back in November or December about her experience with being a student and being a first-time Greyhound mom. There were some initial behavior issues, but nothing unusual for a Grey in a new environment. Long story short is she was wondering if having her Greyhound and being a vet student would work because of all the time spent at school and studying. She got lots of advice and if I remember correctly most, if not all, were positive about keeping her Grey and being able to go to school.

 

It's real important when you make the decision to adopt that you find one that you think suits your situation. I think most Grays adjust, without problems to being alone for hours. Sometimes not. My Annie Bella is an only dog in a household with just me. She prefers to be with me, but she is fine being alone when I'm gone; that is there's no whining, barking or rooing. She'll hunt around for something to "borrow" and I often accommodate by leaving something out that I don't mind getting gooey.

[Guest RNJaney09]

Welcome!! I can already tell you will be a wonderful owner

[PrairieProf]

Welcome to the wonderful world of greyhounds (and Greytalk)!

[Guest irrationalrat]

I'm a final year veterinary student at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. I adopted my retired racer at the beginning of my third year (so about 15 months ago now). We (my boyfriend and I) fostered one dog for a group first to appease our landlord, but it was also a great commitment free way for us to confirm that our research had not misled us. We had a wonderful experience. We fostered for 3 weeks and when our foster boy went to his new home we got the ok from our landlord and went to adopt our greyhound a few days later. We've had absolutely no problems with him. Greyhounds are just the perfect student dog in my (totally unbiased ) opinion. He sleeps 18 hours a day and is happy to just go for 3 short walks around the block during exam time, but happy to go for a 3 hour long hike when I have the time to do so. He's quiet so he doesn't disturb our landlord. He's clean and dainty. He doesn't shed much (compared to my 3 rabbits anyway).

 

Having said that though, I would recommend either going to a group that fosters their dogs first, or adopting a bounce that the group has info on.

 

Thank you for the great advice! I've already met with my local greyhound rescue group and I would definitely be adopting a dog that has been fostered (mainly because I need to be 100% sure the grey will be cat and dog friendly). Fostering sounds like a really great idea to get a taste of grey ownership without the long term commitment. I will definitely look into that.

 

 

 

Another vet student started a topic back in November or December about her experience with being a student and being a first-time Greyhound mom. There were some initial behavior issues, but nothing unusual for a Grey in a new environment.

 

Thanks for telling me about your grey. I went and looked up those topics and found they very informative!

[greytpups]

Hi and welcome...the only point I want to add is that you don't always hear about the really easy transitions to a new home, especially if you read a lot in training and behaviour threads. Once we established a routine and gained trust (took less than a week) Ben and Brooke were easy peasy when we adopted them...no issues at all!

[Guest snakes]

Welcome

I adopted my second and then third greyhound (first had passed) while in nursing school. I found i had the time and wasn't away form home more than 8-9hrs at one time so the pups were fine. In fact most greyhounds are perfect pets while in school as they love just having humans around while they sleep and relax. Ideal for studying as they don't need someone to play with them non-stop!

One thing I did though, since i was in school and only working part time, I bought insurance on the pups while i was in school. I felt if i was going to be responsible for their well being i had to be able to afford it in the "just in case" matter if something horrible presented itself (usually VERY expensive- think $2-3000). Keep in mind i am single and was the only caretaker and income to the home.

The fostering idea many presented would probably be ideal as well, that way if there are sever behavior problems you have help and options, you can always "fail" fostering if it works out

 

As with all pets remember daily living costs can rack up, and you do have to take them out every day even when you are sick, tired, have exams, or it is raining, snowing, freezing, or heat wave. On the flip side, this can be great way to relieve stress of school and escape for a little while!

[Guest irrationalrat]

Hi and welcome...the only point I want to add is that you don't always hear about the really easy transitions to a new home, especially if you read a lot in training and behaviour threads. Once we established a routine and gained trust (took less than a week) Ben and Brooke were easy peasy when we adopted them...no issues at all!

 

That's great to hear. I guess it's best to expect the worse and then be pleasantly surprised? I'm hoping to adopt a couple weeks before school starts so that I have time to bond with the dog before becoming busy.

 

Welcome

I adopted my second and then third greyhound (first had passed) while in nursing school. I found i had the time and wasn't away form home more than 8-9hrs at one time so the pups were fine. In fact most greyhounds are perfect pets while in school as they love just having humans around while they sleep and relax. Ideal for studying as they don't need someone to play with them non-stop!

One thing I did though, since i was in school and only working part time, I bought insurance on the pups while i was in school. I felt if i was going to be responsible for their well being i had to be able to afford it in the "just in case" matter if something horrible presented itself (usually VERY expensive- think $2-3000). Keep in mind i am single and was the only caretaker and income to the home.

The fostering idea many presented would probably be ideal as well, that way if there are sever behavior problems you have help and options, you can always "fail" fostering if it works out

 

As with all pets remember daily living costs can rack up, and you do have to take them out every day even when you are sick, tired, have exams, or it is raining, snowing, freezing, or heat wave. On the flip side, this can be great way to relieve stress of school and escape for a little while!

 

My longest days are 8-9 hours, but we are also allowed to take our dogs to school with us (yay!). They stay in our homeroom (crated), but that allows us to take them out and walk them in between classes, during lunch, etc. They can be loose in the room if we are present with them too.

 

Pet insurance sounds like a good idea while I'm in school (and not YET a vet)— I definitely cannot afford an emergency visit to our hospital (which is expensive even with our student discount). Luckily, we have a pet food program that will help keep costs down as well ($50 for 40lbs of food a month from Sept - May). Only Hills brand food is included in the program, though (does anyone feed this to their greys? Do they do pretty well on it?).

[Guest OurIndy]

Hi there!

 

So I'm a first year vet student at Tufts and got my first grey, Indiana, last August. It became evident recently that he needed some company so we just got him a sister last Friday, and just named her Piper. Can I just tell you it was the BEST decision I could have made. Everyone worries that I won't have enough time for the dog or my work but it's really been a way for me to make time for what I love. I live with my boyfriend and he works from home sometimes so it works out well most of the time but I definitely wish I could bring the pups to school with me sometimes. You're so lucky. All that said, I wouldn't hesitate in adopting a grey in your position, every thing works out in the end if you want it enough! They're the most loving, gracious pups in the world and they're great for apartment living.

 

So I know I haven't given you any new information, I just wanted to give some support and encourage you to follow your instinct on this one. Research and preparedness is important but trusting that you and your new companion will make each other happy is important too! Oh, and having a dog is great for superficial anatomy and physical exam practice!

 

Oh, and I feed my two 1/2 Purina large breed and 1/2 Hills Oral Care (both participate in our pet food program). The oral care has a lot of fiber so it did wonders to firm up their stool and also scales their teeth well, but it is a really high volume food so I wouldn't recommend it for their entire diet.

 

All the best and good luck this semester

 

Mimi

[Guest IHeartDogs]

Warm welcome from Minnesota!

 

I have been fostering greyhounds for 3 years and absolutely love it.

80% of the hounds adjust seamlessly into my home with my two weimaraners within 2 weeks. Usually after one month they feel at home and their true personalities start to emerge. I find that the boys are usually easier. They have a tendency to be more loving and easy going.

 

Our group feeds Hill's original advanced fitness. Most of the dogs do fine. You can always try it out since it is free.

A lot of dogs have loose stool when they first come to me (nerves, new environment, usually a change in diet, etc) so always give a good month before determining if the food is a good fit.

 

The fostering tip is an excellent way to get to experience greyhounds and learn what kind of dog you are looking to adopt.

Good luck with your schooling and getting a greyhound!

[mychip1]

Welcome and best wishes.....They are wonderful dogs....and when you bring one into your life, your life will never be the same.

[Guest irrationalrat]

Everyone worries that I won't have enough time for the dog or my work but it's really been a way for me to make time for what I love.

 

Oh, and I feed my two 1/2 Purina large breed and 1/2 Hills Oral Care (both participate in our pet food program). The oral care has a lot of fiber so it did wonders to firm up their stool and also scales their teeth well, but it is a really high volume food so I wouldn't recommend it for their entire diet.

 

All the best and good luck this semester

 

Mimi

 

I am SO GLAD to hear all this good stuff from fellow veterinary students! It's so reassuring to hear. Thanks for the food tip, too. I like the sound of the 50/50 Hills/Purina (we get both, too, actually).

 

Thank you all for the good advice and support! This has been very helpful. I've read before that males tend to be more affectionate— has that proved for the most part to be true (is there already a topic discussing this?)? I would definitely like to have a dog that's more on the affectionate side...

[krissy]

I've read before that males tend to be more affectionate— has that proved for the most part to be true (is there already a topic discussing this?)? I would definitely like to have a dog that's more on the affectionate side...

 

Since you'll be getting a dog that was fostered either by yourself or someone else, you should get something of an idea of personality. Although that can change over 6 months to a year, at least you'll get an idea of whether a dog might tend towards being more affectionate. I generally prefer male animals since I do find females have a tendency to be more aloof, but that's a total generalization and I know of plenty of female dogs that are very cuddly. Summit is affectionate but not a huge cuddler. He cuddles when invited up on the couch or bed with me, but he doesn't come climbing up on furniture looking for attention. He's very unassuming and polite. His most affectionate times are first thing in the morning when we get up and when I get home from school. He really shows how happy he is to be with me at those times and it makes me smile from ear to ear every time.

[Guest avadogner]

I just wanted to say Hello and Welcome to Greytalk from Biringham, Alabama! I wish I had known about Greytalk when DH (fiance at the time) were getting ready to adopt our first grey. We knew a little about the breed since DH's aunt in Florida had a retired racer. We read The Idiots Guide to Adopting retired Greyhound aka (The Greyhound Instruction Manual at our house), Cynthian Branigan's History of the Greyhound book and surfed the many great Greyhound info websites.

 

We adopted an 18 month old female named R Fetch Puppy who has never fetched anything and failed to get past her Maiden class training here in Birmingham. Being our first grey, we had no idea that she would have been characterized as highly skittish, space aggressive, possibly abused or injured in a fight and easily spooked. We just thought that is how all greys acted in their transition to home life. Having the wonderful knowledge and experience of the peeps here on GT would have been a huge help.

 

That skittish puppy despite our novice parenting/training blossomed into my beloved heartdog (a term used to describe that extra incredible furry love of a lifetime) Ava. Through patience, time and a little luck she went from a shaking, skittish pup to self trained personal pet therapy hound. She will be 12 in March and is ailing with Lumbar Stenosis. She has seen me through 7 surgeries and the long process that awaiting a kidney transplant can be. She can anticipate and warn me of dangerous shifts in my blood pressure and guards me if I faint from low BP.

 

When we adopted our 2nd hound 18 months ago, it was a breeze! Ava is a bit snarky in her old age and with the help of the amazing McGregor Greyhound Welfare Center (aka Crazy Greyhound Ladies) they hand picked the hound they thought would be the best fit for Ava. Now we have our big (90 lbs of goofy luvin) beta boy Augie. He keeps us laughing daily with his inability to understand he is a big dog not the 5 lb lap dog that he thinks he is. The friends we have made here on GT helped make his transition home easier and helped tremendously when he refractured his hock 4 months after adoption.

 

My brother teases me that we are bit cult like in the love of our greyhounds. It is absolutely true and I hope you decide to drink the Koolaid and join us. Being owned by a grey is such a rewarding relationship. Once you become loved by one, you will understand all the enthusiasm and dedication to the breed we exhibit. You may end up chasing down cars with greyhound stickers just to meet another greyhound person. It has been known to happen.

 

Feel free to lurk, ask queestions, join in the chatting and hang out. Beside being a greyhound info site, we have some pretty fun events, topics of conversation and allk around good times happening here! I wish you the best of luck with Vet school and look forward to seeing you here on Greytalk.

-alicia aka Ava & Augie's Mum

[Guest BrianRke]

Welcome to GreyTalk! You have found a great source for information!

[tammystroops]

HI and Welcome!

 

this is a great forum and a great place to meet wonderful people that have a passion for being owned by greyhounds.

 

and yes...we dont own them! they own us!

 

 

I am proud to be owned by Five wonderful greys!

 

just for FYI: they are like potato chips! you cannot have just one!

[TheFullHouse]

Welcome to GT.

[Guest IrskasMom]

Take a look at previous Poster's Siggy. 9 Hounds and a JRT.Ms.Judy can best describe Greyhounds and how it all function in theire House. :lol

Edited January 25, 2012 by IrskasMom

[momtogeorge]

And welcome from Sacramento. There are several adoption groups here in this area. I volunteer with Wine Country Greyhound Adoptions. The group is actually based in Santa Rosa but we have quite a large group of adopters in this area. We have Meet & Greets at least twice a month at different locations and would love to have you stop by.